The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family-Chapter 218: One Year Later

"Happy birthday, Klaus."

Alexandra placed a carefully wrapped package at the foot of the platform, next to the other gifts that had accumulated throughout the day. Fourteen years old today, though the boy on the platform showed no awareness of the passage of time. His silver hair had grown longer over the year of unconsciousness, now reaching well past his shoulders. His face remained unchanged—youthful features locked in perpetual stillness, neither aging nor deteriorating under the preservation runes' protection.

One year. Three hundred and sixty-five days since the Council of Monarchs had reached their compromise. Three hundred and sixty-five daily visits to this twilight chamber, watching, waiting, hoping for any sign of change.

The Frost Chamber itself had been modified during this time. Additional equipment lined the walls—monitoring devices from the Beast Emperor's researchers, preservation enhancements from the Ethereal Confluence, and various implements whose purpose Alexandra could only guess at. The room had become a strange hybrid of healing sanctuary and research laboratory, the competing interests of the Lionhart family and Beast Emperor clan physically manifested in its layout.

Alexandra settled into the chair beside the platform, the familiar chill of the chamber no longer bothersome after so many visits. "Your sister started walking yesterday," she continued, speaking to Klaus as she always did, despite the absence of any response. "Elisabeth says she's advancing faster than you did at the same age. Already trying to reach things she shouldn't."

Klaus's sister, Elaria, had been born seven months after the Northwatch incident—a healthy child with her mother's golden eyes and a determination that seemed remarkable even for a Lionhart. At nine months old, she had already demonstrated an uncanny awareness of her surroundings and a willfulness that both exhausted and delighted her parents.

"Ludovic is teaching her to recognize different swords in the display hall. Elisabeth thinks it's too early, but you know how he is—always preparing for the future." Alexandra smiled faintly. "I think he hopes she'll be a swordmaster like you. A legacy, just in case..."

She let the sentence trail off, unwilling to complete the thought even in this one-sided conversation. Despite the unified efforts of the Lionhart healers and the Beast Emperor's researchers, Klaus's condition remained unchanged—his consciousness fragmented, his body preserved in perfect stasis.

The door to the chamber opened, admitting a flood of comparatively bright light from the corridor beyond. Alexandra turned to see Elisabeth enter, her golden eyes immediately fixing on Klaus's still form.

"I thought I might find you here," Elisabeth said, crossing to stand beside her. "The researchers asked for privacy while they prepare for today's procedure."

Alexandra nodded and rose from her chair. "Of course. I just wanted to bring him something." She gestured toward the package she had placed with the others. "Another book for when he wakes up."

Elisabeth smiled, the expression not quite reaching her eyes. "His collection grows faster than he can possibly read them."

"He'll complain about being behind in his studies," Alexandra replied, attempting to match the light tone. "You know how he hates feeling unprepared."

They shared a moment of sad understanding before Elisabeth placed a hand on Alexandra's shoulder. "Come. My father's entourage has arrived. The Patriarch expects us both for the formal reception."

"Has your father found what he was searching for?" Alexandra asked as they left the chamber, the massive doors sealing automatically behind them. "The rare components he mentioned?"

"So he claims." Elisabeth's tone carried a hint of skepticism. "After a year of searching across the continent, he reports success just in time for the deadline established by the council. Convenient timing."

They walked in silence through the corridor, frost crystals glimmering in recessed alcoves along the walls. The main estate had changed subtly over the past year, the presence of Beast Emperor researchers and their equipment altering its atmosphere. Areas that had once been purely ceremonial now housed laboratories. Rooms previously reserved for distinguished guests contained complex machinery transported from the Beast Emperor's domain. The integration had not been seamless—tensions between Lionhart staff and Beast Emperor personnel remained evident in carefully maintained separation and minimal interaction.

"Will my father supervise the procedure?" Alexandra asked as they approached the grand staircase leading to the reception hall.

Elisabeth nodded. "Along with two members of the Ethereal Confluence and the Patriarch himself. No chances will be taken with Klaus's safety." She hesitated at the foot of the stairs. "My father has requested your presence as well."

"Me?" Alexandra blinked in surprise. "Why?"

"He believes your connection to Klaus—having witnessed what happened at Northwatch—might provide some advantage if his consciousness begins to respond." Elisabeth's expression revealed her doubts about this reasoning. "The Patriarch approved the request, provided you're comfortable with participating."

