Morning came slowly to the imperial palace.
Pale sunlight filtered through the frost covered windows, turning the chamber silver and gold. For a brief moment, everything felt peaceful, almost as if the events of the day before had never happened at all.
Then the curtains were pulled open.
Light flooded the room without warning.
Theon groaned.
"Ugh..."
He tried to lift his head, but a sharp pain shot through his entire body. His muscles felt as though they had been torn apart and stitched back together with ice, each movement pulling at something raw underneath his skin.
What happened to me?
Fragments of memory returned, slow and broken, like pieces of a dream trying to reassemble themselves.
The burning sky.
Lyra’s scream.
The black flames swallowing everything around him.
The overwhelming power that had surged through his body until he could no longer tell where he ended and the power began.
Theon’s eyes widened slightly.
"I’m alive," he whispered, as if he needed to say it out loud to believe it.
"You are, Master."
Theon turned toward the voice, startled.
Ifrith stood beside the bed in his humanoid form, arms folded behind his back like a loyal guardian who had not moved from that spot all night. His Golden-crimson eyes held something Theon had not seen in them before. Relief, maybe. Or something close to it.
For a second, Theon simply stared at him, still trying to piece together where he was and what had happened.
Then he noticed something strange.
A single crimson strand ran through his silver hair, catching the morning light.
His hand rose instinctively to touch it.
"What is this?"
The pain struck again, sharp and sudden, forcing him to grit his teeth and hiss through the ache.
The power he had unleashed had clearly not vanished without leaving something behind. It had taken a price, and this crimson strand was proof of it.
Ifrith stepped forward without being asked and placed a hand above Theon’s chest, his palm hovering just over the skin.
A warm glow spread through the room, soft and golden.
The healing spell washed through Theon’s body like gentle fire, and the exhaustion, the ache in his bones, and the heaviness pressing down on his limbs all began to fade, slowly at first, then all at once.
Theon blinked in surprise, feeling his shoulders loosen for the first time since waking up.
"That’s... much better. Thank you."
Ifrith lowered himself to one knee beside the bed, his head bowed.
"Good morning, my master."
Theon opened his mouth to speak.
"Mmm..."
A soft groan came from the other side of the bed, cutting him off. Both of them turned toward the sound at once.
Lyra stirred beneath the blankets, her small hand curling against the sheets.
Theon froze the moment he saw her properly.
Half of her hair had changed overnight.
The right side shimmered like fresh snow beneath moonlight, soft and pale, while the left side glowed with a deep crimson sheen, as though threads of fire had been carefully woven through silver strands.
And when she finally opened her eyes.
One was blue.
The other was red.
Theon’s breath caught in his throat.
"Lyra," he said softly, almost afraid to say her name too loudly.
She blinked several times, still heavy with sleep, before her eyes focused on him. Then her whole face lit up.
"Big brother!"
She threw herself into his arms without hesitation, her small body pressing against his chest.
"Did we make it out alive?" she asked, her voice muffled against his shoulder, half hopeful and half afraid of the answer. Theon let out a weak laugh and hugged her carefully, mindful of the ache still lingering in his ribs.
"Looks like we did."
A relieved smile spread across her face, bright and innocent, the kind of relief only a child could show so openly.
"That’s good," she murmured, her voice trembling just slightly. "I was scared. I thought maybe I was dreaming, and if it was a dream, then maybe you weren’t really here."
Theon’s chest tightened at her words. He tightened his arms around her instead of answering right away.
"I’m here," he said finally. "I’m not going anywhere."
For a moment, the two of them simply sat there, holding onto each other as if afraid the other might disappear the second they let go. Then Theon looked up at Ifrith , his expression turning more serious.
"What happened after I lost consciousness?
Ifrith h straightened and began explaining everything, his voice calm and steady, though there was a weight behind his words.
The battle.
The awakening.
The nobles who had witnessed his power with their own eyes. The emperor’s arrival, and the silence that had followed it. And finally, the simple, unavoidable fact that there was no longer any way to hide what Theon had become.
When Ifrith finished, Theon leaned back against the pillows and exhaled slowly, staring up at the ceiling as if it might offer him some answers.
"So it is all out in the open now."
"Yes, Master."
Theon turned his gaze toward Lyra, who was still curled against his side, her eyes half closed again in comfort.
His expression hardened just slightly.
"Then I will have to become strong enough to protect her. No matter what."
The moment the thought fully formed in his mind, a translucent blue interface appeared before him
WORLD ARCHIVE
New Familiar Contract Registered
Primordial Demon Diablo has evolved into the Flame lord Ifrith h
Evolution successful
New Skill Acquired: Domain Eruption
Theon’s eyes widened in shock.
"What?"
He immediately opened the skill description, curiosity pulling him past the shock.
Domain Eruption
Creates a volcanic flame domain within a designated area.
Within the domain, the user may generate and erupt flames from any point in space.
Large scale activation can incinerate thousands of targets simultaneously.
Theon stared at the words for a long moment.
"That is not a skill. That is a disaster waiting to happen."
Another notification appeared before he could fully process the first one.
WORLD ARCHIVE
SS Class Beast Fenrir has evolved
New Form: Ancient Thunder Fenrir
Rank: SSS Plus
Theon sat upright so fast that his head spun.
"No way."
Ancient Thunder Fenrir.
