The banquet drew to a close in a slow unraveling of silk and wine.
Nobles filtered out in pairs and small groups, their whispered conversations trailing behind them like vapor.
The torches burned lower, and servants moved like shadows to gather discarded goblets and crumpled napkins. But even in its quiet decline, the night thrummed with the lingering tension I had orchestrated.
I hadn't needed to raise a blade—just walk, speak, and stare.
Now, I returned to his private wing with Garron and Selene. The doors shut behind us, muffling the distant laughter and music. In the silence, Garron gave a short nod and disappeared into the hall, always vigilant. Selene lingered only long enough to place a fresh goblet of water on the side table before retreating, knowing I needed space.
Lucien stood alone in his chambers. The fire crackled in the hearth. My ceremonial doublet lay discarded on a nearby chair. I stretched out my hand, palm open.
System.
A familiar golden shimmer flared to life, hovering in the air like an arcane tapestry. Strings of script unfolded across his vision, elegant and cold.
[Name: Lucien D'Aureville]
[Wealth Access: 10,000 Gold Crowns]
[Current Rank: Apprentice]
I looked at the promotion option. I had enough money to afford it.
The script glitched—then flickered again, shifting.
[ERROR: Bloodline Detected — D'Aureville Prime Vein Signature][Standard Advancement Path Incompatible]
My brows furrowed. "What…?"
New lines shimmered into existence.
[The D'Aureville bloodline possesses a sealed core, tied to ancestral power. Advancement requires ignition of the blood inheritance.]
[Option: Unseal bloodline using system override — Cost: 10,000 Gold Crowns]
My stomach turned slightly. That wasn't a small sum. it was the worth of a small barony
"Is there another way?" I asked aloud, not expecting an answer.
But the system pulsed once, and a new message followed:
[Alternative methods include consumption of rare catalyst artifacts: Obsidian Flame Heart, Royal Moon Lotus, or Pure Dragonbone.][Estimated acquisition time via normal means: 2–3 years minimum]
I let out a breath, slow and controlled. Of course. Nothing came easy.
I sat on the edge of the bed, jaw tight. This wasn't just a wall—it was a message, written into his very blood. The D'Aurevilles were not meant to grow stronger by simple means. Their path demanded tribute, pain… or gold.
And right now, gold was what he had.
"Do it," I said.
The moment the words left his mouth, the system flared.
[10,000 Gold Crowns Consumed][Initiating Bloodline Awakening and Advancement to Knight Rank][WARNING: Process will be physically and spiritually intense. Continue?]
I laughed under my breath, sharp and bitter. "I've died once already. Continue."
The system flashed white.
I screamed.
It wasn't just pain. It was history flooding into my veins. My heart thundered as if a second one had been born beside it. The fire in the hearth went out, snuffed by an invisible force. The room darkened—but inside my body, light surged.
Veins ignited beneath my skin, glowing gold for an instant before fading into crimson. My spine arched. His muscles convulsed. Blood spilled from my nose, my ears. But I clenched my teeth. I would not fall.
Visions flashed—of knights clad in black and silver, wielding weapons forged in myth, commanding storms, rivers, shadows.
Then it stopped.
I collapsed to the floor, soaked in sweat and blood. My breathing was ragged—but my body felt new. Tighter. Sharper. Faster. When I pushed himself to my feet, the very air felt lighter around me, like the world had stepped aside.
[Advancement Complete][New Rank: Knight][System Access Updated][Power Unlocked: Blood-Oath Core (Dormant)]
I looked down at my trembling hands, then balled them into fists. I didn't feel strong. I felt awakened.
A knock came at the door.
Garron's voice rumbled through. "I felt the shift. What happened?"
I walked to the door and opened it.
Garron stepped back, eyes narrowing. He studied Lucien for a full breath, then gave a single nod. "Knight."
I didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Garron's mouth twitched into the faintest smile, he didn't seem curious about how I had accomplished it. "About time."
The training yard behind the east wing was empty at this hour—long past midnight, when even the guards rotated sluggishly and torches sputtered low in their sconces. But I stood barefoot on the frost-kissed stones, the night air sharp against my skin.
My muscles thrummed with restrained power. The air around me felt… off. Lighter, yet heavier, as though the world now recognized me and braced itself.
Garron stood nearby, arms folded across his massive chest, observing. Silent as ever, though a faint spark of curiosity flickered in his usually impassive eyes.
Lucien exhaled.
I closed his eyes and reached inward.
Aura.
The word pulsed in my mind like a key turning in a lock.
Every Knight possessed it—an invisible force forged by life force, soul, and will. For most, it merely enhanced their physique. For the elite, it became a weapon, an armor, an extension of self.
I reached for that spark within. And it answered.
With a low hum, energy burst outward from my body.
Wind kicked up around him, swirling dust and fallen leaves. The torches lining the walls flared, their flames bowing toward me. The stone beneath my feet trembled slightly—not with force, but with resonance.
Garron's head tilted. "That's… not normal."
I opened my eyes.
A faint shimmer danced around me—like translucent threads of molten gold, laced with veins of midnight blue. Not the usual silver-white of a Knight's aura. Not even the blood-red of a Warden. This was something older. Stranger.
I could feel it—not just enhancing his body, but probing outward, tasting the air, seeking something.
"What is this?" Lucien whispered.
Garron stepped forward, slowly, cautiously. "It's not just aura. It's layered. Like… memory baked into your soul. That's not something you learn. That's inheritance."
My breath quickened. I focused again.
I shifted my stance—then lunged forward, punching at the air.
The blow cracked like thunder. A shockwave rippled out, flattening grass thirty feet away. One of the torches shattered with a pop, the wall behind it blackened by the concussive force.
I staggered back in shock.
"I didn't channel that consciously."
Garron nodded grimly. "It reacted to danger. Perceived threat. It's alive."
I glanced down at my hands. Gold-blue aura still pulsed faintly, swirling just beneath my skin. It wasn't just strength. It remembered. As if this power had once belonged to someone else—someone important—and now lived again through me.
"System," Lucien said aloud, his voice low. "Identify aura subtype."
A flicker of gold light answered.
[Knight-Class Aura: Primordial Vein][Subtype: Ancestral Echo - Variant][Effect: Passive Resonant Defense | Memory-Ingrained Techniques (Dormant)]
[Warning: Full inheritance locked. Fragmented memories stored within aura matrix. Origin unknown.]