Alaric Zephyr’s POV
I had no idea what truly happened, but in an instant, my entire world shifted when I became the chosen one. One moment, I was just another ordinary person in the tribe, and the next, I was elevated to a position I never even dreamed of.
The people of my tribe worshipped me like I was their last hope, the only guiding light in their lives. Their eyes held a devotion so intense that it sent shivers down my spine, making me question if I really saw things!
And the elder of my tribe, ever the opportunist, seized this moment to elevate the tribe’s status.
He used my newfound identity to push our tribe’s rank to near the very top, simply by mentioning my name in the right places.
Just like that, our influence grew, and so did my power. At first, it was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but soon, my strength began to rise exponentially. It was as if there was no limit, no stopping point—as if I had stepped into a realm where power had no boundaries.
Then, the day came when I was sent to the academy. That was when my world truly expanded. I learned about everything—the structure of different empires, the existence of various races, and the reality of other chosen ones like me.
It was overwhelming, a flood of knowledge that made me realize how insignificant my past had been.
Compared to them, my life up until now had been utterly meaningless.
I was like a tiny fish thrown into a vast, endless ocean!
Fear gripped me as I stood among them, my heart pounding at the thought of what awaited me.
I dreaded the possibility of being bullied, looked down upon, or ridiculed for my inexperience. And worst of all, I couldn’t shake the terror I felt when I laid eyes on people like Scarlet and the other chosen ones.
Their very presence was suffocating, their arrogance so deeply ingrained that they rarely even spoke to those they deemed unworthy. They carried themselves like deities walking among mortals, their gazes cold and distant as if the rest of us were beneath them.
I felt like I didn’t belong.
No matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, a voice inside me kept whispering—I wasn’t suited for this place.
But then—
“There is no need to be afraid… Just open your eyes,” the Sovereign had said, his voice calm and reassuring.
I had stared at him, confused beyond words. I didn’t understand what he meant that day.
Open my eyes?
I was always doing that! What kind of nonsense was he spouting?
Was this supposed to be some kind of deep wisdom?
At the time, I didn’t take his words seriously. But as the days passed, something inside me began to shift.
And then, one day… I understood.
When I truly opened my eyes—when I really saw the world for what it was—everything changed.
The overwhelming ocean I once feared?
It was nothing more than a small pond.
I had spent so long drowning in self-doubt, thinking I was insignificant, but the truth was different.
The moment I saw through the illusion, everything felt so small, so manageable, so within my grasp and most of all… everyone was an idiot in one way or another!
I was dumbfounded.
Was this all there was? Was this what I had feared so much?
And when I turned to him, the Sovereign merely smiled, that same gentle, knowing smile—one even my mother had never worn before.
“Hmm… You can’t say that’s all,” he murmured, his voice deep and steady. “It’s just that you’ve grown up, man. You see things differently now.”
Then, he patted my shoulder, the touch firm and grounding, like a father revealing the world to his son for the first time.
That was the moment I realized—he was different.
Unlike the others who used their power for personal gain, unlike my tribe elder who sought influence, unlike even my own mother who cared only for the food I needed to feed her—he was different.
When people helped others, they always wanted something in return. That was the way of the world. That was the lesson I had learned since childhood.
But this man… he didn’t care about receiving anything back.
All he cared about was making sure we understood.
He was truly selfless, and that was why I couldn’t help but wonder—could I ever become like him?
Whenever I looked up to him, I felt like he was the mighty ocean I needed to reach, the force I needed to match.
Time passed, and soon, I became powerful enough to shake the political foundation of my own empire. My influence grew, and with it, my tribe’s ambitions. They saw an opportunity and wasted no time taking advantage of it, eager to extract more benefits from the High Elf.
And just like that… I got ‘her’.
Was it really that easy?
Was this all it took to change everything?
That was the moment I understood the truth—the world only acknowledges those who have something worth showing.
If you have nothing, then you are nothing in their eyes. But the moment you prove your worth, they will turn to look at you.
She once saw me as just another person in the crowd, just another face in the sea of nameless people.
But now… now, I was the only man in her eyes.
What kind of joke was this?
It was thrilling.
It was intoxicating.
It was utterly amusing to witness how easily the world’s perception changed.
But it was too late.
Because my eyes were already set on someone else.
A girl I didn’t even fully know yet.
It happened unexpectedly, on a day that should have been ordinary. I was supposed to meet my big brother in his office, though it wasn’t yet the time he had given me. But impatience got the better of me, and I decided to arrive early to surprise him.
The moment I opened the door, a burst of pink mist flooded out of the room, wrapping around me like a soft, fragrant cloud.
My nose wrinkled as my mind momentarily went numb, a strange sensation washing over me. And then, through the mist, my gaze landed on her—Isadora.
She was standing there, looking flustered, her eyes darting around nervously before she quickly spoke, “A-Are you okay?”
I blinked, my vision hazy. And then, for a brief second, I saw it—small, pink ears twitching atop her head.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but they were gone.
She stepped closer, concern evident on her face as she gently touched my cheek. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice softer this time.
“Y-Yeah,” I muttered, feeling a strange warmth crawl up my face.
And at that moment… something happened.
Ba-dump.
For the second time in my life, my heart skipped a beat.
And from that day on, it continued to beat faster—only for her.
Only for Isadora!
Big Brother leaned against his desk, watching me with amusement dancing in his eyes. “Looks like someone just had their heart stolen,” he said, grinning.
I blushed furiously, but Isadora only groaned, crossing her arms. “You better keep this a secret!” she huffed before turning away, clearly embarrassed.
“Secret? What kind of secret?” I asked, curiosity stirring inside me. I wanted to know more about her.
