A slow smile crept across the Duke's face.
"Well now," Magnus Veyrath said calmly. "Jorien, Lailah—gather your belongings and head to the Central Platform of Gate A."
His gaze shifted.
"As for you, Aaron… meet me in the Throne Room."
Then he glanced toward the servants and guards.
"The rest of you know what is to be done."
At once, the caretakers and knights bowed deeply before hurrying away to carry out their orders.
Aaron remained where he stood, watching the Duke.
Then something strange happened.
Magnus stepped backward—
And his body sank into his own shadow.
Within seconds, the Rogue Duke dissolved into darkness and disappeared entirely.
Aaron blinked once.
Then he turned and began walking toward the Throne Hall.
Using the memories of this body, he slowly navigated the corridors of the castle.
When he finally arrived, two armored guards stood outside the massive doors.
The moment Aaron approached, both men drew their swords.
Steel flashed in the dim torchlight as they crossed their blades in front of him.
"Oi… what are you—"
One guard stopped mid-sentence.
"Oh. It's the weak one, huh?"
The second guard snorted.
"And uh… why do you look so weird now?"
Both men laughed.
But the moment they truly looked into Aaron's eyes—
Their laughter died.
Because what stared back at them wasn't a boy.
It was a beast.
Crimson swirled within Aaron's gaze.
The sclera of his eyes darkened while the color shifted between golden hazel and deep crimson, his pupils narrowing into predatory slits.
Aaron calmly stepped forward.
Neither guard moved.
As he passed between them, he placed one hand on each of their shoulders.
His voice was quiet.
But it carried a sharp edge.
"You should be more careful."
His eyes flickered once more.
"My name is Aaron Veyrath."
A faint pause followed.
"And to you…"
"…that is Young Master Aaron."
Neither guard dared respond.
Aaron simply walked forward and pushed open the enormous doors of the Throne Room.
The moment the doors opened, a thin, cold wind flowed outward from the darkness within.
It felt like staring into a living abyss.
For a brief moment, the throne hall remained completely dark.
Then—
Light spilled into the chamber.
Torches along the walls ignited one after another, beginning at the entrance and continuing deeper into the hall.
Flames flickered to life in sequence, illuminating the long path toward the throne.
At the far end stood a grand wooden throne, elegant yet imposing, its surface decorated with intricate golden inlays.
Behind it hung a massive crimson banner bearing the coat of arms of House Veyrath.
A single claw mark, surrounded by twisting thorns.
The symbol of the Rogue Duke's bloodline.
Aaron stepped forward slowly as the torches continued to ignite one by one.
But just before the final flames near the throne could reveal the entire hall, a sound echoed from the darkness above.
Krrrr…
Screea—
Aaron's gaze lifted.
Something moved in the shadows high above the throne hall.
A shape slowly emerged from the darkness.
It was monstrous.
Wyvern-like.
Humanoid claws gripped the stone ceiling as the creature crawled upside down, moving like a lizard given the ability to walk like a man.
The sight was both unnatural and terrifying.
The creature stopped directly above the throne.
Then it leaped.
Its body twisted in midair—
And the monstrous form collapsed inward.
By the time it landed silently upon the throne…
Only one figure remained.
Duke Magnus Veyrath.
His eyes glowed completely crimson, his pupils narrowed into predatory slits.
The Rogue Duke leaned slightly forward.
Then he lifted one hand.
Beckoning.
"Step forward, Aaron."
***
It felt like a test.
But when I looked around, I didn't see anything.
That's strange… why is there this… calm…?
Hesitantly, I placed my first foot inside the throne hall.
The next second—
It felt like a thousand unseen eyes were staring at me.
The pressure crashed down from all directions, crushing against my body and mind.
The calm… before the storm.
The weight in the air grew heavier with every step.
Across the vast hall, my father sat upon the throne.
His eyes burned a deep crimson.
Like a grim reaper patiently waiting to claim a soul.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as our gazes locked.
My breath came out rough and uneven.
Then Magnus's voice thundered through the hall.
"If you are a Veyrath, then move."
"Onward!"
I gritted my teeth.
The pain inside my body had begun to dull slightly—but every step reminded me it was still there.
Still burning.
Still tearing at me from within.
Slowly, I moved forward, forcing myself to keep moving despite the pressure pressing down from every side.
But then—
Something changed.
The air around me felt different.
The ground beneath my feet seemed almost alive.
As if the world itself was trying to speak to me.
To guide me.
To make me feel…
Me.
My legs tensed.
For a brief moment, my hooves emerged again as my muscles tightened, gathering strength and energy beneath me.
Then—
I moved.
Boom—
The ground trembled lightly as I leaped forward.
When I landed, I stood only three meters away from the slightly elevated throne.
My heart thundered in my ribcage as I slowly lifted my eyes to look the Duke straight in the face.
Magnus began speaking.
"Wonderful, Aaron. You performed better than I expected."
His voice echoed throughout the throne hall.
"Now, you should consider yourself quite fortunate to awaken at this exact moment. You will be joining your other siblings at Horizoncrest Academy, where you will undergo the Second Specialized Awakening."
He leaned back slightly on the throne.
"That awakening will truly decide whether you have a place in this family… or not."
His crimson gaze locked onto mine.
"I want you to grow there. Go, return stronger… and when you come back, I expect you to be much different."
His voice continued to reverberate through the hall.
Suddenly, my ears picked up sounds coming from outside.
The massive doors behind me burst open with a loud creak.
Three soldiers entered the hall and bowed deeply.
One of them held a chain, which was connected to the collar of a ragged man being dragged along the floor.
The soldier holding the chain spoke.
"Lord Veyrath… the Drakar family is becoming more and more despicable by the day. This one here tried poisoning the water reservoirs meant for our frontline forces at the border."
He tightened his grip on the chain.
"How shall we deal with him?"
Magnus slowly rose from the throne.
He walked past me, his boots clacking sharply against the stone floor with every step.
The Duke stopped directly in front of the prisoner.
"Your name," Magnus said calmly. "And tell me everything you know about this plan to poison our reservoirs."
The man remained silent.
He glared defiantly at the Duke.
Magnus chuckled softly.
"I don't have all day."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Let's make this simple. Speak… and you will be set free."
His smile widened faintly.
"Or…"