I sat alone in the grand, silent living room of my villa, swirling a glass of wine between my fingers. The stars outside stretched across the sky like scattered fragments of shattered glass, cold and eternal. It looked peaceful—but I wasn't.
A faint frown tugged at my lips.
My background is ridiculous.
I leaned back into the velvet couch, eyes locked on that endless void beyond the glass. I wasn't just some lucky transmigrator. No—my identity was far more complicated. More dangerous.
I'm Xiao. The Cardinal Prince of the Cardinal Royal Family.
The youngest heir to the apex of human civilization.
My grandfather—the Cardinal Emperor—isn't just a ruler. He's the ruler. The first awakened. The man who united a fractured humanity and forged the Cosmic Human Civilization through divine will and absolute strength. He's a god wrapped in human form. A myth walking among mortals. In a universe where cultivation and cosmic tech walk hand in hand, he stands at the top—untouchable.
And me?
I carry his blood.
That legacy comes with expectations. Pressure. Enemies.
The Cardinal Royal Family has only five members—each one a monster in human skin.
The Emperor, the eternal patriarch.
The three Cardinal Princesses—my sisters. Beautiful. Brilliant. Terrifying.
And then there's me—rumored to have the greatest potential.
I took a slow breath.
The youngest… but I need to be careful not to be outmaneuvered.
Our military, the Imperial Navy, bends only to us. One word from the Royal Family, and entire civilizations burn. No one dares to rebel. No one even dares to whisper dissent. And yet, with power like this… shadows are inevitable. Betrayal. Manipulation. Hidden ambitions. I'd be a fool to think we're immune.
And my sisters?
They love me.
But it's not the kind of love that warms your chest.
It's possessive. Twisted. Obsessive. That love burns cold and bright—like a star seconds before it collapses into a black hole.
I've seen it in their eyes. Beneath every smile. Behind every lingering gaze. There's madness. And strangely... I don't hate it.
In a world filled with masks and fake affections, their obsession feels real. Brutal, yes. Terrifying, sometimes. But honest.
I accept it. All of it.
Still, none of them unsettle me like this does—the Void Record.
That cursed artifact.
The reason I'm here.
Its origins? Unknown. Its presence? Dangerous. Its power? Sealed.
I've only unlocked one ability—Status Profile. The rest slumbers in silence. Waiting.
And I can't shake the thought… what if it's not a gift?
What if this damn thing is part of some ancient being's resurrection plan? What if every stage I unlock is just feeding fuel to a soul waiting to possess me?
What if I'm the vessel—not the wielder?
The idea makes my skin crawl. I don't trust it. I can't. Not yet.
But I'll use it.
And if it ever tries to take control?
I'll burn it to ashes.
Still... all of that is for later. Right now, one thing matters:
The Awakening Ceremony.
It's happening tomorrow.
A sacred ritual. A communion with the Heaven's Will—the very consciousness of the universe. Through it, my Talent will be revealed. Maybe it'll be an active power. Maybe something passive. Maybe both. Or nothing at all.
Some people awaken divine abilities. Others awaken trash.
Some awaken nothing.
Everything depends on fate.
Everything depends on the Heaven's Will.
Knock knock.
A gentle knock pulled me from my thoughts.
"Come in," I said, setting the glass aside.
The door opened quietly—and she stepped in.
Elizabeth.
One of my sisters.
Her black hair shimmered like silk in the moonlight, and those golden eyes—unblinking, sharp, unnatural—locked onto me like I was the only thing that mattered. Every step she took was deliberate. Graceful. Predatory.
"Still awake?" she asked, voice soft. Sweet. Dangerous.
I nodded. "Couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind."
"The ceremony tomorrow." She came closer. Too close. "It'll change everything."
I met her gaze. "I know."
She paused.
Then slowly leaned down, brushing her fingers against my cheek.
"No matter what happens…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "We'll protect you. I'll protect you."
There it was again.
That obsession.
Lingering. Heavy. Real.
I didn't pull away.
"Thanks," I said quietly. "I know I can count on you."
She smiled—something soft and sharp all at once—then turned and disappeared through the door, leaving only silence in her wake.
I leaned back in my chair again, eyes drifting to the stars.
Tomorrow, it all begins.
The Void Record. My Talent. The gaze of the universe.
I'm not just a transmigrator.
I'm the heir to the most powerful bloodline in existence.
And whatever fate has in store for me—
I will not be underestimated.