Suddenly, the door sprang open, revealing the entrance of Kaelen Draxion, heir of House Draxion, the war-born house that had long rivaled the Valenors for the throne. Kaelen possessed bright golden hair, a well-built muscular physique, and a youthful and handsome appearance
"Tell me… did the child survive?" he exclaimed, rushing towards his weeping wife, who tightly clutched a pale, lifeless infant.
It felt like a million blades piercing his chest as he stared at the motionless baby in hee hands. His gaze then shifted to the midwife, who sadly shook her head, conveying the message without uttering a word.
"Nooo! My unborn child... that's not possible," he said, unable to believe it.
Kaelen's mind raced as everyone knew the curse that followed the Valenor line—no son could survive. Yet he had been forced into this marriage. The lords demanded he wed Elaria to bind her bloodline to the throne, to keep the crown from tearing apart in civil war. He had told himself it was only politics, that no child would ever be born from such a union. And now, holding the lifeless body of his son, he realized the curse was real.
However, amidst the sorrowful atmosphere, the young man heard the cry of a baby from the crib. Startled, his eyes darted between the lifeless child and the one crying in the distance.
"What's going on?" he thought, unable to grasp the truth. He went closer to the crib and stared into it and saw a little child barely the size of a full length arm.
It became clear to him that his wife had actually given birth to twins. Approaching the crying infant first, he gently lifted and patted the child. Locking eyes with the baby, he recognized the exact shade as his own and the same golden hue that adorned his hair.
"My boy… your father is here." he whispered, cradling the baby close, as he carried him up from the crib. Afterwards, he turned to the midwife and have her the child.
Drawing nearer to his wife, who held his lifeless son, "He's gone… and nothing we do can bring him back. I know it hurts, Elaria, but he would want us to live. We will carry him in our hearts, always." Kaelen concluded as he gradually opened the grip of his wife's hands and gently took the lifeless child from her.
Embracing the child tightly, he couldn't hold back his tears as he faced the golden door before him. He knew then what had to be done.
Hours later, Kaelen prepared to perform the old custom for the dead. In Calvethra, it was believed the dead should be sent on the river in a burning boat. The fire would carry the soul to the skies, and the water would take the body away. Without the fire, the spirit might not rest.
Behind Kaelen stood soldiers in shining golden armor. He carried a basket with his lifeless infant as he walked through their ranks while they saluted him in silence.
Finally, he reached the edge of the mighty river, stretching far across rocky terrain and into the distance. Gently, he laid the basket on the riverbank, placing a soft towel and the sigil of their kingdom upon it. With a slight push, he set the basket in motion, watching it gradually drift away from them.
"May your soul rest in peace," he uttered, turning his back to the water, unwilling to see where the tides would carry his lifeless child.
Guided by the gentle current and the river's glow, the basket carried the infant across vast miles until it reached the distant land of Eldoria. It came to rest at the mouth of a cave, where an old fisherman, carrying his tools and basket, noticed it drifting ashore. Curious, he stepped closer to see what lay inside.
The old fisherman crouched beside the basket, his hands hovered above the tiny pale body. He pressed two fingers to the infant's neck, then laid his palm on the chest.
"No heartbeat," he muttered.
"Still warm. Dead only a few hours."
He sat back on his heels, his face creased with indecision. From beneath his cloak he drew out a crystal vial glowing faintly blue.
It was the elixir of life rejuvenation potion. Legends claimed that only elves, sacrificing half their lifetime of cultivation, could create such a potion. It was meant for dire situations, capable of altering fate and even raising the dead.
The fisherman shook his head.
"This was meant for me. I swore I'd keep it for my final hour… but leaving a child like this to rot? No. Not while I still breathe."
He uncorked the vial and tilted a few drops into the baby's mouth. Then he closed the small lips with his thumb and waited.
At first, nothing happened. The cave walls brightened as the vial's glow leapt into a blue beam, piercing straight into the infant's chest. The fisherman staggered back as he shielded his eyes.
The baby's skin brighted up as his fingers twitched. Then, with a sudden sneeze, the lifeless child cried out.
The old man laughed, wiping his eyes. "Alive! You're alive, little one." He leaned closer and grinned through tears. "Cute thing, aren't you?"
Alaric's soul had slipped into the infacts body. As his eyes opened, his own voice felt stolen and reduced.
"Where am I?… " he thought as stared at his environment he shock. "I was executed. I felt the axe. My body was split. I remember falling into nothing…"
His small fists clenched as he looked down at himself, at his soft skin and weak limbs. His mind raced he didn't understand what was gong on.
"This can't be possible? I am Alaric, King of Calvethra."
The fisherman touched his cheek gently, smiling. "Don't touch me, old man. You dare call me cute? I commanded armies. I leveled cities. And now just because I lay in this silly basket doesn't mean I should be taken for granted"
He tried to speak, to tell the man who he was—but only a pitiful cry escaped his lips. The fisherman chuckled, rocking him.
"Damn it. He hears nothing. My voice is trapped inside this tiny shell." Then, in the middle of his rage, Alaric froze. A pressure stirred inside his chest, it felt like something foreign.
"You are not alone. Part of me dwells here too."
Alaric's thoughts sharpened.
"What trick is this? Who is that?"
"I am Ragon, Rider of lighting, son of Zeus—conqueror of worlds and first in line to the throne of Olympus. I was struck down on Olympus, but here I am Reborn"