Eyes of Abyss

"Let's play, Sev?"

Zach raised his sword to chest level, his left hand still scratching the itch on his already bloody neck.

Zachi barely lifted his sword past his knees, his right hand covering his mouth for a yawn. 

Their synergy was perfect.

Almost.

Zachi lost his balance, and Zach cursed him right after.

"Take sumthin' seriously for once, will ya?"

"Yawn~"

"You lazy assho—"

"Troublesome."

As the twins were arguing, he recalled Iria's rundown about his siblings. 

The twins. Academy. Currently in the household as the semester hasn't started yet. 

Glancing at their wrists, both have a black bracelet. Peak of the first gate. 

'Should I fight…?'

Seven wanted to test the first form of his technique, Eclipsing blade. Or more like, the one that the original Seven practiced over and over. 

But he couldn't focus. 

Iria. Her scream. They were the only things that filled his thoughts. 

Looking at the direction of his room, the panic he felt grew as he saw blood spilled on the window pane. 

Seven's breathing hastened, and his heart pounded as it might escape from the ribcage containing it. 

"Where ya starin' at, Sev?!"

Turning back his attention, the twins were now a meter away from him. The momentary distraction gave them a chance to attack.

'Damn it.'

Seven instinctively raised his wooden sword to block it. But wood was no match against steel. 

It got cut in half, and it gave him a little time to dodge.

Though his wooden sword back then did hold on when sparring against Eden, that was only because she was holding back.

The twins now, didn't have a thought or reason to hold back.

But he only blocked Zach's sword, and Zachi was still on the move. 

Thud. 

He used the hilt of the now-broken wooden sword to block. Yet again, it wasn't enough as Zachi's sword grazed his leg, causing him to stagger back.

"Nice Zachi!"

"Tch."

Zack laughed, leaned sidewards, and licked the blood off Zachi's sword. 

Lick.

Zachi immediately pulled his sword away.

"Disgusting."

"Huh?! What ya–"

Seven felt a wave of energy flew past him, and as he blinked his eyes, Zach fell on the ground.

Thud.

There was no reaction from Zachi, as he, almost immediately, fell down too.

'What… happened?'

Theia's Eye.

With just a thought, now Seven could activate it. 

His vision changed. The scene around him warped and it took seven seconds for it to stabilize.

Looking around, he looked for any movements, change of aura and mana flow, or any other sign of presence. 

But nothing. 

The beat of his heart was loud, but the training ground was ghost-quiet. Just the faint rustling of leaves passing through his ears. 

"Arghh."

Then his left-eye burned. 

In an instant, he was no longer in the training ground but in a blank expanse. 

Void?

Domain?

Abyss?

Seven couldn't name it. 

All he knew was it was empty, save for the thumps of his heart, the sound of shallow breaths, and the gentle ripples of water beneath his feet. 

The burning sensation intensified, and a small ray of light sparkled beyond the horizon like a dying sun.

There stood a silhouette. 

Alone. 

Slowly, it turned to face him. 

And as it did, a pair of eyes abruptly emerged from the darkness. A colossal pair of eyes, hovering beside the silhouette. 

The eyes of the void itself.

It gazed right through his eyes, and his body shuddered. His breath caught inside his throat, and the silence echoed loudly in his ears. 

Ding!

A system window flashed before him, glitching. 

[When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.]

Seven stumbled back, as if the gaze of the colossal eyes pushed him. 

The silhouette took a step. 

Forward. 

Towards him. 

Sweat trickled down his temple. He wasn't scared, or was he? Even Seven himself couldn't describe what he felt.

Blink. 

But as he blinked, the void, the abyss, the darkness was gone. 

He found himself back in the training grounds, standing before the unconscious body of the twins that lay sprawled on the ground. 

"Hah… Hah…?

His breathing staggered, and staring down at his knuckles, they were completely white. 

'What was… that…?'

But Seven knew the training ground wasn't a great place to ponder. Instead, he rushed towards the entrance of the mansion.

He climbed the stairs leading towards the second floor. 

"Hah…"

Rushing towards the far end of the hallway, bloodstains streaked the floor, leading towards the door of his room.

And as he reached it, his stomach churned at the sight. 

A wolf pup.

The one that he played with back in the forest by throwing his eyeball for it to catch. 

Or atleast, that's what he thought before dismissing the idea.

The one before him didn't have a scar in his eyes, so it was a different pup. 

'This was the present the twins mentioned?'

But his unease lingered. 

Iria. 

'Is she inside?'

Creak.

He pushed the door open.

Iria was kneeling on the floor, sobbing. But the moment he entered, she immediately scrambled to her feet and rushed into Seven's arms.

Iria hugged him tightly.

"Iria, what's—"

"I'm sorry, Young Lord. I'll clean it. I promise. I'll take care of everything."

"Iria…"

Gently, Seven pushed her away. 

Though he wanted to embrace her a little longer, now wasn't the time. Also, he vowed not to get too close to anyone.

"What happened?"

Seven asked, straightforward.

Iria didn't answer. She just kept sobbing on her own. 

Seven's gaze flicked towards the window, and blood. Earlier, he thought it was Iria's, but it belonged to a crow. 

It lay dead, pierced by a magic arrow, its wings spread awkwardly. 

Arrow made of frost. 

Intentional. 

But the twins couldn't use magic, and so his other siblings if Eden were to be excluded as she's currently doing a mission in the North.

It couldn't be an attack from the Havin household either, as the Archduke was currently in the Kingdom trying to peacefully resolve the matter.

After all, the Seventh Continent was known to be the second strongest continent, right next to the First Continent.

It wasn't because of their prowess, but because it was the peaceful continent that held no war for centuries. 

And the royalties, nobles, and including the Hart Dukedom that was the only family independent from the Kingdom, were on treaty. 

There's no way that Havins would break that.

"Iria, go tell Father about this."

"The Archduke is away, Young Lord."

Iria, still sobbing, replied. 

"Then inform the siblings."

"B-But Young Lord—"

"Just go!"

"Young Lo—"

"Iria."

She froze at Seven's firm tone, and she had no choice but to nod reluctantly. 

"I'll be back, Young Lord."