Noah enters the house and closes the door behind him. It had been an exciting day, and a little rest would be helpful.
"I am back", noah said as he took off his shoes, but he didn't hear any response, which made him curious, so he walked to the The livingroom
Noah notices his adoptive father, "Adonis Aris," a grown man in his forties with long golden hair tied in a ponytail and shiny golden eyes surrounded by long yellow lashes, wearing a white cloak adorned with a symbol of A sharp-edged compass rose, its four points extending into narrow, upward-curving blades. At the center, a small, unblinking eye, encased in a thin circular shield. Between the blades, faint lines form a broken ring, enclosing the core without closing it, The symbol of Sentinels
His tall, muscular build gives him a strong yet elegant presence, Adonis is sitting on the couch, his fingers intertwined, resting his head on them as he thinks in silence.
Noah younger half-sister, "Yserie Aries" has long, thick pink hair and pure pink eyes full of hope. She is short and dressed in comfortable home clothes, sitting next to Her father, Adonis, Her face carries a serious expression for the first time, with a hint of sadness.
His older half-sister, "Mirabel Aris" has long, pale blonde hair washed with faint traces of pink, soft and bright, almost like diluted rose gold, She has a slim body despite being a Sentinel like her father, wearing the same cloak as Adonis, It was a strange and unsettling sight.
Once you become a Sentinel, you get very busy with duties and work all over the world, For someone like Adonis, he should be incredibly busy, Adonis is one of the top 10 Sentinels in the world, One of "The Decems" and known as "The Pyromaniac", he is an S-rank Sentinel, the peak of Sentinels, while Mirabel is a Sentinel under training.
As for Yana, she is a genius studying at the country's most prestigious school. Noah felt odd; it was rare for this family to be gathered under one roof, No, he felt shocked like he's seeing something that shouldn't exist, seeing Adonis should be impossible even for Family members, Noah is sure if one of his kids died, Adonis won't come because of how busy he is, so there must be an important reason behind it.
Adonis notices Noah's presence and silently gazes at him with a serious look.
"You're back..."
Noah feels a little anxious, Adonis cold and ruthless Voice made him tremble in his place, He has never seen Adonis so serious before.
"Noah, come sit down. There is something important we need to talk about," Adonis says, sounding more like an order than a request.
Noah sits on the couch obediently across from Adonis and his sisters, Adonis stays silent for a moment, then speaks again
"Before I tell you, you should know that I am not forcing you into anything. This is your life, and you have the right to make your own decisions. Do you understand?" The tone of the conversation felt serious and personal for Noah. He nods to indicate he understands.
"The Duchy of 'Davenport' has proposed a marriage to our family," Adonis says. Noah is surprised by this news, The Davenport Duchy is one of the highest-ranked families in the empire. Their duke, "Varan Davenport," is an infamous S-rank Sentinel with his heartless experiments, He has only a daughter and a son, Noah thought they wanted to marry their son, "Emanuel Davenport," to his older sister, which seemed like the most logical choice here
"The marriage is between their daughter 'Aurora Davenport' and you," Adonis interrupts Noah's thoughts.
"Me? A marriage between me and her? But why? I'm just a dead soul born with no power or purpose," Noah thinks to himself, trying to process what's happening, After a moment, something clicks in his mind.
"So this is an attempt to form connections with one of the decems... Offering their daughter to me....B-but why?, this still doesn't make any sense...T-they could've just proposed to Mirabel...w-why me?...i-is it because i am the weak link in the chain...They know adonis won't accept giving his daughter To them...She have his blood after all, unlike me...b-but is that really enough reason for them to Sacrifice their daughter?, t-this doesn't make any sense at all!!"
"As I told you, I'm not forcing you into anything. It's your choice, whether you want to accept or reject it, I'll always be by your side," Adonis smiles at Noah. The smile carries a fatherly affection and tenderness yet his voice had a hint of nervousness
"…That's impossible...you know that too, adonis?...If I reject...that means Adonis has refused one of the strongest forces in the empire...The Davenport family might pressure Adonis again with another marriage proposal, maybe for 'Mirabel' or even worse 'Yesrie...' This would put them in danger... Damn it...I don't have much of a choice... Is there really no way out?" Noah feels intense anxiety and worry. He feels trapped from all sides, especially after he thought he was finally about to break free after facing Blake and his group.
