The grand marble hall glowed like a sanctum of sunlight — chandeliers blazing with gold fire, polished columns gleaming with mirrored perfection. The murmur of nobles filled the air like a tide, sharp with gossip and curiosity.
And then, Kaizel moved.
He stepped forward, unhurried — the picture of lazy confidence — yet each stride carried a weight that made the polished marble hum faintly beneath his boots. The grand hall, alive moments ago with laughter and chatter, seemed to quiet on instinct. Every flicker of candlelight, every distant breath, bent toward him — as though even the air itself wished to make way.
He could feel their eyes.Dozens of them.Admiration. Envy. Contempt. Awe.
It was like being bathed in whispers.
He didn't mind being looked at — in fact, he liked it most of the time — but something about their gazes now, the murmur of restrained judgment and the subtle sneer of nobility, scraped against his patience.
He stopped midway through the hall.His grin — that mischievous, too-sure-of-himself grin — slipped away.
Tilting his head slightly, he looked toward the cluster of whispering nobles on his left. With a languid motion, he pushed his glasses down the bridge of his nose, revealing eyes the color of a lightning storm — sharp blue, bright enough to burn through pretense.
"Stop staring at me, weaklings."
The words weren't shouted. They didn't need to be.
A pulse rippled outward.
The chandeliers above quivered. The silver cutlery on the tables trembled with a faint, melodic clink. An invisible pressure filled the room — heavy, suffocating, impossible to ignore.
Every noble child felt it.It wasn't just magic. It was presence — the kind that made your instincts scream at you to kneel.
Aurora, the princess whose poise never wavered, felt her knees tremble before she straightened her posture, her fingers curling tightly around her gown. Her crimson eyes gleamed — not in fear, but intrigue.
Beside her, Luna Nocturne's lips parted slightly, her shadowy aura flaring unconsciously in reaction. "What… is that pressure?" she whispered, voice trembling between fear and fascination.
Elowen Larkspur clutched her pendant, her pink eyes wide with stunned admiration. "It's like… he's swallowing the air itself…" she murmured.
Lysander Vaelstrom, leaning lazily against a pillar with a smirk tugging at his lips, chuckled under his breath. "So that's the Igniseros brat, huh? Guess the rumors didn't lie. He's got bite."
Even Isadora Valtoris — the icy daughter of another Marquess, whose silver-blue hair gleamed like a blade — felt a shiver run down her spine. "Overdramatic," she muttered, arms crossed, though her knuckles had gone white. "Does he think he's performing in an opera?"
And then, as suddenly as it came, it ended.
Kaizel slid his glasses back into place with a casual flick.The suffocating weight vanished — like smoke whisked away by a breeze.
Silence followed.For a heartbeat, no one dared move.
Then, Kaizel sighed softly and continued walking, his expression returning to that lazy indifference, as though nothing had happened at all. The nobles parted instinctively, creating a path before him, unsure whether to bow or flee.
When he finally reached the group gathered around the princess, he stopped — standing in the golden light that pooled from the chandeliers — and raised two fingers in a half-salute.
"Yo. Happy birthday, Princess."That grin was back. Sharp. Unapologetic. "Hope you don't mind me stealing your spotlight."
Aurora blinked, then let out a quiet laugh. The tension in the room cracked like fragile glass. "Why," she asked, tilting her head, "do you think you can steal my spotlight, Kaizel Igniseros?"
"Because," he said simply, "I look better than you."
There was a heartbeat of silence.Then the hall erupted.
Laughter burst from every direction. Even the guards — stone-faced and trained for discipline — bit their tongues to keep from grinning.
Before Kaizel could bask in the chaos he'd created, Seris appeared behind him like divine vengeance. Her palm descended upon his head with merciless accuracy.
Smack.
"Don't tease my friend!" she scolded, moving to hug Aurora protectively.
Kaizel rubbed the spot furiously, glaring. "What is with all of you and my head?! What if I turn stupid from all this hitting?"
Elizabeth, arms crossed and smirking, quipped from beside Seris, "Bit late for that, don't you think?"
And then, in perfect harmony, every girl within earshot — Aurora, Luna, Elowen, Isadora, even Seris herself — turned their heads toward him and said together:
"Well, you're not already?"
The timing was flawless.It was almost rehearsed.
