Loss, devoid, missing, abandoned.
Loss is a feeling that could be said to be one of the worst experiences any one of us could ever acknowledge in our lives.
A kid losing the last piece of cake he wanted to eat, feeling sad.
A girl losing the sparkling dress she wanted to wear, feeling dejected.
A boy losing his job, unable to feed his family.
A girl losing her lover to another girl, unable to do anything.
A man losing his limbs in war, his senses filled with pain.
A woman losing her womanhood, gritting her teeth.
An elderly person losing the support of their children, unable to regret raising them.
Loss, whether it is as common as taste, as obvious as esteem, or as important as one's own self, hurts.
And a loss beyond one's control, even after every preparation, or crippled with helplessness, is devastating.
Flames of fire could be considered bringers of loss. What do flames do? They destroy, they are hot, they burn, they incinerate every essence of existence, leaving nothing behind.
But contrary to this, ice could be considered a preserver. What does ice do? It freezes, it is cold, it snatches away warmth, it entombs every fiber of existence, leaving it motionless for eternity.
Both are opposites, yet both, in a sense, take. If you think for a moment, would someone want to simply disappear at death's door? Or would they want to remain, only to be held helpless, cursed to just exist?
Even if given those choices, regardless of what they pick, the loss will be felt by the ones they formed bonds with, the ones they leave behind.
To them, that choice would make no difference. They could cry, they could hope, they could pray, but those tears, hope, and prayers would all be useless.
Because when you lose someone, every prayer and every candle cannot make up for the fact that what you are left with is a hole, where that someone used to be.
The hole that he left behind within me. I tried and tried to fill it, but nothing seemed to fit there. Maybe everything was simply too small or too big.
:: LISA HART
?: "-You should have sent someone to request my presence."
A black-haired man, wearing a loose white shirt and black formal trousers, was lying on a bed. He stood up, greeting the man who had appeared with a flash.
?: "No need to be humble, Archduke. I should not bother you just a day after you got married. But since I startled you by appearing like this, still I have troubled you. Hypocritical, isn't it?"
In the middle of his personal room, a man with a handsome face and a body clad in an office suit appeared. However, instead of being offended, the black-haired man showed humbleness.
The man in the suit had firefly-like stars dancing above his head, forming a crown. It was neither large nor small, but those flickering lights made their purpose clear.
?: "You have become more muscular than the last time I saw you. Your soul must have grown stronger as well."
The black-haired man, the Archduke, bowed his head in reply, showing his respect.
As I opened the door situated in the corner of our room, those two individuals were present in the room.
The black eyes of the man, who had the same black hair as mine, looked at me lovingly, while the other individual bowed slightly to offer a superficial courtesy.
?: "Archduchess, congratulations on your marriage. I am here as per your invitation."
Archduchess: "Thank you, God Messenger, Sir Archeon."
The God Messenger, associated with the Queen and the Queen's family of the Cloud Continent, congratulated me in a neutral tone, and I replied politely.
And the man revered as the Archduke looked at me in confusion. It was adorable. I walked over and held both of his hands.
Archduke: "You invited Sir Archeon?"
Archduchess: "I want to give you a wedding present."
Confusion on my dear's face only deepened, and even the god messenger, Archeon, showed interest with raised eyebrows. I turned to the man with an extraordinary appearance.
Archduchess: "God Messenger Sir Archeon, I wish to obtain 'Frost Lv.4' magic."
My dear showed a startled expression at my words and tightened his grip a little on his hand, which I was holding.
Archduke: "I told you. I don't need that. High-level Ice Magic is the Royal Queen Family's legacy. Above anyone else, you should have it."
I looked at him affectionately.
Archduchess: "And now you are my family. With this, you will be able to cover this entire palace in frost. It will help you in the future, where you will accomplish great feats."
Archduke: "Then at least let me buy it with my own points."
Archduchess: "It is a wedding present. From me to you."
My gaze shifted from my dear's face to the man with the twinkling stars above his head.
Archduchess: "God Messenger Sir Archeon, please."
