Chapter 1: Birth of the Valen Twins
"Hey! Did you hear?"
Inside a vast, luxurious chamber filled with elegance and wealth, a young maid spoke in a hushed tone. Her brown hair was neatly tied into a bun, held firmly in place by a white ribbon. She wore a classic black-and-white maid uniform, and her smooth skin and youthful features hinted at her young age.
Her dark eyes locked onto the other maid in the room.
"What is it? Is there news?" the second maid asked, her voice equally quiet.
She was slightly shorter but noticeably more beautiful, with similar brown hair styled in a bun. Her light brown eyes focused intently on the first maid.
Even as they spoke, their voices were barely above whispers. They feared being overheard.
"I suppose you don't know yet since it won't be announced until tomorrow… but I'll tell you now," the first maid said, glancing cautiously around her surroundings.
Whatever she was about to say was important—dangerously so.
"Tell me… quickly," the second maid urged, leaning closer.
The first maid moved toward her ear and whispered something that caused the second maid to flinch in shock.
"Lady Varell has just given birth… to a pair of twins."
Shock spread across the second maid's face before a faint smile appeared.
"Are you certain?" she asked softly.
The first maid straightened proudly.
"You know my mother is the head maid of this household, right?"
The second maid nodded quickly.
"She assisted with the delivery alongside two midwives just a few hours ago."
Hearing this, the second maid's smile widened to match the first's.
"This makes it the third pair of twins in the Varell family… what a blessing."
The first maid nodded, satisfied after sharing such sensitive information.
Before they could continue, the door suddenly opened.
A man stood at the entrance.
"Maid Elira, Maid Sienna—Lady Seraphine requests your presence. Both of you."
Without another word, he turned and left, leaving the door open.
The two maids froze.
At the mention of that name, fear flickered in their eyes.
After a brief moment, they looked at each other.
"It's just a coincidence… yes, just a coincidence," Elira muttered, nodding to herself.
"Let's not waste time. We should go," Sienna added quickly.
Without delay, they left the room and made their way toward the residence of the revered Lady Seraphine.
Lady Seraphine was one of the highest-ranking members of the Varell family—a name that struck fear into the hearts of every servant.
She was strict. Cold. Unforgiving.
The two maids soon arrived before a massive triangular door.
"Enter."
A smooth, enchanting female voice echoed from within.
Elira pushed the door open, and both she and Sienna stepped inside, standing side by side.
The room before them was far larger than the previous one—lavishly decorated with exquisite furnishings. A massive bed rested at the far end, flanked by two grand bookshelves and ornate wardrobes carved with intricate floral patterns. Small drawers were placed neatly across the room.
At the center lay the fur and head of a beast resembling a lion, its lifeless eyes eerily fixed on them.
About five feet from the bed stood a large door leading to a balcony, where a table and several chairs were arranged among beautifully arranged flower vases.
Noticing a figure seated on the balcony, the two maids approached.
"You summoned us, Lady Seraphine," Elira said, bowing deeply.
Sienna followed immediately.
Lady Seraphine simply nodded.
"Come closer."
Her voice was calm—yet carried authority.
They obeyed instantly, keeping their eyes fixed on the ground.
This was their first private meeting with her… and they dared not make a mistake.
"Look at me."
They hesitated.
"I said—raise your heads."
A trace of impatience entered her voice.
Slowly, they lifted their heads…
—and froze.
Her beauty struck them like lightning.
Ocean-blue eyes.
Flowing silver hair cascading down her back.
Flawless pale skin.
Soft peach-colored lips.
A delicate face that made her appear even younger than them.
She wore a silver dress similar to theirs—yet it carried an aura of nobility.
"You'll stare holes through me at this rate," she chuckled softly.
"Forgive us!" Sienna bowed quickly, and Elira followed.
When they raised their heads again, they avoided her gaze.
"It seems the rumor about my elder brother's twins has already begun to spread," Seraphine said calmly.
The two maids froze again.
She knew.
"Lady Seraphine, we didn't—" Elira began.
"That is not why I called you here," Seraphine interrupted.
"…Pardon?" Elira asked, confused.
Sienna remained silent, too afraid to speak.
"Look at my hair," Seraphine said with a slight sigh. "It's become rough… and the ceremony is in six days. I need the two of you to redo it."
She gestured for them to come closer.
They obeyed immediately.
