When I opened my eyes, the world felt different. The air was thick with energy, humming like a quiet storm waiting to break. My vision adjusted slowly, and what I saw wasn't the sky of my home realm anymore. Two suns burned high above, their light painting the clouds gold and blue. Beneath them stretched Aurelion—a world both wild and magnificent.
I sat up and touched my head. A sharp pain flared behind my eyes, splitting into flashes of memory that weren't mine—or maybe they were, buried deep inside. Images of marble halls, banners bearing a golden phoenix, and a throne carved from white crystal filled my mind. I saw a young man standing before a council, defying them. Then the sentence echoed in my head: "Mukul Ardyn Solaryn, you are hereby exiled."
The name hit me hard. Mukul Ardyn Solaryn. That was me now.
Faith bent beside me, her expression soft but worried. "You blacked out for a moment. Are you alright?"
"I… think so," I murmured. "But something's changed. I'm… someone else here."
Luna smirked gently. "Well, welcome to the club. This world likes to play with identity. What's the new name?"
"Mukul Ardyn Solaryn," I said, tasting the words. They rolled off my tongue strangely familiar. "An exiled prince… from the Aurelion Dynasty."
Nira raised an eyebrow. "A prince? That explains the way the ground trembled when you stood up."
"Hilarious," I muttered, but I couldn't shake the weight of those memories. They came in fragments—sword training at dawn, the glow of sunfire magic, a crown offered and refused, betrayal by a brother with silver eyes. Each memory layered itself over my own past, merging the two into something new.
I stood, brushing dust from my clothes. That's when I noticed something else—the armour. It wasn't what I'd worn before. It was a sleek golden set lined with faint blue veins that pulsed like living energy. My reflection in a pool nearby confirmed it: my eyes glowed faintly with a mix of gold and ember-red.
Luna leaned closer, grinning. "You're glowing again."
Faith smiled softly. "That's his Aurelion radiance manifesting."
Nira crossed her arms. "Or his temper."
They joked, but I barely heard them. Inside, I could feel it—my old power still there, the strength that came from my divine core, unbroken even by this world's rewriting of my existence. I clenched my fist, feeling it hum under my skin. The fusion from the Rift rewarded me with perfect harmony; my divine energy blended with Aurelion's ley lines like they were made for each other.
I looked around us. Rolling fields stretched toward distant mountains, dotted with ruins of old temples that shimmered faintly under the sun. In the far distance, I saw a floating golden city—its towers shimmering like flame. My new memories told me its name: Solaryn Citadel, my birthright… and my exile.
Faith followed my gaze. "Is that where you came from? In this world, I mean."
"Yes," I said slowly. "That's Solaryn. My home… or it used to be."
Luna studied me carefully. "Do you want to go back there?"
"Eventually. But not yet. First, I need to understand why I was exiled. The memories are cracked, half-formed. Someone tampered with them."
Nira frowned. "So the world gave you a past, but not the whole truth."
"Exactly," I said. "And I intend to find it."
We walked for a while across the glowing plains. The grass whispered beneath our feet, releasing faint sparks of light with every step. I could feel the ley lines singing—a deep, resonant thrum that responded to my presence. Each tree, each stone, seemed alive, pulsing with quiet magic.
Faith eventually said, "You feel connected, don't you?"
"Yes," I admitted. "This world's energy calls to me. Maybe because this version of me belongs here. Or maybe because my old self refuses to let go."
To test it, I raised my hand and focused. A sphere of golden energy flickered to life in my palm, swirling with crimson threads—my original divine core blending with Aurelion's solar essence. The ground around us brightened, casting long shadows.
Luna watched closely. "You're still ridiculously overpowered," she joked, but then her expression turned thoughtful. "Be careful. This world might test you in ways your old one didn't."
Nira nodded. "Power like that attracts eyes."
"I know," I replied. "But hiding isn't our style."
Suddenly, thunder rumbled—not from natural clouds, but from energy concentrating high in the air. I turned quickly, sensing movement. From beyond the fields came figures—five armoured knights riding creatures made of crystal and light. The lead knight raised a glaive, shouting something I understood instinctively.
"Stand in the name of the Solar Council! By law of exile, Prince Ardyn is forbidden to return!"
Faith stepped forward protectively, her aura flaring. "Friends of yours?"
"Hardly," I said grimly. The name they used—Ardyn—was part of this world's me, and hearing it shouted like an accusation stirred something fierce inside.
The knights surrounded us in a half circle, their mounts' feet leaving trails of sparks. One knight stepped down, face hidden under a golden mask. His voice carried strangely human emotion beneath the formality.
"You were warned never to cross the Rift back, Ardyn. The council sees your arrival as rebellion."
"I didn't cross back," I said quietly. "The world called me."
The knight hesitated but raised his glaive again. "Then the world is mistaken."
Before I could reply, Nira moved—a blur of blue lightning. Her sword met the knight's weapon midair, the clash ringing like a bell of war. Faith's light flared nearby, shielding us from incoming energy bursts, while Luna's illusions twisted the battlefield around us, making it impossible to tell reality from dream.
I joined them, summoning a blade from pure radiance. My old combat instincts flowed perfectly with the movements of Mukul Ardyn Solaryn—the exiled prince who wielded flame and light. My strikes left trails of burning gold, my power roaring alive again. For a moment, it felt like two versions of me—old and new—had become one.
When the light finally settled, the knights lay scattered, stunned but alive. I lowered my sword, breath steady.
Faith approached me. "You could've destroyed them."
"I know," I said softly. "But an exiled prince doesn't need more enemies."
Luna gave a small smirk. "You sound different now—more royal."
"Maybe I am," I said, staring toward the golden city in the far distance. "This world thinks it exiled me, but maybe I came back for a reason."
Nira sheathed her blade. "Whatever that reason is, we'll find it together."
The sun dipped slightly, painting the sky with twin halos of light. I felt their warmth on my face, and deep inside, my powers—old and new—settled as one.
Mukul Ardyn Solaryn. Exiled prince. Traveller between worlds.
And my story here had only just begun.