Seven years had passed since that night of rebirth.
Now, his name was Elric—the Fourth Prince of the Aldia Empire. His hair was silver like moonlight, and his eyes were icy blue like a frozen lake. He was tall for his age, handsome with a gentle face, but his gaze never matched his young age. He was the son of Emperor Galvian and a commoner concubine who died shortly after giving birth.
But Elric did not grow up in the grand halls of the main palace. He was cast away to the East Wing—a place for discarded children. Unrecognized. Unnoticed. Unimportant.
The only person who took care of him was an old woman with a hunched back and fading sight.
"Prince Elric, time to eat... though the rice is cold again," she muttered, handing over a worn wooden bowl.
"It's fine, Grandma Lira. I like it this way," Elric replied softly, accepting the food with a faint smile.
Grandma Lira smiled. "You're always polite... unlike the other little nobles."
Elric only smiled. In his mind, he was already analyzing ten possible ways to bring down three high-ranking nobles in the next two years.
---
Elric's days were filled with solitude... but never wasted.
While his half-brothers learned royal etiquette and history from high-born tutors, Elric studied ancient magic. He found old scrolls left behind in the dusty, forgotten library of the East Wing.
"Controlling the soul of living beings... with this magic pattern?" he muttered, touching a magic circle drawn on a brittle paper.
He practiced alone, in secret, in his room.
A glow appeared in his hand, and he tested the magic on a crow at his window. The crow obeyed.
"Interesting magic."
The next day, Elric waited by his door for a passing servant. He quickly used magic to knock the man unconscious—without a trace.
Using disguise magic, he took the servant's identity. He entered the main kitchen, just to listen to gossip from unaware servants.
"Hey, I heard the Second Prince might be engaged to Princess Lenthelia from the Southern Kingdom."
"Yeah, but rumor says she's more interested in the First Prince."
"Oof, drama incoming."
From behind a pillar, Elric memorized everything.
"Interesting rumors... I can use this to set up a new instrument."
Even at age seven, he had tamed dozens of crows to be his spies.
He called one over. "Find the First Prince," he whispered. "Tell me who he meets today."
The crow flew silently. Elric watched the sky.
---
One night, Elric sat in the back yard of the East Wing. Weeds grew wild between stones, and the moon hung pale above.
A rat scurried past and stopped near his feet. It was too calm... too obedient.
"Show me the secret path to the palace's core," Elric whispered.
The rat turned and ran.
Elric followed it—through narrow halls, hidden doors, ducking behind dark walls—until they reached a forgotten room.
Symbols of ancient magic covered the walls. Dusty books with worn leather covers lay around. Portraits of royal family members hung... but their faces were all marked out in black ink.
With a calm hand, Elric opened one book.
"Sacred Blood of Aldia... only pure descendants may sit on the throne."
But the next line made his eyes widen:
"One shall be born among them, sharing the blood, but with a soul from another world. He shall become the empire's ruin and the light that overturns the age."
Elric chuckled.
"A prophecy, huh?..." he whispered. "A prophecy that's already walking among you, and you won't know until it's too late."
He closed the book and whispered to the rat.
"Keep this path in your memory. We'll come back."
---
The next day, the palace kitchen was in chaos.
A male servant was found on the floor, eyes blank, hair turned white, mumbling one name over and over:
"James... Moriarty... James... Moriarty..."
"Who's that?" one head servant panicked. "No such person exists here!"
"How did he know that name?!"
News spread quickly. Some nobles grew nervous.
Meanwhile, in the East Wing, Elric sat cross-legged on his floor. An old book lay open in his lap. With black charcoal, he slowly drew a small magic circle.
"A twisted illusion just needs a little push... and a bit of fear."
He looked up at the small window to the blue sky.
Grandma Lira came in with food.
"Dear, you haven't slept all night?"
"I'm interested in... imperial family history," Elric said calmly.
Grandma Lira chuckled. "Is that so? The Aldia Empire has a long history. The royal family comes from the line of holy heroes, dear."
"I know. I plan to study it more deeply."
She looked at him quietly. There was something in his eyes... something not from a child.
"Don't be too hard on yourself. The world's already cruel enough."
Elric smiled. "In the end, the world will dance around the center of the instrument."
She just shook her head and left, unsure if she understood.
---
That evening, Elric sat on a tree branch in an empty garden.
From afar, he saw the balcony where the young nobles chatted.
"The Second Prince wears fur again. Not even cold yet. Quite the fashion statement," he murmured.
From below, a crow called.
"You're back, Nero?" Elric looked down. "Your report?"
The bird cawed twice.
"Hmm... Two secret meetings last night. One with the Church's envoy. One with an Eastern Kingdom's ambassador."
He crossed his arms.
"The First Prince shouldn't be this reckless. But good... they're too busy playing each other."
He looked down at his notebook.
"It's time for me to become the main player."
He slowly closed the book.
"The symphony of chaos... is just about to begin."