Bonds of Blood and Secrets in the Shadows

The corridors of Vaelcrest Manor were eerily silent in the late evening. The grand chandeliers cast dim golden light upon the polished marble floors, reflecting faintly off the regal banners of the silver phoenix, the sigil of House Vaelcrest.

Leon walked through the halls at an unhurried pace, his mind replaying the events of the day.

His duel with Aurelia.The lingering intensity in Selene's gaze.The subtle, unspoken curiosity in his father's demeanor.

Everything was shifting. This timeline was already different from the others.

He could feel it.

And then—

"Brother!"

A blur of silver and navy blue rushed toward him from the hallway ahead.

Leon's golden eyes barely had time to adjust before a small body collided against him, wrapping itself around his waist.

A soft laugh escaped his lips. "Elaine."

Elaine Vaelcrest—his little sister.

She tilted her head up, her silvery-white hair cascading down her back, bright sapphire eyes filled with warmth and excitement. At 12 years old, she barely reached his chest, but her presence was far from insignificant.

"I heard you were fighting some important knight!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "And you didn't even tell me?"

Leon chuckled, resting a hand on her head. I forgot how small she used to be. In his past life, she had grown into a brilliant young noblewoman, but their relationship had been distant.

Not this time.

"It wasn't a knight," he corrected. "It was Aurelia Solis."

Elaine blinked, her eyes widening. "The Lioness of Solmaria? You fought her?"

Leon smirked. "She asked for a duel."

Elaine's mouth opened in shock, then twisted into a proud grin. "Did you win?"

Leon chuckled. "Not this time."

Elaine pouted, then tilted her head, studying him carefully.

"…You're different," she murmured.

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Elaine frowned slightly. "You feel… stronger. And your eyes are different."

Leon stiffened slightly.

Elaine had always been exceptionally perceptive, even as a child. But in this timeline, could she sense something more?

Before he could respond, another voice interrupted them.

"Young Master Leon."

Both siblings turned to see Gerald, the head butler, standing a few steps away. His aged but sharp eyes studied Leon carefully, as if he too had noticed something different.

"Your father has requested your presence," Gerald stated. "In his private study."

Leon exhaled slowly. "Of course."

Elaine tugged at his sleeve. "You'll come talk to me after, right?"

Leon smiled, ruffling her hair gently. "I promise."

Elaine grumbled at the gesture but beamed up at him before skipping off down the hallway.

Leon turned his attention back to Gerald. "Is this about the Empire's visit?"

Gerald's expression didn't change. "Possibly."

Leon studied him for a moment. There was something in his tone. A carefully concealed hesitation.

Gerald was a man of few words, but Leon had learned to read the unspoken weight behind his statements.

His father wanted to talk about more than just the Empire.

Without another word, Leon followed Gerald toward the Duke's study.

Vaelcrest Manor – The Duke's Private Study

The scent of aged parchment and burning wood greeted Leon as he stepped inside. The room was lined with towering bookshelves filled with military treatises, historical records, and strategic plans.

Duke Aldric Vaelcrest sat behind his grand mahogany desk, hands clasped together, his piercing blue eyes already locked onto Leon the moment he entered.

Leon stepped forward. "You summoned me, Father."

Aldric didn't speak immediately. Instead, he studied Leon, his gaze calculating.

Then, after a long pause—

"You are not the same."

Leon's fingers twitched slightly.

Aldric's voice was even, but there was something beneath it—a sharp awareness, a realization that something had changed.

Leon had been careful not to act too differently, but he had underestimated his father's instincts.

"Your technique," Aldric continued. "Your stance. Your composure. It is not that of a sixteen-year-old noble heir."

Leon remained silent. This was dangerous territory.

Aldric leaned forward slightly. "You fight like a man who has survived a hundred battles."

Leon met his father's gaze, holding it without flinching. "Is that a bad thing?"

Aldric exhaled. "No."

Silence stretched between them.

Then, Aldric picked up a sealed letter from his desk and tossed it toward Leon.

Leon caught it smoothly, turning it over. The wax seal bore an unfamiliar insignia.

"This arrived an hour ago," Aldric said. "It is not from the Empire."

Leon's golden eyes flickered toward his father. "Then from whom?"

Aldric's gaze darkened. "A faction calling itself The Black Dawn."

Leon's expression didn't change, but internally, his mind was already working at full speed.

The Black Dawn?

That name had never appeared in any of his previous timelines.

Which meant—this was a new variable.

Something—or someone—had already begun shifting the course of history.

And Leon was right at the center of it.

Leon stared at the unfamiliar wax seal pressed into the letter in his hands. The insignia—a black sun with jagged, fragmented edges—was one he had never seen before.

In all his past lives, this name had never appeared.

That meant something had already changed.

