[Flashback to Kaiser's death]
The sky above the duchy was a leaden gray, perfectly reflecting the state of her heart since the announcement of Kaiser Paragon's death. The official news spoke of a devastating attack and a county in ruins, but for her, it was the silence of a part of her soul that echoed the loudest. However, she could not allow herself to sink into eternal lethargy. As Merope, one of the seven Pleiades, she knew that her time in this world was now limited.
She turned away from the window to observe her son, Julian, who was lying in bed. He seemed lost, his usually assured and arrogant posture having crumbled under the weight of recent events.
"Julian, I am going to train you. But we cannot stay here. The eyes of the duchy and the court are too sharp. We will leave for Arcadia in one week. There, in the wild lands, no one will come to disturb us."
