The sound of something being placed reverberated inside a church-like building.
The interior was breathtaking in its simplicity.
The polished white marble that covered every surface gleamed softly in the gentle light filtering through high, arched windows.
The walls, smooth and unadorned, seemed to glow with an otherworldly purity.
The ceiling soared above, its white expanse interrupted only by subtle, intricate carvings that added a touch of delicate elegance without drawing too much attention.
At the center of this pristine space stood a round table, also crafted from white marble. Its smooth surface reflected the ambient light.
The air was cool and still, carrying a faint hint of stone and silence. There were no pews, no altar, no statues or icons to break the uniform beauty of the white marble.
On top of the round table was a chessboard. Two figures sat opposite each other behind the round table. Both looked human but were pitch black, like shadows, their shapes resembling men.
Both kept placing their pieces one after another.
"I have detected his presence."
The shadow moving the black pieces suddenly broke the silence. His voice was as monotone as it could get.
The moment his words reached the shadow opposite him, the white piece he was holding froze mid-air.
The shadow spoke, not moving his chess piece. Though his voice seemed monotone, a certain emotion could be detected in it...
Finally placing his piece down on the chessboard, he snarled.
"France? What the hell is that traitor doing there?"
The other shadow shook his head.
"I don't know. I barely managed to detect his presence before it vanished. By the time I went to check, he was already gone. Even after... interrogating all the people present, I found nothing."
"Wasn't there a grandmaster in France?"
"There was, but I had no trouble dealing with him."
"You have certainly become strong. Don't let that get to your head, though."
"I know. You don't have to tell me."
"As for that traitor, ignore him for now."
"Yes. Proceed as planned."
The shadow merely shrugged before placing his black piece.
"Also, I won't be able to summon you to this place any longer. The seals on my powers are becoming unstable. It won't be long now until I can finally leave this detestable place at last."
"Very well. I will be eagerly waiting to meet His Excellency face to face."
"You won't have to wait long now..."
"Checkmate. I win again."
"I will be taking my leave now. I promise not to disappoint you."
Standing up, the shadow that had just won against the shadow playing with the white pieces bowed before disappearing into thin air.
His hand twitched as his gaze lingered on the board for a few seconds.
"Though I have been holding back, his rate of improvement has certainly been astonishing," he muttered to himself, standing up from his chair.
"Now that he has revealed his presence, it's time I get some answers..."
His right hand began glowing and flickering with a white light.
A pure white arrow formed in his hand, glowing brightly in stark contrast to his shadowy form.
"This will delay my departure from this prison, but... even I can become impatient."
"I wonder if you will run away like a coward again..."
The sound of the arrow breaking resonated through the empty hall before it disappeared from his hand.
Two days had passed since Azriel reunited with his family.
After the first day, he had tried to learn more about his system, but unfortunately, he didn't get much.
Whenever he called out to his system, all he would get were the previous messages that appeared in his vision when he reunited with his sister.
It seemed like his system was vastly different from that of the protagonist, not that it surprised him much.
As for the skill he had acquired, [Core Reaper], it was certainly something he was eager to try, but not just yet. He wanted to rest for at least a week before diving back into all the chaos.
Currently, it was late at night, and Azriel sat on the soft grass that swayed gently with the wind. He wore a simple black t-shirt and pajama bottoms.
Gazing blankly at the stars, he found himself in the backyard of the Crimson Estate because he couldn't sleep.
This was something he had experienced even as Leo, he had been plagued by constant nightmares ever since his previous family died.
Even in this world, Azriel couldn't escape those nightmares. Whenever he tried to sleep, he would be haunted by visions of that fateful night.
'...perhaps I deserve it.'
It felt like a voice kept whispering into his ears about how easily he had replaced his previous family, how he had never truly cared for them, and how he had caused their deaths.
Then there was another voice whispering that it was okay to accept that they were gone and to let go of them.
That it wasn't his fault.
"Are you going to keep watching me while hiding yourself?"
