Athena's General Reincarnated in Another World

Sebastian Blake:

"She's improving, slowly," Tiffania said, examining Lady Katherine's wound. She had taken a healing potion, but whatever strange phenomenon was dampening our magic was also slowing down its effects.

'BAM!'

A blast echoed from above, shaking dust from the ceiling. We were deep in the underground tunnel network, part of the noble district's emergency shelter system. The soldiers remained at the surface hatch to help guide other survivors in. The central shelters were all connected through these tunnels, leading down to a deeper, reinforced bunker. It made sense—this was a noble city, after all. Everything was built to protect its elite. These shelters were designed to withstand attacks from rogue mages, soul-bound golems, or berserk demi-humans.

We kept descending.

"Do you think Daddy's okay?" one twin asked the other.

"Let's hope he found the entrance to another shelter," the other replied.

I glanced at the girls. I'd seen them around the academy over the years, but I still couldn't tell them apart.

The tunnel ceiling shook again—something heavy had landed above us. Something big. Something monstrous.

I should've stayed home.

I kept pushing the wheelchair, casting a quick glance at the woman seated in it. She was… breathtaking. There was something otherworldly about her—her presence seemed to draw the attention of everything around her, as if the world itself paused to acknowledge her. Even her coppery-red hair shimmered with unnatural vibrance. She had the grace of royalty. If I didn't personally know the entire Asalon royal family, I would've sworn she was one of them.

There was just something about her… being near her made me feel like I should show respect. Deep respect.

"What's your name?" I asked, even though I'd already heard Tiffania call her 'Lady Katherine' more than once. Still, I wanted to know her full name—and which noble house she belonged to.

"I've said her name at least three times in the past ten minutes," Tiffania snapped. "Are you deaf?"

"It's okay, Tiffania," Lady Katherine said gently. "He's been kind. He's pushing the chair without complaint."

"You're right, Lady Katherine," Tiffania replied, her tone soft for the lady, then she turned to me and scowled. "So push faster!"

"I got distracted..." I muttered, picking up the pace.

The path sloped downward now—at least the wheelchair had gravity on its side.

"My name's Katherine," she said softly.

And your last name? I wanted to ask.

"Are you the daughter of someone important? A commander? A noble of high standing?" I asked instead.

"Oh, no. My parents were farmers. I was born a commoner," she replied.

A commoner? No way. Her beauty wasn't something you found in everyday people... Actually, I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as her in my life.

We kept moving, and I saw her press a hand to her wound.

"I'm worried about my son… but at least he's far from the center," she said to the queen.

Wait—she's a mother? She looks my age...

"I'm worried about Syvis too," said Queen Siofna. "My husband was with Victoria, but Syvis said she'd take a separate carriage to speak with Thyra."

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"As soon as I get you both to safety, I'll head back to the surface and search for the princess," Tiffania said. "But first, I need to check if she's in the shelter already."

If it had been me—or anyone else, really—I'm sure Tiffania would've let us die, even if we were begging at her feet…

Eventually, we reached our destination. Several heavy grated doors blocked the tunnel.

"More survivors incoming!" a soldier shouted, and I heard footsteps scrambling as they started turning a manual release mechanism. The gates began lifting one by one, grinding loudly as they rose.

We ran through them quickly.

As soon as we cleared the last one, the gates began lowering again behind us. We entered a vast underground chamber filled with people. Some were sitting and crying. Others lay unconscious on the ground.

My magic is back.

I looked up at the ceiling. We were far beneath the surface.

So it's about distance…? Was the magic failing because we were too close to the portal?

Healer mages darted around, rushing to injured civilians. Soldiers carried patients on stretchers, some of them groaning in pain.

"The Saint! She's here!"

"And the Queen too!"

Elves ran toward them—many were wounded, but relief lit up their faces at the sight of the women.

"Where's the Princess? Has anyone seen her?" the Saint called out.

