---Derek's POV---
Following William's order, Andrew took me to my room. To start with, this house is massive! It felt like a thousand of the little homes I lived in with my family would fit inside here.
There were huge halls for dances and gatherings, decorated with colorful chandeliers and marble floors. Everywhere I looked, there were carefully designed landscapes with fountains, statues, and geometric patterns.
Not to mention the gold accents on walls, furniture, and moldings, all clearly meant to display wealth. I was certain the fortune used to build this magnificent structure could have housed not less than ten thousand people.
Entering the grand entrance hall, I saw a double staircase for the first time. Massive chandeliers hung from vaulted ceilings, and a carpet bearing the Blackwood family crest—a cluster of trees with a shield protecting them—covered the floor.
It was strange, but I didn't have the luxury to stand there and stare. We walked up the stairs and entered the private living quarters of the Blackwood family, but it was strangely empty.
I followed Andrew down the massive corridor until we stopped at a towering and luxurious double door. The old butler pushed the doors open with some effort, and I was flabbergasted by the sight.
For the first time, I saw a real bed—not the kind made of straws but a real king-sized bed with massive windows and expensive curtains.
There was a bookshelf tall enough to kiss the ceiling, filled with books, and a small rolling ladder. There was also a fireplace, a reading desk, and even a lounging sofa with a bowl of fruits on the wooden table.
This room alone was bigger than my old home!
There was so much—and still plenty of space.
I snapped out of my shock as Andrew walked in and headed straight for a door next to the bookshelf. I ignored him and walked over to a massive mirror hanging on the wall. This was the first time I had seen my reflection so clearly.
Back then, Dad used polished metal mirrors to shave—though they weren't as clear as this. Real mirrors cost a small fortune and only people like Lord Blackwood could afford them.
For the first time in months, I saw my reflection—emaciated to the point where my bones were visible. My fair skin was darkened by dirt and blood, but most of all, my messy raven-black hair had green streaks that complimented my emerald eyes.
I never had green eyes!
"What's going on?" I asked.
{Even basic elements influence a person's attitude. People with an affinity for fire magic can be hot-headed at times. The same applies to you, but Death magic is on a whole new level. Its influence on you will manifest physically over time.} Death responded honestly.
"Basic?" I blinked in confusion. "Fire is basic?"
I had never heard anyone call any form of magic basic.
{It may come as a shock, but even in magic, there is a hierarchy broken into five categories or stars.} Death calmly explained. {Primary elements like fire, wind, water, and earth are one-star. Secondary elements like light and shadow are two-star. Tertiary elements are fusion elements like lava, explosion, ice, and so on, and are three-star. Then there are cosmic elements like space, time, and gravity, which are four-star. Finally, we have core or forbidden elements like Death, Life, Destruction, and Nature. Those are five-stars on the ranking list. You should be grateful I gave you something so valuable!}
I blinked in confusion and paused to think. I was about to scream foul at the ranking list, but I noticed something. The terms used to describe these core or forbidden elements were broad—like destruction, nature, life, and death.
While space, time, and gravity sounded cool, there was something about the names of five-star elements.
"Forbidden? Does that mean I'm not allowed to use death magic?" I asked, confused.
{Yes. If you are caught using it, you will be burnt on a stake like the last user.}
Buzz!
I felt a chill that made all the hair on my body stand. I was about to question Death when I heard a knock on my door. It was William, holding a velvet Renaissance pouch in his hand.
"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the rare fright on my face, but I nodded and wore my calm mask.
I'd ask Death for details about his words later.
"Yeah," I responded with a nod.
William didn't question further; I was beginning to like this man's unique skill of minding his own business. He never asked more than he should, and he wasn't forceful in getting information—even though he had a strong voice—and he seemed like an easygoing person.
He approached, untied the pouch, and handed it to me. I was suspicious but took it anyway and looked inside. It was a pinky-sized pearl with a faint blue hue. Only after seeing it did I realize the pouch in my palm was unnaturally cold.
"What is this?" I asked.
"An astral essence pearl. It will help awaken your dormant core. It's something every mage takes before they can become an actual mage," William explained.
"Horrible name," I commented and took the pearl in my hand to get a closer look.
"You eat it," William added, but I simply shrugged.
The creaking sound of the bathroom door opening caught my attention as Andrew stepped out with a clean towel in hand.
"Your bath is ready, young master…"
"Derek," William corrected before I could speak. "He is the newest addition to the family."
Andrew blinked in genuine shock before shifting his attention to me, his gaze sharpening.
"I see…" he said after a minute of staring blankly at me.
I didn't know any of these people, and honestly, I didn't want to stand in the middle while they conversed. Without hesitation, I tossed the pearl into my mouth, and to my surprise, it melted like butter. A cold feeling ran down my throat.
