"What was that? Where am I?" Yuomo wondered.
He tried to open his eyes, but everything was dark. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see a thing. It was as if a dense fog covered his vision, even though he could feel that his eyelids were open. "It's like the brightness on my monitor just blacked out at once," he thought, trying to find a logical explanation. A growing fear began to invade him as he shouted mentally.
"Hello! Is anyone there? Help! I can't…!" But his words were lost in an internal echo, without a response. His body was tiny, fragile, and his voice—once strong and adult—now transformed into a faint, incomprehensible whimper.
From the outside, the small baby he now inhabited began to cry, a sharp and desperate sound that echoed through the room. Suddenly, Yuomo felt something change. The darkness surrounding him slowly dissipated, and when he finally opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful face leaning over him. It was a radiant woman with light lilac hair and blue eyes full of tenderness. Although she seemed monumental from his perspective, Yuomo knew instantly who had been reincarnated into a newborn.
"Did I get smaller? Or… is it true what that Goddess said? Was I reborn?" Yuomo thought, confused and stunned by the magnitude of what he was experiencing.
While he processed his thoughts, a horrendous creature appeared before him. It was a grotesque figure with black skin and sharp claws, emanating a dark energy that chilled the soul. Yuomo tried to scream, to call for help, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead, his body began to vibrate with intense emotion, and his cry turned into a silent roar. Then, a golden aura enveloped him, shining with such intensity that it illuminated the entire room.
When the light finally faded, Yuomo could see his surroundings. Unknown people gathered around him, celebrating with tears in their eyes and expressions of reverent awe.
"Is this the Goddess's blessing?" he wondered silently as he watched Prince Balniac approach. The latter looked at him with a mixture of pride and curiosity, as if he already knew that this child was special.
"I don't know, but I have to find out," Yuomo thought with determination, even though his body was still too small to act. "So, my new name is Arios," he reflected. Then, with a feeling of overwhelming exhaustion, he allowed his eyes to close and drifted into sleep.
Andros, the General, approached the Prince with an expression of disbelief on his face. "What was that?" he asked, pointing to little Arios, whose aura had purified the demons and healed the wounds of the maids.
Prince Balniac remained silent for a few moments, searching for the right words. Finally, he spoke with absolute firmness:
"It is best that this does not leave this room. It must remain a secret, understood?" His tone admitted no discussion, and everyone present, including the midwife who watched in shock, nodded gravely. They understood that to speak of this would be treated as treason or an act of defiance against the Crown.
Princess Eleonor also intervened, her voice soft but filled with determination. "Yes, it will be for the best. No one must know what happened today," she said, looking at her husband with concern. "But tell me, what are we going to do now?"
Balniac reflected for a moment before responding. "We will resolve it as we always have. Step by step."
Later, the King summoned the Prince and Princess to his chambers. The elderly monarch, with his silver hair and well-groomed beard, radiated a quiet strength despite his advanced age. Though he walked slowly, his presence remained imposing.
"Are you well? Were any of you hurt in the battle?" he asked, his deep voice reflecting fatherly concern.
Both shook their heads. "We are fine, Father," Balniac replied, before pointing to the small bundle Eleonor held in her arms. "Here is our son, your grandson."
The King approached with curiosity and, upon seeing the newborn, his eyes lit up with joy. "Oh, what a wonder. A new member of our family," he said with a warm smile. Then, lowering his voice, he added: "What is his name?"
"Arios," Balniac replied with pride.
The King nodded slowly, as if savoring the name in his mind. "Arios… A great name for a future ruler," he declared, resting a trembling but firm hand on the head of the little one, who was sleeping peacefully.
After a moment, Eleonor took Arios away while King Kingo, with his imposing bearing and deep voice, called his son to speak in private.
"Balniac, tell me, did you see that radiance that saved the kingdom?" asked the old monarch, his eyes full of wisdom and worry.
The Prince nodded slowly, weighing every word before responding. "Yes, Father. We believe it was divine intervention from our Goddess. That child… my son… emitted an aura that not only protected us but also annihilated the demon hordes," Balniac explained, his voice filled with admiration and confusion.
Kingo frowned, processing the information. "Who knows of this?" he asked seriously, his gaze piercing.
