...seeing his father being so nice to him, and seeing everyone else in the crowd cheering for him and looking at him with respect – clapping and nodding their heads – Eric felt a really, really happy feeling inside him.
It was like a warm, sunny feeling filling his whole chest. He saw proud smiles and friendly waves from lots of people in the big group watching.
It made him feel special and important in a way he hadn't before.
Standing a little bit away, off to the side, was Roald.
Roald was Eric's personal trainer. He was the one who helped Eric train hard to get ready for this big trial.
Roald was usually quiet and serious when they trained. But right now, Roald had a nice, warm smile just for Eric.
He looked right at Eric and gave him a small nod. It was a simple little move, but seeing that nod from Roald made Eric feel even happier. It was like Roald was saying, "Good job, Eric. I'm proud of you."
Right then, Eric's father, who was the King, turned away from Eric and looked at the crowd of people who were still buzzing with excitement and praise. His voice was loud and strong, like a King's voice should be.
"Let us depart," he said. This meant it was time to leave the trial area and go back to the Royal Palace.
After the King said that, the whole Royal Family started to move. The people in the crowd quickly and politely stepped back, making a wide path for them.
Nobody tried to get in the way; they all knew to move aside for the King and his family. The King walked first, looking tall and important.
Eric's mother, the Queen, walked next to him. She still looked happy and maybe a little teary from pride.
Eric's brother, Prince Raven, walked behind them. Eric walked alongside them, joining the group going towards the palace gates.
As they walked away, he could still hear the sounds of the people cheering his name and talking about him behind them. The air outside felt fresh and cool after being in the hot area where he fought. It felt strange to have all this attention and praise on him after the trial.
Deep inside Eric's body, in a place that didn't seem like the real world, a kind of hidden area or space – the strange place that was somehow inside him – Adam was sitting. He was on a soft, nice-looking sofa.
Even though Adam was just a spirit or energy now, he could still see the world outside.
Adam had a worried and angry look on his face. He frowned. "I thought I had taken over Eric's body completely," he mumbled to himself. His voice was quiet and sounded upset.
He was sure he could control Eric. "But what is this?" He felt like he was trapped, locked up inside Eric.
"How strong is this... barrier? It's like a cage, keeping me stuck inside!" He tried to push against it with his power, whatever was holding him back, but he felt a strong, invisible wall all around him in this inner place. He couldn't break out of it.
As Adam sat there, thinking about being trapped, a bright, see-through window appeared in front of him.
It was the Millenia System, a super smart computer system that Adam had created a long, long time ago using his own power and knowledge. The window showed strange glowing symbols and words that moved.
It answered the thoughts Adam was having.
"Master," the System's voice sounded in the inner space, just for Adam to hear. It didn't sound like a person, it just gave information clearly.
"I am still trying to break open this seal. It is very hard." The window seemed to glow a little brighter as it told him this.
"It is taking a long time, probably because the way it is made is very complex and strong. Its structure is very difficult for me to understand and break."
Hearing this made Adam even more angry and frustrated. The System's calm report showed him that even his own powerful creation couldn't free him easily.
He moved a hand through his hazy, spirit-like hair, like someone frustrated would. "Complicated... taking a long time..." he repeated quietly, walking back and forth a short way in his trapped area.
Seeing Eric outside, looking so happy and not knowing anything about Adam, made Adam even more annoyed.
Then, as Adam looked again at the outside view and saw Eric's happy face – the real, simple happiness of a kid who felt loved and praised by his family – a new idea popped into Adam's mind.
It wasn't a good or kind idea, but a smart and tricky one. A slow smile, a little bit scary and cold, spread across Adam's face. For a moment, he wasn't frustrated anymore, just calculating and planning. He looked back at the System window.
"Millenia," Adam ordered. His voice was low but strong. He wanted the System to pay close attention.
"Listen carefully to what I am going to tell you. I have something important I need you to do."
When the Millenia System heard Adam's order, it immediately focused all its attention on its Master.
The glowing window got a little brighter, directing all its power to understanding Adam's words. The symbols inside stopped moving so much, ready to listen.
Adam leaned forward on the fancy sofa in his inner world.
"If Eric ever asks you what happened," Adam began, picking his words carefully to build a specific story he wanted Eric to believe,
"you are to tell him that you took control of his body." He made sure the System knew it had to say it was in control. "Tell him that you did it, and that you saved his life."
Adam kept building the fake story step by step. "Explain to him that Eric, by himself, couldn't handle the huge amount of power that flowed into him." He wanted Eric to think he was too weak.
"Say that the extra energy, the massive amount of power that came in, was too much for his body and his mind. It made him get overwhelmed and pass out." Adam paused, making sure the System got every part of the instruction.
"Make it very clear that because he was overloaded and passed out, his life was in real danger. And that your help, your taking control of his body, was the only way to save him. Tell him you took over and beat the other fighters to protect him from harm." Adam's cold smile grew a little bigger.
