"What is this? Where are the dragons? My sword?"

Amidst the seemingly infinite darkness, nothing but his thoughts accompanied him. He tried to look around, but nothing changed. Perhaps darkness was truly all there was to see, or maybe he couldn't even perform such a movement.

"...Where am I...?"

At first, after a long time, a small luminous point emerged from the darkness. Soon, more and more, the blinding light grew uncontrollably. Constrictions around him seemed to release his body from its immobile state.

"This is..."

Strange and unrecognizable words could be heard as his head emerged from the darkness.

"...my birth? Am I reliving everything I've been through?"

When the contractions stopped completely, his body was enveloped in something warm and soft, something quite comfortable. But even that warmth and comfort didn't compare to the cozy feeling he could sense moments before, even in the darkness, that almost tangible snugness.

"No, please... if this is it..."

However, the comforting sensation quickly changed, and the previous coziness returned.

"...just kill me..."

"—******, **** Herbert?"

"...Herbert? What does this mean?"

Slowly, his painful eyes opened, and before him, after his vision fully adjusted to the brightness, appeared something so beautiful, so graceful, that one could hardly believe it was from this world. Her long silvery hair shimmered uncontrollably as it reflected the sunlight. Her flawless skin maintained its beauty even with sweat drops glistening all over her face. And, finally, her blue eyes, undoubtedly the most beautiful part of her whole countenance, seemed to hold the stars of the night sky within them.

"...Who is this woman?"

The tenderness in her heavy smile made it impossible to look away.

She took one of the baby's tiny hands and brought it towards her mouth, her smile persisting.

"—*******, **** Herbert.."

"I understand..."

With the small hand against her most beautiful face, the baby smiled.

"...these are not my memories. This is not my past. Herbert, from now on, that is my name... I am reborn!"

It took around five months for Herbert to start understanding some words of the strange language of that new world. During the same period, with the technique he had mastered in his previous life, he had already accumulated enough energy to be considered at the top of the third class. However, being in the body of a newborn, the growth of his energy accumulation became limited, increasing as his body developed.

At the age of one, his energy level was close to that of an average second class. On that day, his mother, despite everything, smiling in front of him, seemed so sad, so scared. Her hands trembled as she held him, her smile now seeming more forced and sadder than ever before.

"Where are we going?"

In a carriage surrounded by several guards, mother and son were taken from their isolated home in the middle of the forest.

"What's with these tears?"

Herbert put his hands on his mother's face and smiled.

"—Don't worry, my little warrior... Mommy is...— Helena said, with a sad smile, which became even sadder thanks to the tears that kept flowing down her face. But for Herbert, who had never seen anything like this, even that smile seemed so warm, loving, and genuine, despite the tears.

After some time, they arrived at a large city. Its huge walls seemed capable of protecting it from anything and everything, at least from everything in that world.

As they approached the city center, Helena shivered more and more.

The horses stopped, the carriage door was opened, and the guards were all divided into two rows on each side.

"Is this... a castle? Are we of royalty?"

After surveying the entire castle with his eyes, Herbert looked at his mother. Unaware, she pressed him against her chest, and not a word, but a shrill sound escaped her lips for a brief moment and brought Helena back to reality.

"I'm sorry, my son! I didn't mean to... I'm sorry..."

For Helena, every step within the castle seemed to carry an immense weight.

"What the hell happened to you in this place?" Herbert wondered.

Facing a huge red and gold door, she hesitated.

"They are entering now, Her Royal Highness, Helena Stuart, and the prince, Herbert Stuart!"

For a brief moment, the thought of leaving that place crossed Helena's mind. But after the announcement, that idea was gone. Once again, she pressed Herbert against her chest, but this time, he did nothing, not emitting a single sound. Because, looking into his mother's eyes, Herbert saw not fear or anger, but something he was not accustomed to, something he had seen before, in the past, in moments when others realized that the lives of their most beloved were hanging by a thread. It was concern.

Helena entered the hall. Although she tried to do everything to "hide" Herbert, so that he wouldn't see how others looked at him, that feeling, that sensation, the rage, envy, and disgust were almost palpable.

"Despicable, just wait..."

"I greet Your Majesty, the king of the Kingdom of Murus."

Kneeling before the throne, Helena remained firm, protecting Herbert from all the looks. But with a single sentence, the king made her tremble.

"Stand up and come to me."

Her body froze— "...Pardon?"— she hesitated, hoping for the impossible. A different answer.

"Bring the child to me; I want to see my son."

Helena stood up. Every step towards the throne felt like a sword piercing her back. The looks, the pretentious smiles, and the words they didn't bother to hide, Helena noticed them all, and Herbert felt it too. In his mind, he swore: It won't take long, so wait. Soon, you'll look at me with the same eyes my mother carries now... even if I have to turn this world into a hell as great as the other.

"Red eyes... I've never seen anything like it before." In a world where eyes reflect the soul, their color can say a lot about someone's personality, future, and some even believe it reveals their past. "What could this mean, sir?"

"Red...," an old man picked up Herbert and looked deeply into his eyes, as if trying to see his soul. "This could mean passion, energy, or perhaps power. In a way, we could say the young prince is quite blessed."

The old man thought he had analyzed Herbert, but he had no idea that, in fact, it was he who was being analyzed.

"A sixth-circle mage... So these annoying ones exist in this world too? Maybe I should create some circles this time."