"Noah? What are you thinking about?" Adonis asks, seemingly unaware of the predicament Noah is in, Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Noah is just a worthless person consuming oxygen without any use in this world. If accepting this means he will protect his sisters and Adonis, then it's fine.
"...I'll accept," Noah says. He can't believe he just said those words. Adonis looks at him in confusion, not expecting Noah to agree.
"Are you sure?"
"...Yes," Noah confirms, But he feels strange. He was supposed to feel worried and restricted, but instead, he feels like a weight has been lifted off him. Maybe it's because he always felt guilty for being an outsider to this family, yet they've always helped him. The opportunity to protect them in return feels strange, but it gives him some peace and comfort.
"I'll...i'll excuse myself to my room"
Noah leaves the room and heads upstairs to his room, Once inside, he closes the door behind him, then sits down, leaning back against the door, trying to calm his rapid breathing. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a silver chain, fine and unbroken, holding a pendant of polished metal. A vertical curve was crossed by a winding line, etched with precise, shallow grooves. Tiny indentations along the curve caught the light like distant stars. Its edges were sharp but balanced, enclosed within a thin circular frame that gave it weight and presence, Grabbing it closer to his heart embracing it scared that it will fade and break.
"I need to calm down… Adonis can sense everything in this house, If he feels my tension, he'll try to do something stupid … but… it would be really nice if someone tried to help me… Can I ask for help? It's okay for someone like me, who's useless, to ask for help, right?"
Noah holds back tears, silently begging for help, wishing someone would say comforting words telling him everything will be okay. That alone would be enough for him. Then, his tears begin to fall as he grips the pendant tightly, pressing it against his chest. This pendant was the last gift he received from his real father, "Orpheus Grace," before he left him with "Adonis." However, the pendant is his only source of comfort every time he feels weak or hopeless.
Suddenly, floating screens appear in the air in front of him.
[System Key Activated]
[System Opened]
"h-huh?"
He freezes, staring at the screens in front of him. This isn't a familiar sight in his life at all.
[The system detects an unknown force attempting to breach it]
[The system resists the unknown force]
[Error: The system found a message from an unknown source. Do you want to open it?]
Noah tries to process what's happening in front of him. Things are escalating quickly... A system? An unknown force? Error? A message? Is this some strange dream?
He reaches out to touch the screen, but his hand passes through it like an illusion... Is this just a fantasy? Has he finally lost his mind?
[The message will be deleted if the host does not respond within 10 seconds]
Delete the message? What happens then? Will this thing disappear? But... what if this is a sign? A sign that the gods have heard his pleas and are trying to help him now?
"Op-open the message."
[To my son, Noah Grace,
If you are reading this message, it means I'm most likely dead. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you—I had my reasons. I was being hunted by a dangerous cult known as "The Liturgy Canticle," and if I had stayed by your side, I would have put you in danger. But now i am dead, that makes you their next target. Be careful]
"P-pardon?"
[Noah, I don't know what kind of life you've lived so far, but no matter what happens, don't give up on your dreams. Be strong—strong enough that no one can take anything from you again, Tear Those fools limb by limb, and Burn their pathetic creed
—Orpheus Grace]
Was this... My father? Even though he had abandoned me and left, now he's trying to help me?
"Don't joke with me... weren't you the one who abandoned me from the start?...Now you're trying to help me?...Are you doing this just to feel better about yourself?...What's wrong with humans? Why do they always try to appear good at the cost of destroying others' lives?... It's not fair! How many times?... How many times do I have to suffer just for others?! Why am I this weak?! Is it my fault?!"
...No, it wasn't his fault.
Noah realized that he could name many things he could blame for his suffering. The world? His parents? His classmates? Everyone? But the ones truly responsible for his existence weren't his parents, but the gods and fate itself.
If he hadn't been born, he wouldn't have suffered. If he hadn't been created, he wouldn't have hurt.
If he had died many years ago, everything would have ended and he wouldn't have to go through all of this.
Noah stood up, wiped his tears, and then looked at the screen ahead of him with eyes full of determination.
"I don't care anymore... whatever i die or no... whatever other hurt me or no...i am tired of playing the victim...being pathetic is harder than playing a hero...but i am not a hero...I am...I am what i am meant to be...what I decided to be...and i decided to become more...more than just pathetic...more than just an orphan...more than this and more than that!... I'll become a person...that when i look in the mirror...i can see someone...not just a weakling"