[One Month Later]
"Are you still going to lie to me?" Simon's voice echoed through the halls of Falkrona Mansion in the Dorian Capital, filled with anger and frustration.
"What are you talking about, Simon?" Thomen Falkrona replied, his eyes fixed on the paper he was writing on with his quill.
"What am I talking about?" Simon repeated, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Ever since we left that dungeon, I've been asking you about my parents, and you still haven't given me a straight answer!"
"And you still haven't answered my question, Simon," Thomen responded, continuing to write without looking up. "I asked you one thing: What did you see in there?"
"...I met Uncle Conrad."
Simon had hesitated to speak about it for the past month, but now he couldn't hold back any longer.
"...," Thomen's quill halted on the paper, and he finally raised his gaze. "What did you say?" His tone shifted abruptly.
Simon's red eyes locked onto Thomen's intense gaze, refusing to back down under the sudden intimidation. "Uncle Conrad told me about what happened nine years ago and how my parents died."
"And?" Thomen set down the quill, his voice steady as he asked the question.
"And?" Simon's anger flared. "He showed me the tape, and I saw you killing my mom and dad!"
"...," Thomen remained silent, his gaze fixed on Simon.
"Why won't you answer me?!" Simon snapped, his patience exhausted. "Did you kill my parents?!"
"...," Thomen's silence persisted, his grey eyes locked on Simon's.
"Why won't you answer?!" Simon shouted, tears welling up in his eyes. "D-Does that mean that y-you really k-killed them—"
"Simon!" Before he could shout again, Elona burst into the room. "What's going on?!"
"...," Simon glared at Thomen before storming out of the room.
"Simon! Brother!" Despite her calls, Simon ignored her and left.
Turning back to her father, Elona pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. "F-Father? What's happening? Since last month, Simon has been acting strangely and constantly arguing with you. I-I don't understand..." Her voice wavered with emotion.
The atmosphere in the mansion had become suffocating since the incident in the Enigma Dungeon. Even Elona was still reeling from Louisa's death, and now it seemed like things were only getting worse. Moreover, her remaining brother, Edward didn't attend school for a whole month.
Thomen sighed and approached his daughter, gently patting her hair. "I'm sorry, Elona. Everything will be fine, I promise."
"Um..." Elona nodded, her sadness evident.
"Have you chosen your outfit for Aurora and Alfred's birthday tonight?" Thomen changed the subject, trying to distract her.
"Yes, Father," Elona nodded with a small smile, looking forward to reuniting with all her friends on that special occasion.
"I've invited your aunt, Edward will be there too."
"Really?!" Elona's face lit up with joy at the news.
The last time she had seen Edward, he had been in tears, wearing a haunted expression similar to when Oryanna had died. She had been worried about him ever since.
"Yes," Thomen confirmed, a smile gracing his lips. "Make sure Simon is ready as well."
"Leave it to me, Father. I just need to mention Lyra's name, and he'll come," Elona exclaimed before leaving.
"...," Once Elona had departed, Thomen's smile slowly faded. "So, Conrad, you are alive and well."
****
[Noyden Town]
In the midst of the small Noyden town, far away from the Dorian Capital, stood a quiet graveyard. Jayden stood before a small grave, engraved with the name Josua Eginfer. His black hair, now interlaced with strands of blue, swayed in the gentle breeze, and his blue eyes remained fixed on his younger brother's resting place.
A mix of calmness and sadness adorned Jayden's face as he reminisced about his memories with his lost brother. "Josua... How... How could you do this to me?" he murmured. "Just when I found out that Dad, Mom, and Jennyfer were alive... I was so eager to share the news with you." Anger seethed within him, and he gritted his teeth forcefully. "And now, you leave me... How am I supposed to face them without you?"
"Jayden..." Milleia, who had been observing quietly, spoke softly with a tinge of sadness. She had never seen Jayden so devastated before. A month ago, she had accompanied him with excitement to meet Josua, only to witness the horrifying scene.
Josua had been found dead in his room, his body brutally battered, his limbs broken, and his neck twisted unnaturally.
Jayden managed a bittersweet smile as he retrieved a piece of paper. On the front side were the last words written by his brother for him, and on the back...
[Surrender yourself to Ante-Eden if you don't want any more tragedy.]
