The wind arrived first.
It didn't just blow; it came down from the northern mountains like a silent, freezing tide, sweeping across the dark plains surrounding Blackstone Fortress. The tall crimson banners atop the towers snapped violently, their fabric twisting and screaming around the symbol of House Valerian—a black wolf standing against a crimson moon.
Moments later, the thunder followed.
A deep, visceral rumble rolled across the sky. Low and distant at first, but it grew until it was strong enough to make the very foundations of the fortress tremble.
Inside, the peaceful night was suddenly thrown into absolute chaos.
Servants rushed through the stone corridors, their breathing heavy as they carried buckets of hot water, clean cloth, and bundles of bitter herbs.
"The Duchess has gone into labor!"
"Call the court healer! Now!"
"Hurry, damn it!"
The whispers spread like wildfire. Tonight, the heir of House Valerian was being born.
In the Valtheris Empire, House Valerian wasn't just another noble family. It was one of the empire's greatest military pillars. For generations, they had commanded armies and crushed rebellions. At the head of that family stood one man.
Grand Duke Magnus Valerian. The Black Wolf of War.
Yet, at this moment, the legendary war hero looked... well, he looked a mess. Far less composed than the history books would suggest.
Magnus stood outside the large wooden chamber door, his arms crossed so tightly it looked like he was trying to crush his own ribs. He paced back and forth, the heavy thud of his boots echoing. He was a massive man, shoulders broad as a door, with scars carved across his face and neck. Even inside his own home, he wore a military coat over dark armor.
He had faced entire enemy armies without flinching. But now? He couldn't stop his hands from shaking.
Another cry of pain ripped through the air from inside the chamber.
Magnus stopped dead.
"…How is she?" he asked, his voice low and strained.
The elderly court healer beside him bowed slightly. "Childbirth is never easy, my lord. But Lady Evelyne... she is strong. She's a fighter."
Magnus nodded, but his face remained a mask of tension. Another scream came. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. He had seen countless battlefields, but hearing his wife in this much pain made him feel... pathetic. Strangely helpless.
Outside, lightning flashed, turning the world a blinding white. The thunder that followed shook the very windows in their frames.
Then, finally, the chamber door opened.
"My lord," one of the midwives called urgently. "It is time."
Magnus stepped into the room without a second thought.
The chamber was stiflingly warm, lit by dozens of flickering oil lamps. The scent of herbs was thick enough to taste. At the center of the room lay Lady Evelyne Valerian.
Her silver hair was plastered to her face with sweat, and her eyes were clouded with pure exhaustion. Even so, she still had that calm elegance about her. Another contraction struck. She gripped the sheets until her fingers went pale.
"Almost there, my lady," the midwife encouraged.
Lightning flashed again. For a brief second, the entire room was bathed in a ghost-white light. Then, the thunder exploded.
At that exact moment, the child was born.
The midwife quickly lifted the newborn and wrapped him in cloth. But a few seconds passed. Then more. The midwife's smile faded into a frown.
"…Strange."
The baby wasn't crying.
Normally, newborns screamed their lungs out the second they hit the air. But this child? Completely silent. Instead, the infant slowly opened his eyes.
Clear, piercing gray eyes. And he just... looked around. He looked at the room. He looked at the people.
The midwife felt a sudden, weird chill. "My lady…" she said softly.
Evelyne lifted her head weakly. "…Is the child healthy?"
"Yes… but… he hasn't cried. Not once."
Magnus stepped forward, his huge, scarred hands trembling as he carefully took the child. The newborn was small and warm. For a moment, Magnus just stared. Then, he frowned.
The child was staring right back at him.
"…Why is he looking at me like that?" Magnus muttered, sounding almost unnerved.
One of the court mages stepped forward. "My lord, may I...?"
Magnus nodded. The mage closed his eyes and extended his magical senses. A moment passed. Then, the mage's face went completely pale.
"My lord…"
Magnus looked at him, his eyes narrowing.
