On a sunny spring day, birds chirped, and butterflies danced among the flowers.
The palace was alive with activity, and gentle laughter echoed through the empire.
But joy rarely lasts…
Suddenly, without any warning, disaster struck.
The wind began to howl violently, and rain poured endlessly.
Doors were shut, and people hid in their homes, fearful of an untimely storm.
"Your Majesty!.. Your Majesty, the Emperor!"
A knight ran toward the Emperor, bowing as he gasped:
"Glory to the Empire!"
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, his tone cold and questioning:
"What is it? Why are you in such a hurry?"
The knight caught his breath and spoke with a trembling voice:
"It's the Empress!.. She's about to give birth!"
The Emperor's face changed, and he dashed toward the Empress's palace, ignoring the rain that drenched his royal robes.
All he could think of was his awaited child… the next heir.
Thunder roared, followed by the cry of a newborn from inside.
The Emperor smiled lightly to himself:
"Finally… he's here…"
Time passed with no one coming to inform him, and he wondered:
"It's been a while since the child cried—why aren't they bringing him out?"
Moments later, the door opened.
The Emperor entered, steps brimming with anticipation, but his smile vanished the moment he saw the scene before him.
The Empress lay covered in white cloth… motionless.
He froze in place, then shouted angrily:
"What happened? Tell me now!"
One of the maids stepped forward, clearly frightened, her voice trembling:
"I'm sorry to inform Your Majesty that the Empress has passed away after giving birth to your child."
The maid handed the newborn to the Emperor.
He stared at him in silence… Should he feel grief? Or joy?
He felt nothing. No sorrow for the Empress he had loved, nor happiness for the newborn.
This child… was born with one normal blue eye and one red, demonic eye, and black hair streaked with white strands.
The Emperor laughed a strange, broken laugh, as if he had lost his mind:
"Ha…ha…ha… Is this what I've waited all these years for? Nonsense!"
Then he stared at the child with eyes full of disgust:
"This cannot be my child! I am the Emperor, one of the great Planets… I cannot have a child with demonic features!"
Silence fell over the hall.
Then he said coldly, harshly:
"Kill him."
Everyone trembled, trying to restrain themselves. He was determined to kill his own child, yet no one dared to object.
One maid stepped forward, knife trembling in her hand. But before she could act, a small voice pierced the room:
"Father! Please, don't kill my brother!"
A young girl stood before him, tears glistening in her eyes.
"I've waited so long… please, don't kill him. I know he is truly my brother."
The Emperor paused, staring at his daughter, then turned away.
Who could refuse a request from a little princess?
Even the Emperor, with all his harshness, did not. After all, he had no certain heir other than her at that moment.
And so, the little child was saved from death.
"I will name you… Adrian."
Diana said, wiping the tears streaming down her face.
Then, her voice trembling but full of emotion, she added:
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you, my brother."
Afterward, a period of mourning was held for the Empress, and red flower petals were scattered as a final tribute.
Days passed, seasons changed, and Adrian grew up surrounded by love and warmth, while Diana blossomed in awareness and beauty.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday… happy birthday to you!"
Diana finished the song enthusiastically, saying:
"Adrian, make a wish and blow out the candles—come on!"
Adrian clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and made a small wish, then blew out the candles as Diana clapped.
"Congratulations on turning five, Prince!"
Diana said playfully, bowing lightly with a smile.
Adrian laughed happily at her antics and replied with childlike seriousness:
"Thank you, Princess, but I would like to ask for my gift myself!"
Her eyes widened in feigned surprise, and she asked, pretending to be astonished:
"And what gift would Your Highness like?"
Adrian turned his face slightly, blinking shyly, and said:
"Uhm… I want a kiss from a beautiful girl."
He pointed to his cheek with innocent pride, making Diana laugh at his cute behavior. She gently kissed his cheek before pulling him into a warm embrace.
"Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?"
His eyes lit up with joy, and he exclaimed excitedly:
"Of course! Of course! And you must tell me a beautiful story before I sleep!"
Diana chuckled softly and said:
"Ha-ha, alright, I will."
---
Adrian and Diana lay on the bed, and she began telling him a fairy tale in a soft, warm voice. But sleep soon overcame Adrian.
She reached out to gently wipe his sleeping face as a silent tear slid from her eyes.
That cheerful girl carried a weight in her heart far heavier than her years, despite her ever-bright smile.
Days passed, and happiness filled the lives of the young prince and princess.
Over time, Adrian learned to read and write, becoming fluent in books, while Diana mastered the use of magic, discovering her powers and beginning to develop them.
Seven years had passed since Adrian's birth…
The morning was bright and cheerful, filled with the laughter of the young royals echoing throughout the palace.
Adrian: "Wait, wait for me! Hahaha, sister!"
Diana: "You'll never catch me, you rascal! Hahaha!"
Adrian ran, trying to catch Diana, but he tripped and fell, suffering a small injury.
Diana rushed to him, worried:
"Brother, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Adrian held his leg, trying to hide the pain:
"I'm fine, it's just a small scratch."
