Aden Vasco stood at the center of the grand disciplinary chamber, his wrists bound in enchanted iron cuffs that suppressed mana. The air was thick with judgment, the gazes of the Walpurgis Academy's Disciplinary Committee drillied into him like nails hammered into flesh. The Sun's rays filled into the room, illuminating the towering bookshelves and banners bearing the Academy's crest.
"The verdict has been reached."
The Head Arbitrator's voice rang out, devoid of warmth or hesitation. Silence fell over the room. The students, professors, and noble representatives in attendance barely dared to breathe.
"Aden Vasco, you are hereby found guilty of first-degree murder."
Murmurs spread through the audience like wildfire. The heir of one of the Empire's Five Great Houses had been killed. There could be no mercy.
"You are sentenced to imprisonment under the custody of the Imperial Knight Order until further judgment is decreed by the Empire."
Aden Vasco—the name echoed in his mind, foreign yet familiar.
Because he wasn't Aden Vasco.
In the Middle of the Night, the rain was Pouring Ruthlessly, the sleep-deprived man Stopped Reading his Book and Looked Outside through the window.
The Beautiful view of the Outside World had made Park Hyun feel Irritated, He despised the World for the Cruel fate it had planned for him. He had lost both of his parents due to a Road Accident and lived Alone Since he was 11 Years old , he had no one to call his Family; the only thing his Parents had left behind for him was a mountain of Debt.
He worked part-time jobs to pay off the Debt. He had no friends, and no one thought of him as one. He lived a miserable, Lonely Life.
Park Hyun was Good at Studies and graduated top of his Class, he didn't continue with his Education after High School because of the Debt. He had no Choice but to repay the Debt as fast as possible due to the high interest, which increased day by day.
Due to OverWorking, Park Hyun was in and out of Hospitals; he was a Regular there. Right when Hyun slowly started getting his life together, misery struck again.
He was diagnosed with Cancer, which slowly eats away his brain.
The Operation costs a Fortune and Park Hyun who had nothing to call his was left in a state of despair. He deeply hated his life...
As Hyun stared out of his Window, He thought to himself -
"Just what could he have done to get this fate?"
He was already looking forward to his Death, He was hoping to meet his Parents in Heaven.
as Hyun stretched his Hand Forward for some Water, His Heart started Aching Immensely, and When the Doctors found him, it was too Late.
Park Hyun had Already Ascended From Earth.
And now? Now, he was standing in the body of a man condemned to ruin.
A sharp pain clawed at his temples, fragmented memories flooding in. The scent of steel, the sound of flesh being torn, the taste of iron on his tongue. Aden Vasco—this body's original owner—was a man steeped in blood, but this crime…
This crime wasn't his.
Above him, seated in an elevated section of the chamber, Duke Ed Vasco looked down at his son with cold, unreadable eyes. The patriarch of House Vasco, one of the Five Great Families of the Empire, was a man whose mere presence commanded both reverence and fear. His dark coat draped over his powerful frame, his every movement exuding an air of absolute authority.
For all his power, he had not spoken a word throughout the trial.
The only reason the Disciplinary Committee had not moved to execute Aden on the spot was because of him. The very air in the chamber had been suffering with an unspoken tension—what would Duke Vasco do? Would he intervene? Would he wield his influence to overturn the verdict? Would he fight for his son's innocence?
But as soon as the sentence was declared, Duke Vasco slowly rose from his seat. He reached for his coat, draping it over his shoulders, and without a word, turned his back on the proceedings.
A hushed silence fell upon the room. The members of the Disciplinary Committee, who had been holding their breath, exhaled in relief.
The storm had passed. Ed Vasco would not interfere.
Aden's gaze followed his father as he strode toward the exit, his footsteps echoing through the chamber. No words of protest. No last glance.
Nothing.
Heavy footsteps broke through the haze of his mind. A squad of Imperial Knights, in gleaming armor bearing the Emperor's crest, approached with military precision.
One of the knights, a grizzled man with a deep scar running across his left cheek, stepped forward. His piercing gaze locked onto Aden Vasco as he rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"By order of His Imperial Majesty,"
he intoned, his voice steady, unwavering, "You are to be taken into custody immediately."
"Take him."
Clamps tightened around his wrists as he was escorted. The enchanted cuffs dug into his skin, suppressing any attempt at resistance. His body, however, moved with unnatural grace. His senses were sharper, his instincts honed.
Even as chains bound him, the oppressive weight of his own bloodlust filled the room like an unsettling storm.
A professor flinched.
The Headmistress, usually composed, paled slightly.
Even the knights hesitated. Despite his restraints, despite his fall from grace, Aden Vasco still radiated the presence of a predator.
The great doors of the chamber opened with a deafening creak. The academy's corridors, once familiar, stretched out before him like the path of exile. Students and faculty stood frozen as he was escorted out, their faces twisted in awe and fear.
For them, this was not the fall of a man.
It was the march of a monster.
As he reached the courtyard, he turned his head one last time, gazing upon the towering spires of the Walpurgis Academy. The sky above was a storm of gathering clouds, mirroring the tempest raging within him.
This was not his world. This was not his crime.
But if they wanted a villain—
He would become one.