Reyzen let the silence widen until it pressed like a physical thing against every chest in the hall. Then he spoke, slow, deliberate, a blade wrapped in silk.
"This is a mistake," he said. "A mistake grave enough to deserve execution, but now is not the time." His gaze swept the room, catching every noble's eye like a reminder of their place. "She is young. She might be proven useful in future. I will give you one chance, Romen Eryndor. Just One."
Romen Eryndor dropped onto his knees and bowed until his head was touching the ground, "You honor us, Your Majesty. We are grateful beyond words."
"Do not mistake my mercy for weakness," Reyzen continued. "If such behavior repeats, if any of you speak or act against the Bloodcrest line, then next time it will not be a single child who pays. It will be your entire family."
"Take your daughter away. Teach her manners before you teach her magic. She is not in the proper state, neither mind nor body to remain at this banquet."
Romen scrambled to his feet and shepherded Kaori forward. Commander Elric escorted the trembling girl from the hall with firm, efficient gestures; the nobles' gossip was swallowed by the weight of the emperor's command.
Reyzen's attention shifted, cold and sudden, to Aria. For the first time since she unsheathed her blade she looked small under that look. He did not scold her for anger, but he scolded her for weakness.
"You did right. You stood for your brother before even I did, ready to execute a royal for insulting a Bloodcrest." His mana burst outward, shaking the hall, suffocating the air.
"But you failed. Do you know why? Was it because Elric stopped you? Or because I arrived?" He leaned forward, his words sharp. "No. It's because you were weak. You couldn't even stand a candle against Elric even when she wasn't using any mana. On the battlefield, you'd already be dead. Elric may be strong, but that doesn't matter. Accept defeat. Those who lose are wrong. Those who win are right. And so, Aria—you were wrong."
His gaze swept to me. "Kaito, the same goes for you. Both of you will be punished after banquet for your wrong doings."
"We'll discuss this in private."
"For now let the banquet continue."
"Kaito go and change your attire, then come sit at my side. Let's have dinner not as an Emperor or an Imperial Prince but rather as father and son."
The banquet stretched late into the night, yet one thing stood above all else. I was the first child ever allowed to sit beside Father in such an occasion. A seat no one had ever claimed before me. When I changed into fresh attire, Mother met me and Aria, her warmth softening the tension still clinging to us. Together, we returned to the hall, finishing a night that had begun with glory and nearly collapsed into chaos.
At last, my first banquet ended. A memory carved deep, not for its celebration but for the storm it carried.
The next morning, life resumed as if nothing had happened. My body endured its routine drills until every muscle burned. Once done, it was time for what truly mattered—lessons under Master Black and Master Fang. Both blades sharper than most men alive, both shadows I had managed to draw close. With careful words and persistence, I had convinced Mother to accept them as my personal guards. She never knew they were more than that—my teachers. My secret edge.
Master Black stood before me, his aura calm yet suffocating, pressing down like a weight on my chest. His voice was low, sharp, cutting through the silence.
"Yesterday was child's play, Kaito. We were just testing your skills, observing you." He scratched the back of his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Honestly… you surpassed every expectation. You proved why you're called a genius."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "Enough talk. Today, we move to something far more dangerous. A technique… unlike anything you've done before. It's called Eclipse. A skill that hides your very presence. Master it fully, and a person won't even know you exist even if you're right in front of them."
My pulse jumped.
Master Black's eyes narrowed. "Eclipse isn't simple. It's broken into three stages:
Flicker→ Fade → Null
I've practiced it since I was young. Even then I can barely sustain Null for a few minutes. And even that… it comes at a cost."
He stepped closer, the shadows around him shifting like living things. "Today, you begin with the first stage: Flicker. Prepare yourself, Kaito. If you fail… well, that's part of the lesson."
Fang stepped forward, daggers in his hands, eyes gleaming. You move, but leave no trace. Sound, scent, aura… all gone. A trained enemy will still sense you, but only barely. It's the first step to disappearing completely."
He tossed all the dagger on the floor. "Step on them, and you fail. Scratch them, fail. Breathe too loudly, fail. Keep your body still, control your mana, your heartbeat… and the daggers will stay untouched."
"Oh you don't have mana so it's going to be a little easier I guess."
Black's voice cut through, calm but deadly: "Once you master Flicker, we move to Fade. Fade is more than invisibility—it's erasure. Even trained assassins cannot sense you. Only then can you attempt Null—the stage I can barely sustain."
I swallowed hard, feeling my heart thump in my chest. This wasn't a wooden log anymore. This was real. A perfect technique which can hide my presence even if I'm right in front of a person. It's a golden oppertunity to become stronger. It's now or never.
Fang tilted his head. "Ready, Kaito? Flicker isn't about strength, it's about becoming nothing. Start moving."
I took a deep breath, steadying my body. Every muscle tense. Every sense alert. My shadow stretched long in the morning light… and then began to blend, flicker, and vanish.
This was going to hurt. This was going to break me. But I didn't care. I had to master this.