"This snow. It's like ash. Nought. It is crunchy, cold, but pure. Unlike the ashen world I once walked."
In white plains, where the sun hung low in the sky, cool warmth illuminated the plains of ice and snow. Cold, brittle ice and snowflakes crunched with each step the white-haired, blue-eyed man took. He peered at the unstable space. Reality was shattered like cracks in a mirror, where shards levitated in the air, reaching the skies.
"It's almost nostalgic. Whenever I see snow, I think of ash," he continued. The air hissed as the shards leaked impure corrosive miasma into the world. "It's been so many years. But my mind has yet to dull." His gaze lowered as it lingered on his hands. "Sometimes. I wish for something simpler. But wishes are but dreams. I can't even do that." —But I suppose there are some pleasures to living like this, too… he thought.
As he continued to monologue, massive hands began to surface from the cracks, shards clung between the finger-like claws of an enormous beast—it tore the spatial quake open, howling—its roar tore the ground and moved the clouds, shattering iceberg as it freed itself into reality as its massive, scaled head protruded. But… once the abyssal menace looked down, its eyes met Alester's, and it froze.
"Well? Are you stepping out?" he calmly voiced, his tone devoid of life and warmth.
"…"
Slowly and subtly, the beast recoiled, subtly trying to squeeze itself back inside. It was as if it had sneaked a peep into the end of reality itself. All its armor vibrated as if it were to crack, its eyes almost left its sockets from pressure as its brain was about to implode.
And as the beast fled, not even attempting to stay in the world—but… "Return to stardust," Alester calmly spoke as he threw a blue, violent spatially bent magnetar the size of his palm into the crack. Shards of reality snapped back into place as if nothing had occurred.
"Pffts… ahahahahaha, aww, what was thaaat~? The astrologers would miss that star, you know~?" A white haired girl with golden eyes suddenly burst out laughing. Her elegant form was hovering in the sky above, her once natural wings were now those of vibrant, crystallized, golden mana. "Still, to think it actually got scared and ran away—and doomed its own world! Ahahaha, ah… and yet, here I thought I'd finally see something kill you," she chuckled.
"Why don't you?" Alester calmly spoke.
"Hmm, what a stupid question for such a smart person," Eterisa shrugged. She landed and flung an arm over his shoulder. "I mean, you'd be dead long ago if I could, right?"
"Try harder," Alester stated, his words made her recoil as she was sent tumbling, scraping along the frosty surface.
"Ouch… That is not how you treat a lady!" Eterisa mocked. She brushed off the sharp frozen shards from her torn now clothes. "Besides, why don't you try at all!? Just kill me already!" she huffed.
"You're not protocol."
"AND!? So wasn't that damned lizard a few years back!"
Alester's cool eyes instantly sent shivers down her spine. "Not my problem," he said as reality tore itself for him.
"—W-wait!" Eterisa called out, but it was too late. He was gone, and she now had to find him again. "Shit…! Why can't you just stay in one place, you?! You rusty old piece of scrap!" she screamed, stomping the ground.
The ice beneath her shattered—the shockwave caused a blizzard throughout the north continent, leaving a massive crater with Eterisa on her knees, sobbing as she pulled her hair.
"…Please… please, just… let me die…" she quietly sobbed, only for her whimpers to be drowned in the storms she caused.
..
Like walking through fragile glass with shards clinging to his body, Alester entered a dark chamber—tap, tap, tap… each step echoed loudly. At the same time, crimson mana pulsed between each tile. Suddenly, he caught a blade with his hand, and the hardened floor beneath him formed a crater.
—MORTAL… NO. WHAT ARE YOU? The Dark Armor spoke, its mana hissed as it cracked through its shell.
But once it met Alester's star-like eyes, it backed away, dragging its sword out of his hand and staining the blade in something molten and blue that slowly chipped the sword into ash.
"I'm not here for you," he said, glancing toward the crimson crystal, where there was a man inside.
—OVER MY DEAD BODY!! The armor screeched.
"Hm? You speak as though you're alive," Alester calmly replied.
—YOU! YOU DARE HUMILIATE ME!? Its mana burst, waves of slashed voids were hurled from its blade, cutting through pillars and tiles, opening up a dimension where dark morphed creatures crawled out.
