In the Heartfilia Mansion
"Madam, we received a new parcel for you today… it seems to be from Her Highness Celestia," the old servant said respectfully as she stood before a beautiful blonde woman.
Layla paused for a moment before gently putting down the child in her arms. She brushed a strand of Lucy's hair away from her face and smiled softly. "Lucy, can you go play with Spetto for a bit?" she asked, stroking her daughter's head with quiet affection.
"Su—re…" Lucy pouted slightly, clearly reluctant, but she still took the servant's hand and walked out of the room without further complaint.
Once the door closed, Layla's attention shifted fully to the parcel resting on the table. She stood there for a few seconds, simply looking at it, before finally stepping forward and undoing the ribbon with careful fingers.
On top of a small box lay a letter; it was placed neatly as if the sender wanted it to be read first. Layla picked it up and unfolded it without hesitation.
—
"Layla, how are you doing? How is your health?
You know, I am not good with formal words… I know it's quite a bad look for a princess, but I can't help it. Anyway, back to the main topic… You probably already know there were some issues in the Sin Kingdom. The kingdom is now under indefinite lockdown.
I won't go into details, but the Horologium key that I borrowed from you came in handy. Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances, I am unable to use any magic anymore. I don't regret it though… I managed to save my nephew's life because of it.
You were right, I guess. In the end, I chose my nephew's life over my spirits. I can't summon them anymore, so I will give them to you. I don't know anyone else who would take better care of those keys than you. I still don't know what you plan to use them for, but I trust you.
My life as a wizard is over, but now I have all the time to help my sister with the kingdom's affairs. I am not going to run from my duty anymore. My only wish is that those spirits fly freely again under the open sky with someone who loves them even more than we did. I know you can find someone like that."
—
Layla lowered the letter slowly, her expression calm yet distant as she read those last lines again in her mind. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but after a moment, a faint and helpless smile curved on her lips. She walked toward the window and looked outside into the garden where Lucy was playing with Spetto. The little girl's laughter carried lightly through the air, bright and innocent, her smile unburdened by the weight of decisions adults had to make.
"A celestial spirit wizard who can love the spirits even more than you?" Layla murmured under her breath, resting her cheek against her hand as she continued watching her daughter. There was warmth in her gaze, but there was also a hint of sadness there.
"Idiot… we both know that's such a hard ceiling to reach."
In the Sin Kingdom,
Celestia remained seated at her desk, her head buried in her folded arms. The grand room around her felt far too large and far too empty, the silence pressing down heavier than any battlefield ever had.
"I am sorry, Libra… I am sorry, everyone…" she whispered into her sleeves.
She had done what she needed to do, and she would never regret saving her nephew. That choice was never in question. But knowing she would never again hold their keys, never feel their magic respond to her call, never hear their familiar voices teasing or comforting her… that was the part that cut deeper than she expected.
She had given up her wizard life willingly, yet the absence of her spirits left a hollow ache in her chest that no royal duty could fill.
Twins… a wonder that remained unanswered, no matter how many years passed. No matter how far they drifted, no matter how different the paths beneath their feet became, their lives continued to trace patterns that felt strangely familiar… as if something unseen quietly guided them through the same storms, again and again.
"Liam… are you okay?"
A young boy slowly opened his eyes to a white ceiling. His vision was blurry, his body heavy, and pain spread through him no matter how slightly he tried to move. He didn't understand what was happening. His thoughts felt scattered, like fragments that refused to come together into something whole.
"Agh…"
"Liam…" A girl slightly older than him leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his head, holding him as if she was afraid he would disappear. The boy froze for a moment. Then he felt something warm and wet fall onto his hair.
He gently pulled away from the embrace and looked up at her.
He didn't recognize her.
Her face was filled with relief and fear at the same time, her eyes red and trembling. She looked at him as if he were the only thing she had left in the world.
"Liam…?" she called again, her voice weaker this time.
"Liam…" the boy repeated slowly, as if testing the word. "Is that… my name?"
The girl's expression faltered. She immediately turned her head toward the doctor standing nearby, her hands tightening slightly.
"I think the accident affected his memory…" the doctor said quietly after examining him. His tone was careful, but there was no certainty in it.
"Accident…?" the boy murmured again. The word meant nothing to him.
The girl's eyes widened, and she hugged him again without hesitation.
"It is going to be fine, Liam… it is going to be fine…" she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound strong.
