Chapter 3: Chapter 3 – The Blood They Cannot Deny (2)

Two servants were whispering while rocking her cradle.

"Did you hear about the young master?"

"The one born today?"

"Yes... the legitimate heir."

Eternia’s attention sharpened.

"Apparently his mana appraisal was just as extraordinary."

The other servant gasped.

"Just as strong?"

"Yes."

"...But that means..."

The first servant nodded.

"The lord’s legitimate son and the illegitimate daughter were born on the same day."

Eternia’s mind froze.

"...What?"

"They’re twins."

The realization struck her like lightning.

A twin brother.

Someone born at the exact same moment as her.

The servant continued speaking.

"The young master has already been moved to the main estate."

"Of course. He’s the legitimate heir."

"They say he’ll receive the finest tutors and magical training from the elders themselves."

"And the girl?"

The servant glanced toward the cradle.

"She stays here."

Silence filled the room.

The difference in their treatment was obvious.

Her brother would grow up surrounded by the greatest magical knowledge the Sinclair family possessed.

Meanwhile Eternia would remain hidden in the second estate.

Simply because of the circumstances of her birth.

Eternia stared quietly at the ceiling.

"So I have a twin brother..."

A legitimate heir.

Raised in the main estate.

Trained to become the future of the Sinclair family.

While she would grow up in the shadows.

But Eternia did not feel anger.

Instead, she felt something else.

Excitement.

"A rival."

If her brother possessed the same overwhelming magical potential, then one day they would likely stand on the same battlefield.

The thought made her smile faintly.

But before that day came, she had work to do.

And so Eternia Sinclair began training.

Even as a baby.

At first it was simple.

She focused on feeling the flow of mana inside her body.

Guiding it slowly through her magic circuits.

Strengthening them little by little.

To any observer, she appeared to be a peaceful infant resting quietly in her cradle.

But inside her mind, she was constantly practicing mana control.

Days passed.

Then months.

Then years.

Her control improved rapidly.

The perfect structure of her new magic circuits allowed mana to circulate effortlessly. What once took hours of meditation in her previous life could now be accomplished in minutes.

Every day she felt stronger.

More stable.

More capable.

For the first time in two lifetimes, Eternia was experiencing what true magical talent felt like.

Eventually—

Four years passed.

Eternia Sinclair now sat inside the modest library of the Sinclair family’s second estate.

Her silver hair fell neatly across her shoulders as she leaned over a thick magical textbook, her bright eyes scanning the pages carefully.

The library itself was small compared to what likely existed in the main estate.

Most of the books here were beginner texts.

Basic magical theory.

Elementary spell structures.

Historical records.

Nothing particularly rare or advanced.

But Eternia could not help smiling slightly.

"This is incredible."

In her previous life, Shatter had spent years searching for magical knowledge.

Most of the books he found were unreliable.

Some were incomplete.

Others were outright fake.

Compared to that miserable experience, even this secondary noble library felt like a treasure trove.

At least the texts here were written by legitimate scholars.

The information was consistent.

Structured.

Reliable.

Eternia closed the book gently and leaned back in her chair.

Mana flowed smoothly through her circuits.

Four years of quiet training had already brought her control to an impressive level.

But she knew something important was approaching.

At the age of seventeen, every child born into the Sinclair bloodline participated in a traditional test.

But candidates with higher latent potential have to take the test at fifteen years of age for fairness.

A family arena examination.

Children would demonstrate their magical ability before the elders.

Those who showed promise would receive formal training.

Those who failed...

Would simply fade into obscurity.

Eternia’s silver eyes glowed faintly with determination.

"So that’s the first stage."

The illegitimate daughter hidden in the second estate.

The child the main family barely acknowledged.

Soon she would stand before them.

And when that moment came...

They would realize something very important.

The girl they had ignored for fifteen years...

Was not weak.

She was Eternia Sinclair.

And she was preparing to become the strongest mage this world had ever seen.