Thankfully on his fourth week he was able to hunt, hide, and escape even more, albeit sacred beasts were still spiteful bullies who had a second sense and could simply sense your direction before bombarding him for a laugh.
However, he had ultimately died the last day of the fourth week, he had died protecting a Starlight Elf City that always ignored him and attempted to shoo him away via mage canons which always became a painful occurrence.
No matter the case, he didn't like the blight horde for trying to destroy that pretty city.
Resulting in him being introduced to skeleton mages? In truth he had no idea what they were, but they were pests! So after killing thousands of canon fodder and assisting each defensive line and preventing them from climbing the walls.
Who at one point sent a barrage at him after he had entered the battle of attrition but after noticing he wasn't attacking them and rather only targeting the blight while relieving the pressure off of the walls and the defensive lines, they had become much more considerate?
Of course, he was being bombarded every step of the way by the blight since he was the only thing in the sky raining flames and spell barrages on the endless hoard.
Resulting in him ultimately receiving a mental message directing him to a dragon pad.
Resulting in him being introduced to a far more mature Starlight Elf Princess that looked to be a direct the ancestor of Sterling, who after a short talk.
Much of it apologizing to him for believing he was a mindless beast without any sentience due to the occasional not so sentient dragon appearing.
Before then eventually healing him, and introduce herself, apparently her name was Silvia Starlight, third princess of The Starlight Elves.
Resulting in the young prince introducing himself as Prince Aurel Elfin and informing her he was partaking in The Starlit Trial while explaining he was forced into a crimson dragon form.
Surprising her quite a bit, especially after hearing his name and talks of a The Starlit Trial resulting in her after putting two and two together to immediately apologize once more having realized what this truly was.
And because she could look into his very much sealed soul and see glimpses of his memories alongside her bloodline ability to detect lies, then that would have been obviously the case.
Of course, after seeing a glimpse of a Starlight Elf Princess through his memories, that was the final confirmation.
Prompting her after several moments to serenely smile a smile the young prince could never forget due to the overwhelming beauty that radiated off of her to ultimately feel a loving tap on his nose as she gifted him her mark of approval.
And perhaps even a connection of some sort?
What was even more concerning was after receiving this mark, he could confirm it was real as in the mark and whatever that connection was, was on his soul?!
Resulting in him realizing Sterling was a big liar! While after seeing his reaction she couldn't help but giggle.
Before then explaining that the true purpose of The Starlit Trials was to endure 'random' effects that had their pros and cons as a trial in itself before repeating such trials and hardships, until finally you were able to fulfill your fate.
Or make his mark on history by becoming a hero in either the future or the past.
Meaning it was a way to prove yourself, while she herself had experienced the same in what she considered was the past.
Unfortunately after healing the best he could, he realized he had only bought himself ten or so minutes while seven of which was used to heal and converse.
Resulting in him asking to continue this conversation via mental message, however before he could receive a response.
He couldn't move and was in fact transforming as if the mark had to take time to effect the trial, and what the trial had decided was it wanted to see his silver dragon form!
Which in itself allowed him to access The Quasi Sacred Realm, while his body and mana shined in a gorgeous silver light.
And soon enough after respectfully bowing to Silvia as if a final farewell, he had soon re entered the battle, all the while speaking to Silvia via mental message when he could.
To put it simply he really wanted to talk to her but he knew he didn't have any more time left.
Due to the appearance of tens of blight dragons appearing as he bombarded the horde that was now being completely decimated due to The Sacred Powerhouses remaining in the back and only watching.
However, he had thirty Legendary Blight Dragons to deal with meaning he much preferred to ignore them, while soon enough as if doing acrobatics in the air, he dived down and struck five at once.
Unfortunately after doing so the other twenty-five dived on him resulting in all of them cratering down to the ground and making a crater within the much smaller hoard.
He had soon been surrounded however as he was prepared to accept his fate.
He released an endless silver flame killing them in one failed swoop, unfortunately he was now heavily wounded and his wing was nearly clipped while despite killing so many dragons it was at the cost of his mana.
Something he had very little of now while having been forced back to The Legendary Realm while he was now surrounded by the hoard who had long since focused on him instead of the city.
Resulting in him making his last stand and releasing his dragon menace, and deafening roars and killing many of the skeletons while suppressing the vampires and blight humans alike as he roared a proclamation.
"I AM THE FIRST PRINCE OF THE ELVES AND I WILL SACRIFICE MY EXISTENCE FOR THE SAKE OF MY STARLIGHT BRETHREN! FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO TAKE MY LIFE COME NOW! I WELCOME YOU!"
The young prince or rather simply the dragon that took over, deafeningly roared. Resulting in the three Sacred Powerhouses or rather a Sacred Blight Dragon, a Vampire Progenitor, and a Blight Inari finally entering the battle.
As the young prince after forcing his wing back into place to then immediately jump into the sky and detonating his mana, however not in an explosion rather to enter The Sacred Realm for the next thirty minutes before ultimately being crippled.
However, he knew he had to at least take two down with him after roaring such nonsense!
