406 Illusion Of Choice [2]

After those guys went away, Leo came to check up on me. Naturally, he asked me several questions, like why I didn’t tell him about Sera.

He said he had some suspicions when I was asking him about Phoenixes, but he never expected I would have one in my possession.

I thought about telling him Soul Link but ultimately decided not to. After all, even with everything said and done, Leo was still loyal to Spider at the end of the day.

I couldn’t risk him getting even stronger than he already was if there was even the slightest chance that I’d ever be facing him as an enemy.

Though, I hope that won’t happen. I don’t know how yet, but I would find a way to separate Leo from Spider. I was ready to kill Selena if I had to. But once again, I hoped I wouldn’t have to do that.

Anyway, after that, I introduced Leo to Sera. He didn’t show it on his face, but I knew he absolutely adored her human form.

It was only after he left that I got to thinking about everything about the recent developments.

One question that was pressing me the most was how Kiara was able to show me my past timeline’s memories?

Earlier, when I tried looking at her, I felt a magnetic pull. It felt as if something deep in my soul was drawn to her. But now that I think about it, I only felt that way when I looked into her eyes.

She also said that she could see the future.

If my guess is correct, then her eyes are unique. It could affect one’s soul and see the future. So that meant only one thing – the memories of past timelines weren’t locked in my head but in my soul.

I don’t know how long it will be until I recover all my memories. But what I know for sure is that I can get all my answers from Kiara.

But I can’t free her until I’m sure I’m strong enough to kill her at a moment’s notice.

“No, no, involving myself with her is too dangerous. I’ll find another way.”

I have to. I didn’t have any other choice. I didn’t know what her objective was, but considering her master is an entity who conquers and destroys worlds as effortlessly as taking a stroll, it’s not a good idea to free her.

Shaking my head, I looked around. Sera was sleeping with her head on my lap. I gently lifted her neck and placed her head on a pillow before leaving the bed and walking away.

Coming to stand in front of the window, I gazed out at the city, taking in the beautiful evening view of the concrete jungle.

My eyes burned as I stared at the orange sun setting behind the horizon, but I didn’t look away… until the sound of my room’s door unlocking resounded from behind me.

Someone entered with light steps. I didn’t need to turn around to tell who it was. I could sense the temperature dropping slightly as soon as the door opened.

“Long time, dear sister.” I greeted without turning around. After Yelena didn’t reply for a while, I tossed a glance at her over my shoulder.

She was standing there a few paces behind me with her hands crossed over her chest. She was in her top 25 blue and white academy uniform. Her gaze dropped for a second as soon as our eyes locked before she quickly looked back up.

The usual sense of detachment and indifference in her eyes was nowhere to be seen. She seemed almost… tame?

“I… came after hearing you woke up,” Yelena said, barely resisting the urge to avert her gaze. I helped her by averting mine and started staring back out of the window. “They said you’re alright.”

“Why do you care?” I scoffed. “Especially after the last time I met with you and Adel.”

I audibly heard Yelena sighing before she said, “This was my last day in the academy. I only came here after hearing about your condition, but if you don’t want me here, I understand.”

She turned around and headed out of the room. But before she could leave the door, I called her out, “Sister.”

Yelena stopped. With both our backs turned to each other, she asked, “What?”

“Don’t die on the frontlines,” I said. “You’ll be useful in the future. So don’t throw your life away now.”

“…What does that even mean?” She asked.

I sighed, shaking my head. “Never mind.”

Yelena lingered for a while before stealing a glance at the bed, where Sera was peacefully sleeping. But she didn’t say anything and left after hesitating for a couple of seconds.

“…Well, let’s get to some training.”

†

“Lucas, run! Run, I said run!”

“The hell do you think I’m doing, Steelforged?!”

Two young men raced through a dense forest with blistering speed, skillfully navigating obstacles that dared to block their paths or forcefully ploughing through them in a show of exceptional strength and resilience.

What were they running from? A murder of crows that were chasing them, but not the average ones. These ravens were nine to ten times the size of regular crows, with wings made of some kind of glistening metal and beaks capable of obliterating entire buildings.

Dealing with just a few of these colossal winged creatures wouldn’t pose a challenge, but a whole pack of them? That was dangerous.

While sprinting, Elijah pointed an index finger into the distance, where a rectangular frame hid behind the lush woods.

“There! I found the Teleportation Gate!”

Lucas scowled, fixing an intense glare on Elijah. “What the fuck do you mean you found it, Steelforged? I was the one who said we should take the turn we took!”

“Bullshit!” The half-dwarf shot back immediately, wearing a mix of confusion and a ridiculing frown on his face. “You almost got us lost!”

“The emphasis is on almost–”

Before Lucas could continue the pointless argument, Elijah shouted, “Look up ahead!”

Ahead of them, a small group of colossal crows had separated from the main pack and was closing in on them.

“Tch!” Lucas clicked his tongue. “I’ll stop them right here, Elijah! When I do that, you make it to the Gate.”

“No!” Elijah shook his head. “It’s too dangerous! Professor Matterhorn will kill me if I let my forging partner get murdered by crows! Hehe… get it? Murdered by crows… because–”

lightsΝοvεl ƈοm “Yes, I get it!” Lucas snapped and accelerated, resembling a blue and white blur. “Now, get to the Gate!”

Without waiting for confirmation, Lucas charged headfirst into the oncoming pack of crows.

Surrounded by the metal-winged creatures ready to tear him apart, he whispered, “Mana Burst.”

Thwooooom—!!!

In the midst of the swirling crows, an incinerating explosion bloomed, obliterating those too close and scorching those far away from his range.

Elijah smoothly circled around the explosion, reaching the Gate just a step shy of the pulsating tear in the fabric of space. Glancing back at where Lucas was, he shouted, “Come, Morningstar!”

Lucas gritted his teeth. Crimson flames were devouring the lush greenery around him.

Despite some crows daring the fire, slicing through with metal wings like bullets, Lucas swung his jian’s ghostly glowing white blade at flashing speed, targeting their skulls and underbellies.

Knowing his sword couldn’t pierce their sturdy beaks or metal wings, Lucas swiftly dispatched those that got past his defences.

He didn’t fight for too long. After making quick work of the crows in his immediate surroundings, he rushed toward the Gate before he and Elijah vanished, not letting the main pack of crows reach them.

Lucas emerged on the other side of the gate first before Elijah was thrown out, too, and he collided with him, both crumpling to the ground like a house of cards.

“Arghh!” Lucas groaned. “Get off me, you fucker.”

Elijah also grunted in pain, then stood with a struggle.

“I still think killing them was a better option,” Lucas said, rising up to his feet.

Elijah shook his head. “Their wings are too precious. Killing them all would waste the harvest.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “You’re always doing things by the book, aren’t you?”

“What’s the problem with that?” Elijah shrugged, turning to walk off into the distance.

Lucas sighed, patting his blue and white top 25 academy uniform, which was different from Elijah’s black shirt with red linings, and followed.

They were on the outskirts of Global City, where the Teleportation Gate was situated. Now, they had three hours to return to the academy and pass their forging exam.

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