Diana grasped his leg firmly:
"Let me see!"
Her eyes widened as she saw the blood:
"Adrian, why are you hiding this, you fool?"
He turned his face away:
"I'm not hiding anything, it's just a scratch."
She sighed in exasperation:
"That's enough. I won't argue with you anymore. I'm taking you to the doctor."
Diana carried Adrian to the palace doctor, who cleaned and bandaged the wound properly.
Afterward, Adrian and Diana went out into the garden. As they walked, a guard approached:
"Your Highness Princess Diana, the Empress requests your presence."
Diana looked at her brother and gently patted his head:
"I'll be back soon."
---
Diana arrived at the hall where the Emperor and the Empress were waiting.
She greeted them politely:
"Your Majesty, you wished to see me? May I ask the reason?"
The new Empress spoke arrogantly:
"Diana, can you not behave properly? Do you still not realize that you are fourteen years old?"
The Emperor watched silently, ignoring the situation, allowing her to speak freely.
The Empress continued, her tone sharp:
"And what about that demon? Is he a commoner to play without responsibility? I have tolerated your rule-breaking, but… there is little I can do. After all, your mother passed away early, so perhaps you do not know proper manners. I will have to teach you myself."
"We don't need you to teach us!" Diana shouted angrily, cutting her off.
"And we already know manners well, and I don't see any harm in playing in the garden!"
"What? Insolent girl! You dare speak to me like this and claim you are polite?!"
The Empress shouted, then turned to the Emperor:
"Your Majesty! Will you remain silent?"
The Emperor finally spoke, calm but firm:
"That is enough. Diana, you may leave now… and tell Adrian to come, alone."
Diana bowed respectfully and left the hall.
She walked in silence, troubled, speaking to herself with anxiety and wonder:
"How could my father ask to see Adrian? After all these years?
He hasn't seen him even once since he was born… could it be that he finally decided to accept him?"
But poor Diana's thoughts were far too simple.
She had no idea that what awaited her sweet brother… was nothing any heart could easily bear.
---
Adrian looked toward the hall, shy and hesitant, before hearing the Emperor's voice commanding him to enter.
The Emperor spoke coldly:
"Adrian, starting tomorrow, you will have a tutor. You are a prince, after all, so you must learn to fight and discover your abilities. Otherwise, you will bring me shame… though I doubt your strength will ever surpass your appearance."
The Empress glared at him, her eyes filled with malice:
"Adrian, if you fail to learn, I will send you away until you reach adulthood… that is a promise."
From that day on, Adrian began his training in the palace under strict supervision. He learned swordsmanship and studied ancient texts and manuscripts, while attempting to use magic to uncover his abilities.
Yet, after three years, he showed no improvement.
Worse still… he could not use magic at all.
The news reached the Emperor, who had been patient for three long years:
"What is this? Adrian cannot use magic? Impossible! No one born of noble blood is weak… let alone the heir of a great planet!"
The tutor bowed before him, trembling:
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I have done my utmost… but he cannot use magic, and even handling a sword is difficult for him."
The Emperor slammed his fist on the table in anger:
"Damn it! What have I done to have a child like this?"
He then issued an order in a sharp, commanding tone:
"Enough. Empress, send Adrian to voluntary enlistment. This is an order."
The Empress smiled with satisfaction; she had been waiting for this moment for years, finally able to remove him from her sight forever.
---
After some time, the news reached Diana.
She ran to her father's office, her heart torn with fear for her brother.
She knocked on the door violently, but the Emperor paid no attention.
She shouted from behind the door:
"Father! Let me in! We must talk… Your Majesty!"
Her voice broke, filled with desperation:
"My little brother must not go to enlistment! If you were going to send someone, it should have been me!"
Tears streamed down her face, and her muffled sobs shook her body.
Her brother had been sent without her knowledge… she couldn't even say goodbye.
Finally, the Emperor emerged from his room, looking at her with cold severity, issuing his command in an icy voice:
"Guards, place her in the late Empress's palace, and do not let her leave. Watch her closely."
Diana lifted her eyes, stunned and bitter, before whispering in a broken, cold tone:
"Your Majesty… it seems she has made you forget who we are…"
Then she turned and walked slowly toward her mother's palace, her heart shattered, yet showing no weakness to anyone.
---
Elsewhere…
Adrian struggled desperately to survive.
Life was harsh and grueling for a child who had grown up with the love of his sister, only to be suddenly thrown into an unforgiving world.
Life was cruel enough, but the harshest part came a month after his enlistment.
A message arrived bearing the seal of the Empire:
"Adrian Jonathan,
You are assigned to the front lines by order of His Majesty the Emperor."
The knights around him gasped in disbelief.
One whispered:
"The front lines? The place where monsters fight day and night? How can His Majesty's son be sent there? There must be a mistake…"
But it was no mistake… it was a bitter truth.
In everyone's eyes, Adrian Jonathan was the son of Emperor Aaron Jonathan.
But the truth that no one knew… was that he had never been a child anyone wanted.
He had been abandoned, left to a fate he did not choose.
---