Aidan stirred awake, a yawn slipping out as he blinked the blur from his eyes. He rubbed them lazily with his fingers, still caught in the haze of sleep. On the desk, a loose sheet of paper peeked out from beneath a closed book—one of many piled unevenly on the far side.
He glanced toward the balcony, seeing that there was still some time before morning arrived. It was still dark out there.
Letting out another yawn, he reached forward, fingers brushing over the rough edge of the paper. Lifting it, he scanned the scribbled notes—written in English, messy from sleep-deprived hands. He had dozed off trying to map a plan to reach the Dark Forest.
Life in Wilson had taught him one thing: leaving the Human Empire wasn't going to be easy. If he wanted to visit his own estate or fiefdom, sure—he could get approval with a few requests and the right words. But this? Leaving the empire altogether? That was a different matter. Far riskier. Far more complicated.
He was still just an eight-year-old in his parents' eyes.
The first step was obvious—but not simple.
Aidan stared at the paper in his hand, the ink smudged where his finger had rested too long. The plan was half-formed, full of gaps and guesses, the writing a mess. One thing was certain: he couldn't do this alone. The Dark Forest wasn't a place for someone like him—not yet.
He exhaled slowly. He needed someone strong to go with him—that much was clear. His gaze drifted to the corner of the room. He needed protection. Power. Someone who could stand between him and whatever waited out there.
His father's face surfaced in his mind—stern and calm. He was probably the best person to bring. But...
How would he even begin to explain this? The forest. The need to go. The reason he couldn't stay. And then—there was his name. The real one. The one that didn't belong to this world. That secret had no place in the conversation. It couldn't.
There were too many secrets.
Aidan pressed the edge of the paper against his thumb, watching the faint white line it left behind. Too much was buried beneath the surface—too much he hadn't said. The egg. The strange pull he felt toward it. That connection, quiet and unspoken, humming between them like a second heartbeat.
How could he explain any of it?
Even if his father listened—even if he believed all of it—there was no way to lay it all out without revealing everything. And worse—what if he found out about Earth? About the truth?
Aidan's grip tightened around the paper. The thought made his stomach twist.
He wasn't really his son.
That was something Aidan wouldn't let happen. Not now. Not after everything.
For the first time in his life, he had a family that truly loved him. A mother who held him close and looked at him with warmth, instead of just seeing profit in raising a son. A father who stood tall beside him—not with cold duty, but with care and pride. Aunt Lily, with her endless teasing and sharp tongue, who somehow managed to wrap her love inside every joke.
An uncle who ruffled his hair and laughed like they'd known each other forever. Even his grandmother—strange and distant at times—never looked at him with malice. Just mystery.
Here, he belonged.
He hadn't been pushed aside or ignored. He wasn't rejected by them. Not this time.
And he wasn't about to throw that away.
So, he decided not to include anyone from his family.
Two names surfaced in Aidan's mind—Matthew and Zane.
He wanted to choose Zane—truly, he did.
Aidan's chest tightened at the thought. Zane would've stood beside him without hesitation. Loyalty wasn't the issue.
But strength… strength was.
Zane was First Rank. Aidan knew that. And in Gael's journal, even Second Rank beings had perished within the Dark Forest.
To bring Zane along would be like tossing him into a storm with nothing but hope to shield him.
That wasn't a choice—it was a gamble.
And Aidan couldn't afford to make such a big gamble with both their lives.
So the only real option was Matthew.
Matthew was a Third Rank being—one of the best. Trained personally by Liam, Aidan's father.
Rumors often drifted through the servants, and when you had a friend like Zane, you heard even more—things you never thought you would. From conversations between captains to gossip among the staff, he had access to it all. Once, he even heard that Matthew was only weaker than Charlotte herself. And if not for her, he'd be the strongest in House Wilson.
Matthew might not look the part—not at first glance. But his name carried weight—so much so that even other empires had heard of him. Being Liam's student and a Wilson captain surely played a role in solidifying his reputation, but the one who gave that name true strength was Matthew himself.
Aidan didn't like relying on others.
But Matthew wasn't just "others."
Aidan's fingers reached up to his chin, absently rubbing as his elbow found support on the desk. He rested there, lost in thought.
Matthew was his teacher.
Their relationship had travelled a long, uneven road—one marked by friction, clashing philosophies, and evolution. From annoyance to respect. From being seen as a boy to being recognized as a man.
It was complicated. And uncertain. Aidan wasn't exactly sure what Matthew thought of him now, but there was mutual respect between them, at least.
Still, Aidan couldn't be sure if Matthew would agree to help him—even if he shared bits and pieces of the truth.
Telling Matthew was a risk—a dangerous one. But some gambles had to be taken.
The second part of the plan was to find a plausible reason to leave the Human Empire. Disappearing without explanation wasn't an option. Aidan was certain that if he went missing, his mother wouldn't even let the Emperor himself stand in her way before she found him.
Aidan was already feeling a headache, and he hadn't even started executing the plan. He rubbed his temples and muttered, "Looks like the days ahead aren't going to be easy."
The next step was much easier—go to the Dark Forest, find that egg, figure out why he felt so drawn to it, and come back alive and unbroken.
Simple enough, he thought. What could possibly go wrong?
Aidan stood up from the chair, stretching his arms and legs. It was time for training. He looked toward the balcony as the sun began to rise.