Alexandra considered this. Her role over the past year had been primarily observational—monitoring the Beast Emperor's researchers and reporting any significant activities directly to the Patriarch. She had never been invited to participate in their procedures before.

"Of course I'll help," she said finally. "If there's any chance it might bring him back..."

Elisabeth squeezed her hand briefly in gratitude. "The procedure is scheduled for tonight, when certain celestial alignments favor the technique they intend to use. Until then, we must play our parts in the reception."

The grand reception hall bustled with activity when they arrived. The Beast Emperor's entourage had spared no expense in demonstrating their status—guards in ornate armor bearing beast motifs, advisors in richly embroidered robes, and a variety of unusual creatures kept carefully restrained near their handlers. At the center of this impressive display stood the Beast Emperor himself, towering over even the tallest Lionhart guards, his massive frame radiating power and authority.

Opposite this gathering, Roman presented a study in controlled dignity. His attire, while elegant, emphasized practicality over ostentation. The Lionhart guards maintained perfect discipline, their positioning strategic rather than decorative. The contrast between the two imperial styles couldn't have been more pronounced—one favoring intimidating display, the other calculated efficiency.

Alexandra and Elisabeth took their places near Roman completing the formal Lionhart reception line. A subtle tension pervaded the atmosphere as the Beast Emperor approached, his golden eyes briefly meeting Elisabeth's before settling on Roman.

"Ice Monarch," the Beast Emperor acknowledged with the barest inclination of his head. "My researchers are prepared to implement the procedure we discussed. All necessary components have been secured."

"Beast Emperor," the Patriarch replied with equal formality. "The Lionhart family welcomes your return and appreciates your continued interest in Klaus's recovery."

The carefully worded exchange contained the essence of their relationship over the past year—rigidly polite, technically cooperative, yet underlined by mutual distrust and competing agendas.

"My interest extends beyond mere professional curiosity," the Beast Emperor responded, a hint of challenge in his tone. "Blood calls to blood, after all."

"Indeed," the Patriarch agreed smoothly. "Which is why we have maintained our end of the council's directive—providing full access and cooperation with your research team."

"Access, yes. Cooperation..." The Beast Emperor let the word hang meaningfully before continuing. "Regardless, we now stand at the culmination of our efforts. Tonight's procedure represents our best opportunity to repair the damage to Klaus's consciousness."

"We look forward to witnessing your technique," the Patriarch replied. "The Frost Chamber has been prepared according to your specifications, and Raphael will oversee all aspects from our side."

The Beast Emperor's gaze shifted to Alexandra. "And Lady Alexandra will participate as requested?"

Before the Patriarch could answer, Alexandra stepped forward. "I will, Beast Emperor. If my presence can help Klaus in any way, I'm willing."

Something like approval flickered across the Beast Emperor's features. "Good. The connection you share with my grandson may prove valuable when we attempt to reestablish pathways to his consciousness."

The formal pleasantries continued for some time, with both sides maintaining the delicate balance required by the council's compromise. Eventually, the Beast Emperor and his entourage were escorted to their quarters to prepare for the evening's procedure, leaving the Lionhart family to convene privately in the Patriarch's study.

"I don't trust this sudden breakthrough," Raphael stated once the door was sealed. "A year of minimal progress, then a miraculous solution exactly at the deadline?"

"Reizhor plays a long game," the Patriarch agreed, moving to the window that overlooked the estate grounds. "The question is not whether he has ulterior motives, but what those motives might be."

"He wants custody of Klaus," Elisabeth said flatly. "He always has. This procedure—successful or not—provides an opportunity to demonstrate that his methods are superior to ours."

Alexandra listened to this familiar debate with growing unease. The political machinations surrounding Klaus's condition had intensified over the past year, with each small change in his status becoming a point of contention between the two imperial houses. What should have been a unified effort to heal him had devolved into competing approaches and carefully documented successes and failures.

"What exactly does this procedure entail?" she asked, redirecting the conversation to more immediate concerns. "If I'm to participate, I should understand what to expect."

Raphael turned from the window, his expression grave. "According to the limited information provided, they intend to use a substance extracted from rare botanical specimens found only in the deep forests of the Beast Emperor's domain. When combined with certain catalysts and exposed to the specific celestial alignment occurring tonight, it supposedly creates a pathway for fragmented consciousness to reunite."

