Within a dream with no beginning and no end,
Lloyd awoke slowly—his body covered in dust, his breath heavy.
His eyes fluttered open to a forest unlike any he had ever seen.
The trees were tinged crimson, their leaves shimmering like tongues of flame,
while the sky above was choked with violet clouds bleeding faint light,
a light that felt alive… and ancient.
He staggered to his feet, confusion swirling in his gaze.
"Wh… where am I? What is this place?" he muttered, his voice trembling.
No answer came.
Only the whisper of wind—soft yet eerie—flowed through the forest,
as if it carried a language meant only for him.
He took one cautious step forward, and the ground quivered beneath his boots.
Then, from the void around him, a voice spoke—deep, rough, and echoing with power:
"Keep walking… Do not stop, boy… Your path has not yet begun."
Lloyd froze. His pulse quickened as he turned sharply.
"Who's there?! Show yourself!"
"You are still too weak… far too weak to bear this power.
But do not fear—the ꧂Crimson Eye꧁ is only the beginning.
Greater forces await you in the shadows.
Grow stronger, Lloyd… I am waiting."
"As a token of help—return home. You will find your inheritance there."
A distorted laugh followed—low and endless,
rippling through the forest until even the air seemed to shatter.
"Wait! What do you mean?! Who are you?!" Lloyd shouted—
but the dream fractured, splintering like glass.
He gasped awake, drenched in sweat,
his trembling hand clutching something—
a soft, delicate hand.
His eyes widened—it was the palace physician,
her calm face framed by the dim morning light.
He quickly released her, his face turning crimson.
"S-sorry! I didn't mean to—I just—reflex!"
The woman chuckled softly, setting a damp towel aside.
"Relax, young man. You have a quick reaction, I'll give you that…
But you're still a little too young to hold a lady's hand like that."
Lloyd's embarrassment deepened.
"I… I really didn't mean anything by it, I swear."
Her gentle smile didn't fade.
"I'm only teasing. But you were mumbling in your sleep—do you remember what you were saying?"
Lloyd's expression stiffened. He averted his eyes.
(If she knew what I saw… it would cause chaos. Best keep it to myself.)
"I… don't remember. Probably just a nightmare."
She nodded slowly. "Rest, then. You still need time to recover."
As she left, Lloyd remained still, staring at the ceiling—
that voice still echoing faintly within him.
"I am waiting… go home."
✦
Moments later, the door opened again.
Cain entered, his footsteps calm yet heavy,
the sound of his boots echoing softly on the stone floor.
"Are you feeling better, Lloyd?" he asked, his tone gentle yet measured.
Lloyd lifted his gaze. Though his face was pale,
his eyes gleamed with a strange resolve.
"I'm fine, Master. I'm sorry to have worried you."
Cain said nothing for a while. Then, quietly:
"You have something to say, don't you?"
Lloyd nodded hesitantly, then clenched his fists.
"Master… I need to return home."
Cain's eyes darkened, concern flickering within them.
"Home?" he repeated quietly.
"Yes. I have to. Someone—or something—in my dream told me to go back.
There's something waiting for me there."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Cain's gaze softened. He sighed, then said,
"There are forces around you that even I don't understand.
Be cautious, Lloyd. I can assign a knight to protect you."
Lloyd shook his head firmly.
"No. This journey… it's mine alone."
For a moment, Cain only watched him. Then he smiled faintly—
a proud yet sorrowful smile.
"Very well… but promise me—if danger comes, run.
Your life matters more than any inheritance."
Lloyd nodded. "Understood, Master."
✦
He left the chamber soon after, clad in his gray coat,
his sword resting by his side.
The corridors of the palace echoed with his steps,
each one carrying the weight of both farewell and fate.
When he reached the gate, he paused and looked up at the starlit sky.
His voice came out as a whisper, trembling yet resolute:
"Mother… Father… I'm coming home."
✦
Night stretched endlessly before him—
the forest rising like a black sea of shadows.
The wind whispered his name,
and the trees swayed as though alive,
their leaves murmuring stories of the past.
Each step stirred a buried memory—
a fleeting laugh, a distant cry,
the glow of a burning village beneath a crimson sky.
(That night…)
His breath caught, and he gripped his sword tightly.
"It's been so long… but I've never forgotten."
✦
Hours later, the path opened.
The ruins of his home stood before him—
Alzras Village.
Charred walls, broken roofs,
a moss-covered well standing alone amidst the ashes.
It felt as though time itself had stopped here.
He walked toward a half-burned house—his home.
Touching the cracked wood of the door,
he felt its coldness seep into his hand.
Inside, dust drifted like ghosts in the moonlight.
A broken table. A crooked chair.
A scorched painting on the wall—
a woman smiling faintly through the burn marks.
He knelt, fingertips brushing the ash.
"I'm back… Mother," he whispered.
Then—a faint murmur. A voice, soft yet clear:
"Welcome home… Lloyd."
He froze. His heart pounded.
"Who's there?!"
Only the wind answered—snuffing out the candle beside him.
He began exploring, memories flickering at every turn.
Then—creak.
A hollow sound beneath his boots.
He knelt again, feeling the floorboards.
Empty space.
With a single strike, the boards shattered,
revealing a narrow stone stairway descending into darkness.
He lit a torch and stepped down.
The deeper he went, the colder it became.
Ancient carvings lined the walls, glowing faintly in response to his presence.
At the end stood a black sword, embedded in stone—
its blade etched with gold, its hilt radiating an eerie pulse.
And upon it, a glowing inscription:
「꧂I will give my all꧁」
Beneath the sword, a sealed envelope tied with a faded blue ribbon.
He took it, his hands trembling, and unfolded it.
"Hmm… how should I begin?
If you're reading this, my son, then you've survived.
And that alone… makes me the happiest man alive.
Today, I received wonderful news—
your mother is expecting you.
I already know you'll be extraordinary."
Lloyd's vision blurred, but he continued reading,
his voice breaking as tears welled up.
"The sword you hold is my pride—my soul.
Forged by my own hands, the rarest blade of all.
Its core can replicate the power of its creator,
though in a weaker form.
But don't worry—it will grow with you,
just as I once did.
And when the time is right,
a dear friend of mine will tell you the rest."
At the bottom of the letter, one final line—
written with a trembling hand:
"My son… if you've found this place,
know that I always believed in you—
even more than you believed in yourself."
Lloyd lowered the letter slowly.
Tears streamed silently down his face.
"…Father," he whispered,
his voice quivering between grief and awe.
"I've made it… at last."
Then—light.
The sword began to pulse with brilliant azure energy,
a sound like a living heartbeat filling the chamber.
The light spiraled, wrapping around his arm,
pouring warmth and power into his body—
the same energy he'd felt in the dream.
"You have returned at last, bearer of the Crimson Eye…
This is your first inheritance."
Lloyd gripped the sword tightly as the chamber trembled.
The ground quaked, the air grew dense—alive.
His eyes widened, glowing faintly with crimson light.
"So… this is my inheritance?"
And then—an explosion of light.
Blue radiance engulfed the room,
swallowing Lloyd in a wave of otherworldly brilliance.
✦ End of Chapter 13 ✦