Ren’s mind reeled as the reality of Prince Caelen’s words sunk in. The heavy, gold-embroidered sleeves of his grand mage robes brushed against the cold marble dais as he tried to steady his breathing. The raw, metallic tang of magic still lingered on his tongue, a sharp contrast to the stale apartment air he had been breathing just moments ago.
He was inside the novel. Not just as a spectator, but as the Grand Mage Ren—a character destined to be executed in the original timeline for failing the Emperor’s summoning ritual.
"Ren," Caelen spoke again, his deep voice slicing through Ren's spiraling thoughts. The prince stepped closer, the polished leather of his boots clicking sharply against the stone floor. He didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he reached out, his heavy, gloved hand gently but firmly gripping Ren’s shoulder. "Look at me. Your focus is fractured. Did the ritual damage your soul core?"
Ren forced his eyes up, locking onto Caelen’s piercing purple gaze. In the web novel, Prince Caelen was described as a ruthless, unyielding tyrant who used people like chess pieces. Yet, the hand on Ren’s shoulder was steadying, and the intense focus in the prince's eyes held a desperate, underlying panic.
"I... I am unharmed, Your Highness," Ren managed to say, his new voice sounding impossibly elegant, though a slight tremor gave away his shock.
Caelen’s sharp features relaxed just a fraction, a subtle shift that anyone else in the room would have missed. He let his hand slide from Ren’s shoulder down to his forearm, his grip lingering over the fine silk of the royal purple sleeve. "Good. Because the Emperor’s guards are already marching up the lower spiral stairs. They believe you failed."
Right on cue, the heavy iron-reinforced doors at the far end of the grand observatory shuddered. A muffled, booming voice echoed from the other side, demanding entry in the name of the Crown.
Ren gripped the dark elderwood staff tighter, the massive violet crystal at its tip flaring with a sudden, responsive heat. If he wanted to survive this chapter, he couldn't act like a panicked data analyst. He had to act like the most powerful mage in the Elysian Empire.
"Let them come," Ren said, squaring his shoulders as the marble dais beneath his feet began to glow anew with intricate, defensive runes.
Caelen’s lips curved into a dangerous, sharp smile. He drew his ceremonial sword from his hip with a lethal hiss, stepping directly in front of Ren to shield him from the entrance. "That is the response I expected. Stand behind me, Ren. Let us remind my father who truly holds the power in this palace."
[Hi there this the author I want to all know that my English not might perfect because well I have that disease I think that's what they call slow learner it means that I'm slow at everything even speaking or writing an English that's all enjoy the novel]
TO BE CONTINUE---
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