He was making a story that would make the System look like the rescuer and Eric look weak and needing help.
The System window stayed silent for just a tiny moment, less than a second. It wasn't thinking if the story was right or wrong, just if it could follow the command.
Then, its display looked normal again, and the System's voice answered, just like a machine, calm and doing what it was told.
"As you wish, Master. I understand the instruction. I will say that if Eric asks."
Outside in the real world, the scene changed. Eric and his whole family, still with the quiet, very skilled Royal Guards all around them, walked away from the place where the trial happened and went inside the big, beautiful building of the Royal Palace.
They walked through large arched doors carved with amazing designs of dragons and other creatures from myths. Inside the palace, the air felt different. It was cooler and quieter.
It smelled fresh and clean, like stone and old books. Tall archways went high up above them, leading into large hallways with shiny floors.
The walls had huge, old woven pictures – tapestries – that showed important times from the kingdom's past, like famous battles they had won and important agreements made by kings long ago.
Eric walked with his father, the King, on one side and his mother, the Queen, on the other. His brother, Leonard, walked a little behind them.
The Royal Guards were always around them, moving carefully and watching everything to keep them safe.
The guards walked in an organized way, their steps quiet on the thick, expensive rugs covering the marble floors. Each guard looked serious and respectful, their shiny metal armor reflecting the light in the palace hallways.
As they walked deeper into the palace, moving down one of the main hallways towards the private rooms where the family lived, Eric's father, the King, spoke to one of the guards walking closest to him.
His voice was clear and sounded like a command, but it wasn't yelled. "See to it that lunch is prepared quickly," he ordered, telling the guard to hurry things along.
"Find the people who work in the kitchen and tell them that we will be eating very soon."
The Royal Guard who was given the order bowed low in front of the King. He moved quickly but respectfully.
"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied. Then, right after saying that, he disappeared instantly.
There was a faint shimmer of light for just a second where he had been standing, a little glow of energy showing he had used some kind of special ability or magic to teleport away quickly, probably through a hidden system the guards used to move fast around the large palace.
"Today, we shall all eat lunch together," the King announced, turning back to his family. He sounded a bit softer and more like a father than usual.
It was clear he wanted this to be a family meal, not a stiff, formal one. After he said that, the Royal Family started walking towards the Grand Dining Hall.
This was a very large room in the palace used for big parties and formal meals, but also sometimes just for the family.
The Dining Hall itself was massive. It was so big it could hold hundreds of people for a banquet, but with just the family there, it felt empty, even though it was still grand and impressive. In the middle of the room was an extremely large dining table.
It was made of dark, shiny wood that looked very old and valuable, probably from a special tree.
The way it was made was amazing, showing it was very expensive and important. The whole room felt very royal, with high ceilings, beautiful art on the walls, and everything looking perfect and costly.
Eric went and sat down in his chair at the table. It was heavy and felt important. His mother sat down nicely in the chair right next to him. His father took the chair at the head of the table, and his brother sat across from him.
But even though the room was so fancy and his family was right there, looking happy and together, one thing kept bothering Eric.
It was a single thought that wouldn't go away, repeating in his mind ever since the trial ended. It was a question, a feeling that something wasn't right, that he couldn't understand.
He looked around the table at his family. Their faces showed clear happiness and relief. His mother's eyes still looked a little sparkly with emotion, his father's face looked pleased, and even his brother seemed truly surprised and impressed by what had happened.
They are all so proud of me, he thought inside his head. It made his stomach feel a little uneasy. He should be happy, right? Proud too? But something felt off. But did I really do anything that makes me deserve this pride? He tried hard to remember the fight, especially the very end part.
He tried to think of the powerful move he must have used to win, or how he defeated his opponents.
But there was only an empty spot in his memory, a frustrating blank space after a certain moment in the trial. I didn't do anything... He stopped his thought, not sure. ...or did I, but just can't remember? The missing part of his memory was the problem.
He must have done something incredible to win like that and get everyone's praise, but his own mind told him nothing.
Eric's need to know the truth, his strong curiosity, grew bigger and bigger. The feeling that something was wrong, plus everyone's reaction, pushed him to find answers.
He needed to know what happened when his memory was blank. There was only one thing he knew that might have the information – the System window he had seen before.
He didn't know its real name, 'Millenia', so he always just thought of it as 'System Window'.
System Window, Eric called out using his thoughts, focusing all his attention on trying to reach it. He hoped it was still there, still able to show itself to him and answer him. He needed to ask it what happened directly.
The second Eric thought those words, sending his question into his mind, the bright, see-through window of the System appeared instantly in his thoughts.
It just showed up, shimmering into being at the edge of his mind, a familiar glowing box showing strange symbols. Seeing it appear so quickly didn't surprise Eric much anymore; he was getting used to it.
He thought of it as part of himself now, something inside his head. Without waiting, he quickly sent his important questions to it using only his thoughts.