Kaizel froze, eyes widening behind his glasses. "…That was coordinated, wasn't it?"
He stomped a foot like a wronged child, muttering curses under his breath. Without hesitation, he marched toward the buffet, snatched Leonard Ferrox's plate of pastries, and began devouring them with exaggerated intensity.
Leonard sighed, mid-bite. "Hey, that was mine—"
Kaizel turned to glare, eyes blazing.
Leonard raised both hands in surrender. "—but sharing is caring, my friend. Please, enjoy."
"Stupid girls…" Kaizel grumbled, chewing miserably. "Hitting me like I'm some kind of drum…"
The hall watched him in fascinated silence.
Moments ago, he had felt like a predator — dangerous, untouchable, a storm waiting to break.Now, he looked like a sulking boy denied dessert.
The shift was so sudden it almost gave everyone whiplash.
Luna covered her mouth, giggling softly. Aurora's eyes sparkled with amusement. Lysander leaned closer to Alaric and whispered, "Tell me that wasn't the same guy from two minutes ago."
Alaric, stoic as always, exhaled. "I'm… not entirely sure anymore."
Finally, Elowen, ever gentle, couldn't watch his pout any longer. She approached slowly, her soft voice weaving through the laughter like balm.
"You're not stupid, Kai," she said, smiling warmly as she reached up and patted his head. "They're just teasing you."
Kaizel froze mid-chew. His lower lip trembled. Slowly, he turned toward her with suspiciously glossy eyes."You're the only one who truly understands me, Elowen," he said with heartbreaking sincerity, hugging her suddenly. "Even my stupid sisters don't understand me like you do! You should be my sister instead!"
The words hit her like a thrown dagger.Her blush bloomed so fast it nearly glowed.
For a heartbeat, she looked touched — radiant even — until realization struck.
Her face went blank.And then—
Slap!
"Who wants to be your sister, idiot!?" she yelled, stomping away, her hair bouncing furiously.
Kaizel blinked, hand on his head. "…Ugh. What did I do now?"
Every girl in the room sighed in unison, muttering almost like a chorus.
'He really is stupid,' they thought together.
Leonard, ever the voice of calm amidst chaos, patted his friend's shoulder with grave sympathy. "Don't worry, buddy. My dad says it's impossible to understand girls — no matter how strong you are."
Kaizel nodded solemnly, folding his arms. "Uncle Boris truly is a man of wisdom. We are but fools before his greatness."
Laughter rippled softly through the crowd again. The tension had melted; the room returned to its rhythm of music, chatter, and the clinking of fine crystal. The royal banquet pulsed with life once more.
Seris was now animatedly chatting with Princess Aurora, her hands moving in bright gestures as the two giggled like old friends. Around them, the noble girls circled — laughter and light filling the air.
Across the hall, Elowen sat slumped on a table, her expression caught between sulking and simmering embarrassment. Beside her, Luna was trying to console her with gentle pats on the back, though her violet eyes occasionally darted toward Kaizel — full of sharp glares that could have melted stone.
Kaizel, however, paid them no mind. He was utterly devoted to his pastries.
"This is my only chance," he muttered under his breath, stacking three éclairs in one hand and a fork in the other. "Once I'm home… six more days of dessert ban."
A shadow fell across his plate. He didn't look up.Not until the air shifted.
Something changed.
A faint ripple brushed through his senses — subtle but distinct, like the moment before lightning strikes. Kaizel's head turned sharply toward the grand double doors of the hall. His hand froze midair, fork suspended between pastry and mouth.
Those still watching him noticed the shift instantly. His posture straightened, his usual laziness replaced by alert focus. Even the air seemed to tighten around him.
Elowen stopped mid-sentence, following his gaze. Aurora, Luna, and Seris exchanged confused glances — and then, one by one, their eyes turned toward the door.
Kaizel stood. His expression was unreadable, but the frown on his face was new — not annoyance, not amusement, but something quieter, heavier.
He began walking toward the center of the hall, hands in his pockets, steps steady and slow. Without realizing it, the crowd parted for him again, the nobles shifting aside as if compelled by instinct.
A hush fell.
'This feeling…' he thought, his brows knitting faintly. It's like the air itself is humming.
He couldn't name it. A pulse in his chest, a tremor of something ancient and alive — not fear, not anger. Something closer to… excitement.
