CHAPTER 1: THE THIRD SON'S RETURN
---
I died with the taste of blood in my mouth and the sound of Draco's triumphant laughter ringing in my ears.
The Star Emperor. The Chosen One. The glorious hero of the story.
And I was just Leo Stark, third son of a border baron, the disposable side character who died to make the hero's victory more meaningful.
Darkness swallowed me.
Then... light.
---
I gasped awake, my hands flying to my neck where the executioner's axe had bitten deep. But there was no wound. No blood. Just the familiar silk sheets of my old bed and the musty scent of Stonecrest Keep that I hadn't smelled in years.
"Impossible..."
My voice sounded young. My hands were smooth, unmarked by years of sword training and battle. I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the polished silver mirror on the wall.
A boy of seventeen stared back at me. Silver eyes wide with shock, dark hair messy from sleep, the sharp Stark features that had always made me look older than my years. But young. So impossibly young.
Memories flooded back, not just of my life in this world, but of another life entirely. A life where I'd read a webnovel called The Star Emperor's Ascension. A novel about a glorious hero named Draco who saved the world from demonic invasion. A novel where I was a minor character who died early to motivate the real heroes.
And I remembered everything. Every plot point. Every hidden treasure. Every character's secret and weakness.
Most terrifying of all, I remembered the timeline.
The System Integration would begin today. The apocalypse would start in three days. And I would die in six months unless I changed everything.
"Leo?" A soft voice came from the doorway.
I spun around to see my sister Luna, alive and well, her concerned face exactly as I remembered from years ago. In my first life, she'd died trying to protect me during the demon invasion. Another casualty of Draco's "glorious" story.
"You were crying in your sleep," she said, stepping into the room. "Another bad dream?"
I hugged her tightly, tears stinging my eyes. She felt real. Solid. Alive. "Just a dream, Luna. But everything's going to be different this time. I promise."
She pulled back, studying my face with that unnerving perceptiveness she'd always possessed. "You look... different. Older."
"I feel older," I said honestly. "How long was I asleep?"
"Since yesterday afternoon. Father was worried, you've never slept that long before." She hesitated. "Cassian said you were shirking your duties again."
Cassian. My oldest brother. The heir. In the novel, he'd survive the demon invasion only to become one of Draco's loyal generals, completely forgetting the family Draco had indirectly destroyed.
"Let Cassian think what he wants," I said, moving to the window.
Stonecrest Keep spread out below was my family's ancestral home, perched on the borderlands where civilization met the wild mountains. In three days, this would be ground zero for the first demon wave. In the novel, we'd been overrun, our keep becoming a demon stronghold that Draco would later heroically liberate.
But that wasn't going to happen this time.
As I looked out at the familiar landscape, blue text flickered at the edge of my vision.
[Aegis Codex Initializing...]
[Welcome, User: Leo Stark]
[Status: Reincarnation Detected]
[Plot Knowledge Integration: Complete]
[Loading System Modules...]
The text solidified into a transparent blue interface that hovered in my vision without obstructing my sight.
AEGIS CODEX - MAIN INTERFACE
· Status
· Quest Log
· Omnarch Bazaar (Locked: 5% Plot Deviation Required)
· Kingdom Management (Locked: Barony Established)
· Evolution Paths (Locked: Knight Realm Achieved)
· Bond Network (Locked: First Bond Formed)
[Urgent Quest: The Baron's Warning]
[Objective: Convince Baron Stark to prepare for the demon tide]
[Time Limit: 2 hours]
[Reward: 500 Plot Points, System Shop Unlock]
[Failure: Stonecrest falls, story proceeds as written]
"Leo?" Luna asked, her voice worried. "You're staring into space again."
I turned from the window, a grim smile on my face. "I need to see Father. Now."
---
The main hall of Stonecrest Keep was exactly as I remembered, smoke darkened beams, faded banners, the smell of woodsmoke and old stone. My father, Baron Conrad Stark, held court at the high table, listening to reports from his captains. My brothers Cassian and Theron flanked him, looking every bit the perfect heirs.
