Kaito Arakawa sat alone in the grand hall, his thoughts heavy as the flickering lanterns cast shadows on the walls adorned with the portraits of his ancestors. Each face told a story of power—of those who had proven themselves worthy of inheriting Aionios Dorea, the “Eternal Gift,” a legacy that bestowed unmatched strength and prolonged life. Those who inherited it were revered, their lives lengthened, their powers immense. But for every gift, there was a price.

The Finite Legacy—the opposite of that power—was the curse his family had lived under for generations. It was the inevitable death sentence that bound their lives to a fleeting existence. If a child of the Arakawa family was deemed unworthy or weak, they would never inherit the Eternal Gift. The curse would claim them in the prime of their life, leaving them only with the power that slowly drained them.

Kaito had lived in the shadow of that curse his entire life.

Despite his noble birth, the rest of the family had always looked down on him. To them, he was weak—unworthy of the Aionios Dorea, destined only for the Finite Legacy’s decay. His father, Takeshi, had been the last to inherit the Eternal Gift, and even though it had prolonged his life, he too had fallen victim to the curse, just like every other head of the family. Kaito’s older sister, Aiko, had inherited a portion of the Eternal Gift herself, proving her worth through years of discipline and unyielding strength.

But Kaito… Kaito had never been like them.

He stood up abruptly, his hands trembling with frustration. Time was running out, and yet he was no closer to proving himself. At twenty-five, the curse was already beginning to tighten its grip on him, sapping his strength every time he used his powers. His family had already begun to write him off as a failure, a disappointment who could never rise to the level of his ancestors.

“They’re wrong,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m not weak. I’ll prove it.”

Kaito walked to the center of the hall, closing his eyes as he drew upon the energy within him. His power surged, the familiar pulse of it both comforting and terrifying. He had inherited some of the family’s abilities, the same heightened perception and control over energy, but each use came with a cost—his life slowly ebbing away with every exertion.

He concentrated, pushing his senses to their limit. He could feel the currents of power flowing around him, the weight of time and space bending to his will. This was the path his ancestors had walked, the path to proving oneself worthy of the Aionios Dorea. But for Kaito, every attempt to push further had ended in failure. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how deeply he reached, the Eternal Gift always eluded him.

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Tonight would be different.

With a deep breath, he pushed harder than ever before, diving into the flow of energy, searching for the elusive power that could free him from his fate. His body screamed in protest, pain lancing through him as his vision blurred. But he didn’t stop. He couldn’t.

For a brief moment, he felt it—a faint glimmer of something vast, ancient, just beyond his reach. The Aionios Dorea was there, waiting for him to claim it. But as soon as it appeared, it was gone again, swallowed by the void.

Kaito collapsed to the floor, gasping for air as his body trembled with exhaustion. His powers drained him, leaving him weaker than before. The Finite Legacy had taken another piece of him tonight.

As he lay there, staring at the ceiling, he could hear the voices of his family echoing in his mind. They had always despised him for his “weakness,” for his refusal to embrace the cold, unfeeling nature of their power. They had called him soft, too compassionate, too weak-willed to ever inherit the Eternal Gift. His own father had looked at him with disappointment in his final days.

“Maybe they’re right,” Kaito whispered, bitterness seeping into his voice. “Maybe I’m not worthy.”

“Kaito.”

The soft voice broke through his thoughts, and he didn’t need to turn to know it was Aiko. His sister, the one who had inherited the Aionios Dorea, stood in the doorway, her face a mask of calm. But beneath that calm, he could see the weariness in her eyes, the weight of their family’s burden pressing down on her.

“You’re pushing yourself too hard,” she said, stepping closer. Her voice was gentle, but there was a firmness to it. “You won’t find the answer like this.”

“I have to try,” he replied, his voice strained. “I can’t let them be right, Aiko. I won’t.”

Aiko knelt beside him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. “You’ve never been weak, Kaito,” she said quietly. “But this isn’t a fight you can win by force. The Eternal Gift isn’t something you can just take. It has to be earned, yes, but not in the way you think.”

He looked up at her, confusion and frustration mixing in his gaze. “Then how?”

“There’s something I’ve kept from you,” she said, her voice growing softer. “There’s a place, far from here, where the origins of our curse and the Eternal Gift both lie. Our family has kept its existence a secret, and many have searched for it, but few have returned. If there’s any hope of breaking the cycle, it’s there.”

Kaito’s heart raced at her words. A place where the curse could be broken? Where the Aionios Dorea could truly be claimed without the cost of the Finite Legacy? It was almost too much to believe.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” he asked, struggling to sit up.

“Because it’s dangerous,” she replied, her eyes darkening. “More dangerous than anything you’ve faced. But if anyone can succeed, it’s you.”

Kaito looked at her, seeing something in her eyes he hadn’t noticed before—hope. Despite everything, despite the way their family had treated him, Aiko still believed in him.

“I’ll do it,” he said, his voice steady now. “I’ll find this place, and I’ll end this curse.”

Aiko nodded, rising to her feet. “Rest for now. I’ll tell you everything you need to know when you’re ready.”

As she left the room, Kaito felt a surge of determination flood through him. The path ahead was still uncertain, and the weight of his family’s judgment still lingered over him. But for the first time, there was a chance.

And as long as there was a chance, Kaito would keep fighting.