July 25th to 31st was... surprisingly normal. Well, it normal for someone like me, which is saying a lot.
After meeting Asnarade, I went back to my routine or at least, what counts as a routine when you live in a palace that exists across two worlds. The Chronological Palace has this peaceful hum when everything is quiet. I used to hate it. Now I kind of need it.
Most of my week was spent watching Esmodra train. She was new to the Null Handmaidens. Naelle said she had potential and she's rarely wrong about that sort of thing. When she asked me to alter time in the palace so they could have two months of uninterrupted training, I hesitated. Time manipulation wasn't something one can just casually overuse. But I trusted her so, I did it.
It was strange, really. Watching two months pass for them was more than two days for me. When they came back, Esmodra wasn't the same person. She was sharper, calmer and her presence had weight to it that only comes from time though, apparently, that didn't include aging. They all looked exactly the same. I checked, just to be sure. Temporal domains didn't seem to affect aging at all. Useful… and terrifying.
I didn't want to overdo it. Last time I spent nine months training with Seirath inside a compressed domain, my body and mind both started confusing my perspective about time. The lesson was simple. Even time has a price.
But that time wasn't wasted. During those long, grueling sessions, I'd learned how to use the Black Faceless Mannequin, my Archeon. It's still strange calling it mine. It's more than a tool. I discovered that I could create copies of myself with it, actual functioning replicas that could move, fight, and act independently, which is perfect for my personas like The Lone Nomad and The Void Saint.
Each one of those roles now had a body. That was the real genius of the Black Faceless Mannequin. It was the ultimate instrument for someone like me, who exists in layers of truth and lies. Still, I could only make two at a time. I tested it once and tried to force a third. Bad idea. The feedback nearly fried my brain. My nose bled for an hour straight and the mannequins started twitching like broken marionettes before collapsing. I decided that was enough experimenting for now.
Meanwhile, Hinesia had her royal duties pulling her back and forth between Rome and Egypt. Princess work, I suppose. Meetings, appearances, handling Nobles with inflated egos and rehearsed smiles and so on. I stayed in Norphie's mansion while they were gone. It's a quiet place, great view and an annoying number of maids who kept calling me Master Phasnovterich even though I told them to drop the formality.
When Hinesia came home, usually late at night, she'd be exhausted. Sometimes she'd still be wearing her jewelry, forgetting to take off them until I reminded her. We'd talk about small things, mostly. Music, good, the chaos in the Fluxer communities and the such.
And then, somewhere along the way, she started sitting closer, leaning against me when she was tired. Sometimes she'd fall asleep with her head on my shoulder, and I'd just… let her. I didn't move. I didn't even understand why I didn't want to move.
I'll be honest, she got to me and that was dangerous.
I'm not used to that kind of closeness. In my old world, I never had anyone like her. I had no relationships or deep attachments. I used to think it was better that way, that way I would have less to lose. But lately, she's been proving me wrong. She has this energy that cuts through the heaviness of everything I've done. Even when she's teasing or scolding me for doing crazy things like warning me about creating a third mannequin and nosebleeding for an hour straight, she somehow makes it feel… grounding. But even while I was starting to enjoy those moments, there was a weight at the back of my mind.
My death hasn't been stopped.
The clock is still ticking and every second I spend feeling something feels like a betrayal of that truth. I told myself that my mission comes first. That I needed to save Xaessia, my sister. At one point, I even thought of letting her die to save myself and not have to face that ending.
But now? Now, I can't. She's changed. I've changed. The story's changed.
Xaessia isn't the villainess anymore. She's just a person, burdened by the same broken fate I was trying to escape. And even if I fail… maybe, just maybe, I can give her some peace before the end. Still, I'm not going to die easily. I've already outsmarted fate once. I can do it again.
And so the days passed quietly. A rare kind of peace settled in, the kind that almost made me forget the chaos outside the palace walls. I watched time flow differently for everyone else, the days blending into each other like a soft blur. Until suddenly, it was August 1st, the day everything would change again.