"....and the eastern wall needs repairs," Captain Roric was saying. "The last storm weakened the foundations."
"Repairs cost money we don't have," Cassian cut in. "We're already behind on our taxes to the crown. Again."
I stepped forward, all eyes turning to me. "The eastern wall is the least of our problems."
Cassian snorted. "Look who decided to join us. Have a nice nap, brother?"
"Father," I said, ignoring him. "We need to evacuate the outlying villages and recall all our patrols. We have three days until the demon tide hits."
Silence fell over the hall. Then Cassian burst out laughing. "Demon tide? Have you been drinking father's brandy again?"
"Leo," my father said, his voice weary. "We have real problems to discuss. Border disputes with Baroness Katarina, tax collection, the grain shortage..."
[System Alert: Plot Point Available]
[Action: Reveal the grain shipment ambush]
[Potential Deviation: +3%]
"I'm not talking about rumors or old wives' tales," I said, my voice cutting through the skepticism. "I'm talking about the grain shipment from Riverbend. It's going to be ambushed tomorrow at Serpent's Pass by Baroness Katarina's men."
My father's eyes narrowed. "How could you possibly know that?"
In the novel, this ambush had been a minor plot point, the first demonstration of Draco's tactical genius when he "coincidentally" saved the shipment. But this time, I would claim that victory.
"I had a dream," I said, meeting his gaze steadily. "Send twenty guards with Captain Roric. Have them take the high ground above the pass and wait until noon tomorrow."
Cassian stood up, his face red. "You want us to waste men and resources because of a dream?"
"Twenty men is a small price to pay to test my... intuition," I said. "If I'm wrong, I'll personally work in the fields for a month to make up for the wasted time. If I'm right, we save our winter grain supply."
My father studied me for a long moment. I could see the calculation in his eyes, the balance between his practical nature and the strange certainty in my voice.
"Captain Roric," he said finally. "Take twenty men. Do as Leo says."
The captain nodded, though his expression was skeptical. "As you wish, my lord."
As the council dispersed, Cassian shot me a venomous look. "This had better not be one of your tricks, little brother."
"It's not a trick," I said softly. "It's just the beginning."
---
That night, I lay awake in bed, watching the System interface glow softly in the darkness. The [Urgent Quest] still showed incomplete, but the [Plot Point Available] notification pulsed with potential.
Tomorrow would be the first test. If I could change this small event,to save the grain shipment that was supposed to be saved by Draco, I could prove the System worked. I could prove fate wasn't set in stone.
But I needed more than just foresight. I needed power. And according to the System, that meant achieving Plot Deviation.
My mind raced with possibilities. The grain shipment was just the start. I knew where hidden treasures were buried. I knew which minor nobles were secretly loyal to the old king and opposed Draco's rise. I knew about the ancient ruins in the mountains that held power the novel's characters wouldn't discover for years.
And I knew about Nyx.
The last Night Fury dragon, sleeping in the Cursed Peaks. In the novel, Draco would tame her years from now, gaining his most powerful companion. But if I could reach her first...
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. Luna slipped into the room, carrying a candle.
"You're still awake," she said. "You've been different since you woke up."
"I had... an awakening," I said, sitting up. "Luna, I need you to trust me. Things are going to change around here. Fast."
She sat on the edge of my bed, her face serious in the candlelight. "You really believe the demons are coming?"
"I know they are. And I know how to stop them." I took her hand. "But I can't do it alone. I need allies. I need you."
She squeezed my hand. "I've always been on your side, Leo. Even when no one else was."
As she left, I looked back at the System interface. The Bond Network was still locked, but seeing Luna's unwavering faith in me made me wonder...
Could bonds themselves be a form of power?
[Plot Deviation: 0%]
[Time Until Demon Tide: 71 hours]
[System Shop: Locked]
I had seventy one hours to change our fate. Seventy one hours to turn a doomed barony into a fortress. Seventy one hours to become someone, something that could stand against the coming storm.
And it started tomorrow with a grain shipment at Serpent's Pass.
CHAPTER 1 COMPLETE
Next: The grain shipment ambush, first Plot Points earned, and the System Shop unlocks!