The day was bright in the kingdom, but inside the vast room adorned with bookshelves and luxurious furniture, the world seemed dark and dull to Nivalis. The room, which usually amazed visitors with its rows of ancient books that touched the ceiling, felt like a prison to him, devoid of excitement.
Nivalis sat in a large chair, surrounded by an ebony desk, reading a book he had picked randomly from the shelves. Suddenly, he slammed the book shut, producing a loud thud that echoed through the room. He tossed the book aside and sighed deeply, muttering with an air of frustration:
"I feel like I'm suffocating from this monotony... everything here is meaningless."
He stood up and began pacing around the spacious room, his slow footsteps breaking the heavy silence. He wore his usual fine clothes, reflecting the prestige of his noble family. His long white hair swayed with each step, and his cold blue eyes gleamed with a mixture of boredom and contemplation.
He stopped in front of a large window overlooking the back gardens of the palace, which were filled with blooming flowers and stone sculptures. The garden looked like a beautiful painting, yet it never once managed to
capture Nivalis' attention. He spoke softly as though talking to himself:
"Parties, tales, and endless flattery... Is this the meaning of life?"
He glanced at the bookshelves neatly arranged on the walls, all of which he had already read. This room was not just a personal library, but one of the largest private libraries in the kingdom. Yet, his weary soul found nothing it was searching for there. He had even gone so far as to request books from all over the kingdom. He had read them all—from political works to war strategies, and even philosophical writings that delved into the mysteries of life and death.
But there was one kind of book that stood out among the others: the ones that spoke of the ancient nobles, their legendary lives, and their accomplishments that shaped the history of the kingdom. These books excited Nivalis, igniting within him a sense of passion. He admired the greatness of these men and women, their governing style, and their courage that knew no fear.
However, this obsession with those books always led to arguments with his father. The Count, with his cold wisdom, saw those books as a danger to his heir's mind. Whenever he saw Nivalis reading one of them, he would sternly say:
"Do not get attached to the past, Nivalis. The nobles of the past were different from the ones of today. What worked for them will not work for us now."
Every time Nivalis heard those words, a deep confusion would settle within him. He couldn't understand what his father truly meant by "difference." To him, the only difference between the nobles of the past and those of the present was that the nobles of today had less prestige, fewer accomplishments, and were far less noble.
Now, he returned to his desk, sitting back in the large chair, trying to escape the whirlwind of thoughts that surrounded him. He looked at the pile of books that had accumulated on the table. Some of them he had read dozens of times, but now, everything seemed faded and worthless. He muttered coldly, as if passing judgment on his own life:
"I want something different. Something real, far from this monotonous and repetitive life the nobles live."
A thought crossed his mind for a moment: should he visit Edward? Edward, the sorcerer and the family's head servant, had been his teacher since he entered this palace. Whenever Nivalis felt bored, he would go to him to learn something new. But he quickly dismissed the idea, as Edward had told him only days ago that his basic education was complete, and there was nothing more to teach him at the moment.
Three other figures came to his mind, and he would certainly be pleased to see them...
The first was a woman with golden hair, regal in presence, bearing a nobility and dignity that Nivalis had never seen in any of the women of the palaces. To him, she embodied what true nobility should be—no embellishments, no titles, just a presence born from honesty and a pure heart.
Then there was the young girl, who, despite her childhood, had taught him much. She was passionate about sharing her knowledge, and despite her young age, she was always eager to stimulate his curiosity and teach him everything she knew. Every word from her was filled with enthusiasm, and each lesson was, to him, like a new discovery.
The third was a strict-looking knight, yet kind-hearted. He treated him with warmth and affection, making Nivalis feel comfortable and safe in his presence.
These three, along with Edward, were the only people Nivalis truly cared about in the seven years of his life.
As he surrendered to his thoughts, a question crept into his mind.
Seven years?
What was before them?
He couldn't remember. He saw no face, heard no voice from before those seven years.
But he didn't really care much about that.
I've always had a strange ability since I opened my eyes to this world, an ability to distinguish. To distinguish between truth and deception, between honesty and lies.
It was strange and terrifying to realize that out of the many people I had encountered, only four of them had been honest in their dealings with me. This realization was truly terrifying... to be surrounded by so many who deceive you, while only a few truly deserve your trust.
"Ah..." Nivalis sighed and sat back in his chair, exhausted and bored. He placed his hand under his chin, resting his head, while his eyes wandered around the all-too-familiar room.
As he was lost in his thoughts, his silence was broken by a light knock on the door. He slowly lifted his head and spoke flatly:
"Come in."
The young servant entered, carrying a letter sealed with the insignia of a small royal family. The servant bowed and said:
"Lord Nivalis, this invitation has just arrived."
Nivalis took the letter and looked at it with disinterest but slowly opened it. It was an invitation to a new party at Baron Rozark's palace, one of the kingdom's prominent nobles.
"Another party..." he muttered sarcastically. He looked at the servant and said:
"Tell them I'll think about it."
The servant bowed once more and left quietly.
Nivalis returned to the window, gazing at the outside world with eyes full of doubt. The gardens were becoming more beautiful under the sunlight, but to him, it was just a scene repeating itself every day.
"My life can't be confined to this routine. There must be something beyond all of this... something worth striving for. But what is it?"
He felt a conflict inside—between a young man burdened by his family's legacy and someone searching for a true purpose beyond all these rules.
He returned to his desk, picked up a new book, but didn't open it. Instead, he sat there, contemplating his next move. The thought of escaping monotony began to creep into his heart, but he didn't know how to break the chains imposed by his family's glory.
The moments of silence stretched on, with only Nivalis and the sound of his calm breathing, while his blue eyes remained fixed on the ceiling. A mysterious feeling, somewhere between anxiety and anticipation, started to creep inside him. Was the change he sought closer than he imagined? Or was this just another illusion his mind was clinging to?
And as those thoughts struggled in his mind, Nivalis only realized one thing... monotony wasn't just a temporary state, it was an enemy that suffocated him day by day.
Perhaps change was closer than he thought... and perhaps, when the stillness is broken, nothing would ever be the same again.