Light — blinding and warm — flooded Spence Raven's vision.
His breath caught, though not by will, as sensation returned to him in waves. He was cradled in soft arms — delicate, trembling, and unmistakably feminine. His cheek pressed against smooth skin, cool to the touch yet pulsing with life.
A face hovered above him — ethereal and pale, with long silvery hair cascading like moonlight, and eyes like the winter sky.
She was beautiful. Inhumanly so.
Spence tried to move… but his body wouldn't respond. His limbs were tiny, weak — like they didn't belong to him. Then it hit him.
He had been reborn.
A second life — granted not as a continuation, but a complete beginning. He could feel it in every part of himself. Gone was the body he once knew, the strength, the instincts. He was starting from nothing — again.
The woman holding him, still flushed from the effort of childbirth, whispered through tired breaths, "My son…"
Ylva Ellesmere — Duchess of the prestigious Ellesmere House — gazed at her newborn, a mix of awe and concern in her eyes.
The chamber doors burst open.
A tall, broad man stormed in — his sharp jaw and noble bearing unmistakable. Duke Danise Ellesmere rushed to his wife's side, joy lighting up his stern features. He pressed a gentle kiss to Ylva's forehead and placed a protective hand over his son's tiny head.
The attending doctor, an elder woman in crisp robes, stepped forward and declared, "It's a healthy baby boy, Your Grace. But…"
A quiet dread passed through the mother's heart.
"But what?" she whispered, clutching the baby tighter.
"…He hasn't cried."
Ylva's eyes widened. "Why isn't he crying?"
Duke Danise's expression darkened. "Check him. Now."
The doctor and nurses hurried forward, inspecting the infant. Their faces slowly shifted from worry to bewilderment.
"He's… perfectly healthy," the doctor finally said. "Stronger than most newborns I've seen. But not a sound from him…"
A maid — young, sweet-faced, and loyal — approached hesitantly, kneeling beside the duchess. She reached out, brushing a finger across the baby's soft cheek.
"He doesn't need to cry," she said gently. "He'll be a strong boy. I can feel it."
That very day, a grand celebration was declared in House Ellesmere. The Duke opened his castle gates, and nobles from every corner of the Empire gathered. Even the Emperor himself arrived to honor the birth of the Duke's firstborn son.
Spence saw it all. The chandeliers, the toasts, the clinking of goblets. The storm of praise and admiration.
But he could do nothing.
His mouth formed only soft gurgles, his body moved in reflexes rather than intent. He was aware — painfully so — but trapped within the fragile shell of infancy.
So this is rebirth… A fresh start. In a world of nobles and empires…
Spence Raven said nothing, but somewhere deep within, the fire that once lit his soul flickered back to life.
The grand hall of House Ellesmere was radiant — silver chandeliers shimmered like starlight, and the fragrance of noble incense filled the air. Robed clergy stood ready by the altar, surrounded by banners bearing the family crest: a phoenix rising from a crown of thorns.
The naming ceremony had begun.
Ylva Ellesmere, pale and elegant even in her postnatal exhaustion, cradled her newborn close. She leaned toward her husband, her voice barely more than a breath as she whispered the chosen name into his ear.
Duke Danise's eyes widened slightly, a rare flicker of softness breaking through his usual stoic expression. He stepped forward with poise, then raised his goblet high, his voice ringing across the marble halls.
"Raise your glasses — for today, we welcome into this world… Sylves Ellesmere!"
The hall erupted in cheers. The name echoed from stone walls and clashed with the joyous notes of the orchestra. Nobles from across the empire raised their drinks high, toasting the heir of House Ellesmere.
But amidst the celebration, the child — once Spence Raven, now Sylves Ellesmere — had already begun drifting off.
His eyelids fluttered shut, and sleep took him.
---
In the realm of dreams, the world was silent and glowing. Sylves found himself floating once again, light as mist, in a space beyond time.
And there she was — the radiant leaf, drifting gently in the ether.
"Welcome back, little Sovereign," the leaf spoke, her voice soft as silk, echoing in the dreamscape.
Sylves blinked as the leaf spoke. "This world… it's different. Magic, swordsmanship, sorcery, aristocrats… slavery… This isn't Earth!"
"This world is vastly different. Beautiful and brutal both."
His infant voice echoed in his mind, but his thoughts were sharp. "You mentioned a catalyst… a Catalyst Sovereign. What is it really? Who are you? Why was I given this second chance? And why—"
"Whoa, whoa!" the leaf spun slightly, laughing. "One question at a time, curious boy."
She pulsed gently, glowing with a pale golden light.
"I am what is known as a Catalyst — a supernatural being assigned to manage one of the Five Aspects of Existence: Creation, Destruction, Order, Chaos, and Transition. I am the Catalyst of Creation. My purpose is to birth potential into the world."
Sylves floated quietly, listening intently.
"You, Sylves Ellesmere, are my chosen Catalyst Sovereign. It's a title born from ancient prophecy and chaos — think of it like those anime heroes you admired: a human who can channel the power of Catalysts."
She drifted closer. "You were meant to become one of the ten Despair Catalysts — twisted spirits born from corrupted catalysts. But your strong heart, your selfless act of sacrifice, changed everything. You rejected despair."
She paused, and her voice grew solemn.
"So I intervened. I offered you a new path. You accepted. Now, you are the Tenth — not of Despair, but of Hope. The Sovereign. The one meant to find and unite the Five Catalysts… and fight the Nine born of Despair."
Sylves's presence pulsed with a quiet intensity. "So… what am I to do now?"
The leaf stilled, and her light shimmered like stardust.
"You are to fight. To grow. To reclaim balance. The conflict ahead… will be known as The Great Power Struggle."
Her voice faded like a lullaby.
"We'll meet again soon… my Master."
---
Sylves's eyes fluttered open. The world was no longer dreamlike — it was warm, bright, and loud.
His mind was reeling, heart racing with the echoes of destiny.
"The Great Power Struggle, huh?"
So this is the weight of a second life…
Then his stomach growled.
"…I'm hungry…" he whimpered softly, and then, for the first time since birth —
he began to cry.
Ylva, startled at first, broke into laughter. "Ah! So you can cry, my little Silver."
She scooped him gently into her arms.
"Don't worry. I'll feed you right now… my sweet Sylves Ellesmere."
---