Alester, who'd grabbed one of the spatial tears and crushed it with his hand, simply looked at the morphed undead abominations—they feared no death as they instantly dashed toward him. Their figured blurred, but each and every single one turned to ash. And yet again, he caught the Dark Armor's blade.
"Step aside," he said calmly. He pushed the Dark Armor into a dilated zone, practically freezing it in time. Then, he slowly walked toward the pulsing crystal. "Long time no see."
"….." —ba-dump… ba-dump…
"I wouldn't exactly call us old friends after all that's happened," he looked at the floor, at the bleeding grail. What is an Irueel artifact doing here? He pondered.
—Crack…!
"Oh? So you can hear me, Hilos."
…
..
After the sparring session with Luna, they were heading back to his room, knowing the others were there waiting. He'd told Noel in advance that he'd be doing some testing with Luna. Although it lasted a few seconds, his head ached slightly from the rapid spellcasting. It wasn't anything significant, just a minor inconvenience—he barely used 5% of his mana capacity compared to when he almost used up all his mana versus Rigeld, only to faint when he sparred with Amethely and the paladins from mana exhaustion.
Usually, he was numb to those sorts of pains due to Sinister and Monochrome. But now, he was alone—the harmonized imaginary epser core within was fragmented, leaving him nothing but residue.
At first, he could manage an output of 3% telekinetic force in this broken state, but when he fought Luna, he could barely muster up 1%—and it's dwindling each and every day. He noticed he hasn't been as sharp as he was used to, and sometimes impulses take over.
Still, even before arriving in this world, he wasn't relying much on his powers anyway, as his body produced a version of the POC drug, which selectively suppressed most of his abilities.
Yet in this world, he found himself needing what he called a curse, but it was gone. And so were two parts of him. It wasn't an identity crisis per se… perhaps more akin to a rebirth. He did promise Monochrome to care for himself when he left the monochrome garden. And he promised Sinister to feel, painting a new landscape with new colors.
Am I even doing it right? He pondered as he kept looking ahead.
"…" The girl beside him briefly glanced at his face. Even though she knew what he looked like without looking, even though she knew that he'd be expressionless. And yet… "Are you thinking about Lady Amethely?" Luna teased
"—No," Alum replied, almost indifferent.
"Is that so?" Luna tilted her head slightly. "I thought that, if you love someone, you'd be thinking about them," she added.
"Is that so?" His steps halted as he paused to think. "I suppose I do think about her, although not constantly."
"Are… you sure you're head over heels in love?" Luna queried.
"Did you learn that phrase from Noel?"
"…I did. But don't redirect my inquiry."
"…" Alum scratched his cheek and averted Luna's curious silver eyes. His face was slightly red and hot to the touch. "Um… well…" He began to pick up pace again. "Thinking about her makes my heart flutter—my composure crumbles and I make mistakes."
"That's cute," Luna giggled lightly. She ignored Alum's glare and said, "So you're trying not to think of her? Is that it?"
Alum nodded as he picked up the pace—he really is deeply in love, Luna remarked inwardly as another giggle escaped her lips.
..
When the door to his room opened, Alum's head leaned a bit to the side. His eyes met her familiar, warm, pinkish-amethyst eyes. It was as if the world stood still in time for a moment.
Unlike the somewhat bewilderment look in her eyes before, there was a slight shake, her shoulders tensed, raising as her lips subtly parted.
But instead of fuzzy warmth that usually enveloped him, he was stung in the heart, and a sharp pain screamed. His eyes widened; he recoiled. Even though a polite and warm smile was plastered on her face, he could tell she was hurt.
Hurt by what? He couldn't understand. Did he do something? His thoughts accelerated, and with just a split second of meeting her gaze. But then he saw Miu, who averted and subtly shifted her eyes away… He decided—
"Ame, can you come over here?" he said, his tone calm and controlled, yet his breath quivered as his heart thumped, each pulse more painful than the previous.
"H-huh? O-okay…" she replied somewhat meekly. But the pained, polite smile never dissolved.
The others didn't say anything. Noel looked mildly amused while David didn't seem to think much of it. Emely, on the other hand, shrank a little from the tension in the air. It didn't take a genius to figure out the open book named Amethely.
