After the fusion had exhausted him and the pain had crushed him, Adam fell into a heavy sleep.
It wasn't ordinary sleep—it was a complete collapse after what his body and soul had endured.
And in the depths of the darkness, he found himself in her arms… his wife. She smiled at him as she used to in the distant days, her embrace wrapping him in a peace he had long forgotten how to feel.
She whispered in a soft, gentle voice:
— "I will love you, no matter what you become…"
Her words pierced through the walls of his coldness, but he could not respond. He simply buried his face in her shoulder and slept peacefully, as if time itself had stopped.
---
Three days later.
In the office of the Evanhart family, Leon sat behind his wide desk, flipping through the stacked papers before him without truly focusing on them. Smith stood opposite him, his eyes narrowing with suppressed anger. The air was heavy, the atmosphere charged, as if the room itself awaited an explosion.
Smith spoke in a rough voice:
— "We followed your orders. We dismissed all the servants from the main mansion. But… won't this raise suspicion?"
Leon didn't lift his head, replying coldly:
— "Servants have no right to witness what should remain unseen."
But Smith did not relent. He took a step forward, his voice rising as he listed:
— "First: the boy who never cared for training suddenly breaks all the rules. Second: during awakening, five mana waves were released! Third: the ritual lasted twice the normal time. And fourth… the purity was zero! Do you understand what that means, Leon?"
He paused, then pressed on each word:
— "And his eyes! Every member of the Lucivar line turns crimson after awakening… except him. His eyes remained black! Don't you see what that suggests? Everyone will say he carries the blood of Graven."
At last, Leon raised his head, his eyes gleaming with suppressed fury. He rose abruptly, his voice thundering like lightning:
— "Enough, Smith! I know everything you've said. But I searched the depths of his being… he is still Adam, the son of this family. His soul has not changed."
Smith gasped in shock, then shouted:
— "You dared to probe his soul?! That's madness! If something unknown resides within him, it could devour you!"
Leon answered with a deadly calm:
— "I had to be certain."
A heavy silence fell for several seconds. Smith bit his lip, trembling with anger and worry, then said:
— "Summon your father then. He is the only one who can contain what's happening."
Leon turned his face away, exhaling slowly before replying:
— "I already sent him a message. But he is leading a campaign against a chaotic SS-class Gate. He won't return soon. Until then, the mansion is under my charge."
Smith remained unconvinced:
— "Dismissing the servants is a mistake. Other noble families will see it as weakness and discover we're hiding something."
That was when Leon truly erupted. He gripped the desk so hard its edges cracked:
— "The noble families! Remember well, we are not their playthings. Yes, we lost much after my brother's death… but we have not fallen. Never forget that!"
Smith finally fell silent, lowering his head only when Leon gestured. Then Leon said firmly:
— "Go to the vault. Bring the artifacts to conceal Adam's eyes. No one must know their secret… until the time is right."
---
Smith had barely left when the communication stone on the desk glowed with a crimson light. A handsome man's face appeared on its surface, his features youthful though he was in his thirties, his crimson eyes burning like blood, his voice carrying the weight of countless secrets.
Leon spoke coldly:
— "Alan von Lucivar… I didn't expect your call so soon."
The man gave a sad smile:
— "I was occupied… but tell me, how did my grandson's awakening go?"
Leon hesitated for a moment, then recounted everything: the five waves, the prolonged ritual, the zero purity, and the black eyes. He concealed nothing.
Alan remained silent for a long time, until Leon feared the connection had broken. Finally, in a hoarse voice, he said:
— "Thank you, my friend… and forgive me. I was a blind father in my fear, and I once threatened you because of him."
Leon breathed slowly, a faint smile crossing his lips:
— "What can I do, when my dearest friend is a madman?"
A faint laugh escaped Alan, but it quickly faded. Leon then asked:
— "Will you attend the Golden Crown ceremony?"
Alan's voice dropped to a whisper:
— "No… there is no place for me there. To him… I have been dead since the day of the trial."
Leon froze, unable to reply. Before he could speak, Alan ended the call, leaving behind a void heavier than his words.
---
In the central continent, within the Black Palace of the Lucivar family.
Alan sat upon the throne, his head bowed, fingers digging into the armrest. His voice emerged as a hushed murmur:
— "For four thousand years, not a single member of our bloodline was born with eyes other than crimson… except this child."
From the shadows, a tall woman emerged, her crimson eyes glowing like embers, her black hair flowing behind her.
Alan spoke hoarsely:
— "Mother… did you spy on him?"
Rosalina replied in a calm tone:
— "I merely wished to check on my grandson."
She stepped forward, her gaze sharp as blades:
— "And why didn't you go yourself? Even your son… you abandoned him."
Alan suddenly roared, his voice shaking:
— "How could I dare?! I was the one who forced my son to kill his mother with his own hands. I am the reason his eyes lost their light. I was there when her soul was torn apart… and I couldn't save her. How can I look into my son's eyes, knowing I was the cause of her death?!"
Silence crashed like thunder. Rosalina softened her tone and said:
— "Then… let me go. It has been too long since I last saw him. Perhaps I can do what you cannot."
Alan nodded slowly, a twisted smile marring his flawless face.
---
Meanwhile, in the Evanhart mansion, night blanketed the halls.
Adam sat on the edge of his bed, his black eyes gleaming in the dark. There was no trace of a child in his features—he looked like a being watching the world from behind a veil.
He rose, his steps silent, then glanced at his left hand.
In a cold voice, he murmured:
— "Th
e time has come… to reclaim it."
His words faded into the shadows, as the first threads of his plan began to move.