Years passed with the weight of iron. Kyo was not merely a student at the Royal Academy; he walked a thin line between life and death. His days were a mixture of blood, sweat, and silence, yet his soul grew in the shadows, like the roots of a tree born in darkness.
At first, the royal oath seemed like a mere ceremonial rite, but the truth was far darker. The oath was not a promise of loyalty; it was a cursed spell planted in the souls of the knights, rendering them incapable of disobedience, turning them into puppets in the hands of the imperial family.
As the day of the great ritual—the "Oath"—approached, which would bind every trainee knight into eternal servitude to the imperial family, Kyo was not alone in his doubts. His heart and mind had prepared for something different, something waiting in the shadows.
Time passed, and the trainee knights began to realize the grim reality. They no longer dreamed of honor or glory; they feared the day they would kneel and be stripped of the last thing they owned: their will.
Kyo, who knew the fate written for him, had no real choice. The "villain" scenario he had entered demanded that he lead a rebellion, ignite fire within the system, and become a curse upon the empire. Yet, he was not the monster he was meant to be. He did not crave bloodshed nor wish to kill those who had never chosen this world.
Still, he had no other path.
Since entering the academy, Kyo had trained relentlessly: sword, spear, axe, arrows, even cursed chains. None could match his skill or determination. With each duel he won, he earned respect from some and hatred from most. His charisma was imposing, as if anyone who looked at him sensed something different, something impossible to control.
Ringen, his roommate and former rival, gradually became like a friend. Always smiling, his face gave away nothing of the heart hidden beneath. Kyo knew he was not to be underestimated, yet he also realized that closeness with him could change their paths—and perhaps save them both from a fated end.
During long nights, they spoke of the system, the divides between nobles and commoners, the disguised slavery called honor, and the land ruled by fear rather than law.
Ringen once said, staring at the ceiling:
"Do you know, Kyo… we are forced to choose paths we did not draw, to walk lines we did not sketch with our hands. But… what if we were the ones holding the pen?"
Kyo replied quietly:
"Then we must beware of ourselves more than our enemies."
Those words were not just nightly chatter—they were tiny sparks lighting the darkness in their souls.
Over the years, small groups began to form: people who had lost faith in the system, who saw in Kyo more than a comrade… they saw a leader. Their refusal to kneel, his insistence on standing tall, made them follow him, silently if not openly.
He taught them in secret, trained them, and encouraged them to think rather than blindly rebel.
But time was running out.
The day of the Oath arrived.
A vast hall, towering pillars, a majestic ceremony, incantations filling the air. The trainees wore their formal uniforms, each aware that this day would change their lives forever.
In the center of the hall sat the old emperor, a dark magic priest behind him, and the imperial council in the front row.
Kyo stood among the ranks, eyes half-closed, as if seeing beyond the walls, beyond the vow.
His turn approached.
He would be asked to kneel, touch the ground, and swear eternal loyalty.
But…
At the moment before the oath, a massive explosion rocked the western wing of the palace. The ground trembled beneath everyone's feet, and flames slithered through the windows.
Amidst the chaos, as voices filled the hall and trainee hands were raised in the oath salute, something no one expected occurred.
The explosion reverberated through the palace. Smoke billowed, and fires erupted everywhere.
The rebellion had begun.
From every direction, men and women in black masks emerged, bearing banners with red emblems symbolizing freedom and blood. They were not strangers… they were former trainees, disgruntled citizens, and even some guards who had grown tired of bowing to a merciless throne.
One shouted:
"No more chains! No more empire!"
In the midst of the chaos, Kyo moved.
But not as everyone expected.
He did not immediately join the attackers nor fight the emperor. Instead, he grasped his sword and walked to the oath platform, raising his voice:
"Stop the fighting! Today is not vengeance—it is a new beginning!"
Everyone was stunned. Even those who followed him had not expected such calm in the middle of bloodshed.
He knew that one wrong move could make him appear as a criminal rather than a revolutionary leader.
He knelt before the emperor…
And whispered something that made the old man flinch:
"I will destroy your throne, but without staining my hands with your blood. I will make you see how your kingdom crumbles from within."
Then he rose, brandished his spear, and defended the children and innocent sorcerers who had no part in this world's cruelty.
The scene was chaotic. Some fought, some fled, some fell.
