By morning, the sky above Blackstone Fortress was eerie—peaceful, almost like it was apologizing for the night before. The clouds had scattered into nothing, leaving a pale, washed-out blue and the distant, lonely cry of birds circling the massive plains of the Valerian territory.
Inside the fortress walls, though? Nobody was over it.
Servants were huddled in every corner, whispering like their lives depended on it.
"That storm... it wasn't normal. It came out of nowhere."
"Did you hear? Lightning hit the eastern hills. Hard."
"And the young lord... he showed up right when the thunder roared. Like he was called."
Some of them were calling it an omen. A curse, maybe. But the Valerians weren't the type to give a damn about superstitions. They were soldiers.
Life in the fortress went back to its usual, grinding rhythm.
Well, for everyone except one person.
Me. Cassian Valerian.
Three days. It had been three literal days since I popped into this world.
And I've finally had to accept the terrifying, absolute truth.
I've been reincarnated. Fuck.
At first, I kept praying this was just some fever dream. I kept waiting to wake up in my old, shitty bed, staring at the familiar cracks in the ceiling of my apartment. I waited for the alarm to go off.
But the warmth of these blankets is too real.
The soft, rhythmic voices of the servants... the constant, annoying heaviness of this tiny, useless body... I can't deny it anymore.
This is happening. This is my life now.
I was laying in a cradle that looked more like a small boat, carved from some dark, expensive-looking wood. The room was huge—stupidly huge—decorated with those banners showing the black wolf of House Valerian.
Sunlight was pouring through these massive windows, hitting the floor in gold streaks. A maid was gently rocking the cradle.
Ugh... stop. I'm gonna puke. The slow motion was making my head swim.
This body is... god, it's so pathetic.
I tried to lift my hand. Just my hand. It moved maybe two inches before it flopped back onto the blanket like a dead fish.
I let out a long, internal sigh. Note to self: Being reborn in fantasy novels looks way cooler on paper. Actually doing it? It's... it's frustrating as hell. My body doesn't listen. My vision is still a bit fuzzy around the edges. And I have to rely on total strangers to, uh... well, do everything. It's humiliating.
The door creaked open. Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed on the stone.
The maid practically snapped to attention. "My lord."
I shifted my gaze. Slowly.
The guy walking in was impossible to mistake. Magnus Valerian.
Even in "casual" clothes, the man looked like he could headbutt a mountain into dust. His shoulders were wide enough to block the sun, and he just... he filled the room. He walked up to the cradle and looked down at me.
For a long time, he didn't say a word. He just stared.
So, I stared back. What else was I supposed to do?
Magnus leaned in, his eyebrow twitching just a bit. "…He's staring again."
The maid gave a shaky, nervous smile. "The young lord... he seems very attentive, my lord."
Magnus crossed his arms over his chest. "…Attentive?"
I blinked. Shit. Right. Babies aren't supposed to have staring contests with war generals. I should probably stop doing that.
But it was hard not to. My brain was still trying to process the fact that this legend was standing three feet away. Magnus studied me for another second, his face unreadable.
"…He's quieter than most," he muttered.
The maid nodded quickly. "It's true. He almost never cries."
Magnus leaned a bit closer. I could see it now—the long, jagged scar crossing his cheek. The Black Wolf of War. A man feared by every kingdom in the empire.
And... my father. Wtf.
I felt this weird, tight knot in my chest. It was so awkward. In my old life, I never dealt with people like this. I was a "stay in the corner" kind of guy. Now, I'm the son of a human tank.
Suddenly, he reached out a massive, calloused finger toward me.
Instinct took over. I grabbed it. My tiny, soft hand barely made it halfway around his thick knuckle.
Magnus froze. For a split second, the Great Black Wolf looked... surprised? Maybe even a little bit stunned.
"…Strong grip," he said, his voice dropping an octave.
I let go after a second. Magnus just kept staring at his own hand, then back at me, before straightening up.
"…He'll grow into a stubborn one. I can tell."
The maid let out a soft chuckle. Right then, more footsteps approached.
Lady Evelyne walked in. Unlike Magnus, she didn't feel like a landslide; she felt like a calm morning. Her silver hair caught the light as she moved, and her face just... softened the moment she saw the cradle
"My son."
She picked me up, and I immediately felt that warmth again. Her heartbeat was steady, like a drum. For a second, my brain actually stopped racing. It just... relaxed.
Evelyne smiled at me. "He's awake again."
Magnus glanced over. "He spends too much time staring at things. It's eerie."
Evelyne laughed, and it was a nice sound. "He's just curious, Magnus."
I blinked. Curious... yeah, let's go with that.
I wasn't just curious. I was desperate. I didn't want to miss a single word. Every sound, every conversation, every little detail about this fortress—it was all intel. It could all save my life later.
Evelyne brushed her thumb across my cheek. "He has your eyes."
Magnus shrugged, though he didn't look away. "As long as he doesn't inherit my temper."
I watched them both. And for a second, something hit me that I wasn't expecting.
Warmth. Real, genuine warmth.
In my past life, I was a ghost. Quiet apartment. Quiet life. A very quiet, lonely ending. No one really gave a shit. But here... I had parents. Real ones. Who actually liked me.
The thought felt weirdly heavy. I pushed it down as fast as I could.
No. Don't get soft. Focus.
This world is a meat grinder. I know how the story goes. I know the conspiracies, the betrayals, the hidden daggers in the dark. And I know what happens to "Cassian Valerian."
In the book, I'm a corpse by chapter twenty.
I slowly clenched my tiny, weak fist. That is not happening. Not to me.
I need to grow. I need to get strong. I need to break the plot before it breaks me.
Evelyne rocked me gently, the sunlight from the window getting brighter as the day moved on. I stared out toward the light, my heart thudding.
My new life had just started. And somewhere out there, the "protagonists" and the "villains" were already taking their places on the board. The story was moving.
But there was one tiny variable nobody invited.
Me. And this time? I'm staying alive. No matter what.
Authors Note ~~
Tell me if there are any mistakes and don't forget to leave a review and a cute little powerstone