Lucian's eyes remained closed as he examined the glowing figure approaching him.It was a man, dressed in the heavy, interlocking armor of the Everstar guards.Even without physical sight, the False Sight rendered the intricate plating as sharp, white translucent lines.A broadsword hung heavy at his hip. Lucian recognized him instantly from the inherited memories.Garrett.Whenever a new heir was born to the Everstar family, they were assigned a personal guardian.They were tasked to be protectors, advisors, and silent shadows until the young master awakened.They resided together in the Starlight Castle, a sanctuary where entry without the Emperor's explicit orders was a crime punishable by immediate execution.That fact alone made the assassination attempt even more disturbing. If Lucian, Garrett and a few royal assistants were the only ones permitted in the castle grounds, how did that ring end up in the grass?"Young master—you're standing!" Garrett gasped. His iron-shod boots th

(Dear readers, this chapter is a bit immersive, read calmly. Love author.)Lucian slept through the daylight hours, forcing his battered body to rest so his mind would be razor-sharp when the sun finally fell.He waited for the dead of night, for that specific silence that only came when the sprawling Starlight Castle was entirely at rest.He lay perfectly still, listening to the endless ticking of the clock on his stone wall.From what he could piece together from his fragmented memories, it was roughly two in the morning. The patrols would be sparse. The servants would be asleep. It was time to move.He swung his legs over the edge of the large, feather-stuffed bed.The stone floor was biting cold against his bare feet, sending a shiver up his calves. He looked toward the wooden door, then his closed eyes drifted back to the wheelchair sitting idly in the corner of the room.'I should take it,' he thought, his jaw tightening.It wasn't exactly quiet, the wheels had a frustrating te

Lucian didn't stop at one book. To truly grasp the mechanics of power in this brutal world, he needed a complete foundation.He spent hours navigating the towering shelves, pulling heavy tomes, old scrolls, and foundational texts. He read until the dead of night bled into the early hours of dawn. Outside the thick library windows, the sky was still dark, but the faintest hint of morning light was beginning to creep over the horizon.With that subtle shift in the ambient light, Lucian felt his False Sight begin to waver.A dull, throbbing ache started to build behind his eyes. He pressed his fingers against his temples, forcing himself to keep going.From the mountain of texts he had digested, the first thing that became clear was that all power in Ur began with the elements.Every living thing carried an elemental affinity. The affinity was not chosen willingly but it was determined by certain conditions during the Awakening Ordeal. An element flavored everything an Awakened did, r

Lucian moved stealthily back to his room, his wheelchair rolling silently over the thick, woven carpets of the castle's grand corridors.The exertion of simply sitting upright for hours in the library and moving about had already drained his weak muscles. His False Sight buzzed at the edge of his vision, constantly draining his unawakened core. He kept it active just enough to perceive the ambient essence in the air, ensuring no palace guards or assassins were lying in wait in the dark.By the time he finally pushed through his heavy oak bedroom doors and locked them shut, his mood was suffocatingly heavy. He dragged himself from the chair to the edge of his bed, collapsing backward. He lay there, arms stretched wide, facing blankly at the vaulted ceiling.The sleep he so desperately wanted had completely abandoned him. He felt physically exhausted, down to the marrow of his weak bones, yet his mind was racing with thoughts that refused to shut down.'Honestly, what was I expecting to

[Dear readers, this chapter is deliberately slow for a reason, feel free to skim, Love author.]Cipher's face shifted. For a fraction of a second, the red aura around him flickered, replaced by a brief, genuine wave of bewilderment. He clearly had no idea what Lucian was talking about."Don't get over your head," Cipher sneered, leaning in closer, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous hiss. "Your life is still on the line, little brother. Remember that. If you fail tomorrow, my mother would be so incredibly disappointed. Though, I suppose she's used to it by now."Lucian felt a sharp retort rise in his throat, but he deliberately clamped his jaw shut. Through his False Sight, he could see the volatile nature of Cipher's energy. His brother was like a powder keg. One wrong word, one slight push, and Cipher would spark into an erratic fury right here in the courtyard. Lucian didn't have the physical strength to deal with an unhinged royal prince throwing a tantrum on the eve of the Ord