2025-06-30 21:50:44Aiden wanted to go for Elizabeth and her father right away, but then he heard that the King was sick, and it was rumored that he would lose his life if care was not taken.
He also heard that Elizabeth’s father had gone there in an attempt to heal the King. Aiden, who had unlocked his healing abilities, goes to the castle under the name Draken Winters, trying to make sure that Philip didn't recognize him.
Aiden strode confidently into the castle under his new identity, Draken Winters. His heart beat with a mix of excitement and cold resolve as he approached the grand halls, knowing that Philip Lurande was inside, desperately trying to save the sick king.
For years, Aiden had dreamed of avenging the wrongs Philip and his daughter Elizabeth had done to him, and now the opportunity was within reach. But he knew he couldn't simply seek revenge through brute force; he had to use the cunning he learned in his years of survival. If he could save the king, he could bring Philip and his family to their knees.
Upon arrival, he was immediately met with disdain. Philip recognized neither the strength in Aiden's eyes nor his disguised appearance. Instead, he sneered at an intruder—nobody.
"You! Who let this fraud into the castle? Do you think the King's health is a joke? If you value your life, leave now before I have you thrown out," Philip said while waving a dismissive hand.
Beside him stood the second princess, Alexia, who seemed just as unimpressed. She glanced at Aiden with a look of contempt, her lips curling in disdain.
"You're wasting our time. What can a crook like you possibly do for the king? Do you fancy yourself a miracle worker?" she said in an angry tone.
Aiden clenched his jaw but remained silent. He would not be drawn into a petty argument with them, not when he had the power to turn their jeers back on them. He looked past their insults, focusing instead on the frail king, who lay pale and motionless in his chambers, breathing shallowly.
Aiden turned to the king and said in a calm tone:
"Your majesty, if you grant me permission to try to heal you, I'll require nothing but a royal promise in return."
The king looked at him skeptically, a faint frown forming on his brow.
"And what exactly do you want from a stranger?" the king asked.
"If I succeed in healing you, I ask that you grant me the hand of the second princess, Alexia, in marriage," Aiden said.
The room fell into stunned silence. Philip and Alexia looked at each other, horrified, while the king raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
The king laughed weakly. "And if you fail?" he asked.
"Then I offer my life as the price, but I can promise you, your majesty, failure is not an option for me," Aiden replied without hesitation.
The king smirked, leaning back. He was too ill to truly believe this young man could be anything more than a clown.
"Very well, Draken Winters, heal me, and the second princess will be yours. But if you fail... you will die by sundown," the king said.
Aiden nodded, his heart steady. He was confident in his abilities, especially now with the system guiding him. Kylian, who had been watching from the doorway, approached Aiden with a worried look.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Kylian whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
Aiden placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It won't take long. Trust me, Kylian."
He turned back to the king and raised his hands, focusing his mana as he drew upon his newly unlocked healing abilities. The system guided him step by step, identifying the poison coursing through the King's veins and pinpointing its cure.
With intense focus, he summoned his mana, letting it flow from his hands in a warm, glowing light that enveloped the King's body.
Minutes ticked by in tense silence as Aiden worked, ignoring Philip and Alexia's muttered insults and disbelief. He poured every ounce of his mana into healing the king, feeling the poison reducing with each passing moment. Finally, he saw the King's skin begin to regain color, his breathing steady and strong once more.
The king opened his eyes and sat up, his expression one of pure amazement.
"I'm... I feel... strong again! How is this possible?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise.
Aiden lowered his hands, breathing heavily but triumphant. "Your majesty, you are healed," Aiden said.
Philip and Alexia could only gape in shock, their faces drained of color. Just as they began to process what had happened, Aiden turned his gaze toward them, his expression hardening.
"Do you recognize me now? Or have you forgotten the last member of the Vermilion family, the family you betrayed?" Aiden said quietly, his voice cold.
A stunned silence filled the room as Aiden reached up, loosening his cloak and letting his true self be seen. His eyes burned with a fierce intensity as he stared down Philip, his voice calm but laced with the anger of years of suffering.
"I am Aiden Vermilion, and I have come to reclaim what you stole from me. You thought you could strip me or my family's honor, destroy my future, and go unpunished. But today, I am not the same boy you cast aside," Aiden said.
Philip stumbled back, his face twisted in disbelief and horror.
"Impossible... I thought—"
"You thought wrong, and now, I'm here to see justice done," Aiden interrupted sharply.
The king, now fully alert, looked between Aiden and Philip, his brows furrowed.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord Lurande? You betrayed the Vermilion family?" the king said.
Philip stammered, struggling for words as his face turned pale. Alexia, equally shocked, seemed at a loss, her earlier contempt replaced by fear.
Aiden took a step forward, his gaze unwavering.
"This is only the beginning, Philip. Everything you took from me, I will reclaim. You and your family will face the consequences of your actions," Aiden said.
Philip's face twisted in rage, but he was powerless in the King's presence. Aiden's revelation had exposed him, and the look of fear in his eyes told Aiden everything he needed to know.
As for Alexia, she could only look at him, her expression conflicted. She had insulted him, mocked him, and yet she realized she was bound to him by the King's promise. Aiden's face held no mercy as he looked back at her, a reminder that he had won a part of the justice he sought.
With Kylian by his side, Aiden left the chamber that day, knowing he had struck a decisive blow. The path before him was clear, and he would continue until every wrong was righted and the Vermilion name was restored to its former glory.
