I have been with His Highness for as long as I can remember, practically from the moment I could form coherent thoughts and understand the world around me. I know how he behaves in every situation, whether facing joy or hardship. I know his quirks—the way he tilts his head when he's thinking hard about something, how he always checks the sky before starting work in the morning, the particular set of his shoulders when he's frustrated but trying not to show it. I know his frustrations, the things that make him grit his teeth and push harder even when everything seems hopeless. I am confident I know everything about His Highness, every facet of his personality, every habit and mannerism that makes him who he is.
I have seen him stumbling through the dirt, face-first in the mud after tripping over his own feet because he was looking at the clouds instead of where he was walking. I have seen him when he genuinely helped people to the best of his abilities, giving away his own food when someone else needed it more, working extra hours to help a struggling family bring in their harvest. I have seen how he laughs when he was happy, that full-body laugh that made his whole face light up like the suns themselves. I have seen him cry when our friends left for the cities, seeking opportunities that Greenvale couldn't provide, his tears silent but constant as he watched them disappear down the road. I have seen him cry when we went hungry, not for himself but because he felt helpless to fix the situation for everyone else who was suffering. I have known him, truly known him, in ways that go beyond simple friendship.
And I know about his lineage, about the secret that defines my entire existence and the responsibilities I carry toward him. That knowledge weighs on me every single day, a burden I can never share with the one person it affects most.
It is frustrating beyond measure why Alden never revealed anything to him, why Everett has been kept in the dark about his own identity for fifteen years. And it is a little depressing, honestly soul-crushing at times, why Everett has to live this life when he could be living as comfortably as he deserves at the Imperial Palace with his family. He should be wearing fine clothes instead of patched work garments. He should be eating rich foods instead of thin gruel. He should be receiving the education and training befitting his station instead of pulling weeds in a dying border village. Alden never explained the reasoning behind this decision, never justified why a prince of the empire had to grow up as an orphan farm hand. He only told me what I have to do, what my role and purpose would be.
Yes, I have known about his lineage since I was very young. When I was of age five, barely old enough to understand what I was being told, Alden revealed to me my role and responsibilities. He sat me down in this very house, looked me straight in the eye with that intense gaze of his, and explained that I was being trained for a specific purpose—to serve and protect Everett Moonfall, who was actually Prince Everett of the Imperial bloodline. But I still don't know why Her Highness the Empress had to discard her own son, had to send him away to grow up in obscurity and hardship. What could possibly justify that kind of abandonment? What threat or political calculation could be important enough to separate a mother from her child?
Although I know Everett will be going to the palace soon, assuming everything goes according to plan. Alden told me this much, at least. Only if he awakens his bloodline, though. Otherwise he will be going to live in obscurity his whole life, never knowing who he truly is or what he could have been. And with him I will also be going to live, following wherever his path takes him. And I have never resented that fate, never once wished I could choose a different road. I am his friend first. Everything else comes second to that fundamental truth. Whatever else I might be—bodyguard, Night Guard, spy, protector—none of that matters as much as the simple fact that Everett is my friend and I will stand by him no matter what comes.
Today was a bizarre day, stranger than any I could remember in our years together. I noticed how Everett was behaving a little differently since I found him lying in the field, staring up at the two suns with an expression I'd never seen on his face before. He was never much of a talker—Everett had always been quiet, contemplative, keeping his thoughts to himself more often than not. But today he was even less speaking than usual, responding to my chatter with single words or simple nods. There was something different in his eyes, something I couldn't quite identify but that set off all my trained instincts screaming that something had changed.
He even understood at the end, when we were saying goodnight, that I was a little concerned about today's revelation. He'd noticed my tension despite my attempts to hide it behind smiles and jokes, and he'd tried to reassure me in his own awkward way. I have to talk to him about it tomorrow, really talk to him, and see if I can figure out what's different. Something happened to him today, and I need to know what.
It appears I am unable to sleep right now, despite the exhaustion pulling at my body from a full day of hard labor. My mind is too active, thoughts racing in circles as I wait for what I know is coming. The Guide will appear any time now, bringing with it the revelation that will determine the entire course of my future. What abilities will I receive? Alden was sure I would receive body-related abilities, given my training and natural aptitudes. He'd been very specific about that prediction, which suggested he knew more than he was saying. But then, Alden always knew more than he was saying.
Alden had trained me in all the necessary skills secretly, away from prying eyes and Everett's innocent questions. Swordsmanship—hours upon hours of drills and sparring, learning to move with economy and precision. Espionage techniques—how to gather information, how to read people, how to fade into the background and become invisible. Daggers—close-quarters combat, silent kills, the tools of assassination even though I hoped never to use those particular skills. Concealment—both physical hiding and the art of appearing to be something you're not. Body training—pushing my physical limits far beyond what a normal farm hand would ever need, building strength and endurance and pain tolerance. Everything that was necessary for a Night Guard of the Royal Family, all the tools I would need to protect Everett when we finally reached the palace.
Of course, Everett knows nothing about any of this. How could he? The training happened in the early mornings before he woke, or late at night after he'd gone to bed, or during those times when he thought I was off running errands in the village. I'd become very good at hiding things from my best friend, and that talent brought me no joy whatsoever.
Alden had oathbound me, using magic I didn't fully understand to ensure my silence. He'd told me that I would never be able to tell anyone anything about Everett's true identity until he said I could. The oath's effect is very severe, far beyond simple promises or personal honor. I can't, literally cannot, tell anyone about this secret even if I tried with every fiber of my being. The words will not come from my mouth even if I attempt to force them out. It's like there's a wall in my mind, blocking that specific information from being communicated in any way. I can't speak it, can't write it, can't even pantomime it without the oath clamping down on me like an iron fist.
