Rebirth System: Blood and Ash

Aric's grip tightened around the knife as he stood over Lady Lisellie Brienne, her chest rising and falling in the shallow rhythm of sleep. For a moment, he let himself feel the sharp thrill of what this act could set in motion, the first stone in a landslide of well-planned destruction.

But then her eyes flew open, catching the dim candlelight, and a small, triumphant smile crept onto her lips.

"You shouldn't have hesitated…bastard," she whispered, her voice as venomous as the glint in her eyes.

Before he could react, her fingers unfurled, revealing a crushed mana crystal, its shattered fragments shimmering with a faint, otherworldly glow. Aric's instincts flared, but it was too late.

The air pulsed, pressing down on him like the weight of a thousand boulders. His chest tightened, his pulse raced, and he felt the oppressive, unmistakable presence of a powerful ki—a bloodlust so intense it seemed to fill every corner of the room, like smoke that clung to his skin.

The air around him roared, and from the shadows, a figure stepped forward—a soldier clad in dark armor, his eyes fixed upon Aric with an unwavering stare that dripped with silent menace.

The presence alone was enough to make even seasoned warriors tremble, and Aric recognized it instantly: a bloodlusted Imperial Guard.

In Valeria, the Imperial Guard was one of three military orders, each a pillar of the empire's unshakable power.

The Imperial Army, strong and disciplined, swore loyalty to protect and defend the empire's borders. The Imperial Squad, a covert group hidden from most, carried out the emperor's hidden designs in secrecy and shadows. And then there was the Imperial Guard, charged solely with the protection of the emperor himself.

Their strength, though not the greatest among the three, was a force even the strongest noble houses could not wield. The law ensured it; these soldiers served only the imperial family, a precaution designed to concentrate power solely under the emperor's hand.

No house, no lord, no noble could lay claim to the guard's loyalty.

Yet there was the figure, standing in Lady Lisellie's chamber, his mere presence defying every restriction set by law. Aric was calm, He understood the situation clearly. Lady Lisellie Brienne wasn't simply the daughter of a noble house; she was engaged to Prince Sylas.

And with that engagement came privileges, rare gifts that others could only imagine possessing.

"Speak your name quickly," came the guard's voice, a low growl that was as thick as the presence he radiated. "So I may take your life at once."

The guard's tone held no emotion, just a weight that could only come from one who had seen countless battles, one who was trained to dispatch life without pause or remorse. The shadows cast by the candlelight made his face appear hollow and unfeeling, as though he were merely a tool crafted for one purpose: to carry out orders, nothing more.

Aric took in his stance, the calm in his eyes, the steady, lethal energy that seemed to roll off of him. He had expected this, after all. It was all within his calculations.

Aric's voice remained steady, his face a blank mask, as he regarded the guard. He knew, from past experience and courtly knowlege, that Imperial Guards would never hide themselves within a noble's estate.

Since such protection was reserved solely for royals or the emperor himself. No imperial guard would be stationed here, not even for the daughter of a house like Brienne. But Lady Lisellie was different. By her engagement to Sylas, she held more than a title; she held a tether to the imperial family.

What truly bound her to Prince Sylas wasn't just the promise of marriage, but rather, a unique privilege given by those in power. Such a privilege granted her protection in ways that no other noble could claim. The broken crystal in her hand told Aric that much.

That crystal wasn't simply a trinket, not a mere bauble to keep her safe. It was one of the highest forms of protection a royal could bestow. It served as a tethered link, a bond to the imperial family's guards. At the moment of its shattering, it had used its magic in summoning an imperial guard to her side, even from miles away.

He eyed the shards in her palm, the faint glow now fading from them.

The magic was rare, its value far more than most could afford. A single mana crystal capable of such teleportation magic would cost a fortune, no less than three hundred million gold coins—a price so high it was reserved only for those deemed indispensable.

Such a price, such a protection, given to a mere noble, was telling. Sylas hadn't offered her a union merely for power or advantage; he had paid a king's ransom to ensure her safety. His loyalty to her, it seemed, went deeper than Aric had expected.

For a moment, bitterness twisted in Aric's chest.

His thoughts returned to his past life, to the image he had once held of his brothers. Find exclusive stories on empire

'First Darius, and now you, Sylas. I had idolized you all, held you all on pedestals of strength and wisdom. But to think you were all foolish enough to create such weaknesses.'

The Imperial Guard took a step forward, his movements slow, deliberate, each footfall carrying the weight of death with it. The air seemed to thicken even more, pressing down on Aric's chest as though daring him to speak, to answer the guard's demand.

But Aric's mind was clear, his eyes narrowing as he studied the guard's stance, the tension in his body, the way his fingers hovered near his blade.

Behind the guard, Lady Lisellie watched him, her expression smug, triumphant, as though she had already won. In her eyes, Aric saw a gleam of satisfaction, a belief that she had outplayed him, that her shattered crystal had sealed his fate.

But she didn't understand, couldn't understand. This was only a step in a much larger game, a moment he had anticipated, even hoped for.