Chương 2: The Birth of power

At the far end of the dimly lit chamber, a woman groaned, deep in the throes of childbirth, her breath ragged and labored as she pushed. Her face was streaked with sweat, yet determination burned in her eyes. The midwife, a seasoned woman who had seen countless births, worked swiftly, her hands steady and experienced. The air crackled with an ancient energy, and though she couldn't explain it, the midwife felt something unusual about this birth.

As the final push came, there was a moment of silence. Then, without warning, Darius—barely a few hours old—lifted his tiny hands and grasped the midwife's wrists with surprising strength. She gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. No newborn should possess such power, such awareness. The infant's gaze pierced through her, his eyes filled with a depth and ancient knowledge beyond his years, as though he had lived a hundred lifetimes already.

The midwife stumbled back, but before she could process what had happened, word spread like wildfire through the grand halls of the palace. The news reached Marinq, the High King of Odin Order. He rushed toward the delivery room, his heart pounding with both anticipation and fear. As he entered, his breath caught in his throat. The child's eyes—Darius's eyes—were glowing with a strange, ethereal light, intelligent and commanding.

"He has arrived," Marinq whispered, awe filling his voice. "The king foretold by the ancients. The one destined to bring power to Odin like never before."

Every king brought his own unique gifts, his own strengths, but none had ever been like Darius. He had been blessed with a divine endurance—destined to live for a hundred years, able to mimic and replicate any thought, skill, or idea presented before him. It was said that he could leap across cities in mere moments, his power unmatched. His destiny was entwined with greatness, a ruler in the likeness of the revered Guan and the ancestor-king Kunnea. Legends would be spoken of him long after the stars themselves burned out.

Marinq, his heart swelling with pride and reverence, took the newborn to the center of the house. There, in the great hall of kings, where his forefathers had been consecrated to the gods, he knelt. The chamber was vast, filled with the echoes of Odin's mighty history. The gathered congregation fell to their knees as Marinq raised Darius high, his voice booming, "I bless this day! For my son Darius will be the path to the eternal greatness of Odin Order. He will restore our lineage, as was foretold!"

"Hosanna in the highest!" the elders and onlookers chanted, their voices filling the room.

The air shimmered with ancient power as the elders approached. Their robes dragged across the stone floors as they circled the child, fortifying him with sacred rites, preparing him for the path ahead. They knew this was no ordinary king; Darius had been chosen not just by the people, but by the gods themselves. After the blessings were complete, he was incubated, not as a mortal child but as one born of spirit, destined for divine greatness.

Yet, beyond the palace walls, in the kingdom of Saphera, a different power stirred.

A boy named Huer, barely ten years old, had already claimed the title of a god in his own right. His rule over Saphera was harsh, and his ambitions even greater. Though young, his mind was sharp, and his heart burned with a desire to extend his reign. Huer had watched the rise of kings before, and he knew the birth of a rival when he sensed it. If Marinq or Darius faltered in their rule, Huer intended to seize control of the Odin Order, claiming its throne for himself.

But on the day Darius was born, Huer was distracted. Saphera was lost in celebration—drinking, feasting, a haze of indulgence that consumed his court. Yet, as much as the future of Odin Order preoccupied him, Huer knew that his path was not unopposed.

For at the same moment, in the nearby lands, another royal birth was underway. Kitar, the daughter of Mawter, had just given birth to a baby girl, one overlooked by most for her delicate appearance and her unassuming nature. Unlike Darius, her strength was not physical, and she was dismissed by many as too weak to pose a threat. But beneath her soft exterior, her blood was royal, and she possessed the soul of a queen, a ruler whose destiny would be intertwined with the very foundations of the Odin Order.

While Darius would rise with the strength of kings and the wisdom of gods, this young girl held the power of subtlety, strategy, and leadership. The future was uncertain, but it was clear that these two children—Darius and the girl—would shape the fate of their world.

And though Huer, with his youthful arrogance, believed himself destined to dominate, the birth of these two royal children would ignite a power struggle unlike any the realms had seen before. Each with their unique gifts, the future rulers would either destroy each other, or unite to forge a new, unstoppable force within Odin Order.