Aeon looked at his father’s serious expression. He then glanced at his mother and saw that she wore a similar look.
He put down his fork and asked,
"What is it, Dad?"
Elisabeth also turned toward her husband.
"Is something wrong, honey?"
Aeon’s father smiled at them reassuringly before explaining the situation.
"It is not a bad thing, so don’t worry. I received a letter from the Empire. Seven days from now will be the birthday of Her Highness, the First Princess."
"And as the rulers of the Northern State, we are required to attend the celebration."
The Astaraeas Family.
One of the Five Ducal Families of the Valthoros Empire.
The Dragon Empire, as most people called it.
Duke Aldrich Glacius Astaraeas, ruler of the Northern State, was one of the Empire’s most influential nobles. Naturally, he and his family were expected to attend such an important event.
’So if we’re required to attend, it means many other nobles will be there too. Ugh... I really don’t like those kinds of crowds. And hopefully I won’t run into some brain-dead young master.’
Aeon’s expression immediately became gloomy.
Elisabeth relaxed when she heard the news. It turned out to be a birthday celebration rather than something dangerous involving her son.
Aldrich noticed Aeon’s reaction and frowned slightly.
"What is it, son? Why do you suddenly look so gloomy?" he asked with concern.
Elisabeth was equally confused.
She gently patted his head.
"You don’t like parties, do you?"
Aeon looked at his parents and answered with a tired expression.
"Yeah. I really don’t."
"My fifth birthday party was already a nightmare. I can’t imagine how chaotic the First Princess’s birthday celebration will be."
For a moment, his parents stared at him.
Then they burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"It won’t be that bad, son," Aldrich said, still chuckling. "This time you’ll get to meet the children of the other ducal families. You might even meet the princess herself."
"And besides," he continued, "don’t you want to leave the Northern State for once? We’ll be traveling to the Imperial Capital. You’ve always been curious about the outside world. This will be a good experience."
Internally, Aeon’s thoughts immediately shifted.
’The Capital? Finally.’
For the past five years, he had been confined to the snowy lands of the Northern State.
The Astaraeas Estate was luxurious.
Comfortable.
Warm.
But no matter how beautiful it was, it still felt like a golden cage.
On the outside, however, Aeon put on the most innocent smile a five-year-old could manage.
"Really, Father?"
His bright blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
"We’re leaving the North?"
"I get to see the Imperial Capital?"
Elisabeth smiled fondly at her son’s enthusiasm, though a trace of motherly protectiveness remained in her eyes.
"Yes, son," Aldrich replied with a nod.
"The Emperor has called for a grand gathering of the noble houses."
His gaze softened as he looked at Aeon.
"And it is the perfect opportunity to introduce the heir of the Astaraeas Family to the rest of the Empire."
Aeon nodded in understanding.
"In that case, I will do my best to behave properly and represent our family with dignity."
"I don’t want to embarrass the Astaraeas name."
Aldrich’s eyes widened slightly before a proud smile appeared on his face.
"Hahaha! That’s good to hear, young man."
Even after five years, he was still amazed by how mature and intelligent his son was.
Elisabeth smiled warmly.
"Good."
"Now let’s finish our breakfast before it gets cold."
The family continued eating together in a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
After finishing his meal, Aeon stood up from his seat.
"Father, Mother, I’ll be spending the day in the library."
Elisabeth wiped her lips with a napkin and looked at him affectionately.
"That’s fine."
"But don’t forget to take breaks."
Aeon nodded.
"I won’t."
With that, he left the dining hall and headed toward one of his favorite places in the entire estate.
The library.
....
[1st POV]
After I left the dining room, I once again walked through the hallways. Our house is really massive. To get to the library, it would take me nearly twenty minutes.
Finally, I reached the library. The colossal doors were guarded by two soldiers.
They respectfully bowed their heads to me. One guard reached for the door and opened it, while the other greeted me.
