"The light... so strange..." I opened my eyes, my body numb as if I had just endured a fierce storm. My mind was hazy, and I struggled to catch my breath. In a fleeting moment, I recalled the scene of a truck barreling towards me, the horrific crash echoing in my head, and then darkness. I thought that was the end. But instead of oblivion, I found myself standing here, in a lavish room straight out of a fairy tale.
"Am I still alive?" I muttered to myself, my eyes glued to the walls adorned with jewels, shimmering under the dim glow of ancient lamps. Every detail in the room exuded opulence, yet it made me feel lonelier than ever. A grand painting hung on the wall, depicting royal scenes of glorious achievements, seemingly mocking my fate.
But something was amiss. My footsteps felt weightless, and when I looked into the mirror, I barely recognized myself. The face reflected was not Akira—a typical high school student. Instead, I saw silver-white hair and striking blue eyes filled with noble charm, but this body... was weak, as if its vitality had been drained long ago. I felt an invisible weight pressing down on me, as if a ghostly hand were restraining my every movement.
I had no time to understand further. The large door suddenly swung open, and a woman entered. She radiated not warmth but a chilling demeanor, with piercing eyes sharp as blades, dressed in an extravagant noble gown. "Lancelot, what are you doing awake at this hour? You should know your place."
"Lancelot?" I thought, trying to conceal my confusion. "Is this my new name?" A tangle of questions flooded my mind. No one, not even she, knew who I truly was. I had been reincarnated here, but not under the glow of a special destiny. This was a world where no one knew of my existence. I was just a speck of sand in the merciless storm of fate.
This new body—the youngest child of the Vermillion family, one of the most powerful clans in the kingdom of Atheria—was looked down upon and scorned. Everyone in this family had exceptional talents and extraordinary powers, yet I did not. They often spoke of me with disdainful glances, as if I were a burden they had to bear. That feeling burned like a fire in my soul.
"Why am I being restrained like this?" I wondered, filled with anger. Every time I tried to train, even just holding a sword or lifting a light object, my body trembled, unresponsive. My strength seemed choked by some force. No matter how hard I tried, my body betrayed me.
In the following days, I tried to learn about the Vermillion family, but no one was willing to help. Instead, the cold stares and mockery only deepened my despair. "I am not the weakling they think I am," I silently vowed, my fists clenched tightly. "I will not let them continue to look down on me."
Stepping out of the room, the sunlight from the vast garden hit my eyes, but it couldn't dispel the darkness in my heart. The garden was meticulously cared for, with blooming flowers and lush greenery, yet that beautiful scene could not conceal the loneliness I felt. Each step I took was a battle, and I had no idea who I was fighting against.
One evening, exhausted after struggling to train my frail body, I suddenly heard whispers. At first, I thought it was just the wind rustling through the trees outside the window, but then the sound grew clearer. It was not from outside but... from within me.
"Who do you think you are? Do you believe that mere willpower can change everything?" A low, powerful voice echoed in my head. It sent chills down my spine, as if an invisible hand was tightening around my throat.
"Who... are you?" I whispered, trying not to let my voice tremble. I knew I shouldn't be afraid, but the presence of that voice unsettled me.
"I am the one who has imprisoned you. I am the curse you cannot escape."
I felt my body go cold. Just as I suspected, there was some force holding me back. But why was I cursed? I was just an ordinary student, someone with nothing special. Why did I have to endure this bondage?
"You will never escape this curse... unless you uncover its secret," the voice echoed again, this time with a mocking tone. I sensed the challenge in every word.
What was this curse? Why was it targeting me? That night, I couldn't sleep. Each word felt like sharp blades carving deep into my mind. Clearly, there was a power greater than me controlling my life, and I needed to uncover it.
The next day, I decided to investigate the Vermillion family. There had to be something in the history of this clan that explained my predicament. If this curse truly existed, it couldn't simply be a matter of physical weakness.
I stepped into the ancient library of the castle, where dusty tomes piled high from generations past. This was the family's treasure trove, holding the secrets of noble blood. The pages, faded with black ink, bore lines that were barely legible, but I wouldn't give up. I had to uncover the truth.
As I flipped through the old pages, I discovered that the Vermillion family was not only famous for its power and wealth. Some lines were obscured, but still enough for me to piece together fragmented clues. There was something dark that had occurred in the family's past—a pact, or more accurately, a covenant with a mysterious force to attain absolute power. But the price paid for that power was something that no one could accept.
"Covenant... absolute power..." I whispered, piecing together fragments. The Vermillion family had traded something to gain their current standing. And the cost of it... was it the bondage I was currently enduring? The suffocating feeling in my heart surged again. I could not accept this.
"I will not let you escape this easily," the voice echoed again, cold and malicious. It felt like a shadow haunting me, lurking in every thought.
Well, perhaps this was a threat sent to me, but at that moment, my resentment had peaked, and nothing seemed capable of altering my determination. "I will uncover the truth," I vowed to myself, my eyes filled with resolve. This curse would not imprison me forever. But to achieve that, I needed to delve deeper into the order of this world. The hidden corners did not occur naturally; the flow of memories and resentment must have caused sins that could not be erased.