Theo processed the information, connecting the dots. The garden around them seemed to grow quieter as he tried to make sense of it all.

He had harbored doubts from the start, but never imagined he could actually be a part of the Silverblade family. The secrecy surrounding his origins only deepened his confusion.

Why would they hide the truth about his real family?

Theo wasn’t sure if he could fully trust Liliana’s revelations, but the seed of suspicion had been planted. He knew he had to investigate further and find the truth himself.

After a lengthy silence, filled with his racing thoughts, Theo finally looked up at Liliana. "Did you find out where my real family is?"

She shook her head, "I've only uncovered this much. I'll keep digging, though. Maybe I'll ask my uncle again for more details."

"Uncle?" Theo asked, puzzled by her reference.

"Yes, Emperor Evander—he's my uncle, not my father," Liliana clarified with a gentle smile, noting his confusion.

Theo's frown deepened as he had always thought the Emperor was Liliana’s father. Although he noticed her calling him "Emperor" earlier instead of "father," he had assumed it was a peculiar royal tradition, given the distance they often kept, even in familial terms.

"Don’t worry too much about it," Liliana warned him in a light tone. "It’s a closely guarded secret. Please, keep it between us."

"Okay, I won't tell anyone," he nodded.

Their little picnic came to an end, and Theo was escorted back to the Silverblade Manor by Liliana, who then departed with a promise to return.

Over the weeks, as Liliana visited every alternate week, Theo began to see the threads of truth in her revelations about his past. Their time together was filled with joy and discovery, cementing their bond.

However, their carefree days were abruptly disrupted when a significant event shook the continent.

The stalwart guardian of the border, Horace Silverblade, had fallen, and the Crown Prince, Ivan Whitemoon, vanished shortly thereafter. News of this dual tragedy spread across the continent like wildfire, shaking the foundation of Lighthaven Country. Two of its most important figures had crumbled in a single day.

In the aftermath, the skirmishes at the border abruptly ceased. Darius Stormforge, alongside his troops, ventured into the contested lands to seek answers but returned empty-handed. The Demon race had withdrawn to their territory, leaving no clues as to whether Ivan was alive or dead.

For the Silverblade family, the impact was like a tidal wave of despair. Bernard Silverblade, though not as formidable as his father, was next in line and reluctantly assumed the mantle of count.

When the grim news reached Theo, he was devastated. Paralyzed by grief, he became a ghost of himself, secluded and mourning silently in his room. The servants stopped attending to him.

Aware of how deeply Horace Silverblade’s death would affect Theo, Liliana hurried to his side. When she arrived, she found him shivering in bed, a forgotten figure wrapped in a cold embrace of solitude.

"Theo, I'm here," she whispered, her voice filled with concern.

Theo's only response was a weak, sorrowful glance, his eyes filled with unspoken pain.

Liliana, fiercely protective, took matters into her own hands. Though she could have delegated the task to the maids and staff, she chose to personally care for Theo. After all, no one else truly understood the depth of what Theo meant to her, perhaps not even Theo himself.

She wrapped him in warm blankets and tenderly placed a cool, wet cloth on his feverish forehead. Observing his weakened state, she prepared a hot soup, knowing well that nourishment was key to recovery.

"Drink this," she ordered softly, lifting the spoon to his lips.

Theo might have refused anyone else, but Liliana's cold glare and her quietly stern demeanor left no room for refusal. He silently accepted the soup she spoon-fed him.

Liliana stayed by his side for the entire week, nursing him back to health. As Theo slowly regained his strength, the bond between them deepened.

When Liliana finally returned to Crownspire, she found a letter waiting for her. Her expression turned grave as she read its contents.

“Dear Lily,

The Order of the Raven has unleashed their scouts across the Varidian Continent, making the situation perilous. It is no longer safe for Theo here.

In light of this, to honor the promise I made to you and to protect him from the corruption of his own power, I must take measures to conceal him. This will allow him to master his abyssal energy away from prying eyes.

Thus, I plan to temporarily remove him from this world. We will depart the day after tomorrow, and I will ensure that no trace of our whereabouts remains. It is crucial for Theo's safety and the development of his abilities that he remains hidden until he is fully prepared to control the abyssal element.

Please trust my judgment in this matter, as difficult as it may seem. I assure you it is for the best.

With all my love and blessings,

Your ever-handsome, ever-wise Grandpa.”

***

Theo gently closed the diary, the pages whispering shut with a soft sigh. He carefully slid the folded letter, once tucked within its pages, back into the diary. Despite having devoured every word, every memory it held, he was left yearning for more revelations about his past.

During his reading, he had found the letter tucked inside the diary and set it aside to read last. Upon finishing Liliana’s final entry about receiving a mysterious letter, he turned his attention to the paper he had put aside earlier. It was the original letter, written in the familiar handwriting. The last line, ‘Your ever-handsome, ever-wise Grandpa,’ was enough to confirm it was from his shameless grandpa Ryuk.

When Theo had discovered this simple-looking diary, he never imagined it would actually reveal so much about his past. This simple diary had turned out to solve one of his biggest mysteries.

‘Reading all this... it feels so distant, almost childish,’ he mused, slightly amused and somewhat perplexed by his younger self’s experiences and thoughts. ‘Was I really like that as a kid?’ He sighed, considering how different his reactions might have been now, compared to the young boy described in the pages, who had navigated life's ups and downs with an innocent resilience he could barely remember.

As he sat pondering the strange sense of disconnection from his past self, a notification flickered into existence in front of him, pulling his attention from the past memories to the immediate present.

<<<<

[You have acquired the second fragment of the quest, 'Whispers from the Past'.]

[Quest Progress: Fragments Found - 2/7]

[~ The second fragment of your forgotten memories has been successfully reclaimed.]

[Quest Reward: Heart's Echo Gained!]

[Heart's Echo]

[~ This mystical shard of your past carries the profound emotional resonance needed to slightly lift the Origin Master's seal, allowing you to absorb Ring Essence and advance.]

>>>>

All of a sudden, he was enveloped in a blinding crimson light, a sensation flooding through him as if every pore on his skin was pulsating with energy. His hair stood on end, electrified by the overwhelming power.

As the rush of energy overwhelmed him, Theo instinctively rose to his feet. To his astonishment, he found he was not merely standing; he was floating a few inches above the ground. He looked down at his hands, now glowing with an intense crimson light that cast a bright glow around him.

In that moment, Theo felt a powerful surge of energy welling up within him. It coursed through his veins with unstoppable force, making his heart throb powerfully. As he absorbed this energy, he could feel his strength increasing exponentially, as if he had tapped into a vast, previously untapped reservoir of power.

<<<<

[You've absorbed 14,000 Ring Essence points.]

[Ring Power strengthened by 14,000 points.]

[Ring Power is at 1850/1850 points.]

[Your fourth ring has evolved to Rank 10!]

[Your Fourth ring has completely evolved Now!]

[You've reached Circle Rank 40.]

[You have received 30 free stat points.]

[Your Demonic Farm has advanced to Level 40.]

[You have unlocked ten additional acres of land.]

[You have reached the current absorption limit of Ring Essence points.]

[Absorption limit reached due to an imposed seal.]

[Complete the Class Advancement Quest to unlock further absorption capabilities.]

>>>>