Eighteen months old, and the world beyond the Silverion estate was beginning to intrude on Ashen's carefully observed childhood.
It started with a letter that arrived during breakfast.
Aldric opened the sealed envelope bearing the crest of House Azure from the western territories, reading in silence while the family ate. His expression remained neutral, but Ashen noticed the slight tension in his father's jaw, the way his eyes scanned the text twice.
"News?" Seraphina asked quietly.
"House Azure announces a birth. Their duchess delivered a son three weeks ago." Aldric set the letter down. "They're calling him Kaelen Azure."
The protagonist. Ashen's hands paused on his spoon for the briefest moment before continuing to eat his porridge. The main character of "Shadow of Eternal Night" had just been born.
"A boy," Reikan observed. "That makes their succession more secure. Duke Marcus has been concerned about having only daughters until now."
"They'll probably hold a grand naming ceremony," Elara predicted. "The western territories love their celebrations. We'll likely receive an invitation."
Aldric nodded. "Protocol demands we send a gift and representative. Reikan, you should attend as heir. Good diplomatic opportunity."
Ashen ate his breakfast mechanically, mind racing. The protagonist was born. Three weeks ago in the timeline, making him roughly six months younger than Ashen in this world's chronology.
Everything was proceeding as the novel had described, just with Ashen inserted into it as an additional variable. The question was whether his presence would change major events or if the story's momentum would carry things forward regardless.
"What should we send as a gift?" Seraphina asked. "Something traditional, or something more personal?"
"Traditional for the official gift," Aldric decided. "But perhaps something personal as well, from one ducal family to another. Elara, you handle the arrangements."
"Of course, Father."
The conversation moved on to other topics, but Ashen's thoughts remained on the western territories. Kaelen Azure, the protagonist who would eventually reach Supreme-Rank cultivation and face cosmic threats that endangered entire worlds. The character he'd read about for four hundred chapters in his previous life.
That character was now a newborn baby, completely helpless and unaware of the destiny that awaited him.
Just like Ashen had been six months ago—though with the crucial difference that Ashen retained adult consciousness and knowledge of what was coming.
It created a strange dynamic. The protagonist would grow up thinking himself special, chosen, destined for greatness. And he would be right, to a degree. But he'd never know that someone else in this world had been preparing from birth, building power in secret while he attracted all the attention.
That suited Ashen perfectly. Let Kaelen be the hero everyone watched and worried about. Ashen would work in the shadows, growing strong enough to handle what the hero alone couldn't manage.
After breakfast, Seraphina took Ashen to the library as had become their routine. But today she brought him to a different section—still within the children's area, but with slightly more advanced texts.
"I think you're ready for these," she said, selecting several books. "They have more words and fewer pictures, but I've seen how you pay attention when I read. Let's try something more challenging."
The first book was titled "The Founding of the Asterian Empire," a simplified historical account but with actual paragraphs of text rather than just illustrated stories. Seraphina settled into her reading chair and began reading aloud.
Ashen listened carefully, comparing what he heard to his memories of the novel. The historical foundation matched what he remembered—an empire formed three hundred years ago when five powerful families united against external threats, agreeing to serve under a single emperor while maintaining considerable autonomy over their respective territories.
House Silverion in the north, Crimson in the east, Azure in the west, Verdant in the south, and Obsidian near the capital. Five pillars supporting the empire's structure, each with their own military forces, economic systems, and political agendas.
The novel had touched on this history but never explored it deeply, focusing instead on the protagonist's personal journey. Now Ashen was learning the details that would help him navigate the political landscape he'd eventually operate within.
"Are you following along?" Seraphina asked, noticing his intense focus.
"Yes," Ashen said clearly. His vocabulary had expanded considerably, though he still kept it within believable bounds for an eighteen-month-old. "Story good."
"I'm glad you think so. History is important, even if it seems boring sometimes. Understanding where we came from helps us know where we're going."
If only you knew how much I already understand about where this world is going. The novel laid it out in detail—the gradual escalation of threats, the cosmic entities that would eventually breach reality, the wars that would reshape civilization.
But that was decades away still. For now, this was just history, and he was just a toddler listening to his mother read.
The morning passed peacefully until Mira arrived with news that Ashen had a visitor.
"Young Master Ashen, your sister Lyra is looking for you. She's in the training yard with something she wants to show you."
Seraphina looked uncertain. "Is it safe? Lyra's ideas of appropriate activities for toddlers are... questionable."
"She promised it was 'totally safe and very educational,'" Mira reported with the tone of someone who'd heard such promises before and remained skeptical.
They found Lyra in the training yard with what appeared to be a very small, very fluffy creature sitting in a cage beside her.
"Ashen!" she called excitedly. "Come meet Pip! He's a juvenile essence rabbit, completely harmless and absolutely adorable."
Seraphina approached cautiously. "Lyra, where did you get an essence rabbit?"
"Found him in the forest. His mother was killed by a fox, and he was just sitting there looking pathetic. I couldn't leave him." Lyra opened the cage, and the small rabbit hopped out. It was indeed very fluffy, with fur that seemed to shimmer with faint blue light.
Essence rabbits were F-Rank creatures, completely non-threatening but notable for their ability to naturally absorb and store small amounts of essence. They were sometimes kept as pets by noble families, though they required careful care.
"Can I touch?" Ashen asked, playing the curious toddler role.
"Of course! Pip is super friendly." Lyra picked up the rabbit and brought it closer. "See? Soft."
