Calendar: 5/1/1016
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Carsel's Point of View
Knock. Knock. Knock.
My dream of Heartwood was shattered by a sharp knock on the door. I was used to waking up early in Heartwood—Uncle Rey inviting me to go for a walk before the sun rose. But this was different. This wasn't an invitation; it was a command.
"Lady Seraphina is waiting for you in the dining room." Marta's voice from outside. Brief, efficient.
I got up, taking the servant's clothes that had been prepared. A white shirt, black trousers—a uniform that erased individuality. I carefully put on both necklaces. The first—the 'Magical Change' artifact that turned my pink hair black and my black irises silver. The second—the mystical necklace from Mama whose function I didn't know. Mama always said to never take it off, so I obeyed. I know Mama would always advise what's best.
When I looked at the small mirror in the corner of the room, the face staring back looked pretty good. A fairly strong bone structure, sharp silver eyes, and proportional lips. Not a face that would make people turn and stare, but not a bad face either. Am I really this handsome? I shook my head; it wasn't important. Why should I care about such a trivial thing?
---
Seraphina's dining room was minimalist—a wooden table with six chairs, a window overlooking an inner garden, and a bookshelf on the wall. Even in the dining room, there were books. Seraphina was already seated, wearing a dark green house dress, her hair tied back loosely.
"Sit."
I sat opposite her. There was no plate in front of me.
"Have you eaten?" I asked.
"I was waiting for you." She closed the book she was reading. "Starting today, you will have breakfast with me. You'll need the energy."
Marta entered carrying a tray—two plates with identical portions. Bread, eggs, sliced meat. She placed one in front of me.
I stared at the food. It was too good for a slave. Usually, in superhero stories, victims or slaves always have a tragic fate, one of which is poor-quality food.
"Is there a problem?" Seraphina asked.
"No, Lady." I began to eat—slowly, not like a starving person. Mama taught me to never look desperate, even when I was.
Seraphina observed the way I held my fork, the way I cut my bread. "Did Clarasiel teach you dining etiquette?"
"Mama said the way a person eats reflects their self-respect."
"Your mother is wise," she sipped her tea. "For a commoner."
That last sentence hung in the air like an unsheathed knife. After breakfast, she stood up. "Follow me."
"..."
Seraphina's Point of View - Training Grounds
In a secluded area behind the palace lay a vast training ground. Not a soft lawn, but hard-packed earth that had been trodden and scuffed countless times, as hard as stone, reflecting the severity of the training conducted there. The air in the place felt heavy, filled with the smell of iron from the stacks of swords, shields, and other heavy equipment placed on sturdy wooden racks.
Carsel stood in the middle of the area—his eyes sweeping over the weapon racks with an unreadable expression. Not awe. Not fear. More like... calculating.
Interesting.
"There's something I needed to check yesterday but forgot." I took out a detection crystal. "What's your affinity?"
He didn't answer right away. His jaw tightened slightly. "Mama said I shouldn't show it to just anyone, Lady."
"Your mother is wise." I walked closer. "But now, I am not 'just anyone.' I own you. And I have the right to know what kind of asset I've purchased."
His eyes—which were actually pitch-black behind the silver illusion—looked at me with rapid calculation. I could see the wheels turning in his head: options, consequences, escape routes. This boy isn't stupid.
"Or," I continued in a colder tone, "would you like to feel the contract force you?"
His face paled slightly. Good. That fear is necessary—enough to ensure obedience, not so much as to incite rebellion.
"That won't be necessary, Lady." He held out his hand. "I will show you."
I handed him the crystal. He held it with both hands—not because it was heavy, but as if holding something that could explode. His eyes closed. Mana flowed.
The crystal began to glow.
Not a white light.
Not a blue light.
Not the color of any common affinity.
My eyes widened. I reflexively tightened my fingers on the side of my dress. A golden light with sparkling dots like little stars—like a night sky filled with constellations. A light that belonged to only one family in this world.
Stellaris.
My breath caught in my throat. My guess was correct. This young man wasn't just a distant descendant. He was a direct line. And his age—15—fit perfectly with the year of the Stellaris Empire's fall. The crown prince who was supposed to have died with the collapsing palace. The hidden child. Because in that year, it was possible Empress Elena was already pregnant, but no one knew.
"Let go."
The light faded. Carsel opened his eyes—looking at me with a face that was trying to remain calm, but there was a small crack in its corner.
"A star affinity," I said quietly, as if processing. "Do you know what that means?"
Carsel's throat was dry. "No, Lady."
I looked into his eyes—like looking at a treasure and an unexploded bomb at the same time.
"The star affinity is the exclusive affinity of the Stellaris Imperial family. The family that was annihilated fifteen years ago when they were attacked by a mysterious organization."
I let that information sink in. It was misinformation, and I did it on purpose. If I told him that his real family and his people were killed by four other Empires and other races, it's predictable what this boy would do: seek revenge. Then he would rebel against me. I don't want that to happen. Carsel is my investment for the future. I must keep him by my side. Carsel should have great potential. After all, his father was a prodigy.
Carsel's expression changed—not to panic, but to deep confusion. His brow furrowed, his eyes narrowed, his lips slightly parted as if he wanted to ask something but didn't know where to start.
"But I—" He stopped. Swallowed. "My parents were commoners, Lady. Mama was a support, and Papa—I never even met my Papa."
"Then how can you have an affinity that only belongs to the Stellaris bloodline?"
