Ryn stirred, his body slowly shaking off the heavy shroud of unconsciousness. The bed beneath him felt damp from the sweat that soaked through his clothes, and his mind, though heavy at first, gradually began to clear. His heart pounded steadily, yet there was a strange rhythm to it, almost like it was beating with purpose—each pulse carrying a surge of energy through his body.
His eyes fluttered open. The dim light of early morning filtered through the small window of his room, casting soft shadows across the stone walls. Slowly, Ryn pushed himself up, his muscles aching, but it wasn't the usual stiffness of weakness. It felt… different. Everything felt different.
He sat on the edge of the bed, still disoriented, but acutely aware of the changes within him. His senses felt sharper—he could hear the faint rustling of wind against the old curtains, the distant footsteps of servants far down the hall. His vision seemed clearer, even in the dim light, as if the details of the world around him had come into sharp focus. His mind, too, raced with clarity, processing information faster than it ever had before.
But the most startling change was the sensation in his chest. Ryn placed a hand over his heart, feeling the subtle but steady build-up of energy pooling there. It wasn't just any energy. It was aura. He had a core.
The realization hit him like a wave. He had spent years trying and failing to even sense the natural energy that surrounded the world. No matter how hard he trained, no matter how much he pushed himself, the aura had always eluded him, leaving him at the bottom of the Redmond family hierarchy. Yet now, it was as if that energy had become a part of him, effortlessly flowing into him, fueling the core at the center of his being.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the core. It pulsed with each heartbeat, stable and calm, unlike anything he had been taught. The Redmond family's technique focused on combusting the aura within, converting it into raw power that exploded through the body in short bursts of incredible strength. But this… this was different. The aura flowed through his veins with every heartbeat, moving in sync with his natural rhythm. Instead of explosive bursts, the energy was distributed evenly throughout his entire body, making him feel stronger and lighter at the same time.
It was like a perfect harmony between body and energy, something far more refined than the chaotic bursts his family practiced. This was a stable, continuous flow of power—a method that felt both familiar and alien at once.
As he opened his eyes, he pondered the strangeness of it all. The inheritance from the grimoire had changed everything. It had given him not just knowledge, but a completely new way of understanding and using aura, a method that both followed and diverged from the Redmond family's teachings.
Just as he was processing these thoughts, the door creaked open, and Rosalia entered the room, carrying a bowl of water and a cloth. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw him sitting up.
"Ryn!" she gasped, dropping everything and rushing to his side. Tears welled up in her eyes as she threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Thank goodness… you're okay! I was so worried…"
Ryn smiled weakly, a sense of relief washing over him as he returned her hug. He hadn't realized how much he had worried her. Rosalia was the only person in the household who truly cared for him, and seeing her tears of relief made him feel guilty for the worry he had caused.
"I'm fine now," Ryn murmured, his voice still hoarse from exhaustion. "It was… strange, but I'm okay."
Rosalia pulled back, wiping her tears away quickly. "You were burning up when I found you… I was so afraid. I didn't know what to do except wait."
She glanced at the bowl of water and cloth she had brought, then back at him. Her eyes softened, relief still evident on her face. "Let me get you something to eat. You need to regain your strength."
Ryn nodded, grateful for her care. As she hurried off to the kitchen, he stood, testing his new strength. He could feel the aura core pulsing quietly within him, its energy ready to be called upon at any moment. His muscles no longer felt weak and fragile. Instead, they moved with a newfound grace and power, as though his body had been reforged from the inside out.
When Rosalia returned with a tray of food, Ryn ate in silence, still marveling at the changes within him. His mind was buzzing with new information, training techniques, strategies, and skills that he had never known before. Every movement he made now felt deliberate, refined—each bite, each breath, like his body was adjusting itself perfectly in response to this new power.
After finishing his meal, Ryn rose from his bed and dressed in fresh clothes. The old, worn garments felt strange against his skin, as though they belonged to someone else entirely. He was no longer the weak boy everyone had dismissed. He had changed—transformed—and with that transformation came a sense of purpose he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Thank you, Rosalia," he said, smiling at her as he gathered his thoughts. "For everything."
She smiled back, though concern still lingered in her eyes. "Just don't scare me like that again, okay?"
Ryn nodded, then turned and made his way toward the training halls. He had so much to test, so much to figure out. The inheritance had given him not only the knowledge but a new regimen—a way to train his body and his core in harmony, to refine this newfound power to its full potential.
As he stepped into the empty courtyard, the familiar clang of swords echoed from the nearby training grounds. But this time, Ryn felt no fear, no hesitation. His heart pulsed with the steady rhythm of aura, his body light and strong, his mind sharp and ready.
He gripped the hilt of his practice sword, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he truly belonged in the Redmond family.
This was the start of a new chapter—one where Ryn would no longer be the forgotten son.