Ashen reached out carefully and touched the rabbit's fur. It was indeed incredibly soft, and he could feel the faint essence signature emanating from the small creature. Weak, barely noticeable, but present.
Pip twitched his nose and looked at Ashen with large, dark eyes. Then he did something unexpected—he hopped directly onto Ashen's lap and settled there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Oh!" Lyra looked surprised. "He likes you! That's rare—Pip's usually pretty nervous around new people."
Seraphina watched with a mixture of concern and amusement. "I suppose if you're keeping him, the least he can do is be friendly with your brother."
"I'm totally keeping him. He's my responsibility now."
Kael emerged from the training hall, sweaty from his morning practice. "Is that a rabbit? Why is there a rabbit in the training yard?"
"His name is Pip, and he's educational."
"How is a rabbit educational?"
"He's an essence rabbit. Ashen can learn about magical creatures by observing him."
"That's actually not a terrible idea," Kael admitted, crouching down to examine Pip more closely. "Essence rabbits are good first examples of how creatures naturally interact with essence. Better than reading about it in books."
Ashen stroked Pip's soft fur, feeling the small creature's essence signature. It was simple, uncomplicated—just natural absorption and storage without any real manipulation or technique. Pure instinct.
But even simple essence interaction demonstrated fundamental principles. How essence flowed, how living beings processed it, how it could be stored within physical forms.
Everything was a lesson if you paid attention.
Pip seemed perfectly content to sit in Ashen's lap, occasionally twitching his ears or nose but otherwise relaxed. The rabbit's trust was oddly flattering, considering Ashen could theoretically crush it without effort given his true capabilities.
"Can I pet him sometimes?" Ashen asked Lyra, maintaining his childish vocabulary.
"Of course! You can visit Pip whenever you want. I'm keeping him in the garden shed—set up a whole habitat for him with food and water and places to hide." Lyra beamed proudly. "I'm going to take really good care of him."
Knowing Lyra, she probably would. For all her chaotic energy and tendency toward reckless behavior, she genuinely cared about living things. The rabbit was in good hands.
The afternoon brought an unexpected guest to the estate. Duke Marcus Azure himself arrived with a small entourage, traveling through the territories on official business and stopping to personally inform the Silverions of his son's birth.
Ashen was brought to the formal receiving hall where his parents met with Duke Marcus. He sat quietly in Seraphina's lap, observing the western Duke with interest.
Marcus Azure was probably in his early fifties, with the kind of weathered appearance that came from decades of responsibility. His cultivation was B-Rank Peak, just shy of A-Rank breakthrough, and his water affinity was EX-Rank according to the novel.
"Congratulations on your son," Aldric said formally. "A healthy heir is a blessing."
"Thank you, Aldric. My wife and I are overjoyed." Marcus's expression showed genuine happiness. "After four daughters, I'd begun to think we wouldn't have a son. But little Kaelen arrived healthy and strong."
"Kaelen Azure," Seraphina repeated. "A noble name. How is your duchess recovering?"
"Very well, thank you. The healers say both mother and child are thriving."
They discussed formalities, gift protocols, and the upcoming naming ceremony. Ashen listened carefully, gathering information about the protagonist's family and circumstances.
Marcus noticed him watching. "And this must be your youngest. Ashen, isn't it?"
"Yes," Seraphina confirmed. "Eighteen months old now. Very observant, this one."
"I can see that. Those are striking eyes—golden like lightning captured in amber." Marcus smiled. "Perhaps our sons will be friends when they're older. Kaelen will need allies among the other great houses."
"Friendship between the houses strengthens the Empire," Aldric agreed diplomatically.
Friends with the protagonist. That's... actually not a bad cover. Being known as Kaelen's ally would give me access and information while maintaining a position of support rather than rivalry. No one suspects the supportive friend of being more powerful than the hero.
The meeting continued for another hour before Marcus took his leave, heading onward to the capital. After he left, Aldric turned to Reikan.
"You'll attend the naming ceremony as planned. Bring appropriate gifts and make sure House Azure knows we value the connection between our families."
"Understood, Father."
That evening, as Seraphina put Ashen to bed, she seemed thoughtful.
"You'll meet Kaelen Azure someday," she said softly, tucking his blankets. "He's only six months younger than you. Maybe you will be friends, like Duke Marcus suggested."
Ashen looked up at her face, seeing the hopefulness there—a mother imagining her youngest son forming connections and friendships.
"Maybe," he agreed, because it was easier than explaining that he'd read four hundred chapters about Kaelen Azure's life and knew exactly what kind of person the protagonist would become.
Brave, noble, somewhat reckless, ultimately destined to save the world through sheer determination and plot armor. A good person to have as an ally, terrible to have as an enemy, and perfect as a distraction for those who might otherwise pay too much attention to Ashen.
"Sleep well, my sweet boy," Seraphina whispered, kissing his forehead. "Tomorrow we'll visit Pip again. Lyra says he keeps asking about you."
After she left, Ashen lay in the darkness thinking about the protagonist's birth, about Duke Marcus's visit, about the intricate web of connections and events that were slowly weaving together.
The novel's story was beginning. The protagonist existed now, even if he was just a baby with no awareness of his future importance.
And Ashen was positioned perfectly—close enough to observe and influence when necessary, distant enough to avoid unwanted scrutiny, strong enough to actually make a difference when the time came.
The system pulsed once in his consciousness.
[PRIMORDIAL AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM]
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No techniques detected.
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Forty-two more months until awakening.
The pieces were moving into position.
The long game continued.