Shameless One

Shun released Silver and stared at her, his expression one of quiet uncertainty and fear. Yet, beneath it all, something deeper flickered in his eyes—something that marked a shift in his very being.

A sense of dread weighed heavily on him. The grey sky and oppressive atmosphere signalled that today would be a pivotal moment for the entire kingdom of Lordrixis. Unlike other times after he had awakened his power, Shun was afraid of what was to come. But instead of shrinking away from the fear, he embraced it, vowing to continue on the same path he had always walked. If an obstacle stood before them, he would face it head-on, destroying it—and the one who created it. There was fear, but no desire to surrender.

Silver, her body slightly trembling, turned her gaze away. "What was that for?" she asked, her tone laced with reproach, though Shun could sense a faint smile hidden in her words.

"Thank you for always being by my side, no matter what happens," Shun replied, his voice calm.

"Hm? What did I do?" Silver sounded confused. To her, the statement seemed excessive. After all, they had only been together for a few months. A strange feeling stirred in her chest, a warning, but she quickly dismissed it.

"You don't know?" Shun laughed softly and gestured toward the building. "That's unfortunate." He started walking toward the castle. There was no time to waste. He needed to find the others and Alexander Levison.

"I don't know either, but you definitely did something," 

As they stepped into the castle, Shun's sharp eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. Through a door on the second floor, he spotted the others. Joe noticed them and motioned for them to come up.

Shun and Silver hurried toward them, and Emilia, with a finger to her lips, signaled for quiet. Shun nodded and peeked over her shoulder. Inside the room, Alexander Levison sat by a bed, his face unreadable, but the person lying in the bed remained hidden. Shun could tell from the clothes that it was Eden Pyram. Alexander's usual cold expression was tinged with something else—sorrow, desperation, and above all, regret.

Shun whispered, "Is Eden dead?"

Otto shook his head, and Emilia whispered back, "No, he's just exhausted. He fell asleep. The Prime Advisor is waiting for him to wake up."

Kris shook his head, his voice tinged with resignation. "Otto, you tried too hard on the poor man. After all, he's just an ascended ethereal warrior. No need to go all out on him."

Otto scoffed, unwilling to back down. "No matter who they are, I'll never hold back."

Just then, Alexander's head snapped up, his eyes locking on the door. He gestured for them to stay back and remain silent.

"Eden's awake," Joe murmured, and the group slowly took a few steps back, still close enough to hear the conversation.

A moment later, Alexander spoke, his voice soft but clear. "Eden, you're awake."

"Alexan…" Eden's voice came out weak, but he was quickly cut off by Alexander.

"Eden, we were best friends before we could even think logically. From that alone, I thought I knew you better than I knew myself. But today, I realise how wrong I was. Perhaps learning to think logically has pulled me further from you than anything else ever could," Alexander's voice was laden with a hint of sadness. 

"When I awakened my instrument-class ethereal arm, people told me that my life would be ordinary, at best. They said it would be a life of punishment, simply because my ethereal arm was considered weak," Alexander continued, his voice growing stronger with each word. "But do you remember what you told me? That my worth shouldn't be defined by a weapon alone? What you said changed me completely."

"This change elevated me to heights beyond anyone's expectations. I proved to everyone—myself, especially you—that a single moment does not define our fate. Despite wielding the weakest of ethereal arms, I carved my path, defying all who doubted me. I thought that logic would be my key to success, and so I buried my emotions, believing they would only hinder me. After all, it was still my ethereal arm that defined who I am."

He paused, a shadow crossing his face, "Even with all of that, you remained by my side. No matter how much my life changed, whether it grew darker or more prosperous, you stayed with me. You took on the role of servant, humbling yourself for my sake. I took it for granted, never fully understanding what you were sacrificing."

His voice cracked, "I thought my reasoning alone could solve everything. That emotions were weaknesses, distractions from the bigger picture. I saw the unrest in the city and immediately assumed it was part of a larger conspiracy, a threat from the kingdom's enemies. I suspected countless figures—everyone but you. You were my friend, from my childhood years to right now. You had no reason to betray me. And that is where I went wrong. You are the mastermind behind everything, not for betrayal, but for love."

