They called me Rin, the Flame Prince of Arkenwald. I was both warrior and royalty—heir to a throne I never cared for, and commander of armies I never wished to lead. But duty is a cruel master, and peace… peace was a dream I chased until my final breath.
The battlefield was scorched, littered with broken blades and lifeless bodies. I stood face-to-face with the Demon King, his obsidian horns cracked, his chest rising in shallow, labored breaths. I could barely hold my sword, yet I knew I had only one chance left.
"This world... needs peace," I whispered, flames dancing around my sword. "And if I have to burn with you to bring it, so be it."
With one final roar, I plunged the blade into his heart. A shockwave of magic exploded around us, swallowing everything in blinding light.
And then... silence.
When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by warmth. A soft blanket, the smell of fresh air, and... crying? My body felt small. Weak. New.
"He's awake! The prince is awake!"
Wait. Prince?
The memories hit me like a flood. My name was Rin. I died. Yet here I was, reborn in a world unknown, in the arms of a beautiful woman with kind eyes and blue hair.
"You'll be called Aeric," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "My precious son."
That was the beginning of my second life.
---
In this new world, there were seven nations. Humans, Demons, Elves, Dwarves, Goblins, Demi-humans, and Giants—all living in peace. Elemental magic was common here. People controlled the forces of nature: fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, light, and darkness. Some even wielded rarer forms like ice, metal, or sound.
I was born into the Human Kingdom, the seventh prince of a powerful but complicated royal family.
My father, King Aldric, was a man of immense magical strength, possessing fire and earth magic. He had three wives:
First Wife, Lady Seraphina, the Wind Sorceress: graceful, cold, and mother to two children — Princess Lyra (4) and Prince Thorne (2).
Second Wife, Lady Raelia, my mother. She had lightning and fire magic, known for her fierce spirit and gentle heart. She bore three children — Prince Kael (4), Princess Mira (3), and me.
Third Wife, Lady Elenora, the Water Healer. Kind and quiet, she gave birth to twins: Prince Leo and Princess Luna (both 3).
So, in total, I had three brothers and three sisters. The palace was always filled with noise, from the giggles of my sisters to the grunts of sparring practice from my elder brothers.
But I was different.
From the day I turned three, everything changed.
---
"Happy birthday, Prince Aeric!"
The grand hall shimmered with enchanted lanterns. I sat in a small golden chair, surrounded by nobles and servants. I didn't like the attention. In fact, I never did.
"Show them your magic, little prince!" someone cheered.
I hesitated. I knew what lived inside me. Fire.
But the flames in this world were not like the ones from Arkenwald. Here, mana—the life energy of the world—was channeled from the soul, stored in the body. My mana was different. Wild. Unstable.
Still, I raised my hand.
"Just a little," I thought.
I conjured a flame. It spiraled out of control in seconds, roaring into a blazing inferno. Screams echoed. Walls trembled. The servants dove to shield the nobles.
Then... darkness.
I awoke hours later, surrounded by royal healers.
"His mana… it's completely drained." "He burned it all in one go."
My siblings watched in silence. Kael, my eldest brother, held my hand tightly.
That night, mother sat by my side.
"You have a gift, Aeric. But you must learn to control it," she said softly.
She looked pale. Weaker than usual.
I didn't know then that I'd never see her again.
End of chapter 1.