He glanced up at his father. Duke Aldric's expression was unreadable, but Leon could sense the underlying tension in the room. His father was not a man who entertained unknown variables lightly.

Aldric leaned back in his chair. "Open it."

Leon broke the seal, unfolding the parchment carefully. His golden eyes scanned the words written in elegant, flowing script.

To Leon Vaelcrest,

You walk a path that has been walked before.But the pieces have moved, and the game is no longer the same.

We are watching.

Leon's fingers tightened slightly around the parchment.

It was vague—deliberately so. A warning? A test?

One thing was clear: whoever sent this knew something.

Aldric tapped his fingers against the desk. "What does it say?"

Leon set the letter down, his expression calm. "They're watching me."

Aldric's gaze darkened. He picked up the parchment, scanning its contents before tossing it onto the desk. "Do you recognize the insignia?"

"No," Leon lied smoothly.

He had never seen it before, but revealing that fact would only raise more questions—questions he wasn't ready to answer yet.

Aldric exhaled through his nose. "A new faction appearing out of nowhere is troubling."

Leon nodded in agreement. Especially one that was aware of him specifically.

His father studied him for a moment before speaking again. "Gerald will investigate this further."

At the mention of his name, Gerald, who had been standing silently beside the door, stepped forward.

His expression remained neutral, but Leon didn't miss the flicker of something in the old butler's eyes.

Recognition?

Leon spoke carefully. "You've heard of them before."

It wasn't a question.

Gerald paused briefly before inclining his head. "Not much is known about them, but… whispers exist."

Aldric frowned. "Whispers?"

Gerald folded his hands behind his back. "The Black Dawn does not operate like other factions. They do not seek political power, nor do they engage in conventional warfare. They exist in the spaces between history."

Leon's mind sharpened at the phrasing. In the spaces between history?

Could they be connected to the larger force that controlled the flow of time?

Aldric's voice broke through his thoughts. "What is their goal?"

Gerald hesitated. "That… is unclear. But the few records that reference them all share one similarity—"

He turned his gaze toward Leon.

"They only appear when a great change is about to take place."

The words settled over the room like a silent storm.

Leon's fingers twitched slightly.

So this was a direct consequence of his regression.

He had altered the flow of history so much that something new had emerged.

Aldric's gaze was unreadable. "Do you believe they are a threat?"

Gerald's expression remained calm. "I believe that any force that moves unseen should never be ignored."

Leon smirked slightly. Good answer.

Aldric exhaled. "Keep this quiet for now. If they make another move, I want to know immediately."

Gerald bowed. "Understood, my lord."

Leon stood. "I assume that's all for tonight?"

Aldric nodded. "Go. We will speak more of this later."

Leon inclined his head before turning to leave.

As he stepped out into the corridor, Gerald followed closely behind him.

For a moment, they walked in silence. Then—

"You're hiding something."

Leon smirked, glancing sideways at the old butler. "So are you."

Gerald chuckled softly. "Perhaps."

They stopped at an intersection in the hallway.

Gerald's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he spoke again. His tone quieter this time.

"Be careful, Young Master."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Always."

Gerald's lips twitched in something almost like amusement before he turned and disappeared down another hallway.

Leon watched him go, his smirk fading.

The Black Dawn…

He needed to find out more.

And he needed to do it before they made their next move.

Vaelcrest Manor – Elaine's Quarters

Leon knocked lightly on the door.

A muffled voice came from inside. "Come in!"

He pushed the door open, stepping into his little sister's personal chamber.

The room was illuminated by soft candlelight, casting a warm glow over plush velvet curtains, elegantly carved bookshelves, and a small writing desk littered with quills and parchment.

Elaine sat by the window, her silver hair glistening under the moonlight as she turned to greet him.

"You're late," she accused, crossing her arms.

Leon chuckled. "Got caught up in something."

Elaine pouted, but her expression softened as she gestured for him to sit beside her.

Leon took a seat, resting his arms on the windowsill. "So, what's on your mind?"

Elaine hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"…You really are different now."

Leon exhaled softly. "Is that a bad thing?"

Elaine shook her head quickly. "No. It's just…" She bit her lip. "I feel like I don't know everything about you anymore."

Leon's chest tightened slightly.

In his past life, he had distanced himself from her, lost in his own ambitions. But now, he wouldn't make that mistake again.

He placed a hand on her head gently. "You don't have to know everything, Elaine."

She blinked up at him.

"But you'll always be my sister. That won't change."

Elaine's lips parted slightly in surprise, before she quickly turned her face away, cheeks dusted with a faint pink hue.

"Hmph. You're so dramatic."

Leon chuckled. "You love it."

Elaine huffed but leaned against his side slightly, resting her head on his shoulder.

For the first time in a long while, Leon felt something close to peace.

Even if it was temporary.

Because deep down, he knew this world was already shifting.

And whatever was coming next, he had to be ready for it.