Chapter 1: The Weight of an Unchosen Name

The morning light spilled gently across the quiet streets of Shore District, wrapping the old stone paths and modest homes in a warm golden hue. 

Yūitsu Flott stood before the grand yet understated gates of the family mansion, his travel bag slung lightly over one shoulder. 

The air carried the familiar scent of blooming flowers from the garden his grandparents tended with such care.

Grandmother Elara approached with her usual soft steps, her hands reaching up to straighten his collar with tender precision. Her eyes held decades of quiet affection. 

Beside her, Grandfather Harlan watched with a warm, steady gaze, the kind that spoke of unwavering support without needing many words.

You must take care on the road to EastBank, Yūitsu, Grandmother said, her voice like a gentle breeze. We know you will shine there, just as you always have here.

Grandfather placed a firm yet kind hand on his shoulder. The Flott name has brought peace to Shore for many years now. But more than that, it is your own spirit that we trust. Go with our blessings.

From inside the doorway came the quick patter of small feet. Little Ellina burst out, her pigtails bouncing as she clutched a small handmade box tied with a bright ribbon. 

Big brother! She thrust the box toward him, her face glowing with pure joy. I packed extra strawberry sweets just for you. Promise you will eat them when you miss home?

Yūitsu knelt gracefully to her level, accepting the gift with both hands. His expression remained calm and respectful. Thank you, Ellina. I will treasure them more than you know.

As he rose, the household staff had gathered at a respectful distance. The old head gardener bowed deeply, his weathered face filled with genuine warmth. 

Young Master Yūitsu, the car awaits. We shall keep the grounds beautiful in your absence. Shore is always brighter with a Flott watching over it.

A young maid smiled brightly, her eyes shining with sincere kindness. Everyone here is so proud of you. Starting high school in EastBank... you will surely make us all smile even wider when you return.

Yūitsu offered a polite nod to each of them, his voice steady. Your kindness touches me. I will not forget it.

Yet with every warm word, every respectful glance, and every small thoughtful gesture, something heavy settled deeper in his chest. These people smiled not because of anything he had done, but simply because he carried the Flott name.

 The respect flowed toward him like a river he had never earned, and the more it surrounded him, the more it felt like chains wrapped in silk.

The car ride toward the district border only deepened the feeling. At the checkpoint, the officer recognized him at once. Instead of a routine glance, the man straightened with clear respect and waved them through without delay.

Safe travels, Young Master Flott, he called out. The whole of Shore District feels honored to send one of its own into EastBank. We know you will represent us well.

Yūitsu thanked him calmly, but as the familiar streets of Shore faded behind, he stared out the window at the waving shopkeepers and passing residents. 

Their kindness was real, their love for the Flott clan sincere. Yet none of it belonged to him alone. It had been given the moment he was born.

By the time he reached the modest but elegant secondary residence prepared for him in EastBank, the caretaker couple 

Mr. and Mrs. Tsubaki were already waiting. They bowed with warm hospitality the instant he stepped from the car.

Welcome, Young Master Yūitsu, Mr. Tsubaki said, his tone full of genuine pleasure. Your room is ready exactly as your grandparents wished. 

If there is anything at all you desire, please speak it. The Flott family has always brought such good to this city. It is our honor to serve you.

Mrs. Tsubaki offered a basket of fresh fruits and a few extra sweets with a kind smile. We heard your little sister has a sweet tooth, so we thought these might comfort you as well. Please rest after your journey.

Yūitsu accepted their gestures with respectful thanks, yet inside the guilt pressed heavier. Their eyes held the same warmth he had known all his life in Shore. 

Kindness upon kindness, respect layered without question. All of it handed to a name he had done nothing to deserve.

Later that evening, alone in his new room, Yūitsu stood by the window gazing at the distant lights of EastBank High School. The massive campus sprawled under the darkening sky, 

filled with stadiums, museums, and the promise of countless new faces who knew nothing of the Flott clan. Here, the weight felt different. Not lighter, but full of possibility.

A quiet laugh escaped him, soft yet carrying the unshakable confidence that defined his soul.

Honour is earned… not given.

He paused, his eyes gleaming with serene fire as he spoke once more, his voice calm and resolute.

I will never use my clan’s name or reputation for my own benefit. I respect them more deeply than words can express, so I will prove with my own hands and will that I am truly worthy of bearing the name Flott.

The evening shadows stretched long across the residence as Yūitsu sat alone. The old magic book his grandfather had entrusted to him rested on the low table, its ancient leather cover worn smooth by time. 