And then, the doors opened.
A flood of golden light spilled into the hall, bathing the marble floor in brilliance.
From within the blinding radiance, a figure stepped forward — a boy, no older than Kaizel, yet the light seemed to bend around him like a halo.
Golden-brown hair caught the sunlight, glimmering like threads of flame. His emerald eyes shone with quiet strength, the kind that made people believe — not through power, but presence. His attire was immaculate: a golden shirt with silver embroidery, white trousers lined with royal sigils, and polished golden boots that gleamed with each step.
Alistair Aethalgard — the Hero of Prophecy.
Behind him walked two others.
One was a brown-haired boy, unremarkable in appearance but dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Grand Temple — every noble recognized him instantly as the current Saint Candidate.
And beside him, walking with serene grace, was a girl who seemed carved from light itself. Her golden-brown hair cascaded like silk, and her eyes — the same shining emerald as the boy's — were soft yet resolute. Amara Aethalgard, the Saintess Candidate, and the Hero's younger sister.
The crowd reacted instantly. Nobles stood from their seats and bowed slightly, murmuring reverently:
"We greet the Hero of the Realm."
Every head lowered — except those belonging to the Dukes' families, the princess, and the few heirs powerful enough to stand on equal ground.
Aurora nodded politely in acknowledgment. Seris, Elowen, and Luna followed suit — eyes glimmering with a mix of curiosity and admiration.
But Alistair wasn't looking at any of them.
His gaze drifted past the princess, past the nobles, and locked — directly — onto Kaizel.
Kaizel's frown deepened. His blue eyes narrowed.
For a heartbeat, silence thickened again.
Then Alistair's voice, calm yet commanding, broke it."Amara. Marlric. Wait here."
The two behind him stopped at once.
And the Hero began walking forward.
His steps echoed, slow and deliberate. Every pair of eyes followed the golden figure as he crossed the hall, the light of the chandeliers catching his hair and reflecting off his boots.
'Are you sure it's him?' Alistair asked quietly in his mind.
'Yes, Master,' came the soft, melodic voice of Seraphel — the being that resided within him. 'There is no mistake. The energy signature matches perfectly. You must befriend him, Alistair. He is the other half of the coin — the missing piece of fate's design.'
'I would never doubt you, Seraphel,' Alistair thought back, his eyes steady as he approached the storm.
Finally, the two boys stood face-to-face — both of the same height, yet radiating utterly opposite energies.
Kaizel, hands still tucked lazily in his pockets, tilted his head with a crooked grin. His azure eyes gleamed like lightning against Alistair's sunlit calm.
"Hey, golden boy," Kaizel drawled, his tone half-amused, half-challenging. "You're shining too much. Dim it down a little, will you? You're hurting my eyes."
The audience froze.
Alistair blinked once — then smiled. It was gentle, disarming, but sharp enough to cut. "Oh? I didn't realize this banquet served madness along with the wine. Or are you just a stray who wandered in?"
Kaizel's grin widened dangerously. "Huh? You got a death wish, punk?"
The pressure in his voice alone made the nearest nobles flinch.
Alistair's emerald eyes glinted with amusement. "Only if you're strong enough to make it come true."
"Oh?" Kaizel stepped forward, the air trembling faintly around him. "You talk big for someone so sparkly. Let's see if there's any bite behind that glow."
A faint hum filled the room as a blue aura began to shimmer around him — thin at first, then growing thicker, deeper, like a whirlpool of energy wrapping around his body. The chandeliers flickered, the wine in the glasses rippled.
Alistair didn't move, but golden light began to leak from his skin — soft at first, then radiant, as if the sun itself had chosen to stand before them.
Their auras collided in silence.Blue lightning met golden radiance — storm and sun locked in invisible struggle.
The nobles gasped, some stepping back instinctively.
Aurora rose from her seat, her eyes wide. "Kaizel, stop!"
Luna's voice trembled. "That idiot—does he have any idea who he's picking a fight with!?"
Elowen clasped her hands together, her heart pounding. "No, Luna… look at them. They're not just fighting. They're… testing each other."
Seris clenched her fists, torn between stepping in and watching history unfold.
And in the midst of it all—Kaizel's grin grew sharper.Alistair's smile deepened.
