Everyone was frozen in shock as they gazed at Azriel, wide-eyed.
"How...?"
Drip...! Drip...!
Tears were already streaming down Aeliana's face as she looked at her son.
He was supposed to be dead.
Yet here he was, standing next to her daughter.
Just yesterday had been his birthday.
Not even an hour ago, she had finally started to pull herself together again, piecing her shattered heart into something that could resemble a life. .
Now, the emotions she had buried so deep were crashing over her like a tidal wave. The disbelief, the overwhelming joy, the confusion—they all mingled with the grief that had consumed her for so long.
Ba... Thump!
Her heart raced, pounding in her chest.
Ba... Thump!
"...Azriel?"
Her voice was barely a whisper, choked with tears.
"Is it really you?"
Azriel smiled softly, his eyes filled with the same warmth and kindness she remembered.
"Yeah... it's me, Mom."
Thud-!
Aeliana's knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Jasmine rushed to her side, her face etched with worry.
Drip...! Drip...!
"...Where have you been all this time?"
Joaquin's voice resounded through the room, his entire gaze focused on Azriel.
The fact that he was asking such a question was proof enough that it really was their son.
Azriel, who was worryingly looking at his mother, glanced towards Joaquin.
He didn't say anything for a few seconds.
Until his face cracked with a small smile again.
"The Voidrealm."
"!?"
Aeliana and everyone else looked at him in shock and horror, except for Jasmine.
Both Azriel and Joaquin's eyes were locked onto each other.
'The Voidrealm... how?'
Aeliana and everyone else honestly just couldn't understand.
The Voidrealm was essentially an execution ground for anyone who went there alone or wasn't a master.
Two years had passed since Azriel was presumed dead by everyone here.
Meaning...
'He was there since he was 14 years old...?'
Aeliana felt even weaker as she put her hands over her mouth.
She didn't want to think about what he had gone through to get here.
"...."
It was ridiculous, honestly. Some of the servants were even doubting their ears.
"You don't believe me?"
Azriel's question wasn't directed to anyone except Joaquin, who merely shook his head.
"Of course I do. You are my son after all. Unless I see your body in front of my own eyes, you aren't dead."
The words that flowed out of Joaquin's mouth were filled with pride and confidence. It was as if what he was saying was simply...
A fact.
"... dear sister of mine, it seems you have forgotten to catch me up on how Dad has lost it?"
"Hmm? Have your memories become jagged from spending so long in the Voidrealm? He has always been this way."
A chuckle escaped Azriel's lips upon hearing Jasmine's words.
"Is that so?"
Saying that, he finally started walking towards their mother, ignoring their father's scowl.
"... I don't see you for two whole years and this is how you treat me?"
Aeliana broke into a smile unconsciously hearing her children and husband banter.
'Ah, I have missed this...'
She didn't think there would be a day when she would get to witness something like this ever again.
Gazing at her son's face, who was looking gently at her, Azriel crouched down as well.
"You have grown more handsome..."
Aeliana placed both her hands on his face, tears streaming down unabated.
"My son."
Azriel placed his hands atop hers.
"...I am sorry it took me so long to get back, Mom..."
*****
Hugging his mother, who sobbed silently in his embrace while he caressed her hair, Jasmine and Joaquin approached.
The servants were already silently leaving, sensible enough to give them privacy.
"You weren't on the verge of tears when you reunited with me..."
Hearing Jasmine sulk, Azriel had to suppress a laugh. Before he could respond, though, he suddenly felt a hand atop his head.
'Hmm?'
Glancing up, it was his father, looking at him warmly with a small smile on his face.
"You have done well to survive all on your own all this time... I am proud of you, Azriel."
For some reason, he felt something rising in his chest...
His vision started to become blurry as well.
"Huh...?"
Confused, he noticed that Jasmine and Joaquin were staring wide-eyed at him.
Drip...! Drip...!
Feeling something annoying touching his face and his mother's clothes, he touched his face. His fingertips felt a wet sensation.
Drip...! Drip...!
It kept going. Something kept spilling from his eyes...
"...Oh."
Azriel finally realized what was happening.
He was crying...
"Brother..."
Jasmine's voice reached his ears as he kept trying to wipe his tears away, yet he paid her no mind. No matter what, they just didn't stop flowing.
'Dammit... why can't I hold it back?'
Why did he have to cry now?
He was doing perfectly up until now.
Frustration seeped into his heart until Aeliana looked at him as well.
"My sweet boy..."
Suddenly, his vision darkened as he felt his head pressed against something soft.
'What...?'
"You don't need to hold yourself back anymore... you are home now."
His mother whispered gently in his ear as her arms around his back tightened even more.
"...Let it all out."
"Ah..."
Before he knew it, he stopped trying to hold his tears back. Tears kept staining her clothes as she embraced him tightly.
'I see...'
The warmth of family.
Hugging his mother in this world reminded him of his family in his previous world as Leo...
The warmth he had thought he lost forever.
It felt like a lifetime since he lost them.
This warmth he was currently feeling reminded Azriel of his previous family.
Perhaps that is why...
'It hurts... Dammit, it hurts a lot...'
Extremely so.
This warmth was a cruel reminder that the Crimsons were his family now, but also...
That his previous one and everything about them were...
Gone.
Gone forever, leaving behind only echoes in his memories, shadows that would never again become whole.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Also, please give me all of those golden tickets you have hidden!
Tak-!
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.
Tak-!
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.
Tak-!
At the center of this pristine space stood a round table, also crafted from white marble. Its smooth surface reflected the ambient light.
Tak-!
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.
Tak-!
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.
Tak-!
Tak-!
Tak-!
Both kept placing their pieces one after another.
"I have detected his presence."
Tak-!
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.
"...where?"
The shadow spoke, not moving his chess piece. Though his voice seemed monotone, a certain emotion could be detected in it...
Anger.
"France."
Tak-!
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."
Tak-!
"You have certainly become strong. Don't let that get to your head, though."
"I know. You don't have to tell me."
Tak-!
"As for that traitor, ignore him for now."
"Really?"
Tak-!
"Yes. Proceed as planned."
Tak-!
The shadow merely shrugged before placing his black piece.
"If you say so."
Tak-!
"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."
Tak-!
"You won't have to wait long now..."
Tak-!
"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.
And then...
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..."
Snap-!
The sound of the arrow breaking resonated through the empty hall before it disappeared from his hand.
"Apostle of Death."
*****
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.'
Guilt consumed him.
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.
Until...
"How did you know I was here?"
A familiar voice resounded from behind, one he recognized.
"Dad..."
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.
But that warmth...
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."
"...is that so?"
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?"
"That..."
Azriel hesitated.
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..."
"Time for what?"
"...to accept."
"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.
'Not that I mind...'
Such thoughts only intensified Azriel's guilt.
He could still feel Joaquin's eyes on him, waiting for an answer.
And so...
"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...
They hurt.
"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... let go."
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.
He was scared.
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.
"What is wrong?"
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.
But...
That tiny star made Azriel' skin prickle with goosebumps.
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Also, please give me all of those golden tickets and power stones you have hidden!
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