Eight years had passed.
The once quiet Valerius estate had changed little over the years, but the children who lived within it certainly had.
Morning sunlight poured across the estate courtyard, illuminating the training grounds where a tall teenage boy stood with a wooden practice blade resting on his shoulder.
His hair was snow-white, shining faintly under the sunlight.
His eyes were bright green.
Julius Valerius was now thirteen years old.
And he was currently losing another sparring match.
"Too slow."
Clack!
The wooden blade in Julius' hand was knocked aside.
Before he could recover, another wooden sword stopped just inches from his chest.
Julius sighed and lowered his weapon.
"I surrender."
Standing across from him was a tall girl wearing light training armor. Her dark hair was tied into a high ponytail and a confident grin stretched across her face.
This was Aurelia Valerius, one of his older twin sisters.
She had grown into a powerful and disciplined warrior, already showing talent worthy of a future Holy Knight.
She spun the wooden sword once before resting it on her shoulder.
"You hesitate too much."
Julius shrugged.
"I prefer not getting hit."
Aurelia laughed.
"That's the point of sparring, genius."
Nearby, another voice spoke up.
"Your stance is still wrong."
Julius groaned.
Of course she would say that.
Sitting beneath a nearby tree with a book floating in front of her was Elara Valerius, the other twin.
Unlike Aurelia, Elara wore elegant mage robes rather than armor. Several small magical symbols rotated slowly in the air around her as she studied.
Her talent for magic had become obvious years ago.
Some even whispered she might one day surpass their mother.
Elara didn't even look up from her book.
"If you adjust your footing two inches to the left, your balance improves by thirty percent."
Julius blinked.
"…You calculated that?"
Elara turned a page calmly.
"Yes."
Aurelia burst out laughing.
"You see? Even the bookworm knows how to fight better than you."
Julius dropped the practice sword onto the ground.
"I'm surrounded by monsters."
But despite his complaints, a small smile appeared on his face.
Life had been peaceful these past eight years.
Training.
Studying.
Spending time with his family.
And most importantly…
The Void had never appeared again.
Not once.
Not since that day when he was five.
Julius still remembered the whisper.
The cold darkness.
But over the years it had faded into something that almost felt like a dream.
At first he had feared it constantly.
But nothing happened.
No strange magic.
No voices.
No darkness.
Eventually, even his mother stopped bringing it up.
Maybe it really was just a strange accident…
Julius often wondered about that.
But every time he tried to remember the feeling clearly…
His mind struggled to recall it.
As if something deep inside him refused to surface.
"Julius."
His father's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Darian Valerius approached from the manor entrance, wearing his polished dragon knight armor.
Even after all these years, his presence still carried the same powerful aura.
The legendary Dragon Knight Commander.
Behind him walked Vanessa.
Her white hair swayed gently as she stepped into the courtyard, her emerald eyes observing her children carefully.
Julius immediately noticed something.
His parents looked serious.
Aurelia noticed it too.
"Something wrong?"
Vanessa smiled slightly.
"Nothing bad."
But there was a hint of excitement in her voice.
Darian crossed his arms.
"You three are old enough now."
Julius tilted his head.
"For what?"
Vanessa answered.
"For the Royal Academy of Aurelion."
Julius blinked.
Then Aurelia gasped.
"Wait—really?!"
Even Elara finally looked up from her book.
The Royal Academy of Aurelion.
The most prestigious academy in the kingdom.
A place where nobles, knights, and talented commoners trained to become the future leaders of Volaria.
Knights.
Mages.
Scholars.
Generals.
Nearly every powerful figure in the kingdom had studied there.
Darian nodded.
"The entrance ceremony begins next month."
Aurelia practically vibrated with excitement.
"I'm finally going!"
Elara looked thoughtful rather than excited.
"The academy library contains over thirty thousand recorded magical texts…"
Julius chuckled.
Of course that's what she cares about.
Vanessa then looked directly at Julius.
"You'll be attending as well."
Julius froze slightly.
"Me?"
Vanessa nodded.
"You've trained enough at home."
"It's time you experience the world beyond this estate."
Julius looked down at his hands.
The world beyond the estate…
Part of him felt excited.
But another part felt strangely uneasy.
Like something was waiting for him out there.
Something connected to the strange life he had been given.
Eight years ago…
He had died.
He still remembered the voice in the darkness.
"I won't let you die."
Julius clenched his fist slightly.
Why was I brought here?
For years he had tried to ignore that question.
But now…
It felt like the answer might finally be waiting beyond the estate walls.
And somewhere far away—
Deep beneath ancient ruins long forgotten by history—
The faint purple glow inside an enormous stone temple flickered once more.
A crack slowly spread across the ancient seal carved into the floor.
Very slowly…
Something ancient was waking up again.
End of Chapter 7