A Rift

For a moment, he wondered how to break the tension—only for a moment.

He quickly scoffed and condescendingly said, "I'm not going to do anything to you."

She was in a casual attire typical of a medieval era—a woolen tunic dyed a pale forest green, cinched at the waist with a braided leather belt over sturdy leggings and scuffed boots. She had a sword hung from her hip, seemingly ready to be unsheathed anytime.

Alex sighed internally—at this rate, he'd probably go bald from bottling up his emotions in such a short span of time.

He clicked his tongue as he stepped toward the door.

Nearl's hand immediately went to the hilt of her sword. He noticed, but ignored the gesture, simply brushing past her. Just as he was about to completely disregard her—

"Wait!"

"!?"

Her hand shot out and gripped his wrist with surprising strength, yanking him back. Startled, Alex turned his wide eyes to her. "W-What?"

Nearl's face was drawn with despair. "D-Do you—" she began but quickly faltered. The words she so desperately wanted to ask refused to come out all of a sudden. 

Alex had been her childhood friend. They'd gotten along so well, to the point where, at fifteen, they were even engaged.

But then Lucien had gone to the White Mountain Academy.

Lucien had changed dramatically there.

Attempted (and in some cases, successful) rapes, brutal bullying, random acts of senseless violence, abuse of authority, shameless propaganda, and so much more. All of it in just one year, at the age of fifteen. He got away with all of it for a year.

And Nearl... she was one of his many victims. She had nearly been raped by him.

Alex held his scowl and met her eyes—or at least, tried. 

From the novel, Alex knew she would eventually appear in this village just before the Demonic Forces attacked. If it weren't for the original protagonist, she'd die protecting her homeland. And after she was saved, it was followed by the classic "falling in love with her savior" trope.

"Just calm down first," he said with an attempt of a gentle expression, softening his tone while placing a light pat on her hand.

"A-Ah?" Nearl quickly let go of his wrist, stepping back half a pace.

"What were you trying to say?" Alex asked calmly.

Nearl blinked, surprised. Something's clearly different about him.

After his involvement with a certain girl in the academy— at least from Nearl's point of view— Lucien had become someone completely unrecognizable, with his once somewhat positive demeanor replaced by a sinister, ruthless brutality toward any miniscule mistakes. Nearl had even wondered if that woman had used some form of mental manipulation on him to trigger such an extreme transformation in a short amount of time. 

Alex shook his head and sighed. "You don't have to force yourself to talk to me. I'll just go if it's—"

"N-No," she stopped him as he took a step to walk away.

Alex looked at her skeptically. "Then what is it?"

Nearl cringed.

She couldn't pinpoint herself on why she wanted to talk to him in the first place. Realistically, she should avoid him at all costs.

'Am I still... hoping for a chance? To go back to how things were?' Her chest tightened at the thought, a mix of wistful longing and embarrassment. But what was she even supposed to say to him? Nothing she could say felt right, not when serious topics seemed insurmountable between them.

After a brief internal struggle that felt a lot longer than it actually was, she grasped at the only straw within reach: casual small talk.

"Um…" she hesitated, her head dipping slightly while also peeking up at him. "How are you… doing, Lucien?"

"Uh?" Alex was thrown off by the question. "I'm… fine, I think? I'm trying to, well, fix myself right now."

"...Fix yourself?" Nearl repeated, confusion flickering across her face.

"Yeah." Alex scratched the back of his neck. "I wanted to apologize first for what I did to you at White Mountain. I was—well, I was influenced by the people around me. Not really enough of an excuse, I know. I don't expect forgiveness either."

There was sincerity in his voice, and while traces of his past self still lingered, they were just that—traces. Of course, that didn't mean she completely trusted him yet.

She almost smiled, but quickly hold it in.

"What about you?" Alex asked suddenly, brushing past his own admission without pause. His tone shifted to curiosity as his gaze swept over her. "If they let you leave, does that mean you've already become an Unholy Genesis?"

It was the next step after Seedbearer. You could earn it through the Catalyst Rite—which, in Alex's opinion, sounded just like a fancy way of saying, "We're throwing you into hell and see if you can claw your way out."

