"There are promises that people forget... and there are promises that time itself refuses to erase."

[ Aurelia Empire ]

The serene darkness of the midnight hour quietly enveloped the entire Aurelia Empire.

Multi-colored lights emitting from buildings of advanced, futuristic technology and a myriad of twinkling stars adorned the vast night sky. Yet, not a single reflection of light could be seen in the eyes of the man standing majestically upon the highest tower of the Royal Palace.

Each time a cold gust of wind swept by, his long black cloak drifted slowly backward into the air.

His strong hands rested steadily on the tower's railing, while a cold, stern expression that no one could ever read reigned permanently over his sculptured, handsome face. A pair of alluring, ash-gray eyes stared meaninglessly at the constellations of the universe.

Both behind his back and to his face, the entire empire spoke of this man in fearful, reverent whispers... calling him "The Cold King-to-Be."

Thrill Yan Khit Kaung.

The sole Crown Prince of the Aurelia Empire.

Reaching the age of twenty-nine this year, the Prince harbored a dark secret—one that no other human soul in the universe knew. He possessed a mysterious power: the ability to foresee certain events of the future.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

A set of rhythmic footsteps broke through the serene atmosphere. The Royal Advisor, Aldric, dropped to one knee behind Khit Kaung and bowed respectfully.

"Your Imperial Highness..."

Khit Kaung did not turn around immediately, his eyes remaining fixed upon the sky.

"The Time Observatory has sent an emergency signal, Prince."

"What happened?"

The voice was, as always, cold and composed. It neither rose nor fell, completely devoid of any emotion.

"The Time Rift..." Aldric paused for a moment, swallowing hard with great difficulty as he uttered the words. "The temporal rift has reappeared, Your Highness."

At those words, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to grow even heavier and more suffocating. Khit Kaung’s long eyelashes flickered perceptibly, just once.

"Where?"

"In the underground grand hall beneath the Imperial Observatory. According to the scientists' report, the portal's energy level is extremely unstable. It could disappear again at any moment, Your Highness."

The Time Rift...

A name that existed only as a legend in ancient historical records. A mysterious rift capable of connecting time and space across the past, present, and future. It was said to have appeared only once in the empire's history over the past thousands of years. Yet, not a single person had ever successfully crossed through that temporal doorway.

Khit Kaung was still staring at the stars when, suddenly, at that very moment...

A vivid, intense vision violently intruded into his mind, shaking all his six senses.

It was a scene of torrential rain.

Upon the muddy ground, someone was holding onto his hand tightly, desperately seeking reliance. No matter how hard he tried to look, that person’s face was blurred and completely unrecognizable. Yet, a faint voice echoed through the air, enough to tug violently at his heartstrings.

"You promised... Khit Kaung..."

"No matter how far apart we are... no matter what lifetime I end up in... you said you would come find me..."

"Your Highness!"

Aldric’s anxious, loud shout instantly snapped Khit Kaung back to reality. He let out a soft sigh alongside the suffocating tightness in his chest. Those mysterious, lingering visions were things that should not—and could not—exist in either his past or his future.

"Let's go."

Leaving only those brief words, Khit Kaung walked away with long, swift strides. Aldric immediately stood up and rushed after him, reporting as he followed.

"The hover-ship is ready, Prince."

[ Imperial Observatory ]

Built in the deepest depths of the palace, the Imperial Observatory underground complex was a space where primordial engineering and ultra-modern technology converged.

Right at the center of the vast hall, illuminated by piercing white electric lights, a brilliant blue circle of energy spun gradually yet violently in the air like a vortex.

The entire surrounding atmosphere cracked under the instability, and strange sounds of static electricity crackled continuously.

Dozens of royal scientists and scholars were in a frantic frenzy, staring unblinkingly at the data screens ahead, crying out in sheer panic.

"The energy level has surged more than five times higher than normal!"

"The portal is breaking down! We can't suppress it anymore!"

"All stabilizer systems are destroyed! It's completely out of control!"

Amidst the chaotic, roaring hall, Crown Prince Khit Kaung entered with long strides. His ash-gray eyes quietly fixed upon the Time Rift looming in the air.

