I began to notice more.
In the vast and well-kept palace courtyard, Lily trained with her sword. Her body was still small, yet her movements already showed an unusual discipline for someone her age. Her feet touched the ground lightly, almost without sound. Every swing of the wooden sword in her hand cut through the air with a sharp hiss—fast, precise, and filled with intent.
My father stood before her.
His posture was firm. His gaze calm, yet deep. He barely moved, simply observing.
"Don't use strength," he said flatly.
"Use intent."
Lily didn't answer. She took a breath—then attacked again.
This time faster.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
And yet, my father…
stopped it with a single finger.
One.
Finger.
Lily's full-force strike halted instantly, as if it had collided with an invisible wall. There was no loud impact. No explosion of power. Just… stopped. Absolutely.
In that moment, I understood.
The difference between being strong…
and being truly strong…
is an unimaginable abyss.
—
Lilith chose a different path.
She wasn't in the training yard. She stood inside, beside my mother, in a quiet room filled with a subtle, indescribable aura. The air around her felt warm, yet stable.
At the tip of her finger, a small magic circle slowly rotated.
A flame appeared.
Small.
Stable.
Perfect.
Not wild.
Not spreading.
Not wavering.
It didn't burn. It didn't rage. It simply… existed. Obedient to her will.
My mother smiled gently.
"You have extraordinary control," she said.
Lilith only nodded slightly.
No arrogance.
No doubt.
Only certainty.
Twins.
Yet walking different paths.
Sword… and magic.
Power… and control.
And I…
was still watching.
—
One day… someone came.
I felt him before I saw him.
His steps were heavy.
His aura… sharp.
Not just strong. But carrying something cold, measured, and lethal.
The door opened slowly.
A man entered.
Black armor covered his body. Not shining, not flashy—yet it felt even more oppressive because of it. His gaze was cold, like someone who had seen too much to care about the small things.
Veil Basten.
He stopped when he saw me.
For a long moment.
"…So this is him."
My father stood beside him.
"My son."
Veil stepped closer.
Calm. Unhurried. Yet every step felt like it pressed down on the space itself.
He looked at me.
Up close.
"…His eyes."
My father remained silent.
"What about them?"
Veil narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Not like a baby's."
Silence fell.
I stared back.
Without fear.
Without hesitation.
We locked eyes for a few seconds—
yet it felt far longer than it should have.
Then—
he gave a faint smile.
"He'll become someone dangerous."
My mother entered the room, her steps soft yet certain.
"He'll become someone happy," she said quietly.
Veil looked at her for a moment.
Then gave a small nod.
"Hopefully."
—
Days passed.
I began to recognize them not by their faces… but by their footsteps.
My mother was light.
Like a breeze you could barely feel.
My father was steady.
Heavy, consistent, unshakable.
Lily was fast.
Full of energy. Always moving, always alive.
Lilith…
almost silent.
Like a shadow that didn't want to be found.
And Veil—
like something that never truly left.
—
I finally understood.
The name Rodieck… is not just a name.
It is a symbol.
Power.
Legacy.
Dominance.
That name carries expectations.
Pressure.
And a long history.
And I…
am part of it.
But inside me, there is something they do not have.
Memories.
Pain.
Loneliness.
And… resolve.
I have lived before.
I have been someone insignificant.
I know what it feels like to be ignored.
Forgotten.
To live without direction.
And this time…
I will not let that happen again.
—
One night, my mother held me near the window.
The dark sky stretched endlessly above.
Two moons shone over this world.
Beautiful.
Yet unfamiliar.
Their light fell softly into the room, wrapping everything in a calm, cold hue.
"You will grow strong," she whispered.
Her voice was soft.
Warm.
I looked at the sky.
I am still a baby.
Still weak.
My body is small. Fragile.
But deep within me—
something… is beginning to rise.
Slowly.
But surely.
I am no longer a shadow.
I am no longer a child forgotten by the world.
I am Khan Rodieck.
Son of a Swordmaster.
Son of a Circle 5 Mage.
Younger brother of two prodigies.
And one day—
I will stand.
I will walk.
I will fight.
I will surpass them all.
Not because I have to.
Not because the world demands it.
But because…
I choose to.
And for the first time in two lifetimes—
I am not alone.