The scene on the big screen floating in Adam's dark space zoomed back in on Prince Eric.
He was sitting up straight on his super fancy bed now. He wasn't gasping for air anymore, but he still looked pale, and his breathing wasn't totally normal.
Every so often, he'd touch his chest, making a small pained face like he still remembered the awful feeling.
Roald, his trainer in armor, stood stiffly next to him. His helmet hid most of his face, but you could see deep worry lines around his jaw, and his shoulders were tense. His usual tough look was gone, replaced by real concern.
"Prince Eric," Roald asked again, his deep voice much quieter now, and you could hear the worry in it.
"Are you really okay? That… thing that just happened… it looked really bad." He leaned in a bit, trying to see Eric's face better, checking if he still looked sick.
Eric managed a small nod. He took another slow breath to calm himself down. The scary feeling was gone, but remembering it—like his heart was being crushed—still made him shiver.
"Yeah… I think so, Roald," he said, his voice a little scratchy. "It's going away now. It just… surprised me." He tried to give a weak smile, trying to make his loyal guard feel better, but it wasn't very convincing.
Roald didn't look convinced. He stared at Eric for a long second, looking troubled.
Then, he sighed heavily, like he was carrying a huge weight. He straightened up, took a small step back, looked down at the floor, and clenched his gloved hands into tight fists.
You could hear the leather stretch. He looked like he felt like a total failure.
"Prince Eric," Roald started, his voice low and full of regret. He bowed his head way down, like he was really sorry.
"Please… forgive me. I've completely failed you. As your trainer, the one supposed to protect you… I've tried everything I know, pushed you as hard as I thought was safe… but it wasn't enough. I failed to get you ready. I couldn't teach you what you needed… I couldn't find any hidden talent." He stopped, his shoulders slumping a bit.
"If… if you want to punish me because I messed up, Your Highness, I'll accept it. Take away my job, send me to the most dangerous place… whatever you think is fair. I won't complain at all." He sounded totally down, really believing it was all his fault.
Eric looked up, his golden eyes wide with surprise that Roald was blaming himself. He quickly waved his hands, telling him no, even though the movement looked like it took some effort.
"No! No, Roald, definitely not!" he said, his voice getting a bit stronger. "Stop that right now. This isn't your fault at all! Please don't blame yourself." He looked right at his trainer, wanting him to get it.
"The truth is… the truth I've known forever… is that I'm the problem. I've always been… talentless." That word felt heavy, full of sadness he'd carried for years.
He dropped his hands back into his lap and looked away, thinking about painful stuff.
"Ever since I was a kid," Eric went on quietly, "I never had the natural skills my older brothers got. That's just how it is. Raven… everyone knows he's the best swordsman maybe in the whole empire. He was amazing with a sword even when he was little. And Leonard… he's super smart, and magic is as easy as breathing for him. He can do spells that experienced wizards find hard." He sighed, a deep, tired sound.
"Compared to them, who are so amazing and talented… I'm nothing. Just… average. Or maybe even worse than average, because of who my dad is." He looked back at Roald, looking like he'd just accepted it.
"You couldn't teach me because there was nothing to teach, Roald. No spark to light up. It's not your fault; it's just… me."
Hearing Eric put himself down like that, words Roald had probably heard many times before, seemed to really hurt the trainer.
He clenched his fists even tighter. Adam could almost picture Roald's nails digging into his palms. Roald suddenly stepped forward again, determined.
He looked right into Eric's eyes, and his own eyes burned with fierce loyalty and surprising passion. The defeated look was gone, replaced by pure determination.
"Prince Eric, do not talk like that!" Roald ordered. His voice was strong again, but this time it was filled with belief, not anger.
"Don't give up on yourself! Talent isn't everything! Yeah, your brothers have skills that are easy to see, skills that get lots of attention. But you," Roald leaned in a little, lowering his voice like he was sharing a big secret, but speaking with total honesty,
"You have something much better, something rarer and more important than any skill with a sword or magic. You have a kind heart, Your Highness. You're truly caring. You notice the servants, you care about regular people, you feel for others in a way your brothers, who are busy trying to be the best, don't seem to understand." He stood up tall again.
