⮞ Brandy
The morning sunlight crept into my room, but I didn't open the curtains.
I sat in the far corner, boots off, tunic half-buttoned, arms resting on my knees, staring at the floorboards like they'd betray me if I blinked.
The duel kept replaying in my mind.
Not Alric's humiliation. That part was predictable.
Elric.
He didn't just beat Alric—he dismantled him.
Every move, every counter, every shift in pressure was like he'd planned it three steps ahead. The kind of flow control you'd expect from someone with years of real combat.
Not a newly acknowledged baron's son with barely a season of noble life.
My edge is slipping.
I was supposed to be ahead. That was the whole point. I had time, foresight, preparation.
But now?
He's here. Standing tall. Winning duels. Carrying himself like the story skipped five chapters.
And me?
Still stuck patching together instincts and borrowed memories.
I leaned forward, fingers laced, breath slow.
And then—
A thought crept in.
Cold. Calculated. Too rational to be impulsive.
What if I just… removed him?
Quietly. Permanently.
No more competition. No more script deviations.
With Elric gone, the plot would collapse. I could pick up the pieces, use the knowledge I have, and claim everything for myself.
There are devils, yes—but that's an easy problem.
After all, opportunities are there for something, right?
And as long as I take them before he does, the rest will sort itself out.
All I need is the right moment.
One slip. One push.
It made sense.
Too much sense.
Then the pain came.
Not physical. Not normal.
It felt like something inside me turned sharp—like my own soul had clenched.
No. Not clenched—rebelled.
My heart skipped a beat.
My breath caught in my throat.
Like something in me was screaming without sound.
Like an old chain had pulled tight around something I didn't know was bound.
What the—?!
A flicker of panic hit me before—
Blankness.
Not sleep. Not confusion.
Just... erasure.
I blinked.
My mouth was dry. My knuckles were white around nothing.
What had I been thinking about?
Elric?
The duel?
I shook my head and stood.
He's strong. But that's fine. I'll catch up.
That's all I need to worry about.
The pressure behind my eyes faded.
The thought—whatever it had been—was gone.
⮞ Elric
Elric Ashborne stood on the edge of the courtyard garden, the morning air cool against his sweat-damp shirt. His fingers were freshly bandaged, and his sword rested in its sheath at his hip.
He took a long breath and exhaled slowly.
"I really gave it everything yesterday," he said aloud, more to himself than anyone else.
No reply.
But he didn't expect one.
Still, he smiled slightly.
"It wasn't perfect. I slipped up a few times. But I kept up. I held my ground. That's progress."
He sat down on the low stone wall, letting the sun warm his shoulders.
The presence—his silent companion—lingered nearby. As it always did.
He didn't know what it was.
A spirit? A guide? A fragment of some ancient will?
He didn't ask. It never answered.
But it had been there since the moment he woke again in this world—with the weight of his past life's failures heavy in his chest.
I remember it faintly from before. Like a shadow just out of reach. But it didn't react back then. Not until I came back.
From that night forward, his growth had skyrocketed.
He wasn't arrogant about it—he was grateful. The training came easier. His instincts felt cleaner. His sword lighter.
He attributed it all to this quiet guardian.
"I'm not just doing this for myself," he said softly. "I want them to see me. To see that I'm not a mistake."
His jaw tightened. Just a little.
"Not this time."
Behind him—unseen—the presence shifted.
It turned—not toward Elric, but away.
Toward the east.
Toward House Valemont.
For one long, deliberate moment, it watched.
And narrowed.
There was no sound. No pulse. Just the emotional pressure of annoyance.
Then—nothing.
The feeling faded like morning mist.
Elric, unaware, stood and dusted off his gloves.
His steps were light, but his heart was firm.
A quiet promise burned beneath his calm.
To prove himself.
To rewrite what had once been written.