A cold chill invaded my body, but it was the soothing kind.
Without hesitation, I walked toward Andrew, snatched the towel from him, and entered the bathroom, clutching my chest. The speed at which the cold feeling spread through my body was beyond my expectations.
---Lord William Blackwood's POV---
I could tell Andrew didn't agree with my decision from his reaction. That sharp glare was a look he always gave me whenever I did something stupid, and to him, this was another one of those moments.
To his credit, he observed Derek with a neutral gaze before the disappointment came. As soon as the bathroom door shut behind him, an awkward silence followed—one I would have preferred to avoid.
"Robert only died a few months ago. Don't you think you're moving too fast?"
I shook my head. In the Gyro empire, a noble family was not judged by the prosperity of its lands, the happiness of its people, or wealth. The only criteria used to judge the value of a noble House were its mages.
"My only son is dead. He is survived by the most beautiful girls a grandfather could ask for, but they don't have a talent for magic. I'm nearing the end of my life…"
"Don't talk like that!" Andrew yelled.
It always annoyed him whenever I spoke this way, but that was the truth.
"Like it or not, that's the truth… Once I'm gone, if the family doesn't have a mage to take my place, they will take everything away, and my little girls will be sold as slaves or worse." I frowned at the thought, clenching my fists.
Many people wanted my lands and properties. They were waiting for me to follow my son to the grave so they could take everything my family has worked to amass for centuries.
"But—"
Andrew tried to speak, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand.
"What I do now, I do for the girls. Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil, I won't hesitate if it means securing their future and the survival of my house!" I said with a heavy sigh.
Andrew had a lot to say, and I knew it was out of concern. He has been the only constant figure in my life for decades now. But there were some things he couldn't understand about fatherhood because he had never experienced it.
I walked out of the room with a heavy heart, wondering if my decision today would make or break the House of Blackwood.
"We will find out tomorrow," I muttered.
--- Derek's POV---
I walked into the bathroom, shivering like a cat outside on a cold winter night. The slight chill had evolved into a full-blown blizzard inside my body.
I had little time to survey the bathroom. Apart from the wall mirror next to the entrance, a stone bench, and the sizable pool of steaming hot water, I couldn't see anything else.
What the hell did he give me? I gasped.
I staggered forward as my vision flickered between clear and blurred. The frosty energy slowly consolidated around my chest, its chill slowing down my beating heart.
With immense effort, I stepped into the pool without a second thought, and the steaming hot water was just perfect against the cold. The cold spreading across my chest began to fade, and breathing became easier.
Lost in the moment, I failed to notice black ink escaping my body as I immersed myself completely in the water.
Splash!
My vision went dark, and my consciousness faded instantly.
---
My eyelids slowly opened, and I saw myself in an alleyway; it was dark and quiet.
What? I was confused. Wasn't I in the pool a second ago? How the hell did I get here?
The stench of blood reached my nose, and I looked down. I wasn't sure what was more shocking—the pair of plump breasts I had or the fact my clothes were soaked in blood.
How am I bleeding so much and it doesn't hurt? I wondered before I looked up against my will and shifted my glance toward the entrance of the alley; three figures were standing there.
What's going on? Why is it moving on its own? I blurted out as my body struggled to stand against my will.
At this point, it became clear this wasn't my body. I couldn't even feel the pain from the stab wounds; I was just seeing the world through this person's eyes.
"You are going to kill me, your daughter, because I was born with this power?" The owner of the body gasped. I could feel the pain in her voice, but there was also a trace of emptiness.
This was a feeling I was still struggling to get used to.
Her words were directed at the man standing behind two armed guards. His dress was similar to Lord Blackwater's, but he had an obsession with amber color, probably because it matched his hair and eye color.
"Believe it or not, it pains me to do this, but humanity has survived this long because we follow the rules mapped out by our predecessors. That power you wield is forbidden for a reason." The man snapped back with a voice that lacked warmth.
I wouldn't have believed he was related to the girl if she didn't call him Father. This level of cruelty to family was new to me since I grew up in a loving home.
The guards took cautious steps forward with their swords pointed at me, but the shadows didn't take this lightly.
I watched as familiar shadow tendrils emerged from my shadow and the surrounding darkness. For a moment, the guards were petrified with fear and didn't dare approach. However, this girl's father was different.
He let the guards aside and stepped into the alley with burning amber eyes. I wanted his palm dramatically yanked open, and a massive tongue of fire appeared with a dazzling flare.
This man was ready to kill, but I could feel hesitation from her.
'Why was she hesitating?' I wondered at first, but picturing my father in his place made me frown.
Would I strike if I were in her place?