"Don't you think the moon is beautiful?" With adoration glistening in her eyes, the girl pondered.  

Think it's lovely? The father's face lit up with a bright grin as he said, "Oh, it's beautiful, just like our daughter."  

"Dad, how can you say embarrassing things with a straight face?" The daughter playfully taunted, her cheeks becoming red with a mix of proud and endearing blushes.  

"It's not like I lied about it," he said with a small laugh.  

"Oh, disregard it. We must move quickly since Mom will be furious if we are late. And don't forget to tell me the tale of that mysterious explorer, Alaric," the daughter reminded him excitedly, her eagerness apparent.  

"You like that story that much?" the father inquired, pleasantly startled by her excitement.  

"Yes, I love it," she replied with a smile. 

"If that's what you want, then I'll do it."  

In the bowels of an unknown home, hidden in darkness, a youngster sat imprisoned in a solitary chamber. The shackles rattled with each unsuccessful effort to break free, echoing through the suffocating stillness that surrounded him.    

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

A guy enters the room and says, "Oh, you are still alive, but don't worry, you won't be after a while."  

The boy's pulse hammered in his chest as he glanced up at the terrifying apparition before him. Despite the anxiety that possessed him, he refused to exhibit weakness. 

"I won't let you win," the youngster stated firmly, his voice shaking but strong.    

The guy grinned darkly, a malicious glitter in his eyes. "Oh, you believe you have a choice? You're only a piece in a much broader game, kid. And eventually, you'll know there's no escape from your destiny."    

With a rapid move, the guy lifted his hand, sending a torrent of black energy crackling through the air toward the youngster. But just as the energy touched him, a powerful rush of strength exploded from inside the youngster, protecting him from the onslaught.    

Shocked, the guy stumbled back, his visage twisting into wrath and astonishment. "What... what are you?" he questioned, his voice shaking with anxiety.    

The boy's eyes burned with renewed purpose as he tapped into the dormant energy inside him, fighting back against the crushing darkness that wanted to swallow him.    

"I am not just a pawn," the child asserted, his voice echoing with fresh power. "I am the master of my destiny, and I will not let you or anyone else control me."    

The man left with a fit of anger, "That damn descendant of Alaric, why doesn't he just give the heritage? That would have made both of our work easier." 

"Do you think I will give you the family heirloom of the Mongrel duchy left behind by our first ancestor, Alaric De Mongrel? If they seize control of it, the entire continent will plunge into catastrophe. They really think just a simple chain can nullify the spell of the Mongrel family." After saying this, the boy activates magic, teleports himself to an unknown place, and faints because of mana exhaustion. 

After 5 hours, 

"Where am I?" The boy wakes up and asks, "Who are you, and where am I?". 

"Oh, it looks like you finally woke up." The old man says it with a smile on his face.