After William's confession, the situation became relatively peaceful, with the father and son talking freely about their thoughts.

“Now that I know the truth of the matter, we need to change some things…”

Malcolm muttered, his eyes turning cold.

“Father, you can’t inform anyone else about my regression. Even exposing the truth to you will bring unforeseen changes to the timeline and possibly even severely change the fate of Roia.”

William couldn’t help but worry. He didn’t know his father that well after all. He had always been either away or in training, which didn’t really a leave a lot of time for communication.

Malcolm couldn’t help but chuckle at his son’s worry, patting him on the shoulder with a big grin.

“You are underestimating your father a bit too much. I might be old, but you should know where you got your intelligence from. The fact of your regression will remain with me till my demise, what will change will be my allegiance and strength. My strength has stagnated the past few years after reaching the Aura Breathing rank.”

Sighing, Malcolm reached over to his desk, where he opened a secret compartment, taking out a small blue crystal from it.

“I don’t know how our family managed to acquire the time crystal or how it has been passed down for generations without our knowledge, but I know one thing for sure… there something deeper going on here.”

Extending his hand, Malcolm placed the blue crystal into William’s palm, prompting him to stare at it in daze.

“I researched everything about my ancestors, but my father made sure to destroy everything, both in history and evidence wise. This crystal is the only thing I have left of him. You know, I always found it weird that I was able to awaken such a powerful aspect and even father such powerful children without any previous ancestral lineage. I’ve been looking into it ever since I became a noble, and what I found was definitely strange.”

William just continued listening to his father, recognizing the blue crystal in his hand with a hint of worry. The blue crystal was none other than the Water Crystal, which was lost and never found even after the invasion.

Malcolm slowly walked to one of the bookshelf's as he spoke, pulling a specific down and prompting a hidden passageway door to open.

“No way…”

William muttered, recalling a piece of information he had long forgotten. Malcolm moved towards the newly revealed passageway, beckoning William to follow.

As they walked down the dimly lit corridor, the atmosphere grew increasingly somber, the walls lined with ancient relics and forgotten artifacts. Malcolm's voice echoed softly in the narrow space.

“At first, even I began to doubt my findings. I’ve been doing this ever since I was young, keeping things to myself as to not arouse any suspicion from the Emperor and the others. My guess is that after I died in the previous time-line, you never learned the truth about your ancestors. I constructed my estate specifically in this place due to the things buried underneath.”

William listened to his father with doubt. He felt like he had been here before, at least once in the previous timeline, but he couldn’t remember when.

"William, our family has always been more than we appear. The history you learned was only a fraction of the truth. The Virtu family was once one of the most powerful and influential houses in Roia. We were one of the 5 powerful families in the Paragon Era, but our lineage was hidden and our legacy buried due to unique circumstances."

William's mind raced as he processed this revelation. The Virtu family, a Paragon family?

William stopped descending as soon he heard that, as countless bits of information flashed through his mind, organizing themselves like countless files finally turning into one cohesive story. He was piecing together bits and pieces of information to create a whole.

Malcolm continued, his voice filled with a mix of pride and sorrow.

"Our ancestors were responsible for creating the spells and barriers that keep the demons at bay. They sacrificed everything to protect Roia, and in doing so, they erased themselves from history to ensure their work would never be undone."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

William continued listening to him, but his mind was elsewhere. It was only after a few moments that he decided to continue forward, quickly reaching his father.

The two soon reached a clearing, where a large library was located. At the center of the room, a giant magic circle was visible, with a unique symbol atop it.

William recognized the symbol, quickly grasping the time crystal and turned it around, revealing the same symbol carved into the ropes holding the crystal.

Malcolm observed his son’s reaction with a knowing look.

"This…"

He said, gesturing to the vast, dust-covered library,

"Is our family's true legacy. Hidden for centuries, known only to the head of the family… until now."

William took a step closer, examining the circle's intricate lines, he recognized the language. It was paragon language, however it seemed to be even older that than the known samples he had read through.

He recognized the inscription written down to a certain extent, prompting him to glance at his father with curiosity.

"This magic circle… is it some kind of barrier?"

