Thirteen Years Ago—
Lucas Angelo, the second prince of the Angelo Empire, was only nine years old when he learned that something was deeply wrong with his family.
He had always admired his uncle Damian Angelo—the third prince of the empire and a once-legendary holy knight, revered as a hero by all. Damian was a symbol of justice, a savior spoken of with pride.
But five years ago, everything changed.
Overnight, Damian was stripped of his titles—both as a holy knight and as a prince. The hero of the empire was branded a traitor, his name erased as if he had never existed.
Unable to silence his curiosity, young Lucas went to his grandfather, the former emperor, to ask about his third uncle—the man who had been "adopted" into the imperial family. Yet the old emperor refused to answer. His gaze darkened, his expression turning cold and unreadable.
That silence only fueled Lucas's determination.
Sneaking into the grand temple, Lucas sought answers from the holy knights themselves. But the moment he spoke Damian's name, their faces drained of color. One of them quickly grabbed his arm and hushed him, whispering in terror that even uttering the name was forbidden—a crime punishable by immediate expulsion from the temple.
Realizing the truth would not be given willingly, Lucas turned to something far more dangerous.
He stole a magic book from the restricted archives of the imperial library.
Night after night, he practiced ancient summoning spells in secret, driven by desperation to uncover what had happened to his uncle. The spells were far beyond the ability of a child, their mana requirements overwhelming.
Still, Lucas refused to give up.
One night, he discovered a strange spell—half-erased, written in faded ink, with warnings scrawled wildly in the margins. Ignoring them, Lucas decided to cast it.
A blinding light exploded through the room. The air crackled violently, the ground shaking beneath his feet.
When the light finally faded, Lucas gasped.
Standing before him was neither demon nor angel—
but a small, chubby girl with long pink hair and crimson-red eyes, staring at him in pure confusion.
Lucas froze.
The spell he had cast was not meant to summon a being.
It was supposed to be a teleportation spell.
" Who are you?" the little girl asked, her pink dress fluttering slightly.
Lucas blinked—and suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar room.
The girl stood before him, no older than four or five, tilting her head curiously.
Slowly, he stood.
"My name is Lucas."
" Big brother," she asked innocently,
" what are you doing in my room?"
"Hm… I'm not really sure what I'm doing here either," Lucas replied, scratching his head.
"Are you a thief?"
"Of course not!!"
"Then what are you?"
"I guess… I'm a guest."
"A guest?"
"Yes. A guest."
Present Time
School had ended, and Sarah was about to leave with her friends when a sudden, sharp headache struck her. Her vision blurred, and she nearly collapsed—only for Lucas to catch her in time.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Yes! Thank you," Sarah replied quickly.
Realizing she was still in his arms, heat rushed to her face. Her cheeks and ears turned bright red. Lucas noticed and gently placed the back of his hand against her forehead, checking for a fever—though there was none.
That night, when Sarah returned home, she did what she always did first: her homework.
But the moment she sat at her desk, something felt wrong.
Her heart began to burn, as if lit from within. Pain spread through her body, sharp and relentless, like thousands of needles piercing her skin at once. Her breathing turned uneven as she clutched her chest, fingers trembling.
A faint glow flickered beneath her skin—appearing, vanishing, then appearing again like a dying flame. The air in her room grew heavy, oppressive. Shadows pooled unnaturally in the corners as an unfamiliar power surged within her.
Mana—something she never knew she possessed—began to spiral out of control.
A warm, dangerous presence awakened inside her, whispering a truth she was not yet ready to accept.
This was not an illness.
It was the beginning of something far more terrifying.
"What's happening to me…?" Sarah whispered.
Unable to endure the pain any longer, she stood and collapsed onto her bed. Her body felt impossibly heavy, her limbs refusing to move.
The moment her head touched the pillow, her consciousness slipped away.
She fell into a deep, unnatural sleep—one that felt less like rest and more like being dragged into the depths of her own awakening.