Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey Chapter 864: Pas(sed)t : Alaric Zephyr (A Chosen Man): Part-

Alaric Zephyr's POV

I had no idea what truly happened, but in an instant, my entire world shifted when I beca the chosen one. One mont, I was just another ordinary person in the tribe, and the next, I was elevated to a position I never even dread of.

The people of my tribe worshipped like I was their last hope, the only guiding light in their lives. Their eyes held a devotion so intense that it sent shivers down my spine, making question if I really saw things!

And the elder of my tribe, ever the opportunist, seized this mont to elevate the tribe's status.

He used my newfound identity to push our tribe's rank to near the very top, simply by ntioning my na in the right places.

Just like that, our influence grew, and so did my power. At first, it was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but soon, my strength began to rise exponentially. It was as if there was no limit, no stopping point—as if I had stepped into a realm where power had no boundaries.

Then, the day ca when I was sent to the academy. That was when my world truly expanded. I learned about everything—the structure of different empires, the existence of various races, and the reality of other chosen ones like .

It was overwhelming, a flood of knowledge that made realize how insignificant my past had been.

Compared to them, my life up until now had been utterly aningless.

I was like a tiny fish thrown into a vast, endless ocean!

Fear gripped as I stood among them, my heart pounding at the thought of what awaited .

I dreaded the possibility of being bullied, looked down upon, or ridiculed for my inexperience. And worst of all, I couldn't shake the terror I felt when I laid eyes on people like Scarlet and the other chosen ones.

Their very presence was suffocating, their arrogance so deeply ingrained that they rarely even spoke to those they deed unworthy. They carried themselves like deities walking among mortals, their gazes cold and distant as if the rest of us were beneath them.

I felt like I didn't belong.

No matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, a voice inside kept whispering—I wasn't suited for this place.

But then—

"There is no need to be afraid… Just open your eyes," the Sovereign had said, his voice calm and reassuring.

I had stared at him, confused beyond words. I didn't understand what he ant that day.

Open my eyes?

I was always doing that! What kind of nonsense was he spouting?

Was this supposed to be so kind of deep wisdom?

At the ti, I didn't take his words seriously. But as the days passed, sothing inside began to shift.

And then, one day… I understood.

When I truly opened my eyes—when I really saw the world for what it was—everything changed.

The overwhelming ocean I once feared?

It was nothing more than a small pond.

I had spent so long drowning in self-doubt, thinking I was insignificant, but the truth was different.

The mont I saw through the illusion, everything felt so small, so manageable, so within my grasp and most of all... everyone was an idiot in one way or another!

I was dumbfounded.

Was this all there was? Was this what I had feared so much?

And when I turned to him, the Sovereign rely smiled, that sa gentle, knowing smile—one even my mother had never worn before.

"Hmm… You can't say that's all," he murmured, his voice deep and steady. "It's just that you've grown up, man. You see things differently now."

Then, he patted my shoulder, the touch firm and grounding, like a father revealing the world to his son for the first ti.

That was the mont I realized—he was different.

Unlike the others who used their power for personal gain, unlike my tribe elder who sought influence, unlike even my own mother who cared only for the food I needed to feed her—he was different.

When people helped others, they always wanted sothing in return. That was the way of the world. That was the lesson I had learned since childhood.

But this man… he didn't care about receiving anything back.

All he cared about was making sure we understood.

He was truly selfless, and that was why I couldn't help but wonder—could I ever beco like him?

Whenever I looked up to him, I felt like he was the mighty ocean I needed to reach, the force I needed to match.

Ti passed, and soon, I beca powerful enough to shake the political foundation of my own empire. My influence grew, and with it, my tribe's ambitions. They saw an opportunity and wasted no ti taking advantage of it, eager to extract more benefits from the High Elf.

And just like that… I got 'her'.

Was it really that easy?

Was this all it took to change everything?

That was the mont I understood the truth—the world only acknowledges those who have sothing worth showing.

If you have nothing, then you are nothing in their eyes. But the mont you prove your worth, they will turn to look at you.

She once saw as just another person in the crowd, just another face in the sea of naless people.

But now… now, I was the only man in her eyes.

What kind of joke was this?

It was thrilling.

It was intoxicating.

It was utterly amusing to witness how easily the world's perception changed.

But it was too late.

Because my eyes were already set on soone else.

A girl I didn't even fully know yet.

It happened unexpectedly, on a day that should have been ordinary. I was supposed to et my big brother in his office, though it wasn't yet the ti he had given . But impatience got the better of , and I decided to arrive early to surprise him.

The mont I opened the door, a burst of pink mist flooded out of the room, wrapping around like a soft, fragrant cloud.

My nose wrinkled as my mind montarily went numb, a strange sensation washing over . And then, through the mist, my gaze landed on her—Isadora.

She was standing there, looking flustered, her eyes darting around nervously before she quickly spoke, "A-Are you okay?"

I blinked, my vision hazy. And then, for a brief second, I saw it—small, pink ears twitching atop her head.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but they were gone.

She stepped closer, concern evident on her face as she gently touched my cheek. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice softer this ti.

"Y-Yeah," I muttered, feeling a strange warmth crawl up my face.

And at that mont… sothing happened.

Ba-dump.

For the second ti in my life, my heart skipped a beat.

And from that day on, it continued to beat faster—only for her.

Only for Isadora!

Big Brother leaned against his desk, watching with amusent dancing in his eyes. "Looks like soone just had their heart stolen," he said, grinning.

I blushed furiously, but Isadora only groaned, crossing her arms. "You better keep this a secret!" she huffed before turning away, clearly embarrassed.

