A gilded lantern flickered above the marbled Ceremonial Hall, casting amber reflections across velvet drapes and floors polished to a mirror sheen. Nobles milled in murmuring clusters, their laughter quiet, eyes calculating behind jeweled masks. This was no ordinary celebration—it was a gathering of predators dressed as poets.
And into that delicate web of pleasantries and politics stepped Amilo Cerchi.
Amanda's elder brother. Patriarch of House Cerchi. Draped in flamboyant charm with eyes that flickered too quickly, too sharply—like blades behind silk.
"Good evening, my lord," Amanda greeted, voice light and practiced. "I'm glad you could make it to Jack's breakthrough ceremony."
Amilo grinned. "Ah, my little sister's grown into such a fine noble lady. Big brother is proud." His tone danced with mischief, but his gaze drifted—briefly, precisely—to the child in her arms. "May I hold him?"
"No," Amanda said smoothly, not missing a beat.
Amilo blinked. "Why not?"
"I'd rather he not pick up your bad habits."
He placed a hand over his chest, feigning injury. "You wound me, dearest sister. Just for a moment?"
Before Amanda could respond, a new presence entered like a cold wind—Edgar Medici.
"Lord Cerchi," he said, voice low and measured.
Amilo turned, smile intact but eyes narrowing by a fraction. "Lord Medici. That duel of yours earlier—quite the spectacle."
"I'm pleased to hear it," Edgar replied, arm slipping around Amanda's waist like a quiet declaration of possession. "But if Count Cerchi has no urgent matters, we'll take our leave."
"I—I came to speak with Amanda," Amilo protested, caught off guard.
But Amanda had already turned. Edgar guided her gently away, her composure intact, her footsteps light. Behind them, Amilo stood alone, still smiling—but the silence around him felt heavier now.
In Amanda's arms, the infant stirred—William, eyes of frozen sapphire, watched his uncle with eerie stillness.
"Amilo Cerchi," William thought. "A jester's grin hiding a predator's cunning. An intriguing variable… but not one I need. Not yet."
His gaze shifted, resting on Jack—glowing with youthful pride, surrounded by fawning nobles and soft laughter.
"But you… you're different."
Later that night, the corridors of the mansion quieted. The echoes of distant laughter faded as the stars rose high.
William lay in his cradle, alone.
The velvet darkness cradled him. Shadows curled across the room, and the golden cradle creaked softly with every breath.
He stared at his tiny hands—so delicate, so limited.
Then came the whisper.
[WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, WILLIAM?]
Wiz's voice—smooth, metallic, laced with amusement.
William replied quietly, his voice clear in the silence.
"Isn't it strange? We're all born the same. Equal. But almost instantly, some are coddled, others cast aside. Some bathe in power. Others die before they can speak."
He turned his head slightly, as though addressing the darkness itself.
"In the end, all of them return to the earth. Nothing more than fertilizer for flowers."
[HUMANS AREN'T EQUAL, WILLIAM. THEY VALUE ONLY THOSE WHO BENEFIT THEM.]
William's lips curled into a slow smile.
"All humans are equal, Wiz. Equally self-serving. Equally predictable."
[THERE YOU ARE... THE REAL YOU.]
His eyes sparkled—blue, unnatural.
He blinked once. Innocent again.
"Innocence is a useful illusion, Wiz. I plan to wear it well."
ONE AND A HALF YEARS LATER
Dawn spilled gold across the Medici courtyard.
Jack, now older, sat cross-legged in focused meditation. The moment his eyes opened, a shout broke the morning stillness.
"I did it!" he beamed. "Sir David, I broke through! Level Five!"
David, ever composed, nodded approvingly. "Well done. But rest before attempting a skill. Your body must adapt."
Not far away, a silver-haired child stood barefoot in the dewy grass.
William.
Two years old. Silent. Unblinking.
"Essence," he thought. "The invisible force of the world. Skills—its weaponized form. And today... I take the first step."