Since no one came near them, it took a while for Herbert to realize that all that celebration was just for his first birthday. He only noticed it when a child innocently came towards the table where he and his mother were and congratulated them.

"A birthday party... was this supposed to be something really disgusting?"

Everything went smoothly, except for the annoying glances and conversations that Herbert fortunately couldn't fully understand, but unfortunately, Helena could. No one had the courage to do something explicit against them, at least not during the party.

When everything was over, Helena quickly ran towards the carriage. She wanted to leave that place, to take her son out of that filthy environment.

"Oh, excuse me, miss. I didn't see you there."

With a wine glass in hand, one of those sitting on one of the thrones near the king got in Helena's way. Alongside Helena and Herbert, the wine glass fell.

"Are you alright?" The answer to his question was silence. "Humm, but what to do now? The wine will make the floor all sticky... could you..."

"Forget about those idiots; from now on, you'll be the first."

The prince fell to his knees. At that moment, an overwhelming aura engulfed the entire castle.

Herbert pulled his mother's clothes and looked her in the eyes. "...Forgive me..." she said, while running towards the carriage, being the only one able to move at that moment.

"What was that!?" the king asked.

Everyone who was still in the castle was scared, some couldn't get up, and in others, the effect was so strong that even after the aura dissipated, they still trembled, lying on the dirty and cold floor.

"A monster may have approached, Your Majesty."

"A monster?" the king stood up, rushed to the windows, and looked at the sky. "Go, inform the guards to increase security."

"Yes, sir!"

"A monster of this scale... what do you think it could be, Sir?"

The old man approached the king and, together, they looked up at the sky. "A monster... to have such a powerful aura... maybe a dragon?"

"A dragon? But they are only legends."

"Legends, you say... magic was also considered just a legend in the past."

"But, what if it really is a dragon... how could we defend ourselves from something like that?"

"...But what if it's not a monster?"

"How so?"

"What I mean is, what if the owner of that aura is a person?"

"That's not possible, not even Sir Northon has such a powerful aura. That thirst for blood is not human; it can't be."

After all that, the kingdom remained on high alert. But in the forest, Helena and Herbert were never so at peace.

In two years of practice, the third circle of mana around Herbert's heart had been formed. But due to training with both energies, he could only reach the top of the second class. Five more years passed; now Herbert was eight years old. Five circles of mana and at the top of the first class.

"Damned liars! They said it takes much training just to form a single mana circle."

Lying in the shade of a large apple tree, Herbert played with his mana, shaping various animals—dogs, horses, birds, and even phoenixes and dragons.

"What's the point of training a whole lifetime to reach the seventh circle when, after seven years of training, I'm already on the fifth?"

"Herbert, come! It's time for lunch!"

The animals vanished. It didn't take much; just hearing his mother's voice was more than enough to make him forget everything and smile.

"I'm coming!"

Although seemingly of royal blood, their home could not be compared in any way to the castle where Herbert's first birthday party was held. Made of wood, without any chic or elegant details. All it had was what was necessary... just the essentials. Especially for Herbert, someone for whom wealth didn't matter. After all, what is a bit of gold to someone who once had the world in their hands?

"You didn't eat many apples, right?"

For Herbert, money didn't matter, but seeing his mother living that way... that's what irritated him the most.

"Of course not, I was waiting for you to call me."

"Really? Then take this; have another piece of meat. You're in your growing phase, after all. You need to grow as healthy as possible."

The difference in their plates was evident. Herbert's had no abundance, but he certainly wouldn't go hungry. Helena's, on the other hand...

"But, mom... and you?"

"Me? This is enough for me. You know I don't eat much."

That painful smile, for the first time in Herbert's life, he was witnessing new feelings. Not pleasant ones, but necessary ones. Feeling that meant he was not only alive but that he cared.

"...Alright... I'll grow strong and healthy, and I'll give you so much meat that you'll get sick of it."

"Alright, alright. Do that, I'll be waiting."

"I'm serious!"

"Yes, I know, I know. Now eat before it gets cold."

Even as he enjoyed the peace he had never known, with a mother who had finally come into existence, it didn't mean Herbert had forgotten his words from years ago. On the contrary, they were more alive in his mind than ever before, and that night would make that abundantly clear.

"Get away! Get away from me, you monster!"

"What are you talking about, brother? Let's have a little chat." Herbert sat on the bed and smiled. "I thought the security in a castle would be interesting. But it wasn't even fun. They were too weak."

"No, no, why? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Doing what? I came here to talk, so come closer."

The prince looked at Herbert, and in his eyes, his smile was not just eerie but completely demonic.

"No..." He stood up and began pounding on the door, which was previously closed, shrinking back, trembling with fear. "Help! Please, someone help me!" His screams were loud, but for some reason, no one came to his rescue.

"What are you doing? Didn't I already say this won't work?" Herbert's smile disappeared. In one of his hands was a branch, the weapon used to force his way into that room. He moved the branch toward the prince. "Come closer!" It wasn't a request; it was an order.

"What?" The prince looked down, lost his balance, and fell. His legs spread in opposite directions, and the rest of his body fell backward. "Aaaaahh!!"

"Come closer!"

With each inch he crawled, the trail of his blood grew. Facing those red eyes that seemed to contain a sea full of blood, the prince realized he was nothing. Nothing more than a toy in Herbert's hands.

"Humm, but what to do now? Your blood will make the floor sticky... let's finish our conversation before the smell becomes unbearable, alright?" Smiling, Herbert approached. "Now, tell me everything you know about my mother."