Three Days Later
I woke up early, as was my habit for my morning training. As I opened my bedroom door to head out, I froze in my tracks.
Right in front of me, Roxy had her hand suspended in the air, just about to knock.
We both stood there, frozen for a second, caught in that unexpected proximity. She had to tilt her head back to look me in the face, and it was then that I noticed how small she seemed compared to my new height.
"Huh? Roxy?" I let out, blinking in surprise.
She gave a start, blinked rapidly, and immediately took a step back, trying to regain her composure.
"Good morning, Arthur," she said, though her voice sounded a bit higher than usual. She looked down and began to play with one of her braids, distractedly twining it around her finger. "Well... I was wondering if you'd like us to go shopping together later."
"Shopping?" I repeated, tilting my head slightly. "For the university?"
She moved quickly, as if she were grateful that I had provided the excuse myself.
"Y-yes. I need some new materials and… I thought maybe you did too," she added, averting her gaze again. "Besides, it's been a while since we went out like this."
That last sentence was spoken almost in a whisper, but I heard it clearly. I let out a soft laugh and nodded.
"Alright," I replied naturally. "Then I'll see you in the afternoon."
Roxy nodded slightly, looking relieved, and walked away down the hallway
"Shopping?" I thought, finally heading to the backyard to at least do some quick stretches. "Wait a second... this wouldn't be a date... would it?"
I shook my head vigorously to try and dispel the idea and began to warm up my arms. The morning air was still cold, but strangely, I couldn't concentrate. The memory of her elusive gaze and the slight tremor in her voice kept spinning in my head.
"Come on... concentrate," I muttered to myself.
When I finished, the sun was already starting to peek out. I returned to my room, cleaned up, and changed into more comfortable clothes. If we were going out, I wanted to look presentable… even if technically it was just "shopping."
Later, when I met her at the entrance of the manor, I confirmed that my suspicions weren't unfounded.
Roxy was wearing a simple but very well-chosen dress, complemented by a small bag slung over her shoulder. It wasn't, by any means, the mage attire she usually wore. When she saw me, her eyes lit up for a second, a spark of genuine joy that she immediately tried to hide by adjusting her hat.
"Arthur, you look good," she said, though her gaze quickly fled toward her own shoes.
"Thanks. You look... different too. It's a good change," I replied, feeling my cheeks warm up.
We walked together through the still-quiet streets. At first, the silence felt a bit heavy, but not uncomfortable. It was more expectant, as if we were both waiting for the other to say or do something.
"Arthur…" she started suddenly.
"Yes?" I replied, turning my head slightly toward her as we kept walking.
"I'm glad everything turned out well," she said, without looking at me. "After what happened in the labyrinth and with Zenith… I thought nothing would ever be the same with them."
"I'm glad too," I replied, smiling at her.
Roxy nodded in silence. As we moved deeper into the commercial district, the crowds began to gather. Sharia was a vibrant city, but on market days, the streets became a chaos of carriages and passersby. Due to her short stature, Roxy soon found herself trapped between a group of burly merchants; for a moment, I almost lost sight of her in the crowd.
Without thinking much about it, I reached out and firmly grasped her hand.
I felt her tense up instantly, a small spasm of surprise running through her fingers. However, she didn't pull away. On the contrary, after a second of hesitation, she closed her hand tightly around mine, seeking security in my grip.
"Stay close," I told her, lowering my voice so only she could hear me. "I don't want you to get lost."
"T-thanks, Arthur," she whispered. Although her hat hid part of her face, I managed to see how the red on her cheeks spread all the way to her ears.
During the entire "shopping" trip, we didn't let go. My fingers intertwined with hers felt warm—a sensation that distracted me more than I cared to admit. Walking like that, making my way through the people while holding her hand.
We stopped at several stalls. First, we looked for something to eat; we bought some hot snacks that Roxy enjoyed with a small smile, discreetly wiping the corner of her lips when she thought I wasn't looking. Afterward, we went for the materials she needed for her classes: high-quality parchments and special inks that I kept in my bag so she wouldn't have to carry the weight.
Finishing with the shopping, we started our way back to the manor. I noticed Roxy was walking a bit closer to me than usual, almost leaning against my arm. It wasn't exaggerated, but it was enough for me to feel it clearly.
"Arthur…" she said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Thank you for coming with me today."
"You don't have to thank me," I replied. "To be honest… it was nice going out like this."
She looked up at me, surprised, and then smiled softly.
"I'm glad to hear that," she murmured.
