Morning arrived quietly.
Golden rays of sunlight filtered through the towering trees, chasing away the darkness that had cloaked the forest throughout the night.
Birds sang from the branches above.
Small creatures emerged cautiously from their burrows, unaware that a former Sovereign walked beneath the ancient canopy.
Crystal moved steadily despite the pain wracking her body.
Every few dozen steps, she paused briefly to suppress another fit of coughing.
The poison was relentless.
It was not merely destroying her body—it was devouring her Magna from within.
Even maintaining Monarch-level strength required careful control.
Looking down at the sleeping child in her arms, she sighed.
"We'll need a place to stay."
She had originally intended to remain constantly on the move.
However...
With her current condition and a child to care for, such a plan was no longer realistic.
She needed somewhere isolated.
Somewhere hidden.
Somewhere even Eclipse would struggle to find.
---
Hours later...
Crystal finally emerged from the dense forest.
Before her stretched a vast valley surrounded by towering cliffs.
A crystal-clear river flowed peacefully through the middle.
Wildflowers covered the surrounding meadows.
The Magna in the air was noticeably richer than the surrounding forest.
Crystal slowly closed her eyes.
She allowed her senses to spread.
Miles...
Then dozens of miles...
No human settlements.
No powerful beasts.
Only ordinary magical creatures and a handful of Rank Two beasts drinking from the river.
"This should do."
She walked deeper into the valley.
Not far away stood a small mountain.
Halfway up its rocky face lay the entrance to a naturally formed cave.
After inspecting it carefully, Crystal gave a slight nod.
"It'll suffice."
With a wave of her hand, loose stones flew toward the entrance, sealing most of the opening while leaving enough room for ventilation.
She then carved several intricate runes into the surrounding stone.
The symbols glowed briefly before disappearing.
Concealment.
Detection.
Warning.
Illusion.
Though greatly weakened, she could still create formations capable of fooling most Monarchs.
Satisfied, she stepped inside.
The cave was dry.
Spacious.
Most importantly...
Safe.
For now.
---
The child slowly opened his eyes.
Crystal looked down.
"...Hungry?"
The infant blinked.
Then...
"Waaah!"
Crystal rubbed her forehead.
"So that's a yes."
She had fought monsters.
Defeated armies.
Negotiated with emperors.
Yet...
Feeding a baby was proving to be her greatest challenge.
After some trial and error—and more crying than she cared to admit—she finally managed to calm him using warmed beast milk gathered from a nearby herd of gentle Moon Deer.
The child happily drank before immediately falling asleep again.
Crystal stared at him in disbelief.
"...That's all you wanted?"
She couldn't help letting out a quiet laugh.
"I suppose you're easier to understand than adults."
---
Days passed peacefully.
Crystal settled into a routine.
Every morning she searched for herbs.
Every afternoon she cultivated while suppressing the poison.
Every evening she reinforced the formations protecting their home.
The child grew surprisingly quickly.
His appetite steadily increased.
His eyes wandered curiously over everything around him.
One afternoon, Crystal was preparing medicinal herbs when she suddenly paused.
"...Again?"
The child had somehow crawled several meters away without making a sound.
She picked him up.
"You're becoming troublesome."
He responded by grabbing a strand of her emerald hair.
"..."
Crystal gently removed his tiny hand.
"You really fear nothing."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Without realizing it...
The quiet cave had begun to feel less empty.
---
One month later...
Deep within the Emerald Wilds.
A massive black tiger lay sleeping beneath an ancient tree.
Its body alone was over fifteen meters long.
A Beast Lord.
A creature capable of destroying entire cities.
Its golden eyes suddenly snapped open.
It lifted its head toward the distant mountains.
"...Interesting."
Its deep voice echoed through the forest.
"For such pure Magna to appear in that valley..."
The Beast Lord slowly stood.
Nearby beasts immediately lowered their heads in fear.
The tiger stared silently into the distance.
"But..."
"It carries no hostility."
After several moments, it lay back down once more.
"I shall observe."
The forest soon returned to silence.
---
Elsewhere...
Within the Gardenia Royal Palace.
The young twins had begun attracting attention far earlier than expected.
Prince Ethan sat quietly in a courtyard, watching falling leaves drift through the air.
His expression remained calm.
Nearby...
Princess Alya chased one of the palace guards around the training grounds with a wooden sword.
"I'm going to win this time!"
The veteran knight laughed.
"Your Highness, perhaps after another hundred years."
"Hmph!"
Alya pouted before charging again.
The watching knights burst into laughter.
Not far away, Emperor Adrian Gardenia folded his arms.
"They're growing well."
The Empress smiled warmly.
"They're completely different."
"Yet somehow..."
"They understand one another perfectly."
Adrian nodded.
His golden eyes drifted toward the distant horizon.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
He suddenly felt that somewhere...
Far beyond the palace walls...
Fate itself had begun to stir.
---
Far away...
Hidden beneath countless layers of concealment...
Crystal slowly opened her eyes after another cultivation session.
The poison had weakened...
If only slightly.
She exhaled softly.
"At this rate..."
"It should only take another few years to stabilize."
She turned toward the child.
He had somehow crawled to the cave entrance.
Instead of playing with stones...
He was quietly watching the rain falling outside.
Crystal frowned.
"...What are you looking at?"
The child simply reached out with his tiny hand toward the falling raindrops.
For the briefest instant...
A single drop of water hovered in the air before gently changing direction and landing perfectly in his palm.
Crystal's pupils contracted.
She hadn't sensed any Magna.
No technique.
No fluctuation.
Nothing.
The child blinked innocently before laughing as the drop splashed across his fingers.
Crystal remained frozen.
"..."
After a long silence, she whispered to herself,
"So it begins..."