Winter. Evening. December 16th, Year 307 after the Magical Revolution...
In the snowy northern reaches of the Empire, within the estate of Stella — Lord of the North — Theo Von Lavrelio.

Author's Note: "Stella" is an honorary title granted by the Emperor to his most loyal and influential vassals.

Around a long, rounded table, several well-dressed individuals were having dinner. The mother — Dolores, the father — Theo, and a boy, dressed especially neatly, as if for a celebration or banquet — Nero.

Their family had long been known as one of the highest noble houses, and they had proven it time and again through acts of service and contributions to science and discovery. Their strength and intelligence were both respected and feared. The head of the family, and his descendants, held the title of Lord of the Northern Territories. Appearance played a special role in their bloodline  particularly their silver hair and blue eyes.

Yet with the second child in the family, these features manifested in an unusually distinct way. His hair was even paler, resembling silver ash. His right eye was crimson, and his left a bright, piercing blue.

Long ago, a distant ancestor of theirs had red eyes, so when the boy was born, the family simply saw it as a welcome sign  a trait inherited through blood.

It’s worth clarifying: Everyone who carried the blood of a Stella  one of the ten great noble houses of the Empire  possessed striking, unmistakable appearances that set them apart from others.

At the same time, this was their signature  a mark by which anyone could immediately tell who stood in front of them.

It was expected that every citizen of the Empire knew and respected the ten great families. Their names and legacies were as sacred and mandatory to study as those of the royal family itself. Their stories had long been written in the pages of schoolbooks and official histories.

The Von Lavrelio estate stood deep in the northern forests, far from civilization. The family lived in seclusion, with the nearest city over fifty kilometers away.

The estate grounds included four additional structures: a residence for the staff, a garrison housing knights and mages who protected the estate around the clock, a large stable, and, most recently completed, a massive botanical garden.

The garden was housed beneath a glass dome the frigid northern air would not allow delicate plants to survive outdoors.

All buildings were connected by glass tunnels, and the grounds were lit by lanterns and lamps that bathed the estate in soft, warm light. Thanks to this, even on the coldest nights, anyone living here could easily reach any building without ever stepping outside.

Roughly two kilometers from the estate sat a vast, crystal-clear lake known as the “Moon Mirror.” It earned its name from the way the surface always reflected the moon’s light..
Even during the days of Forgetting, when an abyssal veil of unnaturally dark clouds covered the sky and daylight lasted only four or five hours, the lake somehow continued to reflect the moonlight, as if nothing could hide it.

But now  that’s not our focus.

At the dinner table, Nero’s father called out to him.

“Nero, my son… remind me, how long is it until your birthday?”

“Uh-huh,” the boy replied without looking up from his food. He briefly glanced at the nearby clock and added, “Not much. Just an hour left, and I’ll be twelve. And tomorrow, Stella Dan Rossi arrives, with Izzy...” — he spoke between bites.

In this world, birthdays are celebrated starting from the very first hour of the day on which a person was born  not a minute before. Only after the hour strikes midnight can one truly say they’ve grown another year older.

It was already late evening. Just sixty minutes remained until that cherished moment. By then, everyone had finished dinner, and the father gave his next instructions: “Dolores, take a maid with you and have her prepare the gifts. And please go meet Anto… he’s running late.”

As he finished speaking, Theo raised his left hand, and a young man approached  the assistant to the head butler. His name was Schulz. Dressed in the formal servant atTyre of the time, with neatly combed black hair, Schulz bowed, listened to Theo’s instructions, and quickly left to carry them out.

“Well then,” Theo said gently, “since everyone seems to be occupied, would you like to take a walk with me, Nero?”

Nero understood that refusing wasn’t really an option  he simply nodded.

Soon, they left the hall, turned left, and headed down the corridor.

As they walked past the portraits of their ancestors hanging on the walls, Theo stopped and looked closely at one of them.

It showed a regal man seated in an armchair, both hands resting on the hilt of a sword planted into the floor. His snow-white hair and glowing red eyes stood out vividly.

“Nero, you know who these people are, don’t you? Can you name them?” Theo asked, clearly testing his son’s memory out of curiosity.

Along the corridor wall, seven portraits were displayed  including Theo’s own.

“Yes. Starting from Wilhelm the Great and ending with you, Father. These are all the heads of our family,” Nero replied confidently.

Theo gave a sly smile, and they continued walking.

“Someday, your older brother’s portrait will hang there too,” Theo said as they walked.

“Yeah…” Nero replied flatly, his expression turning thoughtful.
Another strange question… he thought while following along.

Meanwhile, outside the estate, deep in the dark of night…

A single carriage made its way slowly along the only road toward the Von Lavrelio estate. Inside sat three figures, all dressed in dark, concealing clothes.

They had traveled in complete silence for the enTyre trip.

Finally, one of them — a man with a long ponytail tied with a crimson ribbon and a wide-brimmed hat  spoke: “Señor Cassetti, are you absolutely sure our men have already begun the operation?”