"I don't know." His voice was smaller now. Not out of fear, but out of genuine confusion. "I thought—I thought a star affinity was something rare, but not—not exclusive."
He looked at his own hands—the hands that had just held the crystal. "Mama never said it was dangerous. She just said not to show it to just anyone. Why didn't she say it was an imperial affinity?" There was a hint of betrayal in his tone. Small, but there.
Perfect.
I walked closer—until the distance between us was only a single step. "That affinity belongs to the Stellaris Imperial family, which automatically makes you a direct descendant."
"If that organization finds out, they will hunt you. They will kill you. But don't worry, I will protect you from them."
Carsel looked at me—I could almost see his real, pitch-black eyes piercing through the silver illusion. "Why would you go to the trouble of protecting me, Lady?"
"Because I dislike waste. You are a valuable investment, Carsel. A rare affinity. It would be foolish of me to let such a fine asset be destroyed through negligence."
The word "asset" made his expression harden slightly. Good. Let him know his place.
"And never—ever use your star affinity techniques in front of anyone. Not even at the Academy later."
"The Academy?" His eyes widened slightly.
"Ostrivien Academy. You will enter with me as a personal assistant who also happens to be a student. I've already handled the administration."
"However, before that, I will give you an artifact that grants the user an additional affinity. It will allow you to defend yourself if a conflict arises."
He was silent for a long time. Too long.
"Why are you going this far for me, Lady?" he finally asked. "I'm just a slave. You could buy other slaves who are more... more useful."
"Because," I said, turning to the window—letting my back do the talking, a sign that I wasn't afraid he would attack, "it's fun."
I heard his breath catch for a moment, then slowly release. "I understand, Lady." His voice was calmer now. More... accepting. "Thank you for protecting me."
I smiled at my reflection in the window.
Too easy.
---
Carsel's Point of View
"Thank you for protecting me."
Thewords felt foreign on my tongue—too formal, too obedient. I swallowed the bitter taste in my throat. Seraphina smiled at her reflection in the window. A small smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Too easy," she muttered—too quietly for me to hear.
...
She said the star affinity belongs to the Stellaris family—an Imperial family. I wanted to curse, but Mama always said to stay patient. Too many surprises. I came here without knowing how many continents there are in this world. I don't know how many Empires there are, or their names. I just found out that my affinity is exclusive. But how can that be? My mother is a support healer. Does that mean she's not my biological mother? I've also never seen my father. After hearing Lady Seraphina's story, I have a theory. Maybe the Stellaris Empire was attacked by a mysterious organization with a well-thought-out plan. On the brink of collapse, a soldier or someone fled with the emperor's child (and that child is me). They arrived at Heartwood.
A prince. I am a prince. The word rolled around in my mind like a foreign stone too large to swallow. And that mysterious organization... maybe it's connected to the mysterious figure who kidnapped Mama Clara. I don't care if Mama Clara isn't my biological mother, because the fact is, the one who raised me since I was a child was her. My goal remains the same: to find her.
"Let's change the topic. I'm curious about your mother now. Where is she? Clarasiel." Lady Seraphina asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"She was kidnapped. That's the reason I left my home. My initial goal is to find her."
"But why did you end up at an auction house?"
"I don't even know the reason. I suddenly appeared there, so I can't answer that question."
"Hmm... Forget that. Perhaps I can help you find her. Can you describe the kidnapper?"
Is this real? She really wants to help me? True, with her power as an Imperial princess, it's not impossible to find them.
"They wore a long black robe with a dark purple hood."
"Not strong enough. Anything else?"
"Their irises were a glowing purple, their pupils were like a wild beast's."
"Hmm, good. Is there anything else? For example, their fighting style, their role, or even their affinity."
"I didn't fight them at all—actually, I wanted to, but they ran away because their goal wasn't to fight me, so I can't determine what role they are. But, their affinity is shadow—a branch of darkness."
"..."
Hearing me say 'darkness,' Seraphina was shocked. The words were stuck in her throat.
"What's wrong with you?"
"You said shadow? Is that true?" She approached me with sharp eyes.
"Yes, one hundred percent true. Why? Is that special too?"
"Not special, more like... the darkness affinity has never appeared—since ancient times. That affinity is even said to be just a superstition. 200 years ago, during what's called the Age of Silence, the Heartstone Empire was led by a cruel tyrant."
[Year 816]
"A tyrant who didn't care for his people, who lusted for war, who lusted for women's bodies. The people suffered. They were afraid to fight back because if anyone did, their loved ones would also have to face the consequences."
"The nobles were also afraid of him. Until the year 820—a rebellion was led by a man named Kyrel."
"He was the leader of the rebellion at that time. He succeeded in bringing victory, and his affinity was light. The first and last time the light affinity appeared."
"Since then, the darkness affinity, which was previously just a superstition, became popular again. 'Without darkness, there is no light,' a phrase that made people believe the darkness affinity existed—even though it had never appeared."
Ah, I see.
Lady Seraphina moved away, stepping toward the weapon rack. She took one, a longsword. She then threw it at me. "You remember, don't you? I said, 'You'll need energy for today.'"
My reflexes made me catch it instantly, something I had practiced often. Right, so this was her goal. But, if there was no training on today's schedule, would I not have gotten good food?
Whether it was because I was daydreaming or she was just too fast, a jian-type sword had already appeared in her right hand.
"So," she said, rotating her wrist, getting used to the grip, "let's see if your skills match your special affinity."
She didn't wait for my answer. The tip of her blade was immediately at my neck.
"Let's duel."