A dull ache pulsed through my skull, a throbbing pain that felt like a hammer striking against my mind. My body felt… strange. Weak. Small.


    I forced my eyes open. The ceiling above me was unfamiliar—an elegant, high-vaulted design with intricate gold detailing. Sunlight streamed in through a large window, casting a warm glow over the plush bed I was lying on. The silk sheets beneath my fingers felt expensive, yet the scent of dust lingered in the air, as if no one had touched them in a long time.


    Where… am I?


    I tried to sit up, but my limbs felt sluggish, unresponsive. My breathing came in shallow gasps, my heart pounding wildly against my ribs. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. This was not my body. My hands, my legs… they were too small. My voice, when I attempted to speak, was weak and childlike.


    Panic gripped me.


    Was this a dream? A cruel illusion? Or had something far worse happened?


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    Before I could process it further, the door creaked open, and a young woman stepped inside. She wore a simple black dress with a white apron, her dark hair neatly braided. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw me awake, and for a moment, she seemed too stunned to move.


    Then, as if reality struck her all at once, she gasped, tears welling up in her eyes.


    “Y-Young Master Lucius!” she stammered, rushing to my side. Her hands trembled as she reached out, hesitating before gently touching my arm. “You’re awake… You’re actually awake! The gods have blessed us!”


    Lucius? The name sent a strange chill down my spine.


    I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My throat was dry, and the weight of confusion pressed down on me.


    The maid, still teary-eyed, quickly stood up. “I need to inform the Madam and the young ladies! They have waited for this day for so long!” She paused, her hands clasped together. “Please, Young Master, do not strain yourself. You have been unconscious for three years. I will return shortly!”


    Three years?


    I could barely process what she had said before she rushed out of the room, leaving me alone in my swirling confusion.


    I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breath. The memories of Lucien Velkaris, the Archmage, were still vivid in my mind. I remembered my execution. The betrayal. The sword falling. The darkness.


    And yet… I was here. Alive. In a body that was not my own.


    Who was Lucius ?


    And why had I become him?