A creature that existed only in old legends, the kind of story told to children before bed.
Stories said such beasts once roamed the Ancient Forests and fought dragons as equals, back when the world was still young... before he could complete his analysis.
A third notification appeared beneath the second.
New Skill Acquired: Thunder Magic
Theon let out a disbelieving laugh, running a hand through his hair.
"Fen became a legendary beast just because I gave him a name?"
The World Archive responded almost instantly, as if it had been waiting for the question.
WORLD ARCHIVE
Naming based evolution is only possible for demons and certain SS class beasts with ancient bloodlines.
Theon rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache building behind his eyes.
"That is absurdly overpowered. Someone could have warned me." Another screen appeared before he could even catch his breath.
WORLD ARCHIVE
World Archive has leveled up
Level 10 to Level 20
System functions expanded
Theon blinked, staring at the numbers.
"Why did it level up so much all at once?"
A smaller notification appeared just beneath it, almost as an afterthought.
World Archive gains experience faster than ordinary skills.
System Mode unlocked due to rapid progression.
Theon stared at the floating text for several long seconds, letting it sink in.
"So this is why the interface suddenly feels more advanced. It makes sense now, in a strange sort of way."
More notifications flooded in after that, one after another.
Two new skills acquired.
Five new magic attributes unlocked.
Thunder Magic, Level 1.
Fire Magic, Level 1.
Water Magic, Level 1.
Wind Magic, Level 1.
Light Magic, Level 1.
Shadow Magic, Level 6.
Theon frowned at the list, tilting his head.
"Wait. Why are Water and Wind unlocked? I never learned either of those."
Ifrith answered calmly, as though the answer was obvious.
"Because I possess both attributes, Master."
Theon looked at him, surprised.
"And our contract shares affinity between us?"
"Yes, Master. Whatever I carry, you now carry as well."
Theon let out a long breath, shaking his head slowly.
"That is actually insane. You realize that, right?"
Another notification appeared, glowing softly in front of him.
WORLD ARCHIVE
Shared Growth activated
500,000 Growth Points obtained
Growth points may be distributed among skills, attributes, and physical stats.
Theon’s eyes lit up, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
"Now we are talking."
He immediately began allocating the points, his focus sharpening as he moved through the choices carefully.
Most of it went into Thunder Magic and Flame Magic, the two abilities that felt the most natural to him already.
A smaller portion strengthened his Strength, Agility, Intelligence, and Speed, spreading the growth evenly so he would not be weak in any single area.
The moment he confirmed the allocation, a surge of energy passed through his entire body.
It was not explosive.
It was controlled.
Refined, like water finding its proper shape.
When the final screen faded away, Theon leaned back against the pillows with a satisfied sigh, feeling stronger and steadier than he had in what felt like days.
Then he blinked, looking around the room properly for the first time.
"Wait. Where are my maids?"
That was unusual. They were normally waiting outside his door before he even woke up, ready with breakfast and fresh clothes.
Ifrith coughed lightly, an oddly human sound coming from him.
"They attempted to enter earlier, Master."
"And?"
"They saw me standing beside your bed."
A short pause followed.
"Then they ran, screaming, if I remember correctly."
Theon imagined the scene clearly in his mind, a group of palace maids opening the door quietly, only to find a towering flame demon standing guard beside the prince’s bed, and then fleeing down the hallway in absolute terror.
He could not help but laugh, even though his ribs still ached from the movement.
"That is fair, honestly. I probably would have run too."
Lyra giggled beside him, the sound light and warm, chasing away some of the heaviness still hanging in the room.
Theon finally climbed out of bed, moving slowly at first until his body adjusted, and Ifrith helped him into fresh clothes without being asked. As they approached the door together, Ifrith moved to follow him out.
Theon stopped, holding up a hand.
"You cannot walk around the palace looking like that. People will panic."
Ifrith tilted his head, genuinely curious.
"I can change my form, if that is your concern."
Theon blinked, surprised.
"You can do that?"
"Yes, Master. Shapeshifting is among my innate abilities. I simply had not seen a reason to use it before now."
Theon pointed at him dramatically, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Then do it. Right now."
Flames swirled around the demon, bright and warm, curling like smoke caught in the wind.
A second later, a small black cat with Golden-crimson eyes landed lightly on the floor where Ifrith had been standing.
The cat leapt onto Theon’s shoulder without hesitation and wrapped itself around his neck like a living scarf, its fur warm against his skin.
Theon stared at him, half amused and half bewildered.
"You were hiding this the entire time?"
"Mrow."
"That is not an answer, you know."
He stepped into the corridor with the cat draped around his shoulders. The moment the nearby maids caught sight of him, they froze in place.
Then, almost as one, all of them bowed deeply.
"Good morning, Your Highness!"
Theon paused mid step, caught off guard.
Their voices were respectful. Too respectful.
It was nothing like the casual, familiar warmth they usually greeted him with, the kind that came from years of seeing him grow up quietly in the north wing. Word had already spread through the entire palace, it seemed. The Seventh Prince was no longer just the quiet prince tucked away and mostly forgotten.
He walked forward in silence after that, the small black cat resting comfortably around his neck, its tail flicking now and then. And the first place that came to his mind was the palace training ground. Because if his life had changed overnight, he knew he had to become stronger because with some much change also comes great danger awaiting him.