She didn't know what else to do. She didn't know how to fix this, how to bring back what they had lost, or how to carry the weight that had suddenly fallen on both of them. She could only hold him as she used to when they were younger, hoping that somehow, even if his memories didn't return, her presence would still reach him.
The doctor remained silent and stepped back, giving them space.
After all… the girl had run here without hesitation, still dressed in black, her hands shaking from everything she had already endured these days.
She had not even been able to finish mourning their parents.
Far away, beneath a different sky, another boy opened his eyes.
His vision settled on a wooden ceiling unfamiliar to him. For a moment, he simply stared at it, his mind blank, his body refusing to move as confusion slowly crept in.
"Siegrian… are you okay?"
A beautiful woman stood beside him, her long blue hair falling over her shoulders as she leaned closer, her expression filled with concern. The boy turned his head slightly and looked at her, his eyes unfocused.
"Siegrian…?" he repeated softly. "Is that… my name?"
The woman froze.
She had found him collapsed alone in the forest, his small body unmoving beneath the cold air. She had rushed him to the nearest village without hesitation, refusing to leave him behind. She only knew his name because of the necklace he wore.
An elderly medic standing nearby examined the boy carefully, his brows furrowing in thought.
"I believe your son has lost his memory," the medic said slowly. "There are no visible head injuries… so it may be the result of severe trauma."
He leaned slightly closer, studying the boy's face.
"And this mark in his eye… is it some form of curse?"
"It is not a curse," the woman said quietly.
She didn't know if that was true. She didn't know what had happened to him or where he had come from. But she knew one thing.
She looked at the boy again.
His dark blue hair resembled her own so closely that it made her chest tighten. For a brief moment, she imagined a life that had been taken from her… a future that had never been allowed to exist. The man she loved had died protecting her, and with him, the life they could have built together vanished as well.
The boy looked at her with uncertainty, his eyes searching for something familiar and finding nothing.
She could have told the truth. She could have said she wasn't his mother. She could have walked away once he recovered.
But something stopped her.
"Yes," she said gently, reaching forward and pulling him into a careful embrace. "Your name is Siegrian… it is going to be okay."
The boy didn't resist. He simply remained still in her arms, lost and uncertain in a world that no longer belonged to him.
She didn't know who he had been before this moment. But she didn't want to leave this child alone, confused in the world.
Liam stood quietly in front of the two graves, his small hand held tightly within Maria's grasp. The black stone reflected faint images of the people gathered behind it, strangers who spoke in soft voices and looked at them with pity.
He didn't recognize any of them. He didn't recognize the two people in the picture resting beneath the flowers either. They were smiling warmly in the photograph, as if nothing had ever gone wrong.
He stared at their faces for a long moment, searching for something—anything—that would stir a memory. But there was nothing.
He only felt empty.
He shifted slightly and looked up at Maria. She hadn't let go of his hand even once. Her grip was firm, almost desperate, as if she was afraid that if she loosened it, he would disappear too.
Footsteps suddenly approached them from behind.
"Maria," a middle-aged man called gently. "How about you let me adopt you two?"
Maria didn't respond immediately. She slowly turned her head and looked at him with an unreadable expression.
"Sorry," she said quietly. "We are going to refuse."
The man frowned slightly. "But you two are still children. You'll need someone to—"
"I am sorry, we will figure something out," Maria repeated, bowing her head slightly before pulling Liam's hand.
She didn't wait for his response.
Liam turned his head back in confusion, looking at the man they left behind. The man's gentle expression had already disappeared, replaced with something colder. He clicked his tongue and stomped his foot in annoyance before turning away.
"He wants to take advantage of our parents' savings…" Maria muttered under her breath as they walked. "How selfish…"
Liam didn't fully understand what she meant. He didn't understand why everyone was looking at them like that.
The only thing he could tell was that Maria was tired. Not physically, but in a deeper way, he couldn't explain.
He tightened his grip on her hand slightly.
Maria noticed and looked down at him.
"Are you okay… Maria?" Liam asked hesitantly. The word felt unfamiliar on his tongue, but he forced himself to say it.
Maria paused for a moment, then gave him a small, tired smile.
"I am fine," she said softly. "Just stay by my side for now, Liam. There are a lot of bad people who want to take advantage of us here."
She didn't want to say those words. She didn't want to fill his world with suspicion so soon. But she had no choice. Not anymore.
