The morning sun crept through the tall arched windows of the Medici estate, spilling molten gold across the room. Its rays brushed softly against the boy seated cross-legged on a bed far too grand for someone so small. But William dè Medici didn't look out the window. His sapphire eyes were fixed on something else—something far more telling than the rise of day.
Before him hovered a translucent red screen, its glow painting eerie hues across his pale skin.
The Status Window.
The only light he needed.
The glow bounced off his silver bangs, making them glimmer like threads of spun mercury. He looked ethereal—an angel bathed in morning light. But his expression… was anything but angelic.
His finger tapped rhythmically against the velvet bedding as he studied the words floating before him.
STATUS WINDOW
Name: William dè Medici
Essence: Wind
Level: 1
Race: Human
Age: 2
STATS
HP: 150/150
Essence: 750/750
Strength: 30
Agility: 32
Intelligence: 180
Durability: 30
SKILLS: Available
"Hm…" William leaned forward, brows drawing together. His voice was quiet, analytical. "Everything checks out. Except…"
His gaze narrowed.
"My essence pool. 750. That's five times the norm. Advantageous now... but later, it becomes a curse." He sighed, the corners of his lips tightening. "To level up, I'll need five times the effort."
He swiped downward through the interface, pausing when the words [SKILLS: Available] lit up in a faint pulse.
"That," he muttered, "makes even less sense."
"I've barely reached Level One. By all known logic, skill comprehension shouldn't be accessible until Level Five."
[WELL, IT IS STRANGE—BUT THEN AGAIN, SO IS BREAKING THROUGH AT TWO YEARS OLD.]
Wiz's voice, ever dry and resonant, echoed within his mind like the low tolling of a bell.
William smirked slightly, conceding the point. "True."
He grew silent again, staring at the glowing panel with the intensity of a scholar deciphering ancient runes. Slowly, he began to speak.
"There's only one logical explanation. During my forced breakthrough, I overloaded my cortex. It expanded to compensate. Or... perhaps I absorbed more essence than required. And since my body hadn't matured, the essence stretched the capacity."
He tilted his head slightly.
"That surplus may have tricked the system into unlocking early comprehension."
[WELL, IF YOU PUT IT THAT WAY—SURE. BUT THE QUESTION IS: WHAT SKILL WILL YOU LEARN?]
Wiz's tone held a flicker of interest—rare, but genuine.
William's lips curved into something between a smirk and a prophecy. "I know exactly what I'm going to choose."
He closed his eyes.
The world fell away.
No sensation. No weight. No warmth. Only silence and darkness, vast and unending.
A plane of thought and soul.
The Subconscious Plane.
His body shimmered in translucent cyan light, ethereal and floating.
William looked around at the infinite dark. "So this is where Mystics comprehend skills…" His voice echoed as if the void itself were listening.
"This realm exists outside of reality. A place where knowledge becomes motion. Where memory takes shape."
He inhaled, then exhaled slowly, calming his mind. The cyan glow pulsed brighter.
"Skills are divided into three categories," William recalled, his voice drifting like a lecture in the void. "Green, Purple, and Red."
"Green for foundational combat. Basic but efficient. Purple for rare mastery—destructive, elegant, and complex. And Red... volatile, unstable, sometimes forbidden."
His eyes narrowed slightly, focus sharpening.
"But purple-category skills are notoriously difficult to comprehend for new Mystics."
His tone turned colder, more precise—like steel being drawn.
"It's not just about power. It's comprehension. That's what breaks most people."
He began to pace slowly across the dark expanse, cyan glow trailing behind him.
"A new Mystic's essence is shallow. Their minds aren't yet trained to interpret the abstract principles these skills rely on. Even with a skill book showing them the technique, they can't see it. Not fully."
"Their understanding of essence manipulation is still too raw. Their spiritual cortex too narrow. Their will too weak."
He stopped and looked up, eyes glowing with icy confidence.
"But I'm not like them."
"I broke through at two. My essence pool dwarfs theirs. And my intellect—"
He let the silence complete the sentence.
"I can see what they can't. Comprehend what they never will. That's why this skill, dismissed as impractical by others... is my treasure."
Levitation.
A skill William once created in the novel. Purple rank. Slightly inefficient. Discarded.
Back then, it had felt lackluster—slow to comprehend, underwhelming in battle.
But now?
"Now, it's a treasure."
"My essence pool exceeds every recorded precedent. My comprehension is absurd. I can master this... even here. Even now."
He focused. And as he remembered the movement—the flow of essence—the projection formed before him.
