After Avon entered his room and slammed the door shut, he walked into the bathroom. He turned on the water and washed his face, then looked up into the mirror, thinking about Minerva. He closed his eyes and began to imagine her. But instead of imagining the succubus girl, he imagined his own sister.
He opened his eyes and found himself in a place he didn't recognize—a place with nothing but a complete, empty white space. He looked around but saw nothing. Then he heard a familiar, gentle voice calling his name. The voice echoed through the entire space. Avon stood there silently, not knowing what to say. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, his eyes widened in sadness.
The one who stood before him was his sister, Minerva, looking exactly as she did on her last day. She looked at him proudly and smiled.
"M... m... sis... big..." Avon stammered. He looked away, unable to bear looking at her.
Minerva reached out and held the left side of his face. Her touch was gentle yet soft. She moved his head to see him better. Avon was about to cry.
"Long time no see, bro!" Minerva said in a gentle voice.
"B-bro?" Avon asked, confused.
"Yes, bro. Is it bothering you?"
"N-no. Anything that came from you never bothered me, don't worry."
"Wow, grown up, I see," Minerva said, surprised. "How old are you now?"
"Right now, I am the same age... as you are," Avon said, hesitating.
Minerva was shocked. "Fifteen... I see. And Sara?"
"She's twelve... but it doesn't matter, because we..." Minerva interrupted him.
"Because you are immortal," she said.
Avon was surprised. "How? How did you know that?"
Minerva looked at him with a sharp gaze. "You were supposed to be twenty-five, not fifteen. What, did you take your big sister for a fool? I know what you did, and I'm not blaming you either."
Avon felt that this wasn't an imagination; she felt so real. He held her hands, feeling their warmth. "I am sorry... I had no other choice. But that doesn't mean I will forget about Sara. My mission has never changed since that day."
"So how was it?" Minerva asked.
Avon didn't know what she was talking about. "How was what?"
Minerva poked his shoulder and giggled. "You know... the blood?"
"Oh," Avon said. He wasn't surprised by the question and tried to remember the taste of the blood he had to drink. "It was... how can I put it... like apple juice, and it doesn't smell or rot."
Minerva nodded. Avon still thought she was mad that he had become half-succubus himself. "Mini, please, you have to understand," he said, holding her hand. "I had no choice. To ensure the future of our race and to ensure Sara's safety, I had to do it. Otherwise, it would have taken me a lifetime to become what I am planning to be."
Minerva looked at his hands holding hers. She placed her other hand on top of them and said cheerfully, "Like I said, I'm not blaming you for what happened. And I don't need to remind you what not to do, right, little bro?"
"Minerva... I have a question."
Minerva already knew what the question was, but she wanted to hear it in his own voice. "And what might that question be?"
"I believe you already know what I'm going to ask, but here's the question... why do you feel so real?"
Minerva's eyes widened. She wasn't anticipating this kind of question. She thought he was going to ask something else. "I thought you already knew about it... or did you?"
"It was a theory," Avon said, "but I want to hear it from you. I want to see if it's true. I want to hear it in your own voice."
Minerva looked down, a sense of sadness coming over her. "Yes... I am real."
Avon closed his eyes, trying to hide his tears as a wave of emotions washed over him. His hands began to shake rapidly. Minerva noticed and pulled him closer, hugging him tightly. "Don't... hold it in. Let it go. Let it out."
Avon began to cry and sob in sadness. Minerva's eyes also teared up. "Crying is not for the weak," she said, getting close to his ear. "But for those who have held it in for too long and couldn't bear the burden anymore. It's what makes us human."
Avon kept crying and holding her tight. After a few moments, he calmed down. He backed away, but Minerva kept hugging him before also pulling back a little. "Better now?" she asked calmly.
"Y-yeah," Avon said, nodding.
"H-how?" he asked.
Minerva closed her eyes and put her forehead against his. Waves of memories flooded into his mind, back to that specific moment when he had put his forehead to hers in the Royal Village.
"That moment, a fragment of my soul went inside you," Minerva said. "You now bear my soul, and I will forever be with you and with Sara for all eternity."
Avon's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "So in the end, I did save you..."
Minerva smiled. "You indeed did, and Sara also did her part with Mother."
"Why did this happen?" Avon asked. "We weren't supposed to use magic, were we?"
"It's not magic, dear brother," Minerva said. "If I explain it to you, you'll end up being confused with more questions. To make this simple, I suggest you travel to Arcadon, the City of Champions, and there you may find your answers."
"Arcadon? Why?"
"There you will prove yourself in front of the world," she said.
"And how do you want me to prove myself?"
"By becoming a champion," Minerva replied. "I would suggest you ask Lady Aria; she might know more than I."
Avon looked at her, confused. "Wait, you know her?"
Minerva chuckled. "Who doesn't? I want you to ask her because my knowledge about the city is a bit old, and the city has changed a lot."
He looked at Minerva with hope and excitement. He was about to say something, but Minerva stopped him. "No need to say it out loud, dear brother."
"Sure," Avon said. "But can't you give me a small explanation at least? You know, for a morale boost?"
She chuckled. "Sure, but only the tip of the iceberg, okay? It is what made us worthy descendants of the Avalonia Empire and the household of Von Astratus."
Avon nodded. "That's enough for me. Thanks, sister."
He got up, and so did Minerva. A small gate opened behind him, leading back to reality. "Looks like someone is calling for you, brother. Our time is up."
He looked back in excitement. He looked at Minerva one more time and hugged her. "Will I ever see you again? And is there a chance to lose your soul fragment?"
