The freezing breeze filtering through the cracks of the open windows brushed against my face, bringing with it the scent of a winter that seemed as though it would never end.
It was an intoxicating freshness, almost violent, which for a fleeting moment had the power to silence the turmoil of thoughts torturing my mind.
I remained motionless, suspended in that moment of precarious peace, knowing it was but the illusion of a truce before the storm about to break over my life.
Knock... Knock...
The sound of wood struck with surgical precision brought me back to reality.
"Young Master, the preparations are complete." Lester's voice resonated flat, devoid of any emotion, as if I were merely an object to be shipped rather than the son of his lord.
I turned slowly toward the imposing wardrobe of dark oak.
I did not seek out flamboyant garments that would scream my lineage.
Instead, I carefully chose a white thermal shirt, a heavy black coat lined with runes of resistance, and a large white fur, thick and rough to the touch.
My trousers were made of reinforced leather, and my boots had studded soles to grip the ice. It was essential, simple clothing, almost anonymous.
I made my way toward the villa's exit and opened the door.
The first person I noticed was a woman in her mid-thirties.
She had long blonde hair elegantly gathered at the nape of her neck and azure eyes identical to my own.
Her figure was lithe, wrapped in a long red dress protected by a heavy overcoat.
She exuded a regal and dangerous aura.
She approached me with a slow, calculated stride.
Every movement of hers seemed to dilate time around her, as if the world itself recognized her ethereal beauty.
Her eyes radiated a warmth that brought immediate relief to my soul.
Ruby Sillion, Rain's biological mother.
She was the only person who had ever treated Rain with care and love.
A woman ready to do anything for her son; warm with her family, yet distant with everyone else.
She was one of the few A+ Exas individuals in the Empire, known to all by the moniker... The Celestial Blade.
"Rain." Her voice was a warm whisper amidst the frost. "I'm sorry, my little one. I fought with your father, but his decision was unshakeable. The family council voted with him."
Her eyes met mine.
Her face was etched with sadness.
A sudden wave of powerful emotions overwhelmed me, and I felt my eyes glisten, though the tears did not fall.
"Mother." I tried to sound as composed as possible. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."
My face, usually indifferent, softened into a reassuring smile.
I wasn't the one in control at that moment, but rather an emotion I had long since forgotten.
A single word spontaneously crossed my mind.
Family.
Ruby stepped closer and pulled me into her arms.
In that instant, something inside me awakened.
My lips trembled from the sheer force of the sensation I was feeling.
Behind us, the sound of footsteps interrupted the moment.
Two young men in their twenties appeared, along with a girl who was my mirror image in every way.
Caleb, the firstborn, an Exas with S- talent.
He had short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Ivan, the second-born, with A+ talent.
He had blonde hair and light blue eyes similar to my mother's, but of a slightly darker shade.
To their right stood Layla Glaciel, my twin sister.
We were identical in every feature, but her aura was cold and lethal.
Her gaze was steeped in contempt, as if I were an ant obstructing her path.
She was my father's favorite, the most feared among the siblings, and undoubtedly the most gifted.
She had awakened at just five years old with an S-rank talent, one of the best on the entire continent.
Her gaze lingered on me for a few moments. "It seems the trash is still here," she said in a frigid tone.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Caleb and Ivan flashed mocking grins, making no effort to hide their laughter.
"Don't die too soon, Rain," Caleb said amusedly.
His eyes weren't indifferent the way Layla's were, but playful, as if he were watching a living joke.
"Yeah, that would be boring," Ivan added. "If a monster targets you, stay still. You'll make its job easier and die with a shred of dignity, without getting out of breath."
The air seemed to grow even colder.
"That's enough," Ruby intervened with a look that could have curdled blood. The laughter died out instantly.
"Come on, Mom, we were just joking," Caleb replied with a forced smile.
"Yeah, don't take it to heart," Ivan reinforced. "Right, Rain?"
Layla remained silent, as if the conversation didn't concern her at all.
Lester's voice finally broke the tension. "You may get into the car, Young Master."
I nodded and began to cross the garden.
I settled into a black limousine and, looking out of the lowered window, observed the villa for the last time.
That was when I saw him.
A solitary figure, motionless behind the glass of one of the highest windows in the east wing.
My father, Edward Di Glaciel.
Even from that distance, I could feel the pressure of his gaze, an invisible weight trying to crush me one last time.
There was no sadness in his eyes, only a cold expectation of my failure.
I will return. It wasn't just a thought, it was a vow that burned through me.
I will return stronger than you can ever imagine.
I will return and I will no longer be a nobody, a piece of "trash."
I will be a man with his own destiny in his hands.
After a few minutes, the landscape changed. A snowy expanse stretched for miles, dominated by trees over ten meters tall and ice-covered mountains.
Finally, the car stopped.
"We have arrived, Young Master." Lester stepped out and opened the door for me.
"Take these." He handed me a katana with a black scabbard and violet reflections, and a ring.
I took the weapon and the ring and stepped out of the vehicle.
"Good luck," Lester said finally before driving away.
I was alone.
Before me loomed the Frost Forest.
I walked for hours, my lungs burning with every breath of frigid air.
The Body Curse seemed to feed on that cold, making my limbs feel as heavy as lead. Finally, half-hidden by a frozen rocky ridge, I found a small cave.
It wasn't a castle, but to me, at that moment, it was the most secure fortress in the world.
I gathered wood with slow, clumsy movements.
The cold stung my bare skin, reddening it until it burned, and my fingers had begun to lose sensation.
I felt weak, an F- rank nobody trying to defy a hostile nature, but in my chest beat something the old Rain had never possessed.
A steel determination.
I returned to the cave as the sunlight was fading.
I sat before the wood and examined the ring. It was a portable inventory of immense value, an object that was almost a triviality for the Glaciels.
Thinking of a lighter, it materialized in my hand.
I lit the fire using some dry foliage and warmed myself.
The ring contained enough water for two weeks and food for only a single day.
Tomorrow, I would have to hunt.
The night passed slowly and silently.
Upon waking, after a meager breakfast, I began my scouting.
I knew the Forest of Frost hid legendary beings and dormant catastrophes, but I also knew of Lucien's Treasure.
Lucien, the first Patriarch, had made this place an extension of his own soul.
Before dying, he had left a treasure here that the heroes of the novel were supposed to destroy because it was considered an "error" outside the rules of the world.
The Tear of Regret.
It was the essence of Lucien's power, born from the betrayal of his companions and the death of his beloved.
A tear of blood shed by a man too strong to be allowed to live.
After exploring for a long time, I stopped.
In the distance, I saw a tree smaller than the others that radiated danger from every fiber.
"Beneath the snow, before that tree, floated a drop of blood. A miraculous power that the world was not destined to host."
I slowly approached the crimson drop floating in the air.
"I found it," I whispered.
I reached out and touched it.
Time stopped.
The ground trembled beneath my feet.
And then... pain.
It wasn't physical pain, it was different.
I felt my soul tearing apart.
I wanted to scream, but my lungs were seized.
My vision was stained red, and I felt warm tears of blood slowly streaming from my eyes.
The pain continued for an eternity until, suddenly, silence returned.
A sense of relief, of absolute lightness, pervaded me.
[Tear of Regret Absorption: 3%]
[Tear of Regret Absorption: 37%]
[Tear of Regret Absorption: 100%]
[New skill acquired!]
[New skill acquired!]
[DUAL AWAKENING!]