Dead desert wind was cold — lifeless — carrying no scent but the dust of forgotten bones.
Abraham walked next to Mormend on a narrow, moonlit path leading into the dark.
He spoke quietly, watching the road.
"Hey, did you see Selena? don't tell me she got herself wounded in a battle like this."
Mormend's voice came flat, his expression unreadable under the hooded shadow.
"She's just busy doing a boy's chores — washing clothes, I think. The one who doesn't even know that cloth can be washed."
Abraham chuckled faintly. "Hey, I always tell her I'll do it myself. She's the one who have to be act like my mother Anyway, we've been walking for an hour now. Where exactly are we going?"
Mormend's eyes gleamed dully under the crimson moon.
"You'll know when we reach."
Minutes passed in silence — only their boots crunching against dry earth. Ahead, something vast rose from the sands — a dark silhouette towering beneath the bleeding sky.
Before them stood an ancient statue, large and cracked in many parts. It depicted a warrior wearing full plate battle armor, wielding a greatsword in it's large hands the sword is wider than an average human body. The face of the statue was hidden by a armory helmet, but an intense, burdensome sense seemed to exude from it like aura of terror, he felt that inside this statue a spirit stuck between rage and despair. like ghost glaring on the prey
Abraham moved nearer, his eyes showing interest. The red moon shone on the sword, making small markings on its edge glow.
Then movement in the dark.
Two shadows flickered behind him, silent and quick as specters. His instincts screamed.
He spun around to counter
but before he could speak a another word, a steel blade went pierce his chest from behind.
a familiar dark blade, carved with bright red ancient runes all over the steel, went in deep twisting his chest. A lot of blood gets splattered around sand.
"M–Mormend…" he gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Mormend smiled a dark, twisted grin, his eyes glowing with unholy light under the red moon.
Behind him something move instant, two shadows took shape under the crimson red moon. cloaked in shadows that seemed to devour the air around them. A girl wrapped in dark veil looks like made of shadow. A man beside her, his presence cold, familiar.
Abraham's vision blurred — but his instincts, his soul, knew.
Those weren't strangers.
He sensed it correctly, those are who he called 'Friends'
Mormend. Hemein. and his first love Selena.
He fell on his knees, a trail of blood seeping down near the corner of his mouth. The pain he felt wasn't from the injury itself, but from the sharp sting of betrayal deep within him.
They laughed, a sound that was both cruel and filled with glee, as if they were celebrating the death of greatest enemy.
And when Abraham tried to crawl toward them, reaching out with trembling hands, the girl stepped forward.
Selena.
Her blade flashed once.
And his world ended.
But just before the final darkness took him, the faces shifted
Mormend's shadow peeled away, revealing Joel.
Selena's veil lifted , Jennifer's face.
The last one, Maria, stood smiling as her blade came down
Abraham's body shake upright like he had heart attack.
"Fuahhh—!"
Sweat covered his whole night cloth, he gasped as he finally get back to breath
He could then see he was un his bed in his messy room – its walls, and the night sounds coming from outside.
His heart beat tremble in his ears.
"It was a dream, no I should call it nightmare," he muttered, clutching his chest. "No… not just a dream. Someone twisted it — manipulated it."
He stand supporting his legs and lazily go towards the the window he glanced out side of his room, drawing the curtain aside.
The academy long tall trademark tower standing like the knight of academy, as silent as possible, under the soft glow of silver moon.
"Still," he whispered, "I should take it as a warning. From my past life, if not this one. I can't let anyone get too close. The darkness in me could corrupt even the holiest soul."
Then, knock knock.
Two quick knocks. A pause. Then two again.
Abraham sighed. "Joel."
He spoke louder. "No, I'm not guiding you to the washroom again! Buy a glass if your eyes can't handle the dark!"
In a raspy voice Joel answered from back of door. "Hey, how did you know It's me? And you even know the problem! Great! But seriously — this hostel is too big to find anything at night!"
Abraham rolled his eyes and opened the door —
—only to freeze.
There stood Jennifer, holding a small white-cream cake glowing softly under candlelight.
Next to her Maria, her smile bright and warm. Joel was there too, still in his pajamas and his eyes showing his half asleep, but his smile is so widened as if he gone crazy.
"Happy Birthday!" they shouted simultaneously the sound was to loud, that their voices might be bouncing off the quiet hostel rocky wall.
Abraham just remained motionless, stunned for a second. Lost in confusion.
"wait, today is my birthday" he lost his thought of his own.
They sang, laughed, and cut the cake together. For that one fragile moment, the shadows of his past seemed far away. He even smiled — a real, unguarded smile.
Maria turn to him and came holding a box wrapped in glowing magical paper.
"In birthday of your friends you should give something precious to them. It called 'gift' remember that on my birthday" she said with calm tone. "By the way don't shake it much. It might explode your room."
Then Joel stepped forward, grinning. "Don't worry, mine's safe. Mostly."
He handed over a silver pocket watch with an intricate chain.
The hands ticked precisely at 12:10 a.m. — He knew no matter which exact time a human born, they still celebrate their birthday after 12 a.m
Abraham blinked. "Creepy timing."
Joel casually lifted his shoulders slightly. "symbolic or something"
Abraham looked over at Jennifer, a playful smile playing on his lips. He had this feeling, you know? Whatever impressive or expensive thing was about to show up, it was undoubtedly from her. After all, she was a noble.
Jennifer, however, seemed to wait deliberately. She stood there until Maria and Joel finally took the hint and left. Abraham shifted uneasily, caught between confusion and discomfort at being left alone with her.
Then, without warning, Jennifer stepped closer, her perfume brushing the air. Before he could react, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, whispering near his ear, "Happy birthday."
Abraham blinked couple of time and froze like statue. Then, in teasing tone with serious expression, he muttered,
"Wait this is it, that supposed to be my gift? Please tell me that's lie what I'm assuming. I was expecting something I could actually keep… you know, in my hands, not just in my memory."
Jennifer laughed quietly, handing him a folded, dark cloak.
Threads shimmered faintly — alive with mana.
"This cloak's an SSS-tier armor," she said. "It doubles mana absorption and nullifies half of all elemental damage. It's… better suited for someone like you."
Abraham's eyes widened. "No way— This— Jennifer, I—"
He couldn't hold it the exactment and he just go for hug, for moment he hugged her tightly.
Her face flushed fully pink even though she just kissed him few moments ago but he's hugging her is too much to handle at once, she mumbled something incomprehensible. Once she was gone, her ears still burning with color, Abraham reclined on the bed and ran his fingers through the soft, mana-filled cloak.
"System," he muttered. "Store it."
A blue screen blinked to life.
[Heavenly Demon Cloak — Option: Summonable Weapon]
He smirked. "Perfect."
Then another prompt flickered:
[Beast Taming Progress — Valkyris-Sergian: 52%]
[Rename Option Available]
Abraham smiled faintly. "Rename, huh? Let's see… Oboros was from my past life. But this one's new."
He thought for a moment, then said softly,
"Let's call you… Lil Nefiham."
[Renaming Successful.]
The moonlight fell upon him — silver and silent.
The fear of betrayal still lingered behind his eyes, but beneath it, a spark burned steady.
The past might bleed into his dreams…
But this time, he wasn't dying in them.