Chapter 126 — Names Written in Stone
Akira stood frozen before the gravestone.
The stone was old, weathered by time, yet untouched by decay. Moss clung to its edges, but the letters carved into it were sharp—far too sharp for something that should have belonged to another age.
What made his breath hitch wasn't the grave itself.
It was the language.
It wasn't from the shinobi world.
It wasn't chakra script.
It wasn't anything he had ever learned in this life
.
And yet—
"I can read it…" Akira whispered
.
The realization struck him like lightning.
His fingers trembled as his eyes traced the carved words.
Hero Sofia von Grace
Red-Eyed Hero
Died fighting the Demon Lord
To save the Human Realm
Akira's heart pounded violently.
"Hero…?" he murmured.
"Sofia… von Grace…?"
The name echoed inside his chest—heavy, painful, like a bell rung deep within his soul.
This wasn't recognition.
This was memory.
His vision blurred—not from tears, but from something deeper, something pulling him inward, dragging his consciousness away.
And then—
"Solaris, come on."
A voice.
Clear. Young. Familiar in a way that terrified him.
The world shattered.
He stood somewhere else
.
The sky was pale gold. The air was warm and alive. The scent of flowers and sunlight filled his lungs.
In front of him stood a boy—sixteen, maybe seventeen.
Long white hair flowed freely down his back, glowing softly beneath the light. His red eyes were calm, deep, and impossibly gentle. His presence alone made the world feel lighter, as if existence itself relaxed around him.
An aura full of life… yet peaceful—like a resting soul.
The boy sighed, rubbing his forehead as he spoke again.
"Sof, don't use my soul name like that."
He looked genuinely troubled
.
"I'm still six," he added seriously. "There are seven more years before anyone can use my real name."
The boy in front of him laughed.
He had crimson eyes just like Solaris. His smile was bright, confident, and reckless. His presence burned—warm, fierce, unyielding.
"Oh, come on, my dear little brother," Sofia teased. "It's not a big deal to use your real soul name."
He leaned closer, grinning.
"After all, you can use mine too. Merin."
Solaris stiffened.
"Don't be careless," he scolded. "It's dangerous to use real soul names so casually. Be good."
Sofia waved him off. "You worry too much. It's really not that serious.
He tilted his head, eyes sparkling.
"Besides, you can use your real soul name too. Anyone can—for us."
Solaris blinked. "For us…?"
Sofia smirked. "Yeah. We're different from others."
Solaris frowned slightly. "Different how?"
Sofia laughed softly. "You look so cute when you're confused."
Then he sighed dramatically.
"I sometimes forget you're only a six-year-old Crown Prince."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Anyways—twin souls normally have two names."
Solaris' eyes widened. "Two?"
"Yep," Sofia said proudly. "The first names are different. The second name is the same."
He pointed at himself.
"Merin is my middle name."
Then he pointed at Solaris.
"You're using your first name, Solaris. That's fine."
He shrugged. "No one knows your middle or last name anyway. It's not a problem."
Solaris hesitated. "Is that so…"
Then his expression softened.
"But still," he said quietly, "I liked you better in my second life."
Sofia raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You were cute back then," Solaris continued honestly. "Obedient. A perfect little brother."
He tilted his head.
"I kind of miss him."
Sofia stared at him.
Then his smile vanished.
"I think your eyes are broken," he said flatly. "Because I am one hundred percent not like whatever you're imagining."
He crossed his arms.
"And stop living in the past. Let it stay there."
Solaris blinked. "Then why did you call me ?"
Sofia's gaze sharpened.
"…Because I took a peek at the fate of this world."
Solaris stiffened. "You did what?"
Sofia exhaled slowly.
"And trust me," he said quietly, his red eyes shining, "you wouldn't believe what I saw."