The sun drifted gently over the silver-tiled rooftops of the Aldrake Manor. The warm spring breeze softly brushed against the blooming gardens, while birdsong mingled with the cheerful chatter of the maids. That morning, everything was ordinary and peaceful. Everything... was just as it should be.
Leon was seven years old. With his slender frame, pale but curious eyes, and slightly tousled brown hair, he was a boy far too quiet for his age. Holding a wooden sword, he practiced mock battles alone in the garden, his face a mix of seriousness and joy. After all, his father, Darius Aldrake, was one of the most respected swordmasters in the kingdom. Leon wanted to be just like him.
"Leon!" called his mother, Elenora, leaning over the balcony railing. "Don't get your clothes dirty! We have guests for dinner!"
Leon looked up and smiled. "Okay, Mom!"
He ran off with small steps toward the back of the manor. There, hidden behind the trees, was a small area where he secretly tried out magic. He was supposed to meet Lyria there. His younger sister was only six, but her interest in magic far surpassed his. Leon simply loved watching her.
But that day… Lyria didn't come.
Leon waited for a while. Then, worried, he headed back toward the manor. But after just a few steps... a scream echoed from inside, freezing him in place.
"AAHHH!!"
Then another sound. The crash of shattering glass. And then... silence.
Leon's heart began to race. He started running, his feet pounding the ground, eyes wide, breath quickening.
When he opened the door, the inside was... dark.
Smoke filled the corridors. Furniture was overturned. Blood was splattered on the walls. Leon's bare feet stepped into something wet. Warm. Sticky...
Blood.
"D-Dad...?"
No answer.
As Leon moved toward the living room, a sense of dread crept in. When he reached it… his knees buckled.
His mother, Elenora, lay on the floor. Her eyes wide open, arms outstretched toward Leon... but unmoving. A few steps away, his father Darius lay in a pool of blood, sword still in hand. And Lyria... her small body was curled in her mother's arms. One tiny hand seemed to still whisper Leon's name.
"No..." Leon whispered, collapsing to his knees. "No... this can't be real..."
Then… a soft chime echoed through the air.
A glowing blue screen materialized slowly before Leon's eyes.
> [System Activated.]
User: Alaric Leon Aldrake
Initiate Leveling Sequence?
Leon couldn't look away from the screen. But what could he do? His family… they were all… gone.
"WHO ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" he screamed. But no answer came. Only silence.
The system screen continued to glow softly.
> [Initiate Leveling Sequence?]
Yes / No
Leon couldn't stand. Tears burned down his cheeks. His hands trembled. His small body felt utterly alone against the weight of the world.
And then... he whispered, "No…"
The screen flickered. Then vanished.
Leon remained there, kneeling in the blood of his loved ones, crying for hours. No one knew it at the time, but that moment… would change the fate of the empire forever.