A Walk with Eternity-Chapter 38: Seven

"Did we actually get here... safely?"

Cimmerian, Dolunay, Milera, Kian, and Ezio were stunned upon reaching the top floor of the tower. They ran upstairs, even with the risk of practically dying from the traps set up the bottom floors. They were highly alert, of course. However, surprisingly... no traps have been activated on their way up here. Not even a single one.

Once they reached the top floor, they saw how dusty it looked, and it immediately triggered Ezio’s sensitive nose. He began sneezing like a cat that he is, and when Milera heard that, she took out a handkerchief to give it to him. Paying them no mind, Kian and Dolunay began looking around.

"Everything looks untouched... It’s messy," Dolunay stated as she placed a finger on the book cover that was gathering dust. She took her finger back and looked at it. Her finger was darkened with multiple layers of dust. Her face was painted with disgust and she said, "And dirty."

"Well, the one who we thought was Lysander wasn’t actually him at all, I doubt he would be able to enter this tower even as a fake," Kian says. "Let alone servants who would clean this hell hole. Lysander was a clean freak himself."

"It’s still the same as I last saw it," Cimmerian commented, as he wandered his eyes around. He walked directly to Lysander’s study table where he heard Lysander’s faint voice. "It simply gathered dust."

Cimmerian heaved a deep breath as he closed his eyes and concentrated. Think... Where could he be trapped...

"Hello...?"

Cimmerian’s eyes opened wide open as he heard Lysander’s voice. He slowly turned his head to one side of the tower, where the large window is. He was there, sitting by his reading chair next to the window, completely looking transparent. He hasn’t aged either. He was still the same fifteen year-old boy Cimmerian last saw him as.

But Lysander... he looked horrifying. He was bleeding with scratches all over his body and face. It didn’t seem like he had a good fight from the time he was attacked.

All of them were looking at him completely flabbergasted, and that’s when he smiled.

"I’m sorry... This turned out to be a completely different situation than you thought, didn’t it?"

Cimmerian was rattled. "No! I-I thought you were—" He began stuttering, but Lysander cut him off.

"Trapped in my shadows? No, I’m half human, remember?" Lysander chuckled. "It may be a common thing among our clan, but the possibility of it ever even happening to me is slim to none."

"T-Then what happened?! Why...?" Cimmerian was panicking. In his mind, he was talking to a ghost. The others couldn’t wrap their heads around the situation either. They could barely even move from their spot..

Lysander simply smiled. He didn’t want to say anything at all, but maybe for their peace...

"Some person was looking for Yves," Lysander begins, looking out the window. "I was out of town for some research, and a beautiful woman approached me. She was interested in what I was doing and as well as everything about our empire. She seemed to be a noble woman from another country, travelling here in Slora. I blindly let my guard down, which was foolish of me because that person turned out to be a being like Yves was in the past, and it wasn’t a woman either."

Lysander was laughing at himself at this point. Kian and Dolunay face-slapped.

Of course you’d be fooled by a woman, you freaky womanizer! You never changed at all! They thought to themselves. Truly, despite how mysterious he actually is, many ladies fall for his cold appearance quite well, and he entertains them unconditionally, older and younger women alike. He’s no creep though, they know he knows his limits.

"Well, yes. Long story short, I brought her here in town, to my tower, and ended up getting attacked and got my body stolen by that being," Lysander was laughing. It was the most they’d seen him laughing... and yet, he looks so melancholic. "My soul was trapped in that desk for years, which is a good thing because my tower recognizes that I am here... but now, it’s been released..."

"What do you mean...?" Milera asks, almost too panicky.

"I am dead now."

"What?" They all reacted, taken aback.

"But how?! How can we still see you?!" Cimmerian asks, walking over to Lysander. "Can’t you just go back to your own body?! Wouldn’t that be possible?!"

He was mad and confused. He couldn’t help himself... This person was his best friend.

"No, that’s not possible without a medium. The spell itself can’t be replicated by us mortals... not that I know anything about it in the first place," he explained as he rolled his eyes. "The only reason you could see me in the first place is because my body is dead."

