Two Months Ago…
POV: Iris Greenvale
After taking a temporary leave from student council affairs—the place that drains souls more than it organizes them—I left without looking back.
It wasn't an impulsive decision.
Nor was it an escape.
It was… a temporary surrender.
Because I knew that staying there, even for one additional day, would suffocate me.
That council hasn't changed. Not in this life… nor in the life before it.
The same faces, the same masks, the same hollow ambitions.
The foolish nobles' flirtations, their constant attempts to impose themselves upon commoners as if it were some innate right of theirs.
And decisions made "in the public interest," while truth is buried beneath layers of justification and lies—
All of this was enough to force any sane person to leave.
And so… I left.
Silently.
My destination: the continent of Tsukinori.
---
Tsukinori…
Just hearing the name tightened my chest slightly, as if the air here carried the weight of memories before it carried oxygen.
Here, in this very place, Arthur first appeared in that era. And here…Everything began.
His arrival wasn't a thunderous event. The sky didn't rain fire, the earth didn't split open, no system announced the birth of a legendary hero.
(Author: Don't worry… he did eventually.)
He was just a boy. In the wrong place. At the wrong time. And yet, the world changed because of him.
In my previous life, Arthur wasn't considered an Awakened individual.
More than that… he was the only person who had never awakened a Bloodline at all.
In a world where value is measured by Bloodline, and fate decided in the moment of Awakening, his mere existence was an unacceptable anomaly.
Yet… He was strong… unnaturally strong, beyond logical explanation.
Not through physical power, but through intellect. He constantly outwitted his enemies. He defeated those supposedly far above him in rank, survived battles that should have ended his life, then rose again… as if his body refused to acknowledge the laws of this world.
But being unawakened meant that strength slammed into an immovable wall.
A fixed limit. A solid ceiling.
A point where everything stopped, no matter how hard he tried.
Then… In his second year—
He awakened. With a Pure Dragon Bloodline.
An event that should have overturned the world's balance, heralding either catastrophe… or salvation.
But even that Awakening was incomplete.
Despite possessing a Pure Dragon Bloodline, he could barely use it.
Immense power… but restrained. Choked.
As if something… deliberately prevented it from exploding.
My thoughts were abruptly cut off by a familiar voice.
(Are you certain they're here? I've scanned a radius of 1,800 meters… no sign of human activity whatsoever.)
Oriel.
My Awakened spirit, and my closest companion. Her presence was always like an anchor, tethering me to reality when memories threatened to collapse.
One of the Messengers of the Goddess of Light, Alyanthia—Lady of Purity and Wisdom. In my previous life…When everything collapsed, When the world lost its final battles, She… and Alyanthia… were the last things I had left.
"Yes."
I answered with calculated calm, though anxiety seeped into my voice unbidden.
"Continue monitoring. If we save them, we secure a power not to be underestimated for the future."
(As you command.)
---
I was thinking.
If I helped him rescue two crucial allies… perhaps I could earn his trust, even if just a sliver of it, in this timeline. I know this isn't entirely pure. But I know him. Arthur doesn't trust easily. Barely trusted anyone at all— Except So Han, the eldest son of the So family. After his half-sister was murdered by Abyss followers, and after his own attempted abduction, Arthur intervened.
I don't know all the details, but So Han was the one who told us what happened.
Now…
If I help him, perhaps—just perhaps—
I can silence that voice gnawing at me every night.
The voice of guilt.
My plan was simple… on the surface.
Pretend I came solely to escort the So family children to the academy.
And during the kidnapping—which was scheduled to occur in a meticulously prepared ambush—I'd intervene.
A "small" incident (it wasn't).
A limited rescue operation. Nothing to raise suspicions.
From there… arrange a direct meeting.
But as I reviewed the details in my mind, I sensed something else.
Not a sound.
Not a vision.
But a familiar feeling… like warm light slipping inside you without knocking.
[So, little one…]
Alyanthia's voice came gently, carrying no tone of interrogation.
[Is the person concerned with them?]
---
I continued moving through trees and highlands, avoiding several Tier-class beasts.