Suddenly, the blue lights inside the portal grew incomparably sharper and more intense—

BOOM————!!

The entire hall shook violently as if it were bound to shatter.

"Your Highness! It's too dangerous! Please step back!"

The palace guards drew their swords, stepping in front of Khit Kaung to shield him while shouting warnings.

However, Khit Kaung did not retreat even a single step, standing as still as a statue.

At that exact moment... another strange, new vision flashed across his eyes once more.

An old, ancient book... a fair, pure hand holding that book... and then—a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him through a veil of fear.

Eyes he had never seen or encountered before. Yet, strangely enough, they felt so painfully familiar that his entire chest tightened.

BOOM!!

The Time Rift expanded violently as if the world were ending, and brilliant blue light beams devoured and blanketed the entire hall. Overloaded with energy, all the machinery shut down one by one, and warning alarms blared loudly throughout the grand chamber.

"The portal... the portal has successfully linked with the other side!"

"Impossible! That can't be!"

"Wait... this signal response..."

"It’s a time frequency from three hundred years ago!" a senior scientist screamed in disbelief.

Khit Kaung’s ash-gray eyes narrowed slightly.

Three hundred years ago...?

Amidst the wailing alarms and the blue light beams radiating from the absolute center of the portal, the silhouette of a young boy's body began to materialize clearly and gradually in the mid-air.

Chapter 1 End

Next Chapter — Chapter 2: The Boy Who Fell Through Time

"Every story begins with a meeting. Ours began with a collision between two different eras."

[ Three Hundred Years Earlier — The Dawn of the Union Era ]

Drip... Drip... Drip...

Clear, cool raindrops fell slowly and steadily onto the historical cobblestone pathways of the ancient royal palace.

Accompanied by the chilly breeze of the early evening, the faint rustling of leaves rubbing against one another was the only sound that breathed life into the silent, tranquil surroundings of the West Wing Library.

Standing grand and majestic at the furthest western edge of the palace, the Royal Grand Library remained as deserted, quiet, and peaceful today as it did on any regular day. Since that morning, the sole sound breaking through the dense, quiet air at brief intervals was the soft, rhythmic rustling of paper as the pages of ancient books were turned one by one.

"Arkar..."

The aged, weathered voice of the elderly chief librarian suddenly broke the silence.

Hearing this, a young man perched on a tall ladder, entirely focused on retrieving a book from the high shelves, immediately turned around.

"Yes, Master. Do you have a task for me?"

Arkar Linn Myat.

A young man reaching the age of twenty-five this year.

He possessed a gentle, pleasant face that brought a sense of peace to anyone who looked at him, alongside a pair of uniquely brilliant brown eyes. Those eyes had a habit of lighting up like a child's whenever he encountered something intriguing.

He held not a shred of interest in the complex power struggles and political dramas within the palace, nor did he covet the gold, silver, or material wealth that worldly people craved. Yet, when it came to uncovering a lost truth written within the pages of an ancient book, he was the rare sort who valued it so deeply that he wouldn't trade his time or his life for anything else.

"Please return this record book to the secret storage room downstairs."

The chief librarian handed over an immensely thick, heavy ancient book blanketed in dust.

Arkar carefully took the heavy volume with both hands, his eyes instinctively dropping to inspect the book's unique cover. The cover was crafted from genuine black leather, and the golden ancient characters engraved upon it had faded to the point of near-extinction due to the passage of time.

What was even more peculiar, however, was a strange emblem etched right into the dead center of the cover—one he had never seen in any historical record before.

It was a circular design, within which lay a brilliant star, mysteriously encircled by what looked like the hands of a clock.

"...Beautiful," Arkar murmured to himself in subconscious awe.

"Do not open it!"

The elderly librarian's voice suddenly turned sharp and stern.

Startled, Arkar gripped the book tightly and snapped his head up.

"Why, Master? Why mustn't I open it?"

The chief librarian stared intently at the large black book in Arkar's hands with deep anxiety for a moment before lowering his voice, speaking with profound gravity.

"That book... our lineage is only responsible for guarding it throughout the generations. It is absolutely not meant to be read or opened."

Seeing the chief librarian so excessively worried, Arkar smiled softly and let out a light chuckle.

