Chapter 40: Chapter 40 – Shadows Above the Morning Sky

Morning arrived differently within the Sinclair Domain.

Unlike ordinary cities where sunlight slowly crawled over rooftops and people gradually awakened from sleep, the Sinclair territory felt alive long before dawn itself arrived. Great floating formations above the skies glowed softly as streams of mana flowed between gigantic barrier towers surrounding the noble lands. Countless magic arrays carved into mountain walls activated one after another while transportation platforms drifted through the air carrying servants, knights, and nobles between districts.

This place did not sleep.

Power never slept.

And those born into noble families learned a truth very early in life:

If you rested too long—

Someone stronger would climb over your corpse.

High above the territory, standing atop the roof of one of the central estate towers, Etherius Sinclair silently overlooked the morning scenery.

Wind brushed against his split-colored hair.

White.

Black.

Light.

Dark.

Contradictions.

His eyes remained fixed upon a distant district.

Outer Estate District Two.

Eternia’s estate.

Specifically—

Eternia herself.

Far below he could barely see movement between gardens and pathways.

Three figures.

One silver-haired.

One dark-haired.

One... apparently getting hit.

SMACK.

Even from here he somehow knew.

Kael again.

Etherius stared.

Silence.

Long silence.

"...You have been watching for twelve minutes."

A voice came from behind him.

Unlike ordinary footsteps, these had no sound.

No warning.

Nothing.

A girl stepped from behind the rooftop structures and casually sat on the edge of the tower.

She looked around the same age as Etherius.

Fifteen.

Long midnight-blue hair flowed behind her while two black ribbons tied portions of it near her shoulders. Twin daggers rested at her waist while silver combat attire covered her body beneath a long black coat.

Sharp eyes.

Lazy expression.

Dangerous aura.

Yet strangely—

Comfortable.

Like someone who belonged beside him naturally.

Her name was:

Nysera Valeheart.

In Etherius’s previous life she had eventually become known as:

The Phantom Star of the Black Horizon.

Assassin.

Commander.

Disaster.

And one of the few people who remained beside Etherius until the very end.

Not because of duty.

Not because of contracts.

Not because of power.

But because somewhere during endless years of war—

They became family.

Not by blood.

Something much stronger.

Nysera looked toward him.

Then toward Eternia’s district.

Then back toward Etherius.

Long pause.

"...You know."

Silence.

"...This still feels absurd."

Etherius did not answer.

Wind moved quietly overhead.

Then Nysera sighed.

Long sigh.

"...Now you know."

Etherius finally spoke.

"...Know what?"

She stared.

"...Don’t act mysterious."

"...You literally said yesterday that you came from the future."

Silence.

"...Correct."

"...And after saying that you somehow expected a normal reaction?"

"...Possibly."

Nysera stared.

Then crossed her arms.

"...No."

Etherius blinked.

"...No?"

"...Absolutely not."

Silence.

"...No what?"

Nysera pointed dramatically.

"We are NOT raiding ancestor tombs."

Silence.

Etherius slowly turned.

"...What."

Nysera continued.

"We are NOT stealing hidden relics beneath noble graves."

"..."

"We are NOT awakening suspicious cursed weapons."

"..."

"We are NOT entering sealed underground labyrinths."

"..."

"We are NOT opening magical prison chambers hidden beneath mountains."

"..."

"We are absolutely NOT digging up suspicious artifacts from dead family members."

Long silence.

Very long silence.

Etherius stared.

Wind moved.

Birds flew.

Clouds passed.

"...Who said anything about tombs?"

Nysera stared.

"...You."

"...No."

"...Future knowledge."

"...Yes."

"...Knowledge of artifacts."

"...Yes."

"...Knowledge of hidden places."

"...Yes."

"...Suspicious confidence."

"..."

"...Tomb robbery."

Etherius closed his eyes.

Headache.

Massive headache.

"...Your logic is horrifying."

"...Thank you."

"...Not praise."

"...Accepted anyway."

Long silence followed.

Then—

Unexpectedly—

Etherius laughed.

Very softly.

Nysera froze.