The group was frozen still in their position. Cimmerian wanted to say something, but he held back with his hand balling into fists in frustration. They had hope... They prayed for this to be settled as soon as possible, without a price to pay. Turns out killing his body was something they were careless about.

They feared hearing about this. This was one thing they never wanted to hear coming from him, who had always wanted all ten of them to be complete again.

"Dumbass, are you really my disciple or not?"

They all paused at that voice. They turned to the entryway. There, they saw him walking with the floating body of the severely injured Lysander above his head. It was Syvestian with an annoyed look on his face.

"Yves!" Dolunay reacted in surprise.

"You’re here!" Milera says. But Syvestian paid them no mind and kept his eye on Lysander.

"It’s not dead, it’s without a soul. No one is dying on my watch," he continued as he placed Lysander’s body on the dusty carpet.

What the hell did he do to his body... Kian thought in disgust. It wasn’t that Lysander was barely recognizable, he actually thinks that Syvestian avoided to hit the face. However, Lysander’s body was full of scratches and seemed to have lost blood.

"Yves...? You were here?" This time, it was Lysander’s turn to be shocked. He wasn’t expecting him to be here at all.

"Well, of course. I nearly died trying to get on top," Syvestian responded with sarcasm. He was visibly and audibly annoyed. "Your tower is gruesome, shadows coming from left and right, top and bottom. I had to use the scroll Callista gave us," he says, hurriedly rubbing his hands together. "Now, get over here. We need to put you back in your body."

"Huh? But how...? And what the hell happened to my body?" Lysander stood from his seat, subconsciously following Syvestian’s order.

"Enough with the questions, just trust me."

Lysander sat next to his body. He stared at it for a moment.

"Damn, I grew up handsome as hell," Lysander mumbled under his breath. The other five, who heard it well, rolled back their eyes at his audacity to comment such a thing in this grave situation.

He definitely enjoyed the sight of us panicking over his death, Ezio thought. Ezio was a playful one, but Lysander was cunning and more annoying than he ever was. They all know it for a fact.

All of them then focused back on Syvestian who held the body’s hand. His body began emitting gold aura, showing that Syvestian is using his raw mana, which he refuses to use unless it’s a dire situation.

Ah... he’s using his mana, Kian thought in awe, recognizing the aura that Syvestian is emitting.

From this moment on, it was full of tension. They held their breath, waiting for the news they wanted to hear.

Let this work, please, Dolunay prayed in her mind.

Lysander watched patiently, staring directly at Syvestian who was in front of him.

"I used to long for times like this," he revealed, out of nowhere. He was certainly feeling nostalgic at the sight of his mentor sitting and meditating like this. Syvestian heard it clearly and simply smiled.

"Being dead?" Syvestian asks, letting out a little chuckle.

"No. Seeing you with the others."

This made Syvestian open his eyes, to look directly in Lysander’s soft red eyes. Lysander became in awe at the sight of Syvestian’s glowing gold eyes.

Beautiful, he thought. This was his first time seeing it. He’s never seen him use his mana before now, and he didn’t think such a sight would rival that of a golden sunset.

"You’ll see it more often. I said I’ll make sure we’ll be complete, remember?"

Ah... yes. Lysander’s face relaxed at his words, feeling the weight on his heart and shoulders finally lighten. He felt the relief of knowing that he’s safe. Of course... he’s here now. We’ll be alright.

Right then and there, his vision began to blur until darkness came to take over completely. The others watched as his soul began to fade into the air, and seconds after that, Syvestian’s aura slowly lost its light. Feeling nervous, all of them stepped closer to the scene.

Cimmerian kneels down to immediately check on Lysander’s pulse. His face lit up as he felt the rate almost immediately.

"He’s alive—" his celebration was cut early when they heard a thud on the floor.

It was Syvestian.

The four hurried over to his side, and seeing that he only passed out made them sigh in complete relief.

Now... there were seven of them. Nothing could make them happier than being almost complete together.