I woke up a little before sunrise.
My sleep hadn't been peaceful—
the words of that being were still echoing in my mind, repeating themselves over and over, as if whispering into my ear even after he had vanished.
"I will restore your family… if you save this world."
I opened my eyes slowly, stared at the ceiling for a moment, then sat up.
My chest tightened every time I remembered his voice.
My family…
Mother… Father…
The pain I thought I had buried long ago suddenly resurfaced, as if someone had ripped the wound open again.
I took a deep breath.
"I can't let myself drown in emotions now. I need to focus."
I whispered to myself.
I prepared a quick breakfast—nothing special, just something to fill my stomach.
After washing the dishes, I headed straight to the training grounds.
There was no time to waste.
If I wanted to reach SSS-rank…
If I wanted my family back…
I had to start now.
Physical training, mana control, sensory sharpening…
But no matter what I did, I felt something inside me waiting to be used.
Something I hadn't discovered yet.
When I finished, I returned to the dorms and took a shower.
The water didn't ease the tightness in my chest, but at least it gave me a quiet moment to organize my thoughts.
Afterward, I left the building and decided to walk around the campus for a bit.
I needed air… and I needed to think.
I didn't know how long I walked before I felt it.
A gaze.
Calm… but fixed.
I knew that feeling well—someone was watching me.
I didn't turn around.
I kept walking as if nothing was wrong.
But I focused my senses, gathered a bit of mana, and in a blink, I vanished from where I stood and reappeared behind my observer.
Of course, I recognized her immediately.
Charlotte Astraea.
Shiny white hair falling to her shoulders, clear blue eyes…
The daughter of the Academy Headmistress and one of the main characters in the original story.
I spoke calmly:
"Do you need something from me?"
She froze on the spot.
Looked at me as if her mind had stopped working.
---
✦ Ten Minutes Earlier
(Charlotte's POV)
I was walking alone near the dorm building.
The weather was nice, and sometimes I enjoyed distancing myself from the noise.
Few people knew this, but ever since I was a child, I had a unique skill:
I could see emotions.
Not metaphorically… literally.
People's emotions appeared to me as colors, lights, and waves surrounding them.
It was useful… and sometimes extremely annoying.
It was almost impossible for anyone to lie to me—
I could see embarrassment, anger, pity, pride, lust, jealousy…
All of it, without guessing.
Which is why I hated this skill.
Most people always hid their real feelings, so I stopped enjoying being around them.
But when I saw him—
That white-haired boy—
I recognized him immediately.
Nyx…
The top scorer of the entrance exam.
The student everyone in the academy had been talking about.
I felt the urge to follow him.
I wasn't trying to spy; I was just curious after hearing so much about him since yesterday.
I walked behind him quietly.
But then he suddenly stopped, and I lifted my gaze.
And when I activated my ability to see what was inside him…
I saw nothing.
No sadness, no anger, no joy, no boredom…
Nothing.
Just a wall.
A massive wall of emptiness, pitch-black, blocking everything behind it.
"Impossible…" I whispered.
In my entire life, I had never met someone with no emotions.
Even the coldest, harshest, most closed-off people…
They always had something.
But him?
He was different.
I stepped closer, focusing harder.
And only then… I noticed something.
Behind that wall—
Above it, beneath it, or maybe buried deep inside—
There was something.
A sadness.
Not ordinary sadness.
Something profound… heavy… suffocating.
So heavy it made my own chest tighten.
I lifted my head—
But he had disappeared.
"Where did he—?"
Suddenly—
"Do you need something?"
He appeared behind me.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
I turned quickly, and my eyes met his—
One blue.
One gold.
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Then a single word slipped out of my mouth:
"…Beautiful."
---
✦ Back to Nyx
She stood there, her face turning bright red after the accidental word that escaped her lips.
I didn't comment on it, though the situation was… obvious.
It didn't bother me.
I asked again, calmly:
"Why were you following me?"
She hesitated for a moment, then answered:
"I… was just curious."
I nodded without reacting.
I closed my eyes briefly.
I had to remind myself…
I didn't have time for distractions, attachments, or confusion.
There was only one goal:
To become strong enough to bring my family back.
Everything else…
Was just noise.
I opened my eyes and looked at her again, speaking with a flat tone:
"Next time… speak to me directly."
She nodded shyly.
I turned to leave, and as soon as I walked away, I could feel her gaze on my back again.
I sighed softly… and continued walking.
_____
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