It was still early that morning, too early, if you asked me. Rome's skyline was half-drowned in that sleepy golden light the sun spills when it's just waking up. I stood there at the balcony, hands in my pockets, trying to pretend I wasn't getting sentimental over how quiet it was. And then, before I could finish that thought, something soft pressed against my back. Warm strong arms wrapped around me, and I felt a small head rest between my shoulder blades.
"You're really tall."
"You've mentioned that before."
"Well, I keep forgetting because I don't see it until I'm hugging you like this."
She squeezed me tighter and I could feel the ends of her hair tickling my arms. It smelled faintly like vanilla and honey, probably that ridiculously expensive shampoo the Ramseses sisters use. I looked over my shoulder, just enough to catch her pouting expression.
"You're up early."
She let go of me and slipped in front of me instead. She tilted her head up.
"Just woke up. So I decided to do something I saw in a movie once back in our world."
"Oh? And what exactly are you doing?"
Without answering, she took my hands and placed them on her waist while looking at me. Her smile widened a little, as if she was proud of herself.
"This. Apparently this is what couples do when the guy is staring at the morning view, thinking about his mysterious tragic backstory or something."
"You saw that in a movie?"
"Yeah. The girl sneaks up behind him, does this whole romantic gesture thing, and then—"
"—He awkwardly stands there wondering what he's supposed to do next?"
She swatted my chest lightly. "You're ruining the moment."
I couldn't help but laugh a little. It's strange how her mind works sometimes.
"Sorry, sorry. Continue your... cinematic experience."
Hinesia rolled her eyes but still looked amused.
"So, does this actually make you feel better?"
She hummed softly, resting her forehead on my chest.
"Yeah. It does, actually."
"Good for you at least."
"Do you think I'm going too far with this? I mean, all this touching and hugging and... movie stuff?"
"I'm not complaining if you do it. I mean, who would complain if someone as beautiful like you acted so romantic?"
She scoffed, narrowing her eyes.
"You say that, but you never do anything. You just stand there like a rock while I do all the work."
"I'm processing the moment."
"Processing?"
"Emotionally and logistically."
She gave me the flattest look imaginable.
"You're unbelievable."
Before I could respond, she tried to flicked my forehead despite my height, so I retaliated by gently tugging on hers. The long, delicate, elf-like tips twitched instantly, and she let out a soft, high-pitched whine.
"P-Phaser!"
I raised an eyebrow, still holding her ears.
"What? They're sensitive?"
"Of course they are, you psycho! Don't just grab them like that!"
"Sorry. But seriously, we're not exactly married yet, remember? This is just an engagement."
She pouted. "I know."
I continued, letting go of her elf ears.
"Rushing it might break both of us. And we have to be discreet about it, too. A Radiance and an Abyssal House marriage would cause chaos. You know how the nobles are. They'd lose their minds before the wedding bells even ring."
She sighed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, yeah. You're right. I just..."
"You just what?"
She hesitated, then gave a small smile.
"I just like being with you. That's all."
That stopped me for a second. Seriously, why is she being so sweet all of a sudden...
"I care too, you know. But for now, it's better we start slow. One step at a time. I'm not breaking up with you by the way so don't take it the wrong way."
"Ugh," she groaned dramatically. "Fine, fine. You're right. I rushed things anyway. We did spend nine months in training, after all."
She smiled again, brighter this time, then poked my chest.
"But I'm not going to stop doing this, by the way."
"Doing what?"
"Abusing you."
"Fantastic. Truly the picture of affection of a working out African princess."
"Yeah yeah. Now, come on, we should get ready. The Noble Tournaments start today."
"Right. That's when everyone's ego fights for attention."
"You're not wrong. But I have to meet the Zero Ecliptarch, remember? This is the day."
"Yeah, yeah. I remember. Good luck."
As she walked away, her long hair swaying behind her, I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. The room felt quieter the moment she left, which, honestly, was worse. I stared at the balcony for a while, watching the city below come alive.
I'm going to meet Thales again.
It's been a month since our last encounter. I'm sure by now he's gotten a basic understanding on the Azure Sword. Knowing him, he's probably twice as cocky and three times as dangerous now. Still, somewhere deep down, I couldn't help but feel that old flicker of excitement.