[Chaldea Hallway – A Few Hours After Returning]
The hallway was quiet, illuminated by the soft white light that always kept Chaldea with that clinical, futuristic air.
Leonel walked at a relaxed pace, letting his muscles finally rest after the intense battle... or at least trying to rest, considering Kiyohime and Nero were each hugging one of his arms as if he were their personal possession.
"Leonel-sama~ you'll sleep like a baby tonight after such a valiant display~," whispered Kiyohime, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
"Umu! And your Empress is more than proud! Ah, how glorious it is to have such a man by my side!" added Nero with a triumphant smile and shining eyes.
Both kept their gazes fixed ahead... until a figure appeared around the corner.
"Ah... Leonel-san."
Jeanne d'Arc was there, dressed in her Chaldea uniform, with a warm and calm expression as always. She was carrying a tray with tea, probably on her way back to her resting quarters.
"I just wanted to congratulate you," she said in her kind, sweet tone. "You've saved a complicated Singularity. I'm sure the world is safer thanks to you... and everyone."
Leonel smiled, a little flushed. "Thank you, Jeanne. We did it as a team, but... I appreciate it."
However, the atmosphere changed immediately.
Nero and Kiyohime turned their heads towards Jeanne at the same time. Their eyes gleamed with a... inquisitive spark.
"Hmmm~?" murmured Nero, tilting her head with a little smile.
"Do you find Leonel-sama very attractive... Jeanne-san?" added Kiyohime, squeezing his arm a little tighter.
Jeanne blinked, taking half a step back as a bead of sweat trickled down her temple.
"Eh? N-no! I'm just... being cordial. Purely professional congratulations... for now, at least," she added with a slight, playful smile before continuing on her way.
Both women followed her with their eyes, suspicions still lingering.
"Umu... that maiden seems craftier than she looks," commented Nero.
"And she smells like trouble...," added Kiyohime in a threatening whisper.
Leonel gulped, breaking into a cold sweat.
"...What am I getting myself into?"
[Cafeteria – Later]
Dinner proceeded with laughter, anecdotes from the battle, and multiple attempts by Nero and Kiyohime to force-feed Leonel.
Mash walked by, looked at them with a neutral expression, and simply murmured:
"...I have no intention of competing for curry spoonfuls."
And she left without another word.
[Hallway – Returning to His Room]
Now with a full stomach, Leonel was heading towards his room.
Or rather... he was being escorted as if he were a VIP on a diplomatic mission.
Nero and Kiyohime were still clinging to his arms.
"You'd better rest well, Leonel. The next mission could come at any moment," said Nero, but her gaze said something else... much more.
"I... could stay and guard your door. Or your bed. Or inside the bed with you. I don't want any intruder sneaking in at night," added Kiyohime with a chilling smile.
Leonel just sighed.
"...I'm going to sleep. Alone. Thank you for escorting me..."
They both looked at him with pouts... but let him enter.
The door closed... and Leonel collapsed onto the bed.
"I'm in constant danger... but in very... different ways," he thought, as Jeanne's face reappeared in his mind, followed by Mash's... and of course, by the two walking volcanoes he had as suitors.
"...I need a break."
But that break wouldn't come soon.
[Velvet Room – Sometime at night, in Leonel's dreams]
A faint, soft, and ethereal hum enveloped him.
Leonel slowly opened his eyes. Once again, he was greeted by the unmistakable atmosphere of the Velvet Room. However, this time it wasn't the same messy, gloomy space as before.
Now, the environment seemed more harmonious, with organized bookshelves, several tomes floating stably and brightly in the air, and a clearer blue light highlighting the velvet-lined walls. Even the piano played a more upbeat, almost cozy melody.
"Welcome, guest of fortune," said a soft, now familiar voice.
Selene appeared before him, a smile on her face. Her long, silver hair fell neatly over her dark blue dress, now adorned with golden details that weren't there before. Even her posture was firmer, more confident, radiating a positive energy she hadn't shown in their first meeting.
"It seems you are growing faster than we imagined," she added, clasping her hands behind her back. "And I must admit... you have exceeded our expectations."
Leonel looked around, still somewhat amazed.
"This is... the Velvet Room? Again?"
Selene nodded slowly.
"This place reflects your soul, Leonel. And after your victory in the second Singularity, the change is evident. Your bonds, your decisions, your resolve... everything is forming something more solid, more real. That's why this space has also changed."
She gestured, and several fragments of light floated before him, each taking the shape of cards that slid into place before a magical lectern.
"These are manifestations of the souls recovered from the Compendium. New Personas at your disposal. They were sealed away after ancient conflicts, but your growth has allowed their release."
Leonel took a step forward, feeling the warm energy from the cards pass through his body.
"Can I use them... when I need them?"
"Exactly. They will be ready to answer your call when your will is strong and clear," replied Selene with a serene expression.
Then, she slightly inclined her head.
"And of course, you are also here because we wanted to congratulate you personally."
Leonel fell silent, a little surprised by the warmth in her words.
"Thank you, Selene. I wouldn't have managed it without the others, but... this feels good. As if I'm really making a difference."
"You are. The flow of destiny moves thanks to those who act with purpose. And you, Leonel, are shaping one... that could change much more than just these Singularities."
Selene gracefully extended her hand and offered him a smile, not just professional, but genuinely pleased.
"Rest, Leonel. What's coming will be even more challenging... but also more revealing. We will meet again when destiny demands it."
A blue breeze enveloped him, gradually fading the room away.
[The Dream World – Shortly after Leonel left the Velvet Room]
Everything was red.
A scarlet glow enveloped him, warm but heavy. Leonel found himself standing, dressed in a simple white tunic, barefoot on golden marble. Before him rose the gates of the Colosseum, gigantic, reverberating with echoes of ghostly applause.
The sky above was a fiery sunset. The wind carried the scent of wine, incense, and laurel flowers. Without knowing why, he took a step forward.
And then, he saw her.
Nero Claudius, Empress of Rome, walked gracefully before a crowd that cheered for her. Her golden hair shone like a divine crown, and her smile was pure majesty. Yet, with every cheer, her figure flickered.
Leonel watched, as if invisible amidst the memories, as Nero's golden reign unfolded before him: festivals, passionate speeches, plays written by her own hand, the cheers of a people who loved her... or pretended to.
But gradually, the light changed.
The people began to pull away. The smiles faded. Opulence gave way to judgment, rejection, betrayal.
"Was I not a good emperor...?" he heard Nero's voice, trembling, solitary.
Leonel turned. In a large hall of cracked marble, he found her kneeling, without her crown, without her imperial dress. Just a young woman, lost in her own Rome, crying before a broken statue of herself.
The memories intensified. Images flashed by: fire, people shouting at her, senators conspiring, her final exile... until everything faded into one last scene:
A cherry blossom, fallen onto Nero's lap, as she, seated under a solitary tree, gazed at the sky.
"If I am to burn... let it be in the eternity of a heart that remembers me... with love."
Leonel felt something tear in his chest.
His vision began to distort, and when he blinked again, he was no longer in Rome. He was back in his bed.
He woke slowly, the first rays of light peeking through the window.
He brought a hand to his chest. He still felt the sadness of that memory. But also... a special warmth. The certainty that Nero, with all her scars and glory, now had in him someone who truly understood her.