Jack bounded over, scooping William into his arms with a warm grin. "I'll always protect you, little brother."
"No, Jack," William thought, eyes distant.
"Today, history changes. The youngest breakthrough in recorded memory—and you'll witness it firsthand. My beloved variable."
[DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BREAK THROUGH NOW?] Wiz asked, quietly.
"Yes," William answered without pause.
[YOU'LL DRAW ATTENTION. DANGER.]
"I know."
He closed his eyes, letting the wind carry his thoughts.
"When a genius appears, they attract two kinds of people: those who want to kill them—and those who want to own them.
I'll use both. And fear neither."
That evening, the Medici estate glittered under starlight. The ballroom filled with nobility, silks swishing and jewels catching the chandelier's light. Music floated gently through the air. The birthday celebration was in full bloom.
William stood dressed in white, trimmed with gold. A delicate gem shimmered at his collar.
Baroness Mowbray knelt, adjusting the fabric with maternal care. "You look so handsome, young master."
William smiled sweetly, hugging her leg.
"My dear nanny," he thought. "So warm. So trusting. I love you so, so much."
[YOU SLIMY DEVIL.] Wiz laughed, somewhere deep in his mind.
Then Amanda entered—golden hair coiled like sunlight, her white gown echoing William's own. Behind her, Julia stood like a shadow.
William ran into her arms.
Amanda laughed. "Who is this charming young man? Can I take him home with me?"
"Yes, my lady," Baroness Mowbray curtsied.
As Amanda carried William toward the hall, he gently touched her hair.
"I don't know why, but this... warmth... is addicting."
[YOU? MOVED? BY LOVE? THE MONSTER WHO SLAUGHTERED HIS OWN PLANET?]
"Yes," William said.
Then smiled.
"But I never lie, Wiz. Lying is... a bad thing."
[YOU'RE UNREAL.]
THE BREAKTHROUGH
The ballroom buzzed with conversation. Nobles whispered. Jack laughed. Amanda mingled with grace.
William sat quietly, sipping juice, legs dangling.
"Now," he whispered.
He closed his eyes.
And the world shifted.
Essence surged around him like wind before a storm. Light gathered—pale blue, soft and terrifying. The chandeliers shook. The air thickened.
Conversations halted.
All eyes turned.
In the center of the hall sat a toddler, glowing with raw power.
Amanda and Edgar moved at once, throwing up protective barriers. Julia and David stood ready to kill. The inner guards shifted positions silently.
"Too much," William thought. "This body can't channel all of it—"
Edgar placed his hands on William's back. William redirected the excess essence toward him.
The light pulsed. Then—
Stillness.
A shockwave burst. Energy dissipated. William panted, soaked in sweat.
He had done the impossible.
And the room was frozen.
Then:
"Hahaha! As expected of House Medici!" Duke Bavaria pushed forward, clapping. "A genius is born!"
David stepped between him and William.
"Oh relax," the Duke said with mock offense. "I simply wish to congratulate the young lord."
He turned to William.
"I am the Duke of Bavaria. And I have a question: Will you be my son-in-law?"
The hall dropped into breathless silence.
William's eyes locked onto the Duke's.
"Not a joke. A proposal wrapped in jest.
A leash. A kingdom offered in exchange for my loyalty."
"Enough, Duke," Edgar said, voice like stone.
The Duke chuckled, stepping back. "Very well. I meant no offense. Thank you for this unforgettable evening."
He turned and disappeared into the crowd.
THE THIRD EYE
As the room exhaled, congratulations returned like rainfall.
William remained seated, sipping quietly.
"Wiz. The third eye. Now."
Moments later, his vision changed. Nobles stood bathed in dark red aura—avarice, greed, and veiled hunger seeping from every gaze.
William smiled.
"Look at them, Wiz.
Scavengers in silk. Wolves with crowns.
They're already plotting.
They believe tonight, they saw the birth of a genius."
He sipped again, calm and detached.
"But what they really saw... was the arrival of their predator."