Resulting in him ultimately focusing entirely on the dragon or rather dragoness it seemed as he ripped out and ate her heart since apparently that's what his inner dragon wanted despite him truly not knowing what this was.
In truth he may have gotten far too into it. To think his inner Silver Dragon would be such a bully?!
And soon enough after killing the vampire progenitor and doing much of the same, despite him trying not to, he had to ultimately had to detonate the last of his mana after The Blight Inari transformed.
And he was ultimately pummeled, meaning despite exploding his mana so much so that he hit the city walls, she wasn't dead, rather after being injured, she simply took the bodies of her comrades and pranced away.
While the young prince crawled away from the wall and into the battlefield before then looking up to the blurry sky as he felt his life force leaving him.
Causing him after apologizing and thanking Silvia to then victoriously roar as long and as loud as he truly could.
As he saw Starlight and Silver Dragons approaching from a distance, while within his final moments Silvia was there while the dragons were now drastically closer as they prepared to land.
Causing him to slowly lower himself as he didn't wish to look down on her even if it ruined the aesthetic.
However, he refused to die before he could say another word as tears slowly streamed out of his eyes.
"I'm.. truly sorry that.. I couldn't do anything more.. big sister.. I.. I hoped we could.. talk.. more. I'm.. afraid.. but I'm also.. happy? I.. I hope I'm.. worthy"
The young prince weakly apologized, in truth despite knowing this was a trial, experiencing death isn't something he prepared for.
He knew it was a necessity, but he hadn't known he'd react this way. It was so much easier until he experienced it himself.
His life was chaotic, and filled with so much love, and yet he worried about so much even when he didn't need to, he held onto things that didn't need him to, he regretted so much.
However, this was an adventure he'd never forgotten, he'd never forget who he met along the way even if this end was temporary.
Causing Silvia to tearily smile with that serene smile.
"You've done more than anyone could have ever asked of you, as for those fears, you needn't fear any longer, I am here my sweet prince. You'll forever be worthy in my eyes"
"May we meet of greener pastures my dearest prince, now rest, and may we meet in the future so as to speak more"
Silvia serenely reassured, as tears streamed down her face. To her this was simply heartbreaking beyond belief, she had seen glimpses of him, his childhood, and his family as if she had always been there.
While he was truly the sweetest child.
And for him to die even on behalf of The Starlit Trial, she simply couldn't hold back the tears.
She truly wished to know and spend time with this child, however she no longer had the chance to. To meet such a kind child and to watch him die was simply painful beyond belief.
Causing her to tearily hold his head in her lab as mud and tears covered her dress.
All the while the hundred or so Starlight and Silver Dragons had landed to see such a devastating scene, the young prince's draconian body had been brutalized while they heard his roars from a distance.
Resulting in them coming as fast as they truly could, to hear a young dragon and that of a Silver Dragon fighting for its life and winning only to die was already heartbreaking, but one that was so young and a royal no less?!
This was simply devastating, especially during this era.
That meant The Blight Invasion had caused the death of a Royal Silver Dragon and quite possibly an Elven Princess let alone one who was a child?!
And the fact that they were too late resulted in this no doubt becoming a shameful checkpoint in history.
However, Silvia wouldn't disclose his identity, while The Starlight Elves took Starlit Trials very seriously meaning outside of families and royalty, no one else including the elves were allowed to hear of it making it exclusively a secret to their race.
Meaning his identity as The First Prince of The Elves wouldn't be disclosed to anyone else while the balance ensured his body was that of a young elven princess without any other bloodlines or hints.
Resulting in the belief now being a child and Princess of The Kingdom of The Elves had died after successfully defending a Starlight Elf City and that of their Princess, while it seemed she knew her meaning chances were they had some form of relationship.
So much so that Silvia was this distraught and held onto her even while now covered in mud, which would conclude they were close 'enough' that she couldn't have cared less for her appearance or how she grieved in these moments.
Resulting in history being recorded as such, all of which were remembered by The Starlight Elves even after their disappearance.
All the while after finally waking up in Kassandra's room and within Kassandra's arms after seemingly being stuck in a four-week coma. Kassandra had soon woken up after noticing the tears.
Resulting in the young prince simply crying is heart out until he no longer had any tears left before then finally calming down and because Kassandra was simply reassuring even if she hadn't said a word.
Prompting him after several moments to both catch his breath and collect his thoughts to then sigh with relief.
"I'm sorry, I.. I hate trials and I don't like dying and that bully princess lied about that trial! But.. I was worthy even if I died. I'm sorry big sister, I didn't know when trial would happen"
The young prince weakly mumbled, causing Kassandra to slightly nod, having understood the gist of it now it seemed.
"One shouldn't apologize for what they are unable to truly control, while trickery involving 'trials' is indeed a common occurrence. One should always ensure they are aware of and know of what one entails before accepting any trial, no matter who it originated from or the one who suggested it"
Kassandra softly reassured, causing the young prince to helplessly nod in agreement seeing as Sterling really left out a lot of 'important' details. Details she should have 'really' told him..