"Welcome back, Young Master."
I nodded and started walking toward the library.
"Good morning, gentlemen."
I entered the library and, wow, it always amazed me.
The library was a multi-tiered sanctuary of polished dark wood and white marble, where endless bookshelves stretched upward like skyscrapers.
Instead of candles, the space was bathed in the cool, ambient glow of holographic light-ribbons tracing the edges of the high-tech shelves.
Private alcoves held plush velvet armchairs, while massive tables were littered with parchment maps, brass astrolabes, and inkwells.
The air smelled richly of old leather bindings, carrying a faint electric hum of lingering ancient magic.
I walked toward the history section and pulled out a familiar book.
The World.
It was one of the thickest books in the library and the most detailed.
It contained the foundation of everything.
I had read it countless times over the last three years, yet I always found myself coming back to it.
’This world is really amazing. What I know is just the tip of the iceberg,’ I thought as I recalled the history of this world.
This world is called Nexus Earth.
There are many races: dragons, demons, angels, humans, vampires, phoenixes, elves, and more. You name it.
And the crazy part is that 19,500 years ago, humans dominated this world. No dragons, no magic, no monsters. Just a simple human Earth, much like my previous world.
Until the sky cracked and portals formed.
What people later called Gates.
At first, they were harmless. Nothing came out, and no one was able to enter them. For a year, people let their guard down.
Then one day, the horror began.
Monsters of different forms emerged from the Gates.
The Voidborns. That was what they were called.
For a year, they brought destruction and death. Cities were destroyed, countries were swallowed, and billions of people died. Humanity stood on the brink of extinction.
Fortunately, humanity found hope.
Something calling itself the [Akashic Records] descended, and its arrival was followed by evolution.
Humanity awakened.
Talents, physiques, bloodlines, and affinities emerged. Towers of opportunity appeared. The path of cultivation had begun.
And so humanity fought back.
They fought, died, killed, and evolved until they finally secured a place in the food chain.
For five hundred years, they battled the horrors emerging from the Gates. They closed one Gate only for another to open, as though the world itself were cracking apart.
Until one of humanity’s earliest and most talented individuals cleared the 100th floor of a Tower.
It was at that moment that the silent [Akashic Records] responded.
[Congratulations! You are deemed worthy.]
[The Great Merge will now commence in... 3... 2... 1... 0...]
This message was heard by every person on Earth.
And what followed etched itself into the books of history.
The Great Merge was exactly what its name implied.
Different worlds and dimensions merged with Earth, creating a single, vast reality.
And thus came the Nexus World.
A world over one hundred times larger than the old Earth.
A world richer in resources and greater in scale.
More races now existed—races that had once belonged only to fiction.
Dragons, elves, demons, angels, vampires, and countless others.
But that was not a blessing for everyone.
More intelligent races meant more competition for resources.
Racial discrimination fueled conflict. Angels hated demons. Dragons looked down on nearly everything.
Chaos spread.
And so war began.
For three thousand years, they fought for dominance.
They killed one another. They brought grief and destruction upon each other.
In doing so, they partially forgot their common enemy.
The Voidborns.
And those who worshipped them as saviors.
What had once been a collection of small cults, dismissed as fanatical madmen, grew stronger, larger, and more influential.
Eventually, they caused the greatest tragedy in recorded history.
A sad story for another time.
Perhaps it served as a wake-up call for all races.
After more than three thousand years of internal warfare, they finally established a peace treaty.
They united against the horrors bringing destruction and plague to their world.
Civilization flourished and grew stronger.
Technology advanced and expanded.
The races gradually learned to coexist.
Finally, it was time to fight back against their common enemy and explore what lay beyond the Towers and Gates.
...
I slowly closed the book, finished with my reading for the day.
I stood from my desk and walked toward the library’s exit.
Tomorrow would be a big day.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I would finally see what lay beyond the Northern States and witness the beauty of the wider world with my own eyes.