The moment Eric stumbled back, his face pale with fright, Roald reacted instantly. His years of training kicked in.
His hand clamped down hard on the handle of his sword, still sheathed at his side, but ready. His body shifted slightly, putting himself between Eric and whatever unseen danger had startled the prince.
His eyes, usually stern but now filled with genuine worry, darted around, searching the empty-looking corridor.
"Prince Eric! What is it? What happened?" Roald's voice was urgent but low, trying not to draw more attention from the few remaining nobles and guards lingering further down the hall.
He scanned the tapestries, the pillars, the shadows near the high windows, but saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.
Just polished floors, stone walls, and the distant figures of court members minding their own business.
Eric, however, was still trembling slightly, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
He pointed a shaky finger towards the space directly in front of him, where the glowing blue Window of Millenia floated silently.
It was so strange – she was bright and clearly visible to him, yet Roald looked right through her.
"That… that thing!" Eric stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "What… what is that?" His eyes were wide, locked onto the impossible sight.
It wasn't moving aggressively, just hovering there, but its very existence defied everything he knew. Was he going crazy? Was this some kind of magic attack only he could see?
Roald followed Eric's pointed finger, his brow furrowed in confusion. He squinted, focusing intently on the spot Eric indicated.
Nothing. Just empty air shimmering slightly under the light from a nearby window. He saw the intricate patterns on the marble floor, the carved stone of the opposite wall, but no "thing."
"Prince Eric," Roald asked again, his voice softer now, laced with growing concern for the prince's state of mind.
"What are you talking about? There's nothing there." He took a cautious step closer to Eric, lowering his hand slightly from his sword hilt but staying alert. Could the stress of the trial be making the prince see things?
Eric tore his eyes away from Millenia for a second to look at Roald's genuinely puzzled face. Didn't he see it? How could he not see it? It was right there! Panic started to bubble up inside him again.
He turned back, his heart pounding like a drum against his ribs. "The shining thing!" he insisted, his voice cracking a little. "The blue… glowing… what is it?"
Roald was now seriously worried. He looked around one more time, his gaze sweeping the corridor slowly and carefully.
He even checked the ceiling, wondering if something was hanging down. Still nothing. Absolutely nothing unusual. He looked back at Eric, whose face was sheet-white, eyes fixed on empty space.
"I truly see nothing, Your Highness," Roald said gently but firmly. He reached out, thinking maybe a reassuring touch would help, but stopped himself – touching the prince without permission wasn't proper. "Are you feeling alright? Perhaps the pressure…?"
It was at that exact moment, as Roald worried about Eric's health, that the glowing blue window – Millenia – drifted silently closer to Eric. She stopped just a few feet away, a stark contrast to Eric's ragged breathing and fearful expression.
Then, she spoke. Her voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to echo inside Eric's head, bypassing his ears entirely. It was calm, smooth, and had no real emotion in it, like perfectly still water.
"Eric," the voice resonated in his mind, "No one but you can see or hear me."
Eric flinched at the soundless voice, instinctively wanting to clap his hands over his ears, even though it wouldn't have helped.
"Do not be afraid," Millenia continued, her blue form remaining perfectly still. "I mean you no harm. I am a part of you. Think of me as… your own hidden power, sleeping until now, that has finally awakened."
Eric's eyes widened even further, if that was possible. Part of me? My power? The words hit him like stones dropped into a quiet pond, sending ripples of shock and disbelief through his already stressed mind.
He stared at Millenia, his mouth slightly open. Power? Him? The boy who couldn't make a candle flicker with magic, the boy who struggled to lift a standard sword? It sounded impossible, ludicrous.
Yet… the entity was here. He could see it. He could hear it in his head. And Roald, his loyal trainer, saw nothing.
Meanwhile, Roald saw only the prince's reaction. He saw Eric flinch as if struck, saw his eyes go wide with shock, saw his lips part as if he'd heard something astonishing.
But Roald heard nothing, saw nothing. His worry spiked. This wasn't just stress; something was clearly happening to the prince, something invisible and deeply unsettling.
"Prince Eric?" Roald stepped closer, his voice tight with concern. "Are you sure you are alright? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
Eric snapped his attention back to Roald. He saw the deep lines of worry etched on his trainer's face, the genuine fear in his eyes – fear for Eric.
