LOGINMagnus’ POVThere were very few things in this world that could still surprise me.After nearly seventy years of life, surprise had become a rare luxury. I had studied beneath legendary mages, advised emperors, survived assassination attempts, and witnessed enough political disasters to fill entire libraries. Most people stopped being interesting after a few conversations. Human nature was predictable. Ambition, greed, fear, pride. Everyone believed they were unique until they were placed under pressure. Then they became exactly what they had always been.That was why Lior bothered me.I sat alone in my study, staring out at the palace gardens through a tall crystal window. Morning sunlight spilled across the room, illuminating the stacks of documents covering my desk. Reports from governors, generals, merchants, and nobles were piled so high that a lesser man might have considered setting them on fire and claiming ignorance. Normally I would have been reviewing them. Instead, my atte
Aziel’s POVSomething was wrong with Ragnar.That was the conclusion I reached after three days of watching him avoid me.At first, I assumed he was busy. The empire was large, and unlike me, he actually had responsibilities. By the second day, however, the excuses started becoming suspicious. He suddenly had meetings whenever I entered a room. Meals ended the moment I arrived. Conversations somehow concluded seconds before I joined them.By the third day, I was forced to accept the truth.The emperor was avoiding me.Which was ridiculous.I sat in the palace library with a book open in front of me, staring at the same page for nearly ten minutes without reading a single word. Every time I tried to focus, my thoughts drifted back to the gardens. More specifically, they drifted back to Ragnar.The memory annoyed me more than I cared to admit.One moment we had been arguing, and the next he had been looking at me as though he was trying to solve a puzzle. Then there had been the strange
Ragnar’s POV“What’s the meaning of that?”Lyrielle’s voice echoed through the lecture hall just as everyone began gathering their things.Students were still whispering about what had happened. Scholars were arguing amongst themselves. Even Archmage Valerian looked thoughtful as he reviewed the notes on the crystal board.And at the center of all of it stood Lior.Or whoever was inside Lior’s body.Because there was no longer a single part of me that believed I was looking at the same Omega prince who had arrived at my empire months ago.Lior slowly turned toward Lyrielle. The look on his face was annoyingly innocent.“What exactly are you referring to?”“The lecture.”“Oh. That.”“Yes. That.”People nearby immediately slowed down.Curious.Listening.Lior seemed completely unaware of the attention. Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.“I answered a question.”“You corrected an archmage.”“He was mostly correct.”“Mostly?”“There was a small error.”Lyrielle stared at him.The silence s
Aziel’s POVThe next morning arrived far too quickly.I woke before sunrise, more from curiosity than necessity. Most people would have been nervous in my position. Lyrielle had practically announced her intentions in front of Ragnar and Soren. She believed this lecture would expose my ignorance and remind everyone exactly where I belonged.Unfortunately for her, I had never been particularly good at staying where people thought I belonged.After dressing, I ate breakfast in relative peace. Ragnar arrived shortly afterward, already dressed for the day and carrying the expression of a man who expected trouble.The fact that his eyes immediately landed on me suggested he believed I was the source.Rude.“You look pleased with yourself.”I set down my cup.“I just woke up.”“Exactly.”I frowned.“I don’t understand how that’s an accusation.”“It isn’t.”“It sounded like one.”Ragnar sat across from me and accepted the tea a servant offered. For several moments, neither of us spoke.Then
Aziel’s POV The moment Soren and I stepped into Ragnar’s chambers, I knew exactly how the next part of my day was going to unfold.Ragnar was seated behind his desk with several reports spread before him. From the way he looked up the moment the doors opened, I could tell he already suspected something had happened. Unfortunately for me, seeing Soren enter beside me only confirmed whatever fears he had. His gaze moved from the commander to me before narrowing slightly.“What happened?”Straight to the point. Not surprising.I moved toward one of the empty chairs near the fireplace while Soren remained standing. If I was about to be interrogated, I preferred to do it comfortably.“The prince visited the training grounds,” Soren said.Ragnar’s attention immediately settled on me. “You left the palace.”“Technically, I remained within palace grounds,” I replied. “Unless the palace walls have moved since this morning, I don’t believe I actually left anything.”His expression remained com
Aziel’s POVA month had passed since my arrival at the Iron Fang Empire.The difference between now and the day I woke up in this body was almost unbelievable.When I first opened my eyes as Lior, simply standing for too long had left me exhausted. His body had been neglected for years. His mana channels were weak, his muscles underdeveloped, and his endurance pathetic. Every movement had reminded me that I was no longer the warrior I used to be.Now things were different.Not perfect.Not even close.But different.The healers had finally stopped hovering over me every time I walked across a room. The bruises from my arrival were long gone. The constant weakness had faded. Through careful mana control and daily training, I had managed to strengthen Lior’s body far beyond what it had originally been capable of.For the first time since arriving in this world, I felt healthy.Unfortunately, that created a new problem.I was bored.Very bored.The first week of recovery had been frustra
Ragnar’s POVI should have been working.The reports covering my desk were important. Border disputes, military movements, trade agreements, mana reserve inventories. Normally I would have finished reading them hours ago, but tonight I found myself staring at the same page for several minutes witho
Aziel’s POV“So you and Lyrielle, huh?”I looked at Ragnar with a teasing smirk as we walked through the palace corridor side by side, the tension from the dining hall finally fading now that we were away from watching eyes.Ragnar didn’t even look at me at first.“I knew you were going to start ta
Aziel’s POVSleep did not come easily in this palace.The silence here was different from the silence of war camps or abandoned battlefields. Those places carried exhaustion. This place carried tension. Even the walls felt awake, listening to every movement, every breath.I lay on the bed staring a
Aziel’s POVI was halfway through binding the wound at my side when the knock came.Not hesitant.Not polite.Deliberate.I didn’t answer immediately. I tightened the cloth instead, ignoring the sharp pull of pain that followed. Whoever was on the other side would wait.The knock came again.More i




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