"Master, why are you all so deeply concerned over a diary that is this old?"

However, the chief librarian did not smile back. A solemn seriousness, the likes of which Arkar had never seen before, took over the old man's face.

"Arkar..." the librarian said, patting Arkar's shoulder. "Sometimes... history isn't written just for people to read."

"Sir...?"

"...It was written in blood, as a warning to ensure that the mistakes of that history never repeat themselves."

Though Arkar offered a perplexed smile, unable to truly grasp his master's words, that single sentence left a strange, indelible impression deep within his heart.

As the midnight hour arrived, the rain began to pour even more heavily. All the voices and footsteps of people moving about the palace gradually faded into nothingness.

Inside the darkened Royal Grand Library, illuminated not by electricity but by the lone glow of a candle, Arkar was left entirely by himself.

"I'll head home only after finishing all the book inventories today..."

He let out a weary sigh as he systematically returned the books to their proper places on the shelves. Though his lips murmured complaints, his hands never stopped working.

Finally, holding the last bag of books, he made his way down the stairs toward the secret basement vault. As he reached the furthest, darkest wall of the storage room, he noticed an old, ancient iron door standing there mysteriously.

Despite having worked here every single day for years, he himself had never noticed or seen this strange iron door before.

"How strange. There's a door here...?"

He took a gentle step forward and lightly wiped away centuries of dust settled upon the door. As he did, a brilliant, golden ancient inscription flashed into view beneath the grime:

“Those who seek the truth shall surrender time.”

Reading the inscription, Arkar furrowed his brows.

"Those who seek the truth must sacrifice and surrender their own time...?"

Even as he desperately turned the deep meaning of those words over in his head—

Creak... Groan...

The massive iron door, which had been sealed shut for hundreds of years, slowly began to swing open on its own, without anyone pushing it and without the aid of any machinery. Inside the room revealed by the opening door, a single, mysterious candle burned brightly. And right there, sitting prominently atop a stone altar in the center, was the very same large, black ancient book the chief librarian had told him to put away this morning.

"How... how did this book get here? Who brought it?"

With his heart thumping wildly against his chest, curiosity drove Arkar forward step by step. The moment he reached the stone altar where the book rested, an instinctual urge compelled him to stretch out his hand.

The exact instant his fingertips brushed against the black leather cover of the book—

BOOM————!!

Countless blinding beams of brilliant blue light erupted violently from within the book. The entire underground hall shook fiercely as if the world were ending, and the pages of the massive book began to flip at a frantic, breakneck speed driven by sudden, raging winds.

The powerful gust of a vortex sent Arkar's body flying backward.

"What... what is happening...! Somebody help me!"

Terrified, he spun around toward the exit to flee, but the heavy iron door slammed shut with a resounding thud. Amidst the piercing waves of blue light, the beautiful yet resonant voice of a woman echoed and boomed through the space.

"The one who made the promise..."

"The wheel of time... is drawing you back to us once more..."

"Who is it?! Who are you?!" Arkar screamed, completely overtaken by fear.

Yet, no answer came. In the dead center of the room, a massive rift of blue temporal lightning gradually tore open in mid-air. From within that fracture, the strange, multicolored lights of a futuristic world he had never seen or heard of before seemed to call out to him, pulling him in.

Arkar's feet lost their grip on gravity, and he began to float slowly off the ground.

"No... No! Let me go!" He reached out a hand in desperation, seeking something to hold onto, but the massive wave of blue temporal energy ruthlessly and completely swallowed his entire body.

[ Aurelia Empire — Year 2478 ]

At that exact same moment, three hundred years in the future inside the Imperial Observatory of the empire, the Time Rift burned brighter than ever before. Amidst the radiating beams of blue light, the silhouette of a young man's body was gradually and clearly materializing in the air.

Crown Prince Thrill Yan Khit Kaung’s ash-gray eyes remained fixed upon the emerging shadow, not breaking contact for even a single second.

What he did not yet know was that this single moment of collision... was the beginning of a destiny that would change his cold-blooded life forever, leaving it permanently altered beyond repair.