Liam looked at their hands, his small fingers wrapped within hers. Her grip was strong, but he could feel the faint trembling behind it.
He looked up at her face, his expression turning serious.
"Sister…" he said quietly.
Maria froze slightly. This was the first time Liam called her sister after waking up, wasn't it?
"I can protect you, too."
Maria blinked in surprise and looked down at him.
"For now I am small," Liam continued awkwardly, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "But… after I grow up… I will protect you, too."
For a moment, Maria couldn't say anything.
These past days had taken everything from her. Her parents were gone. Her home felt empty. Even Liam, who had always been by her side, had woken up without remembering her.
She thought she had lost him, too.
But hearing those words now… seeing the determination in his eyes that hadn't changed… something inside her that had been breaking apart slowly began to mend.
A gentle smile formed on her face.
"Yes," she said softly, tightening her hold on his hand. "I know."
Under a gray sky, Siegrian stood in front of a single grave.
Rain fell quietly around them, tapping softly against the umbrella the woman held above their heads. Water gathered at the edges and fell in steady drops onto the ground below.
He looked at the name carved into the stone.
He didn't remember the man buried beneath it.
He didn't remember the life he was supposed to have lived.
But he knew the woman beside him did.
She stood in silence, her shoulders trembling faintly as she stared at the grave. She didn't cry loudly. She didn't collapse. She simply stood there, enduring it quietly.
She had told him that his father was a wizard… a member of the Magic Council. Even if he held the lowest title, it was still something rare in a place like this. In his final moments, he had protected the village.
He had protected everyone.
Siegrian looked down at his own hand.
For a brief moment, a small ball of light flickered into existence above his palm. It was faint and unstable, trembling as if it could disappear at any second.
And then it did.
He closed his hand slowly.
It wasn't enough.
He lifted his head and looked at the woman beside him. She had given him a name. She had given him a place to stand when he had nothing.
She was still standing alone.
"Let's pray to your father, Siegrian," she said gently.
He looked at the grave again.
Then he clenched his fist.
"Mom," he called quietly.
She looked down at him in surprise. This was the first time this kid called her mom, wasn't it?
"From now on… I will protect you."
His voice was steady.
He didn't fully understand what it meant to protect someone. He didn't understand the world yet. But he understood this feeling clearly.
If his father was gone… then he would take his place.
"I will learn magic," he continued. "And I will join the Magic Council."
The woman stared at him for a moment, her eyes widening slightly. She had adopted him on impulse, guided by grief and loneliness more than reason. But now–
"Then you'll need to go to a wizard school outside the village," she said gently.
"I will."
"How will we pay for it?" she asked lightly, trying to soften the moment.
"I will work," Siegrian said immediately. "I will work and save money."
She couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes.
He was still so small. He shouldn't have to think about burdens like this. He shouldn't have to promise strength when he had only just learned how fragile the world could be.
She pulled him into her arms and held him tightly.
"As long as you are well… that is all I need," she whispered in a tearful voice… she was not interested in any fame or money that this child could bring… it would be sufficient to have him grow up happy…that would be enough…
Siegrian hesitated slightly before returning the embrace.
"I just want to become someone… who can protect you."
In a white, endless room untouched by time, an extremely beautiful woman with curved horns sat quietly on the floor. Her silver eyes reflected two floating screens before her, each showing the life of a young boy.
The twins lived under different skies, walked different lands, and spoke to different people, yet as she watched them grow, the same quiet truth revealed itself again and again. Wherever they went, they became a light for someone else. In the darkest moments of another person's life, their presence alone was enough to give them a reason to keep living.
But blessings were never the only thing they shared.
Her gaze lingered on Astro's screen, watching the boy's fragile existence continue through means that defied the natural order.
"I guess there is always going to be a price for tampering with a soul on a cosmic level…" she murmured.
Inside the crytosis chamber beneath the Sin Kingdom, a massive lacrima stood at the center of the room. Within it, a child's body remained suspended in a strange green fluid, his form hidden except for his head.
Aurora stood before it, her hand pressed gently against the surface, her dark green hair falling over her shoulder. Her reflection overlapped with Astro's motionless face, making it seem as if they existed in the same fragile space.
Beside her, Celestia rested a hand on her shoulder. "Aurora…"
"I am fine," Aurora replied quietly.