He couldn't let Roald worry like this, couldn't try to explain the impossible thing floating nearby that only he could perceive.
They'd think he was losing his mind, and maybe he was, but he couldn't afford that right now. Not with the trial looming.
He forced himself to take a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He attempted a smile, though it probably looked more like a grimace. He shook his head, trying to appear dismissive.
"No, Roald. It's… it's nothing," Eric lied, the words feeling clumsy in his mouth. "I think… I think the stress just made me see things for a second. My eyes were playing tricks on me." He waved a hand vaguely. "I must have just imagined it. Never mind. Let's… let's keep moving. We shouldn't be late."
Without waiting for Roald to reply, needing to get away from his trainer's concerned gaze, Eric turned and forced his legs to start walking again down the long corridor.
He kept his eyes fixed firmly ahead, pretending everything was normal, even though a glowing blue entity was now floating silently beside him.
Roald watched him go for a moment, his expression full of doubt. He didn't believe Eric's explanation for a second. The fear he'd seen on the prince's face was too real.
But arguing wouldn't help, and they did need to keep moving. With a heavy sigh, still deeply concerned, Roald fell into step behind the prince once more, his hand staying close to his sword, his senses on high alert for any real or imagined threat.
As they walked, the corridor seemed longer and quieter than before. The few remaining nobles glanced at them but quickly looked away, their earlier scorn perhaps tempered slightly by the sight of the prince looking so pale and shaken.
Eric walked stiffly, trying to appear normal, but inside, his mind was a whirlwind. A glowing blue thing only he could see? A hidden power? It was too much to take in.
He risked a tiny, sideways glance. Millenia was still there, floating smoothly alongside him, keeping pace perfectly. She seemed almost serene, untouched by the palace atmosphere or his internal chaos.
After a few more steps, making sure Roald was far enough behind that he wouldn't overhear a faint whisper, Eric moved his lips slightly, barely making a sound.
"You… you said you are my dormant power?" he muttered, the question feeling absurd even as he asked it.
Millenia's calm, internal voice answered him instantly. "Yes, Eric. You heard correctly. I have always been a part of your potential, lying hidden. Now, circumstances have caused me to awaken. I am here to help you."
Help me? Eric's mind seized on that word. Hope, fragile and unexpected, flickered within him.
Could this… this strange entity be the answer he never knew he was looking for? Could it actually help him survive the trial? His thoughts raced. What kind of help? Could she make him strong like Raven? Or give him magic like Leonard? The possibilities, however unlikely, were dazzling after a lifetime of feeling useless.
He swallowed, his throat dry, and dared to ask another question, his voice even quieter, barely a breath. "Can you… can you really help me? With the trial today?" He desperately needed to know.
Roald, walking a steady ten paces behind, was humming a quiet tune to himself, trying to project calm, though his eyes kept scanning their surroundings. He was definitely too far away to hear Eric's hushed conversation with the air.
Millenia seemed to pause, the blue light pulsing faintly for a couple of seconds, as if considering the question carefully. Adam, watching from his domain, held his mental breath. This was a key moment.
Then, Millenia's voice returned, still calm and neutral.
"I cannot directly intervene in the physical world in a powerful way – I cannot cast grand spells through you, not yet. However, I can subtly enhance some of your body's natural capabilities. Increase your awareness, perhaps lend a small measure of speed or endurance when needed."
Eric's eyes widened again. Enhance his capabilities? Even a little bit? That was… something. More than something, it was more than he'd ever had before. Disbelief warred with a desperate desire to believe. Could a little boost be enough?
But then, another thought pushed its way through the fragile hope, cold and sharp. Where did this 'power' come from? Things didn't just appear out of nowhere, especially not things that offered help in desperate times.
Old stories his tutors told him, tales whispered by servants in the castle kitchens about dark bargains and dangerous beings, flooded his mind. Beings that pretended to help, only to demand a terrible price later.
His brief moment of hope vanished, replaced by chilling suspicion. His expression turned cold, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the floating blue form beside him. His voice, when he spoke again, lost its desperate whisper and gained a hard edge.
