The storm had not stopped by morning.
Rain battered the windows of Arin’s room long before dawn, its steady rhythm filling the silence that had settled over the manor. Usually, servants would have entered by now to prepare his clothes and breakfast.
This morning, no one came.
Arin sat at the edge of his bed, staring at the neatly folded travel pack resting on the floor beside him.
One bag.
That was all House Valerius had allowed him to take.
He wasn’t angry.
Oddly enough, that was what bothered him the most.
He had expected rage. Resentment. Perhaps even despair.
Instead, there was only a strange sense of relief.
For sixteen years, he had lived beneath the expectations of House Valerius. Every lesson, every conversation, every achievement had been measured against the simple fact that he would one day inherit the family.
Now, for the first time since his rebirth, nobody expected anything from him.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
The door opened before he could answer.
Lyra entered carrying a backpack nearly half her size. It was stuffed so full that several books were sticking out from the top.
"You packed books?" Arin asked.
"Priorities."
"I see."
"And snacks."
"Important."
"And Mr. Buttons."
Arin blinked.
"Who’s Mr. Buttons?"
Lyra held up a small stuffed rabbit that looked like it had survived several wars.
"You’ve had that thing for years."
"He is a respected member of the family."
"Of course he is."
She carefully placed the rabbit into her bag before climbing onto the bed beside him.
"Are you sad?"
The question caught him off guard.
"A little."
She nodded as if she had expected that answer.
"I’m sad too."
"I’m sorry."
"Don’t be."
Arin looked at her.
"You should be angry."
"I am."
"No, I mean really angry."
She frowned.
"What’s the difference?"
He considered the question for a moment.
"When adults are angry, they pretend they aren’t."
"That sounds stupid."
He laughed.
"It usually is."
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Eventually, Lyra leaned against his shoulder.
"Do you think Father will miss us?"
The question lingered in the air.
Arin thought back to the Duke’s expression the previous night.
Disappointment.
Nothing more.
"I don’t know."
"I think he will."
"Why?"
"Because he’s dumb."
Arin nearly choked.
"Lyra."
"What? He is."
"You can’t call the Duke dumb."
"He exiled his son."
"That’s still your father."
She crossed her arms.
"Then he’s my dumb father."
Despite everything, Arin found himself smiling.
A knock echoed through the room.
This time, it was one of the household guards.
"The carriage is ready."
That was it.
No farewell.
No ceremony.
No final words from the Duke.
Just a carriage.
Arin stood and picked up his bag.
"Come on."
Lyra grabbed his hand without hesitation.
Together, they walked through the halls of House Valerius one final time.
Servants stepped aside as they passed, refusing to meet their eyes. A few looked sympathetic. Most simply looked relieved.
Word had spread quickly throughout the manor.
The Classless heir.
By next week, it would be the only thing anyone remembered about Arin Valerius.
The massive front doors opened as they approached.
Rain immediately soaked their clothes.
Waiting outside was a simple carriage pulled by two horses.
No family crest.
No escort.
House Valerius wasn’t sending away a son.
They were disposing of a problem.
Arin helped Lyra inside before climbing in after her.
The driver didn’t say a word.
The carriage began moving.
Neither sibling looked back immediately.
It wasn’t until the manor had begun disappearing into the rain that Lyra finally spoke.
"I don’t like this place anymore."
Arin followed her gaze.
The manor looked smaller than he remembered.
"I don’t think I do either."
"Good."
He reached over and gently ruffled her hair.
"You know, most people would cry in this situation."
"I’m saving my tears."
"For when?"
"When we become richer than everyone."
Arin stared at her.
"That’s oddly specific."
"I’ve had all night to think about it."
For the first time since leaving the Grand Hall, he laughed without forcing it.
The carriage continued down the mountain road for several hours.
Eventually, the familiar landscape of noble estates gave way to forests and open fields.
The kingdom was beautiful this time of year.
Rolling hills stretched as far as the eye could see, interrupted only by distant villages and the occasional Hunter outpost.
Arin spent most of the journey lost in thought.
Project Elysium.
The words from last night refused to leave his mind.
Had he imagined them?
He remembered them clearly.
A blue screen.
A message.
And a strange sense of familiarity.
Something about the name tugged at memories he could no longer fully grasp.
A game.
He was certain of that much.
But every time he tried to remember more, it felt like trying to catch smoke with his bare hands.
"Big Brother."
"Hm?"
"What are we going to do now?"
It was a simple question.
And one he didn’t have an answer to.
