She stepped inside her room, closing the door behind her with a soft thud.
The two guards posted at the entrance exchanged a brief glance, sensing something unusual.
Her face, typically blank and impassive, now carried a subtle change they couldn't quite place.
But as always, she ignored their presence and continued inward, her steps as measured as ever.
Once the door was securely shut, she rested her back against it, allowing herself a brief moment of stillness.
Her head gently tilted against the wooden surface, and her thoughts began to drift.
Despite her usual restraint, the events of earlier slipped into her mind, drawing forth a smile—soft, almost unnoticeable—but a smile nonetheless.
Her face lightened, and the weight she carried seemed to lift ever so slightly.
But just as swiftly as it came, she caught herself.
Her eyes snapped open, the realization breaking through her momentary indulgence.
She straightened her posture, her expression hardening back into its familiar mask.
Her face regained its cold serenity as she moved across the room.
She approached the edge of the bed and gently sat, the plush mattress sinking under her weight.
Her fingers unconsciously travelled through her long, silky violet hair as she absentmindedly stroked it.
The memory of his surprised bark, his expression when they both tumbled to the floor, flickered in her mind.
She shook her head, dismissing the thought. This was no time for such distractions.
---
"No. Focus," Aldrich muttered to himself, shaking his head as he sat on the edge of the bed.
He was trying to push aside the image of her face—those calm eyes, that emotionless, yet captivating stare.
No matter how much he tried, his thoughts kept wandering back to her.
"She really was... stunning," he mumbled, sighing.
It had been years since someone made him feel this way.
Perhaps because he had given most of his time to archery and none to relationships.
Either way, her presence had left an impression on him that he hadn't expected.
He slapped his cheek, trying to snap himself out of it.
"Get it together, Aldrich. There are more important things to focus on."
Aldrich forced himself to think about what mattered.
In two years, the Imperium of Kandrel would fall to the Dokadan Dynasty.
He had less than two years to find a way out of this doomed land.
So therefore, he couldn't afford to get caught up in anything unnecessary—no distractions, no complications.
The countdown had already begun, time was ticking.
He leaned forward, staring at the stone floor beneath his feet, deep in thought.
He had knowledge of Arthdal Chronicles, over a thousand chapters' worth. That included key events, the pivotal moments that shaped the fate of the nations.
If he played his cards right, he could manipulate the story, alter the course of history to his benefit.
However, that isn't his plan.
Altering history meant changing the present which could in turn affect the future, thus branching to a new timeline where new events would occur.
Events that differ completely from the knowledge he has.
As selfish as that could sound, Aldrich can't allow that to be.
The dangers this world posed and the uncertainty that would come with not knowing particular events proved risky in his opinion.
'But wait... hasn't my very presence here already changed the storyline?' Aldrich thought, frowning.
'The original storyline has me written as dead. But I am not. Or at least the original died and I took over.'
He groaned, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
'Damn it, I am sure my being alive has changed the plot already. How much of it has changed is what I wish I knew.'
Also, accounting that a supposedly dead man is interacting with citizens of a country soon to be destroyed?...
The more he thought about it, the more mentally exhausted he felt.
At the end of the day, he gave up thinking.
There was no point in overthinking it.
He'd just have to live the way he wanted, not by the plot's dictates, but on his terms.
That was the only solution he could come up with to attain a stable mental state.
"Either way, if I want to live freely, I'll need power. Strength to carve my path."
His voice was resolute.
In Arthdal Chronicles, everything boiled down to power.
Whether it was political authority or mystical ability, power was the key to surviving in this world.
Arthdal was a land where the mystics reigned supreme.
Although they number less than the average individual, the abilities that come with the tag, A MYSTIC. it makes them exceptionally extraordinary.
The mystics wielded Ki, a force that could bend the laws of nature to their will.
It was derived from two fundamental energies: Essence, the mental energy, and Vitality, the energy of the flesh. When combined, these two forces created Ki, the source of a mystic's power.
Aldrich moved away from the door and walked back toward the bed, the heavy signification of his situation pressing down on him.
He lay back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling as he continued to mull over his thoughts.
"Mystics usually awaken their Ki at the age of ten," he mused aloud.
"Some people take longer... some never awaken it at all. But as an Aldaman, that shouldn't be an issue for me."
The Aldaman were one of the three founding clans of the mystic society, and their lineage was renowned for producing powerful mystics.
Aldrich wasn't concerned about whether he had the potential—he knew he did.
The real question was whether he had already awakened his Ki without realizing it.
'In the world of mystics, the Aldaman are practically royalty,' Aldrich thought.
'If I can tap into that heritage, I'll have the power I need.'
With that thought in mind, he sat up on the bed and assumed a meditative posture, crossing his legs.
He closed his eyes and focused inward, searching for the telltale sign of Ki.
If he had truly awakened it, he would feel a faint pulse, a flicker of energy in his abdomen.
After several minutes of concentration, he felt it.
A soft, rhythmic thrum deep within his core.
Aldrich's eyes flew open, a grin spreading across his face.
"As I thought. The original Aldrich had already formed the Ki core."
"At the age of eight, that would be an impressive feat. But as an Aldaman, he could be considered a dime a dozen."
Excitement surged through him.
Owning a Ki core meant he was a step closer to achieving the Aldaman's bloodline art.
The same art that elevated Eldrich Aldaman's status from an ordinary villain to the story's main villain.
Also the strongest bloodline ability in the history of mystics.