After several long breaths, Lucien slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, the world felt unfamiliar, as if he had just woken from a dream that lingered too vividly to be dismissed. Something inside him had changed. He couldn't explain it with words, but he felt it clearly, deeply, as though his soul had expanded and taken on a definite shape, no longer formless or vague.
His thoughts felt sharper.
Memories that once seemed distant now surfaced with terrifying clarity. His life on Earth, moments long buried by time, even emotions he thought he had forgotten, all replayed in his mind as if they were happening again right now. The realism of it left him momentarily breathless.
Before he could process further, a gentle hand brushed against his cheek.
Jasmine wiped away the tears that had unknowingly slipped from his eyes and smiled, her expression glowing with pride.
"You've made Mother proud, Lucien."
Lucien blinked.
I cried?'
He hadn't even noticed.
Whatever had happened to his soul just now was far beyond his understanding, and the urge to know gnawed at him relentlessly.
"Mo… Mother," he asked softly, his voice still unsteady, "what happened to me just now?"
Jasmine's eyes shone as if she had just witnessed a miracle.
"You advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage," she said, her voice filled with joy and disbelief intertwined.
"The Nascent Soul Stage?" Lucien tilted his head. "What… is that?"
Jasmine laughed lightly at his earnest expression.
"Silly child," she said fondly. "Then let Mother explain cultivation to you properly."
Lucien straightened unconsciously, his attention fully captured. Ever since arriving in this world, he had seen far too many things that defied common sense. Flying beasts, people soaring through the sky, invisible barriers. If he claimed he wasn't curious, he would only be lying to himself.
"There are three main cultivation paths in this world," Jasmine began patiently. "Essence Gathering, Body Tempering, and Soul Forging."
She gently tapped his forehead.
"What you achieved just now is the very first stage of Soul Forging Cultivation, known as the Nascent Soul Stage."
Her smile deepened, but there was awe behind it.
"This is something truly unbelievable, Lucien. Normally, one must first reach the Revolving Core Stage in Essence Gathering before one can even sense their soul. The human soul is fragile. Without sufficient foundation, it cannot be perceived, let alone cultivated."
Lucien listened quietly, absorbing every word.
'So that's why,' he thought.
Considering his true age and experiences, it felt almost natural that he could reach this stage. But even so, logic told him something was off. Even a century-old mortal wouldn't be able to do this.
He didn't know that the Transmigration Stone had strengthened his soul at its very core. Nor did he realize that, in that emotional outburst, he had unknowingly conquered a Heart Demon born from guilt and self-rejection.
Jasmine suddenly called his name, her expression turning serious.
"Lucien."
"Mhm?" He snapped out of his thoughts.
"Did you awaken memories from a previous life?"
The question struck him like a thunderbolt.
His body stiffened instantly, eyes widening as if someone had grabbed his deepest secret and dragged it into the light.
Jasmine didn't wait for an answer.
She pulled him into her arms, holding him tightly.
"It's all right," she said hurriedly. "You don't have to say anything. You are still my son. That will never change."
Lucien's composure crumbled.
"Mother… I'm sorry…" he cried, tears spilling freely.
Jasmine smiled gently as she held him.
His emotions were raw. Genuine. Untainted.
Whatever he was, she knew one thing for certain. He wasn't some ancient monster wearing her child's skin.
They stayed like that for a while, neither speaking.
Eventually, Lucien made a decision deep in his heart.
If he could not return what was lost, then he would at least be worthy of what remained.
"Mother," he said quietly, "should we… tell Father?"
Jasmine nodded slowly.
"If you wish to hide it, I will respect that," she said. "But your father will notice sooner or later. You can't conceal your cultivation forever."
Lucien hesitated. "Will he… be angry?"
"He will only be angry if you hide it from him," Jasmine replied softly. "If you speak honestly, he will listen."
After a brief pause, Lucien nodded.
"I'll trust Mother."
She smiled and gently pinched his cheek.
"Good boy."
Jasmine retrieved a crystal about the size of her fist. It shimmered faintly as she activated it.
"This is a transmission crystal," she explained. "We'll talk about artifacts later."
Moments later, the door opened.
Aerondor stepped inside, his expression stern from whatever matters he had been handling. The moment his eyes landed on Lucien, his breath caught.
"Nascent Soul Stage?"
His disbelief was obvious.
Jasmine nodded.
The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.
Jasmine spoke first, calmly recounting what had just happened.
"So," Aerondor said slowly, "our son has awakened memories from a previous life."
"Yes," Jasmine replied quietly.
Aerondor exhaled and turned toward Lucien.