She covered Celestia's hand briefly before returning her attention to the boy. The green fluid inside the lacrima shifted faintly with the soft hum of magic sustaining it.
"Siegrian is still missing… Earthland is too big for me to find him, Celestia…" Aurora murmured. Arthur remained in a coma, his magic constantly being drained to preserve Astro's broken body. Everything they had was already being used just to keep this one life from slipping away.
"We will find him," Celestia said gently.
Aurora shook her head faintly. "As long as he is alive… that is enough for me."
She didn't ask for reunions. She didn't ask for fate to be kind. She only wished for his survival. As long as he is alive, they can definitely meet again someday.
Then suddenly, she felt it.
The fluid inside the lacrima trembled.
Aurora's eyes widened. "Did Astro move?"
Celestia immediately turned toward the crystal as well.
Both of them noticed that Astro's fingers twitched, but something was wrong. His peaceful expression twisted into pain, his brows tightening as his body jerked violently inside the fluid. He was trying to move, but he wasn't conscious. It was as if something deep within him was tearing itself apart.
Far away in Earthland, Siegrian ran through a burning village. Flames devoured homes, smoke choked the air, and screams echoed all around him. He didn't understand what was happening. He didn't understand why people dressed in unfamiliar clothing had come and turned everything into ash.
"The kids! Get the kids!"
"Kill the adults!"
Their voices chased him like predators. His heart pounded as he ran faster, his legs moving on instinct alone. When he reached his house, all that remained was fire.
"Mom… where are you?" he shouted desperately, his voice breaking.
Then he saw her.
Standing on a small cliff nearby.
"Siegrain… over here!" she called with her arms open toward him.
Relief flooded his chest. "Mom!"
He ran toward her without hesitation.
But as he got closer, he saw another figure standing behind her. The man moved silently, raising his sword as she smiled toward her son, completely unaware of what was behind her. Siegrain, for a moment, even lost his voice in shock.
The blade pierced through her back.
Everything froze.
"MOM!"
"What is happening, Julien?" Aurora asked with a trembling voice as Astro's body continued to convulse inside the lacrima.
Julien stood beside the lacrima, a glowing magic circle rotating slowly before him as he examined the boy. His expression grew darker the longer he observed.
"I cannot fully explain it," Julien said quietly. "His soul has been separated for too long. The laws of this world reject such a state. A soul cannot exist divided from its body indefinitely. If his soul doesn't return, he will continue to experience an unbearable amount of pain in his body."
Aurora's hand tightened against the lacrima.
"Wherever the other part of his soul is… it must return soon," Julien continued. He hesitated briefly before adding, "But…I don't understand why, but it does not feel like his soul exists within this world anymore."
Even he did not understand how that was possible. How could a soul pass through the barrier of time and space?
"Celestia… there might be something we can do…"
Aurora's voice was quiet, but steady, her eyes locked onto Astro's suffering form trapped inside the lacrima. His body trembled faintly within the crystal, his existence flickering like a dying star.
"Do you still have Mother's spellbook?"
"What do you mean?"
Celestia froze. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at Aurora. That book… Aurora had always forbidden it. That spellbook was the source of her deepest pain. It was something she never wanted to touch again.
After all, that book contained that spell that father used for torturing her… the spell that still haunts her to this day….
Siegrian woke up suddenly, his breath uneven. The nightmare hadn't changed. It never changed. He had watched her die again.
He sat on the cold ground and buried his head in his arms, isolating himself from the other children. Days passed, and he barely spoke. Two children eventually approached him, with curious eyes.
"Hey," one of them asked. "What's your name?"
He looked at them quietly. They were just like him. Broken. Taken. Forced into a life none of them chose. He didn't want to be rude to them…
"I'm Sieg—"
The name stopped in his throat. Can he even claim that name?
Siegrian was supposed to protect Mom. Siegrian was supposed to grow stronger. Siegrain was supposed to go to magic school. Siegrian was supposed to become someone worthy to join the magic council.
But Siegrian had failed.
He lowered his eyes. For a moment, he heard a gentle woman's voice in his mind. He didn't remember who that woman was, but he remembered something she said…
"Jellal was the hero of a story I loved when I was young. But, even with a happy ending, his journey was filled with so much suffering."
"I am Jellal," he said quietly.
That was the truth now.
From the white room, the horned woman continued watching.
