Morning light spilled through the cracked window, washing the stone room in a pale, golden glow. It didn't make the place warm—but it made it feel less like a tomb.
Outside, the sharp clang of steel echoed through the air. The knights were already training.
I pushed myself up from the bed, my body still sore, the pain dull but constant. And just like that, reality settled in again.
This was Morvath's Vigil.
The fortress I'd been exiled to.
Once a proud outpost under House Thorne's command, it had stood for over a thousand years. A symbol of our family's strength, discipline, and dominance. Its walls had never fallen, even during the darkest times in the Human Federation's history.
It stood on the edge of the Dark Forest, where twisted beasts and nightmare creatures prowled. And for generations, this fortress had been the last line of defense—protecting the Federation's borders and the civilians who lived beyond.
Now, it was my prison.
But once… it had been a symbol of glory.
Let me know if you'd like to continue the scene with Ka
As I stood by the window, watching the knights train below, a faint sound broke the silence—
Click.
The door creaked open.
I turned my head slowly.
A maid stepped in, her steps quiet but sure.
"You shouldn't be standing, Young Master. You're still recovering," she said gently.
Her voice was soft, familiar.
Yesterday, I hadn't paid her much attention—my mind was a storm of pain and confusion. But now, I looked at her properly for the first time.
She was… beautiful.
Pale blonde hair flowed over her shoulders, almost silver in the morning light. Her skin was fair, and her light blue eyes reminded me of the endless sky—calm, distant, and open.
Liana.
That was her name.
As far as I could remember, she had always been there. Even when everyone else had turned away, she had stayed. Like an older sister—firm when needed, kind when I broke.
I had been exiled here alone.
But she followed me.
By her own choice.
She wasn't treated as a noble maid anymore. Here, she was just another servant. No privileges. No recognition. Just quiet loyalty.
"I'm fine, Liana," I said, forcing a small smile.
She gave a faint smile back and walked over, setting a tray on the small wooden table beside the bed.
There was soup. A slice of bread. And meat—cooked and seasoned with care.
"I made the meat special for you. You have to eat it all if you want to recover properly," she said, placing a hand on her hip with mock sternness.
I chuckled softly and sat at the table, still watching her.
She blinked, confused by my silence.
"Are you eating with me?" I asked.
She smiled, a little flustered.
"I already ate," she replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
I ate slowly, lost in thought. The food was warm, but my mind was far away.
Liana.
There was no mention of her anywhere in the novel.
Not even a passing line.
And I knew why.
Because… she died.
Not just her—everyone in this fortress did.
In the novel, it was brushed over quickly. A mere background event to set the stage.
A dungeon overload.
The entire fortress was wiped out. Every soldier. Every knight. Even the commander, who was supposedly S+ rank, died that day.
I remember feeling confused when I first read that part. An S+ rank dying just like that?
Without a fight?
It didn't make sense.
But it was never explained.
Just a tragedy… forgotten as the story moved forward.
Everyone assumed Kael died in the explosion too.
But he didn't.
Somehow, against all odds, Kael survived.
The novel never said how.
Just that he reappeared later—darker, stronger, twisted.
He had joined the Void Sovereign, and became a major force of chaos.
A villain who would clash with the protagonist over and over, growing more terrifying with every battle.
He had become the worst enemy of Kaiden Reagers.
And now…
Now I was sitting in that same doomed fortress.
Surrounded by people who would soon die.
Talking to a maid who didn't even exist in the story because she wouldn't live long enough to matter.
As I thought about Liana dying…
A sharp pain twisted in my chest.
It wasn't physical.
It came from somewhere deeper—an ache that didn't belong to me.
Kael.
The original Kael didn't want her to die. That much was clear.
His feelings lingered in this body, echoing through my thoughts.
A desperate, silent scream etched into the soul I had inherited.
My body wanted to protect her.
My mind… wanted to protect her.
But was that really my will?
I wasn't Kael Thorne.
Not truly.
I was just a bystander who had taken his place—someone thrown into this world without warning, forced into a role I never asked for.
So… did I really have to save her?
If Liana ever found out that the Kael she once knew—the one she followed, the one she believed in—was dead…
And that I was just a stranger wearing his skin…
Would she still smile at me like that?
Would her eyes still hold that quiet warmth?
That thought…
It made my chest feel tight. Not just from guilt—but something else.
Pain.
Sadness.
Anger?
I didn't know what to call it. I didn't know how to explain it.
"Young Master?"
Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I looked up.
She was standing across the table, concern clear in her light blue eyes.
"You stopped eating," she said softly. "Are you feeling unwell?"
I blinked.
Right. The food. I hadn't touched it in minutes.
"I'm fine," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just thinking about something."
She didn't press me.
She only nodded and stepped back, though the worry in her eyes never left.
I lowered my gaze and started eating again, my mind still tangled in doubt.
"Do I save her… or not?"
That wasn't the real question.
The real question was simpler.
"Can I even save her?"
I finished the meal quietly.
It was really good.
Liana might have been just a maid now, but she was an amazing cook. Better than I expected.
As she picked up the tray, she glanced at me and hesitated for a second.
"The Commander wants to see you," she said.
"He's summoned you to his office."
I blinked. "The Commander? Why?"
She frowned, clearly not happy. "Because of that stupid stunt you pulled last time."
"Stunt?"
"You tried to fight those monsters alone." Her tone turned sharp. "If the patrol hadn't found you, you could've died."
Ah.
So that's how it happened.
So the original Kael… really did something reckless.
And ended up injured—or maybe worse.
Maybe that's when I took over this body.
Now that I thought about it…
There was no mention of anything like this in the novel.
The timeline was vague around this point.
So either this was a small skipped-over event in the original story…
Or it was the moment the plot began to deviate.
Maybe…
That's why I ended up here.
Maybe that's when the real Kael died—and I took his place.
"I see," I said, keeping my voice calm. "I'll meet him, then."
"You have two hours till the meeting," Liana said firmly. "And you're not allowed to train. If I catch you, I'll get angry."
She tried to make an angry face, puffing her cheeks slightly.
It was more cute than threatening.
I couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. I won't do anything."
She pouted, cheeks turning red as she turned away.
"You better not!" she muttered and walked off to her duties, flustered.
I watched her go, a small smile lingering on my face.
Kael… really was a training freak, wasn't he?
And in desperation, maybe he thought he could force a breakthrough…
Push beyond his limits.
But it backfired.
Now… I had to deal with the aftermath.
The Commander of this fortress was a S+ rank warrior—the strongest man stationed here.
I had two hours before I had to meet the Commander.
Plenty of time.
But I didn't know what to do with it.
I just sat there for a moment, staring at the stone wall, lost in thought. Then—
something clicked.
A memory.
A very important one.
My eyes widened as the realization hit me.
"Oh no…" I muttered, dragging a hand down my face.
This.
This was the part that used to make me swear at the author the most.
The reason I almost dropped the novel halfway through.
I groaned and slapped my forehead lightly.
How could I forget something so important?
Without wasting another second, I eased myself back onto the bed, letting my sore body rest, and took a deep breath.
Then, softly—just to be sure—I whispered the word:
"Status."