On the verge of awakening, Yuto's consciousness flickered like a candle about to be extinguished by a gust of wind.
Yuto felt a sharp pain piercing his heart.
With each beat of his heart, the pain spread, tearing at his consciousness, which, for some reason, had awakened to this mind-shredding torment.
A biting cold pricked his skin, making his body shiver. Slowly, he pried open his heavy eyelids.
The first thing he noticed was the bitter taste of mud in his mouth, mixed with the metallic tang of a thick liquid that choked his throat.
Yuto tensed his body and realized he had no energy at all, feeling utterly powerless.
Even breathing was difficult for him at the moment.
But slowly, energy gathered in his veins as a powerful thrum in his heart radiated the fire of life throughout his cold body.
Yuto sat up and his eyes widened to find a silver dagger impaled in his chest. The luxurious clothes he wore were soiled with mud and blood, contaminating their original color.
"Ah..."
He couldn't speak; his throat was too dry to utter a sound, and his body tensed.
He gasped at the horror unfolding. A chilling sensation started to choke him as the dagger slowly slid from his chest, leaving a gaping hole.
It then fell onto his thigh before bouncing to the ground.
Something wriggling like a worm crawled across his chest before the flesh on his chest knitted together, closing the wound from the dagger.
"Aaaah!"
Yuto screamed, his voice high-pitched and echoing in the empty, dark, and terrifying place.
He clapped his hand to his left chest and ripped open his clothes to fully examine his condition.
His smooth skin was stained with dampened soil and blood, but it didn't hide the fact that he appeared to be a healthy person.
Beneath the grime covering his body was a healthy and well-proportioned physique with muscle mass that was neither too large nor too small.
Like an athlete, he also saw his stomach forming a healthy six-pack, not from malnutrition as he knew it.
"Wait a minute, what's going on here?"
His eyes scanned the surroundings. It was dark, with moonlight cascading down through the towering, lush canopy of trees above.
A clear and flowing current rustled beside him, and Yuto crawled towards the river and dipped his head in.
"It's not clear enough, I can't see."
Slowly, as if the world answered his murmur, the sky split open, revealing a silver satellite that emitted a divine light towards the river.
"This is, me?"
From the reflection he saw, it was still a bit blurry, but Yuto managed to grasp the important details. A handsome face with glowing blue eyes and snow-white hair made Yuto freeze, speechless.
Yuto grabbed his cheek and pinched himself to confirm he wasn't dreaming.
"Ouch, that hurts."
His blue eyes widened, realizing he wasn't dreaming. This was his current reality.
"Wait, is this like those stories where people reincarnate into a fantasy world?"
Yuto's face brightened for a moment before a dark shadow clouded his expression as he became aware of his previous state.
He glanced towards the dagger. The silver edge gleamed ominously under the moonlight.
It made Yuto realize the danger he had passed through, or the threat he had experienced, and miraculously came back to life with the help of a miracle.
Yuto shook his head, trying to shake off the cold that was beginning to creep onto his skin.
Once again, he saw his reflection in the gently flowing river.
"What did you just experience?"
As if asking himself, Yuto's calm voice echoed, creating a small ripple in the river's flow, which immediately made his blue eyes widen.
"Elias, that's my name".
Then, Yuto clutched his head, which was throbbing unconditionally, as a memory flashed before his eyes.
"What!?"
...
In a magnificent building, where the ceilings soared high with golden light pouring in from transparent side windows, radiating warmth and blessings that graced the holy place, the temple of the Gods.
The atmosphere in the room was quite tense with the presence of an important figure.
Duke Falcon, a man who was hailed as the strongest in the Kingdom, stood fierce above others.
He wore a dark military uniform adorned with yellow medals and gold stripes symbolizing honor.
Beside him stood a teenager, fifteen years old. He had snow-white hair and captivating sky-blue eyes, fidgeting as he stood before an Altar.
"Don't worry too much, Elias. You are my son!"
A bold and calming voice, which came from his father, momentarily dispelled the tension gripping the boy's heart.
With a small nod, Elias took a deep breath and lifted his feet, walking with his head held high.
Elias faced a chunk of white stone with a transparent sphere on top, about the size of a human head.
"Please, young lord."
The elderly head of the temple, who stood before him, wore formal temple attire with gaudy accessories, trimmed with gold lining.
