Chapter Text
Once upon a time, there was a hero loved by all.
That was a fact the world no longer remembered.
After the final battle, peace arrived quietly, like a gentle snowfall covering the scars of war. The continents healed. The skies were clear. The people smiled more easily. The heroes returned to their lives carrying relief in their chests-relief so light it almost felt like happiness.
Almost.........
Yet something was wrong.
So wrong.
No one could say what it was.
There were gaps in their memories, holes shaped like silence. They woke up with an ache they couldn't name, reached for something that wasn't there, paused mid-sentence as if waiting for a voice to answer them.
They didn't question it.
They couldn't.
The world was finally safe, and digging into unease felt unnecessary... even dangerous.
Still, the emptiness remained.
The children slept close together, unconsciously leaving a space between the pillows, as though someone used to be there. Eruhaben sometimes stopped mid-thought, frowning at nothing. Alberu Crossman would stare at old documents in his office, his chest tightening for reasons he couldn't explain.
The feeling of having forgotten something precious was overwhelming.
They live in Raon's castle now.
Familiar, safe.
They were whole, together. But......
Why does it feel so cold?
In their hazy memories there was a glimpse of another place-warm, loud, full of life. A home where irritation and affection mixed freely, where everything felt... complete.
But that place no longer existed.
Neither did the person who made it so.
Not in their minds.
---
Cale Henituse knew this outcome from the very beginning.
The God of Despair had played a dirty trick at the end of everything, one final curse cast with a smile full of malice. The heroes would forget their commander. Every trace of him would be erased from their memories, leaving behind only a vague sense of relief-because burdens were easier to bear when you forgot who carried them for you.
Cale accepted it.
He told himself it was for the best.
From the depths of the Forest of Darkness, he watched them through fragments of information and passing rumors the elemental carried with their wind. They were alive. Safe. Smiling. Lighter than they had ever been.
That should have been enough.
The emptiness in his chest says otherwise.
For a week, Cale remained alone in the Super Rock Villa. No one came looking for him -of course they didn't. They didn't even remember the villa existed. In their minds, the only stronghold that remained was the Black Castle. Everything else had been quietly erased.
The silence was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
No one asked for anything. No one dragged him into disasters. No one was nagging and complaining to him about his health he loved this part, it was becoming too much for him to bear. If the world ended again, it wouldn't be his responsibility anymore.
And yet, his inability to forget was unbearable.
Sometimes he caught himself turning his head, convinced someone was standing behind him. Sometimes he spoke aloud, only to be met with the echo of his own voice. He couldn't leave the Forest of Darkness; his resemblance to the White Star made the outside world dangerous.
Buried underground. Forgotten.
Just like the memories of him.
...
He eventually made a decision.
He didn't want to disappear completely.
If he was destined to be forgotten, then he would simply remain-quietly, carefully, at the edges of their lives.
He altered his appearance first. Honey-colored hair with white-tipped ends replaced the familiar blood-red. His eyes shifted to a soft honeyed-brown. Casual clothes hid the traces of a former commander. A space bag filled with gold and old papers rested at his side-strategies Alberu once kept close, objects from a family that no longer remembered him, things he gave to them.
Remnants of a life that still mattered.
Does it?, he lives peacefully now, he doesn't really want them to remember, he was better without them, so were they.
He misses them a lot.
To aid him, the God of Death did what he could to stay with him, he was feeling so guilty about what happened so......
He claimed Cale as his son.
Divine power settled into his bones, marking his throat with a black, four-pointed star. His hair lightened further, streaked with white. The god's sorrow lingered in every blessing given.
Cale Henituse no longer existed.
Only the gods remembered that name.
It was better that way.
So he chose a new one.
Alec
...
A teleportation scroll carried him to the capital.
If there was one place he could remain close without forcing the past to resurface, it was the palace-and one person in particular. Crown Prince Alberu Crossman.
Alec applied for a position quietly.