He opened it with calm, deliberate fingers and traced the summoning circle, chanting the incantation in a steady voice.

The air grew heavy. A rift tore open, and the Reaper emerged from swirling dark mist, its eyes glowing like cold embers. Yūitsu rose, looking the being directly in the eyes.

Make every soul in EastBank forget the name Flott. Let no one know who I am. Wipe every trace of my clan from their memories. I wish to walk here as nothing more than Yūitsu.

The Reaper inclined its hooded head. The wish spread like a silent wind, erasing the name Flott from every memory in EastBank. But the Reaper did not stop there. It had removed the name from the souls of every person across all of Riverbank, including Shore District.

Yūitsu left the residence that night, taking only the old magic book. He abandoned everything else  the prepared clothes, the basket of fruits, and even the small box of strawberry sweets Ellina had made for him. He would begin anew with nothing but what he could earn himself.

For days he searched the bustling streets of EastBank. He eventually found work at a small bakery nestled between a museum and a football stadium. 

The owner, Mrs. Akari, hired him as a waiter after one look at his composed features. Female students from nearby high schools often visited, and she thought his presence might draw more customers.

Yūitsu was simply himself  calm, kind, respectful, and careful with every word. When girls approached the counter, he would greet them with gentle sincerity. Good afternoon. What may I bring you today?

His voice carried a quiet warmth that made even the simplest question feel personal. The girls blushed, laughed softly, and returned day after day, 

drawn to his genuine caring nature and the way he handled every situation with effortless respect. Mrs. Akari was pleased with the growing crowds.

Within a week, he had earned enough to rent a tiny apartment on the edge of the student district. It was nothing more than a single room with a narrow bed and a small window, far from the luxury of the family mansion in Shore. 

Yet as he locked the door with the key he had paid for himself, a deep pride filled his chest. This modest space was his, earned through honest effort.

He sat on the edge of the bed, the old magic book beside him, and allowed himself a soft, confident laugh.

Honour is earned… not given.

I will never lean upon my clan’s name or reputation for my benefit. I respect them too deeply for that. So I will prove, through every choice and every effort, 

that I am worthy of bearing the name Flott, not because it was handed to me, but because I have made myself deserving of it.

But the air in the tiny apartment suddenly thickened. Shadows pooled in the corner, and the Reaper stepped forth once more.

The wish has been fulfilled, it said, its voice low and resonant. But not only in EastBank. The name Flott has been erased from the souls and memories of every living person across all of Riverbank, including Shore District. 

Your grandparents and your little sister no longer exist in anyone’s recollection as part of the Flott clan. 

The mansion, the respect, the wealth… all of it has vanished. They are now living on the streets of Shore, homeless and forgotten.

Yūitsu’s calm expression did not waver, but inside, the guilt he had carried for so long twisted into something unbearable. Ellina’s bright smile. Grandmother’s gentle hands. Grandfather’s proud gaze. All of them suffering because of the command he had given.

The Reaper continued. I can rewind time to the moment before the wish took full effect. Everything you have built here  the job at the bakery, this apartment you earned, the fresh start will be lost. 

The Flott name will return, and your family will be restored. Or you may keep this new life, and your family will continue to endure the consequences.

The choice seemed simple on the surface, yet the moment the Reaper mentioned his family living on the streets, Yūitsu’s decision was immediate and absolute.

Rewind it, he said, his voice calm and respectful. Restore everything. I will not walk a single step forward if it means leaving my family behind in the dust I created. The Reaper inclined its head. As you command, Ascended One.

Time folded inward. Colors blurred, and when the world settled once more, Yūitsu found himself standing in the original room of the family residence in EastBank. 

The old magic book lay open exactly as it had been the moment he finished the summoning. The Reaper still stood before him.

Everything had returned to that single point in time. No bakery job. No tiny apartment earned with his own hands. Only the heavy lesson now burning in his soul.

Yūitsu exhaled slowly, the weight of what he had almost done settling deep within him like new strength. He had nearly traded the people he loved most for a path of pure self-proving. Never again.

A quiet, confident laugh escaped him, carrying the unshakable fire of the Ascended One.

Honour is earned… not given. Yet some things are worth more than any path I could carve alone. I will never again risk the ones who gave me everything, simply to prove I need nothing. 

The name Flott will be mine to honour, not to escape. And I will make it worthy through a life that protects what truly matters.

The Reaper watched in silence, its ember eyes gleaming with something almost like respect. The true test of the Ascended One had only just begun.