Chapter 33: Chapter 33 – The Thing Waiting in the Dark

The lantern-lit pathways of the Sinclair estate stretched endlessly beneath the night sky.

The three of them continued walking through the quiet roads while distant servants moved between buildings and carriages passed in the background. The noise from the arena had mostly disappeared now, replaced by a calm silence hanging over the estate.

Leon walked beside Eternia quietly.

Kael walked a few steps ahead with his hands behind his head lazily.

For a while nobody spoke.

Until Eternia suddenly remembered something.

"...Ah."

Kael glanced backward.

"Hm?"

Eternia looked toward Leon.

"You should come with me tomorrow."

Leon blinked.

"...What?"

Eternia answered calmly.

"My training."

Leon tilted his head.

"Training?"

"With Etherius."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Even Kael slowly lowered his hands.

Leon stopped walking completely.

"...What?"

Eternia looked confused.

"...I just said it."

"No, I heard you."

Leon pointed at her.

"Y-You mean that Etherius?"

"Yes."

"The Etherius Sinclair?"

"Yes."

"The monster?"

Eternia blinked.

"...There are multiple?"

Kael immediately looked away.

"...She really doesn’t realize what she says."

Leon looked completely horrified.

"No."

His answer came instantly.

Firm.

Fast.

"No."

Eternia blinked once.

"...No?"

Leon nodded repeatedly.

"No."

"Why?"

"Why?!"

He pointed dramatically.

"Because that’s Etherius!"

"...Yes."

"He radiates danger!"

"...Yes."

"He feels like a future villain!"

"...Probably."

"He stares at people like he’s evaluating whether they’re worth keeping alive!"

"...Accurate."

Leon looked at her with disbelief.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU SO CALM?!"

Eternia tilted her head slightly.

"...He invited me."

"That somehow makes it worse!"

Kael covered his face.

"This conversation is incredible."

Leon immediately shook his head repeatedly.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Come."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I enjoy living."

Eternia stared at him quietly.

Leon stared back.

Five seconds passed.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Then—

"...Please?"

Leon froze.

Kael slowly turned his head.

"...Wait."

Leon blinked.

"...Eh?"

Eternia looked directly into his eyes.

Expressionless.

Completely serious.

"...Come."

"...N-No."

"Please."

"N-No."

"Please."

Leon immediately looked away.

"T-Too close."

Eternia moved closer.

Leon froze.

"...Too close."

Closer.

"...E-Eternia?"

Closer.

Leon’s entire body stiffened.

Because Eternia’s face was suddenly only inches away from his own.

Silver eyes.

Long black and white hair gently swaying.

Completely expressionless face.

Staring directly at him.

Leon’s brain stopped functioning instantly.

"...C-close..."

Very close.

Far too close.

Leon could practically hear his own heartbeat.

Meanwhile Eternia simply continued staring at him.

No embarrassment.

No hesitation.

Nothing.

Pure pressure.

"...Come train."

Leon’s face instantly turned bright red.

"W-W-WHY ARE YOU SO CLOSE?!"

Eternia blinked.

"...This increases persuasion success."

"WHO TAUGHT YOU THAT?!"

Kael was shaking.

Actually shaking.

Because he was trying not to laugh.

Leon stepped backward desperately.

His entire face burned red.

"T-Too close..."

Closer.

Eternia leaned slightly again.

"...Leon."

"D-Don’t say my name like that!"

"...Train."

"N-NO!"

"Please." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"No!"

"Please."

"...N-no..."

"Please."

"...I..."

"Please."

"...Fine!!"

Silence.

Eternia stopped moving immediately.

"...Okay."

Leon froze.

"...Eh?"

"...Thank you."

His eyes widened.

"...WAIT."

Leon immediately pointed at her.

"THAT WASN’T FAIR!"

Eternia blinked.

"...What wasn’t?"

"THAT!"

Kael completely lost control.

He doubled over laughing.

"Hahahaha—!"

Leon turned bright red.

"STOP LAUGHING!"

Kael pointed at him while barely breathing.

"You surrendered?!"

"I DIDN’T SURRENDER!"

"You absolutely surrendered!"

"I WAS AMBUSHED!"

Meanwhile Eternia silently stared at Leon.

Internally—

Absolute chaos.

"...So cute."

Pause.

"...Wait."

Another pause.

"...Why am I thinking that?"

Silence.

Her thoughts suddenly froze.

Very dangerous thoughts.

"...Wait a second."

A horrifying realization slowly formed.