When the manor finally appeared before us, we both slowed our pace at almost the same time. There was something in the air, a sort of awkward pause, as if neither wanted the moment to end there.
"Well…" I said, scratching my cheek. "I guess we're here."
"Yes…" she replied, though she didn't let go of my hand immediately.
For a couple of seconds, we stood like that in front of the entrance, saying nothing. The wind lightly moved her hat, and she held it down with her other hand.
"Arthur," she said at last, looking me straight in the eyes. "Would you mind… if we did this again another day?"
I smiled without thinking too much.
"Not at all. I'd like that."
Roxy smiled warmly; for a moment, it seemed as if the world around her lit up.
"Then… I'll see you later," she said, releasing my hand and taking a small step back.
"See you, Roxy."
I watched her enter the manor, and only when the door closed behind her did I realize something important. I sighed, bringing a hand to my chest.
"..Maybe that really had been a date, the first of my two lives..."
But the warmth of the moment evaporated in an instant. Just as I was about to set foot inside, a calm voice resonated behind my back.
"Hey, kid... What is your relationship with Uther?"
The warrior instinct I had polished in my training and combat reacted before my brain did. I jumped backward, creating a safety distance while my eyes scanned the surroundings. Then, I saw him.
It was a man impeccably dressed in a white blazer and trousers. His blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and his face remained hidden behind an unsettling fox mask.
"Who are you?" I exclaimed.
By instinct, my hand sought the hilt of my sword, but my fingers only found air. I cursed inwardly; I had forgotten that I wasn't carrying it. Nonetheless, I took a battle stance, prepared to use magic.
The man didn't flinch; he remained in place with an eerie calm.
"I think you already know, more or less, who I am... but I'll introduce myself anyway: I am Arumanfi the Bright," he said, stepping forward with elegance. "I have been watching you by order of Lord Perugius. I haven't discovered much yet, but... he has grown tired of waiting. So, please, come with me."
"And what would that be for?" I replied, without lowering my guard.
"Don't worry. The Lord only wants to confirm something for himself. If you aren't who he thinks you are, you will return without any problem."
I was going to refuse, but then I thought better of it. This was a unique opportunity: he wanted answers about me, and I had too many questions for him. If I wanted to know what Hitogami was referring to, I had to go to the source.
"Alright," I said, relaxing my stance slightly.
"Good choice."
He approached and placed his hand on my shoulder. In that instant, the world distorted. It was as if we had stepped onto a magical teleportation circle; in the blink of an eye, we appeared in an enormous hall, bathed in celestial light.
"Welcome to Chaos Breaker. Lord Perugius awaits you."
To one side, a woman of imposing presence awaited us. She had golden-blonde hair, almost white, and a pair of black wings sprouted from her back. She wore elegant white robes and hid her face behind a white bird mask.
I followed her in silence. She walked with elegance through hallways that seemed made of white marble and pure gold. Finally, we reached an enormous door that swung wide open.
Then I saw him: a man sitting on a throne that emanated an aura of absolute authority. Around him, nine figures dressed in white and wearing masks remained motionless as statues. Arumanfi and the winged woman joined them, completing Perugius's eleven familiars. The Dragon King observed me in silence, and I felt his gaze pierce my skin, searching for something in the deepest part of me.
At that moment, I noticed the guardians starting to agitate. They seemed annoyed or restless for some reason. Perugius made a sharp gesture with his hand to calm them. He rose from his throne, revealing an imposing stature of nearly two meters, and descended the stairs until he stood right in front of me.
"Tell me, who are you?" he spoke, locking his eyes with mine.
"I am Arthur," I replied, holding his gaze without taking a single step back.
He stared at me, analyzing me as if trying to decipher if I was telling the truth. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes for a moment.
"I see... so that is how you hid from me..... Uther."
"What is he talking about?" I thought, but I didn't have time to articulate a word.
He raised his hand, channeling an overwhelming amount of mana.
"Don't move," he ordered.
Without knowing what he intended, I nodded out of pure instinct. Suddenly, with an open palm, he struck my chest with a force that wasn't physical, but spiritual. The impact left me in absolute shock. My knees gave way and I hit the ground with a thud.
My eyelids began to grow heavy, the world around me started to spin, and a suffocating blackness enveloped my senses. "What did he do to me?" I managed to ask myself as panic flooded in. "Is it all over for me here?"
Before losing consciousness completely, I heard Perugius's voice, now loaded with a strange mixture of astonishment and melancholy:
"I didn't think you had a son... You bastard brat."
Then, I lost consciousness entirely.
To be continued.