A gentle breeze rustled the newly grown cerulean grass of the Valley of Crowns, a sacred grove nestled beside Sanctum's Heartspire. It was here that Eden's leaders—once scattered warriors, mages, rebels, and engineers—now gathered not to fight, but to witness the beginning of something more delicate than any battle:
The naming of the first heir to the Velarion bloodline.
Iden stood beneath the silver-rooted Eternis Tree, Nyra by his side, radiant in robes of flowing duskfire silk. In her arms was the child—a tiny bundle of crimson and silver, wrapped in fabric spun from Sanctum's own woven mana threads.
His firstborn son.
The child whose name would echo into the bones of the new world.
The ceremony was not a display of royalty—it was communion. Each of the new Eden factions, now forged in trust and collaboration, stepped forward to offer their unique blessings.
1. The Arclight Dominion – Technomancers of the East
Arlen, head of Eden's vast technological empire, arrived draped in a mantle laced with mana conductors and embedded cores. He placed a small device—no larger than a bead—at the child's temple. It glowed gently.
"A gift of memory and boundless thought. He shall forget nothing he learns, and carry the knowledge of our people as his inheritance."
The bead vanished into the child's skin, now part of his growing neural lattice.
2. The Verdant Accord – Rael's Agricultural Faction
Rael, flanked by Kael and the heads of the great greenhouses, held a pouch of luminous seeds—bio-reactive and memory-linked.
"He will plant these when he is older. Whatever grows will reflect the health of his spirit."
Rael knelt beside her nephew and placed the pouch within his cradle.
"Grow well, little one. The world itself will answer you."
3. The Ironmarch Enclave – Warriors of the Northern Bastions
Warlord Ferros, once a mercenary king now sworn to peace, offered a blade not for battle—but ceremony. A short ceremonial dagger, forged from the alloy used in Eden's founding battle.
"When he comes of age, let this remind him of sacrifice—not for conquest, but for protection. May his arm strike only when all other paths fail."
He bowed low—not to Iden, but to the child.
4. The Azure Flame – Nyra's Homeland and Magical Artisans
Lady Lysereth, Nyra's aunt and matriarch of the Azure Flame, stepped forward with a crystalline circlet—glimmering with sapphire mana.
"We gift him the blessing of inner flame. When fear touches his soul, may light answer before darkness can take root."
She placed the circlet briefly atop the child's forehead. It melted gently, becoming part of his mana signature.
5. The Hollow Council – Remnants of the Abyss, Reformed
Even the Hollow—a race once spawned by Valtross's twisted ambition—had sent an emissary. Cloaked in starlight shadow, it bent a knee and whispered:
"From the void, we emerged. And now, in the light, we remain. Let our sins pass no further than our names. Let him be our proof that darkness, too, can change."
The emissary dissolved into particles, its duty complete.
As the final blessing faded into silence, Iden stepped forward. His voice carried not with volume, but with gravity.
"This child is not just mine or Nyra's. He belongs to Eden. To the hope we fought for. The legacy we bled for."
He looked at his son, then lifted him skyward.
"I name you… Elion Raen Velarion—The Starborn Flame. May you be the fire that warms, not burns. May your name shine even in the night."
The Eternis Tree pulsed once with radiant energy, and Eden itself echoed the name.
[SYSTEM UPDATE – HEIR REGISTERED]Name: Elion Raen VelarionDesignated Lineage: Firstborn of Eden's Supreme LeaderInherited Blessings: 5 Factional Signatures ImprintedFuture Status: Protected Entity (Global)
Rael held back tears as Kael wrapped his arm around her. Nyra, exhausted yet glowing, pressed her head to Iden's shoulder.
"He'll carry the best of us," she whispered.
"He'll lead after us," Iden whispered back.
And for one day—just one—the world did not prepare for battle, did not plan for war. Instead, it watched a child open his eyes for the first time and blink at the sunlight of a new age.