On a rainy night on a planet ruled by ten noble families, a child is born within the Lewin family's palace.
One of the maids says: "Congratulations, Madam and Sir, on your new baby. The color of his eyes is like yours, Madam, and the color of his hair is like his father's hair. What will you name him?"
"I will name him after his grandfather, Saruto," replies the child's mother, Carmelina.
"I have chosen a name," says Father Morvan. "It sounds fitting. I hope he will be like his grandfather, or even better."
From the moment of his birth, his parents noticed that he was different from the other children in the kingdom.
At the age of three, while the other children in the Lewin kingdom run and play, Saruto spends his time meditating and gazing at the sky.
"He is a strange child," whispers the palace servants. "He doesn't cry much, he doesn't ask for anything, and he doesn't play with the other children his age. He seems to think and meditate a lot. I wonder what's wrong with him?"
Sarto's father, Morvan, worried about him, while his mother, Carmelina, considered him "someone special."
When Sarto was five years old, one night at the manor, his mother's health deteriorated. The doctors said she was suffering from a rare condition: a decrease in the flow of energy in her body, causing it to accumulate in one place—her heart. Sarto was by his mother's side, watching her in her final moments as she held his hand and reassured him that everything would be alright.
"I know what's wrong with you, Mother," Sarto said, fighting back tears. "I heard everything."
Surprised by her son's words, she embraced him, weeping. "I'm sorry I have to leave you so soon, my son," she said. "Take care of yourself, listen to your father, and be a source of pride for the Dark Family."
Minutes later, as Sarto held his sleeping mother's hand, it slipped from his grasp. He awoke with a start, realizing his mother had died. "Mother, please wake up! Please don't leave me! I know you're asleep, Mother..." he cried.
A deafening scream echoed through the palace. Saruto's dark energy began to surge out of control. His father rushed to him and struck him on the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Morvan looked at his wife and saw that she had passed away. He fought back tears as he embraced her one last time. But despite his resistance, he too broke down and began to weep, vowing to raise their son well. Morning came, and Saruto's mother was buried in the family cemetery. Everyone was present except Saruto, who remained in his room, lying on his bed, tears streaming down his face, remembering every moment he had shared with his mother.
Then his mother's last wish came to mind: that he would become the pride of the Dark Family and not disappoint her.
He rose from his bed, wiping away his tears, and said, "I will not break my promise to you, Mother. I will become the pride of the Dark Family. Witness me as I fulfill your wish."
Saruto began his simple training exercises under the supervision of his father, Foreman, in the courtyard.
Saruto appeared physically weak, but he observed his father's movements and instructions and followed them precisely.
Foreman, Saruto's father, said, "Isn't the training too strenuous for you, Saruto? I suggest we take a break."
But Saruto calmly replied with a phrase that would forever be etched in his mind: "If I cannot endure this simple training, then I am not worthy to inherit the rule of this family after you, Father."
His father was impressed by his words and his precocious maturity.
At the age of seven, one night, while he slept, he heard a voice say, "You are the heir... When the time comes, the power of darkness within you will awaken."
He awoke terrified but told no one. From that night onward, he began to have recurring dreams of battles between the ten families, rooms where someone was training but whose form was unclear, and a dragon.
At the age of nine, Saruto accompanied his father on a tour of the family estate.
He witnessed the hardships of the peasants and ordinary soldiers and began to ask his father difficult questions: "Everyone is doing their best for the stability and peace of this kingdom. Isn't that right, Father?"
His father smiled and said, "Yes, Saruto, you're right. That's why the king must be stronger and wiser to maintain this stability."
At the age of ten, while Saruto was wandering in the forest, as was his custom, to rest from his training, a huge wild beast attacked him. He managed to escape, but he was exhausted from running. Despite his fear, Saruto stood between the beast and the beast, trying to protect himself by throwing stones at it!
Suddenly, in a fit of rage, a mythical aura emanated from his body for a brief moment, frightening the beast and causing it to flee. Saruto lost consciousness.
Saruto's father sensed a strange energy emanating from the forest and quickly moved to investigate, asking, "Where did this energy come from?"
He then found Saruto unconscious. Examining his body, he discovered that the dark energy within him had awakened. He smiled and said, "Finally, you've managed to awaken it, Saruto, unlike the time you lost it and it controlled you after your mother's death."
At the age of eleven, his father told him he would soon be attending the academy, so he needed to prepare. He explained the academy's teaching system: "Hartz Academy has a suitable educational system for you to develop yourself and increase your strength. From time to time, tests are conducted to improve and measure the student's strength and apply what they've learned. Are you ready to go there, Saruto?"
"Yes, I'm ready to go, Father," Saruto replied.
His father smiled at Saruto's agreement. Clenching his fist, Saruto thought to himself, "Hartz Academy, wait for me, I'm coming."