One Week Later – Arkanis Royal Academy
The dungeon had closed behind them.
Word had already spread.
A powerless prince who returned from a forbidden labyrinth with six elite girls—and a divine aura that even teachers couldn't explain.
Kael walked through the academy gates not as a forgotten prince…
…but as a mystery that terrified the world.
The Crownless Flame
Students stared in silence as Kael passed.
Some whispered, some bowed. A few pretended not to notice him at all. But everyone noticed the six beautiful girls around him—Zara, Mira, Selene, Rayna, Lyria, and Althea—each walking like a queen beside their king.
"Did you hear? He soloed the Shadowborn.""I heard he's from a fallen divine bloodline.""No, no. They say he used to be a god."
Kael ignored it all.
But the headmaster… didn't.
Headmaster Velkarth's Office
The aged sorcerer glared through a crystal mirror.
"He was supposed to be dormant," Velkarth muttered. "He was sealed. Who broke the chains?"
His assistant trembled.
"A report from the celestial archives just arrived. The Shadowborn that attacked them was not one of ours."
Velkarth's eyes widened. "…Then who is playing god this time?"
Enter the Fiancée
That same day, in the middle of class, the door swung open.
A tall girl entered.
Long platinum hair. Golden eyes. Dressed in an old-style royal uniform that shimmered with forgotten magic.
She scanned the room with regal boredom, then stopped—eyes locking with Kael.
The teacher blinked. "Y-Yes? Can we help you?"
The girl smiled. "Apologies. I'm Evelyne Astera Veilhart."
"His future wife."
Kael dropped his quill. The girls around him froze.
Zara: "WIFE?!"
Rayna: "No one gets to just walk in and say that!"
Evelyne blinked innocently. "Oh? Did I not mention? We were engaged in the last timeline."
Everyone stared at Kael.
Kael: "What timeline?"
Evelyne: "The one where you ruled the stars, shattered heaven, and kissed me before burning the gods."
Mira: "…This day just keeps getting better."
The Veiled Truth
Later that night, Evelyne sat alone with Kael beneath a moonlit tree.
"You don't remember me, do you?"
Kael shook his head. "No. But you feel… familiar."
She looked away. "I've walked a thousand broken timelines to find you again. They call me a timeline witch. But in every version where you fall, the world ends."
"I came to make sure… that doesn't happen again."
Kael studied her closely. There was no deceit in her eyes—only pain. And loyalty beyond lifetimes.
"Then help me," he said. "But know this… I'm not who I was."
Evelyne smiled softly. "That's fine. I fell in love with all your versions."
Shadow Council Awakens
Far across the continent, a hooded council met in a void chamber.
Seven thrones.
Seven divine beings.
One empty seat.
A voice echoed through the chamber:
"Elarion's return has begun. One fragment has awakened."
"Shall we kill him again?"
Another voice, soft and venomous:
"No… this time, we let him grow. Let him gather his pieces."
"Then, when the time is right… we destroy him completely."
All seven voices spoke together, like a cursed chorus:
"Begin the war of fragments."