Ch-12 < Before the red disaster >

In the quiet province of Silberia, where the beautiful lake shimmered like a jewel and the mountains loomed protectively over its ten thousand inhabitants, life moved at a peaceful pace.

Silberia had little to offer in terms of wealth or resources, but its serene beauty and its strategic location made it a coveted prize.

Now, it had come under the control of the Eastern Sovereign, Nasca Namrium Ulmeria Empire, one of the most powerful empires in the land.

Silberia was annexed into the empire, and its people were now subjects of the distant Emperor. However, few knew that this small province held a secret that would shake the empire to its core.

In the royal palace, a beautiful white-haired girl named Blanche was born to the King of Silberia and his concubine, a woman of low status who had little power in court.

Blanche's mother was kind but constantly reminded Blanche to hide her unique gift: the ability to see spirits and communicate with the spiritual realm.

It was a rare power passed down through the royal bloodline, one that her mother warned her could bring great danger. "A monster will come and eat you if you reveal your secret," her mother would say, hoping to protect her daughter from isolation and fear.

As Blanche grew, her gift only became stronger. She could sense the spirits around her, their whispers in the wind and their presence in the water of the lake.

Yet, despite her mother's warnings, Blanche found herself increasingly lonely. Her mother's status in the court was low, and the nobles, especially Emilia, the King's favored concubine from a noble Marquis family, despised her.

Blanche's nannies were dismissed for petty reasons, and soon, the palace was filled with rumors that Emilia was behind it all.

Emilia had a daughter, Alsha, who was groomed to be the perfect noblewoman. Alsha was given the best tutors and the finest clothes, but even with all the attention, her beauty could not surpass Blanche's ethereal charm.

Emilia's envy grew darker with each passing year. Blanche, despite her mother's low status, was adored by the people of Silberia for her beauty and grace.

She reminded them of the ancient legends of the kingdom—a princess with white hair who would one day change the fate of the land. Emilia could not bear to see her daughter overshadowed, so she devised a plan to eliminate Blanche and her mother.

Assassins were sent in the dead of night, but by some miracle, Blanche survived. Her mother, however, was not so fortunate.

Blanche was left alone, sobbing in the darkness of the palace gardens, where no one came to comfort her.

It was then that a beautiful woman with white hair appeared before her. This woman was not human. Her beauty transcended mortal understanding, and her presence radiated a power that made the air around her hum with energy.

"Why are you crying, little one?" the woman asked in a voice as smooth as silk.

Blanche, heartbroken and lonely, could not stop herself from spilling her pain. "My mother... she's gone. I have no one left."

Blanc tilted her head, curious. She had seen countless souls broken by the world, but something about this girl intrigued her. "I will grant you a wish, little princess. Any wish you desire. But in return, I will possess your body."

Blanche, innocent and pure of heart, looked into Blanc's eyes, not with fear but with hope. "I wish to be your friend. Will you stay with me?"

Blanc was taken aback. Of all the things this child could wish for—power, revenge, wealth—she had asked for friendship. It was the first time Blanc had encountered such a request, and, amused by the child's purity, she accepted.

Unbeknownst to Blanche, the woman was none other than Primordial Blanc, one of the seven primordial demons, a being of unimaginable power. She had waited for centuries for the perfect vessel to be born in the royal bloodline of Silberia, and now, that vessel was Blanche.

From that moment on, Blanc and Blanche became inseparable. The White Primordial, amused by her new role as a "friend," took it upon herself to teach Blanche everything she knew.

Under her guidance, the young princess excelled in subjects far beyond her years: economics, mathematics, geography, art, and magic.

Her tutors, unaware of the source of her newfound brilliance, were astounded. Blanche's abilities became the talk of the kingdom, drawing admiration from all corners.

Even her step-sister Alsha, who had once basked in the attention, was now overshadowed by Blanche's brilliance.

As Blanche's fame grew, a prominent noble from the Eastern Empire, Guinas, heir to a powerful Duke, proposed a marriage alliance with Silberia.

Guinas was a master of words, charming and skilled in diplomacy. He promised to make Blanche the Queen of Silberia and to bring prosperity to her kingdom.

Blanche, innocent and pure-hearted, fell in love with Guinas, though she made it clear that she would preserve her purity until marriage.

The nobles of Silberia, eager to strengthen ties with the Eastern Empire, supported the union. But Emilia saw the alliance as thorn since it will lead to Blanche becoming the new Queen.

But no matter what she tried—assassinations, poison, violence—Blanche seemed untouchable. Every attempt failed, though Emilia couldn't understand why.

In the background, Blanc was always there, protecting her vessel. But her suspicions were growing. Something didn't add up. The failed assassination attempts, the growing unrest within the noble circles, and the silence from Duke Guinas, Blanche's betrothed, all pointed to a larger conspiracy.

But despite this Guinas was too perfect. Information surrounding him was always pristine, his movements too calculated. It seemed that he had no enemies, no flaws.

Primordial white began to dig deeper, using her vast network of spirits and demonic subordinates.

She discovered the horrifying truth: the Eastern Empire was fully aware of the ancient pact made between the royal family of Silberia and the primordial demon.

Guinas had been sent by the empire not to strengthen Silberia, but to eliminate the coming of the second Guy Crimson—another primordial demon who, if left unchecked, could upset the balance of power.

Blanche, as the chosen vessel for Primordial Blanc, was the key to this ancient pact, and her white hair was the proof of her destiny.