"...Wasn’t I a guy in my previous life?"

Silence.

"...But now I’m a girl."

Long silence.

"...Then if I think he’s cute..."

Pause.

"...Am I straight?"

Longer pause.

"...Or gay?"

Complete silence.

Eternia’s expression remained perfectly calm externally.

Internally?

A catastrophe.

"...Wait."

"...Wait."

"...WAIT."

Her brain immediately began collapsing.

Past-life Shatter screamed internally.

Current-life Eternia malfunctioned.

Ancient magic?

Simple.

Fusion magic?

Simple.

Reincarnation?

Manageable.

Gender identity after reincarnation?

Absolute nightmare.

Meanwhile Leon still looked ready to explode.

Kael stared at Eternia suspiciously.

"...Why did you suddenly freeze?"

"...Nothing."

"Your eyes went blank."

"...Nothing happened."

"Your soul left your body."

"...Incorrect."

Kael narrowed his eyes.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

Eventually Leon recovered slightly.

"...A-Anyway..."

He looked away.

"I’ll go."

Eternia immediately recovered.

"...Good."

Kael stared at both of them.

Then sighed.

"...You two are disasters."

Eternia suddenly looked toward Kael.

"You should come too."

Kael blinked.

"...Hm?"

"Train with us."

Instant refusal.

"No."

Eternia frowned.

"...Why?"

Kael stretched slightly.

"Unlike you monsters, I have responsibilities."

He shrugged.

"I come from a branch family."

His expression became more serious.

"My family runs one of the merchant groups tied to Sinclair territory."

Eternia blinked.

"...Merchant group?"

Kael nodded.

"Nobles aren’t all warriors."

His voice became calmer.

"My family handles trade routes, finances, logistics."

He smirked slightly.

"Someone has to manage money while people like you destroy buildings."

Eternia stared silently.

"...That sounds difficult."

Kael laughed slightly.

"It is."

He looked toward them both.

"So while you three monsters train together..."

He pointed toward himself.

"I’ll be buried under paperwork."

Leon looked sympathetic.

"...That sounds terrible."

"It is terrible."

Kael looked toward Eternia.

"...Don’t die tomorrow."

"...I won’t."

"Good."

The three eventually reached the intersection where their paths separated.

Kael waved lazily before walking away.

Leon hesitated slightly.

Then looked toward Eternia.

"...Tomorrow then."

"...Tomorrow."

Silence.

Leon awkwardly waved.

Then immediately walked away.

Very quickly.

Suspiciously quickly.

Eternia stared quietly.

"...Why is he running?"

No answer came.

Night deepened.

Eventually Eternia returned toward her estate alone.

The events of today replayed endlessly inside her mind.

Dungeon trial.

Minotaur.

Adapt.

Etherius.

Godfrey.

Leon.

Training tomorrow.

Everything felt chaotic.

Unbelievably chaotic.

"...This life really is strange."

In her previous life as Shatter—

Every day had been survival.

Running.

Fighting.

Hiding.

Struggling.

Yet now—

For a brief moment—

Things felt almost peaceful.

Almost.

Eternia entered her room quietly.

Closed the door.

Changed clothes.

Sat on her bed.

"...Tired."

Very tired.

Her body slowly relaxed.

Her eyes closed.

Darkness.

Silence.

Sleep slowly embraced her.

Then—

CLANG.

A sound.

Sharp.

Heavy.

Metal scraping against metal.

Eternia’s eyes snapped open instantly.

Her body moved on instinct.

Mana circulated.

Muscles tightened.

But—

Everything froze.

Silence.

Darkness.

No room.

No walls.

No bed.

Nothing.

Only endless black.

Eternia slowly stood.

"...What?"

No sound answered.

No mana.

No light.

No presence.

Nothing.

Then—

Something moved.

Far away.

Very far away.

Something enormous.

Eternia slowly looked upward.

And froze.

Because for the first time since reincarnating—

For the first time since dying as Shatter—

True fear returned.

Not fear of battle.

Not fear of death.

Not fear of nobles.

Primal fear.

Because standing before her—

Inside the endless void—

Was a horror beyond comprehension.

Its shape twisted unnaturally.

Too large.

Too wrong.

Countless eyes opened one after another across impossible flesh.

Millions.

Billions.

Watching.

Looking directly at her.

And somewhere—

From everywhere—

A voice echoed.

Ancient.

Heavy.

Hungry.

"My apostle..."

Silence.

Then—

The eyes slowly widened.

"...we finally meet."