The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Alex sat alone in his quarters, the detailed report Captain Yenova had given him spread across his desk. He'd read it three times now, dissecting every line of Alexandra's testimony. Each reading only deepened the cold weight settling in his chest.

The lamp oil burned low, casting long shadows across the room. Outside, Éclair's compound had fallen silent as midnight passed. But sleep was impossible.

Klaus. Always Klaus.

His cousin—his rival—had always been extraordinary. But this... this was different. According to Alexandra's testimony, Klaus had manifested abilities beyond human comprehension at Northwatch. His hair had turned midnight black, his eyes become abyssal voids. He had confronted the Duke, called himself "Gluttony," and consumed an entire city and the Eternal Rift that had stood for over a century.

Alex closed the folder with trembling hands. They had known about each other since the first day Klaus had joined the Lionhart Youth Training Ground—two vessels chosen by ancient entities beyond human understanding. A silent acknowledgment had passed between them, recognition of what they truly were. But this went beyond their quiet competition.

Klaus had done what no Apostle in Alex's knowledge had achieved—he had fully channeled Gluttony's power directly through his body. And in doing so, he had potentially destroyed himself.

The thought should have brought satisfaction. Wasn't this what Alex had secretly desired? To see his perfect cousin finally reach too far, finally fall?

Instead, he felt hollow.

He rose abruptly, pacing the narrow confines of his quarters. The familiar pressure built behind his eyes, a distant ringing in his ears that had become the harbinger of Pride's communication.

~~He has crossed the threshold~~

The voice materialized in his mind without preamble, smooth and resonant.

"He let Gluttony take control," Alex said, speaking aloud to the empty room. "He surrendered."

~~Yes. And in doing so, he has accelerated events beyond their natural course.~~

Alex stopped pacing. "What do you mean?"

~~The vessels and their Arkdieus exist in careful balance. Gluttony's premature manifestation has... disrupted certain patterns.~~

There was something unfamiliar in Pride's tone—concern, perhaps, or irritation at plans gone awry. It was the first time Alex had sensed anything less than absolute confidence from his Arkdieu.

"Will he recover?" The question escaped before Alex could consider why he asked it.

~~His consciousness is scattered across dimensions I cannot easily access. Recovery is... uncertain.~~

Something twisted in Alex's chest—an emotion he couldn't immediately identify. Was it concern for his cousin? Or something darker?

~~You're conflicted,~~Pride observed.~~ Part of you hopes for his recovery, while another part...~~

"I don't wish him dead," Alex said sharply, though the defensive edge to his voice betrayed him.

~~Of course not. That would be beneath you.~~ Pride's voice took on a silken quality, weaving into Alex's thoughts with practiced precision.

~~But you've lived in his shadow long enough, have you not? Always overlooked despite your direct line status. Always trailing behind his inexplicable brilliance. Even your Grandfather shows him special consideration, does he not?~~

Alex's jaw tightened. The words struck with painful accuracy, targeting the jealousy that had festered since childhood. The bitter resentment that Klaus, a collateral branch member, continually outshone him despite Alex's rightful place in the family hierarchy.

A distant part of him recognized the manipulation—how Pride was nurturing his darkest emotions, feeding them with half-truths that felt entirely true in the moment. But that awareness was quickly submerged beneath the intoxicating validation of his most secret thoughts.

"What does this mean for me?" he asked finally, his voice carefully controlled. "For us?"

~~It means opportunity, my vessel.~~ Pride's voice grew warmer, more intimate—a confidant sharing a precious secret. ~~While Gluttony's host lies vulnerable, Pride's vessel has a chance to ascend.~~

The pressure behind Alex's eyes intensified, and with it came a vision—a glimpse of himself standing atop a mountain of blackened crystal, power radiating from his form in golden waves, the continent of Runiya spread before him like a map. In this vision, he was more than merely powerful. He was transcendent.

Alex felt his breath catch. The image was so vivid, so attainable, that he could almost feel the crystalline mountain beneath his feet, taste the rarified air of absolute supremacy.

~~The path to such glory requires sacrifice,~~ Pride continued as the vision faded, leaving Alex craving more. ~~Are you willing to pay the price?~~

"What price?" Alex asked, though part of him already knew the answer.

~~Our bond must deepen. You've accepted my gifts—the enhanced stats, the occasional guidance. But true power requires true communion.~~

Alex hesitated. Throughout their years together, Pride had been a benevolent presence—offering strength enhancements after victories, occasional tactical advice during difficult moments. But there had always been an unspoken boundary, a line neither had suggested crossing.

Until now.

"What would this communion entail?" he asked carefully.

~~There is a place where my influence touches this world more directly. The ruined temple in Blackthorn Forest, half a day's ride south. Go there tomorrow night when the moon reaches its zenith.~~

Alex's heart rate accelerated. The Blackthorn Forest was technically within Éclair's patrol territory, but the deeper regions were rarely visited—too many anomalies, too many unexplained disappearances over the centuries.

"And if I go?"

~~I will show you power beyond what Gluttony's vessel glimpsed at Northwatch. Power achieved through discipline rather than surrender. The difference between our paths and theirs.~~

Pride's voice took on a hypnotic cadence, each word resonating with promise and possibility. ~~You are meant for greatness, Alex Lionhart. You always have been. I merely offer what was already your birthright.~~

"I have training exercises scheduled for the next three days," Alex said, practical concerns momentarily overriding the temptation. "I can't simply disappear."

~~You'll find a way.~~ Pride's confidence was absolute. ~~You always do.~~

The pressure behind his eyes receded, signaling Pride's withdrawal. Alex remained by the window, thinking. Klaus had surrendered to Gluttony's power and consumed an entire city—power that might have permanently damaged his mind in the process. Was Alex truly prepared to follow a similar path?

Yet the alternative seemed equally unacceptable. If Klaus recovered, he would return more powerful than ever. The gap between them would become unbridgeable.

Alex moved to his desk and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment. A brief, carefully worded request for personal time—a family matter requiring immediate attention. Captain Yenova would be suspicious, but she wouldn't deny him, not with his cousin's condition as leverage.

As he wrote, a small voice of caution whispered in the back of his mind. Pride's influence felt stronger tonight, more persuasive. The Arkdieu was steering him toward something dangerous, something that might change him fundamentally.

Alex pushed the thought aside. Klaus had made his choice at Northwatch, embracing power regardless of consequence. Now Alex would make his own choice.

He would go to Blackthorn Forest. He would meet Pride on its terms.

And he would not be left behind again.

When he finished writing, Alex sealed the letter with the Lionhart crest and placed it on his desk for morning delivery. Outside his window, clouds drifted across the moon, casting Éclair's compound in darkness. Somewhere in the distance, a night bird called—a lonely, haunting sound that seemed to carry a warning no one heeded.