The Eastern Empire, already marching its armies toward Silberia, intended to destroy the kingdom royal bloodline and prevent the resurrection of another primordial demon who might challenge their rule.

Guinas's marriage proposal was nothing more than a trap—a way to control Blanche , make her his plaything and then killed her.

In the halls of the palace, politics boiled beneath the surface. The nobles of Silberia were unaware of the empire's true intentions, dazzled by the idea of wealth and power that an alliance with the Eastern Empire would bring. The empire's armies were coming, unknown to them.

Few months later,

Blanche's sixteenth birthday had arrived, and the Kingdom of Silberia buzzed with excitement.

A grand celebration was held in her honor, the halls of the palace filled with nobles, dignitaries, and merchants from far away land but behind the smiles and well-wishes, a darker plan was unfolding, one orchestrated by Duke Guinas and the empire.

Guinas had courted Blanche for years, pretending to love her, pretending to be the man who would protect her.

In truth, he was a pawn of the Eastern Empire, tasked with leading her to ruin. His ultimate goal was not marriage or love, but the complete elimination of the royal bloodline of Silberia—blotting out the pact that had been made with the White Primordial, Blanc, 3,000 years ago. The Empire feared the power the pact would bring and had pushed Blanche's own people into betrayal.

The night of her birthday, Blanche stood at the center of the grand ballroom, her white dress flowing around her like the calm waters of the Silberian lake she loved. Yet, her heart was heavy.

The guests toasted to her health, Duke Guinas rose from his seat, a sly smile on his lips.

"My dear friends," Guinas began, "we are gathered here to celebrate the coming of age of the beautiful Princess Blanche. It is also my honor to announce that, with the blessing of the Empire, Princess Blanche will soon join me in the Eastern Empire, where she will take her rightful place at my side."

The room erupted in applause, but not everyone was pleased. King Lothair, Blanche's father, sat on his throne, his face pale and tense. He knew the truth behind this arrangement, as did the few nobles who remembered the ancient pact with the White Primordial.

Blanche's bloodline was sacred, a vessel for the White Primordial, and handing her over to the Empire would not only break this pact but put the entire kingdom at risk since white primordial was their God, their guardian diety.

The king rose, his voice trembling with both fear and anger. "I refuse to let my daughter be taken to the Eastern Empire. The pact—our bloodline—is sacred. We are bound and this cannot be undone."

Guinas, ever the politician, smiled coolly. "Your Majesty, with all due respect, that pact is a superstition, a relic from 3,000 years ago. Times have changed, and so must we. This marriage is the future of Silberia. Do you wish to cling to old myths, or will you embrace progress?"

The room fell silent. Many of the nobles, especially those aligned with the Empire, nodded in agreement. They had grown comfortable under the Empire's influence, their wealth and power swelling with each passing year. The notion of an ancient pact seemed absurd to them, a fairy tale from a bygone era.

However, a few of the older nobles, those who still remembered the stories passed down through generations, stood with the king. They knew that breaking the pact with the White Primordial would bring ruin to the kingdom. But their voices were drowned out by the growing tide of greed and ambition that had overtaken the court.

Seeing the overwhelming support for Guinas and his proposal, Blanche felt her heart shatter. These were the people who had once adored her, who had praised her brilliance and beauty. And now, they were abandoning her, selling her to the Empire like a pawn in their game of power. She turned to Guinas, her eyes filled with tears, searching for some sign of the man she had fallen in love with.

But Guinas didn't even look at her. His eyes were cold, calculating. She was nothing more than a tool to him, a means to secure his position in the Empire. The truth hit Blanche like a blow. He had never loved her. His sweet words had been lies, meant to manipulate her into submission. And now, she was being handed over, not to become a queen, but to be used and discarded.

Blanche felt her heart shatter. She turned inside her to Blanc, the White Primordial, who had remained silent but ever watchful in her mind. "You were right," she whispered, her voice barely audible even in her thoughts. "I should have listened to you."

Soon guinas left with many nobles who come to bootlick him and Blanc, sensing something was wrong spoke to her "Blanche, don't do anything rash. There's still hope. I'm here. We can stop this."

But the betrayal was too much. Blanche had been broken, not just by Guinas, but by her own kingdom. The weight of it all crushed her spirit. She had loved Guinas, truly believed in the future he promised her, and now she realized it had all been a lie. Her love had been a tool to manipulate her, to lead her to destruction.

"I'm sorry," Blanche whispered aloud, her voice weak and hollow. She didn't want to fight anymore. The pain was too deep.

In a desperate moment, Blanche made a decision that caught even Blanc off guard. She turned inward, reaching into the depths of her soul. "Take it," she said, her voice resolute despite her tears. "I'm finished with this world. I give myself to you , please live happily." She said her final words.

The White Primordial, who had been patiently waiting for this moment, suddenly found herself panicking for the first time in eons. "No, Blanche! Do not act so hastily! You don't know what you're doing!"

But it was too late. Blanche completed the pact, severing the ties between her body and soul. Her once vibrant eyes dulled as her spirit slipped away, leaving her body to the White Primordial. In that final moment, Blanche smiled, her last thought being a bittersweet one: she had only ever wanted a friend.

Blanc, now fully in control of Blanche's body, was overwhelmed with an unfamiliar feeling—panic. She had never cared for humans, but in Blanche, she had found something pure, something worth protecting. Now that purity was gone.

「Ah...ah... Blanche, so gentle and kind... my Blanche. My first ever friend. I couldn't protect that gentle and kind you, how powerless am I--」

A/N ~ Reply if you don't want background story..