Kael Ashford. No—he was no longer an Ashford. He never truly was. He lay on the cold floor of the tower, feeling life slip away through the wound in his chest. His own sword, forged from sacred iron of the Valorian mines, protruded from his torso. The irony would have made him laugh, if he could.
"I'm sorry, brother," said Darius, his voice brimming with false compassion. The golden hero of the kingdom, the savior of Aethermoor, looked radiant even in this dark moment. His silver armor reflected the torchlight, casting dancing shadows on the walls. "But you couldn't expect me to forgive you for stealing what was mine."
At his side, Seraphina remained silent.
Seraphina Luminara. The saint whose mere presence could heal wounds and purify curses. The woman who had been promised to the hero as a reward for saving the kingdom. The woman Kael had loved in secret for years.
And she… she simply watched.
"Ser—" Kael whispered, his voice barely a thread. Blood welled from his lips.
Her violet eyes shone with unshed tears, but she did not move. Her face, normally warm and compassionate, was a mask of resignation.
"I'm sorry, Kael," she murmured, her voice breaking. "But he is the hero. I… I have a duty to the kingdom. To my house. To the gods."
Darius smiled, that charming smile that had conquered hearts all across Aethermoor. He slipped a possessive arm around Seraphina's waist.
"She made the right choice, brother. You always lived in my shadow." He leaned closer, his warm breath against Kael's ear. "And you'll die in it too."
The sword twisted in the wound. Kael screamed in pain.
"Besides," Darius continued, his tone almost conversational, "I couldn't allow you to reveal my… arrangements. The Lords of the Abyss are very generous partners, you know? They gave me power, glory, women… everything a hero could desire."
Kael's eyes widened in horror. Demonic pacts. His brother—the supposed savior of the kingdom—was allied with the very demons he claimed to fight.
"You… bastard…"
"Shh." Darius placed a finger on his lips. "Die peacefully knowing that Seraphina and I will be very happy together. Especially at night." His smile turned cruel. "She's told me interesting things about you two. Those secret meetings in the gardens of Solhaven. The way she looked at you. The way she desired you."
Seraphina looked away, ashamed.
"I… I'm sorry, Kael. He forced me to tell him. I—"
"She will be mine," Darius interrupted. "As it should always be. A saint for the hero. It's appropriate, don't you think?"
Kael's vision darkened. The pain was unbearable, but worse was the betrayal. Not only from his brother, but from her. The woman who had sworn to love him, who had whispered promises beneath the stars, who—
No.
In his last moments of consciousness, something changed in Seraphina's expression. Tears finally fell, shining like liquid diamonds on her cheeks. She pulled away from Darius abruptly.
"No! I can't!" Her voice cracked with anguish. "Kael, forgive me! Forgive me!"
She fell to her knees beside him, her hands glowing with sacred light as she tried to heal the wound. But it was too late. The sacred iron had pierced vital organs. Not even the power of a Luminara could reverse this.
"Sera…" Kael raised a trembling hand toward her face.
"Silence!" Darius roared, shoving her aside. "You already made your choice."
"No!" Seraphina struggled against him, her power flaring wildly. "Kill me too! I can't live without him!"
[System Initiating…]
A voice echoed in Kael's mind. Cold. Mechanical.
[Conditions met: Death by betrayal. True love present. Regret detected.]
[Activating: Temporal Regression Protocol.]
What…?
[Conqueror's Sexual System activated.]
[This system has been created by higher entities to grant a second chance to betrayed souls. It allows the user to return to the past with knowledge of the future and special abilities.]
[Main functions:
Development of intimate bonds to gain power
Statistics enhanced by each deep emotional connection
Abilities unlocked through relationships
Access to hidden world information]
[WARNING: The system requires genuine connections. Superficial relationships grant no benefits.]
[Initiating transfer…]
"Kael!" Seraphina's scream was the last thing he heard before everything went black.
When he opened his eyes, the world was tilted.
No… he was tilted. Lying on his side on something hard and cold. Stone? The sound of wheels crunching over dirt reached his ears. The smell of hay and wood.
"You're awake." A young voice—familiar, but higher-pitched.
Kael turned his head and found himself staring at a face he knew far too well. Golden blond hair, bright blue eyes, features that would one day be considered heroic.
Darius.
But this Darius was… small. Maybe three years old. His face still had the softness of youth, without the lines of arrogance he would develop later.
