The first thing I felt was the stinging salt of tears on my cheeks, but they weren't mine. I forced my heavy eyelids open to the sound of soft, rhythmic sobbing.
I was back in my room, the morning light filtering through the curtains in a hazy gold. My vision was still slightly blurred from the [Synaptic Transfer], but I could make out three small figures huddled around my bed. Ezekiel and Olivia were a mess, their cute faces soaked with tears and their eyes red-rimmed from worry.
And then there was Liam.
I blinked, my 100 Intelligence momentarily short-circuiting. Standing at the foot of the bed was no longer the stunted, fragile child I had rescued. The shattering of the first chain had returned his lost years. He looked like a proper young adult now, tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating a quiet, regal intensity. I realized then that I didn't actually know his true age; I would have to ask my father about the Royal Timeline later.
"Kids... stop crying. I'm still alive," I croaked, my voice sounding like it had been dragged over gravel. I reached out a shaky hand, trying to wipe the dampness from Olivia's cheeks.
They nearly tackled me in relief, but I managed to wave them toward the door. "You kids should go and have some breakfast. You've been on guard all night." I signaled for a maid to lead them out, but as they started to leave, I called out, "Liam, stay here."
"Okay, Mister," he said.
His voice had dropped an octave, resonating with a newfound confidence. He no longer looked like a body without a soul; the hollow glaze in his eyes had been replaced by a sharp, piercing violet that was impossible to ignore.
"How are you feeling? Any pain?" I asked, scanning his new frame. He was still quite skinny the result of years of magical malnutrition but with a little training, he would easily become the muscular powerhouse the prophecies spoke of.
"None," he said, a genuine smile breaking across his handsome face. "I don't feel any pain anymore. It's like a cold fog has finally lifted from my brain. Ezekiel and Olivia stayed up all night bringing me mana pills and recovery potions while you were out. I feel... stronger than I've ever been."
I sat up slowly, my 21 Strength body still protesting every movement, but seeing the Prince standing tall made every drop of blood I'd spilled worth it.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Current Time: 60 Hours remaining until the King's Sleep.
Liam Smith Status: [Awakened].
Loyalty Level: [MAXED - Life Debt].
I glanced at the system message flickering in the corner of my eye. 60 hours. We still had a bit of breathing room before the King's world went dark.
"Go on, Liam. Go have breakfast with the others," I said, offering him a tired but genuine smile. "I'll join you all in a bit. I just need a moment to collect my thoughts."
"Okay, Mister!" He turned to leave, his new, taller frame moving with a grace that hadn't been there yesterday. But just as he reached the heavy oak door, he stopped. He stood there for a second, his shoulders tensed with hesitation.
"Mister?" he said, his voice small, drifting back to the tone of the frightened boy I'd rescued from the pits.
"Yes? What is it, Liam?" I kept my voice soft, reassuring him that he didn't need to be afraid to speak his mind in this house.
"Can I..." He trailed off, his face flushing as he struggled with the words. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if bracing for a blow. "Can I please... call you Dad?"
I froze. I caught my reflection in the window a sharp black hair, deep-set hunter eyes, and a face that looked barely twenty. My 21 Strength made me look healthy, but I was still a far cry from a grizzled father figure. I would have had to be a toddler when I had him for the math to work out.
I couldn't help it; a dry, genuine laugh bubbled up in my chest. "Hahaha! Sure, Liam. You can call me anything you want."
What an irony. A Royal Prince of the True Bloodline calling a "Dormant" strategist his father. If the King heard this, he'd likely have a stroke before the Sleeper's Dust even touched his lungs. But as I looked at Liam, whose body was now that of a young man but whose heart was still searching for the love he'd been denied. I realized it didn't matter what the world thought. He needed a father. And apparently, I was it.
"I shall go then... Dad!" he chirped, practically jumping for joy as he vanished down the hallway to find Ezekiel and Olivia.
I watched the door close, the silence of the room settling back in. My 100 Intelligence was already mapping out the next move, but for a split second, I just let myself breathe.
[HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: THE ARCHITECT OF HOME]
Reward: +100 Loyalty (Liam), +50 TP.
Current Balance: 150 TP.
I stood up and changed into a fresh suit. My reflection in the mirror showed a face that was still deeply tired, the dark circles under my eyes a testament to the Synaptic Transfer, but there was no denying it—I looked handsome. I let out a short, self-deprecating laugh at the thought. Even in the middle of a coup, vanity found a way to creep in.
I walked down the long, silent hall toward the dining room. I pushed the door open just a crack and paused. Inside, the children were laughing. The sound was so bright, so out of place in this haunted mansion, that I found myself wishing it would last forever.
"Sebastian," I whispered to the shadow behind me. "Go and call for my father. We're having breakfast together."
The butler bowed and vanished. I stepped into the room, and the laughter died down into curious smiles.
"Okay, kids, let's settle down now, shall we?" I said. They immediately straightened up, looking at me with eyes full of trust. "We're going to wait for your Grandpa, okay?"
I began placing hearty portions of food onto their plates. "Okay!" they chirped in perfect sync.
"No need to wait," a voice so deep it vibrated the silverware made us all jump.
None of us had heard the door open. My father stood there, his massive frame blocking the light from the hallway, his presence so overwhelming that even the air seemed to bow.
"So... this is the Prince," he rumbled, his golden eyes locking onto Liam.
Liam froze, looking absolutely terrified. The aura of the nation's strongest Awakened was like a physical weight on his shoulders.
"Father, don't scare him," I said firmly, stepping between them.
My father let out a booming laugh that shook the chandeliers. "No, no, I wasn't scaring him." He walked over and placed a hand, heavy as a mountain, on Liam's head. "No need to be afraid, Liam. I won't hurt you. Any friend of my son is under my protection."
He took his seat at the head of the table, his gaze softening as he watched Olivia messily devour her breakfast. He actually reached over with a napkin and gently wiped a stray bit of sauce from the corner of her mouth.
"So, what's your plan, Erik?" he asked, his voice turning serious as he looked at me.
I focused on my plate, methodically cutting meat and distributing pieces to the three kids. "The King hasn't fallen yet, but time is a debt he can't avoid. The poison is slow, but it's certain. It won't last forever, but it will buy us the window we need. Until then, we build our foundation."
My father nodded, his expression like a pillar of stone that could hold up the sky. It made me feel a wave of genuine relief to have him on our side.
"I see," he said, his golden eyes burning with a protective fire. "Make sure the children are kept safe. I will do my part to protect all of you. No one enters this estate and leaves in one piece."
"Yes, Father," I replied.