After comforting Mira, he slowly let go of her hand. A gentle, almost fragile smile formed on his lips.
"Don't worry, okay? Even if I can't recall my past… I will always be your big brother."
Mira froze.
Her throat tightened, as though a weighty stone had lodged itself inside. She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her composure, forcing the facade that everything was fine - even though inside, her heart was shattering.
The nurse's expression darkened subtly, almost imperceptibly. Calmness gave way to something colder - something like unease, or recognition.
Aiden didn't notice. Not really.
The natural warmth on his face had returned, but underneath his calm exterior, his eyes were sharper, cooler - dangerously so. Yet, when he saw Mira's stunned gaze and heard his own words, something inside the nurse faltered. His heartbeat quickened, just slightly, though he tried to hide it.
"…Damn it," he whispered under his breath, glancing away, as if embarrassed by the stirrings of an emotion he hadn't fully admitted.
But no matter how much he tried to avert his gaze, the image of Aiden's smile - so soft, so unguarded - kept replaying in his mind.
Aiden himself remained oblivious to it. He studied Mira's face, trying to gauge her reaction, wondering if he had said the wrong thing. Right now, nothing mattered except understanding who he was, where he was, and what his life had become.
A fragment surfaced - a tiny, sharp memory:
Young Master Aiden.
The nurse had said it earlier. That was a clue, a key to a world he hadn't fully understood yet.
The conversation between Mira and the nurse continued slowly. Mira's voice trembled at times. The nurse offered guidance. Aiden asked questions, quietly, methodically, gathering pieces of information, connecting fragments, trying to construct a puzzle he had no idea existed.
And then it hit him.
He wasn't just in another place.
He was in another world.
Almost identical to the one he'd left, but… twisted.
A world where fantasy intertwined with technology. Where massive medieval fortresses and towering skyscrapers coexisted. Where power wasn't just strength - it was a measurable, quantifiable system. Where magic, bloodlines, and interstellar empires dictated destiny.
He was the Young Master of the Cromwell Clan.
The strongest clan to ever exist.
Even royal families avoided provoking them. The Cromwells were neither good nor evil. They simply dominated, transcending morality when it suited them.
They had ruled over 159 star domains across the galaxy. Military might unmatched. Financial empire unparalleled. They had declared themselves an empire, yet it wasn't a title - it was fact.
And he… was the Young Emperor.
Seventeen years old. A prodigy beyond comprehension.
Even the System acknowledged him.
But as the weight of this revelation settled in, reality crashed down.
I'm not that person.
I'm just a man who transmigrated into this body. A man who died with nothing, whose life had been empty and meaningless.
And now… I carry the responsibility of trillions.
Fragments of Aiden's original memories clashed violently with his own past life. The result: pain. Confusion. Anguish.
He remembered enemies invading the Cromwell star domains. Fifty trillion died. Some enslaved. Some experimented on. Some erased from existence. Only fifty star domains remained.
And when news of his awakening spread, the entire clan celebrated. But even that joy was tinged with urgency.
A fragment struck his mind - sharp, painful:
An enemy. From the Upper World.
Beyond this galaxy. Beyond comprehension.
Everything was about to collapse into chaos.
Mira had left. The nurse had gone. Aiden was being discharged. The world had noticed his awakening.
But something lingered, gnawing at him.
Mira - familiar because of memory, because of love. Someone he cared for. Someone he would protect at all costs.
The nurse… strange. Skilled in healing. Mysterious. Owed Aiden something, he was certain. He couldn't remember why, and for now, it didn't matter.
His thoughts drifted to his previous life.
Why did his heart beat faster? Why did he feel alive?
The dull, colorless life he had lived - the college, the work, the routine - was gone.
Now, here, everything felt vivid. Real. Tangible.
Excitement, fear, curiosity - they all blended into a single, intoxicating rush.
The enemies?
Cold determination flickered in his eyes. He would destroy anyone standing in his way. Even if it was his own clan.
Yet he respected the original Aiden - the kind, responsible, courageous Aiden who never gave up. He would carry that as a guiding principle.
