*Status window
Name: Vivian D Zenithara.
Age: 15
Condition: seriously ill.
Stats-
Strength: 27
Agility: 23
Immunity: 2
Mana capacity: 50
Mana core: 4 star.
Goal: change your fate.
'Hm? My strength has increased by two. And there aren't any skills yet… Will I actually get skills in the future?' Vivian wondered, staring at the glowing screen.
He sat waiting in his room, wearing his black training uniform, a mix of curiosity and impatience stirring within him.
He was waiting for Charlotte. She had said she would come after midnight and asked him to switch off all the lights and pretend to be asleep.
'But why is she taking so long?' His eyes flicked to the clock, it was 12:30, well past the promised time.
"Haa."
He heaved a long breath, growing bored, there was nothing else to do in the dark room, and his eyes were heavy with drowsiness. Yet, he remained planted in front of the door, which wasn't even locked.
As he remained waiting for Charlotte he started pacing around the door.
After a few more minutes, he felt a presence behind the door,his pacing halted and without waiting for the person to announce themselves, he flung it open instantly.
The door creaked loudly.
"Gasp."
Charlotte, who had been just about to open the door herself, let out a sharp gasp of astonishment.
She had clearly instructed him not to do anything that might alert the 'eyes', yet he had opened the door so recklessly, like a brute.
But Vivian was even more astonished by her appearance, his heart started beating like crazy and his face grew hot from just staring at her.
He had already been surprised by how beautiful she was when he first saw her, yet the sight before him reminded him once again of just how stunning Charlotte truly was.
She wore a robe that shimmered between purple and black, matching the shade of her hair, and her eyes sparkled like stars twinkling in the night sky.
Vivian felt a wave of gratitude that such a girl even liked him.
"I told you not to act reckl—" she was just about to scold him for his reckless behavior but was cut off by his abrupt declaration.
"How… beautiful…" he unconsciously murmured.
"…Wh… what?" she stammered, her gaze flicking nervously to his eyes. But his eyes were locked on hers, as if glued to them.
Her mind went blank as she stared back at him the same way. Heat began to rise in her cheeks, and soon her face flushed bright red, like a ripe tomato.
The staring between them continued for a while, the silence stretching unbearably. Noticing the awkwardness, Vivian let out an exaggerated cough to break it.
"Ahem… well, I'm sorry. I got carried away." He turned his eyes away, his own face flushed red.
Charlotte cleared her throat as well, glancing at the ground. In a stammering voice, she said, "Th… then… let's go."
Vivian, after composing himself, left the room with her and followed quietly.
The corridor was silent, the faint glow of lanterns casting long shadows as they made their way toward another room they had booked in advance for this plan. They slipped inside without a sound.
After confirming the area near the room was empty, Charlotte raised her hand and whispered an incantation.
A faint shimmer rippled over their bodies, her stealth spell, dampening their presence like mist fading into the night.
"I'll go first," she murmured, her voice barely louder than a breath. "The 'eyes' aren't focused on us right now, but be careful. This spell isn't omnipotent."
"Yes," Vivian replied with a nod. He waited as Charlotte climbed out the window first, then followed after her, leaping silently into the night.
As Vivian dropped down and landed, there wasn't even the faintest whisper of sound, the impact swallowed completely by a spell Charlotte had cast just before he jumped.
'How clumsy can he be?' she wondered. If she hadn't prepared that spell beforehand, the noise would have been loud enough to alert the eyes.
Yet, despite her irritation, a bittersweet smile tugged at her lips. 'That's exactly what makes him so cute.'
She gave him a quick gesture, signaling for him to follow.
Vivian followed her without question, slipping into the small forest behind the inn.
The forest wasn't particularly large, and the trees weren't towering or ancient, just ordinary woods, the kind one could find almost anywhere. Yet tonight, under the full moon, even this simple place carried a sense of tension.
[Um… Charlotte, did you figure out where exactly the 'eyes' are?] Vivian transmitted through an aura message, his steps quiet as he trailed behind her.
[Yes. I've already located it. We just have to make sure we capture the eye alive.] Charlotte's voice echoed back in his mind, filled with calm certainty.
'She's amazing. When I first wrote her, I thought people would hate her, and honestly, they did. Cruel, ruthless, merciless… even I couldn't harbor any good feelings toward her. But now that I've come to know her as a person, I can't help but admire her.'
Vivian's gaze lingered on her back, his eyes brimming with quiet admiration.
He had been terrified when he first learned she was his fiancée, but after spending the last week with her, he realized there was no other girl who could ever compare.
Not just in terms of appearance, she was unrivaled in everything she did.
At only fifteen, she had already reached the level of a 5th-star wizard, an achievement unprecedented in history. And beyond her talent, she was kind and caring toward him.
As these thoughts filled his mind, Vivian's eyes suddenly grew sharp.'No matter what you do in the future, I will stand by you and repay the love and kindness you've shown me and my family.'
It was a promise he would never break.
From the past week he had spent with her he understood her, she wasn't like the character he wrote.
Atleast she didn't show such behaviours to him nor his family and if anything, She loved his family as if they were her own, treating his mother like her own mother, respecting his father deeply, and above all, cherishing his little brother Edward as though he were her own little brother or son.[1]
So, no matter what path she chose, whether it led to good or to evil, Vivian had already made his decision: he would always stand by her.
To him, it didn't matter if she turned out to be wicked; as long as he loved her, that alone was enough for him to remain by her side.
His train of thought was broken by her sudden transmission: [Vivian, get ready.] There was urgency in her voice.
Snapping back to focus, he composed himself and replied, [Alright.]
_____
Author's Note: This might seem unusual to readers from more modern societies, but in our culture, we regard a sister-in-law as a motherly figure. In turn, she treats us as her own children, since the elder brother assumes the responsibilities of the family after the father. That is why the narration referred to her treating his younger brother as though he were her own son.