POV: Kael Lanpar
(Mental space)
Tranquility ruled everything. It was a warm, gentle peace that wrapped around me, allowing silence to reign in that place where everything had already come to an end.
Beneath my feet, as I walked, the thin layer of water covering the ground rippled softly, creating a faint melody—like the subtle crack of a droplet breaking apart.
I couldn't quite grasp how much time had passed since my arrival in this world. Five years of life might mean nothing for a child my age… yet for me, every moment carried a different weight.
I clenched my fist, feeling the thorns of the white rose I held sink deeper into my skin. Blood welled up and ran down my hand until it touched the water, staining it slowly.
"It's been so long…" I murmured with difficulty. "You have no idea how much I miss you, Father."
It was hard to look away from the grayish tombstone standing before me. At its center was the name of the man who had given everything for me.
I knelt down, resting one hand on my thigh. The chill of the water soaked into my pants while the breeze brushed gently against my face—reminding me of him.
Lost in thought, I bit my lower lip without realizing it. The faint sting brought me back to the present. I was still holding the rose that wounded me.
"I wish I could've spent this day with you," I whispered, gazing at his name.
Carefully, I placed the rose on the ground beside the grave. Then, I dipped my hand into the water, letting it wash away the blood.
A quiet sigh escaped me as I laid my now-clean hand upon the cold tombstone. I closed my eyes.
I could feel reality calling me back, warning that I would soon awaken. I exhaled slowly, comforted by the thought that, even if only in feeling, I had spent that day by his side.
(Outside the Mental Space)
The darkness of my mind shifted into clarity—a golden glow from the sunlight slipping through my window.
I forced my eyes open slowly as the knocking on my door grew more insistent.
Today was the day. According to old human traditions, it was the moment when your soul began to truly see life.
Unlike in my previous world, adulthood here wasn't defined by maturity. With constant danger surrounding us, people learned quickly that this wasn't an easy life.
The floor creaked beneath my feet as I stood. I stretched, trying to wake my numb body while walking toward the door.
I was about to open it, but the whispers behind it made me stop. They were my family's voices.
I pressed my ear against the smooth wood, trying to listen more clearly. Apparently, they noticed right away.
"He's already awake," my grandfather murmured. "I can feel his aura clinging to the door."
Sometimes I forgot that the habits from my former life didn't work here anymore. Being detected was easy. In this world, people could sense you as if you were part of the air itself.
"I don't think he's going to open," my sister said.
"Well then," my grandfather replied in a playful tone, "we'll just have to force our way in."
Before I could react, I jumped aside. The door flew off its hinges and crashed into my desk, sending a flurry of papers and scrolls into the air.
The look of panic on my grandfather's face made me rub my eyes in irritation. I could feel a vein throbbing at my temple as I stared at my notes scattered across the floor.
"Happy birthday, Kael!" they all shouted at once.
Their voices were enough to wash away all my anger. A smile found its way onto my face almost involuntarily.
"Happy birthday, little brother!" Mai cried, hugging me tightly. "Five years old! You've grown so fast."
"Thanks, Mai," I replied, returning the hug. "Though… maybe I could've slept a little longer."
"No, this is a special day for you. You have to live it fully," she said, holding me even tighter in her arms.
After several congratulations and hugs, it was time to receive everyone's gifts. I sat at the edge of my bed, staring at the letter my sister had given me.
In the center, my name was written in a dark, elegant ink. It wasn't from her. It was a letter from my father—a letter I had seen before, yet for some reason, it weighed heavily on my heart.
I didn't want to open it. Too many doubts crowded my mind about what it might contain. But the simple fact that it was from him urged me to know.
With trembling hands, I broke the seal marked with the royal family's crest. I unfolded the letter and began to read it, word by word, feeling emotions—sadness, longing, emptiness—flow through my body.
Letter:
To my dear son,
You probably hate me. And I understand. You must carry many memories of me… without me. Empty memories, of a love I never knew how to give. I won't justify myself, son. That would be the easy way out.