Completely.

Because she remembered.

No—

Not from this life.1

From another.

Another world.

Another ending.

Back then toward the final years of war—

Etherius stopped laughing.

Stopped smiling.

Stopped speaking.

His eyes slowly became emptier.

Until eventually only revenge remained.

Until eventually only hatred remained.

Nysera looked downward.

"...You laugh more now."

Silence.

Etherius looked toward distant mountains.

"...Do I?"

"...Yes."

Pause.

"...Back then..."

Her voice lowered.

"...You only laughed before doing something reckless."

Etherius stared.

Silence.

Images surfaced.

Execution platform.

Chains.

Blood.

The Emperor.

The First Prince.

Betrayal.

Crowds screaming.

Fire.

Then—

Darkness.

Etherius slowly closed his eyes.

No.

Not this time.

Never again.

Because this life belonged to him.

Not fate.

Not destiny.

Him.

Eventually he spoke.

"...The capital won’t save itself."

Nysera looked at him.

"...The Imperial Capital?"

"...Yes."

Silence.

"...Eventually everything starts there."

His eyes slowly narrowed.

"...The academy."

"...The princess."

"...The succession wars."

"...The invasion."

"...The deaths."

Wind passed quietly.

"...And before all of that..."

Long pause.

"...Eternia must awaken."

Nysera blinked.

"...Awaken?"

Etherius remained silent.

Too silent.

Because even he wasn’t certain.

Eternia did not exist previously.

No Eternia Sinclair existed in his memories.

Yet now—

She existed.

Ancient magic.

Impossible growth.

Unknown transformation.

Darkened hair.

Purple eyes.

And instincts.

Terrifying instincts.

She moved too efficiently.

Too naturally.

Sometimes when observing her—

Etherius remembered battlefield veterans.

No.

Not veterans.

Monsters.

People who survived impossible things.

People carrying scars no child should possess.

Then there was another issue.

Whenever Etherius looked directly into Eternia’s eyes—

Sometimes...

Very briefly...

Something felt wrong.

As if something looked back.

No.

Impossible.

Long silence followed. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Then Etherius spoke.

"...As for the neighboring kingdom..."

Nysera raised an eyebrow.

Far beyond Sinclair territory existed one of the strongest kingdoms in existence.

Land of war.

Land of iron.

Land where rulers personally conquered territories.

Kingdom of Drakhar Veylos.

The Crimson Kingdom.

A place where strength alone determined worth.

Future enemy.

Future battlefield.

Future bloodshed.

Etherius stared toward distant mountains.

Then smiled.

Very slightly.

"...Mine."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Nysera slowly looked toward him.

"..."

"..."

"...You said that casually."

"...Hm."

"...You just claimed ownership over another kingdom."

"...Correct."

"...Again."

"...Yes."

"...You are completely insane."

"...Possibly."

"...POSSIBLY?!"

Far below—

SMACK.

Kael grabbed his head.

"...OW!"

Eternia lowered her hand.

"...Enough excuses."

Kael looked betrayed.

Absolute betrayal.

"Violence."

"...Hm."

"Oppression."

"...Hm."

"Merchant discrimination."

"...Hm."

Kael stared.

"...Do you only say hm now?"

Eternia crossed her arms.

"...My hair and eye colors are normal."

Silence.

Kael pointed dramatically.

"No they are not!"

Leon slowly looked away.

Very suspiciously.

Eternia narrowed her eyes.

"...Explain."

Kael pointed harder.

"Half dark."

"Purple eyes."

"Suspicious."

Eternia froze.

Very slowly—

She touched her hair.

White.

Black.

White.

Black.

Silence.

"..."

"..."

"...Huh."

Pain.

Tiny pain.

Darkness.

Eyes.

Voice.

Something.

Something enormous.

Then—

Gone.

Again.

Eternia frowned.

Strange.

Very strange.

Why did this feel familiar?

No.

Not familiar.

Wrong.

Like forgetting something important.

Shatter’s memories had always remained crystal clear.

Humiliations.

Blood.

Cold.

Hunger.

Death.

