The regression of the damned

"Drink it, Arthur," Lady Vivienne said, her voice as sweet as honey as she held out the golden cup. "It will calm your nerves before the ceremony." Arthur looked into her beautiful, clear eyes. He loved her more than life itself. She was his fiancée, the daughter of the Grand Duke, and tomorrow, they were supposed to be married. He trusted her completely. He took the cup and drank the sweet wine. Within seconds, his chest burned. Arthur dropped the cup. It shattered on the stone floor. He fell to his knees, clutching his throat. He tried to breathe, but his lungs felt like they were filled with crushed glass. "Why?" Arthur choked out, looking up at her. "Vivienne... why?" The sweetness vanished from Vivienne’s face. Her expression turned freezing cold. She stepped back, wiping her hands with a silk handkerchief as if she had just touched something disgusting. "Because you are a prince without a spark, Arthur," she whispered, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "The only royal in the entire continent born without a single drop of Aether magic. Did you truly believe I would marry a cripple? Did you think I would let a powerless fool rule over me?" "I loved you," Arthur gasped, blood trickling from his lips. "Love cannot fight empires," a deep voice boomed from the shadows. A tall man walked out. It was General Henry, the commander of the royal guard, and Arthur’s closest friend. But tonight, Henry wore a black badge on his chest. It was the crest of the Obsidian Empire, their greatest enemy. "The empire’s army is already inside the gates, young prince," Henry said, drawing his sword. "Your father, the King, is already dead. Your brothers have fallen. The kingdom of Solaria belongs to the Obsidian Empire now." Arthur’s heart shattered completely. His family was gone. His home was burning. The woman he loved had handed his kingdom to the enemy on a silver platter. "Take him to the courtyard," Vivienne commanded coldly. "Let the citizens see their useless prince die before we burn the city to the ground." The guards dragged Arthur through the burning corridors of his own palace. The smoke was thick, and the screams of his people echoed through the night. He was thrown onto the cold cobblestones of the central courtyard. Thousands of enemy soldiers stood in neat lines, their black armor reflecting the roaring flames. Vivienne stood on the high balcony above, looking down at him like he was an insect. General Henry raised his massive greatsword, the edge glowing with dark magic. "Any last words, powerless prince?" Henry sneered. Arthur could barely lift his head. The poison had paralyzed his body, but it could not extinguish the fiery rage exploding in his chest. He looked past Henry, straight at Vivienne. "I will find you," Arthur whispered, his voice dripping with absolute hatred. "I will tear down everything you build." Henry laughed out loud. "With what magic? Die, fool." The heavy blade came swinging down. Arthur felt a sharp, blinding pain as the steel severed his neck. Darkness rushed in to consume him. He was dead. *Gasp!* Arthur woke up and sat up violently, drawing a massive breath into his lungs. He clutched his neck. It was perfectly intact. No blood. No pain. He looked around. He wasn't in the burning courtyard. He was sitting in his old bed inside the northern tower. The morning sun was streaming through the window, casting a warm, peaceful glow across the room. "A dream?" Arthur muttered, his heart hammering against his ribs. "No. It felt too real. The poison. The blood. The smoke." Suddenly, a transparent blue screen flashed right in front of his eyes. [System Initialized.] [The Regression of the Damned has activated.] [Current Time: Three Years Before The Fall of Solaria.] Arthur froze. He stared at the glowing text. A strange, mystical power surged through his veins, tingling beneath his skin. It wasn't Aether magic, but something much darker, older, and heavier. Before he could process the system screen, a soft knock sounded on his chamber door. "Prince Arthur?" a gentle voice called out from the hallway. "Lady Vivienne has arrived at the palace. She is waiting for you in the royal gardens with a gift." Arthur’s eyes turned incredibly sharp and cold. He gripped his bedsheets so hard they tore. "Tell her I am coming," Arthur said softly, a dark smile spreading across his face. Arthur walked down the marble grand staircase, his footsteps perfectly light and silent. He was no longer the angry, broken prince who had died in the mud. His mind was perfectly clear, functioning like a cold, calculating machine. He brought up the glowing blue screen in his mind as he walked. [Host: Arthur Solaria] [Magic Spark: None] [Unique Cheat: Fate-Weaving (Level 1)] [Current Life Force: 100%] [Warning: Altering the future will consume your life force. Choose your actions wisely.] "A cheat with a price," Arthur thought to himself, studying the text. "I cannot simply kill everyone right now. If I try to change too much too fast, the backlash will destroy my own body." He needed to be smart. He needed to play the long game. He had three years to prepare, to build an army, to gather allies, and to grow strong enough to kill the five Primordial Gods who funded the Obsidian Empire. Arthur reached the royal gardens. The scent of blooming roses filled the air, but to Arthur, it smelled like the blood and smoke of his past life. Standing near the white stone fountain was Vivienne. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in her blue silk dress, holding a small, ornate wooden box. "Arthur!" she said, smiling warmly as she ran toward him. "You kept me waiting. Look, I brought you a rare medicine from the southern market. It is supposed to help open your magic channels." In his past life, Arthur had wept with gratitude for this gift. Now, he knew the truth. The medicine inside that box wasn't a cure. It was a slow-acting blocker that permanently suppressed any natural magic growth, ensuring he stayed weak. As he looked at her, his eyes suddenly perceived glowing red strings stretching from Vivienne’s fingers, connecting to the sky. [Fate Thread Detected: The Gift of Suppressed Growth.] [Cost to Sever Thread: 5% Life Force.] [Do you wish to cut the thread?] "No," Arthur thought, rejecting the system’s prompt. "Not yet." If he cut the thread now, Vivienne would become suspicious. She would know something was wrong. A smart predator does not alert its prey. "Thank you, Vivienne," Arthur said, taking the box with a gentle, flawless smile. "Your kindness is always unmatched. However, my father's physician told me this morning that my body cannot take any more medicines for the next month. I must leave it on my shelf for now." Vivienne’s smile twitched slightly, a tiny flash of annoyance crossing her eyes before she hid it. "Oh? Is that so? What a shame. Make sure you take it as soon as the doctor allows." "Of course," Arthur replied smoothly. "By the way, Vivienne, our engagement has been a heavy topic in the court. Many nobles believe a powerless prince does not deserve the daughter of the Grand Duke." Vivienne blinked, surprised by his sudden directness. "Arthur, you know I do not care about what the nobles say." "But I do," Arthur said, his voice dropping into a calm, serious tone. "I care about your reputation. Therefore, I have decided to officially request my father to cancel our engagement tomorrow morning." Vivienne froze. Her jaw dropped slightly. This was completely out of her script. In the original timeline, Arthur clung to her desperately because she was his only supporter. By breaking the engagement himself, he was taking away her power over him. "You... you want to cancel the engagement?" Vivienne stammered, her face turning pale with genuine shock. "Arthur, are you mad?" "I am simply being realistic," Arthur smiled, his eyes completely dead and empty of affection. "You deserve a strong mage, Vivienne. Not a cripple like me. Have a wonderful afternoon." He turned and walked away, leaving her standing by the fountain, completely speechless and trembling with unpredicted rage. As Arthur walked back into the castle, the system chimed loudly in his ears. [Major Fate Deviation Detected!] [The Betrayal Timeline has been fractured.] [Reward Granted: Shadow-Step Skill (F-Rank) & 100 Shop Points.] Arthur chuckled quietly. The game had officially begun.