Chapter 77: Secrets of the Forgotten Hero

The air in the restricted section of the Grand Library felt heavier now. Dust clung to the ancient tomes stacked high on the shelves, their pages filled with forbidden knowledge. Eren stood motionless, his fingers still gripping the book on Elric Von Helios.

A man erased from history.

The weight of what he had just read pressed against him like an invisible force. If the Academy went to such lengths to bury Elric's name, then whatever he had uncovered was truly dangerous.

And now, Eren had placed himself on the same path.

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A Lingering Presence

A cold draft swept through the aisle, sending a ripple of unease down Eren's spine. He had been so focused on the book that he hadn't noticed the shift in mana.

Someone was watching him.

He turned swiftly, but nothing was there. The dim candlelight flickered, casting long shadows against the stone walls.

His grip on the book tightened. Had Aldric really left? Or was something else lurking in the darkness?

Closing his eyes, Eren expanded his senses, reaching out with his mana.

There.

A flicker of presence—faint, but undeniable.

He spun, summoning a tendril of darkness that shot toward the shadows. But instead of striking an intruder, it dissipated into thin air.

Then, a voice.

"So, you've found it."

Eren's breath hitched as the air around him shimmered. From the void of darkness, a figure began to take form.

A ghostly silhouette. A man in ancient robes, his face obscured by shadows.

Elric Von Helios.

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A Message from the Past

Eren stood frozen as the spectral figure regarded him with unseen eyes.

"You carry the mark of knowledge… but do you truly seek the truth?"

The voice was distant yet clear, resonating within Eren's mind rather than his ears.

"Who are you?" Eren demanded, though he already knew the answer.

The specter did not move. "A man lost to time. A name erased. A history rewritten."****"

"Why?"

Elric's form wavered as if struggling to remain in existence. "Because I saw beyond the veil. I uncovered a truth that the world was never meant to know."

The words sent a chill through Eren's body.

"What truth?"

The specter hesitated. "The world you know is built upon lies. The Academy, the Royal Guard, the Temple… all of them serve a greater force, one that ensures the cycle of history never changes."

Eren's pulse quickened.

A greater force? A cycle of history?

It was as if something had been carefully orchestrated.

"What did you find?" Eren pressed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elric's form flickered violently. "Not yet. You are not ready."

Eren clenched his fists. "Everyone keeps saying that. Then tell me—what will it take to be ready?"

The specter's voice grew distant. "Walk the path I walked. But beware… the truth comes at a price."

Eren's vision blurred. His head spun as a wave of mana surged through him, like a current pulling him into an unseen abyss.

And then—

Darkness.

---

A Vision of the Past

When Eren's vision cleared, he was no longer in the library.

The scent of burning wood filled the air. The sky was a deep crimson, as if the very heavens were bleeding. Buildings crumbled, engulfed in flames. People screamed in the distance.

A battlefield.

At the center of it all stood a lone figure.

Elric Von Helios.

He wielded a blade infused with both light and darkness, his body covered in deep wounds. And before him—

A towering being of shadows, its very presence distorting the air.

"You cannot defy the cycle, Elric," the monstrous entity spoke, its voice layered with countless echoes.

Elric wiped blood from his lips. "I refuse to be part of your game."

He raised his blade, and in a flash of radiant power, the vision shattered.

---

Back to Reality

Eren gasped as he snapped back to the library, his heart racing. His hands trembled as he tried to process what he had just seen.

Elric had fought against something—something beyond human comprehension.

And he had lost.

A sharp pain struck Eren's temple, and a single line of text burned itself into his mind, as if left behind by the vision itself.

"The Cycle must not be broken."

Eren inhaled deeply. His path was clearer now.

If the world was trapped in an endless cycle… he would be the one to break it.

No matter the cost.

---

Author's Note

Eren's journey into the past has revealed even more secrets! But what exactly is "The Cycle," and why did Elric Von Helios try to stop it?

More answers (and even more mysteries) coming soon!

— bloodyking99