Chapter 39: Chapter 39 – A Friend, A Lie, and a Forgotten Contract

The absurd incident involving Leon’s fake murder scene had finally ended, but the damage left behind was far greater than anyone involved had anticipated. Even now, nearly an hour later, Eternia could still hear servants whispering to one another whenever Leon passed by. The moment they thought he was out of hearing range, their expressions would crack before they quickly covered their mouths and looked away. One guard had nearly collapsed earlier after making eye contact with Leon because apparently the image of him covered in blood while dramatically staring into the distance had permanently burned itself into the poor man’s memory.

Unfortunately for Leon, the Sinclair estate was enormous.

Unfortunately for Leon, rumors traveled faster than magic.

Unfortunately for Leon...

There was no escaping this.

Eternia walked quietly beneath the silver trees lining the eastern garden pathways while Leon and Kael followed behind her. Afternoon sunlight slipped through the branches overhead and cast shifting shadows along the stone road. Decorative streams ran beside the path and crystal fish occasionally leaped from the water. Normally Eternia enjoyed places like this because they reminded her of things she never had in her previous life.

Peace.

Silence.

Comfort.

Back then as Shatter, comfort had been temporary.

A luxury.

No.

Even luxury implied she possessed it sometimes.

Shatter had spent years sleeping in abandoned ruins, caves, and forests while constantly fleeing from people hunting him. Every day had been training. Every night had been survival. Every meal had been uncertain.

Compared to that...

This life felt strange.

Too warm.

Too peaceful.

Too normal.

And somehow...

That frightened her more than monsters.

Because peace made people weak. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Shatter knew that better than anyone.

Eventually Eternia stopped walking and sat beneath a large silver tree overlooking a crystal pond. Wind moved through nearby flowers and carried the scent of fresh grass across the garden. Small glowing fish drifted beneath the water while birds moved overhead.

Leon sat beside her.

Very carefully.

Very, very carefully.

Enough space existed between them that another person could fit there comfortably.

Possibly two.

Kael sat opposite them while holding tea.

Sweating.

Suspiciously.

Very suspiciously.

Silence followed.

Several seconds passed.

Then Eternia smiled.

Immediately—

Kael straightened.

Leon visibly flinched.

Danger.

Absolute danger.

"...So."

Kael swallowed.

Leon lowered his head.

Eternia looked between both of them.

"...Would one of you explain exactly what happened earlier?"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Kael pointed instantly.

"Leon."

Leon’s eyes widened.

"...Traitor."

Kael looked offended.

"Excuse me?!"

"You called me traitor earlier too!"

"You committed harder to the role than me!"

"YOU practiced dying expressions!"

"YOU negotiated blood quantities!"

"YOU said realism mattered!"

"YOU literally stared into mirrors practicing tragic faces!"

Leon immediately turned red.

"W-WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT?!"

"BECAUSE IT’S TRUE!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Eternia stared.

Silence descended.

Heavy silence.

Dangerous silence.

Both instantly shut up.

Wind moved quietly overhead.

Several seconds passed.

Leon slowly lowered his head.

Silver hair covered his eyes.

"...The elders."

Silence.

"...The elders from my family said I shouldn’t train with someone like you."

Eternia blinked.

"...Someone like me?"

Long silence followed.

"...Prodigies."

Wind brushed softly through branches.

"...People born different."

"...People naturally gifted."

"...Monsters."

His hands slowly tightened.

"...They said standing beside people like you only reminds ordinary people how small they are."

Silence.

"...They said I would only slow you down."

"...That eventually I would become dead weight."

"...That I would burden you."

Long pause followed.

"...I’m seventeen."

"...You’re fifteen."

"...Yet you’re stronger."

"...More talented."

"...You defeated a Minotaur."

"...You can use fusion magic."

"...Ancient magic."

"...Even mentally you’re stronger."

His voice gradually lowered.

"...I don’t want to trouble you anymore."

Silence.

Long silence.

Even Kael looked away.

No jokes.

No teasing.

Nothing.

Because for a moment—

Something about Leon looked painfully lonely.

Eternia stared quietly.

Then memories surfaced.

Old memories.

Shatter’s memories.

Second son.

Failure.

Disappointment.

Worthless.

Large training grounds surfaced in her mind.

Children from noble families.

Instructors.

Teachers.

Voices.

Countless voices.

"Still First Circle?"

"Pathetic."

"Untalented."

"Embarrassing."

"Disappointment."

"Waste."

"Hopeless."

Shatter remembered trying.

Trying harder than everyone.

Studying while others slept.

Training until fingers bled.

Practicing until his body collapsed.

Watching people called geniuses move ahead effortlessly while he desperately crawled after them.

He remembered standing behind monsters.

Remembered watching talent crush effort.

Remembered people slowly giving up expectations for him.

That loneliness...

That suffocating feeling...

Looking at Leon now—

She understood.

Because long ago...

Shatter had worn that exact expression.

Silence stretched.

Wind moved softly.

"...Leon."

He flinched.

"...It’s not a problem."

Silence.

Leon’s eyes widened slightly.

Eternia looked toward the pond.

"...Actually..."

Pause.

"...The reason I wanted you to train with me wasn’t because I thought it’d be fun."

Leon slowly looked upward.

Kael blinked.

"...I think I can help you."

Complete silence.

"...Help?"

Eternia nodded.

"...Your mana."

Silence.

"...Your whirlpool mana."

Everything froze.

Leon’s eyes widened.

Kael nearly dropped his tea.

Mana signatures.

Extremely personal things.

Every mage possessed unique mana characteristics.

Some rough.

Violent.

