Morning sunlight crept through the tall, arched windows, casting golden stripes across the polished stone floor.
The chamber smelled faintly of beeswax and iron—clean, disciplined, alive.
I opened my eyes, fully aware of the body I now inhabited.
Not my own.
Black hair fell over sharp brown eyes.
Hands calloused, strong, capable of wielding a sword with deadly precision.
This was Prince Atelion Abdryth Maetyr Aurelion—heir to a kingdom that would soon face destruction at the hands of a red-haired invader.
Two figures waited outside the door.
First, my younger brother, Cairon.
He stood at attention, straight-backed, a mixture of loyalty and quiet ambition in his brown eyes.
He didn't desire the throne.
He wanted only to serve, to protect, and eventually, to earn the title of Captain of the Royal Guard.
And he would. I could already see it.
Second, my younger sister, Lysera, the last born. Gentle, observant, and clever in ways children shouldn't yet be.
Both of them loved their elder brother fiercely.
And for the first time in ten years of reading this story, I realized I could use that love—not manipulate, but leverage for strategy, support, and trust.
"Your Highness," Cairon said cautiously, bowing.
"It's morning.
Father requested your presence in the council chamber."
I nodded, slowly, analyzing both siblings in a single glance.
• Cairon: reliable, loyal, ambitious for honor, strong sense of justice.
• Lysera: emotionally intelligent, quiet observer, excellent memory.
Both assets. Precious allies.
"Thank you," I replied, my voice calm, measured. "We will go together."
They both exhaled slightly, as though relieved I wasn't acting… strangely. Good. First impression intact.
The Aura Awakens
I stood, letting the body move naturally.
Muscles remembered training.
Reflexes kicked in.
And I felt it again:
Aura.
Warm, disciplined, flowing through my limbs and core. Three Stars.
Adequate for a prince of sixteen, but a prodigy could do better. I concentrated subtly, observing the flow through the body's meridians.
Then, deeper—my soul stirred.
Mana.
Normally absent from this body, yet now it responded. One Circle, perfectly formed. Stable. Calm. Compatible with the body's natural Aura.
I let them coexist, running mental calculations as I assessed potential outcomes:
• Aura output maximum: unknown, could reach Ten Stars with training.
• Mana circle maximum: Ten Circles, compatible with my soul's inherent talent.
• Combined potential: unprecedented. Magic Swordman. Perhaps the Tenth in the known world.
I smiled faintly. Efficient. Practical. Everything in this body had purpose. And now it would serve a smarter mind.
The Political Marriage
As we walked through the palace halls, gilded and echoing, the reality of my engagement pressed itself against my consciousness.
Princess Olyrén Kemíel Enoria Valerith Aurelion.
Red-haired.
Golden eyes.
In the future, a tyrant.
For now, a young woman of sharp ambition, poised to inherit her empire.
Our engagement was political, arranged to stabilize relations between our two kingdoms. Nothing personal.
And yet… I already knew her. From the story. Every cruelty, every brilliance, every calculated move.
If this engagement was to succeed, I would need patience, intelligence, and strategy.
• Step one: Observe, analyze, understand.
• Step two: Survive.
• Step three: Rewrite the future.
The Council
We entered the council chamber. Sunlight through stained glass fractured across marble floors. Ministers, advisors, and generals paused to greet the crown prince. I noticed their patterns instantly:
who deferred, who lied, who hid fear beneath false confidence.
Every gesture, every blink, every hesitation told a story.
The father of this kingdom, King Maerion Aurelion, watched silently from the high seat. Stern. Experienced.
Fatigue in his eyes—he had seen the world's cruelties, battles, and betrayals.
He did not know I was different.
Not yet.
"Prince Atelion," the King said, voice firm, "the early reports from the border are… concerning.
Princess Olyrén's forces are becoming aggressive.
Your engagement may be tested sooner than we anticipated."
I nodded slowly. Calm. Calculated.
"I understand, Father.
I will prepare accordingly."
Inside, my mind raced.
Ten years to prepare.
Ten years to alter the path of history.
And now, the political engagement was a tool, a bridge to understanding her before war reached our gates.
A New Dawn
After council, I returned to the training yard. Cairon followed, naturally. Lysera lingered nearby, observing silently.
I stripped off my outer coat and let the body move naturally. Not as a boy, not as a modern-world student, but as a prince, a knight-in-training, and soon… a magic swordsman.
Three Stars of Aura. One Circle of Mana. But intellect was my true weapon.
And intelligence could accelerate anything.
Ten years.
Ten years to survive the tides of fate.
Ten years to turn enemies into allies, chaos into order, and a story written in despair into one of purpose.
I smiled faintly, drawing the sword from its stand.
And the world held its breath.