Chapter 57: The Last Days of Peace
The sky above the Everhart estate burned in shades of deep crimson and gold, a reflection of the ever-turning wheel of fate. The end of childhood was near.
Leonhardt stood at the highest balcony of the estate, gazing toward the horizon. Seven years. That was all that remained before the world plunged into war.
He could feel it. The countdown had begun.
A Father's Warning
"You're growing stronger."
Leonhardt turned his head to see his father, Aldric Everhart, standing behind him. The Grand Duke's crimson gaze was as sharp as ever, filled with silent approval.
"I should be," Leonhardt replied. "I don't have the luxury of being weak."
Aldric studied him for a moment before speaking. "War is approaching. The emperor will not say it outright, but he knows it as well."
Leonhardt's expression did not change. He had known this for years.
"The moment I turn sixteen, he will send me to war."
His father nodded. "Yes. And it will not be a simple battlefield. The empire will test you, just as it tested me."
Leonhardt's grip tightened against the stone railing. "Let them try."
Aldric smirked. "That's my son."
A heavy silence settled between them. Then, his father's voice dropped.
"But do not let them decide your fate, Leonhardt. The Everharts have never been mere pawns."
Leonhardt understood. He was not just the empire's strongest heir—he was the reincarnated King of Gods.
And no empire would control his destiny.
Celestia's Gift
Later that evening, as the estate quieted, Leonhardt found his mother waiting in the private training hall.
Celestia von Everhart stood in the center, holding something wrapped in enchanted silk.
"Leonhardt," she called softly.
He approached. "What is it?"
She smiled, unwrapping the cloth to reveal a black and gold grimoire, its cover shimmering with runes of ancient magic.
"A gift," she said, placing it in his hands. "This is the Book of the Abyss—an artifact passed down through the Everhart lineage. Only those who have mastered both sword and magic can use it."
Leonhardt ran his fingers over the cover.
Power pulsed from the book, whispering secrets only he could hear.
"You are ready for it now," Celestia said, her voice tinged with pride. "This will aid you in what is to come."
Leonhardt met his mother's gaze. He did not need to ask what she meant.
Seven years would pass in an instant.
And soon, he would step onto the battlefield.
Aetheria's Vision
Far away, in the grand palace of the Sun God's temple, Aetheria Nyx Lunaris Solis stood before a mirror, her violet eyes lost in thought.
The celestial glass reflected her face, but beyond it, she saw something else—
A battlefield.
Fire and blood.
And in the middle of it all—
A young man with ashen-black hair and fiery red eyes, standing against an army of thousands.
Her heart clenched.
Leonhardt.
The war was not yet here.
But the time was coming.
And when it did—
She would find him.
No matter what.