He was accepted just as quietly.
From that day on, he stood at Alberu's side, assisting with endless paperwork, meetings, and noble affairs. Alec kept his distance, respectful and composed. Seeing Alberu again-alive, exhausted, stubbornly upright-was more than enough.
He could wait.
Alberu, however, found no such peace.
Since Alec's arrival, his nights had been calmer. Too calm. The young aide carried an aura that soothed him, a gentle scent of nature mixed with something sweet and achingly familiar. It filled Alberu with nostalgia and an inexplicable sadness.
Sometimes his instincts screamed at him.
Hold him. Feed him. Protect him.
Protect what they stole from You.
Protect our precious Commander, our precious soulmate.
It was absurd and the very same voice of his instincts said other things he couldn't register.
And yet, ignoring it became harder by the day.
///////////
The palace was quiet in the early afternoon.
Papers rustled. Pens scratched parchment. Footsteps echoed faintly through marble halls.
Crown Prince Alberu Crossman sat behind his desk, posture immaculate, fingers pressed lightly against a document. His expression was composed.
His eyes were tired.
"These trade agreements don't make sense," he muttered, rubbing his temple as he reread the same paragraph for the third time.
Alec stood at his side, holding a neatly arranged stack of papers against his chest, posture straight but relaxed.
"They don't," he replied calmly, stepping closer and angling the documents so Alberu could see.
"The eastern nobles altered the margins after approval."
Alberu blinked and straightened.
"...They did what?" he asked, disbelief slipping into his voice.
Without haste, Alec placed the documents on the desk and separated several pages with practiced fingers.
"Third paragraph, second line. They changed the phrasing from Shared taxation to Temporary contribution" he explained evenly.
Alberu stared at the page, jaw tightening.
"I didn't notice that," he admitted quietly.
"You were handling three negotiations at once," Alec replied, glancing at him with faint concern.
"Anyone would miss it," Alec said softly.
There was no judgment. Just facts.
Alberu exhaled and leaned back slightly.
"When did you review these?" he asked, curiosity cutting through his fatigue.
"Last night," Alec answered.
"You left after midnight," Alberu said, brows drawing together.
"I returned shortly after," Alec replied.
Alberu paused.
'Why does that bother me?'
He shook the thought away.
"Good catch. Prepare the rebuttal," he said.
"Already done," Alec replied, setting a cleanly rewritten document before him.
Alberu took it automatically-then froze.
"...You rewrote this in my phrasing," he said slowly.
Alec tilted his head just slightly.
"It's more effective," he answered.
Something warm settled in Alberu's chest.
Unwelcome.
Unexplained
...
The nobles noticed it first.
Not Alec's efficiency-that was undeniable.
But the way Alberu changed when he was present.
"The Crown Prince seems... calmer," one noble murmured under his breath as he leaned closer to the others.
"More focused," another added, fingers tapping nervously against his sleeve.
"And far less inclined to threaten us," a third concluded, voice low but uneasy.
Tasha noticed it too.
She leaned against the palace wall with her arms crossed, weight settled on one hip, sharp eyes tracking the subtle exchange between the Crown Prince and his aide.
Alec stood slightly behind Alberu, posture straight, hands folded neatly behind his back.
Silent.
Attentive.
Too attentive.
Tasha narrowed her eyes, lips pressing into a thin line.
'That kid...'
During negotiations, nobles stumbled over their words more often. When voices rose and tempers flared, Alec would step half a pace closer to Alberu-not aggressive, not threatening.
Just present.
And suddenly, everyone remembered their manners.
After one particularly tense meeting, Tasha caught Alberu by the arm and steered him into a quieter corridor.
"Since when did you get yourself a walking pressure suppressor?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.
Alberu frowned, pulling his arm free as confusion crossed his face.
"A what?" he replied flatly.
"That aide of yours. Alec," she continued, jerking her chin toward the far end of the hall where Alec stood waiting patiently, hands folded, gaze lowered.