"You're awake," young Darius said, smiling with genuine relief. "I thought… I thought you had died. When those men attacked us…"
What?
Kael tried to sit up and almost screamed. His body was small, weak. He looked at his hands and saw the hands of a child—thin, without the scars of years of training.
This can't be.
[Welcome back, Kael.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Current date: 13 years before your death.]
[Location: Cursed Forest Road, approaching Valorian territory.]
[Physical age: 13 years.]
[Current companion: Darius (future adoptive brother).]
[Status: Injured. Level 1.]
[Initial mission: Survive the next three days and secure your adoption by House Valorian.]
Kael looked around with growing horror and understanding. They were in the back of a wooden cart, covered with rough blankets. Through the slats he could see dark trees passing by. He remembered this place. He remembered this moment.
This is…
"Are you okay?" Darius asked, moving closer with concern. "You look pale. Well, paler than before."
The sound of horse hooves grew louder. Male voices—authoritative.
"Halt!" someone shouted. "Identify yourselves in the name of House Valorian."
The cart stopped abruptly.
"Please, sir," said a trembling voice—presumably the driver. "I'm just a merchant. I found these boys injured in the forest. They were going to die if—"
"Step aside."
Heavy footsteps of military boots. Then the tarp covering the cart was ripped away, flooding them with sunlight.
A middle-aged man in silver armor bearing the emblem of the golden lion looked down at them. His gray eyes were piercing, assessing. Scars marked his square face.
Duke Aldric Valorian.
The man who would adopt them. The man whose "honor" and "reputation" would eventually favor Darius over Kael at every opportunity.
"Children," Aldric said, his voice deep. "Whose sons are you? What were you doing in the Cursed Forest?"
Darius stepped forward bravely, instinctively shielding him with his smaller body.
"We… we don't remember, sir. We woke up there, covered in blood. There were… there were bodies. Dead monsters. We don't know what happened."
Aldric's eyes narrowed.
"You remember nothing? Not even your names?"
There was a moment of silence. Then Darius looked back at Kael.
"I… I think my name is Darius. And he is…" He hesitated.
"Kael," Kael whispered, finding his voice. It sounded strange in this young body. "My name is Kael."
[System updated: Identity confirmed.]
[New objective unlocked: Form a connection with a member of House Valorian.]
[Reward: Information about the hidden past.]
Aldric studied both boys for a long moment. Then he snorted.
"Get in. We'll take you to the fortress. My wife will examine your wounds." He paused. "And we'll decide what to do with you."
As the guards helped them down from the merchant's cart, Kael felt a feminine presence. A woman on a white mount approached. She had brown hair tied in a practical braid and emerald-green eyes full of compassion.
Duchess Celeste Valorian.
"Aldric, they're just children," she said softly. "Look at their wounds. They've been through something terrible."
"They could be spies. Or worse."
"Or they could be victims." Celeste dismounted gracefully and knelt before them. Her hands glowed with a soft healing light. "Let me help you."
When her fingers touched Kael's forehead, he felt warmth flow through his body. But he felt something else as well. A connection. An invisible thread forming.
[Connection established: Duchess Celeste Valorian (Maternal).]
[Affection level: 15/100.]
[Skill unlocked: Empathic Perception Level 1.]
[New mission: Gain the trust of House Valorian within 72 hours.]
Kael closed his eyes, processing the flood of information. He had returned. He was thirteen again. His brother—the traitor who had murdered him—was here as an innocent child not yet corrupted.
And he had a system. A "Conqueror's Sexual System" that would apparently grant him power through… relationships.
This is going to be complicated.
But as the cart began to move toward Fortress Valorath, carrying them toward their fate, Kael felt something he hadn't felt in years.
Hope.
This time would be different. This time he would not live in anyone's shadow.
This time, he would write his own destiny.
[System activated]
Name: Kael
Age: 13
Level: 1
Title: None
Statistics:
Strength: 3/100
Agility: 4/100
Intelligence: 25/100 (Memories of the future)
Charisma: 12/100
Magic: 10/100
Skills:
Empathic Perception Lv.1: Detects basic emotions in others
Knowledge of the Future: Limited information on upcoming events
Connections:
Duchess Celeste Valorian: 15/100 (Maternal)
Current mission: Secure your place in House Valorian (72 hours remaining)
Warning: The future you know can change with your actions. Consequences are unpredictable.
To be continued…