Adam (now Arthur) — POV
Knock—knock.
I was still trying to untangle the chaos in my mind when a sharp knock broke the silence.
Who could it be at this hour?
The answer followed instantly.
"Young Lord, it's Maya. I heard screams. Are you alright? May I come in?"
Arthur's memories surfaced automatically.Maya… the woman who had never abandoned this family—loyal through every tragedy, every storm.
Straightening my posture, I spoke firmly:
"Come in."
My voice carried an authority that felt too natural. After inheriting Arthur's emotions, I had almost become him. The strangest part was how little difference there was between us. It genuinely felt like we were two sides of the same coin.
The door opened quietly.
Maya stepped in—black hair, sharp eyes, disciplined stance. She looked barely thirty, but I knew she was over a century old. Advancing one's core rank slowed aging drastically in this world.
She stopped beside the bed, concern shadowing her face.
"My lord, are you alright?"She gently checked my arms and shoulders for injuries.
"I'm fine, Maya. It was just a headache."
Her expression softened into a mix of worry and subtle scolding.
"My lord, you've been exhausting yourself ever since the Countess fell into a coma. You should rest tomorrow."
At the mention of Mother, something twisted inside my chest.The memories weren't originally mine… but the emotions were. Deep, raw, and painfully real.
Arthur's love for her had merged completely with mine.
I inhaled slowly."You're right, Maya. I'll rest."
She bowed respectfully before leaving, closing the door behind her and returning me to the silence of my thoughts.
First… I need to sort through these memories.
I was now Arthur Von Vormir—the first son of Countess Valeri Crestban Vormir.
My father, the late Count Vormir, had died two years ago fighting inside an Abyss Rift.
On that same day, Mother was infected with Abyss Corruption—a plague that erodes the soul itself. Even as an Immortal-rank awakener, she couldn't resist it. How could she? Their opponent was a Star-level Abyss Beast, a calamity capable of crushing planets with a flick of its finger.
If Father hadn't sacrificed everything…
She wouldn't even be alive in a coma.
Since then, the entire county's responsibilities fell onto me.
I was twelve.
A perfect moment for opportunistic nobles—vultures wearing shiny titles—to strike.
But none dared.
Not with my uncle alive.
Duke Alistra Crestban—Mother's elder brother.
A man even the king hesitated to provoke.
He adored his sister beyond reason. When he learned of her condition… his rage tore through realms. The screams of the Abyss echoed for days as he slaughtered everything in the rift.
Yet even that wasn't enough to stop it.
He even offered to adopt me and my younger brother—shielding us under his name. But I refused. Not out of pride… but duty to the Vormir lineage.
Still, he protected us from the shadows.
Ah, right…my little brother.
Asher von Vormir.One and a half years younger than me.
I rose from the bed and walked toward the mirror.I already knew what face I would see, but I needed to confirm it myself.
My reflection stared back.
Snow-white hair.Sharp features.Naturally noble aura.
"How is this even possible…? The same face, the same personality…"
Yes.
Adam's face was exactly the same as Arthur's.
Only the eyes were different.
A chill ran down my spine.
And for the first time…I realized this wasn't just transmigration.
Something far stranger was at play.