As soon as each person stepped through the gate, their legs crossed the threshold first. Inside a royal palace, their legs came out, then their full bodies followed. One by one, everyone arrived.
In front of them stood the four royal heads,Liam, Lucian, Liora, and Silas. They were waiting for them. Liam started clapping his hands slowly. The sound echoed through the massive hall it was a warm welcome for them he said ,"Only four of you out of a hundred made it? That's poor performance." He paused, then smiled. "But however, welcome to the Royal Kingdom."
He walked forward slightly, his coat swaying with each step. "Each of you will be given an opportunity to join one of the great families here."
He stopped. Then he pointed his finger directly at Aldrich. "Excluding you. You're a different case, however."
He swung his wand in his hand. Three cards materialized out of thin air, shining faintly. They floated through the space and arrived in front of three people. One landed gently in Kai's hand. One in Kira's. And one in the hand of a soul neither Kai nor Kira had seen before a boy with sharp features, confident posture, and eyes that seemed to see everything. His name was Sunny.
Liam spoke again, his voice carrying authority. "Each of these cards, once you turn them over, will reveal a family name. That will be where you begin your new path."
He tilted his head. "So go ahead. Why do you have to wait for me to tell you to turn it over?"
Kira spoke up, her voice calm but cautious. "Because you killed the last guys who didn't wait for your command."
Liam chuckled. It was a cold, amused sound. "Yeah, that's right. You can turn them over now."
But before anyone moved, Liam's eyes drifted toward Sunny. He studied him for a long moment. "You there. I didn't see you at the introduction ceremony before the Tournament Realm. How did you get here?"
Sunny smiled. It was a small, knowing smile. He said nothing. Liora, taking a drag from her cigarette, spoke instead. "He completed everything before everyone else."
Liam's eyebrows raised. "A genius, then? That's why he wasn't among them during the ceremony."
Kai's eyes turned toward Sunny. He stared at him for a moment. His bandaged face gave nothing away, but inside, he was analyzing sunny.Kira, standing a few feet away, thought to herself, He completed everything before everyone else? That means he's definitely really strong.Her hand tightened slightly around her card.
The three of them turned their cards over simultaneously.Kai's card shined faintly with a soft blue light. Elegant script appeared on its surface indicating the great Makaveli Family.Kira's card shined with a warm golden color. Hers read the Slothwell Family.
Sunny's card glowed with a deep crimson. It read The great Heartveil Family. Liam nodded once. "Good. Now that your cards have revealed your new paths, take the door to the left. From there, you'll know exactly what you need to do."
He gestured toward a large wooden door on the left side of the hall. It was ornate, carved with symbols and designs that seemed to move when you looked at them too long.But before anyone could take a step, Silas spoke. His voice was sharp. Cold. He pointed directly at Aldrich. "You there."
Aldrich looked up. His heart was pounding. He had been standing silently in the back, trying to process everything that had happened.
"You're under arrest," Silas said flatly.
Aldrich was stunned. His mind went blank. "What? Why?"
Silas's expression didn't change. His hand rested on the hilt of his katana. "You're going to tell the Royal Heads, Prince, where you've been all these years."
Aldrich was stunned. He didn't understand anything that was happening. Why was he being called Prince? What was going on? His thoughts were racing, but nothing made sense.Two guards from the corner of the hall began walking toward Aldrich on Silas's command. They moved with purpose. Their hands reached for him.And then his system prompted. Only he could see it.
[System Notification: Memory Offloading Detected]
[System Alert: Critical Data Transfer Required]
[Source: Previous Body Owner – Prince Solomon Aurelius]
[System Alert: Memory Transfer Initiated]
[Analyzing Neural Compatibility…]
[Compatibility: 100%]
[System Alert: Process Beginning]
[Extracting Memory Data…]
[Progress: 10%… 25%… 50%… 75%… 100%]
[System Alert: Memory Transfer Complete]
[Total Memories Integrated: 10,487]
[Time Period Covered: Birth to Death of Prince Solomon Aurelius]
[System Alert: Initiating Characteristics of Previous User – Prince Solomon Aurelius]
[Warning: Personality Integration Will Alter Host Behavior]
[Warning: Host May Experience Identity Confusion]
[Accept: Yes / No]
Aldrich stared at the notification. His mind was screaming at him. This wasn't just memories. This was a complete personality. A different person. If he accepted this, would he still be himself?
But he had no choice. If he didn't accept, he would be arrested. Interrogated. Probably killed. He didn't understand this world well enough yet. He needed Solomon's knowledge. Solomon's instincts beside that the system has always provided him what he needed at every point.
"Yes," Aldrich whispered.
[System Alert: Command Accepted]
[Integrating Characteristics…]
[Behavioral Patterns: Uploading…]
[Speech Patterns: Uploading…]
[Combat Instincts: Uploading…]
[Social Manipulation Skills: Uploading…]
[Royal Etiquette: Uploading…]
[Process Complete]
[Host Now Possesses Full Memory of Prince Solomon Aurelius]
[Host Now Possesses Personality Traits of Prince Solomon Aurelius]
[Integration Level: 100%]
[Warning: Original Host Personality May Partially Suppressed]
[New Dominant Personality: Prince Solomon Aurelius]
Aldrich's mind exploded. A lifetime of experiences flooded his consciousness in seconds. Memories that weren't his became his. A childhood in the royal palace. Playing chess with his older brother Augustus. Training with the Royal Army. Leading soldiers into war. The taste of wine at royal banquets. The feel of a sword cutting through flesh. The sound of his brother's laughter before the betrayal.
