Sed per tempus, animadvertere coepi aliquid… quod intellegere non poteram, quod mihi capillos erexit cum id sensi. Hoc erat—illam stellam caeruleam, quam semper intuebam… maiorem atque maiorem fieri....
-----
Again..
"cough..."
His eyes were dyed black, but it didn't last long before they turned green again.
Again..
His facial muscles strained, his heart shrank, ached—yet he refused to get out of the zone and tried to materialize a lightning rod—
"..!?"
Yet again, he was thrown out of it. His body couldn't handle it and forced him out of the vessel's zone.
Why!!?
He asked himself—many possibilities ran through his mind.. Am I tired? No... Another case of Lethargence? No... Poison? No... Relics? No... I don't know..
".."
With a look of despair, Lunavayne stared before him. They were walking slowly toward him—although they were veiled and nothing about their face could be seen, the way they were walking showed how unbothered they were.
Lunavayne had one simple intent at that point—and it was to kill them, whether by using his wyrms or not. Leaning down a little, Lunavayne grabbed some stones and pebbles.
With a small breath, he launched forward. His mind wasn't thinking straight, yet he was overthinking. Many thoughts came out, and whether he denied it or not, the truth about them wasn't clear.
You need to pay for it.
If anything was decisive about him right now, it would be the killing intent surrounding his whole body.
"..!"
Cutting the distance between them, Lunavayne wasted no time and pushed his attack. Right now, he had neither his sword nor the ability to enter the vessel's zone, leaving him with only his fists.
He threw the stones and pebbles he was holding at the veiled one's face, hoping it would distract them.
"a..!"
But it didn't. The veiled one retaliated with a kick strong enough to throw Lunavayne back several steps—Lunavayne didn't move a step back but took the entire kick with his body and used the opening left by it to strike one overhook, pushing the veiled one back.
Throwing no chance away, Lunavayne just pushed the veiled one more and more, hammering them with multiple punches, hooks—anything he could use—before throwing them several steps back with a kick targeting their left waist.
Scrutinizing the area around him for anything he could use, Lunavayne found a small iron rod. He grabbed it and tried using it like a sword.
"tsk..!"
Lunavayne took too much time—the veiled one didn't leave him time to get used to the rod, as he was suddenly in front of him. With a kick targeting his right hand, Lunavayne was forced to throw the rod away.
"..!"
Multiple punches were thrown at him. Lunavayne tried to dodge some of them, but several found their way to his body—each blow feeling like a sledgehammer that would make Lunavayne lose consciousness for less than a second.
The beating grew faster and faster while Lunavayne's defense grew weaker and weaker. Left with no choice, Lunavayne tried to counterattack, but the veiled one deflected his blow with a strike to the abdomen.
"argh..!"
A strike that penetrated his abdomen like a sharp knife.
"...!"
It went all the way through and pierced his abdomen—but it was a mistake. At this point, Lunavayne didn't care what happened to him, didn't care about the pain he was receiving or the wounds tearing him apart.
He grabbed the arm that was now stuck in his abdomen tightly and, with his elbow, delivered two fatal blows, making sure to break that arm. Then, by taking it out, he sneaked his leg between the veiled one's legs, and using that broken arm, he lifted them high into the sky and slammed them to the ground.
"arg.."
For the first time since the beginning of their fight, the veiled one was forced to vomit blood—but they weren't yet defeated. Using the same trick Lunavayne had used, the veiled one threw a couple of pebbles mixed with dirt, blinding Lunavayne.
"huh..?"
As soon as his vision got clearer, Lunavayne was confused not to see the veiled one. He turned around, looked everywhere he could, yet couldn't find him.
"Where are you!!!?" he screamed.
"Show yourself!! Coward!!" he demanded.
"Why!!?" he asked, pleading for an answer he knew he wouldn't get.
How did we even...?
Grabbing the hole in his abdomen, hoping it would stop the bleeding—but it was no use.
I can't remember... we were just sitting in the carriage and then... was it a bomb? But the area around me...
Lunavayne questioned. If it was a bomb, the range must've been small, but as far as he could perceive, there was wreckage—fallen buildings...
Lapu... where is he? He was sitting next to Dave...
"dave..?"
Lunavayne's steps faltered as Dave's body came into view. His heart stopped for a second, fearing the worst, but he quickly breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed Lapsus standing motionlessly, staring at him.
I don't think I can make it...
He quickened his steps—although each one was agonizing, he walked, hoping he would make it to his son, Lapsus.
Something went wrong... I don't know what it is... but I need to use this opportunity...
With each step he took closer toward Lapsus, his thoughts grew more and more convoluted.
It wasn't supposed to be like this... I was supposed to have more time... I needed time... at least to make him understand... but— I can do it now, I can make him understand me now...
"Lapu..."
As he stood before Lapsus, his thoughts spiraled and twisted among themselves.
I can— what am I doing?
Before they just went off—his mouth hung open, trying to utter words that now he refused.
"Lapu, I—"
He tried once again, but his thoughts went off once more—his mouth refused to speak what he wanted.
What am I doing? This is supposed to be the perfect opportunity... it is the right time to make him understand, to indoctrinate him, to show him the truth—but... why...?
A single question—a question Lunavayne avoided asking—now made him helpless.
He is... my son... but I never treated him as such...
Suddenly, Lunavayne couldn't help but stare at Lapsus before he fell to his knees.
"Lapsus..."
Taking his hands off his wound, Lunavayne hesitantly tried to reach Lapsus—and before he knew it, he brought Lapsus into an embrace.
"Lapu!!"
"Papa..."
A crying voice came out of Lunavayne. He felt an eerie feeling—hugging Lapsus so tightly.
When was the last time I did?
Lunavayne couldn't help but question his actions.