Archeon: "Very well."
He nodded. His eyes suggested that he found my request rather interesting.
Archeon: "In this realm, the Ice skills are something devised by the First Ruler, the Ice Princess. Even though only a handful of your family members in the past were able to access it, part of it still resides within your soul. So it is better to purchase it for your husband..."
He made a few gestures, waving his hands through the air.
Archeon: "...The skill requires 50,000 points, but since it is a wedding present, I will grant it for 40,000 points."
That moment was the happiest of my entire life. A sense of security, warmth, and something truly special filled my heart. The skill would surely help him in his future endeavours as the Archduke.
But—
?: 'I am sorry, Archduchess Lisa. He was fighting bravely; it was just bad luck.'
?: 'Yes, the opponent was a bad match. His skill didn't have any effect.'
?: 'But he still fought bravely.'
?: 'A-Archduke fought the flaming Amphisbaena. It is a large snake only heard of as a legend; it has two heads, one at the front and one at its tail...'
?: 'T-The flames were all around. Archduke fought with all he had; he even used the Royal Family Ice Magic, but it didn't faze the creature. I-It tore Archduke's limbs one by one as we watched—'
I never even got to see his body.
People said he went forward bravely. They said he protected as many people as he could. They said he should be honoured, revered—that he had set an example.
"They... why?" Dispirited, I couldn't help but ask that question.
Why did all I got were apologies? I am sorry for your loss.These are tough times, Archduchess. If what happened was so honourable, why say those words? Why show such sad faces? Why say those things? Why shed tears?
All it did was make me see myself reflected in those mournful faces.
The truth was, he is gone, lost. The gift I gave him was all for naught. He had been torn apart like an ant. Blood was spilled, and even that was burned away. Nothing was left.
It was a mess.
My mind was a mess.
The mere sight of a flame creature did all that.
As soon as the creature appeared in my vision, so humongous that its flames seemed to cover everything in sight, my mind couldn't help but bring out the hatred, grief, and fear I had buried deep within.
Its hissing voice kept reminding me of the hissing of a snake. The same creature that stole a man—a man who was dear to me, loved by me, and respected by me.
?: "Let's do it, you and me, 'Flame of the Abandoned Soul.'"
My breath got stuck as those words struck my ear, resonating from far ahead of me.
A man with the same hair as mine, perhaps of an even darker shade, holding a large sword, stood ahead with his back towards me.
With a flash of silver light, white wings appeared on his back, making his already broad figure seem even larger.
'I will do it.'
Part of the words he had said earlier echoed through my mind. Do it? Do what? What could he do? At what cost?
I still remembered when he first walked into my office and presented his application with only one name—Arthur.
There was nothing particularly interesting about him apart from his handsome features and playful maturity. Sure, he talked his way through the interview and even answered every question I asked, but I had never considered making him an assistant.
Perhaps it had been fate, as Hekate told me, that he became one.
I often heard and saw his stoic expression, one that seemed uninterested in others. But I knew he had a playful side, coupled with maturity.
That contradictory behaviour—one as rumoured, and one he only showed to a few—often reminded me of my royal days in the past.
Screechhhhhhhh....
The creature hissed at Arthur and swung its paw at him. It wanted to crush him beneath it, and it seemed entirely possible.
Lisa: "A-"
My mouth opened, trying to force the words out, but my throat felt gagged.
Arthur kicked the ground, avoiding the paw that was descending on him, and landed meters away from the slammed paw.
Bam!
Flames danced across its fur. They should have been burning hot, yet his body didn't seem to falter.
Arthur: "Isaz."
The word "Isaz" is what people often use, saying it in their hearts to focus on Ice-type magic.
The sword's silver blade turned light blue, and he swung it through the air, tracing an arc.
The attack seemed useless at first, as he swung it in the empty air... but the next second, part of the beast's flame, in front of which the nonexistent attack was thrown, turned to soft ice. The flames disappeared, and it was covered with something like ice, like snow, or like—
Lisa: "-Frost."
