Lin sat in the chapel, her eyes closed, a tempest of thoughts swirling within her. The information Sol had divulged about the Northern continent weighed heavily on her mind, information she wrestled with sharing. But the more she considered it, the more a flicker of resentment ignited within her. Sharone's decision to send her here, without so much as a discussion, felt like a blatant disregard for her agency.
"Who does she think she is?" Lin murmured, her voice a hushed whisper in the echoing silence of the chapel. "I know who she is, but... ugh."
Lost in her internal debate, Lin remained oblivious to the figure that had silently joined her. A man clad in gleaming armor sat on the pew in front of her, his elbows resting on his knees and his chin cupped in his palms. He sat on the top of the wooden seat and was gazing down at her with a curious expression.
When Lin finally opened her eyes, startled by the image of a man in front of her, she recoiled, a small gasp escaping her lips.
"Oh, that wasn't very nice," the man said, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "You looked deep in thought, and I didn't wish to disturb you. Besides," he added, his eyes twinkling, "I was rather distracted by your beauty."
Lin's gaze swept the chapel, a flicker of unease settling within her. How had he approached so silently? Had he been here all along, or had he entered after she had? She couldn't shake the feeling that she had been caught off guard.
"Who are you?" she asked carefully.
With a graceful movement, the man rose to his feet. "Forgive my lack of manners," he said, bowing low. "I am Aldean Frost, the 9th Saint of the Church of Undying Light."
Lin's eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and intrigue washing over her. A Saint? Here, in this quiet chapel? Wasn't it only Leo and Yuki who were around?
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aldean," she said, her voice regaining its composure. "I'm Lin."
Aldean's eyes lit up, and he knelt before her, gently taking her hands in his. Lin flinched, startled.
"Lin," he repeated, his voice filled with warmth. "An excellent name. I am truly delighted to have met you."
Lin felt a wave of discomfort at the unexpected intimacy of the gesture, and she tried to subtly withdraw her hands. But Aldean's grip was surprisingly firm, his slender fingers holding hers with an unexpected strength.
Kojo and Vanessa stared at the towering pile of books on the table in the academy library. Vanessa glanced at a nearby clock and announced, "You have three hours."
Kojo raised an eyebrow. "Three hours for what?" he asked.
Vanessa's expression was stern. "To read the books, of course."
"But I'm borrowing them though," Kojo said.
Vanessa's eyes narrowed. "No. As much as I don't trust you with books..."
"What do you mean you don't trust me? I'm a responsible person," Kojo protested.
"Ish." Vanessa ignored him, her expression unyielding. "I know you must really need these books for whatever reason, but I can't just let you take them away. They're far too valuable."
Kojo shrugged. "Okay."
Vanessa blinked, taken aback by his sudden acquiescence. But before she could respond, three clones of Kojo appeared out of thin air. Two of them took seats, extending a single claw dripping with poison from their index fingers. The third clone stretched out his fingers and began to spin webs into parchment.
The two seated clones took the parchment and began to copy the information from the books at an incredible speed. Within a minute, they had successfully copied the entire pile. With a flourish, they pushed the books into Kojo's pocket dimension.
The clones saluted Vanessa before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Kojo grinned, seemingly pleased with himself. "Now that that's done, I'm leaving."
But before he could take a step, Vanessa grabbed him by the shoulder. "Wait, what about the information about the Treasury in the tower you promised me?" Her smile wasn't hiding the aura of malice around her. "Don't think one little spear is enough to let you off the hook for unauthorized copying of information."
Kojo chuckled nervously, his eyes darting around the room. Suddenly, he pointed behind Vanessa. "What's that?"
Vanessa turned to look, and in that instant, Kojo warped away.
Vanessa clenched her fist in anger, but her gaze fell upon a gold medallion with a ruby star at its center on the table. A parchment beside it read: "I don't really know how much stuff is in there, so this is the key. Knock yourself out. Later."
Vanessa's face twisted in frustration. "Tch. Why couldn't he have just given it to me instead of resorting to this?"
Meanwhile, Kojo appeared on the Church grounds, stretching his arms with a satisfied grin. "I've always wanted to do that to someone." He began to walk forward, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Lin has probably returned by now. I wonder what she's up to."
"What brings you to the chapel, Aldean?" she asked, attempting to steer the conversation away from the awkward moment.
Aldean rose to his feet, his movements fluid and elegant. "I often come here to confide my intentions to the Goddess," he explained, brushing a stray lock of hair from his face. "It is a place of peace and contemplation."
"I see," Lin replied, rising to her feet. "I apologize for interrupting you. I was waiting for someone."
"Kojo, perhaps?" Aldean asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Yes, how did you know?" Lin asked, feigning surprise.
"I have heard much about him," Aldean said, a hint of envy in his voice. "He must be quite the man to capture the attention of a woman as captivating as you."
Lin felt a flicker of annoyance at the possessive undertone of his words, but she kept her expression neutral. "I'll keep that in mind," she said, her smile polite but distant.
Aldean chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. "Though I believe I possess a certain… finesse, when it comes to pleasing women," he added, his voice laced with a playful confidence.
Lin rolled her eyes inwardly, but she maintained her smile. "I'll be sure to remember that," she said, turning to leave.
As she took a step, her foot slipped on the polished stone floor, and she lost her balance. Aldean's reflexes were swift, and he caught her before she could fall, his arms wrapping around her waist.
Lin's cheeks flushed crimson, and she tried to regain her composure. "T-thank you," she said, her voice slightly breathless.
Aldean held her gaze, his eyes intense. "I knew you were blessed with beauty," he said, his voice low and husky. "But your eyes are even more enchanting up close."
Lin's heart skipped a beat, and she found herself momentarily captivated by his gaze. There was an undeniable charm to Aldean, a magnetic pull that she couldn't quite explain.
She felt a presence and looked at the entrance to the building the same time Aldean did. Kojo stood at the entrance, his face unreadable but his eyes casting a crimson glow.
Lin quickly disengaged herself from Aldean. "Oh, Kojo, you're back," she said nervously. For some reason, Kojo's presence made her uneasy.
Now, to a bystander such as the workers at the church who happened to see this, the situation seemed to be the usual "lover sees lover in the hands of another and gets jealous" trope. But that was not the reason why Kojo was struggling to hold back his killing intent.
No.
The sight of Aldean had caused his brain to glitch, causing various images to flash across his mind. A destroyed temple, corpses. A white expanse dyed red in blood. Yukio and Leo, as well as a group in the same armor, battered and still being beaten back by a horde of abominations.
And this man. He was in the vision too. With two loops, one red and one green, behind him, floating above the chaos with a smile on his face.
"(What is this? It's not a vision. No, it's...
A memory?)"