Meanwhile, the concerned Chely and Miu glanced at one another. And Luna wasn't one to misread the air. She stepped away from Alum and walked toward the others. As Amethely passed her, she said, "Good evening, Princess Luna," as she flashed a warm smile.
"Good evening…" Luna replied politely, feeling awkward.
Even though it stung a little passing Luna by, Amethely still managed to greet her. She didn't know why seeing the two of them together hurt so much. She had no reason to be jealous; she knew they were friends and that Alum had mutual feelings towards her. But she couldn't help it.
"Yes?" she asked reluctantly.
"…"
Alum noticed the small distance between them and didn't hesitate to step forward and take her hand. Amethely's eyes shot wide, like she wanted to say something but refrained.
"I'm sorry…" he scratched his cheek, his eyes trying to look away, but wouldn't.
"???"
A little flustered, Amethely's eyes darted around for clues. But as she was about to ask why, he apologized and squeezed her hand more firmly.
"May I?"
Amethely's heart skipped at his soft words. A blush warmly brightened her face in a soft pink shade. Her polite smile faltered, melting as a shy smile tugged on her lips.
"Yes, you may…" she said, squeezing his hand.
Looking above Amethely's head, he told the others, "I'll borrow her for a moment," and gently pulled her towards him. Without any resistance and eyes filled with anticipation, Amethely almost skipped toward him.
The others didn't get a say as they'd left the room without looking back. Noel was the first to speak, his eyes focused on Luna.
"Damn," he remarked suddenly.
Luna raised a brow. "You… don't have to tell me," she averted her gaze, realizing her mistake.
Chely wasn't keeping up, but neither were the others. It seemed to be something between them, and they knew they shouldn't interfere. But unlike their friendly banter filled with sarcasm, it seemed more like an all-out war.
Luna knew that there was something amiss from the moment she entered the room. She'd hurt her idol. Initially, she couldn't understand why, but when she saw Miu, she instantly knew why.
Like when Miu was concerned about her distance with Alum, so was Amethely, and she forgot—no, rather than forgot, she was too comfortable to change anything. She knew that Alum liked Amethely, but also, other than a best friend, he saw her as an equal, as strange as it might sound.
He never mentioned her age, her height, or her petite stature. She also vaguely knew why he was so good at comforting people, especially younger ones, but was always afraid to tear open old wounds.
The mood got heavy as nobody said a word until Noel spoke.
"Well, it's perhaps my fault too," he sighed. "He probably didn't learn the appropriate proximity between male friends and female friends. I suppose it's just the same to him."
"You don't say," David closed a book. "He tried to offer me a hug once," he almost chuckled.
"Seriously…?" Noel eyed him with disbelief.
"Yeah," David shrugged casually.
Emely raised her hand somewhat awkwardly, too. "Um… well, I'm a bit ashamed to say this, but Al always comforted me. He was oddly good at it, even though he never said a word. I think I relied on that and so… whenever he sees someone hurt, that's how he does things…"
"Hurt…?" Luna tilted her head. She wasn't hurt, her skin was flawless, as was her hair. Not even a single scar despite her many deployments.
"And yet, you only ever smile around us, few. But with him, you relax."
Noel grinned and flicked a piece of treat toward her, which she caught. A frown surfaced on her face—that might be true… she thought.
"I suppose…"
Even though Chely found it incredibly rude for Noel to act the way he did toward Luna, she didn't have a say in any of it. They were clearly friends, and Luna didn't just tolerate his actions; she taunted him.
"…"
Miu, on the other hand, sat in complete silence, trying to blend in with the background as she shrank.
I… had a few moments like that with Alum too… sigh…
She recalled subtly leaning on him that time when they went to camp. And another time where he'd remove something stuck in her hair, the moments he'd pull her whenever someone was about to walk into her, and… the moment he cupped her cheek.
Yeah… it would definitely be a bad idea even to mention one of them… she thought as she pressed her lips on the straw. Mmh, whatever this sweet drink is… It's my solace.
..
In the well-lit hallway, holding on to his hand, Amethely walked behind Alum with slow, steady steps. Her gaze lingered on his broad back. And although she didn't know what was going on, her heart throbbed. No words were changed between them. But his hand was warm, firmly clasping hers.