Big brother chuckled. “Well, if you really want to know… you’re gonna have to work hard to handle it. You’ve got a long way to go, my child~” he teased, stroking his beard—despite the fact that he didn’t even have one.
Sometimes, he acted so cheeky and childish…!
He kept grinning at me, making my face burn even more. And from that moment, I found myself following her, learning more about her, and getting drawn into her world.
Everything about her fascinated me—the way she worked so diligently, the way she carried herself with such fierce determination.
And above all else…
I loved that fire in her.
I loved it more than anything.
Everything was going fine—until the day Noirix died.
Her death shattered everything. My big brother, who always stood strong like an unbreakable wall, was left completely devastated.
I had never seen him like that before. He worried too much, burdening himself with the weight of protecting us as if the responsibility of keeping everyone safe rested solely on his shoulders. He became more cautious, more paranoid—always watching, always ready to shield us from danger.
But then, something far worse happened.
The day he heard about Luna’s death… that was the moment everything changed.
I don’t know what broke inside him that day, but the brother I knew—he wasn’t there anymore.
It happened so fast that none of us could even react in time. One moment, he was still himself, and the next… he wasn’t.
We didn’t understand what had just happened. The shift was so sudden, so violent, that we were left with no choice.
We had to fight him.
No matter how much I tried to reason with the others, no matter how desperately I tried to find another way, we all knew the truth—he had to be stopped.
The Trial itself was clear…. Kill him. That was the only option left to us.
And in the end… it was Dora’s hands that brought him down.
And from that moment on, she became the Sovereign.
I was devastated. My big brother was gone, ripped away from my life forever.
For days, I barely moved. I stayed locked inside my house, refusing to face the world. I didn’t care about anything anymore. My tribe’s elder took advantage of my broken state, using his influence to arrange a marriage for me—without my permission.
He decided everything for me as if I was nothing more than a pawn in his game.
The moment I found out, rage consumed me. I nearly killed him on the spot.
I didn’t care about marriage. I didn’t care about politics. I didn’t care about the empire they dangled in front of me.
Because my heart already belonged to someone else.
Yet, no matter how much I tried, she never responded to me. She never gave me a single sign, not even a flicker of acknowledgement. It was as if I didn’t exist in her world.
And that’s when I had a thought.
If she wouldn’t notice me—then I would make her notice.
I would make her jealous.
So, I agreed to the marriage. Not because I wanted it, not because I cared about the empire that came with it, but because I wanted to see her reaction.
But when the moment finally came… when I stood before her after everything was set in motion…
All she said was—
“Congratulations.”
A small smile. A fleeting moment of politeness.
And then, just like that, she reverted to her usual indifferent expression.
That was it?
That was all?
I stood there, waiting, hoping for something more—anything more. But there was nothing.
No jealousy? No sadness? No pain?
Just a meaningless, hollow congratulations.
My heart shattered even further.
And in the process, I started to torment Aria.
I don’t know why. Maybe it was because of my frustration. Maybe it was because I wanted to see someone suffer the way I was suffering… Or maybe… it was something deeper than that.
For whatever reason, her sad face—her suffering—it made me feel something.
Something twisted… It made me happy.
Whenever I saw her in pain, whenever I saw the torment in her eyes, it was as if nothing else mattered. It was exhilarating.
Addictive!
It was like a drug I couldn’t get enough of.
And so, I continued.
Day after day, I made her life miserable, pushing her further into despair.
Until, one day, my mother confronted me,
“You need to stop this!” she shouted, her voice filled with anger, disgust, and desperation. She had seen what I had done to Aria.
She had seen the cruelty in my actions.
But do you know what I did?
I snapped her neck.
Right in front of Aria’s eyes.
Hahahah…
A twisted laugh escaped my lips as I watched Aria’s face contort with sheer horror. The way her breath hitched, the way her entire body trembled—it was beautiful.
Absolutely worth it!!
And at that moment, I felt an even greater rush.
A thrill unlike anything else.
For the first time, I thought—what if I killed Aria’s mother next? What if I broke her completely?
Aria’s mother was well-known, after all. Killing her so recklessly would have been problematic.
So, I kept it minimal… For now.
But my torment didn’t stop.
I continued to make Aria suffer, over and over again, savouring every second of it.
And then, one day, while strolling through the garden—the very one my wife had painstakingly built for herself—I couldn’t help but laugh.
The mighty High Elf, reduced to tending a garden.
How utterly amusing~
I stared at the carefully nurtured flowers, the beautifully arranged greenery. And then, an idea struck me.
What would she feel if I burned it all?
The mere thought of her crying, of watching everything she worked for turn to ash, sent shivers of delight through me.
I raised my hand, conjuring flames, ready to watch it all burn—
When suddenly—
“Hello, Alaric… It’s been a while.”
A voice interrupted me.
I turned sharply, my flames flickering as a hooded figure appeared out of nowhere.
“Who the hell—” I began, but my words froze in my throat the moment I saw his face.
My eyes widened in shock.
Big brother?
It was him!!
My body trembled as tears welled up in my eyes. Without thinking, I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around him in a desperate embrace.
“H-How… How are you alive?” My voice broke, my chest tightening painfully. “I-I thought you died! I thought you were gone forever!”
He smiled…. That same gentle smile. The one I thought I’d never see again.
With a firm, familiar touch, he patted my shoulder, just like he always used to.
“It was all the gods’ grace,” he said softly. “I was allowed to return… to see you all again… to guide you all and show the real!”
“Guide us? Real?” I echoed, my mind reeling. “What do you mean?”
His expression darkened slightly, his voice dropping to something deeper, something more ominous.
“The real world,” he muttered.