"Looks like the Imperium Eyes left deeper damage than expected," the figure said calmly. "Despite his intelligence, his mind will continue to fracture, and he will suffer from delusions… Others will take advantage of that weakness."
Still, the boy continued forward.
He became a leader among the enslaved children, his presence alone giving them strength. He met a red-haired girl who refused to break, and when he found her bleeding among fallen guards, he quickly ran up to her…
"Erza… what happened to you?" Siegrain rushed forward and dropped to his knees beside the red-haired girl lying on the cold stone floor, her small body surrounded by the lifeless forms of the guards. But when he saw her face, his breath caught in his throat. Blood covered her skin, thick and dark, blending into her crimson hair… and one of her eyes was gone.
"Why do these things… why do these awful things…" Siegrain muttered under his breath, his voice trembling with horror. His hands clenched into fists as his mind spiraled. What did she do wrong? What did any of them do to deserve this? Why… why… why…
"Damn it… damn it!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing helplessly through the empty chamber. His whole body trembled with frustration. Why did people have to be so cruel?
"Jellal… is that you?" Erza's weak voice reached him, soft and fragile as she stirred from his shouting.
"Erza?" Siegrain immediately leaned closer, relief flooding his face when he saw that she was still breathing. A smile spread across his lips despite everything. "I'm glad… you'll be okay. I have come here to save you…"
Erza looked at him in silence, her remaining eye unfocused from pain and exhaustion. She didn't understand how he could smile like that. They were the same age, trapped in the same hell… yet somehow, he could still smile so brightly. From the moment she met him, he had always been like that. He brought warmth into places where warmth shouldn't exist.
"How… can you save me?" she asked softly, forcing the words out as she ignored the unbearable pain where her eye had been.
Siegrain paused. He didn't have a plan. He didn't know how. But he knew one thing with absolute certainty—he couldn't leave her here.
"We don't have any other choice…" he said slowly. Then a grin formed on his face, small but filled with determination. Even in the darkness consuming Erza's heart, that smile reached her.
"All we can do is fight."
Erza's eyes widened. Fight? Against the people who built this place? Against the ones who broke them so easily? Was that even possible?
But before Siegrain could help her up, a heavy force struck the back of his head.
"You little brat!"
His body collapsed to the floor as rough hands grabbed him.
"Do you think you can escape after murdering three of us?"
"Nobody can escape from here. We are going to make an example out of you."
"Aghh—!"
Liam's body collapsed from his bed as pain exploded inside him. It spread through his entire body, sharp and relentless, as if something invisible was clawing its way through him.
Maria rushed into the room immediately.
"Liam!" she cried, kneeling beside him and pulling him into her arms. "What's happening?! Are you in pain again?"
"It hurts…" Liam gasped, clutching her tightly. "It hurts… it hurts so much…"
His breathing became uneven. His fingers trembled violently. It felt like his body was rejecting itself, like something essential was missing.
Maria held him tighter, her heart racing. She didn't understand what was happening, but she quickly picked him up and rushed to the nearest hospital.
Inside a remote island, Siegrain hung suspended by ropes that bound his arms above his head. His bare feet barely touched the ground. Each breath was shallow. A dark wizard stood in front of him, repeatedly lashing his body with a whip. The sharp crack echoed through the chamber, followed by the dull sound of impact against flesh.
After a while, the wizard clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"This brat… he isn't confessing anything at all. It's getting dull…" the fat wizard muttered, spitting on the ground in frustration.
"The little girl earlier cried so much, though," another wizard said from the side, laughing quietly.
"Yeah… that was such a masterpiece, wasn't it?" The fat wizard laughed along with him.
Siegrain's eyes slowly opened. His vision was blurry, but his mind sharpened instantly.
Were they talking about Erza?
Did these people… take her eye?
These bastards…
The fat wizard noticed his reaction and grabbed his face roughly, forcing Siegrain to look directly at him.
"Listen, punk… can't you see building the R-System is a sacred duty?" the wizard said, his tone filled with twisted conviction. "The moment this tower is completed, every one of you gets to go to heaven…"
Siegrain stared at him silently. The wizard mistook his silence for weakness, so he continued,
"The R-System will bring our god back to life… the greatest black wizard of them all will be reborn…"
"Shut up, pig," Siegrain said flatly, his voice empty.
The wizard froze.
"Wha—?"
"What did that brat say? Is that any way to talk to a priest?" The fat wizard's face twisted in rage as he began whipping Siegrain again, harder and faster than before.
