Ten days had passed since the clash between his parents shook the training grounds. The memory of their overwhelming power still haunted Loryn, but so too did it ignite a fire within him. Under Alther's strict guidance, he had trained relentlessly—his body sharpened, his resolve tempered.
Yet now, his butler had said there was little left he could teach. Sword basics had become instinct. Footwork, balance, breath—all etched into his muscles. Alther had suggested the next step was not something he could give.
Which was why, on this day, Loryn walked the marble path toward the castle of the Omni King.
The massive gates rose before him like a wall of eternity, towering higher than mountains. Carvings of battles long forgotten shimmered faintly across their golden surface. And there, stationed like statues brought to life, stood the knights. Their armor gleamed, their spears rooted in the ground, their very presence radiating discipline.
Loryn slowed, staring at them with awe. And as he gazed upon the runes engraved across their breastplates, memory stirred.
---
Two years ago, he had been seated at a long desk in the grand library, a book nearly too heavy for his small arms resting before him. The title etched in ancient letters read: The Oath of Knights.
"Alther," the young Loryn had asked, his voice echoing softly in the quiet hall, "what's a Sigil-Aegis? It says here that all knights have one."
The butler, ever watchful by his side, leaned slightly forward. His tone was calm, patient, as though explaining something sacred.
"It is the heart of a knight's power, young master. Unlike chakra or mana, a Sigil is not mere fuel. It is identity itself—born from a knight's vow, their bloodline, and the battles they endure.
Loryn had frowned, tracing the rune drawn in the book with his finger. "So… it's like their soul?"
"Precisely," Alther replied. "A knight's Sigil grows stronger with each vow they keep. But should they betray those vows, the Sigil will not forgive. It will twist, and in time, consume them."
Turning the page, the boy had squinted at the strange rankings listed there. "Then what about these? Initiate, Knight, Captain, Paladin… Omni Knight? What do they mean?"
Alther had folded his hands neatly behind his back, his voice steady.
"An Initiate is one who has only just awakened their Sigil. Fragile, yet filled with potential. A Knight has proven their vow and wields techniques with clarity. Knight-Captains lead others, their Sigils shaping not only their own fate but the course of war. Beyond them are the Paladins, whose oaths are so strong that their presence sanctifies the very ground they walk."
He had paused then, his gaze momentarily distant.
"And at the summit… are the Omni Knights. So rare, so feared and revered, that their Sigils are said to bend the rules of existence itself. They are legends made flesh."
Loryn's young eyes had glowed with wonder. "Bend existence… like Father?"
Alther's lips had curved into a faint smile. "Your father stands beyond all titles. But heed this, young master—every vow has weight, and every promise demands a price. That is the path of a knight."
---
The memory faded.
Now, as Loryn stood before the towering gates, staring at the motionless sentinels, his hands clenched at his sides. He understood. These men were not just guards—they were living oaths, bound by their Sigils.
And soon, he too would step into the castle of the Omni King—where power, duty, and destiny awaited him.
The thought filled him with both anticipation and unease.