Everything was pitch-black. Nothing was visible to the eye.
Only the brief flashes of lightning slicing through the dark clouds illuminated the surroundings for a fleeting moment.
Beneath the rainy, gloomy sky, a young man with silver hair and blood-red eyes stared unblinkingly at the clouds above. Dressed in luxurious, pure-white garments of an ancient noble style, he lay stretched out on the ground, his body smeared with mud and his own blood.
Who had attacked him?
No sound or response came from the young man—only a suffocating, lifeless silence.
His eyes, filled with despair and exhaustion, were fixed on an unknown corner of the endless sky. Neither the thunder roaring above nor the blinding lightning provoked any reaction from him. It was as if he were calmly waiting for his end.
Suddenly, a deafening clap of thunder shook the heavens, calling forth an intense bolt of lightning.
At that moment, a silhouette appeared above the young man's head.
Sensing someone standing over him, the young man with great effort, he barely managed to shift his gaze toward the silhouette.
He couldn't see the silhouette's face, nor could he recognize who it was. But one thing was unmistakably clear to him—this person was not his friend.
The dagger in the figure's hand made that abundantly clear.
The silhouette raised the dagger high above its head.
Then, under the roar of thunder, it plunged the blade straight into the young man's heart.
Aster's eyes flew open.
He jolted upright, breaking free from the nightmare. As his vision cleared, he found himself in his own room, sitting on his old bed—worn, cracked in several places, yet still usable.
Sitting there, Aster clutched his chest tightly with one hand, trying to steady his ragged breathing. Each time he blinked, the horrific dream replayed itself vividly before his eyes.
'It's just a dream. Just a dream!'
He repeated it over and over in his mind, trying to calm himself.
These dreams had haunted Aster since childhood.
In truth, calling them dreams felt inaccurate.
'They feel… like memories. Like memories from the past.'
It sounded like the kind of fantasy a child would make up for themselves, yet Aster genuinely felt as if he had been reborn.
But there was one problem.
Why did he feel this way?
Although the dreams he saw every night seemed like the cause, that wasn't entirely true.
The real reason was the strange sensation that, at some unknown point, most of his memories had been erased.
"Who… was I, really?"
He grabbed his head with both hands as he asked himself the question.
Ever since he could remember, Aster had been searching for an answer.
He read countless books and stories that hinted at past lives. He listened to various legends and myths.
Yet no matter what he tried, he found no clue—nothing that pointed to his past.
Because of that, he decided to live a normal life, at least until he could remember his former life… or until he could fully see the end of those dreams.
While Aster was lost in thought, a sound came from behind the old door leading into the room.
"Aster, are you awake?"
The voice belonged to a woman.
It was his mother—Aurora.
"Y-Yes, I'm up," he replied, still half-asleep.
He got off his old bed, put on his clothes, and prepared to leave the room. But just as he was about to step outside, his eyes fell on a long strip of cloth lying on the bed.
He picked it up and tied it over his eyes.
The moment Aster stepped out of his room, the sweet aroma of food filled his nose—the scent of a meal his mother had prepared.
'That smells amazing!'
Following the scent, he hurried toward the kitchen.
When he arrived, his mother was busy preparing breakfast. As always, Aurora was humming a tune, cheerfully immersed in her cooking.
"Good morning, Mom!" Aster said as he sat down on a chair.
His mother looked at him with a smile as radiant as the morning sun.
"You came just in time. Eat it before it gets cold."
The bright sunlight gradually faded, replaced by thin clouds that softly veiled her face.
Aurora knew her son very well.
That was why she quickly noticed his low spirits.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Aster nodded, forcing a weak smile.
"Yeah… I'm fine. I just had a scary dream."
Aurora watched him for a moment, then spoke as if nothing were wrong.
"You should start eating."
And so, the mother and son—living together in a quiet rural village—began their breakfast.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the kitchen. The chirping of birds perched on tree branches made it feel as if the day ahead would be a good one.
After some time, they finished eating and remained seated at the table.