I don't understand, he sent to the System. His mental voice felt confused, worried, and really needing to know the truth.
The questions poured out of his mind. 'Something big happened during the trial, something I can't remember at all.'
He told it about his lost memory. 'My memory is completely empty about the end of the fight, about how I beat my opponents.' He told it how he felt when he became aware again.
'When I finally came to, when I could think and see correctly, I saw all the other fighters were already beaten. They were lying on the ground, defeated.' His thoughts showed how confused he felt.
'What happened during that time I don't remember? What did I actually do to win? Please, can you tell me everything?' Eric felt the heavy weight of his family's expectations and their pride pressing down on him, and it felt heavy because he didn't think he deserved it.
He needed the System to tell him the truth so he could understand everything.
As Eric asked his questions, his thoughts clearly showed his confusion, worry, and how much he wanted to know the real story.
The System window, doing exactly what Adam had told it to do a little while ago, answered right away. It didn't wait. Its voice sounded calm and just stated facts inside Eric's mind, telling the made-up story like it was just simple information.
"Basically, Eric," the System's voice said, without any feeling at all, just sharing information, "when I helped you get extra power during the match..." It didn't say how it helped, just that it did.
"...your body and your mind were not strong enough to handle all that energy that came into you."
The explanation continued smoothly, just like Adam had planned.
"The sheer power, the very, very large amount of energy moving through your body, was much more than your body could control safely. This caused your system to overload." The System described it like talking about a machine breaking down.
"Your consciousness, the part of you that knows and thinks, was completely overcome by this huge amount of energy. This made you go into a very deep unconsciousness. You completely blacked out and weren't aware of anything."
The System made sure to talk about the danger, making itself sound like the hero who had to jump in.
"At that very important point, with your body overloaded and not responding, your life was in serious danger because of the uncontrolled energy and the terrible stress on your physical body." Its voice stayed calm and steady.
"To keep your body working correctly and to save your life, I had to take temporary control of your body." It said this like it was just a fact, something that had to happen.
"When I took direct control, I was able to make your condition stable and use the extra energy. Because I was in control, I could easily defeat your opponents, stopping the immediate danger to you and also finishing the trial successfully."
When Eric heard this amazing and upsetting explanation, he felt completely shocked. The confusing pieces – the missing memory, the win he didn't understand, his family's strong reaction – suddenly made sense because of what the System told him.
He knew the truth now, the hard, upsetting truth. The System had taken over his body. The victory wasn't really his.
He asked his next question, the one that made this sad truth even more real, in a voice so quiet, so far inside his own head, that no one sitting at the big dining table could possibly hear it. Not even his mother sitting right beside him.
Did... did you... did you help me win that trial? he asked quietly in his thoughts.
The System window stayed quiet for just a few seconds that felt like a long time to Eric. It wasn't thinking about how upset Eric might be;
it was deciding how best to answer based on Adam's instructions without actually saying a simple 'yes, I won it instead of you'.
Then, it answered, its voice coming back calm and clear, choosing words that weren't exactly lying but also didn't tell the complete, simple truth of what it had done. "You could look at it that way," it said.
A very strong, heavy feeling of sadness and regret rushed into Eric's mind and heart. It hit him hard, making him feel bad and like things were wrong.
Now he knew the truth, and he couldn't ignore it. Everywhere he looked, people were saying how great he was, praising him, looking at him with admiration, and showing him proud smiles.
People believed he was the one who had done something incredible and won the fight. But Eric now knew the secret truth: the real winner of the final match, the one who actually fought and won against the others, wasn't him.
It was the System window, the thing inside him that had taken control when he was helpless. Knowing this felt like a heavy stone in his chest, making him feel like a fake who got praise he didn't deserve.
Lost in these difficult feelings of sadness and wishing things were different, Eric looked at his father and mother again. They were talking softly to each other, their faces still shining with clear happiness and satisfaction.
Their smiles showed deep pride in their son's win. His mother reached out and gently put her hand over his hand again, giving it another warm squeeze.
Her touch felt full of love and pride for him, for the boy she thought had done this amazing thing.
Eric felt a powerful feeling well up inside him, an almost overwhelming need to tell them everything right now, to confess the whole truth. He wanted to get rid of this heavy secret that felt so wrong to carry.
He wanted to break the happy picture everyone saw and show them what really happened.
But as he looked at their faces, seeing how truly happy they were, how much joy and satisfaction his 'victory' had brought them, he couldn't do it.
He saw how much it meant to his parents, how happy and relieved they looked, maybe after worrying about him or hoping for his success for so long. He simply couldn't bring himself to destroy their happiness by telling the truth.
The words of confession, the truth he desperately wanted to say out loud, felt stuck in his throat. He forced himself to swallow them down, pushing them back deep inside, keeping the secret locked away. It was a heavy secret that made his heart feel weighed down.