Years 2163–2166 (Space Era 81–84)Imperial Capital Berlyn, Planet New Hope
At merely four years of age, Aelyzabeth was forced to confront what no child should ever face—marriage proposals from countless men: wealthy merchants, minor nobles, and ambitious officers seeking to bind themselves to the House of Thors. Never once did anyone ask what she desired.
Margaret, her elder sister, greeted such proposals with delight, for if Aelyzabeth were wed too early, she would be removed entirely from the inheritance. But Alexander, her brother, rose in fierce defiance. Standing before the family council, he thundered:
"Aelyzabeth is still but a child! Whoever dares bring forth such vile proposals is no different from one who would destroy her future!"
His words, sharp as steel, silenced the chamber. Though it restrained the avarice of their kin, the wound had been dealt. Hatred took root within Aelyzabeth's heart that day, and she began to see Margaret as a sworn foe of her own blood—one who would gladly cast her aside.
When she entered kindergarten, Aelyzabeth excelled beyond her peers, yet felt stifled. Too slow, she thought. Lessons that baffled other children seemed insultingly simple, as though she walked a path far beneath her true potential.
Her cousin, Aelaera, shared that same hunger. Both longed to leap beyond the confines of ordinary education—not to wait for adults to dictate the tempo of their lives.
When Field Marshal Otto, their grandfather, discovered that the two girls could complete examinations of junior high level at the age of seven, a rare smile graced his battle-worn face. Pride mingled with hope in the eyes of the old warrior.
One day, Otto summoned them in secret. From his leather case, he drew forth two crystal vials, within which glowed a luminous azure liquid, shining like starlight contained in glass.
"You two… possess gifts unlike others," his deep voice resonated. "This… we call the Herb."
The children's eyes widened at the sight.
Otto spoke of its forms:
The Red HERB, for those who see themselves as the center of the universe, grants the power to read minds and command the will of others.
The Yellow HERB, for those who cherish others above themselves, bestows an unbreakable barrier.
The Purple HERB, for those born to destruction—summoning lightning to annihilate life.
At last, he raised the vial in his hand.
"But before you lies the Blue HERB, the rarest of all. Its covenant is with those who thirst for knowledge, who cannot endure the pace of the world, who reject paths dictated by others."
Aelyzabeth and Aelaera exchanged glances, as though the words had been carved for them alone.
"Its gift," Otto continued, "is to awaken the mind, granting twenty percent greater brilliance. But if unworthy… it brings only death."
The chamber fell silent, but the eyes of the two girls gleamed with resolve.
That evening, in a quiet park scented with blossoms, Aelaera whispered:"Aelisu… I will try the HERB.""So will I, Aely," Aelyzabeth replied.
Together, with trembling hands, they filled slender syringes, each injecting the luminous blue essence into the other's veins.
In an instant, radiance burst from their eyes. Rings of blue light circled their pupils, glowing like sigils of a newfound covenant.
Aelyzabeth felt the world sharpen, as though hidden layers of reality had been unveiled. The bond between her and Elara deepened into something unbreakable.
Thus began the legacy of the Blue HERB—a turning point that would cast them upon a path with no return.
Through arduous trials, the two sisters secured the fabled Blue HERB Bloom, said to appear but once in a century. Its strange fragrance calmed the soul, yet stirred something deeper in the spirit.
Aelaera, bold and unafraid, claimed the HERB first and performed the ancestral rite. A deep azure flame enveloped her body like the fires of the abyssal sea. Voices rang clear within her mind, thought and spirit became one, and henceforth her mastery of the power was unwavering, as if destiny itself had anointed her.
But Aelyzabeth's fate diverged.
When she touched the Blue HERB, her body convulsed. Agony seared her skull, her emerald eyes flickered violently as though her very essence rebelled against the gift. She collapsed, writhing in torment, while those around her could do nothing, for the trial was hers alone to endure.
Days passed in silence. Aelyzabeth lay pale and drained, as if her soul had been siphoned away. Then, one dawn, she opened her eyes. Yet the childlike sparkle was gone. Her gaze was calm, cold, piercing, eyes that seemed to look through the veil of truth itself.
The transformation was undeniable. The cheerful girl who once laughed easily never smiled again. The quiet child became a thinker, relentless in her questions, delving into matters with a gravity beyond her years.
Their powers grew in tandem: Aelaera, a warrior radiant and steadfast; Aelyzabeth, a mind honed like a blade. Mathematics, engineering, strategy, politics—she absorbed them all with unnatural speed, as though her intellect had awakened into a higher realm.
Field Marshal Otto watched and sighed heavily. He knew well—this was both a gift and a curse. The power had chosen them, and with it came not only brilliance, but the burden of destiny that the young girl would bear all her life.
End of Chapter A-II