Elsewhere, in a forgotten place far from thrones and intrigue, Kyo began building a new world—not just as a revolutionary leader, but as a guardian of fragile hope… a hope that might one day grow to change everything.
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Before the Rebellion—The Plan of Blood and Secrecy
Behind the scenes, meticulously planned, crowds of rebels demanded the fall of the imperial family and the end of the magical servitude that had ruled the land for decades.
Amid the chaos, Kyo found himself at the heart of the struggle—not as a servant following orders, but as a leader carrying the lives of those around him on his shoulders.
He saw how friendly faces became shields against enemies, how some abandoned loyalty, and how others infiltrated enemy ranks.
The task was more complicated than imagined. The rebellion was not just against the family, but against the system itself, against the rules imposed upon him.
In those moments, some trainees' powers awakened, revealing abilities unseen before, heralding a new age of magic and conflict.
Yet Kyo remained focused, executing his plan with precision. He knew he had to deceive everyone, to appear to follow the prescribed path, lest he meet a tragic fate.
In the academy, an eerie silence reigned… as if the sky itself held its breath in anticipation of the storm.
Everyone was busy with training, whispering about the upcoming rebellion, the royal oath, and the blood that would be spilled.
But at the heart of this calm, a conspiracy was being woven—one worthy only of the most cunning minds and hearts torn by compassion.
Kyo sat in a remote corner of the abandoned library, staring at a half-melted candle… much like the remnants of his own humanity.
Before him lay a secret map, records of imperial children, and a document enticingly titled: "From Now On, the People Choose…"
The official plan of the rebellion was clear: publicly execute the imperial children on a raised platform, broadcast it live before the masses, and announce a new republic led by an elected council—freedom and democracy.
But Kyo could not close his eyes to the truth. He did not see them as "heirs of tyrants," but as children born into a cage, just as he had been. He knew the feeling of being born in chains, forced to be what one never chose.
One night, he could no longer suppress his inner cry. He spoke to Ringen, the only one who had felt his heart without betraying it.
Kyo said, eyes unwilling to meet his friend's:
"I cannot, Ringen… I cannot kill children who chose nothing… even if they carry the blood of the throne."
Ringen was silent for a long moment, then sighed:
"Kyo… I understand. More than you can imagine. But you know what will happen… when they grow, the blood will awaken, and the cycle repeats. We are not only fighting people… we are fighting an idea, a monster born with the throne itself."
"Then we kill them all?! This is not freedom! Not justice!" Kyo shouted.
Ringen lowered his head, speaking in a softer tone:
"No… not justice. But maybe… we can deceive it."
He then lifted his eyes, with a glance full of cunning and sincerity at once:
"We have one of the old trainees… Arya. The master of 'Complete Illusion.' What people see is not real. She can make everyone witness the children's execution… while in reality, we smuggle them out… and trick the world."
Kyo stared at him, unbelieving… then his heart began to beat again.
He said slowly, as if reviewing his emotions:
"In truth… I've been preparing a place for years… an orphanage. Far from the capital, hidden among the northern mountains, with gardens, playgrounds, and warmth… unlike the cold one I grew up in."
Ringen smiled, for the first time in a long while:
"An orphanage?… Kyo, you want to save the world with children's hearts."
Kyo replied, gazing into the distance:
"The deprived give. I lost safety, but I want to give it. And if I cannot change the whole world, I will start with them."
Ringen was silent, then said bitterly:
"What's the point of our rebellion if we don't kill them? Won't people think we let the throne raise new monsters?"
Kyo answered, voice sharp as a sword:
"No… we will deceive the world. They will believe the executions. They will celebrate the fall of the empire. And I will be considered the revolutionary leader who toppled the crown."
"And Kyo… will die… as a great villain, creating peace, then disappearing."
Ringen continued:
"Three birds with one stone… save the children, democracy, and no one will catch you."
But in Kyo's heart, the two birds in one stone were already enough: saving the children and remaining within the villain scenario, thus surviving.
Kyo nodded, then said:
"But we will know the truth… and that will be enough."
That night… the real plan began. Arya prepared the visual illusions, Kyo's orphanage was ready, the secret network moved the children from the palace, and the democratic proclamation was written carefully.
All would lead to a single moment…
When the children kneel on the execution platform, swords raised, red light falling on the ground… the world would see their end.
But the truth?
The truth was far away… where the dream began.