Their reflections glinted in the bloodied steel of Aden's blade—one dulled with years of power, the other newly sharpened by war.
"You've grown," Ed said, his voice low and steady.
Aden's eyes remained locked on his father's, unreadable. "..."
"I expected you to survive," Ed replied. "And you did."
There was a pause. Tension clung to every breath between them.
"You showed strength," Ed said at last. "But understand—one victory doesn't mean you're safe. It only means the knives will come sharper next time."
Aden tilted his head. "Let them."
That earned a faint twitch at the corner of Ed Vasco's lips. Whether it was amusement or warning, no one could tell.
"You should return to the household," Ed said. "There are things we need to discuss. Father to Son."
Aden didn't respond at first. Then, a slow nod.
"Understood."
Ed's gaze lingered just a moment longer. "Good."
Then, without another word, the head of House Vasco turned and walked away—his presence cutting through the crowd like a blade, leaving silence in his wake.
The heavy silence returned as Ed Vasco left the chamber, but it didn't last.
The Emperor stood once more, and immediately the room straightened—shoulders pulled back, cups were lowered, and murmurs died mid-syllable.
He raised a hand.
"In light of the duel's outcome," the Emperor declared, his voice commanding yet calm, "Aden Vasco has proven himself not only as a formidable swordsman but as a weapon the Empire cannot ignore."
Gasps followed. Some hopeful. Others horrified.
The Emperor spoke in his high voice, "Aden Vasco made a promise that he would clear all of Dahaka."
"Therefore," he continued, "Aden Vasco and his team will be dispatched to Sector 12 of Dahaka."
The chamber exploded into murmurs and sharp gasps. A few nobles rose in protest.
"Your Majesty! Sector 12 is—"
"—a death sentence!"
"—how could he even clear it?"
But the Emperor silenced them with a single look. "You speak as though you haven't seen his power."
The King of Sael leaned to his son, muttering, "This is beyond political theater now. They're either testing him or trying to get rid of him."
His son stayed silent for a few seconds, then replied "Wait..--- Sector 12, isn't that where the runes are located?"
that's when the King of Sael realized, Chrono's intention was never to clear it in the name of eliminating outside threats, it was to obtain vast amounts of rune stones, located in the heart of Dahaka.
Although the Dahaka could be cleared by a few Swords masters, the reason neither the Five Great Houses of the Chronos Kingdom tried to clear it was because of a Verbal agreement between the Five Dukes, they all tried to clear it when they were young but ultimately failed somehow, so they decided that they would leave it for their heirs to clear it instead.
After the Declaration Aden was invited to the Discussion Chamber. he moved inside and stood there, awaiting someone.
At the far right of the chamber, a tall figure stepped forward from the Chrono side—the Imperial Advisor, clad in formal navy robes etched with golden runes.
"I've received partial reports on Sector 12," Advisor said. "The area is crawling with undead—an entire High Lich encampment has rooted itself in the obsidian valley."
He turned to Aden, voice calm but urgent. "A single High Lich is bad enough. But this one's different. It's organizing. Controlling hundreds—possibly more. They're building an entire army."
Aden narrowed his eyes. "Why"
The Advisor replied. "We don't know yet."
The Emperor entered the chamber and nodded. "And you will be the one to find out."
Aden nodded once, accepting his fate without question.
Aden collected the grids and paperwork of the sector and move out to the Banquet hall alongside the Emperor.
After the declaration, the nobles shifted again. This time, they approached Aden one by one.
Some extended hands with false smiles. "Lord Vasco, if ever you require support, the House of Melgrave would be honored to assist—"
Others were more direct.
"You have great potential, you know," whispered a viscount in passing. "I can provide you great assistance. Choose your allies carefully."
And a few—especially the younger nobles—offered something unexpected.
"Join my family's guard force," said a young heir. "We'll give you command."
Aden said nothing. He simply moved through them, eyes scanning the room, already thinking ahead.
The palace had long since quieted. Midnight draped the Vasco quarters in silver light, filtering through the high arched windows. Servants were gone, the hallways silent—save for the occasional flicker of candlelight against the stone.
Aden sat on a bench in the private garden behind the Vasco wing. The wind stirred the lavender trees, the petals brushing against his shoulder like ghosts of a time long past.
The sword rested beside. His hands were steady. His thoughts were not.
He looked up at the sky—clear, cold, eternal. The moon stared down like a single, watchful eye.
He'd won the duel. He'd stood tall in front of the Empire. But why did the victory feel so hollow?
He thought of his siblings—the look in their eyes. Of Ed Vasco's words. Of the nobles who now circled like vultures, cloaked in silk.
And just as the silence thickened—
A vision surged through him.
Aden gasped and clutched his head, heart racing. His surroundings blurred, reality slipping away.
He stood now on a battlefield, awash in red light. A figure cloaked in crimson stood at the center, unmoving, surrounded by hundreds of corpses. Their blood soaked the earth, their eyes glassy and empty.
The figure didn't move. But Aden recognized the posture.
It was him.
And across from the figure—farther away—stood another. Younger. Dressed in modern clothes. Park Hyun.
Hyun held out his arms, pleading. The red figure turned And then—something unexpected happened.
The red figure reached forward and held Park Hyun's hands.
Hyun's face changed—no longer filled with pain, but with peace. Hope. He smiled, tears falling freely.
Then his body rose, turning into a pillar of soft white light, slowly ascending, disappearing into the stars above.
"No!" Aden ran forward, arms outstretched, desperate to catch him.
"Wait! Don't go!"
But it was too late. Park Hyun was gone.
Aden screamed and charged the red figure, blade drawn in fury. But the figure didn't flinch. Instead, with a single hand, it caught Aden's wrist and stilled him.
They locked eyes.
A voice echoed—not from the figure's mouth, but from the world around him.
"Why were you sent here, Aden Vasco?"
He growled. "You tell me."
"Admit it, you wanted this life, but it you need a more clear answer..."
"It was fate," the voice said calmly. "But if you think your fate is cursed, perhaps it can be broken."
Aden's breath caught. "How?"
"Let's begin with a question," the voice said. "What was your mother's name?"
His eyes widened.
"…Mother's name…?"
He searched his thoughts.
Nothing.
"Let's try again. What was your name?"
A chill ran down his spine. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
"I… I don't… know."
"Then you cannot reclaim what you've lost. How can you change your fate if you don't even know who you are?"
Suddenly, memory after memory crumbled inside his mind like ash in the wind.
His mother's smile. His father's voice. The name of the city he once loved.
Gone.
And in their place?
Aden Vasco.
Memories of blades, of Deception, of blood and training.
He clenched his fists, trembling.
He had known this day would come. Had felt it drawing closer each time he called himself by a name that wasn't his.
But now?, Now it was real.
Park Hyun was no longer a part of him.
He was now Aden Vasco.
And maybe that was enough.
He still had siblings. A family. A world he could bend, break, and remake.
And this time, he wouldn't die a forgotten man in a cold world.
He would rise.
And the world would remember the name Aden Vasco.
Forever.