"The room feels different when he's there," she added.
Alberu opened his mouth to respond- Then stopped.
'It does.'
"...He's competent," he said after a pause, tone controlled.
Tasha snorted, unimpressed.
"That's not what I asked," she shot back.
She studied him for a moment longer, gaze sharp and knowing, then clicked her tongue.
"Whatever he is, keep him close," she said, already turning away.
She walked off before Alberu could ask why.
---
That night, paperwork piled higher than usual.
Alberu worked through it without complaint, shoulders tense, driven by sheer obligation.
Alec remained nearby, quietly sorting documents, correcting errors, anticipating needs before they were spoken.
The candles burned low, wax dripping down their sides.
Alberu rubbed his eyes, fingers dragging across his face.
"Just... five more documents," he muttered tiredly.
"There are twelve remaining," Alec replied calmly without looking up.
Alberu groaned softly and leaned back in his chair.
"You're cruel," he said, half-joking.
Alec hesitated, fingers pausing over the parchment.
Then-
"You can rest for a moment," he said gently.
"I can't afford-" Alberu started.
"Five minutes," Alec interrupted, voice firm but quiet.
Something in his tone allowed no argument.
Alberu leaned back despite himself, chair creaking softly.
The room grew quiet.
Alec stood closer now-close enough that Alberu could sense him without looking.
There was a scent.
Subtle.
Like fresh leaves after rain. Like something warm and steady.
Alberu's shoulders relaxed.
Without realizing it, his breathing slowed.
His eyes closed.
Just for a moment.
.
.
Alec noticed immediately.
'Alberu...'
He stepped closer, careful not to make a sound.
The Crown Prince's brow remained faintly furrowed, even in sleep.
Too much tension.
Too much responsibility.
Alec hesitated.
Then, slowly, he reached out.
His fingers brushed through Alberu's hair-gentle, careful, achingly familiar.
"...Rest," he murmured softly.
His essence settled into the room, quiet and soothing, like a lullaby meant for only one soul.
Alberu sighed in his sleep.
His expression smoothed.
Alec remained still, hand resting lightly in his hair.
'Just a little longer.'
For the first time in months, Alberu slept without dreaming.
---
When Alberu woke later, the candles had been replaced.
The documents were neatly stacked.
A warm blanket rested over his shoulders.
Alec stood by the window, gaze turned outward.
"...How long was I asleep?" Alberu asked, voice rough.
"Forty-three minutes," Alec answered without turning.
Alberu blinked.
"You let me sleep that long?" he asked incredulously.
"You needed it," Alec simply replied.
Their eyes met.
For just a moment, Alberu felt as though he were looking at someone he had known far longer than a few months.
Someone important.
Someone he had lost.
His chest tightened.
"Alec," he said quietly.
"Yes, Your Highness?" Alec replied, attentive.
"...Thank you," Alberu finished.
Alec smiled faintly.
"Always," he answered.
And somewhere deep within Alberu's heart, something long-forgotten stirred.
---
Here it goes the first part, it's my first fanfic so i'm sorry for the mistakes that it may have.
If i'm being honest i don't know which chapter they should react first, my plan was to make it slowly, it won't be like "You guys will react to Cale Henituse a family member you forgot" you know there's no fun in that so they will react to the wars but Cale will be seen as a glitch or a blur in the images they see at first, it will be the contents of the novel i fortunately have the whole novel so i'll have to search for the parts and add or erase some parts although i'm planing to "Blur" it. Yeah, don't know how to explain it.
Maybe i'll make them react later on to videos, of course none of those are mine so i will put the credits on the 'Author's note' part (The end of the page since i'm not gonna write 'Author's note' every time i have something to say).
Anyways you can help me with your opinion on which chapter would be better, the next chapter will be the start of the summoning.
It doesn't matter if the chapter you say is not from the war, they could be used later on.