A/N:
I should have ended at the midterms. I pretty much regretted it because now the chapters felt dragged. Sorry.
Anyway, welcome to the 3rd Arc!!
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**AYC 555
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The winter sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow on the snow-covered ground.
The snow sparkled like diamonds under the sun's rays, the air was crisp and refreshing.
A pair of hands wearing thick gloves scooped the snow below before placing it at the snowman's head next to him.
—Pat —Pat —Pat
It had been four months since the Treasure Hunt game.
Currently, Adrian was in his Palace, enjoying his winter break from the Academy.
Adrian's cerulean eyes watched as he carefully patted the snowman's head with his hands.
To be honest, he could have made the snowman in a blink of an eye with his Elemental Fusion, but he chose not to do so, because—
Why not?
As he had never had the opportunity to experience the joy of making a snowman before, he decided to create that experience for himself here.
Did it sound childish?
Well, he didn't give a fuck.
What mattered was his happiness; people's opinions could go to hell.
With that in mind, he decided to just enjoy it as much as he could, or not—
Adrian tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding a snowball that whizzed past him.
As another snowball flew towards him, he quickly conjured a wind barrier to protect his snowman.
—Splat!
A snowball landed on the clear glass shield in front of him.
Adrian glanced toward the perpetrator and his very, very, very beloved brother, standing not too far away.
And just like him, his whole body was covered in a thick fur jacket.
Soon, a chuckle was heard.
"Hehe."
As expected of his big brother, he was annoying as always, as ever.
"Stop it."
Adrian voiced his dislike.
But of course, listening to his complaint was not Nathaniel's style, and he hurtled another snowball toward him.
—Splat!
Adrian smacked the snowball away and bellowed.
"Nate—!"
—Splat!
A cold sensation spread across Adrian's face as a snowball landed squarely on his cheek, rendering him speechless.
He could feel the corners of his lips quivering with irritation.
'This fucker—'
Without much thought, Adrian summoned an ice spike in his hand and flung it toward Nathaniel, who quickly rolled to the side to avoid it.
—Stab!
Nathaniel's golden eyes widened in surprise as he watched the ice stake pierce the ground next to him.
"Whoa, Ian! That's danger—"
Nevertheless, he was cut off when another sharp ice spike hurtled toward him, forcing him to leap backward.
"What the hell!"
Nathaniel exclaimed.
Ignoring his protest, Adrian began to run and shot out dozens of ice stakes.
Nathaniel deftly darted left and right effortlessly, causing the attack to hit the ground.
—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!
The snow scattered in the air and glistened as it caught the sunlight.
Landing perfectly on the snow, Nathaniel took out his wooden sword from his Magical Sphere and shouted.
"I see you want to fight me, huh?!"
Despite this, Nathaniel's complexion was bright, and his smile stretched wide on his lips.
It was evident that he was enjoying his time, upsetting his little brother.
Adrian took out his wooden sword, and both of them charged toward each other.
The moment their distance grew close in, they swung their sword.
—Thwack!
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—Crackle!
Sparks of embers flew as the firewood crackled open, casting a warm glow on the teens' faces who were sitting side by side near the fireplace.
They were covered by a warm and thick blanket, each holding a mug of hot chocolate in their hands.
Adrian sipped his hot chocolate solemnly, his cerulean eyes fixed on the burning wood.
Time flew really fast, and without him realizing it, three years had passed since he lived his life as Adrian Leillucis, the Second Prince of the Aeon Empire.
He was 10 years old now. **
Contrary to his initial expectations, living as him wasn't so bad after all.
The bright side was that he was surrounded by caring, good people.
But somehow, he couldn't shake off the guilt that crept within every time he thought that the love he received was never meant for him.
It was meant for the REAL Adrian, not him.
Lowering his mug, Adrian clicked his tongue at the bitter taste in his mouth.
He didn't like it.
As a hand stroked his hair, Adrian glanced sideways and saw Nathaniel offering him a smile.
"Are you still experiencing dizziness?"
Well, he had a dehydration symptom due to sparring with him for too long in the snow; that was why they were here.
Adrian shook his head.
"No, I'm alright now."
Nathaniel patted his hand gently and smiled benignly.
"I'm glad to hear that."