I backed away from the crowd. Lady Katherine smiled faintly and insisted she could manage on her own. I noticed the Queen had begun healing her wound.

I moved away from the others, my thoughts spinning. I had one goal now: find the person who'd made me break my father's orders.

He had been very clear the past few days—no one was to go near the city center. I hadn't asked for reasons; I understood there were pieces of the plan I wasn't meant to know. But one of our staff had ignored that order and gone out anyway.

And that infuriated me.

If it had been anyone else, I would've let it slide. But this person… she confused me.

"Liana!" I shouted when I saw her curled up in a corner.

She turned at the sound of my voice, her face a tangle of fear and relief.

"M-Master Sebastian!" she stammered, her voice quivering like even she didn't know how to feel.

Just seeing her made my blood boil. I had just escorted my own mother through that chaos to the shelter, and here she was—this idiot girl who defied everything.

I stormed over and grabbed her arm, yanking her to her feet.

"Are you out of your damn mind?!" I yelled, fury surging through me. "My father's orders were clear—no one was to leave the estate!"

She dropped her head, bowing deeply, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I-I'm sorry, M-Master Sebastian! I was missing an ingredient for something I was going to prepare… I thought I could just go buy it quickly. I didn't think anything like this would happen. P-Please forgive me… I know I'm just a burden…"

I let out a bitter, humorless laugh. The sound echoed like a knife between us.

"Ingredients?" I spat. "Look at the world around us! The city's been falling apart for a month! You could've made something else! What the fuck was so important that you thought it was worth risking everything?!"

She raised her face but couldn't meet my gaze. Her eyes shifted to the side, searching for an escape that wasn't there.

"You… you don't need to worry about it…" she murmured.

That was it. My patience snapped.

"No, now I want to know. I need to know what pointless excuse nearly got me killed just to save you!" I shouted, grabbing her shirt collar and pulling her close.

She hesitated, her lips trembling, then finally whispered:

"It… it was for a cake. A birthday cake. For you…"

I froze.

Let her go immediately. I just stared, trying to process the words.

Liana slowly dropped to her knees, bowing deeply.

"I'm sorry, Master Sebastian…" she said again, her voice barely audible.

My response came out automatically, soaked in pain and resentment.

"Go fuck yourself, Liana!" I snapped, shoving her hard before storming off.

I didn't look back. I didn't want to see her expression, didn't want to feel whatever it would stir inside me. I just needed space—somewhere, anywhere—to be alone. Every step felt like I was dragging the weight of my own fury through the floor.

The chaos around me—cries, spells, wounded groans—was nothing compared to the storm tearing through my chest.

I kept walking, fists clenched so tight they ached, until I found a half-broken door marked bathroom. I slammed it open, stepped inside, and locked it behind me. The sound of the bolt echoed across the empty space.

The second the lock clicked, my knees gave out.

I collapsed against the wall, the cold stone biting into my back as I hit the ground. My whole body trembled with something I didn't know how to name. Rage at how stupid she'd been. Hatred for the situation. Guilt for yelling. Hurt for all the things that had never been said.

I punched the floor, welcoming the sharp pain that shot up my arm.

It was easier to deal with pain when it was physical. Tangible. Something I could aim at.

I buried my face in my knees, trying to choke back the sobs breaking loose from my chest. Hot tears slid down my cheeks, hitting the stone beneath me. I couldn't stop them. Couldn't breathe through them. Couldn't understand what I was even feeling anymore.

"Why are you like this?" I whispered, my voice hoarse, barely audible. I didn't even know who I was talking to—myself, or her.

I hated Liana. Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself.

But no matter how many times I repeated it, no matter how hard I tried to convince my own mind, the truth clung to me like a curse.

I didn't want her to die.

I never did.

And the thought of losing her crushed me in a way I wasn't prepared for.

Shit. I need to get my mother out of here. Everyone's going to die soon.