"What is it?"
"I sensed something. Something impossible."
"What kind of something? Talk to me!"
"…Mana. Thick, dense mana."
The room fell into a deathly silence. Magnus's frown deepened. "That's impossible. No newborn possesses mana. It's unheard of."
The mage nodded slowly, his voice shaking. "Yes… it should be. But I felt it. I felt it clearly."
Outside, lightning struck the ground somewhere nearby with a deafening roar. At that exact moment, the child finally cried. A small but clear cry that filled the room.
The midwives immediately slumped in relief.
"There it is. Perfectly healthy."
Magnus ignored them. He looked down at the baby again.
"…Cassian," he said quietly. That was the name they had picked months ago. Cassian Valerian.
Magnus adjusted the blanket. "You arrived with quite the storm, little wolf."
Outside, the thunder slowly began to fade. The storm was already passing. And in Magnus's arms, the newborn slowly closed his eyes.
Darkness.
Then... awareness. A jolt of I exist.
At first, I felt nothing but this weird, suffocating warmth surrounding me. Then, sound started leaking in. Voices. Footsteps. And a hell of a lot of thunder.
My thoughts felt like they were stuck in thick syrup. Slow. Foggy. Wait... what? Uh... what is happening?
I tried to move my body. It barely responded. It felt like I was wearing a suit made of lead. A wave of pure, sharp panic rose up in me. Why is my body like this? Why can't I... I can't move?!
My breathing got choppy and uneven. Then, memories started hitting me. Fragments at first. A desk. A glowing computer screen at 2 AM. Stacks of novels. And one story... one story I had read so many times I knew the page count.
Aetherion.
My mind just... froze. No way. No. Way.
I forced my eyes open. Everything was a blurry, oversized mess. Huge faces were looming over me. One of them was a massive man with scars all over his face.
My heart did a somersault. Magnus Valerian.
Recognition hit me like a freight train. My thoughts started spiraling. Did I... did I just get reborn? Fuck. Seriously?
The whole idea was ridiculous. It was a trope. It was a story. But the more I looked at those scarred features, the more real—and terrifying—it felt. And if this truly was the world of Aetherion... then I knew exactly who I was.
Cassian Valerian.
A minor character. A footnote. A noble heir who was basically born just to die early during a political mess. A character who existed for like, five chapters, just to give the real hero a reason to be angry.
My tiny fingers twitched. A cold, heavy weight of fear settled in my stomach. I die. I'm literally destined to die.
The realization made my head spin. For a moment, I just stared up at the ceiling, completely overwhelmed. What the hell am I supposed to do? This world was a nightmare. Wars. Assassins. Power struggles. Even the "strong" nobles got slaughtered like sheep.
I tried to swallow, but my throat felt tiny and tight.
Okay... okay, calm down. Panic is going to get you killed even faster.
If this was really the book, then I had one thing no one else had. I knew the script. Or at least, I knew the version that was supposed to happen.
My breathing finally started to steady. If everything followed the original plot... then Cassian Valerian would be dead before he even hit his growth spurt.
The conclusion was simple. Which meant the solution was even simpler.
Change the story. All of it.
I blinked slowly, my vision starting to clear. Outside the fortress, the storm had mostly died down. Just the sound of rain tapping against the glass now.
The fear was still there, buzzing under my skin. The confusion was massive. But mixed in with all that crap was something else. A quiet, burning bit of spite.
I don't want to die like that. I'm not going to be some "tragic backstory" for someone else.
My tiny fingers curled into a weak fist inside the blanket. Right now, I was just a helpless, crying newborn. But that wasn't going to last. And when the time came... Cassian Valerian wasn't going to be some forgotten side character.
Far above Blackstone Fortress, the clouds finally parted. The storm that had welcomed me was gone. But the world of Aetherion had just gained a variable it never saw coming.
AUTHORS NOTE~
Don't forget to leave a review and send some powerstone to help me , thanks for reading.