"…"
Would he back away if… if I intertwined our hands…? She wondered, unconsciously giving him a firmer squeeze.
Alum stopped abruptly, his gaze wandering around the hall. "I'm sorry…" he apologized again.
Amethely didn't know why he apologized; she'd been meaning to ask, but the silence was just too comfortable. The thought crossed her mind—Did he do something worth apologizing for?
She could find the reason, but the look in his eyes, shaken as they did their utmost not to look away.
"Um… Al, why are you apologizing?" she inquired, leaning her head slightly to the side, her hair cascading down her shoulders, her bangs brushing over her eyelids.
Alum reached out, brushing her bangs to the side, tucking the strands behind her ear. "I made you self-conscious and hurt. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you jealous."
At his words, her face went—puff, steaming red as she meekly shrank and looked at the floor. "O-oh…" Hesitantly, she slowly raised her head. "W-was I that obvious?" she asked, her eyes shaky, her lips tightly sealed.
Alum looked away, scratching his cheek. "Well… yeah," he murmured.
Immediately, Amethely slumped down, covering her bright red face. Her ears were glowing as she squealed into her knees. "Noooo, it's so embarrassing!" she said, sounding teary-eyed.
Unsure of what to do, Alum crunched down. As he did, she looked at him with her face burning hot as he cupped her cheeks—he'd subtly restrained the blood flow to his hands, thus making them cool to the touch.
"…Your hands are cold… are you alright?" Amethely quired, pushing through her embarrassment as she was more concerned.
"I'm doing fine. Sometimes, I have cold hands," Alum chuckled, his cheeks also slightly flushed.
"Okay… Nnh… its nice…" Amethely giggled softly. But then, cautiously, she asked, "Am I really that easy to read…?"
Alum shrugged lightly. "It depends. I've noticed that you're an open book. Around me, at least."
"Ugh…" Amethely pouted.
"I find it endearing. You're cute."
"I-I see… thank you…" She averted her eyes. Then, she snuck a glance. "You too… you're… really handsome… you, your personality…"
"Y-yeah… is that so…?" This time, he was the one to avert his gaze, retracting his hands as he scratched his left cheek.
Amethely nodded. "Y-yesh… I… I notice other sisters look at you when we were together at the monastery… s-so… It's not only because I said so… okay…?" she stated sheepishly.
"Mm. As long as you say so," Alum gently smiled.
Pierced in the heart, Amethely clenched her chest, and when Alum made a worried face, she told him that it was nothing. Then, Alum stood up and reached her a hand, a hand she gently grasped as he pulled her up.
"Would you like to see the garden? You like flora, right?" he suggested.
—Huh… wait, how does he know?! H-he really does pay attention to me… Nnnnh~! I'm so happy! W-wait—Ame, you dummy! Of course, he knows! Your room was filled with flowers and other kinds of plants!
"Ame?"
"Y-yesh…" she bit her tongue again. But quickly cleared her throat as she tried to play it off. "Yes… I'd love to… take a walk with you," she affirmed.
"Then, this way," Alum spoke calmly as he led the way, still holding her hand.
"…"
"…"
"Al," she suddenly called his name, they'd barely taken five steps. "May I…?" she asked reluctantly, her eyes innocent and shaky like a leaf.
"You may," he agreed, not knowing what he agreed to.
"Really?" Amethely's face brightened, and a cheerful smile blossomed as she entwined their fingers. She squeezed his hand, and the air around her was sweet, colorful, and warm.
Alum was just stunned, still processing what'd just happened. He returned the gesture by squeezing her hand, firm but not rough. They were still holding hands, yet his heart beat faster than before. His chest had a fuzzy warmth; although it was slightly difficult to breathe and his face flushed, he didn't mind. It wasn't unpleasant. And seeing her happy made him happy.
"Am… I'm forgiven?"
"Eh-hehe~" Amethely giggled. "You didn't need to apologize in the first place," she happily chirped.
"Even so—"
"I'm happy. But… I don't want you to push the people close to you away…" Amethely interrupted.
"And I'm not. But I'm going to make sure the distance is moderate."
"…Al," her voice trailed, she couldn't contain her smile. "Okay… I believe you," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. But then… the question her sister asked her surfaced, and the words escaped. "What… are we…?" she voiced unconsciously before covering her mouth.
