POV of Matías Castleboard (Past Life)
Whenever everything ended—when the screams finally faded—there was only me: the last one standing, the one who relentlessly took countless lives in the name of peace... or at least what I believed was right.
Because everything always ends the same. Wars are born from differences in ideology, and the worst part is, even though everyone knows how it will end, they continue the slaughter anyway.
This land, once known as the Holy Land, used to be a place where people sang, laughed, and lived to be happy with their families. A fleeting reality, yes—but beautiful to remember.
Those were moments worth keeping in one's memory. But this place... it doesn't even resemble what I once recalled.
I slowly shook my head, trying to let the sorrow gradually fade away, until only two words remained in my mind: perfect soldier.
That's what I am. That's what I'll be. That's what I chose to become: the villain of my own story.
"Castleboard, hurry up—we don't have all day," Commander Dianisty's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. It was clear he was angry.
"Say your goodbyes already and get moving."
Right. This was my home.
Right now, even breathing hurt... thinking, even more. But what could I do? The past is the past, and if you want a future, you have to stand firm in the present.
"I'm coming, Commander. I'll check to see if anyone's still alive," I replied, my voice cracking.
Even the most seasoned soldier sometimes mistakes pain for duty.
"Don't take long. Report back once you're at the base," Dianisty said.
I just nodded, and with a single leap, descended the hill littered with corpses, drenched in smells that defied description.
With every step down, I felt like I was sliding closer and closer to my own ruin.
A person's sins never truly vanish.
They just lie dormant, buried in the darkest, saddest corners of the mind...
Until one day, they come back.
POV of Kael Lanpar (Current Life)
Sins always return.
It felt strange to walk among people again, watching them smile, happy, thinking about what they'd do tomorrow, or how much they'd enjoyed their day…
Meanwhile, in my previous life, every second could've been my last, and thinking too much could cost you your life.
I'm not complaining—after all, this is my new life, and I have to choose what to do with it:
Let myself descend into madness… or let Matías fade away.
"What are you thinking so much about, Kal? You've been quiet this whole time," I heard my mother's voice.
Today, she'd finally allowed me to visit Luzarion—my hometown—and leave that annoying castle behind.
"It's nothing, Mom. I was just admiring all the incredible things in the village," I replied, letting go of her hand for a moment.
"Can I go look around a bit, please?"
I'd learned that my greatest weapon in this body was putting on a puppy-dog face—looking at her with such an adorably pleading expression that she might've handed me the throne on the spot.
"Kal, you're just too..."
Before she could finish, I cut her off. I knew exactly how to act in this moment—it was showtime.
"I'll be fine, I promise! Plus, Nova will be with me the whole time, protecting me," I said, glancing at Nova, our personal bodyguard, hoping he'd say something...
But he remained as stoic as ever.
"So boring..." I muttered, then added, "Pleaseee?"
My mother simply looked at Nova—and in that look, she said everything. She didn't need words.
"If anything happens to my baby, I swear your fate will be worse than death. Got it?"
Nova's face changed instantly. He nodded with a slight tremble in his head.
I could barely hold back my laughter.
"Alright, you win... but stay close to Nova, and don't leave his side for a second. Understood?" she said.
Honestly, at this age, those words weighed more than a direct order from a general.
"I promise!" I assured her, and she nodded, letting me go.
It wasn't that she was a bad mother or didn't care about my well-being...
But I wasn't exactly defenseless either.
I could feel three hooded figures behind a shop—specifically, hiding in a tree.
Seriously, they're terrible at hiding. Embarrassingly so.
So I began walking, passing some of the more well-known spots in Luzarion: caves, weapon shops...
All cloaked in a peaceful silence—mainly because Nova didn't even talk to himself.
Alright then. Time to do what I came here for: a full exploration.
One thing that always saved my life was paying attention to the little details.
Looking beyond the branches of a tree lets you appreciate its leaves and flowers.
This place is a perfect example.
The first thing you notice is the delicious smell of freshly baked bread. It smells... amazing.
Focus, Kael!
Let's see...
No guards around here, though there's a lot of foot traffic and trade.
Hmm... probably because this area's very safe—or maybe just because no one cares what happens here.
I still don't get it.
This world feels so similar to mine… yet so completely different.
"Prince Kael," I heard an unfamiliar voice.
Who was that?
"I think we should return to the castle now. The queen has likely finished her shopping," Nova said.
What!?
So he can talk!
Now I get why he doesn't—his voice could terrify anyone.
"You're right. Just let me check one thing and I'll be right there," I told him.
Nova nodded silently.
Something had caught my eye at one of the market stalls—something that held special meaning to me.
I walked through the crowd, Nova following behind, until I reached a modest stall run by an elderly man.
You could tell it hadn't been a good day for him. He hadn't sold anything.
"Good morning," I greeted.
The man's expression shifted immediately. He looked around for his customer, and when he saw me, he lowered his head to meet my eyes.
—Oh? And what do we have here… the little prince himself. What brings your majesty to this humble market stall?
The old man's eyes gleamed with hope. Something told me he needed that money to feed his family.
I spotted a beautiful quartz necklace and couldn't help but smile.
"I'd like to know how much it costs. My bodyguard will pay, right Nova?" I said, feigning innocence.
I know—I was a little devil. But seeing Nova's face in that moment… priceless.
"Your Majesty, the quartz necklace is 100 Orion Yenis. Would you like to pay in full, or would you prefer—"
I didn't let him finish. There was no need. Nova was bound to obey anyway. Hehehe.
"We'll pay right now, won't we, Nova?"
Nova simply paid. He couldn't refuse my request.
"Of course, Your Majesty. As you command."
The necklace looked amazing… and somehow, necessary.