"How does this differ from the Ethereal Confluence's approach?" Alexandra pressed.

"Their methods work from outside inward—creating a stable structure and hoping the consciousness will reorganize itself accordingly," Raphael explained. "The Beast Emperor's technique appears to work from inside outward—supposedly stimulating the fragments themselves to seek reunification."

"And my role?"

"Unclear," Raphael admitted. "The Beast Emperor has been deliberately vague, saying only that your 'connection' to Klaus will be utilized at a critical juncture."

The Patriarch's expression darkened slightly. "Which is why you will be thoroughly briefed on the exact procedure before it begins. You will not participate in anything that hasn't been fully explained and approved by both myself and Raphael."

Alexandra nodded, appreciating his concern while remaining determined to help in whatever way possible. "Of course, Grandfather."

As the meeting concluded and they prepared to separate until evening, Elisabeth drew Alexandra aside in the corridor. "Be careful tonight," she warned, her voice low. "My father never explains his true purpose until the moment serving it becomes inevitable."

"You think he means me harm?" Alexandra asked, surprised.

"Not harm, necessarily. But use, certainly." Elisabeth's golden eyes, so like her father's, held genuine concern. "Whatever happens, remember that Klaus would never want you to risk yourself for his sake."

The warning stayed with Alexandra as she returned to her quarters to prepare for the evening ahead. The past year had been filled with such cautions—from the Patriarch, from Raphael, from Elisabeth—all centered on the Beast Emperor's supposed ulterior motives. Yet the Beast Emperor had done nothing overtly threatening during his periodic visits, had violated none of the council's directives, had shown what appeared to be genuine concern for Klaus's condition.

Was the distrust justified by history and political necessity? Or was it preventing potentially beneficial cooperation?

Alexandra had no answers as she changed into the simple white garments provided for the procedure. The material felt strange against her skin—lighter than normal fabric, with a subtle resonance that reminded her of the preservation runes in the Frost Chamber. Another mystery in a day filled with them.

As evening approached, a servant arrived to escort her to the Frost Chamber. The corridors seemed unusually empty, the normal activity of the estate suspended in anticipation of the night's events. Even the air felt different—heavier, charged with potential that raised the fine hairs on Alexandra's arms.

The massive doors of the Frost Chamber stood open when she arrived, revealing a scene dramatically transformed from her morning visit. The central platform where Klaus lay remained unchanged, but the surrounding space had been rearranged to accommodate what appeared to be a ritual configuration. Seven smaller platforms had been positioned in a perfect circle around Klaus, each bearing a crystalline container filled with luminescent liquid. Between these platforms, complex patterns had been inscribed on the floor—not runes like those used by the Ethereal Confluence, but something more organic, almost like stylized depictions of various beasts.

Raphael stood beside Roman near the chamber's entrance, deep in conversation with an elderly woman in Beast Emperor robes. On the opposite side, the Beast Emperor directed several attendants in the final adjustments to the configuration. The atmosphere was one of tense anticipation, the competing forces temporarily united in their focus on the upcoming procedure.

Raphael noticed Alexandra's arrival first, breaking off his conversation to approach her. "Are you certain about this?" he asked quietly. "There's still time to withdraw if you're uncomfortable."

"I'm certain," she replied without hesitation. "What have you learned about my role?"

"More than earlier, but still less than I'd prefer." Raphael gestured toward one of the seven smaller platforms. "You'll occupy that position—opposite the Beast Emperor himself. When the celestial alignment reaches its peak, you'll be asked to focus on your memories of Klaus, particularly from Northwatch. The Beast Emperor claims this will help create a 'resonance' that assists the fragmented consciousness in recognizing itself."

It sounded plausible enough, if vague on specifics. "And the risks?"

"Minimal physical danger," Raphael assured her. "But the mental component..." He hesitated. "The resonance works both ways, apparently. You may experience reflections of Klaus's fragmented state—disorientation, confusion, possibly glimpses of memories that aren't your own."

Before Alexandra could respond, the Beast Emperor's commanding voice filled the chamber. "We must begin the preparations. The alignment approaches its optimal position."