Siegrain didn't know when it stopped. He didn't know when they left. Time had lost meaning to him. His entire body was in agony.
God?
What a joke.
"There is no god…" he murmured weakly into the empty room. "Even if there was… a god who can't save one little kid doesn't deserve to exist…"
His fingers twitched weakly.
"I hate them…"
"I hate them…"
"I hate them all…"
"I hate their god…"
"I hate everything…Every goddamn thing…"
Then suddenly—
"Hate? Human hate only makes me grow stronger."
Siegrain's eyes snapped open.
He looked around frantically. No one was there.
"What a funny creature… after all, I am here, so close to them… and they go to all the trouble to give me flesh…"
"Who is there? Where are you?" Siegrain shouted, his voice cracking as he searched the darkness around him.
"They can have all the faith they want… but it is only your hate that allows you to sense my presence…"
"Come out where I can see you!"
"Ah… but you are the lucky child. You can meet firsthand the god they so revere…"
The voice deepened.
"AS I AM CALLED ZEREF… AND HATE IS MY EXISTENCE."
Siegrain's body suddenly tensed. A strange sensation flooded through him, like chains inside him were snapping one by one. Power surged through his veins, violent and overwhelming. Something buried deep within him began to awaken.
"Is this… the power of god?" he whispered weakly.
And in the darkness of his mind, a vicious grin began to form on his face as he found himself drowning in his 'newfound' power.
In the Sin Kingdom's new royal castle, Aurora stood silently beside the lacrima, her eyes fixed on Astro's trembling form sealed within the crystal. This had been happening for a long time now.
The pain came and went without warning. Sometimes he would remain calm for hours… and then suddenly his body would seize in silent agony. After observing him for weeks, Julien had finally concluded. This was really the side effect of having his soul split for too long.
"Aurora, are you sure you want to do this… it can be any of us…" Celestia said quietly, her voice filled with concern as she looked at Aurora's tired face.
"This magic is too docile… the caster can only use it on themselves and one other target," Aurora replied with a faint smile, though the exhaustion behind it was obvious.
"But still… You still have panic attacks because of this magic. You shouldn't have to do this… this would just worsen your condition…" Celestia said, her voice shaking slightly. She didn't want her nephew to suffer… but she didn't want Aurora to suffer either. Why did it have to be like this… why did fate always force her to relive that nightmare?
"Well… I am the one who brought him into this world. I will take responsibility for all the pain he endures," Aurora said gently, raising her palm toward the lacrima where Astro lay.
Celestia opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She could only watch as Aurora slowly closed her eyes. Her hands trembled slightly at her sides. Aurora couldn't help but remember those years…
The countless times her father had used this same magic on her. The helplessness. The terror. The pain wasn't just physical, but carved into her soul. Fate truly had a cruel sense of humor. Now she was the one using that same spell… not to torture, but to save her own son.
Aurora opened her eyes. A pink magic circle formed over her palm, glowing faintly.
"Maguility Sense: Full Transfer."
A second magic circle formed over Astro's body inside the lacrima, the two circles resonating with each other.
Astro's trembling stopped almost instantly. His body relaxed.
"—Aghh!"
But Aurora screamed.
"Aurora!" Celestia rushed forward, catching her as her knees nearly gave out. Aurora raised her hand weakly, signaling she was fine… but Celestia could see the truth. Aurora's body trembled violently.
She was gritting her teeth so hard her jaw shook. She was now feeling every single bit of pain Astro had been feeling. All of it. The shattered fragments of his soul. The instability. The lingering trauma. And worst of all… this magic itself dragged her back into her own memories.
Back to when every night she would scream in pain because of torture that would happen in an underground chamber to others linked to her with this magic.
"I… I am fine…" Aurora whispered weakly, her body drenched in sweat. The pain wasn't just physical. Her mind was being forced to relive everything at once.
"You don't have to do this…" Celestia said, holding her gently, trying to support her weight.
Aurora shook her head weakly.
"This is nothing… I will be fine…" she said, though her breathing had already become uneven. She could feel the panic rising again, tightening around her chest.
"Try to find news about Siegrain… I will be fine," she murmured, leaning slightly against Celestia's shoulder. She forced herself to remain silent. She didn't want Astro to hear her scream. She didn't want him to grow up with the same nightmares she had.