The warmth vanished from his gaze.
A crushing pressure descended instantly, pressing directly upon Lucien's soul. His body trembled, his glabella burning as if something inside him were being pinned down.
"Who are you?" Aerondor demanded.
"Lucien," he answered, barely able to breathe.
"Lies. What are you after?"
"I'm not after anything!" Lucien cried, tears forming again. "Father—"
"Don't call me that!"
"Aerondor!" Jasmine shouted, stepping forward.
The pressure vanished.
Aerondor closed his eyes briefly before opening them again.
"Were you a mortal?" he asked. "Or something else?"
"A mortal," Lucien replied honestly.
Aerondor studied him intently, sensing his soul. There was no deceit. No distortion.
Finally, he sighed.
"I'm sorry," Aerondor said quietly, lifting Lucien into his arms. "I had to be sure."
Lucien nodded, not holding it against him.
The three of them embraced, awkward yet warm.
Then suddenly—
"Hrk—"
Jasmine covered her mouth and rushed away.
Moments later, she returned, cheeks flushed.
"It seems," she said shyly, "I'm pregnant."
Silence.
Then—
"…What?"
Shock, disbelief, and then laughter filled the room.
In that moment, despite everything uncertain and unexplainable, they felt like a family again.
"Good!"
Aerondor's eyes widened as if struck by lightning. For a heartbeat, he stood frozen, and then his body began to tremble with barely restrained excitement. The stern Emperor, who had faced rebellions and bloodshed without flinching, now looked like a man who had just been handed the greatest gift of his life.
Lucien watched the scene quietly, his small hands clenched at his sides.
A younger sibling…
The thought felt unreal.
On Earth, he had grown up alone. No parents. No brothers or sisters. Just empty rooms and long nights. The idea that he might soon have a brother or a sister stirred something unfamiliar in his chest. Conflicting emotions collided inside him, disbelief tangled with a strange, fragile joy.
Jasmine, standing a short distance away, gently pressed a hand to her lower abdomen. She had known the moment it happened. The warmth, the faint pulse of life that had bloomed within her after she and Aerondor reunited.
She had chosen to keep it a secret, wanting it to remain a surprise, something precious that belonged only to her for a little while longer.
Whether the child was a boy or a girl, she would know soon enough. But she refused to spoil that anticipation. This quiet waiting, this private certainty, was a joy she wanted to savor.
She took a few steps toward them.
Then her vision swayed.
Her knees buckled.
"Mother!"
A blur crossed the room.
Before Lucien could even blink, Aerondor was already there, his arms catching Jasmine just as she was about to collapse. To Lucien, it looked as though his father had vanished and reappeared in the same breath.
His heart skipped.
So fast…
It was the first time Lucien truly felt the terrifying gap between himself and the man called Emperor. Aerondor's power was not ceremonial. It was real.
"I… I'm fine," Jasmine said weakly, her brows knitting together as she steadied herself. "I just feel a little dizzy."
"That's enough," Aerondor said firmly, his voice low but edged with worry. "You need rest."
He turned to Lucien, his gaze softening.
"Lucien, your mother needs to lie down."
"I understand," Lucien replied quickly, nodding without hesitation.
He didn't know much about pregnancy in this world, but he could see how pale she had become. Even powerful cultivators, he would later learn, were not immune to weakness during the early stages of pregnancy.
Jasmine smiled faintly at him.
"Don't worry," she said gently. "Mother will come back soon."
"I'll be waiting, Mother," Lucien replied.
He stood still as they left the study, watching their figures recede until the door closed behind them.
The room felt suddenly empty.
Lucien let out a quiet, almost breathless laugh.
"Hah… hah…"
Loving parents. A sibling on the way.
Things I could never have, even if I begged for them in my old life.
His smile faded into a thoughtful sigh.
"I just hope…" he murmured, "I don't ruin this."
As his thoughts drifted, something subtle shifted inside him.
Hm?
A familiar presence stirred.
The black book.
For the first time, it no longer felt completely sealed away. He couldn't grasp it fully, but he could sense it now, faintly, like a door that had finally cracked open.
Is it because of the Nascent Soul Stage?
Temptation crept in.
Should I try…?
He shook his head immediately.
"No," he whispered. "Not here."
This was the Imperial Castle. His father had already set barriers. Even if he didn't fully understand them, Lucien could feel that this place was watched, protected, layered with unseen defenses.
What he didn't know was that the study already contained a permanent defensive formation, and that Aerondor had reinforced it further with a barrier designed to suppress fluctuations of sound, energy, and cultivation.
Nor did he know that hidden experts were always watching him from the shadows.