Four years old, Ashen had finally been granted unrestricted access to the main family library.
Not the children's section with picture books and simplified histories—the actual archive. Thousands of texts spanning centuries of accumulated knowledge, from basic cultivation primers to advanced technique manuals that most cultivators would never see in their lifetimes.
Aldric had made the decision after Master Corvin reported that his youngest son had exhausted every educational resource designed for children under ten.
"He reads at a level I'd expect from academy students," Corvin had explained during a private meeting Ashen had observed through walls with his enhanced perception. "Not just decoding words—actual comprehension of complex concepts. Yesterday he asked me to explain the mathematical principles underlying spatial manipulation. That's advanced graduate-level material."
"And you think he understood your explanation?" Aldric had asked.
"I think he understood it better than I do, my lord. Which is concerning for a four-year-old, but also... remarkable."
So now Ashen stood in the main library, Seraphina beside him, explaining the rules.
"You can read anything on the first three floors," she said, gesturing at the towering shelves that stretched up toward a glass ceiling. "The fourth floor requires supervision—those are cultivation manuals that could be dangerous if misunderstood. And the fifth floor is sealed. Those texts are restricted even for adults."
Ashen nodded, eyes already cataloguing the visible titles. Essence Theory and Practical Applications. Historical Analysis of the Five Great Houses. Advanced Spatial Manipulation Techniques. The Formation of Reality Barriers. Comprehensive Bestiary of Dimensional Entities.
That last one was interesting. Dimensional entities—creatures that existed in the spaces between realities, some of which came through spatial rifts. Information that would be valuable for understanding the cosmic threats detailed in the novel he'd read in his previous life.
"Where should I start?" he asked, playing the role of enthusiastic child rather than calculating adult.
"Wherever interests you," Seraphina smiled. "That's the beauty of knowledge—you get to choose what to learn."
She left him there with a reminder to ask the librarian if he needed help reaching higher shelves. The librarian, an elderly woman named Keeper Iris, watched from her desk with the wariness most people developed around Ashen now. She'd made the mistake of making direct eye contact once, three months ago, and had carefully avoided it since.
Ashen began with the historical texts. Not because history was his primary interest, but because understanding the past gave context to the present. How the Asterian Empire formed, why the five great houses held such power, what conflicts had shaped current political dynamics.
His Primordial Sovereign Eyes processed each page in seconds. Perfect photographic memory meant he only needed to scan text once to have permanent recall. What would take normal students months to read and comprehend, he absorbed in hours.
The formation of the Empire three hundred years ago had been prompted by external threats—not cosmic ones, but aggressive neighboring kingdoms and monster hordes that no single territory could withstand alone. The five most powerful noble families had united under a chosen Emperor, agreeing to mutual defense while maintaining autonomy.
House Silverion had controlled the north even before the Empire existed. Their lightning affinity and spatial manipulation techniques had made them natural warriors and defenders of mountain territories. Aldric was the thirty-seventh Duke in an unbroken line of succession.
House Azure in the west specialized in water and healing. House Crimson in the east had fire and combat mastery. House Verdant in the south focused on earth and growth. House Obsidian near the capital practiced darkness and information gathering.
Five pillars supporting imperial structure, each with distinct philosophies and cultivation specializations. The system had worked for three centuries with minimal internal conflict because power balance prevented any single house from dominating.
But that balance was maintained through cultivation strength as much as political agreements. The novel had mentioned that when cosmic threats eventually arrived, the political structure would collapse because traditional power hierarchies became meaningless against existential dangers.
Ashen set aside the historical text and moved to essence theory. This was more relevant to his immediate interests—understanding the fundamental principles that would govern his own future cultivation.
Essence was ambient energy that permeated reality, generated by the interaction between matter and dimensional boundaries. Living beings absorbed essence naturally through breathing and cultivation techniques refined the process, allowing practitioners to store and manipulate larger quantities.
Cultivation ranks represented capacity and control. F-Rank meant basic capacity barely above natural human baseline. Each rank upward indicated exponential increases in power—someone at C-Rank wasn't three times stronger than F-Rank, they were hundreds of times more capable.