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CHAPTER NINETEEN
The shimmer of the hidden road twisted and groaned, like fabric tearing. Then the hunters stepped through.Kael emerged first, his red blade glowing like a burning brand, every step slow and deliberate. The green spear-bearer followed, poison dripping in sizzling drops onto the grass. Last came the violet-blade warrior, their weapon pulsing in sickly waves of light.All three spread out across the cliffside. Behind them, the shimmer of the road sealed shut, cutting off escape.The warm sunlight did nothing to soften their presence. Even here, in open air and clear sky, they carried the stench of shadows.Kael’s masked face tilted toward Aiden, who lay in Kylian’s arms, pale and trembling. His voice carried easily over the sound of the river. “You’ve run far enough. Vermillion blood cannot hide from the hunt.”Kylian gritted his teeth, clutching Aiden tighter. “Stay back!” His voice cracked, but he forced himself to raise his sword.The stranger stepped in front of them, daggers drawn
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The altar’s silver veins pulsed like a heartbeat, each throb shaking the black stone platform. The whispers grew louder, echoing in every ear: “One must bleed. One must fall.”Aiden staggered toward the altar, one hand pressed to his wound, the other gripping his sword like a lifeline. His steps were slow, heavy, but determined.Kylian lunged after him, catching his arm. “Stop! You can’t do this!”Aiden’s eyes were glassy with fever, but his voice was steady. “I’m already dying. Let it be me.”“No!” Kylian’s grip tightened, his voice breaking. “Don’t you dare leave me like this. You think I can just, just watch you give yourself up?” His eyes shone wet in the pale glow. “I won’t let you.”Elara stood near the altar, her silver gaze sharp. “The road will take someone, whether you choose or not. The longer you hesitate, the more it hangs. Already the shadows stir.”The stranger’s voice cut in, cold and even. “Then maybe it should be me.”All eyes turned to them. The hooded figure steppe
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The forest pressed in on all sides as they stumbled through the undergrowth. The mist was thinner here, but it clung stubbornly to the ground, curling around their boots as if unwilling to let them go.Aiden leaned heavily on Kylian, his breath shallow. Every step sent fire lancing through his side where the green hunter’s spear had pierced him. Black lines crept outward from the wound, crawling like veins across his skin. His sword hung limp in his hand, dragging faintly against the dirt.Kylian’s voice trembled as he spoke. “He’s getting worse. We need to stop.”“No stopping,” Elara said sharply. She moved at the front, her white cloak brushing against branches, her bow always in hand. “If we stop, he dies.”The stranger walked close behind, scanning the trees with a tense stillness. Their dagger dripped with black smoke from the shades they had cut earlier, but their attention was no longer on monsters. It was on the boy they were trying to keep alive. Aiden’s head lolled forward
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The red mist swirled thick around the clearing, swallowing the trees and smothering the air. It carried the smell of iron and ash, sharp enough to burn the back of the throat.Kael stepped forward, his crimson blade glowing brighter with every breath he took. On either side of him, the two new hunters moved into view. The one on his left carried a curved spear that dripped with green light, each drop hissing as it struck the ground. The one on his right held a long, jagged blade pulsing violet, the glow faint but unsettling, like a dying star.Aiden’s chest tightened. One hunter had nearly been too much. Now there were three.Beside him, Kylian muttered, “We’re dead. We’re so, so dead.” His hand shook as he gripped his sword.“Not if we keep moving,” the stranger said, voice low and sharp. They pulled their remaining dagger free and shifted into a stance that screamed readiness.Elara stepped forward, bow raised, her white cloak billowing faintly in the mist. Her silver eyes locked
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The forest was quiet again, but the quiet was not peace. It was the kind of silence that came after a storm, when every branch seemed to hold its breath and every shadow felt alive.Aiden sat against the roots of the great oak, his sword laid across his lap. Sweat clung to his brow, and his arms ached from the clash with the hunter. Lightning still prickled faintly in his veins, like his body hadn’t yet decided to let go of the fight.Kylian was sprawled on the ground beside him, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He pressed a hand against his ribs and winced. “I'm not built for this much running.”“You’ll live,” Aiden muttered, though his tone lacked its usual sharpness. He was too busy replaying the fight in his head, the red blade, the endless shades, the way the hunter’s voice had carried weight like a curse.The hooded stranger stood a little apart, back straight despite the exhaustion that pulled at their limbs. Their eyes scanned the dark forest, every rustle of le
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The red glow from the hunter’s blade lit the mist like a fire in the dark. Aiden barely had time to bring up his own sword before the strike came. The force of the blow sent a shudder through his arms, the shock traveling into his shoulders. His boots slid back across the damp earth, leaving shallow grooves in the dirt.The hunter didn’t pause. His second swing came low and fast, the red light slicing through the fog. Aiden jumped back, the blade missing his knees by inches.The stranger darted in from the side, twin daggers flashing, aiming for the hunter’s ribs.The hunter turned with inhuman speed, blocking both blades with a single sweep of his sword. The impact sent the stranger skidding back a step, the red light from the weapon casting their hooded face in harsh shadow. “You can’t win,” the hunter said, his voice echoing through the mask. “Not here.”Aiden tightened his grip on his sword. “We’ll see about that.”Kylian circled to the hunter’s flank, moving low and fast. He dr
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