Jayden crumpled the paper and returned it to his pocket. "I will never forgive them," he declared firmly. "My brother did nothing wrong. He was innocent, and they took his life. It's my fault."
"It's not your fault, Jayden!" Milleia interjected quickly. "It's their fault!"
"I know..." Jayden nodded, his determination resolute. "I know, Milleia. That's why I will defeat them," he added, his expression unwavering. "I will never forgive them."
"Yes!" Milleia affirmed, her resolve strengthening. "And I will... No. W-We will help you! Edward, Carla, and I will be there for you, Jayden!"
Witnessing Milleia's sincere devotion, Jayden's smile widened, and he stepped closer to her. "Milleia, there's something I need to tell you."
"Um? Yes?" Milleia was taken aback by Jayden's sudden shift in mood but nodded, curious to hear his words.
Jayden took a deep breath before speaking. "I... I love you, Milleia."
"...!" Milleia froze, her mind struggling to process Jayden's confession. His words gradually entered her ears, and once they registered, her brain raced to make sense of it all.
"E-Eh? E-Ehm..." Milleia blushed slightly in embarrassment, her words stumbling out.
"I think I've loved you all along, but it took me time to understand it..." Jayden continued, his smile unwavering.
ƥandasnovel.com "J-Jayden... I-I..."
"You love Edward?" Jayden interjected, dropping another bombshell.
"W-What...?!" Milleia's slightly flushed face transformed into a bright red hue.
"I noticed that you seemed to have feelings for him when he was still concealing his face in the dungeon, but I'm not sure how you feel now..." Jayden explained, awaiting her response.
Milleia's heart and thoughts were in disarray. While she had developed feelings for Nyrel, the revelation that Nyrel was none other than Edward had thrown her emotions into chaos. She had always seen Edward as a friend just like Jayden even though she was really closer to the latter, nothing more, but now, everything felt complicated. She struggled to reconcile Edward and Nyrel in her mind.
Milleia couldn't fathom why Edward had concealed his true identity, and it made her feel a twinge of sadness. She wondered if they weren't trustworthy enough for him to be honest with them. She longed to ask him about it, but then she couldn't help but picture Edward's tear-streaked face in her mind. It was the first time she had ever seen him cry.
In her eyes, Edward had always been the epitome of strength among their group. He exuded confidence and never seemed to falter, especially during their time at the academy. She couldn't comprehend what had transpired to bring him to this point.
After they had all woken up, finding themselves back on the 48th floor, Edward had been there, struggling to stay on his feet. The toll was evident: the Student President, their fellow students, and even professors had perished in significant numbers. The atmosphere was heavy with grief, as everyone mourned the loss of someone dear.
"Edward... he's my friend, and I know he's a good person," Jayden expressed, breaking the silence. "I won't mind if you have feelings for him, Milleia, but I just wanted to hear your answer. Carla had already given her approval. I just want to know where we stand."
Milleia remained silent for a moment, contemplating her response. "C-Can you give me a little more time? Maybe until the closing ceremony..." Her voice wavered as she spoke. "I just need some additional time to sort out my feelings."
"The closing ceremony? That's next month, right? It's not too long to wait," Jayden replied, trying to lighten the mood with a hint of humor.
"Yes," Milleia nodded, still taken aback by the sudden confession. She then remembered something and retrieved an invitation card. It was for the royal siblings' birthday celebration.
"Oh, right," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. She handed the invitation to Jayden. "The celebration is tonight. Elona gave me these and asked us not to forget to wear formal dresses."
Jayden accepted the invitation and let out a sigh. "I hope nothing goes wrong..." He couldn't help but feel anxious about the presence of high-ranking nobles at the event. After all, they were both commoners.
"Yeah," Milleia agreed, her voice tinged with apprehension. "We should head out now, Jayden, or else we'll be late."
Jayden nodded, understanding the need to leave for the birthday celebration. "You're right. We don't want to keep everyone waiting," he agreed, tucking the invitation card safely away. Despite their worries about attending a gathering of high-ranking nobles, they knew it was an important event and they didn't want to miss it.
Milleia smiled softly, appreciating Jayden's understanding. "Let's go then. We'll figure things out, Jayden," she assured him, walking alongside him as they made their way towards the event.
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