"No, you don't need to worry," she said calmly, patting his head. "As long as you are alive, I will be alive, too. And whenever you want to see me, just imagine me in front of you, and I will appear to help you."
"Good to hear. Goodbye, sister."
Minerva waved as Avon slowly walked toward the gate. He walked through it and opened his eyes. He was in the same spot, in the bathroom, looking in the mirror. He felt a sense of calm and peace, knowing his sister and mother were alive, a fragment of them living inside them.
Someone was calling him from outside the door, asking if he was okay. It was Arcadius.
"Come on in," Avon said.
Arcadius came inside, holding a cup of chocolate.
"What are you drinking?" Avon asked.
"Oh, this? It isn't for me. It's for you."
"Really? How nice of you."
"Oh, you flatter me," Arcadius said.
Avon saw that it was dark and had a wonderful smell. "Chocolate?" he said, surprised.
Arcadius nodded.
"Where the hell did you get it?"
"Saw it on the shelves. There's plenty of it."
Avon took a sip and enjoyed it. The taste was new to him. He looked at the cup and began observing it.
Arcadius burst out laughing. "Losing your mind too early, I see?"
"After taking a sip, I'm afraid it's too late now," Avon said.
"No going back now, eh?" Arcadius said.
Avon nodded, and Arcadius laughed.
"Thanks, brother," Avon said. "I guess I needed this."
"You're most welcome, bro."
"Where is Sara?" Avon asked.
"Out there, playing chess with Vernara."
"I need to talk to her about something. It's urgent." Avon walked to the door, but Arcadius stopped him.
"Why?" Arcadius said. "I know you're angry about Minerva, so am I, but now is not the time to..."
Avon interrupted him, his voice filled with excitement. "I spoke to her!"
Arcadius looked at him, confused. "To... her?"
"Yes, her!"
"Who is 'her' again?"
"To my big sister."
Arcadius put his hand on Avon's head to check his temperature. "Are you okay, brother? Do you have a fever?"
"No, I really did speak to her." Arcadius saw the light in Avon's eyes and knew he was telling the truth. For fifteen years, this light had rarely been seen. It was thanks to Sara that he had kept going. God knows what Avon would have done if he had snapped.
"A dream?" Arcadius asked.
"No... it was her. The real her. Somehow a fragment of her soul survived."
Arcadius was surprised that this was possible. He looked happy for Avon, as if his own little sister were alive. "H-how?"
"Fifteen years ago, when we got back to the village, we went to our home... and my mother and sister were still there, just as they were on the day I left them," Avon explained. "I got close to my sister's body and held her head in my hands. The moment I put my head against hers, I felt something, like I was somewhere else... and she was calling me."
Arcadius was about to tear up, so happy for him. "I... I don't know what to say, brother. This will make Sara so happy."
Avon nodded, but before he left, he turned around and slowly walked to his bed. "Before I tell her, I have a question for you, bro."
"Sure, anything, bro."
"It won't be a pleasant question, you know."
Arcadius laughed. "Until now, there's been nothing pleasant from you."
"Do you have a sister?" Avon asked.
Arcadius was surprised by the question, as he had never told Avon about his family. "Well, that was... out of nowhere."
Avon looked upset. "If it bothers you, then I apologize. But the thing is... I've never asked you about your family. I only know you."
Arcadius spaced out for a moment, then looked at Avon. "I believe you already know about my sector, so no need to talk about that. Long story short, just like you and Sara, I used to have a little sister, and three big brothers. When the attack occurred, two of my brothers stayed to protect me while my third brother rushed to my little sister. After that night, I only saw my two brothers who protected me in a pool of blood. I didn't know what happened to my third brother or sister back then."
Arcadius walked to the mirror, looked at himself, and continued. "When we got back to the village, Vernara and I went to our sectors to see what was left. I entered my home, and surprisingly, everything remained the same, as if time had stopped completely on that day. My brothers who protected me were on the ground as skeletons, but the pool of blood remained. That moment, I was so hesitant to go to my little sister's room... But I knew if it were you, you would have done it for Sara, so I did. I entered her room with my eyes closed."
Arcadius stopped and looked at the ground for a moment. "She wasn't there... no blood, no bodies, nothing. Instead, there was a massive hole in the wall. So I assume somebody took them. At that moment, I knew..."
"Knew what?" Avon asked.
"That I failed as her big brother. I failed my sister. Every time I see you and Sara, I always imagine myself and my sister..."
"What's her name?" Avon asked.
"Lucy," Arcadius said.
Avon walked toward Arcadius and gently put his hand on his left shoulder, looking at him with sadness. "Lucy... I will remember that name. Your sister is my sister, and if anything happened to her, then fear not, I will rain hell upon them all."
"You and what army?" Arcadius said sarcastically.
They both laughed.
"Thanks, Avon," Arcadius said. "But if we find her, and if I happen to know something happened to her, I am the one who will open the gates of hell upon them. I promise, if it was non-humans, demons, whatever their race is... I will remove them from the face of the earth, and people in the future will say, 'There used to be people called non-humans.'"
Avon saw the determination in Arcadius's eyes and smiled. Arcadius saw the smile and knew Avon would forever have his back.
"Sara's downstairs," Arcadius said. "I'm going to the library."
"Don't wanna miss out on a thing, eh?" Avon said.
"I'm serious," Arcadius said. "The sooner we learn everything, the better."
"Before you go to the library, I want you to hear this as well, alongside them," Avon said.
Arcadius nodded, and they both walked toward the door. Avon opened it, and Arcadius walked out first. "Ladies first, huh? How polite," he said.
They then walked downstairs and saw Sara and Vernara playing chess. Avon walked slowly toward them, excited to tell them everything.