The Rite hurled participants into one of the known or even unknown realms, where they had to survive quests handed down by the Ascension Cycle. Succeed, and congratulations—you were now an Unholy Genesis.

The power granted by the process was dangerously volatile, however. It often backfired—destroying everything around you, including yourself. It happened so frequently that it became a rank on its own.

Alternatively, one could avoid the path given by the Ascension Cycle and take the "natural" path to increase their rank, but that route was typically slow and highly restrictive. Only specific Dominions would have an easy time with it.

Nearl nodded slowly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, I already become an Unholy Genesis, a Verdant Aegis."

—or a healer. Her Dominion is Seraphic Continuum.

Alex glanced around the area, frowning subtly. "You're coming here all by yourself?"

She laughed softly. "Yes. I plan to stay here."

"I see..."

Alex just nodded, and with that, an awkward silence settled between them.

Not far away, Luna stood motionless near the entrance of the public library, her gaze fixed on the pair. She had overheard their entire conversation.

She had considered Alex's proposal and decided to accept it. 'More coin means bigger bets!' she reasoned. 

She was already planning ahead—mapping out the strategy for the expedition in her mind. If Lucien had plans to explore some kind of ruins, a healer would be a necessity.

Luna served as Lucien's caregiver and guard, so her skills weren't exactly weak. Lucien knew that. Her mastery of water manipulation gave her an edge. She could turn water into deadly projectiles, drain moisture from living beings, and defend with the fluid substance. If needed, she could even create a sword from it.

Her current rank is Apostle of Reformation—an entire level above Unholy Genesis, enough to command most respect in this realm.

Luna had no intention of advancing further. Reaching Crest of the Changed required conditions far too impractical to achieve with her current circumstances. She was content with her present power.

With that kind of thought, Luna snapped back to the present. Her gaze briefly flicked to Nearl, and an idea sparked in her mind. 

She had planned to hire a few Raiders if possible, using the upfront pay from Lucien to pay for their services. But reducing one of the roles for her to pay would naturally be a welcomed change.

"Sir Lucien, Lady Nearl," she walked toward them, addressing them while doing so.

Both Alex and Nearl turned to her. Luna seemed entirely unbothered by their curious looks.

"I apologize to interrupt you," she began, her tone deliberately formal, "but I need to talk something with Sir Lucien.

Alex perked up. "Is it about the proposal?"

Nearl nodded. "I'll accept it."

Alex's face lit up. "That's great...! Let's make a—"

"—I'm not finished," Luna cut him off, turning her attention to Nearl, who blinked in confusion.

"Lady Nearl," Luna continued, smiling, "are you interested in joining the expedition?"

"Uh?" Nearl's response was one of surprise, her wide eyes darting between Luna and Lucien, whom the latter looked equally confused.

Luna pressed on without missing a beat. "We need a healer. This could be a perfect opportunity for you to hone your skills. As for payment…" She turned back to Alex, her smile widening. "I think Sir Lucien could arrange that with whatever's things worth to share after the exploration."

Alex's face twitched. "I haven't even done a research, and it's not a guarantee hit when we explored it."

"I-I have no problem considering it," Nearl muttered.

"What?" Alex stared at her as if she was crazy.

Luna smirked. "Don't worry. I'll kill him if he tries anything funny to you."

"You do know I'm your master, right?"

"My righteous value won't be broken by simply money."

Alex scoffed. "Well, then, let's just hope whatever we find is worth to pay you all."

But the moment the words left his mouth, something in the sky caught his attention. His scoff faded, replaced by a sudden seriousness.

Above, the clouds began to swirl and darken, as if pulling together in preparation for something.

Luna immediately stepped in front of Alex, her hand glowing as water gathered into the form of a sword.

Nearl went behind Lucien, her expression guarded. "A Rift...?"

"It seems so," Luna wrinkled her forehead. "We should be safe because of the barrier supported by the Harberdt Family, but..."

Alex twitched his lips. "You think they'll break through the barrier?"

"Let's hope not."

***

A/N: Rate it from 1 to 10 with the reasoning as well, if possible. That'll help me covering what's lacking from the story.

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