"Make it flawless… and I won't punish you for spreading information that isn't yet official."
"Yes, Lady Seraphine!" they replied in unison, rushing to begin.
Chapter 2: Awakening of Opposing Talents
The Varell Family was one of the most powerful noble houses on the Eastern Continent of Aetherion—one of the six great continents of the Luminara Realm.
For generations, their name had been etched into history, known for producing individuals of extraordinary talent.
Three centuries ago, the Dark Gods descended upon the world alongside their servants—the demons—bringing devastation to the entire realm.
Their goal was simple: conquest.
Millions perished.
Cities fell.
Entire bloodlines vanished.
For two decades, humanity lived in fear, hiding from the demonic forces that threatened to erase them completely.
But the actions of the Dark Gods did not go unanswered.
The Gods of Light rose in retaliation.
To protect their followers, they began granting certain humans Talents—unique abilities that gave them power beyond ordinary limits.
The first generation of the Awakened fought desperately, becoming humanity's final shield.
Then came the second generation… stronger.
And finally, the third.
With each generation, humanity grew more powerful—until they began pushing the demons back.
Despite being outnumbered, humans reclaimed their lands.
Yet they did not push too far.
They understood one thing clearly—
If the demons were cornered completely… they would lose all restraint.
And that would lead to total annihilation.
So instead, humanity forced them back just enough to survive.
When balance was finally restored, the Gods of Light changed their approach.
They reduced the granting of Talents.
From the third generation, they selected a few exceptional individuals—forming divine contracts with them.
From that point onward, their descendants would continue to receive powerful Talents… until the demons were completely eradicated.
The Varell Family was one of those chosen bloodlines.
Favored by several Gods of Light—most notably the God of Radiant War—they became renowned for combat-based abilities.
Weapons.
Battle mastery.
Destruction.
These were the strengths of the Varell bloodline.
At the age of fifteen, every child underwent a sacred ritual.
A ritual that determined their Talent—and their fate.
Today… such a ritual was taking place.
Deep within the underground training grounds of the Varell estate—
Two identical boys sat cross-legged before a towering figure radiating immense authority.
They were the Varell twins.
Darius and Draven.
Silver-haired.
Crystal-blue eyes.
Perfectly identical.
Both wore simple black shorts and gray sleeveless tops.
"What is he saying?" Draven, the younger twin, asked with an excited grin.
He watched the man before them read from an ancient book written in a language they could not understand.
"Probably some kind of incantation to begin the ritual," Darius replied with a shrug.
As the man finished reading and closed the book—
Two beams of light descended from above.
They engulfed the twins completely.
More than thirty people stood around them, watching in silence.
"Mom, what is uncle doing to them?" a little girl asked curiously.
"I'll explain later. Just watch carefully—your turn will come soon," her mother replied gently.
She then turned to a young boy nearby.
"Seth, you'll undergo the ritual soon as well. Prepare yourself."
"Let it begin!"
The man's deep voice echoed.
The light intensified—growing brighter and brighter until most people had to avert their eyes.
Only a few remained unaffected:
The man performing the ritual.
The twins' mother, shielding her child's eyes.
And a silver-haired woman with piercing blue eyes—
Lady Seraphine.
She watched without flinching.
Moments later, the light began to fade.
Slowly… until it disappeared completely.
In its place—
Two glowing rings hovered above the twins' heads.
One shone brighter than the other.
"You may now step forward and write your names in the ancestral tome," the man said proudly.
"It will reveal your Talent… and its rank."
"Draven, step forward."
Draven moved first.
Taking the pen, he wrote his name:
Draven Varell
He stepped back.
A few seconds later—
Words began forming beside his name.
The man's eyes lit up.
"Blessed by the God of Radiant War—
Draven has awakened a Rank-S Talent…"
He paused dramatically—
"Weapon Sovereign."
The room erupted.
Cheers.
Applause.
Excitement.
A talent that granted mastery over all weapons—
A true prodigy had been born.
"Darius, step forward."
Darius calmly obeyed.
He took the pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote his name:
Darius Varell
He returned the pen.
Moments later—
Words appeared again.
But this time…
The man's expression changed.
"Blessed by the God of Trickery of Light…"
His voice slowed.
"…Rank-E Talent…"
A pause.
"…Summoning."
Silence.
Heavy. Crushing silence.
Disappointment spread across the room.
Some even showed disgust.