The attendants withdrew to the edges of the room as the Beast Emperor gestured for Alexandra to take her position on the designated platform. As she stepped onto it, she felt a subtle vibration through the soles of her feet—not unpleasant, but distinctly unnatural.

"Focus on Klaus," the Beast Emperor instructed from across the circle. "Not as you see him now, but as you knew him—in training, in battle, in the moment of transformation at Northwatch. Hold these images clearly in your mind throughout the procedure."

Alexandra nodded, fixing her gaze on Klaus's still form as the Beast Emperor began a series of complex gestures. The crystalline containers began to glow more intensely, their luminescence shifting through colors in a synchronized pattern. The inscriptions on the floor similarly illuminated, pulsing in rhythm with some unseen force.

From the corner of her eye, Alexandra noticed Roman and Raphael take positions near the chamber's entrance, vigilant observers rather than participants. Their expressions revealed careful neutrality, but the tension in their postures betrayed their concern.

"The alignment reaches its apex," announced the elderly woman who had been speaking with Raphael earlier. "Begin the primary sequence."

The Beast Emperor's gestures became more elaborate, his deep voice chanting in a language Alexandra didn't recognize. The luminescent liquid in the containers began to rise, defying gravity to form perfect spheres that hovered above their vessels. The temperature in the chamber dropped further, frost patterns spreading across surfaces in intricate, deliberate formations.

Alexandra maintained her focus on Klaus, calling to mind their training sessions at the annex mansion, White Lion barracks, the desperate battle at Northwatch. Each memory came with surprising clarity, as if the strange energies filling the chamber were somehow enhancing her recall.

The floating spheres of luminescent liquid began to orbit slowly around Klaus's platform, their movements coordinated with the Beast Emperor's continuing chant. As they accelerated, they elongated into streaks of light, eventually forming a continuous circle of radiance.

"Now," the Beast Emperor commanded, his voice somehow reaching Alexandra directly despite the growing noise of the energies swirling around them. "Reach for him with your mind. Call to him as you would a comrade in battle."

Uncertain exactly what this meant, Alexandra nonetheless attempted to project her thoughts toward Klaus. We're here. We're waiting for you to return. Find your way back to us.

The circle of light contracted suddenly, drawing closer to Klaus's motionless form. The inscriptions on the floor glowed blindingly bright, the beast patterns seeming to writhe with a life of their own. Alexandra felt the vibration through her platform intensify, resonating up through her body and into her head, where it manifested as a high-pitched tone just at the threshold of hearing.

Disorientation washed over her, the chamber appearing to tilt and rotate though she remained physically stable. The faces of those around her blurred, their features momentarily replaced by others—strangers with familiar eyes, familiar mouths, as if someone were rapidly shuffling aspects of people she knew into new combinations.

Klaus? she called silently, instinctively understanding that the disorientation was somehow connected to his fragmented state. Follow my voice. Find your way through the chaos.

The circle of light descended, enveloping Klaus's body in a cocoon of radiance. Within this illumination, Alexandra thought she saw movement—a finger twitching, eyelids fluttering. Hope surged within her, pushing her to intensify her mental call.

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Klaus! We're here. Your family is waiting. I'm waiting. Come back to us.

The light pulsed, growing painfully bright before suddenly collapsing inward, condensing into a single point above Klaus's chest. For a breathless moment, nothing happened. Then the point of light plunged downward, disappearing into his body like a stone into still water.

Klaus's back arched, his body rising partially off the platform as if pulled by invisible strings. His eyes opened—not the familiar blue of his Lionhart heritage, but depthless voids that seemed to contain galaxies and distant stars. A sound emerged from his throat, not quite a scream, not quite a word, but something in between that resonated at a frequency that made Alexandra's teeth ache.

The inscriptions on the floor shattered, the glowing lines breaking apart into fragments that swirled upward like embers from a fire. The crystalline containers cracked simultaneously, their contents evaporating into mist that filled the chamber with an otherworldly glow.

"What's happening?" Roman demanded, starting forward only to be blocked by an invisible barrier that had formed around the circle.

"The process reaches its critical phase," the Beast Emperor replied, his focus unwavering. "The fragments respond to the catalyst."

Alexandra barely registered this exchange, her attention fixed on Klaus's transformed appearance. His silver hair floated around his head as if underwater, occasionally shifting to midnight black before returning to its natural color. His skin seemed to flicker between normal human appearance and something else—patterns of light moving beneath the surface like luminous veins.