"Only those who were present in the room when it occurred. Everyone has sworn to keep the secret," Balniac replied firmly.
The King nodded, pleased with his son's caution. "You have been prudent in hiding such power. If other kingdoms were to find out, they would do anything to obtain it. This could spark endless wars," Kingo reflected, his voice echoing like a warning. "We must train him. What that creature possesses is no coincidence; it is a gift from our Goddess. A weapon to combat future threats, especially the hordes of the Demon King."
Fifteen years later…
"Kei, have you seen your brother?" asked a woman with long, shimmering lilac hair, dressed in a gown worthy of royalty. Her elegant posture and sweet voice radiated maternal authority.
Kei, a six-year-old boy with short lilac hair in a mushroom cut and large blue eyes, shook his head innocently. "No, Mama. I don't know."
Eleonor sighed, crossing her arms as she looked toward the palace corridors. "Where has that boy gotten to now?" she murmured to herself before turning back to Kei. "Go with one of the maids and get ready. Lunch is ready."
At that moment, a deep voice resonated through the hallways: "Eleonor, my love! Have you seen our son?"
Every palace employee bowed their heads quickly in reverence. "Your Majesty!" they exclaimed in unison, their words filled with respect and loyalty.
King Balniac entered the room. His blonde hair was wavy, his green eyes piercing, and his well-kept beard made him stand out even in that opulent setting. "It is not necessary," he said with a kind gesture, though his face showed clear signs of frustration.
Queen Eleonor smiled calmly. "No, I am looking for him too. But knowing him, he has surely escaped again. He left his instructors waiting. My dear King, you should be used to these things."
Balniac clenched his fists, visibly upset. "Why is that boy so hyperactive? Why can't he be quiet and serene like his brother Kei?" he shouted.
"Relax, he is surely in a rebellious phase," Eleonor replied mockingly.
"I cannot calm down! A Prince must follow protocols and rules! Besides, he has important lessons to complete. One day he will be the King of this kingdom!" Balniac argued. "Where have you hidden yourself, Arios?!"
It had been three years since King Kingo had passed away, and Balniac had taken the throne.
"He's making Papa's hair stand on end again, running away!" exclaimed a young girl of about ten with light lilac hair in pigtails. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. This was Claris, Eleonor's second daughter. "It doesn't surprise me. He always likes to go against Papa."
Meanwhile, not far from the kingdom, chaos reigned. A pack of deformed shadow-wolves, with fur like black spikes and bloodshot eyes, attacked a carriage. The air was thick with desperate screams and the metallic smell of blood.
The travelers believed all was lost when a hooded youth appeared. His face was partially covered by dark glasses and a black mask.
"You have a problem. Do not worry, I will save you."
"There are too many beasts, lad!" a wounded man cried. "That pack will devour you!"
The boy pulled out what looked like a long, slender brush. The people exchanged confused looks. "¿A brush? Is he crazy?"
However, the youth ignored the comments. "In my other life, drawing in Illustrator was much easier than this," Arios thought with an ironic smile. "At least there, I had the Ctrl+Z command if I messed up a stroke. Here, if my pulse fails, someone dies."
He made a gesture toward the monsters. The beasts roared and lunged, but the boy performed an elegant movement, as if painting on an invisible canvas. To his eyes, the world divided into layers and vectors. Each stroke of his brush generated a trail of golden ink that vibrated in the air. There was no blood; the wolves disintegrated upon contact with the light, as if someone had selected their existence and pressed "Delete."
The survivors watched, spellbound. When he heard horses approaching, indicating the arrival of the royal army, the youth used his brush and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Back at the palace, a young soldier named Filiola ran through the outskirts, frustrated. "Master Arios! Where are you?"
General Andros, now older, let out a deep laugh. "Ha! How could you have lost the Prince, daughter?"
"Dad, I'm not in the mood! When I see him, I'm going to murder him…" she threatened.
"Relax, you'll find him. Or maybe not," Andros winked. He knew the truth about the Prince's power, a secret he guarded as closely as the King himself.
"Were you looking for me, Filiola?" a familiar voice asked from behind.
The young woman spun around to see Prince Arios, dirty and with his clothes torn, but with a mischievous smile on his face.