After Grandfather left, I remained on the balcony for a while, gazing at the vast garden before me, as the breeze rustled the leaves of the trees.
I was thinking... How could I become stronger?
There are many hidden elements in this world—ones originally designed to strengthen the hero... but I know where they are. I know the secrets of this world more than anyone.
But I can't use them... not yet.
Only once I awaken, once my body breaks free from the limits of an "ordinary human," can I begin.
I sat on the edge of the railing, staring up at the wide sky, the scattered clouds reminding me of the countless events awaiting me.
I had to survive everything... but first, I had to survive today.
The family council... embodied boredom.
And in the evening? The Awakening Ceremony.
I muttered:
"System... I can awaken now, right?"
The response came instantly, in a calm electronic tone:
\[Yes, Host. You can awaken today.]
I stood up.
The first step begins today.
I returned to my room with steady steps. As I walked through the corridor, my eyes met those of a teenage boy on the other side. He looked about my age, with brown hair and green eyes.
Ren de Verge.
A distant cousin. Grandson of my grandfather's brother.
In the past... I considered him my brother. My dearest friend.
But all that changed.
He abandoned me at a time I needed him most, choosing instead to befriend someone from the side families... someone who turned out to be the "hero of the story."
That hero...
Didn't just take my friend... but also took my former fiancée.
The same fiancée who, one day after that cursed banquet, broke off our engagement.
I laughed bitterly inside.
But I no longer cared.
Those who choose to leave... may go.
And they should know—there's no way back.
And I'm not angry at the hero.
I don't want to challenge him to some childish duel... or shout for justice like some storybook protagonist.
No.
I'm no longer that child.
They chose to leave me.
They chose to abandon me.
And me?
I simply... stopped caring.
I don't want revenge.
Nor do I want to prove anything to anyone.
All I want… is survival.
Survival… with the few I hold dear.
Because I know how cruel this world is.
I know what the future holds… and what will happen to my family.
Because I've seen the end before.
I saw Grandfather's mysterious disappearance.
I saw how I was killed in my first life.
And I saw how the hero, with his harem, took everything... even the name of House de Verge.
But this time...
I won't let it happen.
After I changed clothes with Rina's help, I stood before the mirror for a moment. I looked into my blue eyes, at the calm that hid a storm beneath it.
Then I took a deep breath... and moved.
I headed to the family council.
That place... where decisions were made.
It was presided over by Grandfather and attended by active members from various family branches.
As soon as I opened the hall's doors, silence fell.
Dozens of eyes turned toward me—some wary, some disgusted, and some fearful of something they couldn't yet understand.
Then whispers began trickling from the back rows... where the lower-ranked members stood:
"What does he want now? Will he disgrace the family even more?"
"I heard he's retaking the Awakening Test for the fourth time... during the family celebration."
"What? Hasn't he given up yet?"
"Next year he enters the academy... Looks like he'll make the family a laughingstock there too."
I didn't respond.
I didn't even look their way.
My silence was louder than any reply, and my steps were firm, unwavering.
Because I knew something they didn't...
**I am no longer the same person who failed three times.**
**I'm not the one who will disgrace this family...**
I walked steadily toward the grand chair at the far end of the hall... where my grandfather, Ragnar de Verge, sat.
When I reached him, I knelt on one knee, placed my fist over my chest, and bowed my head.
"I greet the Head of the Family."
He raised his head slightly, his gaze unreadable, then nodded.
"Speak. What do you want?"
I raised my head, locking eyes with his.
"I request permission to enter the family's Awakening Field... tonight."
A heavy silence filled the room before his icy voice responded:
"And what guarantees... that you'll succeed this time?"
His tone was calm, but his eyes studied me as if they were scanning every crack in my soul.
I took a breath and replied clearly:
"There is no guarantee. Because no one knows what the future holds."
Then, without blinking, I added:
"But... if I do not awaken tonight, I will renounce my position as the family's heir."
A soft gasp came from the back of the hall, followed by shocked whispers, but I didn't turn around.
My eyes were fixed on his. Nothing else mattered.
"And I have one more condition," I said, straightening up.