For the first time since it appeared, the beast showed signs of fear as it jumped back and swiftly shook the frost covering its paw.
The frost fell to the ground and melted away, leaving behind a normal red-yellowish fur.
Sreeeeeechhhhhh....
The beast hissed at Arthur, exhibiting its hostility. The flames on its fur flared once more, covering its paw again.
This time, unwilling to get close to the man who had extinguished its flames, it chose to attack from a distance.
Flames danced at the corners of its mouth before it opened its maw toward Arthur. They burst forth in a torrent. The attack was somewhat weaker than the breath attack it had used earlier.
But despite being weaker than before, its enormous size made the flames wide and towering.
The flames looked as though they would completely consume Arthur before swallowing the entire world as well.
My heart sank. Seeing him fight with an Ice-type attack while those towering flames loomed before him overlapped with the memory that had never left my mind.
Arthur: "Fuir."
This time, the blade shone with a light red glow as he swung it through the empty air once again.
"Fuir" is a word similar to "Isaz." Just as "Isaz" is used to focus on Ice-type magic, "Fuir" is used to focus on Fire-type magic.
The futile-looking, nonexistent attack cut the flames in half—or rather, that wasn't quite right. The blade consumed part of the flames infront, making it appear as though they had been sliced apart.
Arthur: "Who comes to a party without bringing return gifts? Here's yours."
He swung the sword once more, but this time the attack wasn't nonexistent. The flames the blade had consumed were released with the slash, hitting the beast.
But the flames that remained were nothing to scoff at. My vision still seemed covered with them. But then it was covered by something white, something that looked soft and made of feathers.
Arthur's wings spread wide, stretched out, and fanned open, blocking the remaining flames from reaching me.
Using ice to extinguish the beast's flames, using the beast's own fire against it, and using his wings to protect what remained—it all seemed like a perfectly harmonious fighting style.
But was it really?
My mind went blank at what happened next.
Arthur: "Puckk-"
Arthur stammered and coughed up a mouthful of blood. The amount was no small matter. He held his mouth with his free hand, already covered with dried blood, and once again it became drenched in crimson.
His hand became soaked in blood. There were traces of it on his cheeks, and his clothes were stained with dark splotches.
He jerked his hand, trying to shake the blood off, before stepping forward to face the beast, which had once again emerged from the flames Arthur had sent its way earlier.
The remaining flames that his wings failed to block crashed randomly into the ground, creating holes and sending debris flying. Some were far, and some were close to me, but none landed on me, which made it clear that the attack he blocked was to protect me.
His words resounded again in my ears.
Arthur: "-I will do it. I won't let it hurt you..."
My dear's voice, spoken before he left for the subjugation, also resurfaced in my mind.
Archduke: 'I will obliterate every thorn in your path. Nothing will ever hurt you.'
'Why?! Why is this happening?!' I asked myself. Why did the two overlap so much? Why was it making me more and more anxious?
'Even if I am protected... even if everybody is protected... what good is it if you have to sacrifice yourself?'
Who the 'you' I was referring to at this point...
Even I wasn't sure.
The fight became increasingly intense. Arthur kept slashing his sword toward the beast. Frost spread across the battlefield while the beast retaliated with flaming claws and breath attacks, all while dodging the frost slashes.
Arthur would absorb part of the incoming flames into his sword before sending them back at the beast, while using his wings to deflect the attacks aimed in my direction.
The remains of flames kept descending here and there. The rumbling of attacks kept jerking my body.
Every time an attack was deflected and slammed onto the ground around me, I wished it had landed on me.
Because every time I saw an attack heading toward me only to be diverted elsewhere...
It made my heart tighten, because—
Arthur: "Puckk... damn it..."
The blood he coughed up every time was because of me.
'Why? Why put yourself through so much? Why suffer over and over again?'
Was there really a need to protect me?
Was there really a need to protect me? The attacks were not breaking any glass cells. When an attack connected to the cell, people inside showed terrified reactions, but they were safe. The glass walls just rumbled a little but nothing else.
