The tunnel was silent again.
Dust slowly settled over the collapsed stones, forming a thick gray blanket across the ground. The air smelled of ash and smoke drifting down from the burning palace above.
Somewhere far away, the sounds of battle faded.
Then disappeared completely.
The baby lay quietly on the cold stone floor.
Alone.
Hidden.
Alive.
His silver eyes blinked slowly.
The faint glow within them flickered once… then faded.
For the first time since his birth—
They looked normal.
Deep inside his mind, the ancient voice spoke again.
Cold.
Mechanical.
Emotionless.
"Energy reserves depleted."
A brief pause followed.
Then—
"Entering dormant state."
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Unmoving.
Moments passed.
Then minutes.
Then—
Footsteps echoed softly through the tunnel.
Slow.
Careful.
Approaching.
A figure appeared at the far end of the passage.
Tall.
Armored.
Covered in dust and soot.
A knight.
He moved cautiously, holding a torch in one hand and a sword in the other. His breathing was heavy, strained from exhaustion.
His armor bore the royal crest of the kingdom.
But his face was unfamiliar.
Older.
Scarred.
Worn by years of battle.
The knight stopped suddenly.
His torchlight fell on the small figure lying on the ground.
His eyes widened.
Shock flashed across his face.
"The child…" he whispered.
He stepped forward slowly, lowering his sword.
Every movement was careful.
Respectful.
As if approaching something fragile.
Something sacred.
The baby did not cry.
Did not move.
Did not react.
He simply stared up at the stranger.
Calm.
Silent.
Watching.
The knight knelt beside him.
Up close, he could see the child's pale skin, the faint traces of dust on his blanket, and the strange stillness in his expression.
Not the behavior of a normal infant.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
Something else.
The knight hesitated.
Then gently reached down and lifted the child into his arms.
Carefully.
Protectively.
The baby's small hand curled around the knight's finger.
Warm.
Trusting.
Alive.
A wave of emotion hit the knight unexpectedly.
Relief.
Sadness.
Responsibility.
"You survived," he murmured.
His voice was low and steady.
But inside, his heart raced.
He stood slowly, holding the child close to his chest.
Then he turned his head toward the collapsed tunnel behind him.
Toward the palace.
Toward the kingdom.
A deep rumble echoed through the ground.
The knight stepped out of the tunnel just as the night sky lit up with flames.
The royal palace collapsed.
Stone towers crumbled.
Walls shattered.
Fire roared into the heavens.
The symbol of royal power fell into ruin before his eyes.
The knight watched in silence.
Grief filled his chest.
Everything had changed.
The kingdom would never be the same.
He looked down at the child in his arms.
The last surviving prince.
The target of prophecy.
The forbidden one.
The baby blinked slowly.
His eyes now dull.
Powerless.
Ordinary.
The knight frowned.
He closed his eyes briefly and focused his senses.
Like all trained warriors, he could feel the flow of mana in living beings.
Energy.
Life.
Power.
But when he searched for it within the child—
He found nothing.
His eyes snapped open.
Shock spread across his face.
"No mana…" he whispered.
The truth settled heavily in his mind.
This child—
The one who had caused storms.
Destroyed stone.
Survived assassins.
— had no power at all.
The knight's expression softened.
Not with fear.
Not with suspicion.
But with compassion.
"You are just a child," he said quietly.
"A helpless child."
The wind blew across the burning ruins behind him.
Ash drifted through the air like falling snow.
The world felt cold.
Empty.
Broken.
The knight tightened his grip around the baby.
His voice became firm.
Determined.
"Then I will protect you."
He turned away from the burning palace.
Away from the kingdom.
Away from the life the child was born into.
And he began to walk.
Toward the distant horizon.
Toward exile.
Toward survival.
Toward an unknown future.
Far behind them—
Hidden beneath the ruins of the fallen palace—
The ancient seal cracked once more.
A deep fracture split across its surface.
Chains rattled violently in the darkness.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
And a voice whispered from the shadows:
"The journey begins."