echoes of the past

The restaurant bustled with life as the villagers gathered to celebrate their safety. Warm light flickered from lanterns, and the aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air.

Stella weaved between tables, serving meals while keeping a watchful eye on Hugo, who sat quietly at a corner table, slicing bread with a casual ease.

She had seen many travelers come and go, but none of them carried Cosmos. None of them could shift between modes with a single command. And most importantly, none of them had felt so familiar.

As she placed a bowl of stew in front of him, she leaned in slightly. "So, Hugo, you're staying the night. That means you owe me some answers."

Hugo looked up with an amused smirk. "Oh? And what exactly do you want to know?"

Stella crossed her arms. "Let's start with the obvious. Where did you get Cosmos?"

Hugo's smirk deepened as he tore off a piece of bread and popped it into his mouth, chewing leisurely as if Stella's question was of no real concern. He swallowed, then leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers idly against the wooden table.

"Ah, that's a big question," he said finally, voice laced with amusement. "And you expect me to just hand over the answer like a bowl of stew?"

Stella folded her arms, unimpressed. "Don't play dumb. Only one person in all of history could wield Cosmos—the Hero of the Eclipse. And he disappeared a thousand years ago."

Hugo simply shrugged, tearing off another piece of bread.

Before he could brush her off again, Cosmos cut in, its voice as dry as ever.

"She's right, you know."

Hugo sighed, glancing down at the blade resting at his side. "Traitor."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Cosmos replied smoothly. "You knew she'd figure it out eventually."

Stella narrowed her eyes. "So? Are you going to start explaining, or do I have to keep asking until you run out of bread?"

Hugo gave an exaggerated groan, slumping back in his chair. "I was really hoping to avoid this conversation."

"And yet, here we are," Cosmos quipped.

Hugo sighed, finally setting his bread down. "Alright, alright. You win. I'll—"

Before he could finish, a small voice cut through the lively chatter of the restaurant.

"Miss Stella! Mister Hugo!"

They both turned to see the little girl from earlier—the one Stella had saved—standing beside their table, clutching the hem of her worn dress. Her big, grateful eyes shimmered in the warm lantern light as she bowed her head.

"Thank you for saving me," she said softly, her voice full of innocent sincerity. "I… I don't know what would've happened if you weren't there."

Stella smiled, reaching out to gently ruffle the girl's hair. "Just be more careful next time, okay?"

The girl beamed and nodded before scurrying off, disappearing into the crowd.

But as soon as she left, Hugo stiffened. The color drained from his face. His fingers clenched slightly against the table, eyes distant as if staring at something—someone—long gone.

That voice. That exact way of thanking them… it felt eerily familiar.

It was impossible. It had been a thousand years.

And yet, in that moment, it was like a ghost had whispered through time.

Stella noticed the sudden shift in Hugo's demeanor. His usual carefree air had vanished, replaced by something unreadable—something unsettled.

"Hugo?" she asked, leaning in slightly. "Are you okay?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. Then, just as casually as before, he shrugged. "Yeah. Just need some air."

Without another word, he stood up and headed toward the entrance of the restaurant, his pace steady but tense.

Stella frowned. That was a lie.

Without hesitation, she pushed away from the table and hurried after him. "Hugo, wait!"

Stella weaved through the bustling restaurant, dodging servers and villagers lost in their celebrations. By the time she reached the entrance, Hugo had already stepped outside, his back turned to her as he stared into the night.

The cool breeze carried the scent of the village's bonfires, but Hugo didn't seem to notice. His shoulders were tense, his fists clenched at his sides.

Stella stepped closer, her voice firm. "Hugo, what was that back there?"

He exhaled sharply but didn't turn around. "It's nothing."

Stella folded her arms. "Liar."

Hugo let out a low chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "You don't let things go, do you?"

"Not when something's obviously wrong," she shot back. "The way that girl thanked us—it did something to you. What was it?"

For a long moment, Hugo was silent. Then, finally, he turned to face her. His usual smirk was gone. In its place was something rare—something vulnerable.

"It reminded me of someone I lost a long time ago," he admitted. "Someone who used to say those exact words."

Before Stella could respond, Cosmos spoke up, its voice calm yet knowing.

"He's telling the truth," the sword said. "It shook him."

Stella's gaze flicked to the weapon at Hugo's side, its faint glow pulsing in the darkness. She narrowed her eyes at Hugo. "So, are you finally going to tell me who you really are?"

Hugo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. No more dodging."

He met Stella's eyes, his expression unreadable but serious.

"You want answers? Fine. But once I start, there's no going back."

Stella's brow furrowed as she studied Hugo. "What do you mean by that?"

Hugo leaned against the wooden frame of the entrance, arms crossed. "You ever hear the old stories? About the Hero of the Eclipse?"

Stella rolled her eyes. "Of course. Everyone has. He wielded Cosmos, fought against the Five Nations and the Perfect Life Forms, and then disappeared a thousand years ago. What's your point?"

Hugo smirked faintly. "They say only the Hero could wield Cosmos, right?"

Stella's gaze flicked to the sword at his side, her mind racing. "Yeah… but—"

"And you said it yourself—no one else has ever carried it since."

