Silence filled the courtyard.
Absolute silence.
The morning breeze passed softly through the estate pathways while servants, guards, and gathered spectators stood around in complete stillness.
At the center—
Leon stood covered in blood.
His silver hair had crimson stains across it.
Drops of blood slid slowly down his giant sword before falling onto the stone ground beneath him.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The image looked horrifying.
Like a battlefield survivor returning from war.
Like a murderer standing over his latest victim.
And standing before him—
Eternia stared silently.
Long silence followed.
"..."
"..."
Leon slowly lifted his head.
Silver eyes looked toward her.
Then quietly—
Very quietly—
"...Eternia."
Pause.
More blood dripped.
"...I think..."
Another pause.
"...I accidentally killed soone."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Several nearby servants covered their mouths dramatically.
Others looked horrified.
A few guards looked away.
The atmosphere imdiately beca heavy.
Very heavy.
Yet Eternia rely stared.
No reaction.
No panic.
No shock.
Nothing.
Then—
She started walking.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Slowly approaching Leon.
The crowd instinctively moved aside.
No one spoke.
No one dared interrupt.
Eternia eventually stopped directly before him.
Leon still refused to raise his head.
"...Explain."
Simple.
Direct.
Leon imdiately stiffened.
"..."
Silence.
His grip on the giant sword tightened.
Then slowly—
Still staring downward—
He spoke.
"...Earlier..."
Pause.
"...I was training."
Silence.
"...Sparring."
"...Hm."
"...And..."
Long pause.
"...I accidentally hit too hard."
Eternia stared.
Leon continued.
"...There was another trainee..."
Pause.
"...And..."
"...I hit him."
"...Too hard."
Silence.
"...Then..."
Very long pause.
"...He got injured."
Long silence.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Eternia blinked once.
Twice.
Very slowly—
Her eyes narrowed.
Sothing felt strange.
Very strange.
Leon kept staring downward.
Not once had he looked into her eyes.
Not once.
And—
His left eye kept twitching.
Very slightly.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Sweat rolled down his forehead too.
Even though the morning air was cool.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Sweat.
Eye twitch.
Refusing eye contact.
Shaking slightly.
Eternia stared silently.
"..."
Internally—
Concern appeared.
Leon must be devastated.
Of course.
He was naturally kind.
Shy.
Awkward.
Soft-hearted.
If he accidentally injured soone during training—
Especially seriously—
He would absolutely bla himself.
Poor guy.
Eternia looked toward the giant sword.
Then toward the blood.
Then back toward Leon.
Silence.
"..."
Wait.
Blood?
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Sothing felt off.
Very off.
Because—
The sll.
Eternia slowly inhaled.
Pause.
Again.
Silence.
...
Wrong.
Very wrong.
Because during her previous life as Shatter—
Blood had beco familiar.
Too familiar.
Battlefields.
Wars.
Monsters.
rcenaries.
Assassins.
Nobles.
Death followed her constantly.
And blood—
Human blood especially—
Had a sll.
A very specific sll.
Iron.
tallic.
Warm.
Distinct.
Unforgettable.
This?
...
This wasn’t right.
Not even remotely.
Eternia stared.
Then glanced toward nearby guards.
Silence.
Most looked serious.
So looked away.
Others maintained neutral expressions.
But then—
One guard twitched.
Very slightly.
Another covered his mouth.
A third looked ready to explode.
...
Wait.
No.
Not explode.
Laugh.
One guard looked like he was using every ounce of his strength not to laugh.
Another had turned around completely.
Shoulders shaking.
Two others were visibly biting their lips.
Eternia blinked.
"..."
Long silence.
...
No way.
No.
Absolutely not.
Very slowly—
Very, very slowly—
Understanding arrived.
Leon.
Sweating.
Eye twitching.
Blood.
Strange sll.
Laughing guards.
No body.
No injured trainee.
No chaos.
No dics.
No panic.
Silence.
Then—
Eternia looked down again.
At the blood.
Inhaled.
Pause.
...
Cow.
This was cow blood.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then internally—
Shatter nearly collapsed.
"...I almost got fooled."
Long pause.
"...By a child."
Silence.
"..."
"...Life truly is full of surprises."
For decades in her previous life she’d survived assassins.
Noble sches.
Political traps.
Ancient monsters.
Life-and-death deception.
Yet today—
She almost got tricked by a fake murder scene involving livestock.
...
Amazing.
Absolutely amazing.
Eternia looked toward Leon.
Still staring downward.
Still sweating.
Still twitching.
Trying very hard.