That was when Aster noticed something strange.
'Why is Mom looking at me like that?'
He swallowed nervously.
Aurora rested her elbows on the table, propping her chin on her hands, gazing at him with a warm, glowing smile.
'Did I do something wrong? No, that can't be it—the day just started. Maybe she found out about what I did yesterday.'
Cold sweat broke out across his body.
The previous day, Aster had gone near the border of the empire without telling her. Aurora had strictly forbidden him from approaching it, since beyond the border lay neutral lands—and further still, the territory of monsters.
Countless thoughts raced through Aster's mind, yet none of them explained what his mother was thinking.
Finally, he gathered his courage and asked.
"Did… something good happen?"
His voice trembled slightly.
Aurora usually wore that expression in only two situations—when she was very happy, or when she was furious. Knowing this, Aster hoped it was the former.
"It is happening right now," she said, her smile growing brighter.
Aster's eyebrows shot up.
"What is?!"
The moment he asked, Aurora beamed like the sun itself. She stood up, walked over, and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Happy birthday!" she said warmly.
Hearing that, Aster let out a quiet sigh of relief.
'I completely forgot what day it was! Thank goodness it's not what I feared… I don't even want to imagine that.'
Aurora gently released him.
"I have a present for you."
Aster looked at her in surprise.
"Really?!" he asked, unable to hide his shock.
Since only the two of them lived together, everything they earned was spent on survival—on simply staying alive. The idea of a gift was unexpected.
Aurora removed the ornament she wore around her neck and placed it around Aster's.
He didn't even get a chance to say anything.
'A woman's accessory?!'
He looked down at the ornament hanging from his neck.
'Is Mom really giving this to me?'
He stared back and forth between the ornament and his mother, completely stunned.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
"Mom," he said with an awkward smile.
"Isn't this a woman's accessory?"
Her expression didn't change.
"No—look closely."
The ornament faintly shimmered, appearing to be made of silver. However, worn patches revealed that it was merely coated. It was coin-sized and circular, with a black pendant inside and a bird emblem resembling an eagle engraved at its center.
It was clearly a man's pendant, meant to be worn around the neck.
'Then why was Mom wearing it?'
The question crossed his mind, but he chose to ask something else.
"Where did you get this?"
"Your father gave it to me as a birthday present. And now, I'm giving it to you."
Aster added another question.
"Why a man's pendant, though?"
Aurora smiled as if recalling something amusing.
"That day, your father forgot it was my birthday. Since he hadn't bought a present, he gave me this instead. The next day, he bought me this bracelet."
She held up the bracelet on her wrist.
After that, they spent some time chatting and sharing lighthearted stories.
"Your cooking is amazing, as always!"
"Since it's your birthday, I'll make something special for dinner. But it'd be good if you could gather some firewood—we're almost out."
Hearing that, Aster's face lit up with joy.
His mother was an excellent cook.
"Leave it to me."
He jumped to his feet.
'I'll gather the wood quickly. I'll take the axe with me—there are dried trees near the river. Just thinking about Mom's food is making my mouth water… can I even wait until then?'
With the axe in hand, he ran outside.
Aster lived in a village located deep within the forest, a day's journey away from the city of Northstat.
Because the border lay nearby, few people chose to live here.
As a result, most of the villagers were poor and belonged to the lower class.
Once outside, Aster began walking on his tiptoes, careful not to draw attention.
'Doesn't seem like anyone's around.'
He continued forward with light steps.
Suddenly, a man's voice rang out behind him.
"Hey!"
Aster froze in place.
'He's not calling me… right? Must be someone else.'
He resumed walking.
Then the voice sounded again.
"Kid, I'm talking to you!"
As Aster lifted his head to look around, a hand suddenly appeared from nowhere, slipping around his neck and settling on his shoulder.
The sword hanging from the stranger's belt bumped against Aster's shoulder, producing the sound of metal striking its sheath.
Then the man leaned in and whispered into his ear in a low voice:
"Are you pretending you didn't hear me?"