Elias woke up and let out a long breath. He felt great. It was the kind of sleep where you wake up feeling completely rested and energized, with no more aches or pains. 'I feel normal again,' he thought. 'Maybe even better than normal.'
The room was bright. Golden sunlight streamed through the windows, making the dark wood of the floor glow. He sat up and stretched his small arms, enjoying how light his body felt.
A quiet knock came at the door. A maid walked in and gave a polite bow.
"Good afternoon, Lord Elias," she said, looking happy to see him sitting up. "You slept through the morning. Your parents are waiting for you in the dining hall, Lunch is ready whenever you are."
Elias nodded. "Okay. Tell them I'll be there in a minute."
The maid bowed again and left the room.
Elias stepped out of the bed. His feet sank into the soft rug. He walked over to a large mirror on the wall to look at himself.
The boy in the mirror was small but looked very healthy. He had pale, smooth skin and messy, bright silver hair that caught the light. But the most striking thing was his eyes—they were a deep, clear purple, like polished amethyst stones.
He touched his face, looking at the silver hair and purple eyes. He looked like a young noble.
He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and headed for the door.
As Elias opened the door to his room, the maid was waiting patiently outside. She smiled warmly and began to walk, leading him through the enormous halls of the Draconis Palace.
The maid stopped outside a set of tall, dark oak doors and gently pushed them open.
The dining hall was bright, with light pouring in from tall arched windows. A long table was set simply for three people.
As soon as Elias stepped into the room, his mother, Archduchess Elara Astrum, rose instantly from her seat. She crossed the floor quickly, her beautiful silver hair swaying with her movement.
"Eli!" she exclaimed, her voice full of genuine joy.
She enveloped him in a strong hug and kissed his cheek. Then, she easily scooped up his five-year-old body, holding him tightly.
"You gave your mother a terrible scare," she whispered softly before walking quickly back to the table. She placed him gently in the large, plush chair right beside her own.
His father, Archduke Lucius Draconis, was already seated at the head of the table. He gave Elias a steady, relieved look.
"Good afternoon, Father. Good afternoon, Mother," Elias said, greeting them.
His father nodded, a hint of a smile in his purple eyes. "Good afternoon, Elias. It is good to see you well."
"Indeed," his mother added, smoothing his hair. "Now, Let's eat."
The maid and a footman instantly began serving the light lunch.
Elias began to eat, the simple food tasting rich and welcome after his long sleep. His parents talked quietly about household matters, giving Elias time to process his situation.
As he ate, his mind—sorted through the facts of this new reality.
'This World is called Aetheria,' he thought. 'The world of the novel.'
He was currently living on the Second largest landmass, the Central Continent, which was home to the Human Empire of Celestria.
'The Emperor of Celestria was the supreme ruler, and he belonged to House Astrum. And Archduchess Elara Astrum,' he thought, looking at his mother, 'is the Emperor's own sister. She's a full-blooded Imperial Princess.'
'The Human Empire of Celestria was built on a clear hierarchy, he recalled. At the very top was the Emperor, Astrum. Beneath him were the four great Archduke houses: Draconis, Ashstorm, Valerius, and Aurelian.'
He paused. The Archdukes weren't alone in managing their huge territories. 'Each Archduke rules over their lands, and under each Archduke, there are exactly two Duke families. These Duke families are like powerful sub-families or branch houses. They manage the day-to-day affairs and hold major regional power, but they are absolutely bound to serve and report to their Archduke.'
This meant that, not counting the Emperor's territories, there were eight major Duke families across Celestria (two under each of the four Archdukes).
'The original protagonist, Lucien Luminaris, is the son of one of those eight Dukes,' Elias thought. 'He is a Duke's son serving under the Ashstorm Archduke.'
The whole system was a carefully balanced machine of power.
'In the novel, I was never supposed to make it to lunch.My parents were supposed to be childless.'
He looked up at his parents, who were now watching him with warm, relieved eyes. The plot of Aetheria was already spinning off the rails.
Elias set his spoon down, finished with his meal. The Archduke and Archduchess waited a moment, exchanging a serious, significant look. Lucius leaned forward, his massive hands resting on the table.
"Elias," Lucius began, his voice deep and measured. "We must discuss what happened to you. So you understand your own strength."
Lucius continued: "In a person with two powerful bloodlines, the energies will often fight each other during the awakening process at eight years old. Normally, one energy settles and absorbs the other's potential, ensuring the child awakens with only one primary bloodline."
"The clash is too chaotic for a five-year-old body." Elara said.
"But your case was unprecedented," Lucius's voice was filled with deep pride. "You didn't just survive the chaotic energy. You somehow forced both bloodlines—the Draconis and the Astrum —to settle side-by-side. The four days you were asleep were your body building the structure to house both supreme powers at once. You are the only person in the history of Celestria to carry two active, supreme bloodlines."
"And because of that impossible combination, you have an advantage few can match," Elara explained, turning the conversation to the mechanics of his power.
"Bloodlines are rated from 1-Star up to 6-Star. A bloodline with a 1-Star rank grants the person one unique ability, while a supreme bloodline, like the 6-Star Astrum line, grants the user six unique abilities. Your father's Draconis line is 5-Star, giving you five amazing abilities. My Astrum blood is 6-Star, giving you six." Elara said.
"We will begin your first lesson today," Lucius said. "We will start teaching you how to feel the abilities of the Bloodline. We will make sure you master this gift."
"Yes, father" Elias replied.
"Come with us," Archduchess Elara said, standing up. "We will go to the private training hall." Elias rose from his chair and walked out of the dining hall between his parents, leaving the servants to clear the table.
The transition from the opulent dining hall to the private training hall was swift and silent, the three of them walked together.
The training hall was a circular room, its walls made of seamless interlocking black stone.
Elara knelt, meeting Elias's eyes. "We start simple, Eli. you must understand the gifts your blood has given you."
Lucius instructed, "We will start with the Draconis side. It has five abilities."
He went over the five abilities:
➤ Draconis (★★★★★)
● Draconic Physique
● Regeneration
● Elemental Sovereignty
● Draconic Eye
● Dragon Transformation.
"Now Astrum blood will give six abilities," she said.
➤ Astrum (★★★★★★)
● Photographic Memory
● Star Affinity
● Child of Aether
● True Sight
● Celestial Domain
● Star Manifestation.