Chapter 5
The Prince Who Saved the Palace
The birth of the Second Prince of the Ether Empire should have been a moment of celebration.
The entire palace was decorated with banners.
Servants ran through the halls with joyful expressions.
Priests prayed for the child's health.
And nobles sent countless gifts to congratulate the emperor.
But inside the royal chamber…
The atmosphere was heavy with tension.
The newborn prince was fragile.
Painfully fragile.
His tiny body trembled constantly, and his breathing was weak.
The royal physicians stood beside the bed, whispering nervously among themselves.
"His pulse is unstable…"
"We must keep him warm…"
"Careful… the child cannot endure sudden changes…"
The emperor stood silently near the window.
His face was calm.
But his eyes were filled with worry.
When the physician finally placed the child in his arms, the emperor looked down at the small baby.
For a moment…
Memories from his own childhood surfaced in his mind.
Once upon a time, he too had been a weak prince.
A fragile child locked away from the world.
Ignored by his own father.
But this child…
This child would never experience that loneliness.
The emperor gently touched the baby's tiny hand.
"You will live," he whispered softly.
"And you will never be alone."
Thus the child was named:
Alex von Voldigord.
The Second Prince of the Ether Empire.
---
Despite his weak body, Alex grew into a surprisingly cheerful child.
He rarely cried.
Even when he was sick, he smiled at the palace staff.
Servants quickly grew fond of him.
Unlike many noble children, Alex never acted arrogantly.
He thanked the maids who brought his meals.
He greeted the palace guards politely.
And whenever someone helped him, he always said the same words.
"Thank you."
At first, many servants thought he was simply imitating polite behavior taught by tutors.
But as years passed, they realized something.
The young prince was genuinely kind.
One afternoon, a maid accidentally dropped a tray of food in the corridor.
The dishes shattered on the floor.
The terrified maid immediately fell to her knees.
She expected punishment.
But instead, a small voice spoke beside her.
"Are you hurt?"
When she looked up, she saw Prince Alex kneeling beside her.
He carefully picked up a broken piece of the tray and gently placed it aside so she wouldn't cut her hands.
The maid's eyes filled with tears.
Moments like that slowly spread throughout the palace.
Soon everyone knew.
The second prince possessed an incredibly gentle heart.
Even the strict palace tutors found it difficult to scold him.
Because whenever Alex made a mistake, he sincerely apologized.
The emperor often watched these scenes quietly.
Each time, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Because he saw something familiar.
Alex reminded him of his own younger self.
---
But Alex's fragile body remained a constant concern.
The royal physicians warned that the prince should avoid excessive physical activity.
Even running could exhaust him.
Because of this, Alex was rarely allowed to leave the palace.
Most of his childhood was spent inside the castle walls.
His older brother trained with knights.
His younger sister explored the palace gardens.
Meanwhile, Alex spent his days reading books or listening to stories from servants.
Yet strangely…
He never complained.
Whenever his siblings returned from their adventures, Alex listened eagerly as they described the outside world.
Bustling markets.
Colorful festivals.
Traveling performers.
His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
But he simply smiled and said,
"Maybe one day I'll see it too."
---
Years passed peacefully like this.
Until the day of Alex's fifth birthday.
Coincidentally, it was also a day of great celebration for the empire.
After years of conflict, the Ether Empire had finally ended a war with a neighboring kingdom.
Peace had been declared.
To celebrate both the victory and the prince's birthday, the royal palace hosted a grand banquet.
Nobles, generals, merchants, and officials from across the empire gathered in the capital.
The palace halls were filled with music.
Golden chandeliers illuminated the massive banquet chamber.
Servants carried trays of exquisite dishes.
Laughter echoed through the palace corridors.
It was meant to be a night of joy.
But hidden far away from the celebration…
Dark figures gathered in silence.
Deep within a forgotten basement in the capital, several cloaked individuals stood around a glowing magic circle.
The air smelled of blood and incense.
One of them spoke quietly.
"Are the preparations complete?"
Another man bowed his head.
"Yes, boss."
"The ritual circle beneath the palace has been prepared."
A sinister smile appeared beneath the leader's hood.
"Good."
"Tonight…"
"The Ether Empire will lose its heart."
The others raised their hands together.
"For the Greater One."
"For the Greater One."
---
Back inside the palace, the celebration continued.
Meanwhile, young Alex wandered through the corridors.
The banquet hall was loud and crowded, so he had slipped away quietly to explore the palace.
He liked the quiet hallways.
They felt mysterious and full of stories.
But as he turned a corner, something unusual caught his attention.
A faint red glow.
Curious, Alex followed the light.
He slowly approached a room that was usually kept locked.
The door was slightly open.
When he peeked inside…
His entire body froze.
On the floor was a massive ritual circle.
Dark symbols covered the ground.
Candles burned with strange purple flames.
The air felt heavy and cold.
Even though Alex was only five years old, instinct told him something was terribly wrong.
Fear gripped his heart.
Without thinking, he turned and ran.
He ran as fast as his weak legs could carry him.
Through corridors.
Down stairs.
Back into the banquet hall.
"HELP!"
His small voice echoed across the chamber.
"HELP!"
The music stopped.
Hundreds of guests turned toward him.
Some nobles frowned.
Others whispered among themselves.
"The prince has ruined the celebration."
But the emperor immediately stood up.
The moment he saw Alex's frightened face, he walked quickly toward him.
He knelt down in front of the boy.
"What happened, Alex?"
"There's something strange," Alex said, breathing heavily.
"A circle on the floor…"
"And candles…"
"And strange symbols…"
The emperor's expression changed instantly.
He turned toward the palace guards.
"Bring the court mages and priests immediately."
Within minutes, the corridor was surrounded by knights.
The court mages examined the ritual circle carefully.
Their faces turned pale.
"This is a sacrificial ritual," one of them said quietly.
"And an extremely powerful one."
"If it had been activated during the banquet…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
But everyone understood.
The entire royal family could have died.
Perhaps even everyone in the hall.
The mages immediately destroyed the ritual circle.
Relief spread through the palace.
The emperor turned back to his son.
"You saved everyone tonight."
He lifted Alex into his arms.
"As a reward, I grant you three wishes."
"You may ask for anything within the empire."
"Anything… except the throne."
Several nobles protested immediately.
"Your Majesty, that is far too generous—"
The emperor's gaze turned cold.
"If not for him," he said quietly, "you would already be dead."
No one dared speak again.
---
But fate was not finished with the young prince.
Two weeks later, another incident occurred.
The young princess wanted to visit the capital city.
She had never seen the markets and shops before.
But the emperor refused.
The city could be dangerous.
Especially for children.
So the siblings made a secret plan.
Late at night, they quietly left the palace in a small carriage.
They only intended to explore the city briefly.
But their enemies were already watching.
Halfway down the road outside the capital…
Masked figures surrounded the carriage.
The royal guards fought desperately.
Alex stood in front of his sister.
Despite his fragile body, he refused to step back.
Then one of the attackers approached.
A man dressed entirely in black.
Before anyone could react…
The man stabbed Alex with a poisoned blade.
The poison spread instantly.
The boy collapsed.
Fortunately, royal reinforcements arrived soon after.
The attackers fled.
The princess survived.
But Alex fell into a deep coma.
For four long years, the emperor searched desperately for a cure.
Doctors.
Priests.
Mages.
None of them succeeded.
The poison had no known antidote.
And today…
The prince was supposed to die.
But instead…
His eyes slowly opened.
And the story of the empire began to change.