The words from the archive refused to leave Alex's mind.
I am fated to die.
Alex closed the book slowly.
If the previous owner of this body truly believed that…
then remaining weak was no longer an option.
He leaned back slightly in the chair, fingers tapping against the wooden table.
The original Alex had spent months searching the archives, studying fragments of forgotten history connected to the Broken Crown. Whatever he discovered had been enough to convince him his death was inevitable.
Alex exhaled quietly.
"Then dying quietly isn't an option."
Strength might not solve everything.
But weakness guaranteed nothing.
Several sections of the Valerian library had recently been opened to the younger members of the household.
Alex spent the next hour moving through the shelves.
Martial manuals.
Weapon techniques.
Basic cultivation guides.
There was enough material for someone beginning their training.
Alex stopped before a thinner volume bound in faded blue cloth.
Foundation Breathing Method.
A simple cultivation technique.
His body still felt uneven. Some of the energy channels had not fully stabilized yet, and rushing into powerful techniques would only create more problems.
He took the manual and left the library.
The Valerian training grounds were quiet in the early morning.
Alex stood near the edge of the courtyard, following the instructions written in the manual.
Slow breathing.
Steady rhythm.
Guiding the faint strands of Qi through the body's main pathways towards the root chakra.
At first the energy felt unstable.
Qi moved unevenly through his channels, like water forced through cracked pipes. Some passages resisted slightly when the energy passed through them.
But it worked.
Qi moved.
Slowly.
But undeniably.
Alex guided the circulation again.
And again.
One attendant paused while carrying a bundle of training weapons, watching quietly as Alex finished another circulation cycle.
"The third young master… can circulate Qi now."
Lady Seraphine heard the report during the evening meal.
A servant knelt respectfully while delivering the information.
"The third young master has been practicing on the training grounds for the past two days. Several people have witnessed him circulating Qi."
Seraphine set her teacup down carefully.
Silence lingered briefly.
Then Seraphine nodded.
"You may go."
The servant bowed and withdrew.
Seraphine remained seated, her expression calm.
But her thoughts had already begun moving.
That shouldn't be possible.
The next morning, she visited the training grounds.
Alex was already there.
He stood in the center of the courtyard, following the breathing rhythm described in the manual.
Inhale.
Guide the Qi.
Exhale.
Circulate.
His movements were simple and controlled.
Nothing impressive.
Nothing flashy.
But the faint ripple of Qi around him was unmistakable.
For a single moment—
Seraphine's composure cracked.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Because this boy should not have been able to cultivate again.
Alex finished another circulation cycle and slowly opened his eyes.
Only then did he notice the quiet figure standing near the edge of the courtyard.
Lady Seraphine.
Several nearby servants had already noticed her presence and lowered their heads respectfully.
Alex straightened.
"Lady Seraphine."
She approached calmly, her expression composed once again.
"It seems you have recovered well, Alex."
Her tone was neutral.
Measured.
Polite.
But her eyes studied him carefully.
Alex inclined his head slightly.
"I've simply been practicing the basics."
Seraphine's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.
Something about her reaction felt… wrong.
It wasn't simple surprise.
It was closer to disbelief.
As if she had expected something entirely different.
"You are training with Qi?" she asked after a moment.
Alex paused.
A thought passed quickly through his mind, but his expression remained calm.
"yes."
Seraphine gave a small nod.
"Good."
Then she turned and left the courtyard without another word.
Alex watched her disappear down the stone path.
Only after she was gone did he exhale slowly.
Something about that exchange bothered him.
Lady Seraphine hadn't been surprised that he was training.
She had been surprised that he could.
And that meant one thing.
At some point in the past—
She had expected him to never cultivate again.