Chapter 1

My twin brother, Caspian, and I were born under a dark omen.

In our kingdom, twins were believed to bring nothing but ruin and calamity.

Terrified for our lives, our mother, the Queen, hid Caspian away in a damp, lightless basement.

I grew up in the sun, draped in silk and drowning in affection.

Meanwhile, Caspian lived like a ghost, rotting in the shadows.

On the day of my coronation, Caspian approached me under the guise of a celebratory embrace.

He drove a blade deep into my heart.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment our mother had to choose which one of us to hide.

Caspian clutched our mother's hand, tears streaming down his face.

"Mother, I'm scared of the dark. I don't want to live in the basement."

He had been reborn, too!

He didn't realize that the path of the Crown Prince was paved with thorns and poison.

Even if he survived the court intrigue, he would only end up on the throne with a broken, sickly body, waiting for death.

In this life, I'll let him walk that grueling path.

I will take the healthy body, rise to power my own way, and witness a golden age of peace and prosperity.

1

The moment the cold steel pierced my chest, I heard the raw venom in Caspian's voice.

"Killian, if I hadn't given up my life for yours, that throne would be mine! This is all your fault!"

The pain wasn't just in my chest; it radiated through every fiber of my being, a white-hot agony.

It turned out Caspian had always hated me this much.

He was willing to butcher his own blood just to settle a perceived debt.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself leaning against my mother's soft robes.

Caspian was tugging at her sleeve, sobbing piteously.

"Mommy, I'm scared of the dark. Please don't make me stay in the basement."

There was a glint of smugness in his eyes that didn't belong on a child's face.

He had traveled back in time, just like me!

Remembering the sheer torture of my previous life, I masked my expression and looked down.

"Mother, I am the older brother. I should be the one to protect Caspian and give him the better life."

My mother pulled me into a tight embrace, her tears wetting my hair.

"Killian, my sweet boy, I am so sorry for what I must ask of you."

She smelled of lavender and warmth, nothing like the cold, stiff corpse I had buried in my last life.

Mother, you don't owe us anything. It was Caspian who failed you.

If he hadn't been so reckless and exposed our secret, the King would never have executed you.

In our first life, Caspian stayed in the basement because he couldn't handle the pressure of being the heir.

I was the one out in the open, acting as the Crown Prince, drawing the fire of every jealous noble.

Poisonings and assassination attempts were my daily routine.

By the time I actually ascended the throne, my body was a hollow shell.

I had intended to name Caspian my successor before I died.

I never expected him to murder me in cold blood.

Fine. This time, let him walk that path of misery.

I will build a body of iron and take the crown on my own terms!

A few days after I moved into the secret basement suite, Caspian came to gloat.

"Brother, do you have any idea how amazing the world outside is?"

"Father officially named me the Crown Prince today. He gave me a mountain of gold and jewels."

"I'm learning how to rule the realm, how to ride stallions, and how to master the sword. It's exhilarating."

"Unlike you, trapped in this pathetic hole like a rat in the dark."

A pathetic hole in the dark?

I looked around my current living quarters.

The bed was plush, the lamps were bright, and the shelves were overflowing with the best books.

There was even a cleverly concealed window near the ceiling that provided fresh air and a sliver of sky.

My previous understanding of the basement had come entirely from Caspian's complaints.

In our first life, he constantly wailed about how damp and miserable it was.

Seeing the reality now, I felt a surge of cold fury.

I had felt so guilty back then that I gave him every gift the King ever sent me.

I had literally fed my soul to a dog that eventually bit my hand off.

What a waste of kindness.

I forced a look of longing and spoke in a soft, fragile voice.

"I'm just happy for you, brother. As your senior, it's my duty to sacrifice for you. Besides, I have Mother's company."

Caspian's face contorted with sudden rage.

"I am the Prince! Mother is supposed to love me more!"

In our first life, Mother spent all her time with Caspian out of guilt.

Now, that guilt was directed entirely at me. Naturally, she stayed by my side.

Caspian was never satisfied; he had the King's favor and the title, but he wanted her soul, too.

When I didn't respond, he continued his taunts.

"You're nothing but a shadow in the sewers. You'll be stuck here forever while I am worshipped by the masses!"

Suddenly, a figure appeared from the shadows behind me.

A hand blurred through the air, and a sharp slap echoed through the room.

Caspian's head snapped to the side, his cheek blooming into a violent red.

Mother stood there, her eyes brimming with disappointment and rage.

"Caspian! Who taught you to speak such filth?"

"Killian is your brother! If it weren't for his sacrifice, you wouldn't even be allowed to stand in the light!"

"I am truly ashamed of you!"

I blinked back fake tears and tugged at her sleeve, acting the part of the peacemaker.

"Mother, please don't be angry with him. It's my fault. I shouldn't try to hog your attention."

Caspian clenched his fists, his face turning a dark, bruised purple as he screamed at me.