"Opposite talents, huh?" someone muttered coldly.
"One perfect… and one utterly worthless."
Chapter 3: Separation and Isolation
Four weeks had passed since the twins' Awakening Ceremony.
In just a short span of time… everything had changed within the Varell family.
The head of the family—the twins' father—had made his decision.
All resources, training, and attention would be focused entirely on the younger twin—
Draven.
As for the elder twin, Darius…
He had been deemed a failure.
Once the rightful heir by birth, Darius had now been cast aside. His Rank-E Talent had stripped him of his position, his recognition… and his future.
Draven, on the other hand, was being groomed to become the next head of the family.
From that day forward—
Their paths diverged.
At first, the twins had trained together under the same instructors.
But now…
Darius trained alone.
No one was willing to waste time on someone with a Rank-E Talent.
The brothers, once inseparable, were now forced to live entirely different lives.
Draven was isolated for focused development.
Darius was isolated… because he was no longer worth anyone's time.
"I guess that's the end of today's routine."
Inside a dimly lit room spanning roughly thirty square meters, Darius let out a tired sigh as he wiped the sweat from his chin.
He had just completed his daily training—
The same routine he had followed alongside Draven for the past five years.
Three hours of intense physical conditioning.
Combat drills.
Endurance training.
No breaks.
No shortcuts.
"…I wonder how Draven is doing right now."
Darius muttered quietly as he removed his shirt and walked toward the bathroom.
He paused for a moment—
Then shook his head.
"He's probably doing just fine… being treated like a prince."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
But it quickly faded.
"…Or maybe not."
A certain silver-haired figure crossed his mind—
And the smile vanished instantly.
After a quick wash in the warm bath, Darius stepped out feeling refreshed.
"I only got this room thanks to Mother and Uncle… thank goodness for them."
A towel was wrapped loosely around his waist as he spoke to himself.
"This place even has a sound-canceling barrier… so people with overly sharp hearing—like her—can't listen in."
A small grin returned.
"Honestly, she should just get married already… before she turns into a lonely old woman."
He chuckled softly.
After getting dressed, Darius left his room without hesitation.
His room had no windows, so he never knew what the weather was like outside.
But today…
The moment he stepped out—
He noticed something unusual.
The sky.
It was… red.
Not the normal red of a sunset.
No—
This was different.
Darker. Heavier.
"…So it's that time again."
Darius murmured as he walked toward the family storage building.
Every twenty years, the sky would turn red like this.
It marked the beginning of something every Talent user feared—
The Blood War.
A massive war between humans and demons.
The sky would remain red for three years.
And in the fourth year—
War would begin.
"I wish you all the best."
Darius said faintly as he continued walking alone.
He had no intention of participating.
With his Talent…
He would either die first—
Or die pointlessly.
As he walked through the estate's pathways, he noticed something strange.
It was… empty.
For a place that housed dozens of maids, guards, and warriors—
There was no one around.
"Did they abandon this section too… and leave it to me?"
Darius muttered, glancing around.
The Varell estate stretched across more than forty hectares.
Losing one building meant nothing to them.
Without thinking too deeply about it, he arrived at the storage building.
A small smile formed on his face.
If they truly abandoned this place…
Then he could finally have some peace.
No judgmental stares.
No whispers.
No pity.
But the moment he opened the door—
His expression changed.
"…Are they trying to starve me?"
His voice turned cold.
Inside—
There was barely any food.
A few loaves of bread.
Some basic supplies.
That was all.
Separating him from his brother—fine.
Ignoring him—fine.
But starving him?
That was unacceptable.
"They'd better restock this place soon…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Or I'll have to pay Father a visit."
He paused.
Then shook his head.
"…No. I'd rather visit Uncle."
Grabbing a few loaves of bread and some basic food, Darius left the storage room.
He returned toward his quarters, deciding not to go out again anytime soon.
But as he approached his door—
He stopped.
He had left it closed.
Now…
It was slightly open.
"…I hope it's you."
He muttered quietly.
There was only one person who would enter his room without permission.
He pushed the door open.
Inside—
A figure lay casually on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
At the sound of the door, the figure turned—
Revealing a face identical to his.
"Oh. You're back, Darius."
It was Draven.
Smiling.
"If you keep doing this, you're going to get caught."
Darius said.
His tone sounded like a warning—
But he was smiling.
Because despite everything…
His brother still came to see him.