"Mom, it's getting dark."
Everything went dark.
Or so I thought.
My vision… completely gone.
"Why? Why am I so weak?"
When I was five years old, my legs suddenly began to fail me.
At first, they felt heavy—just a strange numbness I couldn't explain. Then slowly, it spread. Each step became a struggle. Then, I couldn't walk anymore.
Now—two years later—I lose more.
Today, it wasn't just my eyes.
Almost all my senses have gone numb.
No sound. No warmth. No light.
Just a dull void surrounding me.
And yet—
I feel something.
A strong embrace. Arms wrapped tightly around my fragile body.
My mother.
She was crying.
I could feel it in the way her hands trembled as she held me. The way her breathing stuttered—breaking under the weight of helplessness.
She carried my weak body to bed.
She put me down carefully, trying to not inflict any hint of pain and discomfort.
What can I even do at this point?
I closed my blind eyes—though there was no difference.
There was nothing left to see.
I rested.
Let myself be swallowed by the void.
Because maybe…
Maybe it's time to accept it.
The truth I've tried so hard to run from:
I'm too weak to live in this world.
The next day.
I saw light.
At first, I thought it was the afterlife. But as I opened my eyes wider, the brightness sharpened, and I saw the ceiling of my room.
Unconsciously, I lifted my back and sat upright.
"Wait... I'm strong enough to sit down on my own?"
I needed to test something.
If I could sit—could I… move my legs?
I stared at my foot, willing it to move.
A twitch.
It responded.
I could stand now.
I could walk.
I could act normal.
I was not the same child I was yesterday.
It felt like being born again.
Overwhelmed with joy, I rushed to find my mother to tell her the good news.
The warm smell of soup and freshly baked bread filled the house. It had to be her cooking. She must be nearby.
She probably went outside. That's fine.
I can walk now—so I'll wait for her outside.
Just as I reached for the doorknob, someone knocked.
I rushed to open it, hoping to see her again.
Or so I thought—
"Good morning, Rein."
Ah—sorry. I forgot to mention.
My name is Rein.
No surname. My mother, Elysia, didn't have one either.
I'm seven years old, with bright pink hair I inherited from her.
"Elysia sent me to fetch you."
A cloaked woman stood at the door.
Her voice was soft, but held something unsettling beneath.
"Okay… but where is my mother?"
I asked, trying to stay polite.
The cloaked woman leaned in close, her breath cold against my ear.
"Your mother is already dead."
"Already... dead—?"
My legs gave out.
The same legs that just learned to stand.
Impossible. She just made food. She healed me. She was alive just moments ago.
How could she be dead?
The woman… she had to be lying.
I gritted my teeth and screamed:
"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"
I tried to run—but a sharp force struck the back of my neck.
My vision blurred. The light dimmed.
Darkness, again.
"Charlotte, pack his things. Elysia—it's time to return the favor."
That was the last thing I heard before the silence swallowed me.
---
[Rein... I may no longer be in this world, but I will always guide you.]
A voice echoed in the darkness. Familiar. Comforting.
My mother's voice.
[I'm sorry you had to endure such a childhood… It's my fault.]
Her voice trembled with guilt.
[Now, you have the strength to do whatever you choose.]
What I wanted…
Was to walk the world beside her.
Even if I could walk—what meaning did it have without her?
[I once dreamed of becoming a warrior who protects others. I want you to inherit that dream, Rein.]
A warrior…?
[Farewell, my son.]
"WAIITT!"
I reached out instinctively—only to find my hand pointing at an unfamiliar ceiling.
---
I woke up in a luxurious room.
Soft sheets. New clothes. A warm meal beside my bed.
Not a prison. But not home, either.
Knock knock.
A gentle knock at the wooden door.
It creaked open.
A beautiful woman with crimson hair entered. Behind her, a maid with blonde hair, carrying a basin and towel.
They paused when they saw me awake.
Then the crimson-haired woman lit up with joy.
"Charlotte! Quickly—tell the Four Rulers to gather in the castle!"
The maid set the basin down carefully, then hurried away.
The woman approached my bed. I flinched, pulling the blanket up.
"You don't need to be afraid," she said softly, pulling the blanket down with gentle hands.
"You said my mom was dead. And you knocked me out to bring me here."
Her smile faded. Her expression turned mournful.
"I'm sorry, Rein. I'll tell you the truth."
The air grew heavy.
"Your mother… she sacrificed herself to save you."
My breath caught.
How was I supposed to handle this?
I was only seven.
I stayed quiet, fighting the tears burning behind my eyes.
"Before she died, she told me to take care of you. So live, Rein—live for her. That's how you return the favor."
[—Become a warrior that saves everyone.]
Her voice echoed in my memory.
Even if it was a dream, I knew it was real.
"I..."
I stood up.
"I want to be a warrior who protects everyone."
The woman smiled, standing tall before me.
"Then you must become strong enough to protect someone."
For the first time since losing my mother, I felt like I had someone else willing to protect me.
"I haven't even introduced myself yet. I am Eclia Ignia, Queen of Ignia."
She knelt down to meet my eyes.
"From today onward, you will be known as my son."
Even as a child, I understood what that meant.
"By your son… you mean—?"
"Yes, Rein. You will be the Prince of Ignia—The Fire Kingdom."