"Don't worry, Aiden," he muttered softly. "I will cherish everything that was yours."
A lightness washed over him. A weight lifted from his soul.
His consciousness intertwined with the original Aiden's. The System acknowledged it. Two souls merged into one.
Later, when he fully woke, the fragments of memory were sharper, though still incomplete.
On the table lay a device - part phone, part unknown technology. A tool to access the Game. To check his status.
But not now. He needed rest.
He scrolled through the device: news, reports, discussions. The Cromwells were mobilizing. Preparing. Waiting. The enemies had been searching for the true capital for years - unsuccessfully.
Power surged inside him. Something immense.
He remembered one of Aiden's most guarded secrets:
The Cromwell Bloodline.
If captured, a Cromwell's bloodline concealed itself. Appeared ordinary. Only the moment of escape or survival reactivated it. Cruel. Efficient. Perfectly suited to enemies that underestimated them.
Aiden's bloodline was at 100%. He had absorbed two other hidden bloodlines, devouring their physiques, talents, and powers. That was why he was unmatched. A secret weapon among prodigies.
A fragment returned:
An attack from the Upper World. The weakest among them, yet nearly fatal.
The world intervened. The World Law activated. A barrier forced the invaders back. Furious, they would not forget.
And he realized: this was only the beginning.
Somewhere beyond the farthest reaches of the universe, beyond where light itself struggled to travel, something shifted.
Laws trembled. Space rippled. An unknown entity stirred.
"Hmm… what is happening? What is causing this turbulence?"
Elsewhere:
"An anomaly? No… this is beyond anomalies. This is… something else."
Another voice laughed, low and amused.
"Oh? How entertaining… hehehe."
A chained entity in the void chuckled.
"Kekeke… hahahahaha! Interesting! Interesting! Is it finally time for a new era? I'm looking forward to this…"
Far away, a being with eyes brighter than suns smiled.
"Hahaha… finally, a worthy challenger has appeared."
Somewhere else, filled with hatred:
"Why!? Why again!? Another one!? This time I will not fail… Whoever you are, I will find you. Prepare yourself."
Meanwhile…
Aiden lay in his hospital bed, utterly unaware.
He sneezed. Rubbed his nose.
"What the hell… who the fuck is talking about me? Whoever you are, you're dead."
His face remained blank.
I really am this heartless, huh…
The original Aiden smiled. Showed warmth. Emotion.
Is this because of my talent? Emotional suppression? A voided mind?
Our souls merged… maybe anything is possible.
He shook his head.
Forget it. The empire comes first.
He sighed. This was going to be tiring…
Three days passed. Mira visited often. The nurse checked on him. Slowly, he became familiar with his sister.
Two more days passed. Fully recovered. Discharged.
The place wasn't even technically a hospital. Ancient terminology. They assumed he used it because of amnesia.
Names didn't matter. Sci-fi. Medieval. Modern. Mixed. Useless details.
He stepped outside.
And the world waited.
He froze.
A line of soldiers stood waiting.
They wore advanced armor, smooth and flawless, colored in deep crimson that matched their eyes. White hair. Silver strands. Absolute symmetry. Their presence was almost unreal, like something out of a legend - or a dream.
Damn… they're cool as hell…
His eyes shone like a kid seeing idols, heart hammering in disbelief. Every muscle in his body wanted to run, to stare, to touch the perfection he'd only ever heard described in tales of the empire.
A man with a white beard stepped forward. The soldiers lowered their heads so deeply it was like the floor itself bowed beneath him. He moved with the quiet authority of someone who'd commanded nations, yet carried the exhaustion of centuries.
"Your Majesty… you have awakened."
The words were soft, but they carried a weight that made the air tremble. Relief. Fatigue. Devotion. Aiden could feel it all.
"Charles…" he said quietly. His voice was rough, almost unrecognizable to himself. "You came despite everything?"
Charles bowed slightly, careful, deliberate. "Nonsense, my Lord. Even if I abandon my duties, the Emperor's condition is our highest priority. You are the hope of our people."
