Chapter Four: Wings of Power
On a chilly early morning, Ryn Eldritch sat quietly in his room, calmly eyeing the cup of tea Alfred had prepared with meticulous care. The room was spotless—just as it should be. There was no sound except his own breathing.
Despite the silence, his mind was in turmoil. A brief, jarring memory flashed through his head—a fragment of a past that didn't belong to him, but now lived inside him. The mind of the original Ryn—brilliant, twisted, dangerous.
"Mad bastard," Ryn muttered under his breath, as if speaking to the ghost of the boy still hiding deep within his mind.
The family's private training grounds were wide and surrounded by high stone walls. The air buzzed faintly with restrained mana. At the center stood a tall man in a black-and-gray uniform, radiating discipline and control.
"Good morning, young master," the man said with a respectful bow.
"And you are?" Ryn asked, his tone cold but curious.
"My name is Kieran von Helgard. I'm the captain of the magical knights and your personal instructor from today onward."
Kieran stepped closer, voice calm and firm.
"By Duke Malphos's order, I will be teaching you the fundamentals of magic. This will require patience… and discipline. Are you prepared, young master?"
"Begin," Ryn replied, emotionless.
Kieran raised his hand and released a spark of mana—pure blue light that shimmered and vanished quickly into the air.
"Magic in this world is divided into four primary categories: Offensive, Defensive, Supportive, and Special. Within each, hundreds of applications exist, but the core of power lies in the type of mana and the purity of blood."
He pointed to the stone crest of House Eldritch behind Ryn.
"Your family, House Eldritch, is renowned for its mastery of Death and Decay magic. It's a dangerous art—one that deals in the disintegration of life itself. It devours mana mercilessly and corrupts the weak."
Then, with a more serious tone, he continued:
"There are three Grand Ducal Houses beneath the Imperial Throne:
– House Eldritch: masters of Death Magic.
– House Carmine: controllers of Blood Magic.
– House Lumeora: wielders of Life Magic."
He paused, then added in a lower voice:
"At the pinnacle stands the Imperial Family, wielders of Light Magic—the purest and most unforgiving form of all."
Kieran stepped toward Ryn, locking eyes with him.
"To master such power, one must do more than be born into it… one must conquer it. Are you ready to tame it, young master?"
At that moment, Ryn's lips curled into a crooked smile, his crimson eyes gleaming with a flicker of madness.
"I'll make death… bow to me," he whispered, voice twisted and low.
Kieran froze for a heartbeat—but then smiled, faintly. Something about Ryn had caught his attention… or his caution.
"Then let's begin your first lesson."
He extended his hand, and the mana in the air began to stir.
Thus, Ryn took his first step onto a path from which no one ever returns the same.