Two months had passed since the rebirth of the mysterious existence.
He was now known as Kaien Vlorian.
The Vlorian family were nobles of the middle class—respected, disciplined, yet far from extravagant. Kaien's father was Luca Vlorian, a stern yet warm man whose presence carried quiet authority. His mother, Eren Vlorian, was gentle and soft-spoken, her voice always calm and soothing.
Kaien also had two siblings.
An older brother, Jay Vlorian.
And an older sister, Alora Vlorian.
For years, the two had wished for a younger sibling.
Now, that wish lay right in front of them.
Jay leaned close to the cradle, grinning mischievously as he raised Kaien's tiny hands.
"High five!" he said cheerfully, clapping them together.
Then he gently tugged at the sides of Kaien's ears with his fingers.
"Blah, blah, blah~!"
There was no reaction.
Kaien merely stared blankly, his expression calm and unreadable.
Jay froze.
"…Did I mess up?" he muttered, staring at the infant as if questioning his entire performance.
Behind him, Alora covered her mouth and giggled softly.
Jay turned red. "Hey! He's just hard to entertain!"
Every day followed a peaceful rhythm.
Kaien spent most of his time in his mother's arms—feeding, listening to her gentle lullabies, and falling asleep to the steady beat of her heart.
Sometimes, Luca would lift him high into the air, laughing softly as Kaien's small hands flailed instinctively.
And often—
Kaien watched.
From his mother's arms, his eyes followed Luca and Jay as they trained in the family's practice field. Wooden weapons clashed, footsteps echoed, and disciplined movements repeated endlessly.
On the far side of the field sat Alora, a wooden sword resting across her knees as she observed quietly.
Jay was ten years old.
Alora was eight.
Jay had black hair and sharp blue eyes, his refined jawline mirroring his father's handsome features. Alora, on the other hand, possessed silver hair, blue eyes, and smooth, pale skin that gave her an almost ethereal appearance.
Recently, both siblings had undergone the Rite of Awakening.
In this world, talents were ranked as follows:
F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS—
and the legendary GOD Rank.
The GOD Rank was considered mythical. Those who possessed it were regarded as beings capable of shaping and governing universal laws themselves.
Jay had awakened an S-Rank Talent.
Talent: Sword Sovereign
Affinity: Blade
A talent perfectly suited to his dream of becoming a master swordsman.
Alora, however—
She awakened an SS-Rank Talent.
Talent: Glacial Dominion
With it, she could freeze matter, erect absolute defensive barriers, and instinctively immobilize anything that harbored intent to harm her.
Jay had been jealous.
Very jealous.
But instead of resentment, it only fueled his determination.
During training, Jay suddenly paused and looked toward his father.
"Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Luca replied calmly.
Jay hesitated before asking, "Will… will little brother awaken a talent that surpasses sister's?"
Luca fell silent.
He glanced briefly toward Kaien, who lay quietly in Eren's arms—his expression peaceful, his aura completely ordinary.
After a moment, Luca spoke.
"I can't say for sure," he said honestly.
"But when the time comes… we'll know."
Jay smiled.
"Then I'll just train harder."
He turned back to the field, gripping his sword tightly as he resumed his practice.
Unnoticed by all—
Kaien's eyes shimmered faintly.
No power surfaced.
No aura leaked.
Yet somewhere deep within his sealed soul, something listened.
Something remembered.
And something waited patiently for the day it would awaken.