Opposite him sat a strict-looking man in a hooded cloak. After a brief pause, the man finally replied: “We received all the information we needed to begin in advance... I see no reason to waste the opportunity fate has so generously handed us.”

Then, after a short silence, he smirked faintly and added: “Or… have you gone soft, Señor Gid?”

No response followed.

The third man, silent, kept cleaning a dagger in his hand. And so the carriage rolled on, wrapped in near-total stillness.

From the outside, it looked enTyrely empty. The windows were tightly covered with thick curtains, hiding the passengers from any curious eyes.

Inside, the silence persisted.
Only the soft swing of a lantern hanging from a hook lit the space — briefly illuminating pale faces, cold stares, and, now and then, flashes of nervous tension.

At last, someone broke the silence again.
The man with the long, dark hair and crimson ribbon removed his hat, leaned back into his seat, and looked sideways at the man next to him.

“You’re still polishing that toy knife...? Does no one want to review the plan one more time?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

The man with the short, chestnut hair kept turning the small blade in his hands before finally replying — but not to the man next to him. Instead, he glanced past him, out the window.

“If you're dumb enough to forget it already, S....” He cut himself off mid-sentence, noticing the cold, sharp gaze of their “leader,” Señor Cassetti.

Cassetti, whose birch-colored hair now fell freely from beneath his hood, stood out starkly from the others. His eyes held iron resolve, and his voice was low and commanding.

“How many times must I remind you this mission takes priority over everything else.
And if you, Señor Arthur, call each other by name again during the operation…
I will personally retract the recommendation I submitted to the Imperial Palace on your behalf.”

At that, a faint, pleased smile crept onto Arthur’s face…
But Cassetti’s stare swept across them all, cold and steady.

“That goes for everyone. Is that clear?” He didn’t wait for an answer.

With that, he leaned back into the luxurious seat and pulled his hood over his head. The carriage rolled on again, swallowed once more by silence.

Meanwhile...

In the upstairs lounge, next to a glowing fireplace, Nero sat reading a thick book on the history of the ten great families. Theo had insisted that he read the chapter on their own bloodline  the more a boy knows about his past, the better... or so Theo believed.

According to the text, the history of House Von Lavrelio began long before the Emperor granted them the title of “Stella.” Before that, Nero’s family had been devoted to science and swordsmanship. They were well-known in academic and military circles but had almost never involved themselves in Imperial politics.

Everything changed with Nero’s grandfather, Theo’s father – Henry Von Lavrelio.

At the relatively young age of thirty-two, under the command of then Stella Dan Rossi, Henry prevented a major terrorist attack and assassination attempt on the previous Emperor.

After the incident, Henry traveled to Cameroon, the Empire’s hub of advanced technology. Together with a family of hereditary scholars  House Son Greencliff  he introduced to the world the concept of mana-powered batteries, replacing electricity.

All the gold they earned from this, they donated to the advancement of science and the development of the Empire of Dustin.

In return, they earned the admiration not only of the scholars of Cameroon, but also the nobles whose attention Henry had captured.

Soon after, Stella Dan Rossi proposed before the Council that House Von Lavrelio’s achievements be recognized  and that they be granted the noble title of Stella.

And so it happened.
This was the true version  the one taught to the elite.

As for everyone else... they were fed propaganda about the divine power and countless glories of the Stellas.

After reading for some time, Nero  clearly Tyred of the text  looked up to find that Theo had taken a seat across from him. Without a word, Theo slowly closed the book Nero had been holding.

By now, Nero had read the same paragraph twice and was secretly thrilled that the surprise lecture had ended.

“You’re turning twelve soon…” Theo began softly.
“And as your father, I suppose it’s time we talked. So tell me — what do you want?
Knowing the history of your ancestors… and the one being written right now  what is it that you want to achieve?
You understand what I mean, don’t you, Nero?”

“Yeah, I understand, Dad…” Nero replied, slightly taken aback.

Theo chuckled, unable to hide his smile.
“Do you want to be a knight, like your older brother? A scholar like your mother? Or maybe like me… do everything at once?” He furrowed his brow briefly, then relaxed again.

“Hah… don’t worry. I’m not being serious. But still  I would like to hear your answer one day.”

Nero nodded quietly. Then, after a moment of thought, he asked:

“Father… I’ve been meaning to ask…”
He looked into Theo’s eyes, waiting for permission. Theo gave him a nod.

“Why is it… that in this enTyre northern land, we’re alone?
No other cities… no one else…”

Watching the curiosity and confusion in his son’s face, Theo turned to his servant, Schulz.

“Schulz, go to Dolores. Ask her to try and find Antonio. He missed dinner, and he should’ve returned by now.”

Without asking questions, Schulz bowed.

“As you wish, my lord.” And with that, he left the room  leaving father and son alone in silence…

A silence that was soon broken by Theo’s gentle voice...