He remembered all of it.

So why—

Why did this emptiness bother her?

Something existed there.

Somewhere.

But she couldn’t reach it.

Kael immediately pointed.

"SEE?!"

SMACK.

"...OW!"

Leon covered his mouth.

Failing terribly at hiding laughter.

Eternia looked toward him.

"...Leon."

Instant reaction.

"...Y-Yes?!"

"...Come."

Silence.

"...Hm?"

"...Training."

Leon froze.

Critical damage.

Massive damage.

"...M-me?"

"...Yes."

Silence.

Leon’s face instantly became red.

Again.

Very red.

Strange.

Humans were strange.

Very strange.

Then Eternia slowly turned.

Toward Kael.

Absolute terror filled his eyes.

"...Kael."

"...No."

"...Come."

"...No."

"...Come."

"...Merchant work."

"...Come."

"...Responsibilities."

"...Come."

"...I HAVE A FAMILY BUSINESS."

Eternia stared.

Silence.

Long silence.

Kael stared back.

Long silence.

Longer silence.

Shatter remembered something.

Past life.

Mercenaries.

Negotiations.

Scammers.

Nobles.

Lies.

People always revealed weaknesses eventually.

Eventually.

Kael’s weakness?

Simple.

Eternia slowly looked away.

Then casually spoke.

"...Leon."

"...Y-yes?"

"...Let’s train without him."

Kael blinked.

"...Hm?"

"...We’ll probably discover new magic."

Pause.

"...Ancient magic maybe."

Silence.

Kael froze.

Eternia continued walking.

"...Maybe treasure too."

Another pause.

"...Maybe profitable artifacts."

Absolute silence.

Three seconds passed.

Then—

"WAIT!"

Eternia smiled internally.

Got him.

Shatter understood people.

Because in his previous life—

Survival depended on understanding people.

Kael ran toward them.

"W-we should train together!"

"...Hm."

"Friends support friends!"

"...Hm."

"Merchant work can wait!"

"...Hm."

Kael narrowed eyes.

"...You manipulated me."

Eternia looked away.

"...No."

"...YOU DID."

"...No proof."

"...THAT’S NOT HOW—"

Leon laughed.

Actually laughed.

For several moments everyone stared.

Because Leon himself looked surprised.

Very surprised.

Then slowly—

Very slowly—

His expression softened.

And Eternia noticed.

Loneliness.

Recognition.

Because Shatter knew that face.

People with no friends always looked surprised when happiness happened.

Back then—

Shatter remembered eating alone.

Training alone.

Bleeding alone.

Dying alone.

No one waited.

No one cared.

No one looked back.

Perhaps...

Without noticing...

She wanted something different now.

(❁´◡`❁)

Far away—

Within the central estate—

Silence filled enormous halls.

Upon a throne sat a man whose existence alone felt overwhelming.

Long silver hair.

Golden eyes.

Pressure.

Authority.

Power.

Aurelian Draven Sinclair.

Patriarch.

Monster.

GrandFather.

Opposite him stood Godfrey.

Silence filled room.

Then—

"...Why."

Long pause.

"...Why did you take Eternia beneath your banner?"

Silence.

Godfrey smiled.

Very slightly.

"...Well."

Pause.

"...If you intended to discard her—"

BOOM.

Pressure exploded.

Several elders paled.

Aurelian narrowed eyes.

"...Enough."

Silence.

"...You know what I mean."

Long pause.

"...Her mother."

Cold silence.

"...Comes from a bloodline of heretics."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Heretics.

Names erased.

People hunted.

People feared.

Godfrey stared.

Then smiled.

"...I know."

Silence.

"...I know exactly who they are."

The room grew colder.

Much colder.

Then Godfrey looked upward.

Smiled.

Dangerously.

"...Which is exactly why I became interested."

Silence.

Long silence.

Then—

"...Because if I am correct..."

Godfrey’s smile widened.

"...then that child isn’t illegitimate at all."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The room froze.

Aurelian’s eyes narrowed.

And for the first time—

Even he stood.

Etherius shared visions of alternate future past with her.