Chapter 1

A beam of light shone into my eyes, and I slowly closed them, lost in my thoughts.

"Cain?" A gentle voice called my name with warmth and tenderness. I opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. "Mom," I whispered.

"What are you doing here? Aizen has been looking for you everywhere," Mom said, slowly approaching me. As she came closer, I embraced her, feeling the warmth I had missed, especially her smile.

Looking above Mom, who was smiling at me after our embrace, I asked, "Mom, do you love me?" Her expression turned to shock. "Of course, you're my precious son..." she gently caressed my cheek.

Then, she slowly faded away, and for the first time, tears welled up in my eyes.

"Cain!" A voice as annoying as a chicken's screech interrupted my thoughts. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Aizen, drenched in sweat.

"Don't tell me you were dreaming about Aunt again?" he shouted. Annoyed, I punched his head. He winced in pain, rubbing his head.

"That hurts, you know!" he complained.

"Serves you right," I muttered.

"The test is about to start," Aizen said. I glanced at him, and his face darkened. This test was not as harmless as it seemed. It determined the new successor, the one who would become the Imperial Crown Prince and eventually the emperor. There were seven candidates, each from a different imperial bloodline, and the competition was a deadly game of survival.

"I'm not interested, and I think you should quit. Your defeat is inevitable," I said. As I looked at him, tears streamed down his face. Maybe I had been too harsh?

"I mean, Aixer and the others are strong opponents. I was just saying that so you wouldn't get hurt," I explained, attempting to comfort him. I reached out to touch him, but he dodged my hand and looked at me with teary eyes. "Your words hurt even more!" he shouted before running away without looking back.

I admit I had been harsh, but I was only stating the truth. Aixer and the others were formidable opponents. As for me, I had no interest in becoming the emperor. Aizen's skill level was still lower compared to Aixer. Aixer could freely control the spirit of fire, while Aizen struggled with the spirit of water.

In our world, there were spirits, such as the spirits of light and darkness, the most powerful ones. The spirit of darkness was particularly terrifying. Each child approaching the age of fifteen would be granted a spirit, which they could control or, in worst cases, be controlled by. I feared something might happen to Aizen, but it was his choice.

I walked away and entered the palace, hurrying to my room. However, I bumped into someone disgusting.

"Aixer..."

"Cain? Fancy meeting you here," he sneered.

"It's not a coincidence. This is where I live too, you nitwit," I rudely replied. His face grew angry, and he seemed ready to do something to me. "Hmm... I didn't know you had a sense of humor. Father told me you wouldn't participate in the test—" he began, but I cut him off.

"Yeah, I quit. I'm just afraid that I might kill you if I participated. I don't want to witness Aizen's tears because of the loss of his ugly twin, right?" I sarcastically remarked, a smirk on my face. His expression darkened, and he swiftly punched me. Instead of dodging, I welcomed his punch to my face.

"Cain!"

I tilted my head and grinned, asking, "So, how was it?" Confusion filled his face, his eyebrows furrowing. "What?"

"I mean, how was it? Your filthy hands on my perfect face. Did it satisfy you? Well, you're the first ugly person to touch—no, punch me. It must be an honor for you," I chuckled, mocking him. I expected him to punch me again or unleash the spirit of fire, but instead, he gave me a creepy look. "Ugly..."

"Later, you'll regret making fun of me. Mark my words, Cain!" With that pitiful threat, he walked away.

"Annoying dogs bark badly. Their saliva is even worse!"

It was time for the survival test. Aizen still ignored me after my hurtful words. All I wanted was for him to quit so he wouldn't get hurt. Emperor Aran, my uncle, and also Aizen, Aixer, Malia, Thorin, Ashrin, and Lana's father, presided over the test. Uncle had been quite productive during the nights with the empress, resulting in only three failures.

As the prince, I sat next to the emperor, his beloved sister's son. "I'm a little disappointed in you, Cain. I thought you would participate in this test," Uncle said, facing his children.

"I apologize for disappointing you, Your Grace, but I have no plans to become the emperor," I replied calmly and wisely.

"The test will begin!" The host shouted loudly, almost deafening. The audience cheered, excited to watch the young princes and princesses before them. "The rules are simple: you must go to the Death Forest and retrieve the black gemstone at any cost. You have three hours. Cheating and killing are strictly forbidden. Those who break the rules will be punished by His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness Prince Cain themselves," the host announced, and the audience clapped enthusiastically, looking like fools.

Looking down, I locked eyes with Aizen. Beside him stood Aixer, who kept giving me a disgusted look. I glared back at him. As the Emperor left his seat, I smirked and discreetly whispered into the air, "May the goddess of light, Celine, protect Aizen."