Darkness beyond darkness, and distorted voices swayed in that absolute, nonexistent void.
A veil of blood began to pour from the top of the dark curtain, transforming the view into a crimson red wall, and the screams of people rose from behind the drape.
"What… is this…" a child's confused voice repeated over and over in his mind, "Where am I?" the voice echoed, "This is not me," the voice wailed, "What the hell is happening!" he shouted with all his might.
A small child, seemingly around ten years old, awoke inside a room with an ancient, yet refined style, as if it belonged to a noble.
He closed his eyes and opened them repeatedly, puzzled by this unfamiliar sensation, this new feeling of a body that seemed to limit his abilities suddenly.
"How…" the child struggled to find his way, descending from the huge bed he had been sleeping on, his body numb, his legs trembling, his vision blurred.
He walked slowly, careful not to fall, toward a massive mirror hanging on the wall. As he approached, his features began to appear.
A frail, short child's body, devoured by fatigue and sickness, black lifeless eyes, short black hair with earthy-toned tips.
A look of astonishment appeared on the child's face as he touched his own reflection slowly, whispering in his mind, "This is not me!"
The phrase repeated thousands of times within mere seconds until a woman dressed as a maid entered, screaming in terror.
"He's… he's awake!! Mr. Elin has awakened!"
The child, Elin, stared at her in confusion, and before he could speak, dozens of servants stormed in, lifting him into the air, every part of his body aching.
An elderly man with silver-streaked hair, wearing refined gray clothing with a burning metal rod emblem on his chest, appeared.
"My son!" all the servants exclaimed, handing Elin to the man, as tears streamed down his cheeks, barely able to form words.
"My son?… This is my father… Gram Kraush… but since when?" Elin's thoughts were still disorganized, and everyone's words were too heavy on his ears, falling from the edges without reaching him.
"Wait until your mother hears the news! She went to the Hiddenzel district for some business, but she'll return once she hears!"
"Everyone leave, let my son rest!" Gram ordered, kneeling and placing Elin on the ground, embracing him tightly, unable to stop his tears.
"I'll be outside… thank God you're back. If you need anything, just call me."
Gram left the room. Elin stood in the middle, staring at the ceiling. A sharp screech rattled inside his skull, causing unbearable pain, as if something were forcing its way out of his mind.
Exhausted, Elin collapsed to the floor, closing his eyes as colors flashed before him like hallucinations.
"This is not me… I am twenty-one… my name isn't Elin… but why do I see his memories and feel his emotions, why this pain!"
Elin continued asking himself chaotic questions, all pointing to the same idea: this isn't his body, this isn't his life, yet he woke up in this child's body for a reason unknown.
In silence, he watched the sun move, time pass, without speaking or moving, just gazing through the window until his nerves calmed and thoughts ceased.
The door burst open, hitting the wall with force. Before Elin could look, something heavy fell on him.
A loud scream pierced his ears, disturbing the quiet, as a soft touch covered his entire body, blocking his vision and breathing.
Tears streamed down Elin as suffocating sobs nearly tore his eardrums.
"My son!! I can't believe you woke up!"
It was a beautiful feeling, more than disturbing, unlike anything Elin had felt. The love and longing from the woman seeped into him, and without realizing it, tears fell.
"Why am I crying?" he asked, trying to stop the flow with his hands, but it persisted, her arms pressing him closer.
"That damn Transcendent said you might never wake, I was so scared!"
"Mother…" Elin's voice resonated, not his own will but his own sound, wanting to hug her, cry with her, never let go.
"Mother… Frieda Kraush… who is she?" tears continued, longing for a woman he didn't know, yet his heart craved.
"Mother, what happened to me?" For the first time, Elin spoke to someone, determined to understand what happened to him and this body.
Frieda stared at him, took a deep breath, fighting back her tears.
"You were in a coma… didn't you know? For ten months, we lost hope you'd wake… and I…"
Unable to hold back, she hugged Elin tightly, her cries filling the room and the palace.
"Did the original owner of this body die? Or… did you… enter my body? Damn, I hope there's not a ten-year-old trapped in mine."
Hours passed. The family celebrated young Elin's awakening. Gram opened the palace doors to the public. They ate, drank, danced until night fell.
Elin was lost amid the festivities, watching the grand hall, feeling warmth and nostalgia.
He slipped away to explore the palace, filled with engraved porcelain and sturdy copper walls.
The Kraush family was renowned for mining and iron trade, reflected in their palace's design and the portraits of ancestors, from Croha Kraush to the youngest, Elin Kraush.
Elin descended a staircase that felt like an age-long journey, arriving at a dark basement packed with boxes, artifacts, and a massive dusty library.
A candle lit itself, guiding Elin's way. He approached cautiously, curiosity overcoming fear, and the candle floated as if tied by an invisible string.
Walking past the family portraits, memories collided, replacing ones he couldn't recall. With each step, the Kraush ancestors felt closer to his heart, yet further from his existence.
Reaching the library, he placed his hand on a shelf. A strong gust extinguished the candle, but it reignited.
One book pulled him like a carriage drawn by a rope. He picked it up, trembling, heart pounding.
A gentle touch opened the first page, replacing fear with focus. Though he didn't recognize the letters, he knew them.
"Origin of the Transcendents" — a book Elin loved from the first page, the very first word enough to make emperors chase after it.
"Power."
"Where have you been, Elin?! We've searched everywhere!"
Returning to the hall, he met a maid, hiding the book behind him.
"I was… in the basement."
"Why go there? You know it's forbidden… it's filthy… you might get sick again."
"Forbidden? Why?"
"Forgotten? I think this coma affected you… young master. Only Gram and your older brother Kaid are allowed there."
"Kaid…" Elin thought, vaguely recalling a tall man with long black hair, all dressed in black, a calm gentle smile.
"Why only Kaid?"
"Because he's the family's Transcendent. Gram has been obsessed with this, wanting to involve the Kraush family in the so-called Prodigy's Conflict."
"Transcendents?"
"You've completely lost your memory? Transcendents use mage sequences or something like that. Hard to believe it's real, but that's what I heard."
"…."
"All you need is to focus on your studies to enter a good university, understood?"
"Yes."
The maid left. Elin sneaked the book under the stairs by his bed and rushed outside.
"Transcendents…" he thought.
"If this is real, entering this body must be connected to one of the prodigies. I need to know more."
"I have to learn about this… to find a way back to my previous life…"
A moment of silence passed, and a shadow of longing crossed Elin's face as he tried to reclaim a life he barely remembered.
"Damn!"