I spent the entire dinner with my head down, barely managing to respond with short answers as my parents talked. Meanwhile, my mind was running at full speed, desperately searching for a way out of the awakening ceremony. I went through every possible scenario in my head, but no matter which path I chose, I kept hitting the same wall, there was no escape. Not after I’d become the youngest Aestum to complete the basic training. I was practically destined for going through this.

“What do you think, son?” My mother’s sounded, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I blinked, turning my head toward her. “About what?”

“About your official presentation to the people of the empire,” she repeated patiently, smiling. “We’re planning to hold it right after your awakening ceremony.”

I furrowed my brow. “Why didn’t we do that earlier?” On Earth, the prince was presented to the kingdom as soon as he was born.

This time, my father tried to explain it, scratching his head as though trying to make sense of something way too complicated for his liking. “Well, the ceremony’s pretty complicated. The dragon’s blood… it’s weird. Dragons have this strange ability to recognize smells, tastes, even souls, and they’re picky. If something doesn’t seem worthy to them, they’ll reject it outright.”

He looked at me as if expecting some kind of understanding. I stared back, waiting for more.

“So, what I mean is, if you have too much contact with outsiders before the ceremony, it could mess with your bloodline awakening. Our ancestors figured out that the less exposure to people you have, the stronger your connection to the dragon’s will. Keeps you pure, I guess.” He scratched his chin, clearly not loving the word pure.

Thankfully, my mother stepped in with an actual explanation. “Dragons, even long after their deaths, are more like gods than mortals, closer to the will of the world. Their physical bodies may be gone, but their souls and will still remain, and they don’t really like humans. The Aestum bloodline is an exception because of the dragon blood running through your veins. The dragon’s will recognizes you as one of its own. But if you’ve spent too much time around people outside the family, it could distort how the dragon perceives you. And if that happens... well, the awakening might fail.”

I nodded, finally understanding why they kept me so isolated. “But didn’t I train with the archers?”

“They weren’t close enough to leave any lasting influence,” my mother calmly explained. “Besides, your father limited that training to once a month for that exact reason. He didn’t want their ‘smell’ sticking to you.”

I glanced at my father, who was now gnawing on a wyvern wing, completely absorbed in his own world.

“So, are you ready for your official presentation?” my mother asked, smiling at me warmly, pulling the conversation back to her question.

“Of course, he’s my son after all,” my father said, hitting his chest with enthusiasm. At this point, I barely even noticed it. Lies…I was even replicating it sometimes. Damn genetics.

“And don’t chew with your mouth open,” my mother said, wrinkling her brow as a piece of wyvern meat fell onto the table. My father sheepishly closed his mouth, looking more like a misbehaving child than the emperor. The emperor of one of the greatest empires, and this was his table etiquette.

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“I understand now,” I said, trying to keep my voice neutral as I felt the walls closing in around me. “May I be excused? I have... preparations to make for tomorrow.” I had to get away from this place.

My father raised an eyebrow. “Preparations? For what? It’s just a trip to the garden.”

He wasn’t wrong. The Genesis Volcano, the place of the awakening ceremony, was practically in our backyard. The palace itself was like a fortress wrapped around it, protecting the volcano from the outside world, forbidding anyone from stepping inside. I could even see the summit from my bedroom window.

“Let him be, darling,” my mother said, her tone soothing. “He must be feeling anxious about the ceremony. Give him some space to rest.”

My father immediately fell silent, like an obedient puppy, as my mother’s words took effect. If the kingdom’s citizens knew how easily their mighty emperor was tamed, they’d probably revolt. However, there was a never seen glint in my mother’s eyes. Strange. However, I was so absorbed in getting away that I didn’t care.

Suppressing a smirk, I bowed slightly. “Thank you, Father, Mother.” I turned and hurried out of the dining hall before my father and mother could catch the happy smile on my lips.

As I hurried to my room, a plan began to form in my mind. A simple, foolproof plan. How had I not thought of it earlier? The easiest way to avoid this whole awakening ceremony was to just run away.

Okay, pause for a second, future me speaking. I can already hear what you’re thinking. “This guy is a prince, destined to inherit one of the most powerful bloodlines in the world, and he’s trying to run away? What an ungrateful idiot. He doesn’t deserve to be inside a fantasy world! Let me have a shot!”

Yeah, yeah. But let me ask you this: would you jump willingly into a volcano full of boiling dragon blood? No? Thought so. Most of you can’t even handle hot coffee spilling on your lap. So don’t come here judging me.

Anyway, you’re still reading this, which means you already know that my brilliant plan didn’t work. Not a spoiler, just stating the obvious. I became the almighty me. So, let me speed through what happened next.

I made it to my room and quickly grabbed a few essentials: some jewelry, a change of clothes, a sword, and a hood to cover my distinctive red hair. No point in making it easy for people to recognize me. My hair was like a giant "Aestum Prince" neon sign, so I was told.

Once I was ready, I slipped out through my window, landing silently in the garden like a ninja. Using the trees and bushes for cover, I made my way toward the palace walls, excitement bubbling inside me as I neared freedom. Freedom was so close, I could taste it.

I scaled the wall with ease and crouched at the top, looking out over the city lights in the distance. I could hear the distant buzz of conversation, smell the mix of street food and smoke from the market stalls.

“This is it,” I thought. “I’m really doing it. I’m getting out of here.” No volcanoes, no bloodline awakenings, no terrifying dragon rituals. Just me, a peaceful life, and maybe a nice career as a wealthy merchant while hiring some mercenaries.

But just as I prepared to jump down from the wall, I slammed into something. Hard. An invisible barrier was between me and my dream.

“What the—?”

I punched, kicked, even slashed at the barrier with my sword, but nothing worked. The invisible wall stood firm, mocking my escape attempt.

“What the hell is going on?” I thought, my heart sinking as my freedom was sent flying away, like a bird. I dropped to my knees as I looked towards the city, mourning my merchant life.

Meanwhile, back in the dining hall, my mother was watching the whole thing on a holographic screen, a faint smile on her face.

“He’s just like you,” she said, glancing at my father, who was rubbing his cheek in embarrassment. “Your father told me you tried to run away before your own awakening ceremony.”

“Well…” my father mumbled, puffing out his chest “I didn’t want to rely on the family’s power. I was going to go out, make a name for myself, and return when I was worthy of the awakening.”

My mother’s smile widened. “Of course, my dear. There’s no way you were scared.”

“Exactly,” my father said, though he was now staring down at his plate, clearly uncomfortable under her knowing gaze.

My mother chuckled. “Well, the barrier I set around the palace will stay up until tomorrow morning. Shall we head to bed?”

My father instantly perked up, the embarrassment forgotten in a flash. “Let’s go make Christian a sibling!” he shouted, scooping my mother into his arms as he bolted from the room, clearly ready to erase the last few minutes from his memory.