The text included graphs showing typical advancement rates. Most people who attempted cultivation remained at F-Rank their entire lives. Reaching E-Rank was considered successful. D-Rank was respectable. C-Rank was exceptional. B-Rank meant someone was among the elite—territorial leaders, military commanders, master craftsmen.
A-Rank and above were legendary. The Empire had perhaps fifty confirmed A-Rank cultivators across all territories. S-Rank and higher were myth status—the Emperor was rumored to be SS-Rank, but such power was so rare that measurement systems became theoretical.
And then there was Primordial Rank, which this text didn't even mention because it existed outside normal classification systems. The rank Ashen secretly possessed, hidden behind concealment protocols that made his potential appear merely talented rather than impossible.
The difference between SS-Rank and Primordial was like comparing a candle to the sun. The novel had been explicit about that—when the protagonist eventually faced Primordial-tier threats in later chapters, even his Supreme-Rank cultivation had barely been sufficient.
Ashen was going to reach that level. Eventually. Through patient, methodical advancement that drew no attention until he was already beyond anything the world could threaten.
"Finding everything alright, young master?"
Keeper Iris had approached while maintaining careful visual distance, addressing the space slightly beside him rather than making eye contact.
"Yes, thank you," Ashen replied politely. "These books are very interesting."
"You've read twelve books in three hours." Her tone carried disbelief poorly disguised as observation.
"I read quickly."
"That's... one word for it." Iris hesitated, then asked the question that had probably been bothering her. "Do you actually understand what you're reading? Those aren't children's texts."
"Most of it," Ashen said, which was the kind of humble understatement adults found endearing from gifted children. "Sometimes I have to read sections twice."
The lie was calculated. Admitting he understood everything perfectly would be suspicious. Claiming occasional difficulty made his comprehension seem remarkable but believable.
"Well, if you have questions, I'm here to help." Iris retreated back to her desk, still looking unsettled.
Ashen returned to reading, moving through texts on cultivation methodology, essence manipulation principles, and basic technique construction. Each book added layers to his understanding of how this world's power system functioned at fundamental levels.
Around midday, Lyra burst into the library with her characteristic disregard for quiet spaces.
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere!" She bounded over, grinning. "Come on, you've been reading all morning. Pip misses you."
Ashen considered arguing that he was in the middle of important research, then decided that would be out of character for a four-year-old. "Okay. Let me put these books back—"
"Leave them! Iris will handle it!" Lyra was already pulling him toward the door. "It's beautiful outside and you're wasting it staring at dusty paper!"
They emerged into bright sunlight that Ashen's enhanced vision automatically adjusted to, perceiving the full spectrum of light wavelengths while filtering out harmful components. The garden was indeed beautiful—late spring had brought blooming flowers and pleasant warmth.
Pip was in his expanded habitat, now shared with the frost bird Lyra had brought months ago. Both creatures had advanced to F-Rank Peak, unusually fast progression that Lyra attributed to "good care and stimulating environment."
More likely they're benefiting from proximity to my Primordial Physique radiating trace essence they absorb unconsciously. Not enough to be measurable by normal standards, but enough to accelerate natural advancement. Interesting data point about how my presence affects living things over time.
Pip noticed Ashen immediately and hopped over, settling into his lap the moment he sat down. The rabbit had grown larger over the past year, his essence signature noticeably stronger to Ashen's perception.
"He definitely likes you best," Lyra observed, flopping down on the grass beside them. "Even though I'm the one who feeds him."
"Maybe he knows I don't expect anything from him," Ashen said, stroking Pip's soft fur. "You're always trying to teach him tricks."
"Tricks are fun! And they're good mental stimulation!"
"For you or for him?"
Lyra laughed. "Both, probably." She lay back, staring at clouds. "You know what's weird? You're four and you already sound like Reikan sometimes. All serious and analytical."
"Is that bad?"
"Not bad. Just weird. Reikan's the heir so he has to be serious. You're the youngest—you're supposed to be fun and carefree like me."