"More than friends," Alum replied. He looked at her. "I… I don't know how to ask you. And I'm bad at this romance stuff. Even though our feelings are mutual, I don't know whether it's too soon or when I should… so could I ask you?"
Amethely was practically set ablaze. "Y-yesh… but…" She bashfully hesitated.
"But?" His heart skipped.
"C-could we say it at the same time? Th-that we're now…"
His heart melted just looking into her eyes, but...
"—Wait."
Before she could finalize her request, he spoke firmly, halting her request. Teary-eyed, Amethely slowly nodded while sobbing. Alum, unsure how to react, reached out to wipe her tears.
"S-sorry… I didn't intend to make you cry…" he panicked.
But Amethely just shook her head as she took his hand, leaning on his palm. "Why…?" she managed to voice shakily. "O-of course… t-too fast? I… I can wait…" she added, awkwardly giggling.
Troubled, Alum heaved a small sigh. "No, that's not exactly it. I really do want us to say it. But… are you sure? In a sterile, pure white military hallway…?"
"O-oh… oh!" Amethely hid her face in her chest, and he could feel her already hot face turning hotter. "B-bad timing…" she spoke as she finally looked up.
Alum just smiled and brushed her cheek. She was awkward, somewhat messy, and uncoordinated. But… he found her clumsiness incredibly endearing—just like when they first met at the park. She… was quite the oddball.
"You're a bit eager," he teased.
"Mmghh…" she pouted.
"But, I am too. So, um… could you wait until we're outside—it's more beautiful and the flowers usually illuminate around this time…"
"Pff…" Amethely's cheeks puffed as she giggled lightly.
"W-what?" Alum frowned in mock annoyance.
Amethely shook her head and smiled brightly; her warmth melted the frown from his face. "Al, you're such a romantic!" she teased.
"…" Alum looked away.
"…" Amethely followed playfully, but her heart was racing, and despite her own shyness, she wanted to tease him too.
"Is… is that bad?" Alum finally spoke, scratching his cheek, glancing from the corners of his eyes.
"No," Amethely shook her head. "I-it's really sweet… Really, thank you, Al!" she said, flashing him an adorable smile.
"You're… welcome…"
..
The calm night breeze was cool to the touch as it gently caressed them while passing by. The leaves illuminated, the trunks pulsated light through the vines, and the flowers were fully bloomed, glowing, enough to brighten the path.
Hand in hand, their fingers entwined, firmly locked. Her hands were soft, unexpectedly soft for someone who wielded the sword. But so was his, where a man's hands are expected to be slightly rugged, especially for an agent like Alum.
But Amethely didn't concern herself with those standards too much—she was just glad she could hold his hand. They were larger than hers, enveloping hers in their warmth.
He told me he had cold hands sometimes. But, even so. They're comforting.
They walked in silence, taking in the scenery. Frankly, even though the garden was beautiful, she couldn't help but pay more attention to the boy beside her. He was usually stoic, but she always found his clumsy side endearing.
"Ame…"
Alum finally broke the silence. He stopped and turned towards her, releasing her hand. Behind him were pink blossoming flowers, petals falling, landing on his shoulders or hair.
"Yes…" Amethely replied, looking into his soft, golden eyes.
Alum reached out for her hands, clasping them gently as he looked into her pinkish purple eyes. Neither panicked, nor were they flustered. Amethely relaxed, letting go as tension in her shoulders melted, her head leaned slightly to the side as a gentle smile surfaced. Alum reciprocated, the usual frosty expression on his face thawed long ago, his bangs blew in the wind, fully exposing his eyes. And then he leaned his forehead on hers.
"Will you become my lover?/Please, let me be your lover."
They both spoke at the same time. Both were left with wide, shaky eyes, but couldn't help but smile even more.
"Yes/Y-yesh…"
And both replied, at the same time, just like she'd wished. Amethely lowered her gaze shyly, then felt Alum rest his chin on her head. Unable to help it, Amethely's hands trailed behind his back, embracing him tightly. Alum did the same, holding her like he never wants to let go.
Thirty seconds passed. Then one minute. And so, late into the night, the two did not let go or say "Good night," not yet.