Aurelius_Vesper

The sky wept in crimson.

A deep, unnatural red bled across the heavens, drowning Velmoria’s golden sunrise in an eerie, suffocating glow. The air was thick with an unshakable stillness, as if the world itself held its breath. Crowds gathered in the city streets, heads tilted upward in fearful awe at the sight of the blood-red eclipse—a celestial event unseen in Velmoria’s long history.

In the heart of the empire, within the grand halls of the Imperial Palace, the echoes of a woman’s anguished cries shattered the silence.

The Empress was in labor.

Nobles and servants alike stood frozen in the corridors, their hands clenched in prayer, their faces pale with worry. For hours, her screams had filled the palace, each one weaker than the last. The royal physicians worked desperately, but the Empress—Velmoria’s radiant star, beloved by all—was fading.

And then, silence.

The heavy stillness that followed was more terrifying than her screams.

A single cry pierced the air—the wail of a newborn.

The moment the child took his first breath, the doors to the birthing chamber burst open, and a cloaked figure stumbled forward—an old seer, his eyes wide with horror.

He raised a trembling hand toward the heavens, his voice cracking like brittle parchment.

"The sun has bled to mark his birth!" he cried. "He will be the harbinger of ruin—the flames that will consume Velmoria!"

His voice carried through the halls, past the nobles, past the gathered guards—out into the city, where the terrified people turned their eyes away from the red eclipse and toward the palace.

A prince had been born.

A cursed prince.

When The Sun Bleeds

Kaelion barely had time to react before he was thrown into the ring. The underground pit was nothing more than a crude space surrounded by wooden beams and bloodstained sand. The stench of sweat, blood, and damp stone filled the air. A ring of criminals and mercenaries watched from above, waiting to see if the "prince" would last more than a few seconds.

Across from him stood a towering man with a scarred face and a murderous grin. He was twice Kaelion's size, his fists like iron clubs. This was not a fair fight—it was a test. A test Ronan had thrown him into without warning.

"Let's see if you've got a spine, boy." Ronan's voice was lazy, almost amused.

Kaelion's body screamed with exhaustion, but he had no choice. The man charged at him, swinging a massive fist. Kaelion barely dodged, feeling the rush of air as the blow nearly took his head off. His heart pounded.

He had never fought like this before. All his life, he had been told he was cursed, a failure, a monster. He had been beaten, humiliated, and cast away. But this was different. This was a fight for survival.

The man lunged again, faster than expected. A fist crashed into Kaelion's ribs, knocking the air from his lungs. He hit the ground hard, coughing.

Just a prince who should have died.

Kaelion clenched his teeth. No. Not this time.

He pushed himself up just as the man came again. This time, he didn't try to dodge. He stepped into the blow at the last second, redirecting the force just enough to lessen the impact. The strike still hurt, but it didn't break him.

He struck the man's throat with his elbow. Not enough to kill, but enough to make him stumble. Then he kicked his knee. The giant wavered, losing balance.

Kaelion's mind was burning. He wasn't strong. He wasn't fast enough. But he could be smart.

The man recovered, enraged now. Kaelion pretended to be weaker than he was, making himself look off-balance, tricking his opponent into lunging carelessly. Then—he struck the eyes.

The man staggered, blinded for a second. Kaelion jumped onto his back, wrapping his arms around his throat, choking him with everything he had.

His vision blurred. His body ached. But he didn't let go.

The man tried to shake him off, but his movements slowed. His struggles weakened.

Kaelion lay on the ground, breathing hard. His arms burned, his ribs ached, but he was alive. Alive.

Ronan walked up to him, a smirk on his lips.

Then, he turned to the crowd. "This one's mine."

Kaelion didn't understand at first. Then it hit him. He had passed.

Kaelion’s First Trial