He looked down, his voice almost a whisper. "I considered everything—except for something all of us have, emotions."

Alexander's gaze dropped, his words now uncertain, as if he had just realized something vital. "I thought I understood you, but I see now how much I misunderstood."

For a long moment, neither spoke. Then, finally, Eden's voice came softly, almost tenderly. "Even though we stayed solid as stone, your heart had already changed long before."

The words were slow, almost painful to say, but Eden continued. "When you changed your name and hid your gender, I knew I should have stopped you, but I didn't. I thought I was helping you. Maybe I shouldn't have pushed you so hard."

"What?" Joe's brows furrowed in confusion. Alexander Levison was… female?

Shun shook his head in slight resignation. It seemed Alexander, like September, had constructed a different identity for information gathering, or perhaps, for safety as well.

Eden's voice grew faint but resolute. "Throughout our journey across the kingdom in recent years, we've seen so much—pain, suffering, but also love and happiness. Yet I began to wonder—if I had never asked you to fight against fate, could we have lived a simple, happy life? As an ascended ethereal warrior, life would have been easy. I could have prospered with my class alone, and you could have stayed at home, watching our children grow. Would we have been happy?"

As Alexandra sat by Eden's side, her hands clasped tightly together, Eden's voice trailed off. "I thought it wasn't too late to start over. If you lost your position as Prime Advisor, if you made a fatal mistake, if you lost the king's trust, we could begin anew. Then a girl named March appeared and told me she could give me power—power to control the city. And you know the rest. I turned half the city into my puppets, I was sure you'd never suspect me and therefore find out the truth."

Alexandra's posture slumped, a bitter smile on her lips. "A well-laid plan, indeed. I never would have seen it coming, not in a thousand years. But if you hadn't let my letter reach the Royal Capital, if you hadn't made that mistake... maybe you could have succeeded."

Eden's dry chuckle echoed in the room, "I could have stopped you. But... I had to let the king see the truth. And that pigeon of yours—the one you trusted to deliver your message—was important to you, wasn't it? I can't bring myself to hurt what you hold dear."

Without warning, Alexandra rose, her eyes turning cold, her resolve steely. The Orb of Clarity materialized around her, casting an eerie glow.

"Eden," she said, her voice measured, "I'm grateful for everything you've shown me. I'll be sure to include human emotions in my calculations from now on. But one thing you failed to understand: I value my position as Prime Advisor more than anything. And I'll do anything to protect it."

"You see," she continued, her gaze unwavering, "I still believe emotions are weaknesses. I'll keep others' emotions in mind, but mine... mine must be cast aside."

And with that, she drew a knife and drove it deep into Eden's heart, ending his life in an instant.

The Orb of Clarity flared brighter than ever before, but even its power could not mask the tremor in Alexandra's hands as she withdrew the bloody blade.

The others, though seasoned in battle, were frozen in shock. Even Shun, usually unflinching, was stunned into silence.

Shun knew that he was no stranger to ruthlessness. Yet what he had just witnessed—this cold, calculated act—went beyond anything he could have imagined. From this moment on, he knew one thing for certain: Alexandra Levison was a force to be reckoned with. She wasn't merely an instrument class ethereal warrior. She was something more—something terrifying. Something in the middle of the line between a human and a monster. Shun couldn't tell which one she really was, nor which one was the better out of the two.

But then, as if nothing had happened, Alexandra leaned close to Eden's still form, gazing at his peaceful, smiling face. For a moment, it was as if everything had fallen into place.

"Plan worked out perfectly, a relief that they couldn't see your face out there," she whispered, her voice soft and content. "Now everyone thinks you're dead. We can finally live our life together, in peace."

Eden's lips curled into a faint smile, his voice quiet and resigned. "I thought it wasn't going to work. I never should have doubted you, my dear Alexandra."