"I want to establish my own guild... without interference from the family council."
Silence.
Seconds passed like minutes, before Grandfather slowly nodded.
"Your request... is bold."
Then he added in a lower tone, one that carried both warning and acknowledgment:
"That's good enough."
He looked at me again, his gaze heavier this time.
"But understand this well, Luca..."
"If you do not awaken tonight... you won't just give up your position."
"The family will give you up."
My gaze remained locked with his, as I thought:
**"I won't lose this bet."**
Murmurs rose among the attendees, but I didn't flinch.
**"Because I know I will succeed... and the proof is in my eyes."**
I pointed to my right eye — the one that had turned blue like the other.
"It wasn't blue before. This change... it's no coincidence."
**"It's a sign. Something inside me has changed."**
Then I smiled — a faint smile — and said calmly:
**"And this change... is only the beginning."**
Then I turned... without looking back, and walked out of the council hall.
I didn't need to hear their comments, nor to see their shocked faces. I knew what I was doing.
I asked Grandfather to establish a guild under my name, not for prestige or validation... but for a simple reason:
I need **power.**
Power that bears my name, follows my will, and helps me overcome the obstacles in my path.
Power that stands beside me... when alliances crumble, and when those you called family betray you.
I left the council hall without looking back.
Now, it was time for the next step.
I wandered the training grounds of the side families, observing the trainees, searching for one person only.
**Leo de Verge.**
A seventeen-year-old boy from a side branch of House de Verge.
He was supposed to enter the Awakening Field years ago, when he was still under fifteen, so he could qualify for the academy. But he never got the chance.
Only because he was the son of a concubine.
His social standing deprived him of his basic rights. Instead of being treated as family, he was sentenced to work as a servant, pushed aside within the family walls until the age of twenty.
But what many didn't know\... was that this boy held **exceptional potential.**
His estimated rank?
**S** — an extraordinary feat for someone from a branch family.
But in the original story… he didn't stay in the shadows for long.
After being cast out, he left quietly and became a mercenary. He rose quickly to rank **S+**, becoming one of the strongest awakeners in the world.
His reputation spread across major cities.
His power... exceeded expectations.
And while the family ignored him, his name was whispered with respect among the powerful.
**"But not this time..."** I murmured as I kept walking.
**I want him with me. Now. Before he leaves.**
I will recruit him before he walks his path alone.
**He will be the first member of my guild.**
I was walking through the training grounds when time froze for a moment.
I saw a scene that made my heart race without warning.
Luca's old emotions — long buried in his memory — began to rise like fire beneath ash.
**Elis Elsenor.**
The main heroine of the story... and my former fiancée.
She stood beneath the sunlight, a towel on her shoulder, her silver hair shimmering like soft snow under the sky.
Her violet eyes... still held the same magic, the same danger.
But before she could approach, a boy appeared beside her.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, a confident smile... **Eiden.**
The protagonist.
He laughed, trading soft words and smiles with Elis.
And she... smiled back at him gently.
I stopped, watching them for a moment.
Then I muttered coldly in my heart:
**"Stay alive, hero... because I plan to use you well."**
I kept walking, but Eiden's eyes locked onto mine.
He stopped laughing, scowled, and said coldly:
"I'm not in the mood for your games today, Luca. Leave."
I stopped... turned to face him slowly.
Elis noticed me too.
But before I could speak, I saw something in her eyes.
A strange glint... was it regret? Longing?
I don't know\... and I don't care.
I said in a calm but deep voice:
**"And who do you think you are, to speak to me like that... Eiden?"**
Then added, without turning:
**"Rina. Put him in his place."**
From the shadows beneath the trees, Rina stepped out.
She moved like lightning, striking Eiden behind the knees, forcing him to kneel.
She spoke in a sharp, dry tone:
**"Remember your place... Eiden.
You're speaking to the heir of House de Verge."**
The world froze.
Elis rushed to him, trying to help him, while I ignored them completely.
I continued walking calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Then I turned to Rina and asked:
"Do you know a boy from the side families named Leo? Seventeen years old."
I said while strolling, still scanning the grounds.
"I'll ask around, young master," she replied.