Very, very hard.
Then—
She spoke calmly.
"...You shouldn’t worry too much."
Leon froze slightly.
"...Eh?"
Eternia crossed her arms.
"...Your cow sparring partner was probably going to beco dinner anyway."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Wind blew.
Leaves moved.
A bird chirped.
...
...
...
Leon slowly lifted his head.
Completely frozen.
"...Huh?"
Eternia stared.
Leon stared.
Long silence.
Then—
"...How."
Very small voice.
Very terrified voice.
"...How?"
Silence.
Eternia stared directly into his soul.
"...Really?"
Leon’s entire body froze.
Sweat doubled instantly.
Left eye twitched violently.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Realization hit.
Instantly.
Like lightning.
He’d been caught.
Completely.
Absolutely.
No survivors.
Leon slowly looked away.
"..."
Very slowly—
His ears beca red.
Then pink.
Then crimson.
Then—
Entire face.
BOOM.
Critical damage.
Complete destruction.
Nearby guards imdiately collapsed laughing.
"PFFT—"
"Hahahahaha—!"
"I CAN’T—"
"HE GOT CAUGHT—!"
Instant chaos erupted.
The previously serious atmosphere instantly died.
Servants laughed.
Guards laughed.
Even nearby maids covered their mouths while shaking.
Leon looked like he wanted death.
Imdiate death.
Preferably right now.
"..."
"...Kael..."
Silence.
Very dangerous silence.
Eternia blinked.
"...Hm?"
Leon imdiately froze harder.
Wait.
No.
No no no.
Don’t say the na.
Not the na.
But too late.
Eternia slowly turned.
Very slowly.
Like a horror movie monster.
Silence.
"...Kael?"
Long silence.
Leaves rustled nearby.
Very slightly.
Tiny movent.
Almost invisible.
But Eternia noticed.
Instantly.
Her eyes narrowed.
Nearby bushes.
Soone moved.
Then—
A figure slowly attempted escape.
Very.
Very slowly.
Like perhaps moving slowly enough would make him invisible.
Kael.
Obviously Kael.
He tiptoed away while sweating.
One step.
Two.
Three—
"..."
Silence.
Kael froze.
Because behind him—
He felt killing intent.
No.
Worse.
Disappointnt.
Slowly—
Very slowly—
He turned.
And saw Eternia staring.
Expressionless.
Completely expressionless.
Very scary.
"..."
Kael imdiately pointed randomly.
"...Bird."
Silence.
"...Rare bird."
Silence.
"...Extrely rare."
Long silence.
Then—
He ran.
Imdiately.
Maximum speed.
"BYE—!"
BOOOOM.
Mana exploded beneath his feet.
Dust scattered.
He sprinted.
No hesitation.
No dignity.
Pure survival instinct.
Unfortunately—
Too late.
Very too late.
Because Eternia vanished.
CRACK.
Stone shattered.
One step.
That was all.
Ancient body reinforcent.
Mana circulation.
Acceleration.
Absolute pursuit.
Five seconds later—
Sowhere beyond the courtyard—
A scream echoed.
"WAITWAITWAITWAIT—!"
Silence.
Then—
Eternia returned.
Dragging Kael.
By his collar.
Across the ground.
Like defeated prey.
Kael looked utterly devastated.
Dead inside.
Completely finished.
Leon stared.
Nearby guards stared.
Servants stared.
Eternia stopped.
Lifted Kael.
And looked directly into his eyes.
Silence.
Very dangerous silence.
"...You."
Kael imdiately pointed.
"LEON AGREED TO IT!"
Leon exploded.
"TRAITOR—!"
"YOU SAID IT WOULD WORK!"
"YOU HELPED!"
"YOU BOUGHT THE COW BLOOD!"
"YOU CRIED WHILE BUYING IT!"
"I WAS COMMITTED TO THE ROLE!"
Chaos erupted instantly.
Absolute chaos.
Kael struggled desperately.
Leon panicked.
Guards laughed.
Servants collapsed.
And Eternia—
Eternia stared silently.
Very silently.
Then—
"...You have so serious explaining to do."
Silence.
Kael looked upward.
Toward the sky.
Toward the heavens.
Toward fate itself.
"..."
"...I’m going to die."
Far away—
Hidden above the estate—
A silver-haired figure silently watched.
Etherius.
Long silence.
Then—
"...What are they doing?"
Silence.
Longer silence.
Then—
He slowly turned around.
"...Should I leave?"
Pause.
"...No."
Very small pause.
"...This looks entertaining."
User Comments
0 comments from readers