Ordinary monsters, but their sheer numbers were irritating, and any engagement here would waste time I didn't have.
I answered Alyanthia… but my voice came out weaker than intended.
"Yes…"
A brief silence followed.
Not oppressive silence, but the kind that makes your thoughts rise louder than you can bear.
[I understand.]
Then she added, her tone less gentle:
[And do you still refuse to tell me… what exactly did you do to carry such regret?]
I clenched my fist unconsciously. My nails dug into my palm.
"I can't… not now."
She didn't reply immediately.
[Very well.]
She finally said.
[We are not here to judge you.]
Then, as if acknowledging an undeniable truth:
[What happened… has happened. But this is a new life, and you… are no longer the same person.]
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
I just kept walking, hoping with everything I had that I'd find him here… before memories swallowed me whole.
---
Since my return, many things have changed—and I myself have changed so much that I rushed into a contract with Alyanthia to grow stronger quickly.
But as if heaven refused to accept my change alone… everything changed.
The simplest example was Roseline, who was supposed to become the worst nightmare of both the Interracial Alliance and the Abyss.
But now she's fine—and worse, she's become a trainer at the academy, undoubtedly still insane about torture under the banner of "training."
"This reality is different…"
I murmured quietly.
"Everything… families have changed… the daughter of the Vindrayt family is still alive, the son of the Coralie family remains living, and many others who were destined to die are still alive. And those who lived… may have died."
Alyanthia replied thoughtfully:
[Yes… You told me what happened to your original world, but don't get too excited. You know full well that the rest of the events still exist.]
"Yes… I know this well."
---
The Abyss is still gathering the vessels to resurrect their masters. I wish I had returned before the abduction began; I would have at least saved Arthur from his inevitable fate.
[You don't know what you'll do when you find him.]
"What... no, I do! I'll get there and wait for him to appear, then I'll intervene too—just like in those classic romantic rescue stories."
[Hm... that won't work.]
"It will!"
[You don't even know where they are.]
"Maybe not, but Soo-han told us in the past where they met, and even though his way of speaking was strange, I now appreciate this information that I used to hate."
As Alyanthia was about to speak...
(I found them...)
Oryvel's voice came sharp and cutting, and from its tone, it was clear she hadn't found them sipping tea.
But as soon as she spoke, the sky darkened abruptly, as if an unnatural solar eclipse had swallowed the light all at once.
It wasn't ordinary darkness… but a suffocating weight, as if the sky itself had lost its ability to endure.
Then the scream erupted.
It wasn't familiar thunder—it was a cosmic scream of purple lightning, as if thousands of tormented souls were screaming together.
Shredded sounds echoed mercilessly through space, the air trembled, and reality itself seemed to crack under the force of that wail.
The winds turned into raging, relentless forces.
Cyclones formed violently, multiplying and colliding, and storms of every kind swept across the sky and earth—
fire, lightning, shadows, and destruction…
as if nature had declared total rebellion.
And in the heart of this madness… the sun changed.
It was no longer a celestial body, but transformed into a massive, aware, cold, and destructive violet-gold eye. An eye that gazed downward with absolute contempt.
Its gaze fell upon the world as if it were a cluster of tiny ants on the verge of being erased without hesitation. Any life beneath it seemed worthless—a thing to be crushed without mercy.
As if that weren't enough…
the sky cracked.
Abyssal fissures spread everywhere—large and small, straight and twisted—
tearing the sky, earth, and space with a sound like ripping flesh.
From within, an endless darkness seeped out, carrying the scent of ancient death.
Innumerable monsters surged forward—hundreds… no, thousands—twisting and struggling to emerge, held back by invisible bonds that prevented full passage.
But the sounds crossed first.
A collective moan, a scream as if a thousand souls were trying to escape hell… and failing.
At that moment, it became clear to all:
This… is not an attack. Nor a disaster.
This is the beginning of the end of the world.
---
"No... no.. no no no...."
I began to scream, kneeling as tears gathered, threatening to spill.
"Why... why now? Why so fast? No master was supposed to be resurrected at this time."