"Listen to me, Prince Eric! That kindness, that caring, that's real strength! And I believe, I absolutely know it, that one day you'll shock everyone. You'll become the greatest warrior this empire has ever known – maybe not with fighting, but with who you are! You'll be the leader who really understands people and leads us the right way! Don't let anyone, not even yourself, tell you different!"
A small, shy smile appeared on Eric's lips as he listened to Roald passionately stick up for him. It wasn't a big smile, more like the sun trying weakly to shine through clouds, but it was real.
Hearing someone believe in him so strongly—maybe the only person besides his mom who ever had—seemed to push away some of his fear and self-doubt for a moment.
Roald's loyalty felt like a small shield against all the pressure and his own feelings of being useless.
"Thank you, Roald," Eric whispered, his voice full of quiet thanks. He looked into his trainer's intense eyes, and a little bit of determination sparked in his own golden eyes.
The fear was still there, like a knot in his stomach, but Roald's words gave him a tiny bit of courage. He took a deep breath, like getting ready for something hard.
"Okay. Let's go. I… I'll try again. I'll face this trial." He clenched his own fists, copying Roald, but his grip wasn't as strong. "I refuse to just give up and fail without even trying my best."
Roald felt a mix of pride and sadness in his chest. He was proud of Eric for having the courage to face something that seemed impossible.
But he felt sad knowing how tough it would be, knowing the odds were totally against a kind but talentless prince in a kingdom that only cared about strength and magic.
He knew this trial was probably set up for Eric to fail, just to prove publicly that the nobles was right about him being worthless. But Roald couldn't let Eric see his doubt.
He had to be strong for him. He nodded firmly, looking determined again. "Give it everything you've got, Your Highness," he said, his voice steady and encouraging.
"Hold onto that feeling. I believe you have the strength inside you to get through this. Show them who you really are."
Eric gave another small, thankful smile and slowly stood up from the bed. He wobbled a bit, still feeling weak from what happened earlier, but he steadied himself.
He stood facing Roald and took another deep breath. Then, without saying anything else, the young prince and his loyal trainer turned and walked out of the fancy, safe bedroom.
Their footsteps echoed softly in the hallway as they headed towards the trial grounds, towards whatever future—good or bad—waited for Eric.
Meanwhile, back in his weird, dark space, Adam was chilling on the comfy sofa he'd made appear.
He watched the whole conversation between Eric and Roald on the screen above him, paying close attention like it was an exciting TV show. He rubbed his chin, thinking hard about what they'd said.
"Hmm," he mumbled to himself. "So, this kid, Eric, is really a prince… and the third son. That means he has at least two older brothers, probably making things tough for him." He remembered Eric saying the First Prince was an amazing swordsman and the Second Prince was a powerful magic user.
"One's the cool fighter guy, one's the smart magic guy," Adam thought, putting it in terms he understood.
"And poor Eric is the one who didn't get any cool powers. That's a pretty interesting, and probably messed up, family situation." He felt kind of sorry for Eric, but also really curious about all the drama.
It sounded like a classic story about an underdog, but with royal politics and maybe deadly tests involved.
Just when Adam was thinking about how unfair Eric's situation was, the blue System Window popped up right next to his sofa. It just appeared silently, floating patiently near him. Adam noticed it and turned his head, raising an eyebrow.
"Done already?" he asked.
"Master," the System Window said, its usual robot voice sounding maybe a little extra efficient. "I have successfully gotten past the main security around the host's mind. I have accessed his basic memories and identity information. I now have a lot of basic knowledge about who he is, his past, and the situation he's in right now."
Adam raised both eyebrows this time, honestly surprised by how fast the System worked. He thought it would take way longer, especially with the talk about seals and complicated minds.
"Seriously? That fast? Wow, System, I'm impressed," he said, sounding a little admiring. He leaned forward on the sofa, interested.
"Alright then, don't leave me hanging. Spill it. Tell me everything you found out—who exactly is this Prince Eric, and what's really going on here? What's this trial all about?"
The System Window stayed still for a second, its blue light pulsing softly. "Master, just telling you all the details about his life and how things work in his kingdom would take a long time and might be confusing. There's a more direct way."