William asked, his voice hushed, almost reverent. It was such a powerful spell with incredibly detail. The scale was similar to his inter-dimensional device, though much more refined.

Malcolm nodded.

"Yes, in part. But it’s more than just a barrier. It’s a lock—a seal meant to contain the power of this place and guard the world beyond it. The spells etched here bind this estate to the other realms, warding off powerful beings from breaching our world. This is what our ancestors left behind to protect Roia from forces even the heroes couldn’t contend with."

The weight of those words settled heavily on William.

"So, our family was responsible for safeguarding Roia from… them? Isn’t the demonic barrier enough?"

Malcolm’s expression turned grave.

"The demons you’ve fought are only one faction. There are other entities, beings so ancient and powerful that they make even the mightiest demons look insignificant. The Virtu family was one of the five families entrusted with spells to contain these threats."

William tried to steady himself as Malcolm continued.

"This was why our ancestors erased themselves from history. They were the architects of peace, not through battle, but through preservation. They chose obscurity so no one would pursue or disrupt their work. And for generations, we’ve followed that purpose, living quietly, hidden in plain sight."

He felt the weight of his family’s history settle on his shoulders.

"But why didn’t I learn any of this before?"

He asked, his voice almost a whisper.

"In the other timeline, after your death… I found no trace of this. Even the Water Crystal was gone, as if completely erased."

Malcolm looked down, a shadow of regret passing over his face.

"If I had fallen before revealing this to you, everything would have remained lost. Only the head of the family can access this knowledge. But I was cautious, William, even in this life. I’m also afraid that the damage the demons did isn’t rational. I fear that part of the seal here had also been destroyed, making the situation far more dire than you think."

William took a steadying breath, absorbing the weight of his father's words and the unsettling possibility they implied. A silent resolve settled in him, hardening his gaze as he scanned the forgotten library, the relics of his ancestors scattered around them like silent guardians of secrets lost to time.

The thought of his father, who once seemed so distant, carrying this legacy in solitude for decades was sobering. Despite the revelation, Malcolm's face showed a flicker of vulnerability—a father’s burden of choosing when to pass on secrets that carried such heavy consequences.

"Father," William said, his voice calm but firm, "if the seal has been damaged, we’re sitting on a disaster waiting to happen. And now that I know the truth… I can’t sit back and let this history repeat itself."

Malcolm's eyes flickered with a mix of pride and sorrow as he listened.

"Yes, I feared as much," he replied. "But you don’t have to bear this alone. I trained and fought to prepare for this, knowing that one day I might have to guard this place with my life."

William gave a small nod, glancing back at the seal, now understanding the magnitude of the risks his family had taken for generations. The seal’s magic was incredibly complex, even by his standards as someone who had mastered intricate spells in his previous life. Each symbol was a testament to the magical prowess of his ancestors, who had woven protection into every line and curve.

"Then we need to start with a repair," William said decisively. "This seal wasn’t meant to fail, not with its original design, but if there’s even a crack, it’s vulnerable. I’ll need time to study it, to understand where it’s failing. And we need to keep this a secret from everyone else. Not a word leaves this room, understood?"

Malcolm nodded.

"You have my word, William."

Turning back to the vast, dust-covered circle, William carefully examined the ancient inscriptions, tracing the symbols with a steady hand, his mind cataloging each line, each mark. Memories of his old life surfaced, bringing back a flood of knowledge from long-lost studies, symbols, and magic languages. Even so, this was a new level of magic, ancient and potent.

His thoughts ran quickly, connecting past and present, old world and new.

“This language… it’s older than I thought. Paragon script, yes, but more refined, like an evolved version. The intricate layers, the precision… it’s astonishing.”

He felt his pulse quicken as he studied the sigils.

“Whoever designed this was a true master of magic.”

Malcolm moved closer, observing William’s reverence and focus.

"This is the core of our family’s power, William. It’s what kept the Virtu family hidden for so long, but if you’re right about the damage…”

Malcolm’s voice trailed off, his face growing pale.

"Then it means there’s a risk."

William finished, his voice unwavering.

"We could be facing something worse than a mere breach. If this spell fails completely, it could draw attention, especially since it’s been sealed for a long time."