Ashen considered how to respond to that. Lyra meant well, but her entire worldview was built around freedom from responsibility. She could afford to be carefree because she wasn't the heir, wasn't responsible for territory management, wasn't preparing for cosmic threats no one else knew were coming.
"I'm having fun," he said instead. "I like reading. And playing with Pip. That's fun for me."
"If you say so." Lyra didn't sound convinced. "But sometimes you should do something unexpected. Surprise people. That's the best kind of fun."
I surprise people constantly by making them uncomfortable with eye contact that reveals too much. Does that count?
They spent the afternoon in the garden. Lyra talked about her latest forest expedition—she'd found a cave system that might house interesting creatures. Ashen listened, offering appropriate responses while his mind processed the cultivation texts he'd absorbed that morning.
The sun was starting to lower when Reikan appeared, walking the garden paths with his usual measured stride. He noticed them and approached.
"Lyra. Ashen."
"Oh no, the serious brother found us," Lyra mock-whispered. "Quick, look busy."
Reikan's expression didn't change—he was long accustomed to Lyra's teasing. "Father wants to see you both before dinner."
"Did we do something wrong?" Lyra asked.
"Not that I'm aware of. He just requested your presence."
They made their way back to the castle, Pip following Ashen until Lyra scooped the rabbit up and returned him to his habitat. Inside, they found Aldric in his study, reviewing maps with Elara.
"There you are," Aldric said, looking up. "Lyra, I need you to stop exploring the northern caves for the time being."
Lyra's face fell. "Why? I wasn't doing anything dangerous—"
"The spatial rifts are concentrating in that region. Seven new anomalies appeared in the past two weeks, all within ten miles of each other. Until we understand why, I'm restricting access to the area."
"But—"
"This isn't a punishment. It's safety protocol. The rifts are becoming more frequent and we don't know what triggers them or what might come through." Aldric's tone was firm. "I've already restricted military patrols in the region. Civilians are absolutely forbidden."
Lyra looked mutinous but nodded. "Fine. I'll explore somewhere else."
"Good." Aldric turned to Ashen. "And you—Keeper Iris reported you read twelve books today."
"Was I not supposed to?"
"You were supposed to, I just didn't expect that volume. She also said you're comprehending graduate-level material." Aldric studied his youngest son. "Are you actually understanding what you read, or just memorizing words?"
Ashen chose honesty, with strategic omissions. "I understand most of it. Some concepts are hard, but once I read about them enough, they make sense."
"Can you explain essence circulation to me?"
That was a test. Ashen could explain it perfectly, down to molecular-level interactions his eyes perceived directly. But that would be suspicious for a four-year-old.
"Essence flows through meridians like water through pipes," Ashen said, using simplified analogy. "Cultivation makes the pipes bigger so more essence can flow. Different affinities are like different types of water—fire essence is hot, water essence is cold, lightning essence is fast."
It was dramatically oversimplified compared to his actual understanding, but appropriate for his apparent age.
Aldric and Elara exchanged glances. "That's... actually a decent basic explanation," Elara said. "Oversimplified, but conceptually accurate."
"He's been listening to your discussions," Aldric decided. "Children absorb more than we realize."
I've been doing significantly more than listening, but sure, let's go with that explanation.
"Can I keep using the main library?" Ashen asked.
"Yes, but I want Master Corvin to discuss what you're reading with you. Make sure you're not developing misconceptions." Aldric softened slightly. "I'm not trying to limit your learning. I want to make sure you're learning correctly."
"I understand, Papa."
Dinner that evening was subdued. The spatial rift situation was worsening and it showed in the adults' tension. Kael reported that military patrols had encountered three minor rifts just that afternoon, all of which collapsed quickly but demonstrated the acceleration Reikan had warned about.
"The Emperor's research division is requesting access to our territory," Reikan said. "They want to study the concentration phenomenon."
"Let them," Aldric decided. "If imperial resources can solve this faster, we benefit. Plus it shows cooperation."
"There's talk of establishing a permanent monitoring station in the affected region."
"That's fine. Coordinate with Elara on logistics."
Ashen ate his dinner and listened, his enhanced perception noting the stress levels in everyone's essence signatures. They were worried, even if they didn't want to show it in front of the younger children.