I just want you to know that I love you. That I've always wanted you to lack nothing. Maybe I failed at that… but you have your sister, your grandparents, and a family that loves you with all their hearts.
Throughout life, you will lose people. Some you love, others you admire. But each of them, in their own way, will leave a mark on you.
Kal… this world is cruel to those who can only see pain. But those who learn to look beyond it discover that everything—absolutely everything—has a purpose.
I love you, son. May distance never erase what I feel. May my absence never be mistaken for forgetfulness. I am with you, even if it doesn't seem so.
Sincerely,
Your father.
When I finished reading, my hands clenched the letter tightly, trying to stop the tears that were already streaming down my cheeks and falling onto the ink, smearing the words until they were almost unreadable.
Humans don't live long enough to truly understand their pain. But long enough to misinterpret it… and that keeps us from living the way we truly wished to. I had to live two lives to understand that.
"He misses you a lot, Kal," my sister said softly. "I wish we could all be together again."
When she pressed her head against mine, I couldn't help but hug her, letting my emotions calm little by little.
Still resting my head on her shoulder, I caught sight of my grandfather, who was still trying to clean up the chaos he had caused. He gave me a sheepish smile before walking over to us.
"This one's from me," he said, pulling a pocketknife from his coat.
"If your mother asks who gave it to you," he added with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "don't you dare say it was me."
"I promise, Grandpa. I won't say a word," I replied with a laugh, taking the blade as I pulled away from my sister's embrace.
Seriously… was my mother really that terrifying that even her own father wouldn't dare defy her?
I stared at my reflection in the knife's blade for a moment, mesmerized by its shine, until my grandfather's voice pulled me back to reality.
"Well, you've had your gifts and your congratulations," he said, stretching his arms. "Now it's time for your trial to begin."
I was tempted to ask what kind of trial he meant, but it seemed he had already read my mind. He simply chuckled and motioned for me to follow.
Without another word, we walked with the others toward the mansion's enormous courtyard, which had been converted into a training ground.
A transparent dome covered most of the yard. Inside, countless magical runes danced in harmonious patterns—like living stars.
Before I could think more about what kind of magic created such a field, I felt my grandfather grab my arm and pull me forward with surprising strength.
"These kinds of trials change depending on the clan leader who oversees them," he said, leading me inside.
As I crossed the dome, I felt my body being torn from reality. The fibers of my being seemed to dissolve and rebuild somewhere else. The impact threw me to the ground, knocking the air out of my lungs.
I pressed my hands against the rough earth of the combat arena, trying to suppress the nausea rising inside me. The ground was cold, coarse, and smelled of iron and sweat.
"Since I'll be the one testing your abilities," my grandfather continued after a brief pause, "you'll have to fight me for your life."
Still on the ground, I forced myself to stand. A macabre smile twisted his face—a mask thirsting for blood.
"At last, you show your true face…" I whispered to myself. "Shadow of death."
It was hard to stay upright. My body swayed, my balance broken.
I clenched my fists tightly, trying to let the adrenaline burn away the dizziness. If I wanted to leave this place even slightly unscathed, I had to give everything.
"I'm ready!" I shouted, using what little strength I had left.
At my words, I saw astral energy begin to surge through every inch of my grandfather's body. The air tensed, the earth trembled faintly, and his aura flared into view—a spectacle for everyone watching.
Before me no longer stood an old man. What faced me now was a demon—one who wouldn't hesitate to kill if he had to.
"Impressive… the aura of the Dominant," my sister murmured from a distance, her eyes fixed on him.
I already knew my chances of survival were zero. If I weren't his grandson, I would've been dead in a second.
Without wasting a moment, I took my stance, raising my guard toward my face while keeping one hand free to strike.
"When you give the signal, Mayrei, we begin. Put your awe aside. This is about to get interesting," my grandfather growled, adrenaline coursing through him.
"Y-yes… sorry," she stammered before shouting, "One… two… three!"