"Are you a demon?" he accused, the word tasting bitter.
"Is that what you are? Some kind of trickster spirit trying to fool me? Are you trying to possess my body by appearing like this, offering help?" It made a twisted kind of sense – a demon preying on the weakest prince, the desperate one.
Millenia remained silent for a short moment, the blue light steady. Adam watched intently, curious how she would handle this direct accusation.
Her answer, when it came, was brutally honest and logical, delivered in that same neutral tone that somehow made it cut deeper.
"Eric, consider your own condition. If I were a demon intending to possess you, I would not need to resort to manipulation or conversation. Your inherent spiritual and physical resistance is… minimal. Frankly, your body is already so weak that taking control would require very little effort on my part. I could likely have done so already, without resistance."
Eric flinched as if slapped. He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to shout, to argue, to deny it, but he couldn't.
Deep down, in the place where his insecurities lived, he knew she was right. He was weak. Compared to his brothers, compared to the knights, compared even to most pages his age, he was frail.
A lifetime of being told he was talentless, of failing at every physical and magical task, had left him with no defense against her cold assessment. The truth of it silenced him, leaving a familiar ache of shame in his chest.
They walked on in silence for several long moments. The only sounds were their footsteps echoing softly in the grand corridor and the distant murmur of palace life. Eric stared straight ahead, his jaw tight, wrestling with Millenia's words and his own desperate situation.
Demon or not, helper or trickster, this entity was here, and it claimed it could help him. The trial was getting closer with every step. Failure meant exile, disgrace, the final confirmation of his worthlessness in his father's eyes. He couldn't bear that.
He glanced sideways at Millenia again. Her blue form glowed softly, patiently, waiting. He made his decision. Pride, fear, suspicion – none of it mattered as much as survival right now.
He leaned his head slightly towards her, whispering again, his voice strained with desperation. "Help me." The words felt heavy, like admitting defeat, but also like grabbing the only lifeline he could see.
"I don't care what you are. Demon, spirit, awakened power, whatever. Just… help me pass today's trial. I have to pass it. At any cost. Can you make that happen? Can you promise me that?"
Millenia seemed poised to answer, perhaps to reiterate her limitations, but suddenly, she paused again. Her blue light flickered slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Inside his domain, Adam saw Eric's raw desperation. He saw the boy finally asking for the help he needed, even suspecting the source might be dangerous. This was the moment to secure Eric's cooperation.
Adam focused his will, sending a silent, direct command to his newly named System: "Say yes. Assure him."
Millenia received the command instantly. Her brief pause ended. As if the instruction unlocked a new level of certainty, her voice resonated in Eric's mind, firmer now, losing some of its neutrality and gaining a touch of reassurance.
"Yes." The single word was clear and strong. "I will help you pass the trial, Eric. That is my purpose. It is why I have awakened. It is why I was created – to assist you."
Eric froze mid-step. Yes? She said yes? A wave of dizzying relief washed over him, so strong it almost buckled his knees. She would help him! He might actually have a chance! But hot on the heels of that relief came a chilling echo from her last words.
Created?
The word hung in the air, heavy with implication. Created to assist you. A shiver traced its way down his spine, cold despite the warmth of the palace. If she was created… then who created her?
What kind of being had the power to create a sentient, glowing entity like Millenia and bind it to him? The question opened up a whole new box of fears and mysteries, far deeper than just worrying about demons. Who was pulling the strings?
His mind buzzed with the question, but he clamped down on it. He didn't dare ask. Not now. Knowing might be worse than not knowing. Right now, he had one goal: survive the trial.
He pushed the unnerving question of Millenia's origins to the back of his mind, locking it away for later. Or maybe forever.
He started walking again, his steps a little more determined now, though his mind was heavier than ever, burdened by fear, fragile hope, and the weight of secrets he didn't understand.
Behind him, Roald watched the prince's back. He noticed the slight hesitation, the renewed determination in his walk, and the way Eric still seemed subtly distracted, as if listening to something only he could hear.
Roald's heart grew heavier, his anxiety about the upcoming trial intensifying. It was a trial designed to break the prince, and now Eric was acting stranger than ever. Whatever happened next, Roald feared it would change Prince Eric's fate forever.