Celestia looked at her trembling figure, tears forming in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Aurora and held her gently. Arthur used to do this for her. He was always the one who comforted Aurora when she lost control. But now Arthur lay in a coma… and Celestia could only hope her presence was enough.
As for Siegrain…
"Jellal."
Siegrain hung limply from the ropes binding his arms above his head. His body was covered in wounds, his breathing shallow. His ears twitched faintly when he heard that voice. He would recognize that voice anywhere.
"We got all our freedom now," Erza said, her voice filled with hope. "Let's go… Wally and the others captured their regular supply ship. We can finally leave this island…"
Siegrain slowly lifted his head. His vision was blurry. His thoughts felt distant.
"Er…za…" he muttered weakly as he wrapped his arms around her.
"We don't have to run anymore," he said quietly.
"Huh?" Erza pulled back slightly, confused.
Siegrain held her tighter for a moment before speaking again.
"True freedom… is right here."
"Are you okay? Liam?" Maria asked softly, sitting beside the hospital bed. She had been watching him for hours as he writhed in pain, but suddenly… it stopped. The doctors couldn't explain it.
Liam looked at his small hands. The pain was gone. Completely gone. As if it had never existed.
"I seem to… be fine… sister," he said with a faint smile.
He had never felt so light before.
"Jellal?"
Erza looked at the boy walking ahead of her. He didn't turn back.
"What are you talking about? We have to go together and get off this island," she said, confused.
Siegrain stopped walking.
"Erza… freedom does not exist in this world," he said coldly.
"Huh?"
He slowly turned around.
"I figured it out. What we need isn't some fleeing freedom… true freedom is only found in Zeref's world."
Erza froze. His smile… it wasn't the same. There was no warmth in it anymore. It wasn't the smile that she liked so much anymore…
Siegrain walked toward one of the fallen guards.
"I have come to understand a little about how these people feel. They were trying to revive Zeref… but they were believers. Believers could never feel Zeref's existence."
He stepped on the guard's head.
"Am I right?"
The guard groaned in pain, unable to respond.
"I will take possession of this tower. I will complete the R-System and see Zeref's rebirth."
"What happened to you, Jellal?" Erza asked, her voice trembling.
"I don't understand what you are saying—"
Before she could finish, the mark beneath Siegrain's eye glowed faintly. He stomped his foot down. The guard's head shattered instantly.
Erza covered her mouth in horror.
Siegrain didn't stop. He raised his hand slightly. Another guard nearby suddenly lifted into the air, his body twisting unnaturally before exploding from within.
Siegrain stared at his hand.
'Is this the power of Zeref…'
It felt natural. Effortless. It almost seemed like…he was born with it…
He moved his hand again. More guards died instantly.
"Stop it, Jellal!" Erza shouted.
"Stop? Don't you hate these guys, Erza?" he asked calmly.
"Su… sure I do… but you can't—"
"That's no good. You'll never feel Zeref with an attitude like that," Siegrain said with a twisted smile, killing another fleeing guard without even looking.
"Ah ha ha ha…"
He laughed.
He was finally free.
"Jellal… pull yourself together… I know days of torture can do something like this, but…" Erza pleaded.
"I am perfectly normal, Erza," he said calmly. "Let us rebuild the R-System together… no… we will rebuild the Tower of Heaven… and with it… Revive Zeref."
"Stop being dumb! We have to get off this island—"
An invisible force suddenly slammed into Erza and threw her backward.
"Fine… if you want to leave so much… you can just go away alone," he said.
"Alone?"
"I will just take all of the rest of our people for myself… after all, I'll need people to complete the construction of the Tower of Heaven…"
Siegrain said this calmly as he stepped forward. His eyes were filled with a quiet, unshakable determination. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he was no longer trapped in darkness. It was as if light itself had finally found him. For a brief moment, he felt something strange deep within his mind.
A voice.
A gentle female voice.
It told him that a ruler must always take care of their people. That a good ruler protects them, guides them, and gives meaning to their lives. A ruler should never strip the freedom of their people.
Siegrain paused slightly. He didn't know where that voice came from. He didn't know why it felt so familiar. But for some reason… he felt like he didn't want to disappoint that voice.
"No need to worry… I am not like those people. I will give everyone clothes, food, and even days of rest. Control through fear and force makes for poor workmanship…" Siegrain muttered quietly.
Erza stared at him, her confusion growing with every word.