"Secret? What kind of secret?" I asked, curiosity stirring inside . I wanted to know more about her.

Big brother chuckled. "Well, if you really want to know… you're gonna have to work hard to handle it. You've got a long way to go, my child~" he teased, stroking his beard—despite the fact that he didn't even have one.

Sotis, he acted so cheeky and childish…!

He kept grinning at , making my face burn even more. And from that mont, I found myself following her, learning more about her, and getting drawn into her world.

Everything about her fascinated —the way she worked so diligently, the way she carried herself with such fierce determination.

And above all else…

I loved that fire in her.

I loved it more than anything.

Everything was going fine—until the day Noirix died.

Her death shattered everything. My big brother, who always stood strong like an unbreakable wall, was left completely devastated.

I had never seen him like that before. He worried too much, burdening himself with the weight of protecting us as if the responsibility of keeping everyone safe rested solely on his shoulders. He beca more cautious, more paranoid—always watching, always ready to shield us from danger.

But then, sothing far worse happened.

The day he heard about Luna's death… that was the mont everything changed.

I don't know what broke inside him that day, but the brother I knew—he wasn't there anymore.

It happened so fast that none of us could even react in ti. One mont, he was still himself, and the next… he wasn't.

We didn't understand what had just happened. The shift was so sudden, so violent, that we were left with no choice.

We had to fight him.

No matter how much I tried to reason with the others, no matter how desperately I tried to find another way, we all knew the truth—he had to be stopped.

The Trial itself was clear.... Kill him. That was the only option left to us.

And in the end… it was Dora's hands that brought him down.

And from that mont on, she beca the Sovereign.

I was devastated. My big brother was gone, ripped away from my life forever.

For days, I barely moved. I stayed locked inside my house, refusing to face the world. I didn't care about anything anymore. My tribe's elder took advantage of my broken state, using his influence to arrange a marriage for —without my permission.

He decided everything for as if I was nothing more than a pawn in his ga.

The mont I found out, rage consud . I nearly killed him on the spot.

I didn't care about marriage. I didn't care about politics. I didn't care about the empire they dangled in front of .

Because my heart already belonged to soone else.

Yet, no matter how much I tried, she never responded to . She never gave a single sign, not even a flicker of acknowledgent. It was as if I didn't exist in her world.

And that's when I had a thought.

If she wouldn't notice —then I would make her notice.

I would make her jealous.

So, I agreed to the marriage. Not because I wanted it, not because I cared about the empire that ca with it, but because I wanted to see her reaction.

But when the mont finally ca… when I stood before her after everything was set in motion…

All she said was—

"Congratulations."

A small smile. A fleeting mont of politeness.

And then, just like that, she reverted to her usual indifferent expression.

That was it?

That was all?

I stood there, waiting, hoping for sothing more—anything more. But there was nothing.

No jealousy? No sadness? No pain?

Just a aningless, hollow congratulations.

My heart shattered even further.

And in the process, I started to tornt Aria.

I don't know why. Maybe it was because of my frustration. Maybe it was because I wanted to see soone suffer the way I was suffering... Or maybe… it was sothing deeper than that.

For whatever reason, her sad face—her suffering—it made feel sothing.

Sothing twisted... It made happy.

Whenever I saw her in pain, whenever I saw the tornt in her eyes, it was as if nothing else mattered. It was exhilarating.

Addictive!

It was like a drug I couldn't get enough of.

And so, I continued.

Day after day, I made her life miserable, pushing her further into despair.

Until, one day, my mother confronted ,

"You need to stop this!" she shouted, her voice filled with anger, disgust, and desperation. She had seen what I had done to Aria.

She had seen the cruelty in my actions.

But do you know what I did?

I snapped her neck.

Right in front of Aria's eyes.

Hahahah...

A twisted laugh escaped my lips as I watched Aria's face contort with sheer horror. The way her breath hitched, the way her entire body trembled—it was beautiful.

Absolutely worth it!!

And at that mont, I felt an even greater rush.

A thrill unlike anything else.

For the first ti, I thought—what if I killed Aria's mother next? What if I broke her completely?

Aria's mother was well-known, after all. Killing her so recklessly would have been problematic.

So, I kept it minimal... For now.

But my tornt didn't stop.

I continued to make Aria suffer, over and over again, savouring every second of it.

And then, one day, while strolling through the garden—the very one my wife had painstakingly built for herself—I couldn't help but laugh.

The mighty High Elf, reduced to tending a garden.

How utterly amusing~

I stared at the carefully nurtured flowers, the beautifully arranged greenery. And then, an idea struck .

What would she feel if I burned it all?

The re thought of her crying, of watching everything she worked for turn to ash, sent shivers of delight through .

I raised my hand, conjuring flas, ready to watch it all burn—

When suddenly—

"Hello, Alaric… It's been a while."

A voice interrupted .

I turned sharply, my flas flickering as a hooded figure appeared out of nowhere.

"Who the hell—" I began, but my words froze in my throat the mont I saw his face.

My eyes widened in shock.

Big brother?

It was him!!

My body trembled as tears welled up in my eyes. Without thinking, I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around him in a desperate embrace.

"H-How… How are you alive?" My voice broke, my chest tightening painfully. "I-I thought you died! I thought you were gone forever!"

He smiled.... That sa gentle smile. The one I thought I'd never see again.

With a firm, familiar touch, he patted my shoulder, just like he always used to.

"It was all the gods' grace," he said softly. "I was allowed to return… to see you all again… to guide you all and show the real!"

"Guide us? Real?" I echoed, my mind reeling. "What do you an?"

His expression darkened slightly, his voice dropping to sothing deeper, sothing more ominous.

"The real world," he muttered.