Chapter 2 End

Next Chapter — Chapter 3: The Royal Prisoner

"Some people enter your life like a coincidence. Others arrive because fate has been waiting for them."

[ Imperial Observatory — Portal Room ]

Light.

The moment Arkar Linn Myat forced his eyes open from unconsciousness, the very first thing he saw were beams of brilliant blue light that nearly blanketed the entire sky.

Along with those waves of light, the chaotic noises of machinery and the panicked shouts and arguments of numerous people rushed into his ears in a jumbled mess.

"The energy level is unstable! We can't suppress it anymore!"

"...The portal is closing! Fix it quickly!"

"...Your Highness! Please be careful!"

To Arkar, all the clamor sounded entirely muffled and indistinct, as if echoing from somewhere far away. Fighting through the dizziness that made his head feel as though it were being struck by a mallet, Arkar forced his eyes open as wide as he could.

"Ugh..."

His entire body felt incredibly heavy and sluggish, as if weighted down by lead. Beneath the palms resting on the ground, he could distinctly feel the cold, rigid touch of a metallic floor. As he shook his head and forced himself up into a sitting position... the breath in his chest momentarily caught.

This place was an extraordinarily strange environment—one he had never seen in any historical record or visited in his entire life.

Looking up at the high ceiling, he saw peculiar lamps twinkling like stars, mysterious white metallic walls surrounding the entire perimeter... and data screens hovering and drifting weightlessly through the air.

Everything, every single sight... belonged to nothing from the simple era he had lived in.

"...Where... where am I...?" Arkar murmured in deep anxiety.

Shring——!

"Don't move!"

A sharp metallic ring echoed as a stern command boomed through the space. Arkar gasped and immediately snapped his head up, only to find dozens of royal guards systematically surrounding him in a tight circle. The tips of the energy swords in their hands were all pointed directly at his chest.

At that sight, Arkar’s breathing instantly quickened, panic seizing him.

"Wait... please wait. I... I won't cause any harm, sir."

To demonstrate that he harbored no ill intent, he slowly raised his trembling hands into the air. However, no one around him seemed to believe him, their brows furrowing as they continued to glare at him with suspicion.

"Arrest him immediately!"

The moment an officer shouted the command from a short distance away, two heavily built guards lunged forward toward Arkar. Terrified, Arkar frantically scrambled backward on the floor.

Millions of questions swirled chaotically inside his brain. Where on earth was this place... and who were these people wearing such strange attire...?

Tap... Tap... Tap...

Amidst that chaotic moment... the entire hall suddenly grew as silent and freezing cold as a vast sheet of ice.

A single footstep. And then another...

Footsteps that were quiet and steady, yet carried an absolute aura of dominance and authority that overwhelmed the entire room. The moment those footsteps echoed, every royal guard holding a sword immediately lowered their weapon and dropped to one knee in unison.

"Your Imperial Highness..."

From the path cleared by the parting crowd... a man walked forward with a slow yet magnificently imposing presence.

He wore a striking black royal military uniform, and upon his shoulders, royal emblems mercilessly embroidered with golden threads gleamed proudly. With every movement of his body, his long black cloak trailed elegantly along the metallic floor.

Though the sharp contours of his face were so exceptionally beautiful that even young maidens might envy them... on the flip side, it was as cold and stern as an iceberg. A pair of deep, serene ash-gray eyes—devoid of any emotion—stared straight down at Arkar on the floor.

Arkar found himself unconsciously staring back, captivated by the man's breathtaking aura—

'So beautiful...' The thought accidentally flashed across his mind. Only then did he snap back to the reality of the situation, mentally scolding himself in absolute panic.

'Arkar Linn Myat! Your life is in literal danger right now, is this the time to be thinking about that?!'

Thrill Yan Khit Kaung came to a halt directly in front of the frantically breathing Arkar. By now, the distance between them was a mere single step. Khit Kaung did not utter a single word at first, simply staring down at Arkar in absolute silence.

It was incredibly strange... He was absolutely certain he had never seen this unfamiliar face before. Yet... why did his entire chest tighten with a sensation that felt so agonizingly familiar?

"Name."

Though the voice was low, it carried the absolute weight of a royal command that brooked no refusal.