A silence heavy as lead settled over the hall. The chandeliers flickered, and the candle flames wavered as if the air itself were trembling in anticipation. Then—Boom.
A wave of invisible pressure rippled out from them, colliding midair like two opposing storms. Mana crackled. Blue met gold. The entire hall quivered under their combined presence—an unspoken declaration of strength neither intended, yet both understood perfectly.
The marble floor beneath their feet began to spiderweb with fractures, faint at first, then spreading like ice veins. The air thickened, shimmering with distortion as Kaizel's faint blue aura burned brighter, twisting and bending the light around him. Across from him, Alistair's golden radiance answered in kind—calm, divine, suffocating in its purity. It wasn't just light; it was authority.
Guards burst through the grand doors, their armor clattering in panic."Protect the guests!" one shouted, his voice nearly drowned by the low hum of mana surging in the air. Mages among them hastily raised shimmering barriers of light to shield the nobles and servants. The barriers trembled instantly, groaning under the unseen weight pressing upon them.
Many struggled to breathe. The children—the heirs of noble houses—felt their knees buckle. Even the princess's hand trembled as she clutched her goblet.Are these monsters really ten years old? The same thought echoed in every terrified mind.
Only the high-ranking adults— and battle-hardened veterans—remained composed, though even they exchanged uneasy glances. This pressure wasn't ordinary mana. It was dense, refined, and frighteningly primal. A power that defied reason for children their age.
Kaizel tilted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses with playful menace. "Hey, golden boy…" His tone was light, teasing, yet every syllable carried a current of challenge. "Don't you think this banquet's a little boring? Wanna make it interesting?"
The crowd collectively stiffened.No. He can't possibly mean—
Alistair, however, didn't flinch. His smile remained calm, his tone almost amused as if humoring a mischievous friend. "Oh? And how do you suggest that, Kaizel?"His green eyes glimmered with curiosity—but underneath that serene façade, something ancient stirred, the faint echo of a divine presence whispering through his mana.
Kaizel's grin widened, his teeth flashing like a wolf baring its fangs. "Oh, I know."
Both boys spoke in perfect sync, their voices overlapping into a single declaration that made the walls themselves tremble—
"Let's fight."
A thunderous crack tore through the hall as their auras erupted in unison—blue and gold colliding like colliding stars. The marble beneath them shattered completely, pieces floating midair for a brief, eerie second before being blasted outward by the pressure.
Kaizel's coat fluttered violently, his hair glowing faintly from the refracted blue light of his aura. The space around him twisted, a faint ripple distorting the air—space mana bending to his will, ready to compress or expand with a thought. Across from him, Alistair's golden energy gathered behind his back like celestial wings unfurling, radiant and serene yet ready to strike like divine judgment.
Every spectator was frozen—awed, afraid, entranced.
Elowen clutched Luna's arm, her eyes wide."Kaizel… what are you doing…?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of magic.
Luna's eyes narrowed, shadow energy flickering faintly around her hands as if her instincts screamed at her to intervene. But even she knew—it was too late. The air between the two boys was no longer air; it was a battlefield waiting to explode.
The hall pulsed once more.
A soundless tremor ran through the air — not through stone or marble, but through souls.Blue and Gold.Infinity and Divinity.Two auras clashing, coiling, rising like twin dragons above the banquet hall.
The chandeliers quivered. Curtains fluttered despite the still air. The marble beneath their feet cracked in delicate spiderweb patterns, shimmering faintly with mana residue.
Two prodigies — opposite in light and essence.Two destinies about to collide.And under one gilded roof, Heaven and Infinity met eye to eye.
Kaizel's grin widened, sharp and wild, the faint glow of blue energy bleeding from his skin like an inverted flame. Across from him, Alistair's smile deepened — serene, divine, and impossibly calm — golden radiance haloing his frame like sunlight given form.
Mana pressure rippled outward once again, shaking glasses, bending candlelight, and forcing even the air itself to vibrate.
And then, suddenly—
Everything went silent.
Both of their auras faded in an instant, vanishing like breath against glass.The silence that followed was deafening, expectant.
Then Kaizel tilted his head, eyes gleaming beneath the silver frame of his glasses. His lips curved into that signature cocky smirk as his gaze swept toward the farthest corner of the hall — toward the shadows that clung too perfectly to the gilded pillars.
His voice broke the stillness like a crack of thunder.
