On a clear night, stars shimmered across the sky.
What had once been a lively banquet in the grand courtyard of a four-story mansion had descended into chaos. The soft music was gone, replaced by hushed whispers, hurried footsteps, and barely concealed panic.
Amid the disorder, a middle-aged man in an expensive suit strode forward beside an elderly gentleman of equal presence. His face was dark, twisted with barely restrained fury.
"What do you mean my son was kidnapped?!"
His voice cut through the courtyard like a blade.
"How could this happen?!"
Gustav Valemont, patriarch of the esteemed Valemont family and tonight's host, glared at the three men in black suits standing before him. Cold sweat streamed down their temples.
"The figure… moved too fast, sir," one of them stammered, his voice shaking. "We didn't even have time to react before young master disappeared."
Gustav's fury boiled over.
A kidnapping at a Valemont family banquet?
This was an insult he could not tolerate.
He turned sharply to the elderly man beside him.
"Old Zander. Deploy the main forces. You're leading them."
Liam Zander, his right-hand man and head of Valemont security, nodded without hesitation.
"Understood, sir."
He cast a single glance at the three trembling guards. Without another word, they all hurried off to carry out the order.
Taking a deep breath, Gustav forcibly suppressed his rage before turning to the guests.
"Everyone," he said firmly, his voice echoing across the courtyard, "I sincerely apologize for this disturbance. My son, Alex Valemont, has been kidnapped by an unknown party."
The murmurs intensified.
"Whoever finds him will be handsomely rewarded!"
That single sentence changed everything.
Some guests exchanged glances, eyes lighting up with interest. A reward from the Valemont family was no small matter.
"I won't force anyone," Gustav continued. "If you wish to continue enjoying the banquet, please do. But those willing to help, your efforts will be remembered."
The reaction was immediate.
"Hahaha! I'm in!"
"Hell yeah! I'm going after him!"
"This is a golden chance to get close to the Valemont family!"
Several guests, mostly younger nobles and opportunists, rushed out of the courtyard, chasing glory, wealth, or favor.
Most, however, remained behind. Luxury was safer than danger.
Then—
"Patriarch Valemont! Patriarch Valemont!"
A young man, around eighteen years old with black hair, rushed forward, panic written across his face. Nearby guests turned to look.
Gustav's gaze landed on him.
"What is it?"
"I think it's not only your son who's missing!" the young man shouted. "Your daughter too!"
A ripple of shock ran through the crowd.
Gustav's expression hardened.
"And now my daughter, Sofia Valemont, is also missing!" he announced.
The courtyard erupted into even louder whispers.
The young man's brows furrowed. This reaction wasn't what he expected. But he didn't hesitate any longer. He turned and ran.
He didn't care about Alex.
It was Sofia he came for.
The only one that mattered.
---
Meanwhile…
Three kilometers away from the Valemont mansion, inside a luxurious suite of a high-end hotel, silence reigned.
On a king-sized bed lay a breathtaking young woman dressed in an elegant white gown. Her chest rose and fell gently, her breathing steady, as though she were lost in peaceful sleep.
Raven-black hair spilled across silk pillows, catching the dim light of the room. Her porcelain skin glowed softly, lips naturally pink, her graceful figure carrying the unmistakable air of noble lineage.
She appeared to be around eighteen years old.
But the young man seated beside the bed had no time to admire her.
He clutched his head, fingers digging into his scalp, eyes wide and frantic.
"I… reincarnated…?"
His voice trembled.
Fragments of memories flooded his mind, his past life, this new world, and the horrifying realization that followed.
This world…
It wasn't unfamiliar.
It was painfully familiar.
This was the setting of a fantasy novel he had once read.
And his new identity...
Lucas Drakebane.
Eighteen years old.
Second-generation heir of House Drakebane, an ancient and powerful family renowned throughout the Empire.
He should have felt elated.
Nobility. Wealth. Power. Magic.
Yet his face drained of color.
"No… no, no, no!"
"This can't be real!"
His voice cracked.
"I'm… the antagonist?!"
Every cursed plot point resurfaced in his mind.
Tonight, he was fated to die, killed by Leon Emery, the protagonist.
Lucas was strong. Brilliant. A genius among geniuses.
But today, he had been studying a forbidden magic technique, one that erased his magical foundation for three days, reducing him to an ordinary human.
That was why Leon would be able to kill him.
A cheap plot twist.
"Damn it… why tonight?!"
His breathing grew ragged. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.
He could already see it.
Leon slaughtering the guards.
A one-sided battle.
Lucas dying dramatically.
The girl carried away in the hero's arms.
A perfect victory.
House Drakebane would seek revenge, only to suffer defeat after defeat. Leon's plot armor would protect him.
And House Drakebane?
Destroyed.
A thousand-year legacy erased.
A textbook hero fantasy.
But beneath the crushing weight of fate, something ignited within Lucas.
Not fear.
Not despair.
Defiance.
"No."
"I won't die here."
"Not like this. Not by his hands!"
He had to rewrite everything.
Lucas lowered his gaze to the spatial ring on his finger and activated it. Supplies flooded his senses, robes, magic crystals, potions…
And something else.
His eyes narrowed.
He pulled out a small black object, no larger than his palm.
A mechanical spider.
Beside it lay a fingertip-sized controller with a single crimson button.
"…This should do."
---
In the same hotel...
A young man stumbled through a dimly lit corridor, breath ragged, eyes darting between doors.
Leon Emery.
His suit was slightly wrinkled, sweat clinging to his brow as he moved with desperate urgency. His pulse thundered in his ears.
He lifted his hand to his nose and inhaled deeply.
The scent was still there.
Faint, but unmistakable.
He had shaken Sofia's hand once at the banquet. That was all he needed. A skill he had honed for years, one that had never failed him.
Now it guided him.
Step by step.
Floor by floor.
On the third floor, the air felt heavier.
Familiar.
He stopped.
Right in front of a door.
His heart raced. His hand trembled inches from the doorknob.
The scent was coming from inside.
This was it.
"I found it…"