Azriel spoke softly, his eyes still fixed on the stars.
For a moment, all that could be heard was the wind howling.
"How did you know I was here?"
A familiar voice resounded from behind, one he recognized.
A part of him felt strange at how easily he called him that, almost as if he were slowly accepting his new life.
His heart warmed as he glanced at his father, who suddenly stood beside him, also gazing at the stars.
It made Azriel hate himself at the same time.
He shook his head, trying to dispel his inner turmoil.
"I didn't know. I was just guessing."
It didn't seem like Joaquin believed him, but he didn't press the issue further.
"When I saw you coming here, I thought you must have gone mad to finally return home just to revert to your old habits, training this late. But..."
Azriel could see his father looking at him with concern.
"It seems I was wrong."
Hearing his father's words, Azriel could only continue to stare blankly at the stars.
"Tell me, Azriel... do you still love us?"
"Huh... What? Of course I do!"
Azriel's sudden outburst was louder than he expected, directed at his father as he gazed back at him.
Joaquin simply smiled upon hearing his son's response.
"Then why is it that whenever you look at us, I can see in your eyes that something inside you is eating you up?"
What could he possibly tell his father?
Of course, Joaquin would have noticed something was wrong, but revealing his life as Leo was out of the question.
"I just need a bit more time..."
"What are you trying to accept?"
It seemed Joaquin wasn't going to let Azriel off easily this time.
'Of course he's worried...'
Despite appearing physically fine, his family must have been deeply concerned about his mental state.
Since his return, his mother and sister had scarcely left his side.
Such thoughts only intensified Azriel's guilt.
He could still feel Joaquin's eyes on him, waiting for an answer.
"I... I wasn't always alone over there. Not for a while, at least. I met a few people in the Voidrealm. I grew close to many of them... some more than I ever expected.
I even considered them as... family."
As Azriel spoke, Joaquin listened silently, his expression intrigued.
No one had really asked Azriel what he had endured in the Voidrealm.
"...I loved them almost as much as I love you, Mom, and Sis. But... something happened. Because of my actions, my choices, they died... I basically killed them."
His voice cracked with emotion as he continued.
"Now that I'm back here, I..."
"Feel guilty?" Joaquin finished for Azriel suddenly.
He looked at Azriel with a deep understanding, rare sadness in his eyes despite his smile.
"You feel guilty remembering everything about them when you're with us. The guilt is tearing you apart, knowing you're the reason for their deaths. It's as if now that you're with us, they don't matter. It's as if they could easily be replaced just like that."
Azriel stared at his father, wide-eyed, while Joaquin turned his gaze to the stars.
His words cut deep...
"I've met many people over the years, brothers and sisters. Though not bound by blood, the time and memories with them were just as precious. But... nothing lasts forever. Sometimes we're forced to make choices that the human heart can't endure, and so it shatters. The only thing we can do to rebuild it is to...
Azriel couldn't say anything even if he wanted to. He tried, but his words got stuck in his throat. There was nothing left for him to say.
Instead, what he had to do was as clear as day: he had to let go.
Looking down at his hands, he clenched them tightly.
'Letting go... hurts,'
More than he wanted to admit.
Joaquin said nothing more, his gaze fixed on the stars.
'I have no choice, do I...? Clinging to the past... hurts even more.'
This world he was in was unkind.
It wouldn't wait for him to be ready.
Azriel smiled softly.
His heart felt a little lighter now.
'I wonder when I will finally be ready to... let go.'
Perhaps he never would be. Or maybe he would. Only time would tell.
Looking toward his father, he was about to thank him until he noticed something odd. Joaquin was staring intently at the sky with a serious expression.
Azriel asked, getting up and standing by his side.
Straining his eyes, he finally saw it.
Something was heading toward them.
It was small, almost unnoticeable to anyone who is a dormant or awakened, like a tiny star falling from the sky.
That tiny star made Azriel' skin prickle with goosebumps.