Retrieving his hand, Nathaniel asked him.
"By the way, have you finished your thesis?"
There were three months left before their graduation exam began.
Adrian had filed the requirement to graduate early to Gizel a few months ago.
Thanks to his flawless academic and non-academic record, the screening process went smoothly, and he was deemed eligible to take the graduate exam.
"I have; how about yours?"
The truth was, he had finished it a long time ago.
"I've finished it, too."
"I see."
Adrian responded before taking another sip of his comfort chocolate, and Nathaniel followed suit.
Pulling the mug away from his mouth, Nathaniel glanced at him with a smirk.
"So, what do you prefer? Fight me in the arena or not?"
Similar to the midterm test, the graduation exam comprised three components: written, oral, and practical.
However, the exam introduced a new test called the arena fight.
These fights were held in a specialized training facility within the academy, where students were randomly paired up to battle against each other.
Given the hundreds of second and third-year students, the likelihood of encountering him was slim.
However, if he did happen to cross paths with him, it would undoubtedly be a headache.
With this in mind, Adrian shook his head and replied.
"No, I don't wish to fight you."
It wasn't that he was scared of fighting him, but Adrian wanted to graduate with a perfect score.
Suddenly, Nathaniel's smirk disappeared, and he averted his gaze before speaking in a somber tone.
"You're right. I don't want to fight you either."
"?"
Adrian couldn't help but arch an eyebrow.
It was clear that Nathaniel was referring to something else entirely.
Was he referring to the time when he and Adrian were trying to kill each other in the previous timeline?
"..."
"..."
As the awkwardness grew, Adrian posed a question to break the tension.
"Are you planning on staying here for the night again?
His brother had been staying here for three days.
However, what surprised him was that Nathaniel appeared to have stopped having nightmares.
He hadn't awakened in the middle of the night even once, which was a positive sign.
It seemed that he was gradually letting go of the past that had haunted him.
Shortly, the black-haired boy turned to him, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"So, do you want me to stay here?"
"..."
Adrian shut his mouth and shifted his gaze to the flickering flames of the fireplace before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
Upon seeing how his little brother blatantly ignored him, Nathaniel clicked his tongue in annoyance and spoke exasperatedly.
"Just say that you want me to stay over!"
Adrian rolled his eyes boredly and spat his mind.
"I'm just asking."
Why was his brother always full of himself?
After a brief silence, he eventually responded.
"Hmm, I think I'll return to my Palace. I need to prepare for our departure to the Academy."
"Ah, you're right."
Adrian nodded in agreement.
The academy was set to start in a week.
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—Scratch —Scratch —Scratch
Five students sat inside a luxurious classroom, diligently taking notes on the material being presented on the whiteboard.
A week passed by in the blink of an eye, and the snow had disappeared, making way for the arrival of spring.
—Ding —Dong —Ding —Dong
The man with purple hair, who was sitting across from them, smiled and closed the book he was holding.
"Anyway, I have some good news regarding our second Study Tour."
Gizel scanned his students' faces and, upon noticing their lack of interest, he let out a dry chuckle while trying to maintain his smile.
"What's with those expressions?"
Without beating around the bush, Péréz asked.
"So, where is it this time, Professor?"
Gizel smiled and clapped.
"It's the Tower."
"..."
The students fell silent and then shrugged indifferently.
Nah, they knew Gizel too well to fall for the same trick twice.
"Hmph, there's no way! I believe we will visit the Empire's great prison."
Péréz voiced his mind, and the others nodded in agreement.
Adrian, upon hearing this, couldn't help but frown.
'What on earth is the purpose of children like them visiting a prison?'
This time, Rhea spoke.
"Just tell us where it is, Professor. We won't fall for your trick!"
Gizel looked embarrassed, realizing that his students didn't trust him at all.
"No. It is the Tower."
"..."
Soon, the room was enveloped in stillness.
"Professor, is it… true?"
Sylvina broke the silence, and Gizel nodded firmly.
"It is."
They exchanged glances and then erupted in cheers, jumping from their seats.
"Woohoo!!"
"Yeay!! The Tower!!"
While his classmates celebrated, Adrian sat quietly in his seat, lost in thought.
So, it was his last destination to find the truth, huh?
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om