Chapter 4

The rivalry between the two princes had continued for years.

What had once been nothing more than friendly competition had slowly begun to attract the attention of the entire empire.

Their supporters had become increasingly divided.

The Holy Nation stood firmly behind Solaris, the silver-haired prince. The nobility, meanwhile, continued to support Vesper, whose blue hair reminded them of the first king who had established the kingdom.

At first, everyone had considered their rivalry harmless.

Two young princes competing to become the greatest warriors of their generation.

But that harmless competition was beginning to change.

The arguments between their supporters were becoming more frequent. Small disagreements were turning into heated confrontations, and heated confrontations were slowly moving toward something far more dangerous.

Conflict.

And that was when the Prime Minister finally intervened.

But he wasn't the only one.

For the first time in generations, the Ravencrest family stepped into the matter.

The Ravencrests had always maintained a neutral position within the empire. They had avoided taking sides in royal disputes and had built their reputation on remaining outside the struggles of the throne.

But even they could no longer ignore what was happening.

The tension had risen to a point where one wrong move could push the empire into chaos.

And at the center of it all stood the young Duke of Ravencrest.

Duke Alistair Ravencrest.

Despite his young age, Alistair possessed an overwhelming presence.

He had inherited the title of Duke when he was barely twelve years old.

Many had initially doubted him.

How could a child possibly lead one of the most influential families in the empire?

But Alistair had silenced every doubt.

He was calm.

Sharp.

And frighteningly observant.

When he entered the royal court, conversations that had been filled with heated arguments often fell silent.

Even the two princes knew better than to underestimate him.

The Duke stood before the gathered members of the royal court, his expression unreadable.

"The two of you have spent years competing against each other," he said calmly. "And now your rivalry is threatening to divide the empire."

Neither Solaris nor Vesper answered.

They simply looked at one another.

Then Solaris stepped forward.

"If we are truly worthy of Luminous, then there is no reason for us to continue fighting over the throne."

Vesper nodded.

"The sword should decide."

The court fell silent.

Everyone knew what they meant.

According to the ancient law surrounding Luminous, whoever managed to obtain the legendary sword would be recognized as the True Warrior.

And the True Warrior would become king.

The throne itself would belong to the one chosen by Luminous.

Solaris and Vesper looked at each other.

Then, almost simultaneously, they spoke.

"Without Luminous, the throne is worthless."

The room went silent.

For the first time, the two princes seemed to agree completely.

There would be no war between their supporters.

No battle for the throne.

No struggle between the factions.

Instead, there would be a hunt.

The hunt for Luminous.

The decision spread through the empire like wildfire.

And suddenly, the royal family of Rosenberg was shaken to its core.

The two princes had begun their search.

Every ancient ruin, forgotten temple, abandoned battlefield, and hidden passage became a possible clue.

The empire watched as Solaris and Vesper raced against one another to find the legendary sword.

But they weren't the only ones searching.

Duke Alistair was watching them both.

His eyes followed every move they made, sharp and patient, like a hawk watching its prey.

He didn't seem interested in claiming Luminous for himself.

At least, not yet.

There was something about the way he observed the princes that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Meanwhile, the ancient book continued to describe the events in a strange, almost poetic manner.

I read the next passage.

"Light flows through darkness. A truth that is known."

I frowned.

That sounded simple enough.

But the next line made even less sense.

"People chase the light, when darkness is what it follows."

I stared at the words.

"What does this even mean?"

I read it again.

And then once more.

Nothing.

It sounded like a riddle, but not a very good one.

Or perhaps it was a very good one, and I was simply too stupid to understand it.

I tapped my finger repeatedly against the page.

"Light follows darkness..."

I muttered the words under my breath.

"People chase the light, when darkness is what it follows."

What was that supposed to mean?

Was it referring to Luminous?

Was the sword connected to darkness somehow?

Or was it talking about the two princes?

Maybe Solaris represented the light because of his connection to the Holy Nation.

And Vesper...

I stopped.

No.

That didn't make sense either.

I scratched my head and continued staring at the page.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I failed to notice someone entering the room.

A hand suddenly landed on my shoulder.

I jumped.

"Ah!"

I lost my balance and nearly fell out of the chair.

"Mom!"

My mother immediately stepped back, surprised by my reaction.

"Goodness! What's wrong with you?"

"Please make some noise when you come!"

She laughed.

"Come on. Don't blame me. It was you who was completely lost in your own world."

"I was thinking."

"I noticed."

She pointed toward the door.

"I knocked twice, you know."

"Really?"

I scratched my head.

"I didn't hear you."

"Exactly."

She glanced at the book in my hands.

"You and that book have been inseparable since yesterday."

I looked down at it.

"Just one more chapter."

"That's what you said yesterday."

I smiled sheepishly.

My mother shook her head.

"Anyway, when are you going to get ready? It's almost nine."

I immediately looked at the clock.

8:57 a.m.

My eyes widened.

"Oh!"

I quickly closed the book.

"I have practice at around ten-thirty."

I stood up.

"You came just in time, Mom."

She smiled.

"I never understand how a bookworm became an Olympic gold medalist fencer."

I gave her an offended look.

"Mom, don't combine my hobby and my profession."

"Okay, okay. As you say."

She waved me toward the bathroom.

"Now go. Quickly."

"Yes, ma'am."

I carefully placed the book on my desk.

I hesitated for a moment.

The riddle still bothered me.

"People chase the light, when darkness is what it follows."

I stared at the words one last time.

There was something about them.

Something I couldn't explain.

But I didn't have time to think about it anymore.

I rushed into the bathroom.

Within minutes, I had showered, changed, and gathered everything I needed for practice.

I hurried downstairs, grabbed an apple and a banana from the kitchen, and stuffed them into my bag.

My mother was standing near the door.

"At least eat something properly later."

"I will!"

I opened the door.

"Bye, Mom! I'm leaving."

"Bye. Take care."

I turned around and smiled.

"Love you."

"Love you too, baby."

I waved and stepped outside.

The door closed behind me.

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and hurried down the path.

I had no idea that the strange words I'd just read would remain in the back of my mind throughout the entire day.

And I certainly had no idea that sometimes...

A riddle didn't need to make sense immediately.

Sometimes, it only needed to wait.

Until you were finally ready to understand it.

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