Adam blinked. "Direct way?"
"Instead of telling you the information," the System went on, "I will send the important memories and understanding directly into your mind."
Before Adam could even think about that or ask what it meant, a thin, focused beam of bright blue energy flowed quietly from the System Window.
It connected right to the middle of Adam's forehead. It didn't hurt at all, but he felt a weird tingling, like static electricity, where the energy touched him.
Right away, his mind was flooded with information. It wasn't like watching the screen anymore; it was like information, pictures, sounds, and even faint feelings were being downloaded straight into his brain.
Pictures flashed in his mind – super fast, but somehow he understood them all. He saw glimpses of a huge kingdom with tall castles, busy old-fashioned cities, and strange buildings glowing with magic. This was the Empire of Alinor.
He saw a strong, serious-looking man with a gold crown, giving off a vibe of total power – King Noor IV, Eric's dad, the ruler of Alinor.
He saw memories of three young boys growing up in the palace. The oldest, Prince Raven, had dark hair and looked intense. Even as a kid, he used a sword with amazing skill and power, impressing everyone.
Raven learned everything about fighting super fast, his talent obvious. Because of this, King Noor named him the main Crown Prince, the one most likely to be king next.
Then there was Prince Leonard, the second son, with lighter hair. He was often shown with books or weird magical items, his eyes smart. Adam saw Leonard easily using magic, doing complicated spells that confused his teachers.
His natural talent for magic was just as amazing as Raven's sword skills. Leonard also impressed the King and got the title of Crown Prince.
This made things weird, having two official heirs, and probably caused a lot of competition between the older brothers.
And then there was Eric. The memories about him were quieter, often sad or frustrating. Adam saw a younger Eric struggling in the training yard, barely able to lift a practice sword, while Raven easily beat trainers nearby.
He saw Eric in magic classes, trying super hard just to make a candle flame flicker, while Leonard casually made illusions or shot magic blasts. Eric was born without any talent for fighting or magic.
He was the odd one out, the disappointment. Even worse, the memories showed that as he got older, he stayed small and weak, never getting strong like other kids, especially not like his brothers.
Compared to Raven and Leonard, who were like superstars, almost everyone at the palace, thought Eric was a failure and an embarrassment.
The memories showed that the only reason Eric wasn't totally ignored or sent away was because his mother, the Queen, protected him fiercely.
She really loved him, or maybe she was good at politics, but she kept him safe and let him keep his title as Prince, even though he had no real power. King Noor IV, though, was still super disappointed in him.
This "trial" today wasn't just a normal test. The King had set it up as a final, public judgment.
It was a chance for Eric to somehow prove he wasn't worthless, or, more likely what the Nobles expected, to fail for sure.
If Eric failed, it was over: he'd lose his title, be kicked out of the family, and exiled from the palace, thrown out into the world with nothing.
The only people who seemed to truly care about Eric, besides his protective mom, were the regular people he was secretly kind to, and Roald.
The memories showed Roald wasn't just a trainer. He was a loyal guide.
He had stuck with Eric even when everyone else made fun of him or gave up on him, always encouraging him, always believing in him when nobody else did.
The blue energy beam pulled back, disappearing as fast as it came. The tingling on Adam's forehead stopped.
He leaned back hard against the sofa, his mind spinning as he processed all the information he'd just received. He finally understood Eric's fear, why he felt so useless, and how much pressure he was under. He understood what was at stake with this trial.
"So… that's the situation," Adam mumbled out loud, everything clicking into place. He looked up at the screen.
He now watched Eric and Roald walking down a long stone hallway towards whatever came next with a totally new understanding. A slow smirk spread across his lips, wider this time.
There was a calculating and excited glint in his eyes.
"A talentless prince, hated by Nobles, living in the shadow of his 'perfect' brothers, facing exile if he fails a test that's probably rigged against him, with only his mom and a loyal knight on his side…"
He chuckled softly. "Okay, yeah. This is definitely getting interesting."
The story felt much more personal now, and the idea of interfering, maybe using his own weird powers to shake things up, was suddenly very appealing.