Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up with a smile on my face.

I wasn't entirely sure why.

Perhaps it was because I'd slept unusually well. Or maybe it was simply one of those mornings when everything felt strangely peaceful.

I stretched beneath the blanket and slowly opened my eyes.

Sunlight had already begun creeping through the curtains, painting thin golden lines across the walls.

I turned my head toward the desk.

The book.

The one I'd borrowed from the library yesterday.

It was still sitting exactly where I'd left it.

For a moment, I simply stared at it.

Then I remembered where I'd stopped reading.

History.

The two princes.

The missing sword.

I immediately wanted to know what happened next.

I got out of bed, freshened up, and glanced at the clock.

6:30 a.m.

I still had plenty of time before my practice began.

Perfect.

I grabbed the book from the desk, pulled out my chair, and sat down.

The house was quiet.

Everyone else was still asleep, or at least quiet enough that I could pretend they were.

I opened the book to the page I'd marked the night before.

The chapter began with a title that immediately made me smile.

Two Princes, One Throne.

"How typical," I muttered with a laugh.

Of course there were two princes.

And of course there was only one throne.

It sounded like the beginning of every royal story I'd ever heard.

I continued reading.

The kingdom had been divided between two powerful factions, each supporting a different prince.

The first prince was beloved by the Holy Nation.

He had long, silver hair, a rare trait associated with the Holy Moon. According to the ancient beliefs of the kingdom, silver hair was considered a blessing from the moon itself.

The people who followed the Holy Nation believed that the prince had been chosen by fate.

The second prince had something equally remarkable.

Blue hair.

It was almost identical to the color described in the oldest paintings of the kingdom's first king—the man who had established the kingdom centuries ago.

Because of this resemblance, the nobility had placed their support behind him.

The two princes couldn't have been more different in appearance, yet they shared something far more important.

They were both extraordinarily capable warriors.

The first prince had earned the title Enemy Slayer.

The second was known as the Enemy Destroyer.

I paused.

"Okay... those are definitely dramatic names."

I smiled and continued reading.

Despite the rivalry between their supporters, the two princes themselves did not seem interested in fighting over the throne.

At least, not directly.

They respected one another.

They trained together.

They fought together.

And whenever they met on the battlefield, neither underestimated the other.

Yet both possessed an enormous amount of pride when it came to their abilities as warriors.

Because there was something neither prince was willing to share.

Something they both wanted to claim before the other.

Luminous.

The legendary sword of the kingdom's first emperor.

According to the ancient records, the first emperor had possessed a sword unlike any other. It was said to have been forged for the strongest warrior of the age and carried the power to recognize the person worthy of wielding it.

But after the emperor's death, the sword disappeared.

No one knew where it had gone.

Generations of warriors had searched for it.

Kings had sent armies into distant lands.

Explorers had crossed mountains and deserts.

Scholars had spent their entire lives studying ancient records.

Yet no one had found Luminous.

The legend claimed that the sword could only be obtained by the True Warrior.

And there was only one way to become the True Warrior.

Prove yourself worthy.

I leaned closer to the page.

"So that's what they want."

Neither prince truly cared about the throne.

Not yet, anyway.

They wanted Luminous.

They wanted to be recognized as the greatest warrior in the kingdom.

And, more importantly, they wanted to be the first.

The book described the relationship between the two princes in surprising detail.

They weren't enemies.

Not exactly.

They admired each other's strength.

They respected each other's achievements.

But beneath that respect was an intense rivalry.

Every victory mattered.

Every battle mattered.

Every improvement mattered.

If one prince learned a new technique, the other would train until he could match it.

If one defeated a powerful opponent, the other would seek an even stronger challenge.

Neither was willing to stand behind the other.

Neither wanted to be second.

And somewhere between friendship, respect, and rivalry, their desire for Luminous continued to grow.

I closed the book for a moment.

Two princes.

Two factions.

Two warriors.

And one legendary sword.

I couldn't help smiling.

"Now this is getting interesting."

I opened the book again.

There was something about the story that had caught my attention.

It wasn't the magic.

It wasn't the legendary sword.

It wasn't even the rivalry.

It was the fact that neither prince seemed particularly interested in ruling.

They wanted something else.

Recognition.

To prove themselves.

To become the person worthy of holding the sword.

And perhaps, deep down, to prove that they were better than the other.

I glanced at the clock.

6:55 a.m.

I still had time.

So I turned the page.

And kept reading.

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