[Calm down, my dear. Strengthen your resolve. There's no need to remember the horrors of the past.]
I heard Alyanthia's voice in my head, soothing me with the tone of a mother trying to stop her child's crying.
I stood up, trembling, memories of those days swirling in my mind, reminding me that one of the causes of these disasters was me.
Then, a golden light began to surround me, enveloping me like a shield made of pure light.
[I'm sorry, my dear, but you're not in a state to move. Leave your body to me and just watch.]
But before I could object, my vision was pulled into a place resembling a white room, with eyes in front of me like screens displaying what was happening outside.
[Don't worry, I'll save them. But afterward, you must at least tell me what you did so I know what to do.]
---
While I was inside the white room, a scene unfolded before my eyes like a vivid dream.
Alyanthia soared through the air, her four pairs of luminous golden wings radiating pure light, as if forged from sacred brilliance untouched by shadow. Beneath her, my body glowed under a celestial shield, its steady radiance like a blazing sun piercing a sea of darkness—not a light fleeing from darkness, but one that carved through it, asserting its presence.
In that moment, we stood as beings from opposing worlds: the absolute radiance…
and the light born to resist it.
She tore through the sky at supersonic speed, reaching Oryvel—over 180 meters away—in three seconds, if not less.
---
Alyanthia turned her gaze toward the Su family's children. They stood in a pitiful state, barely upright—a girl with snow-white hair and crimson eyes like burning garnets, and beside her, another girl with black hair streaked with silver strands, wearing a black eye patch over both eyes.
"Wait, hold on—was Su Han a girl?????"
Alyanthia asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
[Hmm?... Which one is Su Han?]
"It's supposed to be the one with black hair—Su Han was a man. How is this possible?"
[Questions later. We need to save them quickly before your body starts reacting to my power.]
Without hesitation, Alyanthia surged toward them, appearing before them in an instant.
"Haah…"
The girl with white hair gasped, stunned by the sight of me in this form.
---
Alyanthia turned her back for a second, and two projectiles of Central Dragon's Flame shot from behind her—blasts that obliterated everything in their path without leaving even ash. She raised her wings, forming a shield that absorbed the impact. Then, her wings turned crimson as she faced the attackers—two individuals of Basic Consumption rank, but with an advanced standing.
"Two individuals of Master rank left after the sky darkened."
The girl with black hair spoke, her voice a mix of fear and resolve.
Alyanthia didn't respond. Instead, she redirected the energy of the projectiles back at the attackers. They dodged with lightning speed, but she was faster. She moved beside one of them, her arm transforming into luminous daggers. With a swift twist, she severed his head as if it were a rotten apple.
The second attacker emerged from the shadows above her. She raised her wings to protect her head, then began shifting between shadows from all directions. But he made a fatal mistake: attempting to ambush her from the ground to the trees without considering escape—an idiotic move against an Avatar in control.
Alyanthia remained still, silently observing his movements. The Su family children watched in awe.
"Why aren't you attacking ? What are you waiting for?"
[Don't worry, my dear. Everything is under control. Rushing will only make things worse.]
The attacker emerged from beneath the ground at lightning speed… or so he thought. A blade of light had already passed through his body, and he too had crossed through it, stunned by what had happened. This was one of my special skills:
◆ Aether Illusions.
A technique that deceives the opponent, no matter their strength. One of my unique traits.
During his stunned state, five iron spears erupted from the ground, piercing his body. This was one of my elemental effects—I could extract raw iron from the earth in small quantities, and being in Avatar state made controlling it effortless.
He barely lifted his gaze, only to meet a look of disgust before his head was severed by a sword of pure light.
---
The battle ended. Alyanthia approached the Su family children, scanning them with a calm, calculating gaze.
"So… when will you return my body? I must meet him in person."
[No, you won't. I'm certain you'll collapse in front of him in the most embarrassing way possible, and I don't want to see that.]
Covering my face with my hands in embarrassment, I pleaded:
"Oh, please stop. I won't do it."
Alyanthia didn't bother to respond. Instead, she stood before them, her eyes scanning the void before murmuring with quiet urgency:
[So… where is he?]
---