Kaito's eyes slowly adjusted to the dimming light as he sat on a stone bench in the fortress courtyard. The evening sky above was a riot of violet and gold, twin moons rising like pale guardians. The chill of the mountain air stung his skin, but it did little to numb the unease gnawing at him. His mind raced. The strange power he felt earlier when his hand touched the cursed sword… and the mysterious princess, Seraphina, who held secrets beyond anything he could have anticipated.
Where am I? Kaito thought, his gaze drifting over the walls of Caelum's Edge, the fortress that had become his reluctant refuge. He had saved her, but now what? Was that enough to erase the suspicion hanging in the air? The soldiers gave him wary glances, and the whispers behind stone walls suggested that he was still an outsider—maybe even an enemy.
Suddenly, the soft clinking of armor interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see Seraphina descending the marble steps of the keep, her regal form silhouetted against the twilight. Her violet eyes, now sharp and calculating, locked onto his as she approached. There was no trace of the warmth she had shown earlier, no trace of the gratitude he had expected. Instead, her gaze seemed distant, as though she was measuring him with the precision of a seasoned tactician.
She stopped a few feet away from him, her cloak billowing behind her like a shadow of authority. Her voice broke the silence, a quiet command that carried an unsettling weight.
"You must have questions, Kaito."
He met her gaze with a steady stare. "I have more than a few."
Her lips tightened, but there was no anger—only the sharp edge of resolve. "This world is not kind to those who wander into it uninvited."
"And yet you invited me." Kaito stood, his eyes narrowing as he met her challenging gaze. "What are you? You saved my life, but now you're playing games with me."
Seraphina remained calm, almost detached. "I am the last heir to the House of Altharion. The bloodline of the Sun Kings, a dynasty that ruled this empire for centuries before it fell to ruin. And you… are not just a wanderer from another world. Your powers—"
Kaito's hand instinctively clenched around the sword he had been given. "My powers?"
Seraphina's eyes flickered to the hilt of the blade. The sword of no oath, the one that had bonded to him in the blacksmith's forge. He could feel its dormant energy, a hum deep within the steel, as though it were waiting for something—or someone—to awaken it fully. But it was still silent, its true potential sealed by something unknown.
"You wield a blade that has not seen the light of day in over a century. The Sword of No Oath," she continued, her voice lowering. "Do you know what that means?"
Kaito's grip tightened on the hilt of the sword. The name was familiar—like a distant whisper. But the weight of it, the history behind it, was still out of his grasp. "It's cursed. Or so Bram said."
Seraphina's lips curled into a thin smile, but it was laced with something darker. "No, Kaito. It's not cursed. It's forgotten. But it chooses its wielders carefully—those who will reshape the world, whether they intend to or not."
Kaito's heart skipped a beat. "What are you saying? That I am supposed to reshape this world? By wielding this?"
She stepped closer, her presence commanding. "You were brought here for a reason. Your power is not from this world, but that doesn't matter. The empire you stand in, the kingdom I represent, is fractured. It's dying. And if we're to survive, we need a king who will be ruthless enough to tear the old order apart."
Kaito's mind whirled. A king? He was no king. He was just a guy who had been thrown into this world by some twist of fate—an ordinary college student who barely understood the concept of magic, let alone the politics of a medieval empire.
"And you want me to become that king?" Kaito's voice was laced with disbelief. "A king who'll tear everything apart?"
Seraphina met his gaze, her eyes burning with a quiet intensity. "Yes. Because you're the only one who has the strength to do it."
Before Kaito could respond, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted them. The guard captain, a burly man with graying hair and a weathered face, emerged from the shadows. His expression was grim as he approached Seraphina.
"Princess, the emissary has arrived."
Kaito's brow furrowed. "Emissary?"
Seraphina's face hardened. "The knight from the Empire. The one sent to investigate your… origins."
"Are we under threat?" Kaito asked, his hand instinctively going to the sword at his side.
"Not yet," Seraphina replied, her tone clipped. "But the moment they find out about you, they will take action."
The captain nodded. "He's waiting in the hall."
Seraphina turned back to Kaito, her expression now unreadable. "Stay here. Do not engage with him. I will handle this."
Kaito watched her walk away, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the courtyard. His fingers brushed against the hilt of his sword again, feeling its unnatural weight. What have I gotten myself into?
Inside the keep, Kaito's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of clanging metal, distant voices, and the murmur of conversations from the hall. The tension in the air was palpable. He wanted to know more. To understand why he was here—why this sword had chosen him.
Suddenly, a voice shattered his thoughts.
"I trust you're not planning to flee, stranger?"
Kaito turned to find a tall figure standing at the entrance of the courtyard. He was armored from head to toe, his face obscured by a dark helm. He exuded an aura of authority—cold, unwavering, and sharp. This was the emissary. The knight who had come to investigate.
Kaito stood, unsure of how to respond. "I'm not going anywhere."
The knight tilted his head slightly, studying him. "Good. Because the princess has already made it clear that your fate is tied to hers."
Kaito clenched his fists. "We'll see about that."
The knight's voice softened, just a fraction. "I suggest you be careful. Everyone in this empire has something to hide."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Kaito with more questions than answers. What was Seraphina hiding? And what role did Kaito truly play in the coming storm?