Quickly covering her mouth with her hand and looking at the ground even more intensely, she didn't respond to Argus, not out of disrespect or pure nervousness, she simply didn't know how to respond, any words she tried to speak got stuck in her throat.

"Hahaha, don't worry, I know you like him too..." pausing briefly and turning his face towards the little girl who had stopped walking, he said, "Asterios former personal servant retired a few days ago, I think you already know that, right?"

"Uh... yes, I heard about it..." Anna replied, her heart racing and the nervousness she felt turning into anticipation as she imagined what Argus' next sentence would be, with expectation in his beautiful amber eyes.

"I want you to be Asterios new personal servant." Argus finally spoke, fulfilling all the girl's expectations, who looked at him with excitement. All her anxiety washed away like a waterfall as she finally looked at him, ready to agree.

"But... I have another choice for you." Argus interrupted the girl before she even had a chance to speak, taking out a letter from his pocket and handing it to her. "This is a recommendation letter for the school of magic in Ashadia."

Anna looked at the letter, her excited gaze fading as doubt appeared on her face. Noticing this, Argus spoke more directly: "You can choose to become a servant, living in Asterios shadow and being nothing more than a tool to fulfill any of his requests. Or you can accept this letter, go to Ashadia, become a powerful mage, and then return. To serve him, not as a mere servant, but as someone of great importance to his future."

Still not getting any response from the girl, Argus walked towards her, grabbing her right shoulder and speaking close to her ear, "Remember, if you choose to be a servant, you will never be more than disposable, replaceable by a prettier face at any moment."

"But by becoming a mage, you can stand side by side with Asterios, not as a disposable object, but as a powerful ally, and maybe even something more..." His last words finally elicited a reaction from the girl, who took a step back, her face turning red.

"I... I can talk to my mother about this first?" The girl finally mustered the courage to respond.

"Take all the time you need, take the letter with you as well, read it carefully and make your decision." He spoke with a firm and warm voice, after which Anna made a small bow and left shortly after.

Argus watched as the girl walked away slowly, his face wearing a faint smile, as if he already knew her answer.

"Manipulating young girls to fulfill your desires is not what I would define as ethical, my Lord." An old voice resonated right beside Argus, waking him from his thoughts.

Turning towards the voice, he smiled before speaking, "Ethics is just a fancy word to please the common folk, Caesar."

"Hahaha, of course..." Caesar replied, before looking thoughtfully at the garden: "I've given up on making a suicidal advance."

"Hm? Why?" Argus questioned, looking curiously at the man who responded with a melancholic voice, "You're right, we will die soon and soon Asterios will be alone in this world. Honestly... I don't even know if I can last another 5 months, hahaha." His laughter was bitter and awkward.

"Death comes to everyone, but it's up to each of us to know how to deal with it... What do you plan to do?" Argus asked.

The old man sighed heavily before speaking, "I want to perform an Awakening ritual for Asterios." His words brought deep shock to Argus.

The Aether Heart usually begins to develop at the age of 8. This is when the child starts to sense Aether around them and, with proper guidance, can even wield it like a professional warrior.

Usually, the Aether Heart is fully ready by the age of 12. At this point, the child can already be considered a true Aether manipulator.

The Awakening Ritual was a way to accelerate this process, where a powerful mage would sacrifice their life and their own Aether Heart in exchange for speeding up the development of the young one's Aether Heart, giving them a great advantage over other children.

However, the risks were great for the one performing the ritual. If done incorrectly, their soul could be obliterated or prevented from entering the cycle of reincarnation, condemning them to wander the earth eternally in agonizing pain."

In a luxurious and dark room, Asterios was lying on a large bed, silently staring at the ceiling. His gaze was pensive and anxious, and his lips had a shy smile. Soon, he was awakened from his thoughts by a powerful knock on the door. He quickly got up and walked towards the door, finally seeing who was disturbing him.

"Young master Asterios, your father orders your immediate presence," Marcus exclaimed with a heavy voice as soon as the boy opened the door.

Asterios looked at the man for a few seconds before speaking with a confused voice, "Uh... alright, Mr. Marcus. Give me a minute and I'll be there!" After that, he tried to close the door, but was stopped by Marcus's hand, which held it tightly.

"Immediately, young master. Please follow me." Marcus turned around, leaving a bewildered Asterios behind, who looked strangely at the man before running after him.

They walked slowly through the castle, which was now dark, lit only by Aether lamps, a bluish color that left small visible traces of Aether like fireflies, giving a magical atmosphere to the place.

What Asterios found most strange was that they were not heading towards his father's office. In fact, they descended to the basement of the castle before entering a dark room and going down a staircase that led to the castle's basement.

The young boy looked curiously around, as he had never seen the castle's basement before. The sight he had of it seemed quite disappointing. There were some locked cells, equipment, armor, and weapons, furniture, and some old pieces of craftsmanship.

Their steps stopped when they reached a sealed door in the deepest part of the castle.

Marcus touched the door, releasing his Aether, which immediately caused a large number of runes to appear on it, glowing with a faint blue light before mysteriously opening. Asterios did not hesitate and followed Marcus through the door. He finally saw his father talking with Erik, but what caught his attention the most was the old man sitting in the center of the room.

"Grandpa Caesar!" he exclaimed with excitement in his voice, running quickly towards the old man who smiled at him, his eyes full of love and tenderness. He had always wished for a grandson, but his children died too early, and Asterios was the closest person to a grandson for him, to the point of loving him as if he were his own flesh and blood.

Sighing heavily, the old man looked at Argus, who immediately nodded, leaving the room with Erik and Marcus. Observing the three men leave the room with a strange expression on his face, Asterios turned to the old man before asking curiously, "What's going on?"

The old man sighed heavily, placing his trembling hands on Asterios' cheeks, he smiled before speaking melancholically, "I still remember the days when you fit in my hand... Your mother would be so proud to have a son like you..."

"Grandpa? Why are you saying this? You're scaring me..." Asterios spoke anxiously.

"I'm dying, Asterios..." the old man replied, before gripping Asterios' shoulders tightly and continuing, "I want to leave a gift for you before I go... something that will help you greatly in the future... But I need you to be strong, understood?"

The young boy didn't respond immediately, shock dominating his face along with a painful expression, his heart beating uncontrollably as he looked at the old man, tears streaming down his beautiful purple eyes.

I need you to promise me that you'll be strong, Asterios... give this old dying man one last chance to prove his worth before leaving this world," Caesar spoke, his melancholic voice echoing in the young boy's head. Seeking determination in his heart, Asterios finally responded, "I promise I'll be strong, grandpa."

Smiling at the boy's answer, the old man pointed to a circle right in front of him. "Sit there, as soon as your father returns, we'll begin."

Asterios obediently nodded, using the sleeves of his shirt to wipe his watery eyes. It didn't take long for the three men to reenter the room.

Marcus walked to the right side of the wall, while Erik walked to the left. Argus stood in front of the door, staring at his son with a cold gaze.

The old man looked one last time at Argus and said, "Goodbye, old friend..." to which Argus responded with a sincere smile, "Goodbye..."

In the next second, Marcus and Erik touched the wall, activating countless runes of isolation and protection all over the room. He sighed heavily, having lived for over 500 years, witnessing the beginning and end of the stories of many great leaders and heroes, marrying, having children, losing his children, his wife, and everything he loved, starting anew, and in the end, sacrificing what little remained of him for a fresh start for one of the last people he loved.

Caesar then touched the ground, knowing well that the beginning of the ritual would be the end of his life."

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