Grabbing a journal, I started to write.
My plan had worked, and I had successfully returned 590 years in the past. Thanks to a skill I had all the knowledge from the future and could remember it with ease.
Grabbing my phone, I quickly turned it on and checked the date.
'Seems like I have returned to the day I had my ceremony'
I was a part of the Van Bismarck family, which wasn't a regular family but a supreme power that ruled the world in the shadows. Thanks to that, it was governed by its own rules and regulations, away from the normal law which were inherited from generation to generation.
Breaking the rules was considered a punishable offense; in most cases, it would be death.
Right now, I am in my father's mansion in the Veyrith Isles.
Only high elders and the patriarch had the right to build their own houses on the archipelago. The reason for that was simple, and that was because of the family ceremony.
Thinking of the family ceremony in my previous life, I couldn't help but grimace.
Last time, my family ceremony didn't turn out that great, resulting in a lot of conflict.
When I was born, I was considered a prodigy. That was due to my blonde hair, which was a sign of a very pure bloodline, which the family favoured. This was also confirmed by the tests the family did.
If a child didn't have a pure bloodline, then they wouldn't be considered an "heir" of the family. They would be given resources to live their life until they are an adult, then be given a job at a company, or if they show promise, they would be an agent of the family and manage some family businesses.
All of that was reinforced when I was able to master the family secret art.
The art was designed to purify the user's bloodline. My bloodline was already pure, so the art shouldn't have had an effect on me, but it did. But as I mastered the art, my hair started to have more black strands, which the family thought meant my bloodline was evolving.
This made me even more valuable.
However, my father's other wives didn't like that.
Thus, they and their devil spawn did many things to hurt my reputation. This worked; however, it didn't do anything to lower my value to the family.
However, the family ceremony happened.
Everyone expected me to have a great result, but that didn't happen. Instead, I barely passed the ceremony. This made the family angry, and I was punished.
But now I was back, and that would change.
Lying back in my chair, I began to calmly right in my notebook.
I then started to write my plans.
The inciting incident that led to my downfall was the ceremony. Then there were more events which were organized by the family before I was forced to break the rules of the family to help a friend.
The family rules can't be broken, no matter what. So after a humiliating trial, I was kicked out and had to live the next 20 years in suffering and poverty. If it were not for the secret help from my stepmother, I would have died.
But then the great cataclysm happened.
That caused the world to change, and I was able to unlock my power. Before I could return to my family, though, I found out they were destroyed, causing me to hide my identity.
I tried to amass power but failed.
That was when I learned about the [Book of Time] and the artifact that could send me back in time.
'Now I'll kill all you fuckers!'
Looking at the scribbles in front of me, I couldn't help but smile. If someone were to try and read this, then they would be confused.
The people learned this language after the great cataclysm, so no one aside from a few people should be able to read this.
Closing it, I let out a breath. "I guess I need to slow down a bit,"
First, I needed to focus on the ceremony.
That is where I can change my fate and be able to start my plans.
*Knock* *Knock*
Opening the door, a young man dressed in a butler's attire entered the room. He was holding something in his hands, which I guessed to be the ceremonial robes I needed for today's ceremony.
"Good morning, young master."
Looking at the servant, I put on a smile while internally raging. I knew who this bastard was all too well. His name was Toby, and he was a snake who betrayed me and was half the reason that led to me being kicked out of the family.
Looking at his face, which had a smile, I clenched my fist before I threw a punch. Feeling my fist make contact with his face, a feeling of ecstasy filled me. I watched as he crumpled to the floor holding his bleeding face.
"Y-young ma-"
"Shut up," I kicked him, causing him to let out a groan. "Who gave you permission to enter?" I asked
"B-but y-"
"Shut it!" I then started to repeatedly kick him as he was down before I stopped.
Looking at the bloody mess that was my "butler", I suppressed the grin.
"What do you want?"
"Th-the lord has a-asked me to give you this robe, a-and to go to the 5th dining room for breakfast," I nodded before kicking him in the face "Now get the fuck out!"
I watched as he scrambled out of the room.
Looking at the robe on the floor, I picked it up before I started to pat down the pockets of the robe. After a bit, I then felt something.
I then pulled out a black smooth stone. It resembled some sort of mineral, much like obsidian. On top, there was a purple runic letter.
From what I researched, this thing was a Withering rune. This reduced the potential power of unawakened people if they didn't have it equipped.
It was thanks to this thing that I barely passed the family's ceremony. Looking at it, a certain memory came to mind.
***
I could feel the cold raindrops hit my face, however, I couldn't feel just how cold they were. Instead, I was overwhelmed with pain, and I felt my broken ribs.
Looking up, I saw a familiar face.
That familiar face was filled with malice as he looked down at me
"W-why?" I crocked
"Why?"
*SMACK*
A foot hit me square in the jaw, causing more blood to come out.
"Cause it wasn't fair you fucking bitch! You were nothing but a leech. My family has done nothing but serve your family for generations, and what do we get? Nothing!" A grin appeared on his face. "So I decided to change that,"
"Your brother gave me an opportunity to get out of your family's grasp."
Hearing that, my heart sank. "Wh-what?"
"That's right, the reason you failed," a grin appeared on his face, "was because of me."
***
Thinking of that, I couldn't help but chuckle, "Who would've guessed that this thing would be the key to my success?"