Sometimes, having something that reminds you where you came from is more important than it seems.
If I'm going to live this life forgetting my last one, then I at least want to keep something to remember it by.
An anchor to my past—or to the parts of it that were beautiful.
The best part of all this was watching the old man's day brighten just from that sale.
Apparently, quartz is more expensive in this world.
I don't say that because I understand the kingdom's currency…
but because of the furious look on the face of the man standing behind me.
I swear, Nova, I'll pay you back someday… but that's for the future.
Mental Note:
Luzarion is a beautiful and vast place. The plants and homes in the capital give off a harmonious aura that makes the city shine.
However, I also need to take note of the people.
They may act like characters from a fairy tale—smiling and cheerful—but who knows what they're really up to.
End of note.
"Hey, Nova, why do you work here in the kingdom as a bodyguard?"
The question caught him off guard. He looked confused for a moment.
I thought he wouldn't answer… but I was wrong.
"Aside from serving the kingdom, this job ensures my survival," he replied.
His words sounded hollow. I knew that wasn't the real reason.
"And why don't you serve the kingdom in another way? I mean, there are plenty of options…
and I really doubt this job guarantees survival."
This was the perfect moment to dig for some valuable information.
"Why do you serve my family—the Lanpars?"
"Your family is the only thing still right in this world. When you grow up, you'll understand," he said.
This time, he spoke from the heart.
That's what the true Lanpars are like.
The whole walk back to the castle was quiet.
I was busy thinking.
This world feels like a dream—something anyone would wish to live in…
but everything seems like a façade.
One thing I've learned over time is that to be truly happy, you have to be ignorant—
to let yourself be carried by what you don't know.
Because just as knowledge is power…
it's also a curse few are willing to bear.
When we reached the castle, I headed straight to the courtyard.
If I'm not mistaken, today's the day of my first magic training session—
and apparently, my sister will be my instructor.
Ugh... I'm bored. Where is she?
Please don't tell me she overslept, or I swear I'm going to lose it.
I lay down on the cool grass, trying not to think about the fact that I might've been stood up.
Anyway, if that were the case, the only witnesses would be the birds and the sun's glare...
How annoying.
I was about to throw a tantrum when I noticed someone watching me with amusement.
Seriously?
"You do know punctuality is important, right, sis?"
I tried to look mad, but my baby expressions just ended up looking adorable in her eyes.
"I told you we'd meet in the courtyard, but I didn't give you a specific time…
so punctuality wasn't exactly required," she said, extending her hand to help me up, still smiling.
"Come on, don't get upset... you're starting to sound like Dad."
"Fine… you win. So, what are we doing now?"
She looked at me for a few seconds before turning around.
"Come on, walk with me for a while."
"Where are we going?"
Weren't we supposed to train here?
"Don't ask, just follow me. This is also part of your training... and it's important."
Her words were sincere—I could feel it.
I had no choice but to follow her.
We walked for quite a while in silence.
Since there was no conversation, I focused on observing.
Maybe all I could see were trees, but to be honest, these trees held more history than my entire life combined.
They were so different, yet imposing.
They didn't carry an internal weight, but an external one; their eyes—or what looked like eyes—were the only thing that reflected that burden.
And still, they needed vast roots to hold themselves up.
I wish I were a tree... life would be so much easier.
"You know?" Mayrei interrupted my thoughts.
"I heard you've been trying to use magic. Seems like you managed to decipher Dad's books somehow."
"W-Wait, what...?!"
Saying I was confused would be an understatement.
"How did you find out?"
"I won't say I know everything, but it's not easy to hide something from me. Look, Kal... maybe you haven't fully grasped it because you haven't managed to use it properly yet."
"That's not bad, but the worrying part is that the failure wasn't in your mana… it was in your spirit."
She stopped for a moment and looked at me with genuine concern.
I was stunned and scared all at once—not fully understanding.
"What do you mean, Mai? Is something wrong with me? Am I okay?"
"There's nothing wrong with you... but there is something strange."
She created a delicate figure of ice in her hand to show me.
Still, none of it made any sense to me.
"Do you know why it's so hard for older people to awaken their mana?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"The reason is simple: the soul—the spirit. When we're born, we live without sin, without pain, without any regrets."
"But..." I whispered, barely getting the word out.
"When we grow up, we develop guilt and regret. That's why." She nodded as she said it.
"I don't know why you haven't been able to fully activate your mana, but I have a theory. Look, I'm not one to believe in fairy tales—I prefer real evidence. But somehow, what's happening to you might be connected to something called reincarnation."
I almost screamed. I was truly scared.
Had they already figured it out?
And just when I was starting to enjoy being alive again...
"What are you trying to say, Mai? You're scaring me."
I tried to play it cool—I don't know if I succeeded, but I couldn't afford to mess this up.
"What I mean," she said, pointing to the ice figure,
"is that when someone reincarnates, they carry the guilt from their past life. And that's why they might fail."
"But I'm not some reincarnated soul... or at least I don't think I am..."
I was starting to doubt even myself.
I had to find a way to convince her—I didn't know what else to do.
"Relax, Kal. Don't be afraid."
She smiled.
"I know you're my little brother."
Her words were such a relief.
Even the leaves dancing around us seemed to calm.
"You really scared me, Mai..." I said as she closed her hand, dissolving the figure of ice.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you that. Now let's get to the important part. I need you to sit in lotus position again and focus. Keep your mind blank. It's important."
"O-okay..."
I stuttered.
I really was nervous.
Sins always come back, but as a human, you don't have to carry them forever.
Perfection is beautiful, but true beauty lies in the imperfect—and in its ability to grow.
"I'm ready, Mai."
"Good. Let the training begin."