Mana naturally suited toward destruction and close combat.

Others possessed smooth mana.

Flexible mana.

Mana suited toward precision and rapid spellcasting.

Then—

Rarely—

Mutations existed.

Abnormalities.

Unique mana phenomena.

Leon possessed one.

Whirlpool mana.

Endless inward currents constantly spiraling into themselves.

Compressing.

Twisting.

Folding endlessly.

Powerful.

Insanely powerful.

Yet impossible to control.

Eternia looked quietly toward him.

"...Mine is similar."

Silence.

Leon blinked.

"...What?"

"...I also possess whirlpool-type mana."

Long silence.

"...But opposite."

"...Yours converges inward."

"...Mine flows outward."

Silence.

"...My mana constantly escaped."

"...Moved."

"...Leaked."

"...Control used to be impossible."

Shatter’s body surfaced again.

Broken circuits.

Worthless talent.

Weakness.

Compared to before—

This body felt unfair.

Mana obeyed naturally.

Perfectly.

Smoothly.

Like cheating.

Yet similarities remained.

"...Maybe our experiences overlap."

"...Maybe if we compare notes..."

"...We can find something."

Silence followed.

Long silence.

Leon stared.

Friend?

Real friend?

Not pity?

Not politics?

Not obligation?

Someone genuinely trying to understand?

Someone who didn’t think he was a burden?

Something strange happened inside him.

Very strange.

Warm.

Painful.

Happy.

Because suddenly Leon realized something.

Throughout his entire life people looked at him and saw talent.

Or disappointment.

Potential.

Or failure.

But Eternia...

Eternia looked directly at him.

Not his bloodline.

Not his title.

Not his talent.

Him.

For a moment memories surfaced.

Elders.

Brothers.

Sisters.

"Useless."

"Embarrassing."

"Control your mana."

"Train harder."

"You’re failing expectations."

For the first time—

Someone simply said:

"Let’s improve together."

Slowly...

Very slowly...

His ears turned pink.

Then red.

Then—

Critical damage.

Kael immediately noticed.

Of course he noticed.

"...OOOOHHHH?"

Leon exploded.

"N-NO!"

Kael leaned forward.

"N-no?"

"N-NOT LIKE THAT!"

Kael grinned.

"Then what kind?"

Leon’s face became completely red.

Steam nearly appeared.

Eternia blinked.

"...?"

Why was he overheating?

Strange.

Very strange.

Then Eternia slowly turned.

Toward Kael.

Instantly—

Kael froze.

"...Kael."

"...Y-Yes?"

"...Why."

Silence.

"...Why fake murder?"

Kael instantly turned pale.

Absolutely pale.

Sweat rolled down immediately.

"...W-Well..."

"...Friendship."

Pause.

"...Helping friends."

Long pause.

"...Very heroic."

Eternia stared.

Harder.

Much harder.

Kael looked elsewhere.

Clouds.

Sky.

Trees.

Anything.

Then suddenly—

His eyes widened.

Diversion.

Immediate diversion.

He pointed.

"WAIT!"

Eternia blinked.

"...Hm?"

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"...The REAL question is..."

Pause.

"...Your hair."

Silence.

Eternia froze.

"...What?"

Kael pointed dramatically.

"...One side."

"...Dark."

"...Since when?"

Leon blinked.

"...Wait."

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"...Are you trying to copy Etherius?"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Eternia slowly reached upward.

Confused.

"...What do you mean?"

She grabbed a strand.

White.

Then another.

Black.

Silence.

"..."

"..."

"...Huh?"

No.

No no no.

Slowly she touched more.

White.

Black.

White.

Black.

Perfectly divided.

Yesterday—

That definitely wasn’t there.

Right?

...Right?

"...It’s always—"

Pain.

Sudden pain.

Darkness.

Eyes.

Fear.

Dream.

Voice.

Something.

My vessel—

Pain exploded through her skull.

"...AH!"

Fragments surfaced.

Dark void.

Millions of eyes.

Fear.

A presence.

Something ancient.

Something impossible—

Then gone.

Completely gone.

Like reality itself erased it.

Eternia look at them

"What do you mean it was always like this?"

"...wait your eyes are different color too aren’t they"

"...wait you are right Leon!!"

Eternia looked at them and said—

"My hair color and eye color is same as it always was..."

"I get what you are trying to do!"

"You are just trying to distract me"

Kael frantically replied

"N-No I swear on Leon I am serious"

"Eternia stop..."

"Stop chasing meeee---"

Far away—

On a rooftop—

Etherius stood silently.

Beside him stood a man dressed entirely in black.

His subordinate.

Trusted.

Invisible.

Both stared toward Eternia.

Long silence followed.

"...What do you think?"

The man lowered his head.

"...Just like you predicted master."

Silence.

"...Half her hair changed."

Pause.

"...And her eyes."

Long pause.

"...Purple."

Etherius narrowed his eyes.

Purple.

Dark hair.

Memories surfaced.

Previous life.

War.

Blood.

Betrayal.

Emperor.

First Prince.

And something else.

Someone else.

Someone standing beneath corpses.

Someone terrifying.

Long silence followed.

"...Impossible."

The subordinate remained silent.

Etherius looked toward Eternia.

"...Maybe it’s because of her mother’s bloodline."

But deep inside—

Something screamed.

Danger.

Because somewhere beyond worlds—

Beyond stars—

Beyond reality—

Millions of eyes slowly opened.

Watching.

Smiling.

Waiting.

"The vessel adapts."

"Compatibility increases."

"Soon."

Unknown to Eternia—

The contract she forgot...

Had never forgotten her.