The timeline is accelerating. Seven rifts in two weeks is faster than the novel described for this period. Either my memory is imperfect or my presence has created butterfly effects that are changing event progression. Need more data to determine which.
If the acceleration continues, cosmic threats might arrive sooner than expected. That would compress my preparation timeline. Not ideal, but manageable if I advance quickly enough once cultivation begins.
After dinner, Seraphina brought Ashen back to his room for their evening routine. She'd been reading to him every night since birth, and even though he could read faster than she could speak, he enjoyed the ritual.
Tonight's book was about ancient heroes—cultivators from centuries past who'd achieved legendary status through great deeds. Seraphina's voice made the stories come alive, painting pictures of battles against monsters, diplomatic victories, and sacrifices for the greater good.
Ashen listened and appreciated the stories for what they were—entertaining fiction based loosely on real people who'd been exaggerated into myths. The novel he'd read in his previous life had mentioned some of these historical figures, noting that their actual achievements were impressive but nowhere near the impossible feats attributed to them by legend.
"Do you want to be a hero someday?" Seraphina asked when the story ended.
Ashen considered the question seriously. "I don't think so."
"No? Most children dream of being heroes."
"Heroes have to save people. That sounds like a lot of responsibility."
Seraphina laughed softly. "That's a fair assessment. What do you want to be, then?"
"Free," Ashen said simply. "I want to be strong enough that nobody can tell me what to do."
His mother's expression turned thoughtful. "That's a more honest answer than most adults would give. Though being that strong also means responsibility—people will look to you for guidance whether you want them to or not."
"Then I'll be strong enough that they can't find me unless I want to be found."
"An invisible, all-powerful hermit?" Seraphina smiled. "That's certainly a unique ambition for a four-year-old."
It's not a joke, Mother. That's actually exactly what I'm planning. Power without the burden of others' expectations. Freedom without the cage of responsibility. That's the entire goal.
But he just smiled back at her and let her think he was being charmingly childish.
She tucked him in, kissed his forehead, and left the glowstone on low so he wouldn't be in complete darkness. The door closed softly behind her.
Ashen lay in bed, eyes open, processing the day's accumulated information. Twelve books worth of cultivation knowledge. Conversations revealing the worsening spatial situation. Lyra's observation that he was too serious. His mother's question about heroism.
The system pulsed once in his consciousness, that familiar reminder of potential waiting to be realized.
[PRIMORDIAL AMPLIFICATION SYSTEM]
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No techniques detected.
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Twelve more months until the awakening ceremony. One year until his affinities would manifest and cultivation could begin. One year until the careful facade of "gifted child" would need to expand into "talented cultivator" while still hiding his true capabilities.
Through his window, he could see stars that his Primordial Sovereign Eyes perceived in layers of spatial distortion and temporal flow. Somewhere out there, beyond this world, in the spaces between realities, cosmic entities were slowly becoming aware that dimensional barriers were weakening.
Not yet threatening. Not for decades still. But the process had begun, set in motion by forces far larger than any individual cultivator could influence.
Ashen wasn't trying to stop that process. He was just making sure that when cosmic forces finally did break through completely, he'd already be beyond their ability to threaten.
The youngest son of House Silverion, lying in a comfortable bed in a safe castle, protected by family who loved him, planning for war against entities that wouldn't arrive for decades.
It should have felt lonely, carrying that knowledge alone.
Instead, it felt like purpose.
Power for freedom. Freedom through strength. Strength built patiently over years most people couldn't imagine planning for.
Outside, night settled over the northern territories. Guards patrolled walls. Essence flowed through defensive enchantments. In the garden, Pip and the frost bird slept in their habitat, slowly advancing toward E-Rank through proximity to Primordial essence they couldn't consciously detect.
And in his room, a four-year-old boy with golden eyes that saw absolutely everything finally closed those eyes and let sleep come, secure in the knowledge that he had time, he had a plan, and most importantly, he had the potential to achieve something this world had never witnessed.
One year until awakening.
Then everything would begin in earnest.
But for tonight, sleep was enough.