"Victor! Victor!" a faint, soft voice called out, waking Victor from his sleep.

"Who's there?" Victor's eyes opened, revealing a faint vision of a boy around 9-10 years old. "Jake!" Victor said in a childish voice.

"What are you doing here alone?" asked Jake, his voice full of concern.

Victor's past: Victor as his 10-year-old self.

"Ah, I guess resting. This wind, this land, the shade of this tree, the sound of these birds, who wouldn't want to live a life like this? This place is my home!" Victor said with a calm smile on his face, taking in the serene surroundings of the lush, green landscape around them.

"There you go, talking again like an old man. This is not a dream," Jake responded, shaking his head with a grin.

"Ah, so what's your dream, Jake?" Victor asked, leaning against the sturdy trunk of an ancient oak tree, its leaves rustling softly in the breeze.

"My...," Jake paused, thinking. "My dream is..." Jake continued speaking, but Victor couldn't hear his voice as the scene around him began to fade.

"Jake! Jake! I can't hear you!" Victor shouted, panic creeping into his voice.

Victor woke up from his dream, breathing heavily. "It was a dream... oh Jake," he said slowly and deeply. "Where are you?"

[Transition to the palace]

The palace loomed majestically, its stone walls towering over the surrounding grounds. Inside, the air was cool and filled with the faint scent of polished wood and aged books. The training hall was spacious, with high ceilings and intricate tapestries adorning the walls.

Still troubled by the dream, Victor walked through the grand, austere halls of Ivan Duke's palace. The cool air and scent of polished wood did little to calm his nerves. He headed to the training hall, hoping to find solace in routine.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Good job, Kael!" Victor said, his voice echoing slightly in the vast hall.

Victor was training on the breathing technique. "Hold your breath for two more minutes," he instructed his tone firm but encouraging.

"Two more minutes?" Kael thought, feeling as if his soul was leaving his body. "I'm already dead," he thought, with a pale face as he struggled to maintain his composure.

Kael lost consciousness, slumping to the ground.

"I shall watch you!" a creepy voice echoed as Kael remained unconscious.

"What's this?" Victor thought, tensed, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger.

After five minutes, Victor, in a panicking voice, said, "Kael, wake up, my boy."

Kael regained consciousness and opened his eyes. "What... what happened?" he asked in a broken voice, trying to understand what occurred.

"You were..." a maid tried to explain, but Victor interrupted, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing, Kael. You just lost consciousness. Maybe you should rest," Victor said, his voice calm but filled with concern.

"Okay," Kael replied, though he felt something wasn't right, a lingering unease settling in his mind.

[Meanwhile, in a dense jungle near the Dukedom of Ivan]

A group of three men and one woman, all around 25-27 years old, were traveling together. The thick canopy of trees cast dappled shadows on the forest floor, and the sounds of distant wildlife echoed around them.

"How much time until we reach our destination, Garrick?" asked one of the men, his voice tinged with frustration.

"Time?" Garrick responded in a serious voice, glancing back at him. "Ask yourself, depending on your choice, I'll give you the answer," he said cold-heartedly.

"What the...," the man got up angrily, his face contorted with anger. "My answer? You bloody cold-hearted man!" He tried to grab Garrick's neck. "Do you know how long we've been on this journey?"

As the man tried to grab his neck, Garrick held his hand with brutal strength, causing the man to shout in pain.

"Stop! Both of you, now," said the third man, his voice carrying a cold chill that seemed to settle the air around them.

"Thomas is right, Garrick. Edwin, stop fighting among yourselves," said Isolde, stepping between them and trying to calm both of them.

Garrick threw Edwin a little farther away, still sitting in his position without any emotion on his face.

"Edwin!" Isolde rushed toward him. "Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes full of concern.

"Still in pain," Edwin replied, wincing. "I'm not fine under this man's lead."

"What a pain. This group is nothing but trouble. If I were alone, I would have completed this mission. Damn this team. Teamwork, my foot!" Edwin muttered angrily as he tried to stand.