The next morning, the imperial capital of Evernight, known as Laveny, was alive with anticipation as the royal council gathered before the emperor for a court session.

  After every minor and major issue had been addressed, a heavy silence settled over the room as the council finished their reports. The ministers shifted in their seats and watched one another. The air brimmed with expectation until a single minister gathered his papers, stepped forward, and spoke. The worry that had haunted him since dawn finally found its voice.

  "Your Majesty, I have reports of an abnormal red gate that appeared yesterday in Drakethorne’s duchy. It is unlike anything we have encountered before," said Minister Evan Lutherknight, head of war. He stood with black hair and eyes, a scar hinting at past battles. Though he appeared to be in his thirties, he was already past seventy. He addressed the emperor with respectful authority.

  "Go on, Evan. Spare no detail," Emperor James Evernight said, his voice calm as he rested his chin on his hand.

  "Yesterday at midnight, a red gate suddenly appeared. It was already a breakout gate, with monsters starting to emerge from it even though it had just opened," Evan reported.

  "Since the gate had just broken out, Shane Drakethorne and Sera Azurestorm entered it with their troops. From what I have heard, the boss monster was a goblin emperor who recognized Shane Drakethorne by name and wanted to kill him," Evan added, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

  "What about the legend of their son, Alex Drakethorne?" the emperor asked, glancing at his ministers.

  As the emperor’s gaze lingered on them, the ministers grew tense. Each one wondered what scheme he might be plotting this time.

  They were all too familiar with the emperor’s reputation. For the sake of the empire, he wielded cunning, ruthlessness, strength, and courage in equal measure.

  "Yes, Your Majesty, we have heard the legend that he cured his mother when she was on her dying breath," a minister replied.

  All the ministers nodded, having heard the same story. Rumors like this could not be hidden, especially since many of them had connections throughout the empire.

  The emperor paused, letting a heavy silence settle in the room. Leaning back slightly, he glanced at his ministers, gauging their reactions before he spoke again. "I have never heard of a newborn saving a life. How credible do you think this is?" he remarked, his tone neutral but with an undercurrent of skepticism. His eyes flickered, a brief hint of doubt appearing before he returned to his usual impassive stare.

  All the ministers nodded quickly. None of them had ever seen such a thing.

  "What if the boy is the one from the prophecy? It is said he will be out of the ordinary, with power so extraordinary that no one could fathom it," Evan mused.

  "Perhaps, but the prophecy comes from Chronveil's late matriarch. We cannot confirm its truth," another minister said.

  "What do you say, Morgana Chronveil?" the emperor asked, turning his gaze to Morgana, who sat quietly among the other ministers.

  "Yesterday, I felt fate shifting. Someone is trying to tamper with it. But fate is not something that changes easily, and I am not sure whether he is the one my late grandmother prophesied about. Something is blocking me from seeing fate clearly," Morgana said calmly.

  The discussion lingered on prophecy, each minister offering their own thoughts as uncertainty filled the chamber.

  At last, the emperor brought the discussion to a close. "For now, court is dismissed," he ordered as he rose from his throne.

  After leaving the lively throne room, the emperor moved through the halls and entered his private chamber. There, a shadowy figure emerged and approached him in silence, bowing deeply before presenting a letter listing the names of the previous day’s newborns.

  After reading each child's name, he paused and asked, "Is he the one?"

  "This servant is not sure, but from what I have found, he must be the one. The others are all ordinary," the shadow replied, quivering under the emperor’s presence.

  Unfazed by the report, the emperor burned the letter in his hand. He left his chamber, his steps firm as he made his way toward the training grounds.