I clenched my jaw. In that instant, my grandfather's silhouette vanished into the wind, leaving only a trail of dust behind.
My body reacted on instinct—I heard the air split and ducked just in time to see his kick slice through the space where I'd been a heartbeat before.
His speed was absurd. As I recovered my footing, I saw him circling around me, creating multiple versions of himself—phantoms moving like echoes of the same monster.
Before I could process which one was real, a brutal impact hit my arm. A direct punch sent me flying, and I knew immediately that something inside me had broken.
As I fell, I cursed under my breath—the ground erupted with jagged crystal spikes rising toward me.
I had to sacrifice one of my hands to survive, shoving myself away from a deadly point. Flesh tore open. The pain was indescribable—a fire that blurred my vision.
My body screamed for me to fight back… but the truth was, I couldn't.
Still suspended in the air, I barely managed to raise my arms to shield my face. Above me, my grandfather's shadow loomed, and his fist crashed into my chest with bone-shattering force.
The impact drove me into the ground. Dust exploded around me as I spat blood, feeling every fragment of my skeleton float in a body that no longer obeyed me.
I could barely see anymore. My eyes clouded, yet I still made out the graceful figure of my grandfather landing softly, not a hint of worry on his face.
Consciousness slipped away. Everything turned black. Even the birdsong and my sister's panicked screams became distant echoes.
"Damn it! What did you do?!" she shouted. "He's just a child!"
Right after those words, I heard a smack—like a slap. I almost lost consciousness then… if not for the sudden reaction of my body.
"Mayrei, please… step back," my grandfather's voice came, deep and tense. "He's awakened."
I felt my body lift off the ground in a chilling motion. My wounds began to close within seconds, healing as if they had never existed.
When I opened my eyes, I saw everything.
Terror was carved into my grandfather's face as he pulled Mayrei behind him protectively, while at the same time conjuring a radiant spear in his hand.
The tip of the weapon gleamed under the sun, catching my attention for an instant… until a burst of speed made me blink. In the next moment, they were no longer where I thought they'd be.
Without realizing it, I had ended up behind them. In my hand, a massive ball of fire was forming purely out of instinct. Without thinking, I hurled it at both of them.
A deafening blast shook the dome. The cloud of smoke slowly cleared, revealing a soldier made of dark crystal shielding Mayrei with his body.
"Kael… I know you're still there," the soldier spoke in a deep voice. "Don't think I'm doing this out of malice."
Ironically, I wasn't even thinking. It was as if I were trapped in a state where emotions and soul had vanished, leaving only an empty shell acting on its own will.
I could see everything. I could think. But I couldn't act—and somehow, I didn't even want to.
I took a step forward. The ground split beneath my feet, deep cracks spreading wider with every move. Bloodlust coursed through my veins, demanding to kill.
Before I could do anything, I froze—my arms and legs stopped responding. From the dome, translucent chains shot out, binding each limb and pinning me to the ground.
"This may not sound like a trial," my grandfather said, walking toward me, "but if you don't learn to contain your corrupted awakening, you'll never find happiness."
When he stood before me, my body screamed to bite him—to tear him apart like a feral beast. I lunged, furious, only to be slammed back into the ground by the chains.
"It's you against your reality," he added, gripping my chin and forcing me to look at him. "I trust you."
For a moment, his words lit something inside me. I felt my consciousness return, my emotions rooting once more within my being. Gasping, I regained control of my body.
I tried to speak—to ask for help—but the pain of reclaiming my body was unbearable. Before I could utter a single word, my mind collapsed. My eyes closed, and this time, I felt nothing.
Only the void remained, carrying me into a deep sleep—until, for a brief instant, I heard my grandfather's broken voice.
"Rest, Kal," he whispered. "This was the best gift I could give you."
"Damn old man… you almost killed me."
I felt like I was falling apart, but I couldn't say a thing. I wanted to curse him, but in the end, I just drifted into sleep. I couldn't endure the pain any longer.