The hall of the Church of Lumina swelled with voices.
Raze—no, the infant who would soon be given a new name—could hardly process the sheer number of people who filled the sacred chamber. Nobles in embroidered robes. Soldiers in polished armor. Priests, officials, attendants, servants… far more people than he had ever seen visit their home.
*Why are there so many?* he wondered. *Mother gave birth a month ago, but barely anyone came then…*
He couldn't ask questions, but the answer soon revealed itself.
Whispers rippled around the hall:
"That is Lady Arlienne?"
"The king's concubine… the only commoner he ever chose."
"And these are the twins? His newest children?"
"Look at them… white-haired, like their mother."
Raze froze.
*King? Concubine? Royal… siblings?*
Pieces clicked together with a force that nearly stunned him.
His mother was not just a noblewoman.
She was a **royal concubine**—the only commoner ever accepted by the King of Vornis. A woman chosen not for politics or alliances… but for something else entirely.
And because she was a commoner, she had not lived in the palace but in a grand mansion—one Raze had assumed belonged to a wealthy family.
Now he understood.
He—no, *they*, he and his sister—were members of the royal bloodline.
A prince and princess.
*I'm… royalty?*
His infant heart hammered wildly.
Even though their father visited only once—on the night they were born—Raze could sense the complicated nature of this family. Duties, distance, obligations… the king had little time for affection.
Still, the truth remained.
He was reborn as a prince.
***
But more than royalty, this world had something far more fantastical.
Magic.
He had already noticed the glowing lanterns, the rune-covered walls, the shimmering air in the church. But this ceremony would determine something deeper—something permanent.
In this world, every living person awakened **one type of magic**, chosen and fixed at birth. For life.
And today, the crystal sphere would reveal that magic.
The royal family of Vornis was famous—feared even—for one thing:
**Fire Magic.**
Blazing, destructive, powerful.
Every royal heir for generations had been born with it.
Combined with their naturally massive mana pools, they were practically guaranteed to become elite mages.
Naturally, the hall buzzed with anticipation.
"Will the twins inherit the fire blessing?"
"Of course they will. They carry the king's blood."
"Two new fire mages of royal lineage… what fortune for Vornis!"
Raze felt his mother's heartbeat quicken as she approached the altar. Her grip tightened protectively around him, just slightly.
The priest raised the glowing sphere.
"First, the older twin," he declared.
The maid stepped forward with the girl.
A soft hum echoed through the hall as the sphere brightened, threads of light curling toward the infant.
The sphere pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
A third time—
And then a clear tone rang out, sharp and pure like a struck bell.
The priest's eyes widened.
"This child…"
The crowd leaned forward.
"…possesses **Sound Magic**."
The hall erupted into gasps.
"Impossible!"
"No royal child has ever—"
"Sound Magic? That forgotten branch?"
"But where is the fire element?"
"Is this a defect? A mistake?"
Raze's eyes widened as well.
*Sound Magic? My sister… got something that rare?*
Rare wasn't even the right word.
**Sound Magic was nearly extinct.**
Only a handful of cases were recorded in centuries. No common spellbooks. No teachers. No established techniques.
It was considered a magical dead-end.
He glanced at his mother—and felt her tremble.
Not in fear… but in recognition.
Her eyes shone with a familiar emotion.
*Mother… also has Sound Magic, doesn't she?*
He remembered the whispers:
"It was her voice… her singing… that made the king fall for her."
Yes. She, too, was blessed by Sound.
And now her daughter carried that same legacy.
But before anyone could recover from the shock, the priest spoke again.
"…Next, the younger twin."
Raze was lifted gently and brought before the sphere.
He felt the crystal's pull—warm, probing, curious.
His mana stirred.
Then—
**PANG—!**
A powerful chime burst from the sphere, louder than before. Light flared, swirling like waves of air.
The priest stumbled back.
The crowd fell silent.
"This child also…" he whispered, voice trembling in disbelief,
"…possesses **Sound Magic**."
The church exploded into chaos.
"Both twins?!"
"Not a single drop of fire?!"
"Two Sound Mages in one generation—how?!"
"This is a disaster for the royal succession!"
"No, this is unprecedented—!"
"Is this a blessing or a curse?"
Raze didn't know what to feel.
Sound Magic.
He didn't understand its potential.
He didn't know its limits.
But he could feel something—deep inside his tiny chest—a resonance, a vibration, a power that answered the world's currents.
A magic that wasn't fire.
A magic that wasn't destructive.
A magic tied to **voice, music, emotion**.
*Just like… my dream in my previous life.*
His mother stepped forward, pulling both twins close to her heart. Her expression was firm, protective, proud.
"These are my children," she said quietly. "Their magic is not a weakness."
The priest finally regained his composure.
"It seems their fates differ from the royal lineage. The Light has chosen… a rare path."
He placed a hand on the sphere.
"From this day forward, you are named—"
He pointed to the girl:
**"Astra Wynfall."**
Then to Raze:
**"Aster Wynfall."**
Astra.
Aster.
Twins bound by sound.
The hall buzzed with confusion and uncertainty.
No fire magic.
No royal tradition.
No expected destiny.
Only the forgotten, mysterious power of Sound.
And as the ceremony ended, the question hung heavy:
**What would Aster do in a world where his magic had no guide, no teacher, and no place in the royal future?**
Only he knew one thing for certain—
*This time… I will not waste my second life.*