The disorientation intensified, Alexandra's vision splitting into multiple overlapping perspectives. She saw Klaus as she knew him, but also glimpsed other faces superimposed over his—a young man with black hair and crimson eyes, an older scholar with unremarkable features, a battle-hardened general, a serene healer. Identities shifting and merging, fragments of lives lived across centuries.

And beneath them all, something ancient and powerful, a presence so vast it could only be contained in human form through extraordinary constraint.

Arkadius, a voice whispered in her mind—not Klaus's voice, not any voice she recognized, yet somehow familiar.

The chamber began to tremble, frost crystals shattering from walls and ceiling. The invisible barrier surrounding the circle pulsed with increasing instability, its surface rippling like disturbed water.

"Something's wrong," the elderly woman warned, her voice sharp with alarm. "The energies are becoming unbalanced. The fragments resist unification."

"Hold the configuration," the Beast Emperor commanded, his own voice strained with effort. "We are too close to abandon the process now."

Alexandra felt the platform beneath her feet crack, the vibration becoming erratic, painful. The overlapping visions intensified until she could barely distinguish reality from hallucination. Through this chaos, she maintained her focus on Klaus, on calling him back from whatever fragmented state had claimed him.

Klaus Lionhart. Remember who you are. Remember your family, your home, your purpose.

For an instant—so brief she might have imagined it—the visions aligned. Klaus's eyes met hers directly, recognition flickering within those impossible depths. His lips moved, forming words she couldn't hear but somehow understood:

Too early. Not yet whole. Remember.

Then his body collapsed back onto the platform, eyes closing as suddenly as they had opened. The swirling energies dispersed in a violent outward surge that shattered the remaining crystalline containers and extinguished the glowing inscriptions. The invisible barrier dissolved, allowing the Patriarch and Raphael to rush forward.

"What happened?" the Patriarch demanded, reaching Klaus's side with remarkable speed for his age. "Was it successful?"

The Beast Emperor stood motionless, his expression unreadable as he studied Klaus's once-again unconscious form. "Not as intended," he admitted finally. "The fragmentation is more complex than our research suggested. The consciousness resists conventional reintegration."

Raphael placed his hands on Klaus's temples, his healer's senses probing for changes. "His condition appears stable, but altered. The fragments have shifted position, realigned in new configurations."

"Progress, then, if not success," the Beast Emperor concluded, though something in his tone suggested he had observed more than he was revealing.

Alexandra remained on her platform, the disorientation slowly fading as the chamber returned to normal. The visions had disappeared, but the memory of what she had glimpsed remained vivid—lives beyond counting, identities beyond understanding, all somehow contained within the boy lying unconscious before them.

And those words, formed by lips that had not moved in a year: Too early. Not yet whole. Remember.

As the Beast Emperor's attendants hurried to clean up the aftermath of the failed procedure, as the Patriarch and Raphael conferred urgently over Klaus's still form, Alexandra stepped down from her platform and moved quietly to the chamber's entrance. She needed space to process what she had witnessed, to understand what it might mean.

Outside, she leaned against the corridor wall, breathing deeply until the last vestiges of disorientation faded. The procedure had failed to wake Klaus, yet something significant had occurred—something beyond the Beast Emperor's calculations or the Lionhart family's understanding.

For a brief moment, Klaus had been partially present, aware enough to communicate a critical message: Too early.

Not a permanent failure, then, but a matter of timing. Whatever process was occurring within Klaus's fragmented consciousness, it followed its own timetable, resistant to external intervention. The fragments were realigning, as Raphael had noted, but according to some internal pattern that neither imperial house could control or accelerate.

Alexandra straightened, resolution forming within her. She would continue her daily visits, continue speaking to Klaus as if he could hear her, continue believing in his eventual return. But she would no longer place hope in dramatic procedures or imperial interventions. Klaus's recovery would come in its own time, when the fragments had completed whatever mysterious reassembly they had begun.

Inside the Frost Chamber, as attendants cleared away the remnants of the failed procedure, something stirred within the depths of Klaus's fragmented consciousness—a new alignment of shattered pieces, a strengthening of connections between disparate identities, a slow but steady progression toward wholeness.

Not yet, but soon. The fragments of Arkadius were finding their way home.