He remembered everything. The fight. The knife. The darkness. His brother's face as he died.He understood everything now. Who the royal heads were. What Kodesh was. Where he was. Who he was supposed to be. And most importantly, who had killed him.
The guards reached him. But before they could grab him, one of them leaned in close and whispered urgently, "I'm sorry, my Prince. We have to follow Silas's orders."
But as this was happening, the door at the far end of the hall opened with a heavy creak. Heavy footsteps echoed. Everyone turned.
It was King Augustus.
Two guards moved with him. They weren't ordinary guards. These were his personal protectors. His Royal Sword and Servants. Two women walked at his sides. One was tall with dark hair tied in a severe bun, sharp eyes, and a longsword strapped to her back. Her name was Bechi. The other was shorter with flowing silver hair, pale skin, and twin daggers at her hips. Her name was Mira. Both moved with deadly grace.
As soon as Aldrich saw him his brother everything clicked into place. That was his brother. The very man who had killed Solomon years ago. The man who had poisoned him. Stabbed him Left him to die.
But something had changed inside Aldrich. The personality integration was complete. He wasn't just Aldrich anymore. He was Solomon. And Solomon knew exactly how to play this game.He was going to maintain his cool for now.
Aldrich's entire demeanor shifted. His posture straightened. His shoulders relaxed. His eyes grew cold.When he spoke, his voice was low and gentle.But underneath, it was laced with evil.
"Oh, brother," Aldrich said slowly, his tone almost musical. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "How disappointing. To let these… dogs… soil my presence with their filthy hands." He tilted his head. "What sort of insult is this? Have the standards of the Royal Court fallen so low in my absence?"
He rolled his eyes upward lazily. His fingers twisted in the air. A small, slow gesture it was bearly noticeable.
And instantly, the two guards who had approached to arrest him their heads rolled off their shoulders. Cleanly and perfectly. As if an invisible blade had sliced through them. Blood sprayed across the pristine marble floor in arcs. Their bodies collapsed a second later with heavy thuds.
The hall went completely silent after all this was a prince and this is how they knew him to be before his suddendisappearance .
Aldrich stared at his hands. They were steady calm, Not a tremor not a shake.But inside his mind,he was screaming.
"I just killed two people. I just"
"Stop that." A voice echoed in his mind. Not the system. Solomon himself. A presence that felt separate yet intertwined. "They were in the way. I did what was necessary for you."
"No," Aldrich thought desperately, trying to claw back control. "I didn't. YOU did." Then he stopped and said "wait who I am talking to? I'm running mental right" but then he felt a presence that said "I am Solomon but that's not what is important right now we shall speak of this later, Focus Aldrich, I needed to do this to retain my identity and not expose yours"
But his body had already moved on. Already dismissed the corpses like they were nothing more than discarded trash. His face remained calm and unbothered.And the worst part? The part that made his stomach turn?
A small piece of him a piece he didn't want to acknowledge agreed with Solomon.They had been in the way.Outward, his expression didn't change. He remained calm. He simply wiped an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve.
This was who Prince Solomon had been before his death. And now, that man's character was who Aldrich would be. Whether he liked it or not.King Augustus stopped walking. He looked down at the two headless bodies on the floor. Blood was spreading slowly across the white marble. He stared for a long moment. And then he smiled. A wide, genuine, delighted smile.
"Oi, oi, oi," King Augustus said, his voice filled with dark amusement. "Thats exactly right. There's the little brother I know." He laughed. "I almost thought you'd gone soft during your little vacation."
He walked forward, his boots stepping through the blood without hesitation. He stopped directly in front of Aldrich. They were face to face now. Brothers and hidden Enemies. Something far more complicated.
King Augustus turned his head slightly toward the four royal heads. His voice carried absolute authority. "Y'all are dismissed. I'll be having a private word with my dear brother right now."
Lucian smiled. He said nothing. He simply turned around and began walking toward the exit. "Have at it, my King," he said smoothly over his shoulder.
Liora took one last drag from her cigarette and dropped it on the floor, crushing it under her boot. She followed Lucian without a word.Liam chuckled softly and did the same, his wand disappearing into his coat.
Silas hesitated. His hand tightened on his katana. His eyes moved from Aldrich to King Augustus. But after a long moment, he too turned and left.
The three new recruits Kai, Kira, and Sunny were ushered out by other guards. They glanced back at Aldrich as they left. Kira's eyes lingered for a moment longer than the others. She looked at him like she was trying to understand something. Trying to figure out what had changed.
But then the door closed behind them with a heavy thud.Now it was just Aldrich and King Augustus. And the two Royal Servants, Bechi and Mira, who stood silently at the king's side like statues.
King Augustus stared at Aldrich. His golden earrings caught the light. His red hair framed his sharp, handsome features. His smile never faded.He spoke slowly."So, little brother." He leaned in slightly. "You're back from the dead? It seems you do not know how to stay buried huh"