"How long are you just going to watch from the shadows?"
Every heart in the room skipped a beat.Every noble froze.
And then—the shadows moved.
Like liquid darkness spilling across the marble, they stretched and rippled, twisting with unnatural grace. The flickering candlelight warped, and from that rolling tide of black stepped figures — silhouettes of absolute authority and terrifying presence.
First came a faint golden glow — faint yet regal — outlining the tall, commanding frame of a man with eyes like molten gold and a voice that could silence storms.
"That's enough, children."
The air itself seemed to bow before the arrival of the Emperor.
The shadow peeled away fully now, revealing Emperor Aurelius Solaren, the man who ruled the realm with both flame and light. His every step echoed power — the kind not learned or earned, but born.Beside him, dressed in celestial white and sapphire, was Empress Selennia Solaren, her eyes serene yet sharp, carrying the kind of beauty that felt divine and distant all at once.
And they weren't alone.
Behind them walked their two sons — First Prince Luceris Solaren, elegant and poised, the embodiment of refined arrogance, his aura contained but clearly dangerous; and Second Prince Darian Solaren, calm yet watchful, his quiet presence somehow more unsettling than words.
But the royal family wasn't all.
From the same expanding shadow emerged the pillars of the realm —the Dukes and Duchesses, the guardians of nations within the Empire.
Duke Kaelen Igniseros, clad in crimson and black, his face a storm of restrained fury. His eyes locked instantly onto his son. The sheer intensity in his gaze could've melted steel.
"Kaizel…" he muttered under his breath, voice low, tone sharp as a blade.
He didn't shout. He didn't need to.Every child in the hall felt the pressure from that single word.
But next to him, Duchess Elara Igniseros only chuckled softly, her arms folded, her long white hair shimmering faintly under the light.
"Let him be, dear. He's just… being himself."
Her tone was amused, affectionate — the sound of a mother watching her chaos incarnate son cause yet another storm and secretly enjoying every second.
Beside them, the Nocturne Matriarch, Duchess Seraphina Nocturne, emerged. Shadows bent slightly as she moved — even the light dimmed in respect. Her eyes, deep violet and calm, landed first on Luna, then briefly on Kaizel, an unreadable smile curving her lips.
"My, my… what a lively evening."
Boris Ferrox, stout and broad-shouldered, followed with a proud grin, scratching his beard.
"Didn't even get to finish my drink before these kids started a mana storm! Hah! That's youth for ya."
Then came Duchess Viseria Verdantia, her presence calm and gentle like the first bloom of spring. Her gaze immediately found Elowen, softening with maternal warmth.
"Elowen, dear… try not to get caught in the middle next time, hmm?"
And finally —Duke Cassian Aethalgard and Duchess Vanessa Aethalgard stepped into view.The duke's golden-brown hair glowed faintly under the sunlight that now streamed through the open doors. His emerald eyes flicked between Alistair and Kaizel — pride and concern flickering across his face.
"Alistair," he said evenly, "You were supposed to attend the princess's birthday, not start a duel in it."
Vanessa sighed, shaking her head, though her tone was calm.
"At least he didn't destroy the palace roof this time…"
Her words earned her a twitch of the Emperor's eyebrow.
Around the hall, the gathered nobles instantly lowered their heads — some out of respect, others out of sheer survival instinct.The synchronized sound of countless shoes clicking against marble filled the air.
"We greet His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Aurelius Solaren, Her Majesty the Empress, the Princes, and the honored Dukes and Duchesses of the realm!"
Their voices boomed as one — a unified chorus of reverence.
Kaizel, meanwhile, just stood there with one hand in his pocket, tilting his head toward the emperor with a grin that screamed, 'I didn't do anything wrong.'
Alistair, to his credit, bowed gracefully — perfect posture, immaculate decorum — before throwing Kaizel a side glance that said, 'You're so dead.'
Kaizel grinned wider.
"So what now? Detention?"
The Emperor sighed quietly, rubbing his temple.The Empress chuckled under her breath, clearly amused.The nobles didn't even dare breathe.
And above it all, the faint hum of mana still hung in the air —the lingering proof that two forces of nature had just brushed paths for the first time.
The Emperor's gaze lingered on both of them — his expression unreadable.Then he smiled faintly, though there was no warmth in it.
"This… should be interesting."