A figure—his own silhouette—outlined in cyan, moving with eerie grace.
William's eyes widened.
"What…?"
[HAHAHAHA! SO THAT'S HOW PEOPLE LEARN SKILLS.]
Wiz's laugh rumbled, amused by the naïveté of mortal experience.
William ignored him, fascinated. "So this is the subconscious projection triggered by knowledge. Most people require skill books to generate it. But my memory... recreated it."
The figure moved again—fluid, focused. Every motion carved a path through the dark.
William whispered the steps aloud: "Circulate essence through your internal pathways. Heighten sensitivity. Expand essence into the external space. Find an object. Bind it. Command its motion."
[HMMM… DOESN'T LOOK EASY.]
"I never asked for easy," William muttered, stepping into position.
Suddenly, arrows and stones formed around him, each outlined in glowing cyan.
He raised a hand.
Essence flowed—steady, sure. The objects quivered.
They rose.
Suspended mid-air, trembling in the grip of his control.
[HA HA HA! YOU DID IT—ON YOUR FIRST TRY!]
William's eyes gleamed. He snapped his fingers.
The stones and arrows shot forward, like bullets from a gun, slicing through the void.
A chime echoed through the darkness.
[DING!]
Skill: Levitation
Category: Purple
Mastery: 20%
"Only twenty percent…" William whispered, half amused, half analytical. "Even with perfect execution."
He smiled, calm and calculating.
"Imagine what I'll be when I reach one hundred."
The darkness fell away.
He opened his eyes. Sunlight warmed his face. The air smelled of dew and fresh linen. He was back—seated on his bed, the golden morning streaming through the lace-draped windows.
Then the door creaked.
Jack entered, his silver hair gleaming like morning frost. His emerald eyes sparkled with kindness.
"Hey, William," he said softly. "Father wants to see us. I can carry you there if you want."
William giggled, slipping off the bed with a child's grace.
[SO YOU'RE REALLY GOING?]
"Of course," William said with a smile. "Let's hear what Edgar has to say... after my cinematic little performance last night."
Jack chuckled, scooping him up and kissing his cheek.
They walked through the estate.
The halls bustled with nobles lingering from the night before—gossiping, watching, always watching.
But William's gaze sharpened.
He was not distracted.
Then—
[HEY, WILLIAM.]
"What is it, Wiz?"
[REMEMBER—I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND. NOR YOUR ENEMY. ENTERTAIN ME, AND I HELP YOU ESCAPE FATE. FAIL… AND I KILL YOU.]
William's smile didn't falter.
"I know."
[I SAY THIS BECAUSE… THIS ROOM. THEIR AURAS—THEY'RE DARK RED. I'M… UNEASY. FIX IT.]
Still smiling, William activated his Third Eye.
And the world shifted.
Red. The room bled red. Every noble—dripping with desire, hunger, and ambition.
William's smile grew darker. Cold.
"Be patient, Wiz. They'll all be corpses soon."
[HAHAHAHAHA! OH, YOU'RE DELICIOUSLY UNSTABLE.]
They entered Edgar's office.
The scent of polished oak, aged parchment, and tea leaves lingered in the air. Heavy bookshelves loomed, filled with the weight of power. Behind a massive desk stood a tall man—his silhouette framed by sunlight pouring through a window that overlooked the garden.
There sat Amanda on a stone bench, bathed in blossoms and morning haze. Peaceful. Unaware.
"Father," Jack said, bowing slightly. "William's here."
Edgar turned, emerald eyes softening. "Come in, boys."
He walked to the window, resting a hand on the sill.
"Jack," he said after a pause, "do you know what's most precious to me?"
Jack hesitated. "I… I'm not sure."
Edgar smiled, gaze locked on Amanda.
"You two," he said. "More than titles. More than power. You're my world."
He turned, eyes glowing with quiet fire.
"One day, Jack, you'll inherit this house. When you do—protect those you love. That's your greatest duty."
Jack nodded, posture straightening. "Yes, Father."
Then Edgar's gaze turned to William.
"William's breakthrough… is beyond extraordinary," he said. "I can't entrust his learning to anyone else."
He walked closer.
"Until he's five, you'll be his teacher. You, Jack."
Jack blinked. "You want me to teach him?"
"I trust you," Edgar replied.
William's eyes sparkled.
"Oh… this is perfect."
"The bond I need. The leverage. The shield."
A plan bloomed like poison behind his innocent smile.
[HAHAHAHA! THIS STORY KEEPS GETTING BETTER.]
Wiz's laughter echoed as William bowed his head.