"I don’t know."
"You always know."
"Not this time."
Lyra seemed to consider that.
"Then let’s figure it out together."
The simplicity of her words struck him harder than they should have.
Perhaps that was enough.
They didn’t need a plan.
Not yet.
By late afternoon, the carriage finally came to a stop.
The driver climbed down and opened the door.
"We’re here."
Arin stepped outside.
Before them stood the Frontier Gate.
Unlike the grand cities of the kingdom, the frontier possessed none of the elegance of civilization. Massive stone walls surrounded a settlement that looked as though it had been built purely out of necessity.
Hunters walked the streets carrying weapons stained with monster blood.
Scars were more common than smiles.
This was the edge of the known world.
Beyond these walls lay wilderness.
Ruins.
Monsters.
And death.
The driver handed Arin a small pouch.
"Your travel allowance."
Arin opened it.
Ten silver coins.
He almost laughed.
House Valerius had truly gone all out.
The driver hesitated for a moment before speaking quietly.
"For what it’s worth, Young Master... I never believed the rumors."
Arin blinked.
The old man quickly looked away.
"I wish you luck."
Then, without another word, the carriage turned around and disappeared down the road.
Just like that, it was over.
House Valerius was gone.
Lyra squeezed his hand.
"Now what?"
Arin stared at the gates.
Then, unexpectedly, his stomach growled.
"Food first."
"A wise decision."
The frontier wasn’t what he expected.
It was louder.
Messier.
More alive.
Unlike the capital, nobody cared about noble titles here.
Hunters argued openly in taverns. Merchants shouted over one another in the streets. Children ran through alleyways while carrying wooden swords.
For the first time in years, nobody recognized him.
Nobody whispered.
Nobody stared.
He was just another face in the crowd.
It felt strangely liberating.
After finding a small inn, Arin spent nearly half their remaining money securing a room.
The innkeeper gave them a curious look.
"You two traveling alone?"
"Something like that."
"Hm."
The older woman glanced at Lyra before sighing.
"Breakfast is included."
"Thank you."
"Don’t thank me. Your sister looks like she’d stab me if I charged extra."
Lyra looked offended.
"I would not."
"You absolutely would."
The innkeeper laughed.
That evening passed quietly.
They shared a simple dinner of bread and stew before retreating to their room.
It was small.
Two beds.
One window.
A single lantern.
Compared to House Valerius, it was practically a closet.
"I like it."
Arin looked over.
"You do?"
"It feels warmer."
He wasn’t sure if she meant the room or the fact that they were finally alone.
Perhaps both.
Eventually, Lyra fell asleep while hugging Mr. Buttons.
Arin remained awake.
Rain continued falling outside.
His mind returned to the blue screen.
Project Elysium.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the memory.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
"Guess I really did imagine it."
He let out a tired sigh and stood.
Sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon.
Quietly, he left the inn and stepped into the cool night air.
The frontier looked entirely different after dark.
Mana lamps illuminated the streets while Hunters gathered around fires, sharing stories of monsters and distant ruins.
Without thinking, Arin found himself walking toward the forest beyond the walls.
He wasn’t sure why.
Only that something felt... familiar.
As if someone was calling him.
After nearly thirty minutes, he arrived at a small clearing.
The rain had finally begun to lessen.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, Arin suddenly stopped.
The air felt different here.
Warmer.
He took another step.
And froze.
A translucent blue screen materialized before his eyes.
His breath caught in his throat.
It was real.
The screen flickered several times before stabilizing.
«CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.
VERIFYING USER...
USER CONFIRMED.
WELCOME, PLAYER.»
His heart began racing.
"What..."
The screen continued.
«PROJECT ELYSIUM ONLINE.
VERSION: FINAL RELEASE.
STATUS: ACTIVE.
WARNING:
DETECTED ENVIRONMENT DOES NOT MATCH REGISTERED WORLD.
INITIATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOL.»
Arin stumbled backward.
"This isn’t possible."
A familiar feeling surfaced from the depths of his memories.
A room.
A computer screen.
The excitement of waiting for a game to launch.
And then—
«FIRST LOGIN REWARD AVAILABLE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CLAIM YOUR STARTER PACKAGE?
[YES]
[NO]»
His hand trembled.
Somewhere behind him, hidden within the darkness of the forest, something massive opened its eyes.
Arin didn’t notice.
His attention remained fixed on the impossible screen floating before him.
Slowly, almost unconsciously, he reached toward the glowing button.
And pressed:
«YES.»