'Please, just give me a talent like my parents. Let it be for battle.'
Elias pleaded before the head of the temple and the solitary statue of the goddess, standing at the far end of the room.
When his right hand touched the crystal, the room was instantly filled with dazzling platinum light.
"What a strong light!?."
"Elias, my son!"
The head temple gasped at the spectacular event before him, while Duke Falcon barely held his lips from twisting into a joyful grin as he witnessed Elias's ceremony.
The ceremony Elias performed was a common occurrence when a child reached the age of fifteen and was considered an adult.
It would be held at the nearest temple and usually witnessed by other children, but due to privilege and a bag of coins, the ceremony could be held privately without any disturbance.
Elias's heart pounded, for the phenomenon before him was something he had hoped for.
'Finally, I can walk the same path as the other members of my family.'
A sweet smile spread across his face, but his fingertips turned cold with anticipation of what talent would awaken within him.
The platinum light receded, and finally, golden letters danced before Elias and the head temple, forming words that made the head temple frown.
Elias was the same; his blue eyes widened, and his body began shivering as the cold spread through all his veins.
"Elias, what's your talent, son?"
Duke Falcon, unable to contain his curiosity, stepped forward. His booming voice shattered the frozen air around them as Elias's gaze flickered.
Before everyone, the golden letters spelled out 'Cultivation'.
Elias, the head temple, and Duke Falcon swallowed spontaneously.
On that day, Elias's life turned upside down.
…..
After that incident, rumors of the cripple's presence spread throughout the Kingdom.
Elias, the youngest son of a Swordmaster and an Arcmage, met a tragic end when the talent that awakened within him was one leaning towards agriculture.
'Cultivation'.
His life became chaotic; first, his father stopped speaking to him, then his older brother and sister.
Because, unlike him, they had inherited their parents' powers well.
Meanwhile, Elias had to live amidst cynical whispers and scorn, even from the servants in his magnificent house.
The place now didn't feel like home, but rather a prison that dragged his self-esteem deep into the ground.
In the sprawling mansion's garden, Elias was walking in his Mother's garden.
The sweet scent of flowers soothed his tense nerves, which had been on edge ever since the incident.
The rustling sound of flowers dancing in the spring wind brought a sweet rhythm to Elias's ears, whose face held a dark expression.
With the strong sunlight from the east, Elias crouched and touched his Mother's favorite flower, the Spider Lily.
A flower that was considered a bringer of death.
Yet, for some reason, Elias felt drawn to its presence.
'Mother, will you also ignore me like the others?'
Elias stroked its leaves and asked no one in particular.
Because in the face of the heavy trial that had befallen him, only his Mother's figure remained unclear in all these events.
His Mother, now stationed in a border region near the Demonkin kingdom, which was said to be tensing up.
Elias loved his Mother dearly and was very spoiled by her, perhaps also because he was the youngest child in the family, and Elias had never doubted his Mother's affection even for a moment.
However, that trust wavered slightly, just like the state of his heart now, on the brink of collapse.
The sound of footsteps made Elias tense. Lately, he couldn't relax even around someone in his father's mansion.
"...Young master."
A reluctant voice came from a butler behind him.
"Yes, what is it?"
Without turning around, Elias pursed his lips and barely held the frustration from his expression.
"...Lord Falcon, calls for you."
"Alright."
As soon as his business was done, the butler left on his own, without even thinking of accompanying Elias.
Although he knew this would happen, Elias's eyes welled up, and he bit his lip, holding back a sob.
'Huff, calm yourself.'
Elias took a few breaths before going to face his father, who had rarely spoken to him for weeks.
After reaching the door to his father's study, Elias knocked on the door and opened his stiff mouth.
"...Father, I have arrived."
"Come in."
Elias tilted his head, hearing a feminine voice from behind the door. That cheerful and warm voice was very familiar to his ears.
'Dahlia, why is she here?'
Dahlia was the fourth princess of the Kingdom in which Elias resided; she was also Elias's fiancée.
His cold heart began to pound again, and unconsciously, Elias curled up into a smile.
How happy he was that there was still someone who cared about him.
"I'm coming in."
Elias pushed the door with trembling fingers, unaware that the girl behind it would become the last thread between salvation and despair.