Gilded Dawn {FE:3H} [HIATUS]

PROLOGUE

Gilded Dawn Timeline

Imperial Year 1180

Great Tree Moon

Byleth stared absentmindedly out his window onto the peaceful village below. The stars still shone overhead, and the only light or noise was from the tavern not far from their inn. He could hear their laughter from here, the sounds of boisterous laughter, clanking glasses, cheerful music. Any other time, he'd be down there with them, perhaps not celebrating as enthusiastically as the rest of his father's mercenaries, but involved in the festivities none the less. But now...

He sighed. With the sight of all he had to do in front of him, it was hard to breathe, let alone sleep or, Sothis forbid, interact with people. He couldn't help but wonder if this was how Edelgard had felt for the entirety of her school career, and how she'd managed it. He let out another sigh, turning from the window to once again survey his shadowed room.

Right before the sun rose, his father would barge through that door right there, to make sure he was awake in time to leave for the Kingdom. But they'd never get to the Kingdom. They wouldn't even make it out of Remire Village before the three youths approached them. Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. They'd defeat the bandits that'd been chasing them, then Alois would appear and rope the group into going to the monastery. Byleth knew how this would play out, he'd seen it four times before. This was his one chance, his one chance to change fate, and he wouldn't let them down. Not this time.

Well, it was no use to waste this time. Byleth stood from his bed, rummaging through his sacks until he found what he was looking for. A candle, a match, a quill, and a book. The book was seemingly nothing fancy, with a worn amber cover containing yellowed pages, all tied within a silken ribbon. On its cover was engraved the motto he'd be living by – "I challenge my fate".

This book was his life – quite literally. The pages were filled with the narrative of the lives he'd lived before. The Verdant Wind Timeline. The Crimson Flower Timeline. The Azure Moon Timeline. The Silver Snow Timeline. The future of Fodlan had always been changed by his choices. He opened the book to his last entry and prepared to continue writing. He would write his own story for this world.

He could only hope it'd have a happy ending.