Controlling the tremors in his chest, Arkar took a deep, full breath and answered.

"Arkar... Arkar Linn Myat, sir."

The exact instant he heard that distinct name... a flash of profound shock flickered across Khit Kaung’s cold, ash-gray eyes.

Arkar...

This name... this pronunciation... where had he heard it before?

BOOM!!

Suddenly, a violent flood of past visions violently forced its way into his neural pathways once more.

It was a place filled with countless dusty books... a night of torrential rain... and then, the sight of a young boy looking at him with an immensely warm, gentle smile.

"Khit Kaung..."

"This time... please don't forget me again..."

"...!"

Khit Kaung suddenly knit his brows tightly, his shoulders flinching as he experienced a sharp, splitting pain through his head.

"Your Highness!"

Seeing Khit Kaung's unusual reaction, the Royal Advisor, Aldric, anxiously stepped closer and called out.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?"

"I am fine."

Raising a hand, Khit Kaung stopped Aldric and slowly drew a breath back in. Why did these strange, impossible memories keep flashing repeatedly inside his mind the moment this young man appeared in his life?

"You..." Khit Kaung’s cold voice directed itself toward Arkar once more. "What era... what time period did you come from?"

Arkar fell quiet for a moment, turning still. If he told the truth, would these strange people even believe his words? And yet... given his current predicament, there was no reason to lie either.

"I am... I am a library staff member who worked at the Royal Grand Library... The current year I lived in... was the year 2178, sir."

Hum————

As those words left his lips, the entire grand hall plunged into absolute silence once more, like a calm sea before a massive storm. The face of a senior scientist reviewing the data drained of all color, turning completely pale.

"The year 2178...?"

"Then... that means..."

"This youth..."

"Is a human who came from the past world of three hundred years ago!"

The moment Arkar heard those words, he felt a violent shock as if his entire heartbeat had instantly ground to a halt.

"What... what did you say...?"

"Three... three hundred years ago...?"

In utter disbelief, his eyes darted toward a massive screen floating near him. Displayed upon that screen in bright digital text was:

[ Imperial Calendar Year 2478 ]

Arkar's fingers began to tremble violently as his entire chest threw itself into complete turmoil.

"It's impossible... how... how can something so impossible happen...!"

He scrambled backward in terror, his breathing turning completely erratic. If it had been three hundred years... his parents who were waiting for him... his master, the chief librarian who had warned him... and everyone he knew and loved... were no longer on this earth...?

That single realization alone suffocated Arkar's chest as if a massive boulder were crushing it down. Weakened by the psychological shock, his legs gave out... and just as he was about to collapse onto the floor—

Flash——

A strong hand swiftly reached out, grabbing Arkar by the arm to steady him. It was the distinct touch of a royal glove—cool, yet remarkably steady.

Arkar looked up through tear-brimmed eyes, only to find that the one holding him up was none other than Crown Prince Khit Kaung.

For the second time, their eyes met perfectly in the air.

One pair of cold-blooded, ash-gray eyes.

One pair of gentle, brilliant brown eyes.

For a few brief seconds... it felt as though everyone and every piece of roaring machinery inside the grand hall had strangely vanished from the face of the earth. Struck by a bizarre tremor within his own heart, Khit Kaung immediately released his grip the moment Arkar was steady.

"Aldric."

"Yes, Your Highness. Awaiting your command."

"Do not send this stranger to the underground dungeon."

Aldric was utterly stunned by the Prince's unexpected decision.

"...But Your Highness, his origins are uncertain—"

"Have him properly accommodated in the Imperial East Residence. Furthermore... I will personally interrogate him myself."

Hearing those words, Arkar furrowed his brows as a wave of deep apprehension washed over him.

'Interrogate me...?'

Would he ever be able to return safely from this bizarre futuristic place to his own past world? Or... would he remain trapped for the rest of his life inside this future world ruled by advanced machinery and technology...?

What no one inside that hall knew at the time was that this fateful encounter between him and Thrill Yan Khit Kaung—was the opening prologue that reawakened a profound "promise from the past," one that time itself had refused to let vanish across the span of centuries.

Chapter 3 End

Next Chapter — Chapter 4: A Guest or a Prisoner?