If he focused on protecting himself...
If he just fought with everything he had...
Wouldn't it have been so much easier?
Words echoed through my ears once again, as though answering my desperate questions.
Archduke: 'Fear not. Everyone will be safe. I will be back soon.'
'But you didn't come back!'
Arthur: "Nobody will die."
'But you will!'
Arthur: 'It makes me who I am.'
'Then why are you like that?! Change yourself!'
It was selfish to want someone to change for my own convenience...
But I couldn't stop myself.
He always acts as if he knows better.
Always throwing himself into difficult situations.
Always repeating the same thing.
Arthur: 'Someone you can rely on.'
'I don't want to rely on anyone! I don't need to rely on anyone!'
Arthur: 'Rely on me again.'
'Why...?'
My body wants to move.
My heart knew I needed to reach out, go to him, and support him. But my heart and mind feel disconnected.
My mind refused to let go of the past.
Arthur: "Puckk... yeah... even I like cats, but this one is making it really hard for me to like her."
The fight was progressing. Frost covered the ground in multiple places, and the beast growled at Arthur. With his sleeves, he wiped his mouth, which became coated with blood.
Arthur: "But I do what I want... and I will free this cat."
I could only stare at him in a daze.
'Move, body, damn it!'
Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes swept across the people trapped inside the glass cells.
Arthur: "I need to get everyone out of here soon."
Saying that, he rushed forward once more, exchanging attacks with the beast.
But at those words...
The final words of the Archduke, who had walked toward his own death—the words I had seen through the recording orb—echoed inside my mind.
Archduke: "I will hold the beast here! Everyone, get out of here!"
Those were the last words he ever spoke.
Those were the last words he spoke as he went towards the Amphisbaena. And then, as troops tried to run away, the beast bit his head off. The beast kept tearing his limbs one by one before engulfing the whole area with flames.
'Am I going to lose 'him' now?'
'Right in front of me?'
'Am I—'
'Will he—'
Arthur: "Do you want to have a deathmatch, kitty?"
He swung his sword, its blade covered in blue light, and frost formed in front of the beast. The beast jumped and then landed on the frost; it melted. The beast hissed at Arthur, seemingly replying to his question, as flames danced at the corner of its mouth.
Arthur: "Haha... How can I deny an adorable kitty's request? If that is what you want, now a deathmatch shall you have."
He laughed as he declared boldly.
Lisa: "Enough."
But that snapped the final thread holding me back.
My voice came out cold, devoid of emotion.
The pounding in my chest subsided.
My breathing steadied.
The suffocating sensation in my throat disappeared.
Lisa: "You are going to do what?"
I threw those words at the man who had so boldly declared that he would engage in a death match.
My voice was clear.
Cold.
And strong.
My mind felt clear.
My heart was calm.
I took a step forward. I no longer felt restrained.
I don't know what liberated me. Was it getting tired of constantly thinking about the grief? Was it the acceptance of my past? Was it not letting the past repeat itself? Or was it the bafflement after hearing 'him' accepting his own death?
I don't know, and at this moment, it doesn't matter to me.
Lisa: "You can laugh?... While staring at your own death? Is it really that easy to accept? Just like accepting another task from me?"
He always accepted every assignment with the same words.
'I am your assistant, Miss Lisa.'
'I am here to help you, Miss Lisa.'
Perhaps, to him. It really was just that easy.
I took another step ahead. The air in the surrounding grew colder and colder, just as the look in my eyes. The battle came to a halt. No attack was thrown at anyone.
A baffled, almost fearful expression appeared on Arthur's face. Even the beast showed a worried expression. It sensed something in the surroundings changing in a way unfavourable to it.
And then—
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[ A new attribute is germinating inside you. ]
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[ The attribute 'Ice Princess' has evolved within you. ]
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[ An Exclusive Skill has branched from your attribute. ]
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[ The Exclusive Skill 'Blizzard Lv.1' has been activated. ]
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Arthur: "Heol?"
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[ All Nubeculas watching are shocked. ]
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