Her eyes widened as the pieces started falling into place. His skill, the way he carried himself, how natural he seemed with Cosmos… and that look in his eyes when the little girl thanked him. Like he had heard it before, long ago.

Her breath hitched. "No way…"

Hugo gave a small, knowing smile but said nothing.

Stella took a step back. "You—" She swallowed hard. "You're him. You're the Hero of the Eclipse."

There was a brief silence before Cosmos let out an exasperated sigh.

"Took you long enough."

Stella shook her head, still trying to process everything. "But… that doesn't make sense. You disappeared a thousand years ago. How are you still alive?"

Hugo let out a small chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "You're thinking about this all wrong." He tapped the hilt of Cosmos. "This isn't just any sword. It's a cosmic sword. And whoever wields a cosmic sword…" He paused, meeting her gaze. "Is immune to death."

Stella's eyes widened. "Immune… to death?"

Cosmos chimed in with its usual dry tone. "That's right. As long as Hugo wields me, time, wounds, sickness—none of it can kill him."

Stella took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "So you've been alive this entire time? Watching history unfold while everyone you knew faded away?"

Hugo's smirk faltered for a brief moment, his eyes darkening. "Something like that."

"Well, that's that," Hugo said with a sigh, slipping his hands into his coat pockets. "I'll be leaving in the morning."

Before Stella could say anything, he turned and walked off, pulling out his harmonica. The same haunting melody from before drifted through the night air, carrying a sense of longing—of something lost to time.

Stella clenched her fists and hurried after him. "Hugo, wait!" she called, stepping in front of him. Those thugs aren't just going to give up. They'll come back, and next time, they won't hold back.

Hugo simply sidestepped her, never breaking his stride. The music continued, each note resonating through the quiet streets.

"Are you even listening to me?" Stella snapped, grabbing his arm.

Hugo finally stopped playing, lowering the harmonica slightly. "I heard you," he said, his voice calm. "But that's not my problem."

Stella grit her teeth. "You saved them once. Are you really going to just walk away now?"

Hugo's expression remained unreadable. Without another word, he raised the harmonica back to his lips and continued playing, walking away into the night.

Stella watched him go, frustration boiling inside her. She clenched her fists and shouted after him,

"You're the Hero of the Eclipse, and you're just running away?"

Hugo stopped mid-step, the melody from his harmonica cutting off. For a moment, there was only silence between them. Then, without turning around, he spoke.

"I'm not a hero." His voice was quiet, but there was something heavy behind it. "Not anymore."

Stella felt a chill run down her spine. There was no hesitation in his words—just certainty.

She took a step closer. "Then what are you?"

Hugo finally turned his head slightly, just enough for her to see his tired smirk. "Just a guy passing through."

Then, without another word, he continued walking, the haunting tune of his harmonica filling the air once more.

Stella's voice trembled as she took a step forward. "They killed my parents… and took my sister." Desperation laced her words, raw and unfiltered.

Hugo stopped. The tune from his harmonica faded into silence as he lowered it from his lips. He stood still for a moment before finally speaking. "Revenge doesn't solve anything." His tone was calm but distant, as if he had spoken these words before—to someone else, in another time.

Stella shook her head. "This isn't about revenge. It's about doing the right thing." Her hands clenched into fists. "The Neo Arcane Dominion isn't going to stop. They'll keep destroying lives, keep taking people away. If no one stands against them, how many more will suffer?"

Hugo let out a slow breath, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed like he would just walk away. Then, after a long pause, he finally muttered, "I'll think about it."

And with that, he turned and continued walking, disappearing into the night as the haunting melody of his harmonica resumed once more.

Meanwhile, at the Neo Arcane Dominion's base, a few miles from the village, the thugs who had attacked earlier knelt before a towering figure, trembling in fear.

They were being punished—their bodies battered and bruised. Overseeing their torment was Veydris, one of the Seven Commanders of the Neo Arcane Dominion, a ruthless enforcer who served directly under the Arcane Sovereign. His piercing gaze bore into them like daggers, his expression cold and unyielding.

"You lost the Chrono Reaper?" Veydris' voice was calm, but it carried the weight of imminent violence.

One of the thugs, barely able to speak through his trembling, stammered, "W-We were attacked, Commander! A swordsman interfered!"

Veydris narrowed his eyes. "A swordsman?"

The thug swallowed hard. "He—he was wielding Cosmos!"

Silence. The air grew tense as Veydris processed those words. Then, rather than anger, a glimmer of intrigue flashed in his eyes.

"Cosmos, you say?" he mused, his lips curling into a wicked smile. "Interesting… Tell me, what did this swordsman look like?"

The thugs hesitated, still trembling. Finally, one of them spoke up.

"A teenage boy… with white eyes and messy black hair."

Veydris' smirk vanished. His golden irises burned with realization. The description… it fit one person.

The Hero of the Eclipse.

For a moment, he remained silent, then let out a low, amused chuckle. "So… you're still alive after all this time."

Without wasting another second, he turned to one of his messengers. "Inform the Arcane Sovereign immediately."

The messenger bowed and sprinted out of the chamber.

Veydris leaned back, a twisted grin forming on his face. "This just got interesting…"