Chapter 1

A man in his early twenties was lying down on a large bed. His ruffed brown hair and lime green eyes lay emotionless and calm, staring at the roof as if looking at the endless abyss.

A voice calls out "Good morning" in a robotic tone - suddenly, the dark room starts to illuminate. It was a spotlessly clean room with nothing but a bed inside.

The man immediately got up and made clothes out of thin air. If you look at him, you might mistake him for a college student, but he was a bystander. He was 'unknown'; perhaps one could even call him the 'abyss' for his mystery and the extent of how 'unknown' he was.

Not even the highest of beings knew of his existence.

When he leaves the room, the room disappears out of sight while mist appears. The fog starts to glow in rainbows all around, but the 'bystander' doesn't care. Finally, he spots what he wants, a dim black light - alongside it, there is another one glowing. Even murkier but still black.

___________

In the city of Graton, there was a mansion. It was luxurious beyond common people's imagination and often attracted the look of hatred, fear, and jealousy. Its garden had fountains shaped like fishes swirling around and plots filled with violets and roses, making the mansion look even grander.

This mansion belonged to Viscount Alden, the city's mayor.

He was an ambitious man looking to expand his influence within the city. The city was rich in iron and coal mines, attracting wealth. However, lousy management made it one of the poorest cities within the kingdom.

Viscount Alden wanted to expand his military instead of caring for the people, so the soldiers in Graton had a considerable influence over the citizens. He had a son, the sole heir, and his beloved daughter. The daughter was very talented and beautiful - having pale white skin that didn't endure any misfortune, rose-like eyes that could mesmerize anyone, and most importantly, her blonde hair, which resembled the favorite wife of viscount.

Inside the viscount's private room lay an ancient table made of rosewood. It depicted a lion's head glaring into the viewer's eyes as if to intimidate them. The viscount was sitting before the rosewood table, staring into the picture of a young boy.

"He has passed the age of 13… how will he fare in the Royal Academy? It's hard to imagine the brother of a prodigy won't have a great talent."

Viscount Alden couldn't hold his chuckle as he fantasized about the future. He couldn't help swallowing another glass of wine.

*Knock knock*

The door creaked as a well-looking butler came into the room. He bowed slightly as he offered the viscount a stack of papers and said, "My lord, the funds we have collected from previous years are dwindling…."

"Is it the mansion near Duke Lionheart?"

"Yes, m'lord," viscount's face dropped. As he looked into the blood-red wine, his face reflected on it; he could see his tightly furrowed brows.

"Increase the tax on the commoners. That should solve it." hearing the reply, beads of sweat formed on the butler's face.

"But, m'lord... We have already increased the tax three times this year, and our tax is much higher than the other cities. At this rate, all the businesses will surely flock away.."

"Their existences are to support us, their owner's well-being."

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A dark-haired boy was in front of a desk, his shadow reflected on the floor, overlapping with the exquisite carpet.

The boy wore a well-tailored, slick shirt and a pale black suit with extravagant lapels, with an attitude befitting of a noble, high and mighty. His cold gaze seemed to ignore worldly matters and judge whether a person is sinful or not.

At the moment, he was browsing through the contents of a red book, with a big "Eugene" in black.

After reading for awhile, he put the book down on the desk and sat on a chair, starting to write each and every vital detail that happened that day. His writing was neat and sharp, just like a straight sword waiting to cut someone.

The sun had already set when he finished. His sapphire eyes shined, and his hair looked darker than before; the boy was handsome beyond words.

As a yawn escaped his mouth, he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in" the door creaked as it opened, revealing a beautiful blond female. She had an ample bosom, and a neat face, giving her a pretty look. It was no doubt that she would a person sought after by many to marry.

As she held the set of food at the entrance, she bowed politely, "Young master Eugene, your evening preparations are ready. Master has also sent an announcement. Young mistress and young master will be going to the neighbouring city of Bunsen to exchange insights with peers."