"What are you talking about? Everybody else is already aboard the ship, just waiting for us! There's no way they'd come back here to do slave labor again!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Siegrain didn't react to her anger. The twisted smile slowly returned to his face.
"That was the mistake of incompetent leadership. They gave no meaning to the work. I will give it meaning… they will all work to bring the great magician Zeref back…"
For him, there was nothing wrong with this. It felt natural. It felt correct. Standing above others. Leading them. Guiding them toward something greater. It was as if this was always his purpose. As if this had always been his destiny.
"Jellal… I am begging you… please wake up…" Erza pleaded, her voice trembling.
Siegrain raised his hand.
Instantly, Erza's body froze.
An invisible force wrapped tightly around her throat.
"I… can't… breathe…"
Siegrain paused. His hand trembled slightly. Seeing her suffer caused something deep inside him to stir. Slowly, almost unconsciously, he loosened his grip. He looked down for a moment before speaking.
"I don't believe I need you anymore. But I won't kill you… I owe you that much. You took care of the fools that got in my way."
He raised his head again and looked at her trembling figure. A part of him screamed to stop. A part of him begged him to let her go. But that voice was buried beneath something darker. He frowned briefly before forcing that twisted smile back onto his face.
"But you'll have to leave this island… You must get your fill of that freedom of yours…"
"Jel… lal…" Erza whispered weakly.
"I think you understand the rules, but just in case… You are forbidden to speak of this to anyone. If the Council finds out about the Tower of Heaven, all of this would go to waste…" Siegrain said calmly.
"The moment word gets out, I will destroy all of the evidence… this tower and everyone within it."
He continued without hesitation.
"You are also forbidden to approach this tower ever again. At the first sighting of you… I will kill one person."
Siegrain paused for a moment as he thought. He remembered the boy who stayed closest to Erza. The one who always stood beside her. Although he did not hate that boy, for some reason, whenever that boy was close to Erza, he would become unhappy for a bit.
"Hm… I think that one person should be named Sho…" he said with a twisted smile.
"Jel… lal…"
Erza finally broke down. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the boy who once gave her hope… and who was now the one destroying it.
Siegrain's expression hardened. Her tears irritated him. They made something inside him feel unstable.
"That will be your freedom," he said, his smile twisting further. "Go… and carry the burden of the lives of all of your friends with you, Erza…"
"Ha… ha ha ha…"
Liam slowly sat up on the hospital bed. He looked down at his legs. The soul-crushing pain that once tormented him was gone. His life was no longer in danger.
But in exchange, he was starting to lose feeling in his legs.
That was why he had been admitted again. The doctors still didn't fully understand what was happening, but unlike before, they finally had a theory. They believed it was a genetic condition this time, possibly triggered by the damage his body had endured during the previous episodes of pain.
Liam pouted slightly.
Just when he thought he had escaped one disease… another one appeared. It felt almost ridiculous. Like the stories his sister used to watch. As if he had simply been handed over from one master to another. But still… this time was different. This time, he wasn't afraid of dying.
And that alone was enough. But speaking of stories–
He sighed and picked up the tablet resting beside him. Maria had bought it so he wouldn't get bored during his stay.
He began browsing absentmindedly.
"Nothing looks interesting… this one is about basketball… boring. I can't play it anyway. This one is about soccer… ninja… hm?"
He paused at a certain one for a bit.
"I remember my sister said I shouldn't watch this one… I wonder why?"
An anime called Fairy Tail.
The poster showed four figures standing. Each with a different color of hair. They were probably the main characters. Liam didn't pay much attention to them at first. Instead, he frowned slightly.
"Where did I hear the name Fairy Tail before…"
He couldn't remember. But he felt interested in the serious.
Curious, he searched for more images. A new figure joined in the newer images as he scrolled…but one poster in particular caught his attention. A young man with dark blue hair stood in the background. He was smiling.
But it wasn't a kind smile.
It was twisted. He looked like a villain. Liam stared at the image quietly for quite a long time.
For some reason… his chest hurt.
He didn't understand why.
He didn't know who this person was. He didn't know why seeing him portrayed as someone meant to be defeated made him feel uneasy.
He stared at the image for a few more seconds before slowly looking away. He lost interest in the series entirely. He didn't want to watch this person doing bad stuff anymore. But more importantly… he didn't… want to see that person lose.
"…Well, I will watch another series then," he murmured.