Something flickered in Aiden's chest. A memory - a flash of warm light in the long darkness.
Charles had been with him since childhood. Loyal. Unwavering. Sometimes a little infuriating, but always there. Always steady.
Then, the memories of the fallen Cromwell worlds resurfaced. Cities ash, planets decimated, blood running like rivers through the empire.
His eyes darkened.
A crimson, dull amber light flickered within them-uncontrolled, barely restrained.
They will pay.
Unconsciously, killing intent leaked out. It wasn't conscious. It didn't even feel like him. But the aura that radiated made the soldiers shiver. Even the air seemed to tense.
Sweat dripped from their faces.
Charles' knees hit the floor before he even had time to process it. "M-My Lord! If I have angered you, please punish this lowly servant!"
Aiden blinked. The moment shattered. The pressure vanished like mist in the wind.
"No, Charles. You did nothing wrong," he said, his voice calm but deep, carrying both relief and lingering shadows. "I just… remembered the state of the empire. Get up. There's no need to kneel. We've known each other since I was a child."
Charles shook his head stubbornly, eyes still lowered. "Even so, my Lord… I will always stand before you like this. To falter is a sin I cannot afford when you awaken."
Aiden sighed. He felt a twinge of exasperation, tinged with amusement. He really hasn't changed…
He stepped forward, brushing past the tremors of the guards. The smell of polished metal and ozone filled his senses as they led him toward the horizon of his dominion.
And then he saw it.
A carrier.
No - A spacecraft.
Ten thousand kilometers long. A titan of metal, hanging in the atmosphere like a god suspended above mortal realms. The Cromwell emblem gleamed across its flawless surface. Ordinary citizens below craned their necks to see it, pointing, gasping, unable to comprehend the scale.
Aiden's jaw went slack. Every instinct in his body screamed awe, disbelief, and terror.
"This… is ours?" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
Charles caught the words, a faint smile breaking through his exhaustion. "Our empire is vast, my Lord. And you… are its heart."
The words hit Aiden differently than before. Hope? Responsibility? Rage? The blend of everything that had built and broken him over centuries pulsed through his chest.
They escorted him into a smaller carrier, its interior sleek, almost alive in its perfection. People rushed to greet him, their voices a mixture of excitement, reverence, and disbelief. They had heard he had awakened, but to see him alive - here - was a shock that left their hearts pounding.
Aiden nodded at them, a faint, detached smile forming. He wanted to speak, to say something grand, but words failed him. His mind was still processing - ship, soldiers, Charles, the empire. It was too much. Too fast.
Inside the main ship, rows of commanders and generals stood like statues. Perfect lines of discipline, yet their eyes betrayed something - fear, awe, maybe even worship.
Charles approached him again, leaning closer so only Aiden could hear.
"They've waited for this moment for a long time, my Lord. The empire… the galaxy… it has been holding its breath."
Aiden nodded, letting the weight of the words settle. "And if I fail?"
Charles' gaze softened. "Failure is… impossible. Not because of me, or them, but because it is not in you. You are… you, Aiden Cromwell."
The name felt strange in his mouth, like tasting a memory he couldn't fully recall. And yet, it resonated. It rang through him like the echo of a bell in a cathedral.
Before Charles left, he placed a hand on Aiden's shoulder. "I must return to my duties, my Lord. The empire does not pause, even for us. But… I will always be at your side, wherever your path may lead."
Aiden's chest tightened. "Charles…"
"I am yours, my Lord. Until the stars themselves burn out."
And then he was gone, leaving Aiden alone with the silence of the massive ship.
An attendant appeared, bowing deeply. "My Lord, if you need anything, you may call for me anytime."
Aiden nodded. When the door finally closed behind him, he exhaled so heavily it felt like the first time he'd truly breathed in decades.
He dropped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"…Being an emperor is damn exhausting."
But beneath the exhaustion, a spark - sharp, dangerous, alive - stirred. Memories, power, wrath, hope. It all collided inside him, and Aiden felt something he hadn't in a long time: the thrill of the impossible.
The empire had waited.
And now, so am I.