The underground sanctuary pulsed with ancient, echoing stillness. Dim violet crystals shimmered on the vaulted ceiling, casting elongated shadows of the ten young women standing in a circle. At the center, Kieran stood like the still point of a turning world, his gaze calm yet burning with unseen fire.
Behind him, Elira Virelle stepped forward in silence, a soft white glow from the Crown Crest on her nape shimmering gently beneath her platinum hair.
"All fifteen are gathered," she said, her voice smooth and composed, though a glint of reverence sparked in her eyes. "Awaiting your word… Sovereign."
Kieran's gaze swept across the gathered orphans—each one saved, chosen, reshaped not by fate but by his will.
He raised his right hand.
A luminous symbol—an intricate circlet of intertwining glyphs and ancient runes—manifested in the air.
"You are no longer forgotten," he said softly. "You are no longer cursed. You are no longer alone."
"You are mine. The Hidden Crown—my shadows, my blades, my heart in this world."
A shiver went through the group, a solemn awe. The System responded to his declaration, binding each girl with an upgraded interface linked to Kieran's own core system—a hive of loyalty, complete with:
Telepathic Links
Personal Skill Logs & Memory Sync
Real-Time Training Feedback
Emergency Crest Shield
Crest-Activated Upgrades
Each member's Crown Crest shimmered visibly at the nape of their neck, pulsing with quiet life.
One by one, Kieran stepped forward, placing his hand over their Crest. With each touch, he whispered a line only they could hear—a personal vow, a promise of rebirth.
Core Members of Hidden Crown (The First forsaken Rescued)
1. Elira Virelle
Race: High Elf (Exiled)
Role: Tactical Leader / Second-in-commandElira stood tall, a model of elegance and strength. As Kieran's first recruit, she had already proven herself a pillar.
"Your threads of mana will bind the strategy that controls empires," he said softly to her."Guide them in my name."
Her eyes flickered. "Always, my Sovereign."
2. Rhea Ashclaw
Race: Beastkin (Tiger Tribe)
Role: Frontline CommanderShe thumped her chest with a fierce grin, already cracking her knuckles. Her striped tail flicked playfully.
"You break my chains, I break the world for you," she said with conviction.
"You are my claws," Kieran replied, "and my storm of fire."
3. Sylvie Mirelle
Race: Half-Mermaid
Role: Intelligence LeadShe knelt on one knee, water gently spiraling around her from the moisture in the air.
"To listen through oceans for your whispers," she said, "is joy."
"Then hear the tides that drown nations," Kieran whispered.
4. Talia Gearwright
Race: Dwarf
Role: Tech & Artifact DivisionShe adjusted her goggles nervously, soot smudged across her cheek.
"I might explode things... accidentally."
"Explode the heavens if you like," he said with a smile. "Just do it in my name."
5.Yui Nocthollow
Race: Dark Elf
Role: Assassination & ReconYui simply stared at him, unreadable as always.
"I am your shadow. Tell me who needs to vanish."
"Everyone who ever made you feel unloved," he replied. "Begin with them."
Her smile was cold. "With pleasure."
6.Mira Solvine
Race: Human (Cursed Bloodline)
Role: Aegis DivisionShe bowed shakily, tea cup still in hand.
"Will I be useful… even if I'm a bit slow?"
"You're the wall between me and the end of the world, Mira," he whispered.
She flushed pink, nearly dropping her tea.
7. Nyssa Thorne
Race: Beastkin (Hawk)
Role: Aerial ReconShe gave a cheeky grin, wings folding behind her.
"Wings up, eyes sharp. Your sky is safe."
"I trust no other wind but yours," he said, clasping her crest.
8.Vell Ashmoor
Race: Human (Necromancer Lineage)
Role: Umbra DivisionShe held out a black rose made of bone.
"For you, my garden blooms in graveyards."
"Then I shall walk with death at my side," he said, accepting the rose.
9. Kaelira "Kai" Drathwyn
Race: Dragonkin
Role: Heavy AssaultShe stood with arms crossed, heat radiating off her.
"You want destruction? Just point."
"You are my crimson tempest," he said, "burn their heavens down."
10. Luma Peony
Race: Fae (Light Sprite)
Role: Healing & Support She stumbled forward, smiling brightly.
"I brought flower crowns for everyone!"
"Then you'll be the bloom in the battlefield," he said warmly.
11. Miryel of the Glade – a dryad girl with petrified limbs and explosive life magic. (Job: Verdant Cataclysm Sage)
12. Nyssa Cain – a blind swordswoman whose soul had fused with a forgotten spirit wolf. (Job: Lupine Soul Dancer)
13. Rena Hollowin – a mute beastkin with telekinetic rage. (Job: Stormbound Sentinel)
14. Vaelira Noctune – a vampire-lord's illegitimate daughter, hunted for her hybrid blood. (Job: Crimson Dream Warden)
15. Ilyra Snowveil – a frost witch whose powers had sealed her village in eternal winter. (Job: Glacial Empress)
the other fives were bathed with the sovereign's mana and his words
The Vow of Shadows
They all stood, the ten of them, glowing with their personalized upgrades and job systems now awakened.
Kieran raised his right hand.
"Repeat after me…"
One voice. Ten hearts. One will.
"In shadow, we rise. In silence, we strike. In devotion, we reign. We are the Hidden Crown—his eyes, his blade, his soul."
They knelt in unison.
And in that moment—a faction was born that would one day shake the foundations of the world.