I was an orphan, left on one of the orphanages of Wolfmoor before Alden took me under his wing and changed my entire life trajectory. I still remember that day vividly, every detail burned into my memory with perfect clarity. I was four years old, small for my age and frightened of everything, when this tall, intimidating man appeared at the orphanage and asked specifically for me by name. How he even knew I existed, I had no idea then and still don't know now.
Alden gave me an option after one year in Greenvale, once I'd had time to adjust and understand what was being asked of me. I could join the Nighthaven family—which I later learned was a prestigious lineage of Night Guards serving the Imperial family for generations—or I could live my life as a normal villager, free from obligations and secrets. I had chosen the former without hesitation. I couldn't bear the thought of being helpless for Everett when the time came, couldn't stand the idea of watching from the sidelines while he faced dangers I could have prevented. So that was the day when I decided to become Everett's Night Guard, pledging my life to his service and protection even though he would never know about it until the day we left for the capital.
Greenvale Village is at the border of the Wild, that vast untamed territory that stretched beyond the empire's reach. It is approximately fifty miles from the Border Fortress, which is an enormous fortress protecting the empire from the dangers of the Wilds. I'd seen it once from a distance, a massive construction of stone and magic that dominated the landscape like a mountain range made by human hands. This is the extent of my knowledge about the wider world, frustratingly limited despite all my training. I hope tomorrow Alden will reveal more about the empire and himself, will finally start filling in the enormous gaps in my understanding. I need to know what I'm preparing for, what threats we might face, what the political landscape looks like at the palace.
I have started to feel a burning sensation throughout my body, starting as a warm tingle in my extremities and rapidly building to something far more intense. The heat spreads from my fingers and toes inward, converging on my chest and radiating outward again in waves that make my skin feel like it's on fire. I think it's here, the revelation that Alden had predicted with such certainty. The moment that will define who I can become and what role I can play in Everett's future.
Text with soft blue lights appeared around my vision, materializing out of nowhere like writing on invisible parchment. The letters glowed gently, easy to read even in the darkness of my room.
NAME: GARETH NIGHTHAVEN
AGE: 15
TIER: 1
BLOODLINE: Titan (Dormant)
TITLE: One Mind One Body
SKILL: ETERNAL KNIGHT :Body Reinforcement, Silent Step
YOU MAY VIEW YOUR STATUS ANY TIME BY SIMPLY SAYING 'GUIDE'
YOUR REVELATION IS SUCCESSFUL
The burning pain subsided quickly as I focused on my status, reading each line multiple times to make sure I understood what I was seeing. Although my bloodline was dormant, whatever that meant, I had received body-related skills exactly as Alden had predicted. His confidence hadn't been empty speculation—he'd known somehow what would happen, probably from experience with other Night Guards or from information about the Nighthaven bloodline that he hadn't shared with me.
How significant is my bloodline? I didn't have any clue or reference point to compare it to. Was Titan common or rare? Powerful or mediocre? The fact that it was dormant suggested it could awaken somehow, but I had no idea what that process would involve or what it would mean for my abilities. More questions for Alden tomorrow, added to the already long list of things I needed to ask him about.
I mentally focused on the Title, selecting it somehow with just my intention, and additional text appeared.
DUE TO SIGNIFICANT FEATS PERFORMED TITLE IS GIVEN
ONE MIND ONE BODY: GIVEN DUE TO BEING STEADFAST AND NEVER WAVERING ON YOUR BELIEFS WHEN LESS THAN 14 YEARS OF AGE.
EFFECT: MIND-RELATED SKILLS WILL NOT AFFECT YOU.
So it says I have achieved something significant, but I haven't done anything significant if you would ask me. I just made a choice at age five and stuck with it, committed to a path and refused to deviate no matter how hard things got. Is that really worthy of a title? The effect was certainly useful—immunity to mind control or mental manipulation would be invaluable for someone in my position. But I couldn't help feeling like I didn't deserve recognition for simply being stubborn.
I focused again on the skills, wanting to understand exactly what I'd been given.
ETERNAL KNIGHT- INCREASES YOUR BODY-RELATED SKILLS' EFFECTIVENESS.
BODY REINFORCEMENT - YOU CAN REINFORCE YOUR BODY BY USING AMBIENT MANA.
SILENT STEP - YOUR STEPS ARE SILENT.
"Your steps are silent." Very creative response, Guide. Thank you for that incredibly detailed explanation that tells me absolutely nothing about how it works or what the limitations might be. I did not understand anything beyond the surface-level description, which was frustrating beyond belief. I have to ask Alden about everything tomorrow, press him for actual information instead of the vague hints and half-truths he usually offered. He can't be secretive forever, not now that we've both had our revelations and the clock is ticking toward whatever comes next.
There will be lots of talking tomorrow—with Alden, demanding answers to questions I'd been forbidden to ask before, and with Everett, trying to understand what changed in him today and what abilities he received. And I have a feeling, a certainty really, that those conversations will have a significant impact on our lives. Everything is about to change, the carefully maintained status quo shattering like glass, and I need to be ready for whatever comes after.
I lay there in the darkness, feeling the unfamiliar awareness of my new abilities humming just beneath my skin, and wondered what tomorrow would bring. Would Everett's bloodline have awakened? Would we finally be leaving Greenvale for the Imperial Palace? Would I get the answers I'd been seeking for ten years?
Only time would tell. But for now, I closed my eyes and tried to rest, knowing that whatever came next, I would face it standing at Everett's side, just as I always had and always would.