What have I been doing...? Why was I trying to shape him like a puppet...?
-----
I remember now. It was in my past life, after reading many light novels about reincarnation... I always questioned one thing—something most of them seemed to discard or never bring up. So I asked my father that same question..
"Lapu... I am sorry."
"Papa..?"
A hug he never thought he would feel, words he never thought he would hear... Lapsus went confused for a second as his cognitive abilities came back—but soon, he realized the situation.
"Where is mama..?"
With a frail voice, Lapsus tried to move his head and look for his mother, but his father refused as he brought him tighter into his embrace—as if Lunavayne was trying his best to not show his son the corpse of his beloved wife.
"You don't have to see, Lapu... you're still a kid, just a kid..." As he muttered, Lunavayne couldn't help but let those tears fall, for now—and for the first time—he was seeing Lapsus as nothing but a son. A son he failed to be a father to, and that was eating him from the inside.
"I am sorry, Lapu... I have failed you..."
"..?"
"I have failed to be your father... I should have talked to you more... I should have played with you more... I should have asked you more..."
"..."
"How was your day? What did you learn at the sanctuary? What is your favorite food? What is your favorite game? Do you have a crush or not... Many questions I should have asked, many things I should have done... just like a father. But I was weak."
"Weak..?"
"Yes, I was weak. I couldn't control the whispers and just left you behind. The thing I swore not to do—the thing that made me suffer when I was your age—I ended up doing the same as him. No, I was worse. I tried to force my thoughts on you, my fears on you, my ideals on you. You're just a kid, and I failed to see that..."
"Failed..."
"I failed and kept making it worse... Tell me, Lapsus—Luna told me, you love talking to her about that Blue Star..."
Pulling him out of the embrace, Lunavayne asked Lapsus—Lapsus, who didn't know what to think of the current situation.
"I do..." he nodded.
"Well, it's called the Star of the Empire. It was beloved by many, no wonder you love it... But let me tell you a little secret..."
"A secret..?"
"Yes. You see, many scholars tried to study this star's movement but failed, for there's a little trick this star uses—it isn't visible at all times or in all places. Sometimes it shines in one city but not in another. They were confused, and a little anecdote appeared..."
"Papa..."
Before Lunavayne could finish speaking, Lapsus interrupted.
It was a weird question—the kind of question you never expect a child to ask—but curiosity killed me. I wanted to see how my father would react...
"Would you still love me if I wasn't supposed to be your son?"
"What do you mean by that, Lapu?"
"If I wasn't supposed to be your son... if I wasn't the soul this body should have when born... if I wasn't the soul you were to have as a son... would you still love me?"
Come to think of it, I don't remember what my father in that life said, how he reacted... I totally forgot it. But I hope—no, I wish...
"What are you talking about, Lapu..."
Patting Lapsus on the head, with a small genuine smile that hid no malice or bad intent—a smile that felt like a shining star to Lapsus—Lunavayne said,
"You are still the baby I held and promised never to let go of... No matter what soul is inside, you are still my son."
"..."
I wish it was the same as this one... because for once in many years, I am not feeling foreign...
"Argg..!!"
A pebble with a speed surpassing sound penetrated Lunavayne's shoulder. He gritted his teeth, trying to surpass the pain, but didn't turn around—he kept his eyes locked on Lapsus. He knew they were back—the veiled one—but he also knew he couldn't fight them, and most importantly, he couldn't...
"Say, Lapu... do not care about me or your mother... do not seek revenge... do not make your life harder because of us... do not let our burden drag your life down... live it, and find a goal."
"Goal..?"
"How about this..." With the little blood on his thumb, Lunavayne drew a small star on Lapsus's forehead before he entered the vessel's zone.
"Find the Falling Hill... where the Blue Star shines the brightest."
His eyes flashed black for a mere second. Something was forcing him out of the zone, but he refused to. He needed to move his son to a safer place, away from them—even if it meant his life.
"What is happening, Papa..?"
Suddenly feeling light, Lapsus was confused as he watched his vision get blurry, and for some reason, his father Lunavayne seemed to distance away from him—even though Lunavayne didn't move an inch.
"Don't worry, Lapu... please.. live, find people you care about, people you love... and alongside your sister, watch the Blue Star in peace."
with a small trembling kiss of farewell on Lapsus's forehead, Lapsus vanished. He was teleported into a safer place—Lunavayne hoped.
"I failed again..."
But the little hand was left behind—Lapsus's right hand was cut clean. Why? Maybe because Lunavayne wasn't in a state to do such a thing. He wasn't even able to enter the zone properly, but he forced himself—and now his eyes were left in terror.
I failed...
He thought as he lay down, watching the veiled one coming closer to him. Lunavayne couldn't help but laugh.
"Just what was I thinking... Are you finally happy? You kept asking to kill him, but I just fucked him up... "
Lunavayne spoke as he stared into nothing, into the empty space surrounding him before he averted his gaze and focused it on the coming veiled one, this time the words directed at them
".. Tell me, could I at least see your face?"
A small request—Lunavayne didn't care if it was fulfilled, just a shot in the dark. But against his expectations, the veiled one removed their veil, revealing their identity.
"Hee... I see, I understand it now... hahaha... finally, I understand it now..."
With a hysteric laugh, Lunavayne covered his eyes as he spoke his last words.
"So it was you... was it you too, about Jonas? No... who cares... but why? Is it because of the researches I was conducting? You could have killed just me... why Clara too? Are you going to target Lapsus and Luna too...? Please..."
As he felt the little pebble penetrate his heart, Lunavayne pleaded,
"Please, leave them alone... they are just kids..."
And with those words, Lunavayne—an orphan who strived all his life to change the kingdom he lived in, a good brother, a good friend, a loving husband and a clueless father—exhaled the last of his life.