The morning of Silus's tenth birthday began not with a harsh training command, but with the warm sunlight of Primux and the cheers of the palace staff. After years of grueling training under Queen Luminara, the young Prince had grown lean and strong. The servants dressed him in royal silks of white and gold before leading him to the Great Hall.
There, the table groaned under the weight of a magnificent feast. For the first time in years, the entire court—including his mother, Queen Silvia, and King Alaric—sat together in peace. But for Silus, the highlight wasn't the food; it was Princess Elena, the daughter of a neighboring lord. She was the only person who made the powerful Prince feel like a normal boy.
Midway through the dancing, Silus caught Elena's eye. They slipped away from the noise, finding a quiet balcony overlooking the moonlit gardens.
"I've spent five years learning to fight," Silus whispered, his face reddening. "But standing here with you is the only time I feel truly brave."
Elena smiled, taking his hand. "You don't need a sword to be a hero to me, Silus." In the quiet of the night, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, promising that no matter how strong he became, she would always stay by his side.
They returned to the hall just as Queen Luminara stepped forward, carrying a long object wrapped in ancient, black cloth.
"My gift is not a toy, Silus," Luminara said, her voice dropping to a serious tone. "It is a burden." She unwrapped the cloth to reveal the Thousand Blood War Sword. Its blade was forged from dark, star-fallen metal, a weapon once wielded by the First Demon Lord.
As Silus gripped the hilt, the sword seemed to "bite" into his palm, testing his soul. Suddenly, a massive pillar of dark-gold aura erupted from the blade, piercing through the roof and shooting into the heavens. The Rulers gasped; the sword had been dormant for centuries, rejecting every king who tried to claim it. To Silus, however, it felt as light as a feather.
"I knew it," Luminara whispered, her eyes wide. "The blade has chosen its master."
The celebration continued until a man in a tattered, grey robe approached the Prince. He moved without making a sound. He handed Silus a small, wax-sealed box and whispered, "A gift for the boy who has everything." Before the guards could question him, the man dissolved into a cloud of ash and blew away in the wind.
Silus opened the box privately. Inside was no gold or jewel—only a tattered piece of parchment. It read:
"The heart you gave away today shall be the dagger that strikes you tomorrow. The one you love will be the cause of your downfall."
Silus felt a chill run down his spine, but he looked back at Elena laughing with his mother and shook his head. He tucked the note into his pocket, refusing to let a stranger's riddle ruin his joy. He went to bed that night with a legendary sword at his side and a secret in his heart, believing he had just lived the best day of his life.