43 Years Ago — The Shamrock Empire
The morning air over the palace was heavy. A thin mist covered the royal training grounds, and the green banners of the Shamrocks swayed gently in the breeze.
At the center of the field stood seven-year-old Kais…
But no one watching from afar would have believed he was only seven.
The air around his body rippled.
Particles of golden light circled him like tiny flames.
The ground beneath his feet bore fine cracks—not from his weight… but from the pressure of his magic.
One of the instructors, sweat beading on his forehead, muttered under his breath:
"His power… it's equal to a fully trained adult…"
Kais raised his hand.
No incantation.
No long concentration.
He simply… willed it.
BANG—
A wave of magic burst silently from his palm.
The wooden target before him didn't burn.
It didn't shatter.
It was pulverized.
Silence.
Several soldiers instinctively stepped back.
But a few meters away…
Twelve-year-old Ashlor stood watching.
Taller.
Older.
More serious in face.
But…
His hands were trembling.
"Focus!" the instructor barked sharply.
Ashlor clenched his teeth. A vein bulged along his neck. Red energy formed around his arm—unstable.
It sparked.
Faded.
Flared again—
BANG!
The magic slipped from his control and blasted the ground beside the field instead of the target. Dirt and stone exploded upward.
"I said control! Not a mindless explosion!" the instructor shouted.
Ashlor panted. His fists tightened. Slowly… his gaze shifted toward Kais.
Kais, carefree, was staring at the destroyed target with a childlike smile.
At that moment, a few nobles whispered:
"A genius…"
"Exactly like the Emperor…"
"The true crown prince…"
That word.
Crown prince.
Ashlor's vision blurred. The sounds around him faded. All he could hear was his own heartbeat.
He tried again.
Energy gathered.
More this time.
More violent.
But—
The sudden backlash of magic burned his own arm.
A sharp pain shot up his forearm. He dropped to one knee.
Kais turned, childish concern on his face.
"Brother… are you okay?"
Ashlor lifted his head.
His eyes no longer held only pain.
"Don't touch me!… I don't need your attention!"
Something dark was forming inside him.
Something that, that day, still had no name.
The Royal Grand Academy of the Shamrocks…
A place only geniuses were permitted to enter.
A vast structure of white marble pillars, tall stained-glass windows casting green and gold light across the floors, and floating magical rings on the ceiling that shimmered like stars.
Every step inside that academy meant one thing:
You are the future of this empire.
Ashlor was a second-year.
His dark uniform bore the second-year insignia on his chest, gleaming.
He walked straight-backed, proud—
But inside him, something always boiled.
A few steps behind him—
Kais.
A first-year.
His uniform still new. The first-year insignia gleamed like a small leaf upon his chest.
But…
The power radiating from him was nothing like that of a first-year.
Students whispered:
"That's him…"
"The younger brother…"
"They say his magical level surpasses even third-years…"
Kais quickened his steps with a cheerful smile and caught up beside Ashlor.
"Brother! We have spirit summoning class today—shall we go together?"
Ashlor didn't even look at him.
"Go by yourself."
Kais paused for a few seconds.
His smile dimmed—but did not disappear entirely.
"I thought maybe we could—"
Ashlor stopped.
Turned.
Locked eyes with him.
His gaze was cold. Frozen.
"I said. Go. By yourself."
Kais fell silent.
Spirit Summoning Class — Main Training Hall
There were no chairs.
The entire floor was engraved with a massive summoning circle, large enough for a giant creature. The walls shimmered with energy-containment crystals—precautions in case a summon went out of control and threatened to destroy the building.
Students stood along both sides of the hall.
Excited murmurs filled the air.
Suddenly—
The heavy doors creaked open.
Step… step… step…
Ashlor entered.
With every step, waves of magical energy spread from him—like invisible heat scorching the skin. The air trembled slightly. The engraved lines beneath his feet reacted, glowing faintly.
The whispers grew louder:
"That's Prince Ashlor?!"
"Yeah… feel that? His magic is so heavy…"
"He's only a second-year but they say he's above most of them…"
Ashlor stopped.
His gaze drifted calmly across the crowd.
He smiled.
A proud smile.
This was what he wanted.
These looks.
This admiration.
He deliberately released a little more energy.
A few students stepped back. One muttered, "It's hard to breathe…"
But—
Suddenly…
Another pressure settled over the hall.
Heavier.
Deeper.
Not like a raging flame…
But like a calm ocean whose weight you can feel.
The wall crystals flared brightly for a moment.
The whispers died.
"Did the instructor arrive?!" someone asked.
But no footsteps echoed.
Just—
A presence.
Beside Ashlor.
Without anyone noticing the exact moment he entered, a boy with neatly kept hair and bright eyes stood there.
Kais.
A childlike smile rested on his lips. Without effort, his magical wave filled the hall—not violent, not showy… just natural. Like breathing.
He turned to Ashlor.
"Brother, you got here before me? You must really like this class."
Several students instinctively stepped farther back.
One second-year whispered,
"He's… a first-year?"
Ashlor's smile stiffened.
He felt his magic—the heaviest force in the hall just moments ago—now fading beneath another presence.
He locked eyes with Kais.
Childlike smile.
No malice.
But power that silently roared.
"You're late," Ashlor said quietly.
Kais laughed softly.
"The teacher's not here yet."
The moment Kais stepped fully into the training circle—
The massive central summoning circle—
The one only activated during formal ceremonies—
Suddenly lit up with a deep hum.
Wooooom—
The engraved lines awakened one by one.
Veins of light ran from the center outward.
Golden. Pure. Brilliant.
Light rose from the ground like a small sun.
Everyone froze.
"What just happened?!"
"Who activated it?!"
"The teacher's not even here!"
The energy crystals along the walls developed tiny glowing cracks. For a moment, it seemed the space itself struggled to withstand the sheer volume of magic.
Kais simply stood there.
His smile calm.
Not surprised.
Not excited.
As if this… were natural.
Ashlor clenched his teeth. A vein bulged in his neck. Golden light reflected on his face, darkening the shadow of his anger.
He stepped forward.
"Brother…"
He kept his voice firm.
"Let's both summon something."
Several students watched eagerly.
A rivalry between two princes.
But when Kais stepped toward him—
Ashlor suddenly shouted:
"Stay away from me!"
His magic burst like a wild flame.
The air rippled.
Kais's smile… slowly faded.
His eyes lowered slightly.
For a brief moment, he was just a seven-year-old boy… not a magical prodigy.
Softly, he said,
"I just wanted to practice with you…"
The golden circle continued to glow.
But its light softened now—almost as if it were listening to the two of them.
Ashlor turned his back.
His shoulders rigid.
"I don't need your help."
Kais remained standing there for a few seconds.
Golden light wrapped around him like a soft halo.
The students held their breath.
Two different forces in one hall.
One striving to prove himself.
The other simply wanting to stand beside his brother.
And the summoning circle at the center of the class…
Still had not gone dark.