Staring at the space where Brandon and Belle were, Alia found herself speechless.
Utterly speechless.
She raised her head. She could see the officers talking to each other, panic seed to be evident in their expressions.
But gradually, their voices beca muffled.
A ringing sound drowned out all the sound in the vicinity.
"Haaa…."
She started hyperventilating.
Alia Constantine.
To an outsider's perspective, she seed to be perfect.
Her work ethics were comndable, and the way she could compartntalize and push her feelings aside made even the army wonder.
—Condolence, Miss Constantine.
—Today, we have a new mber joining us. Please welco, Captain Alia Constantine.
—You're so strong, Alia. I don't know how you could even keep a straight face in front of those officers when you yourself are in grief.
Belle's words.
"....I'm not."
She gritted her teeth.
Certain words flowed as she recalled her father's previous words.
—Rember. You must be strong, Alia.
—Everyone out there is eyeing my position. Show any signs of weakness, and they will co and bite you when you're in your lowest.
—You want to follow in my legacy, right?
No, she didn't.
But after the calamity, she didn't have any choice.
She wanted to contribute to humanity's recovery, and since she was the Grand Marshal's daughter—expectations were placed upon her.
Expectations she had never asked for.
But her father was a respectable man.
And she did in fact love her father.
He wasn't perfect. But for Alia, she was the perfect father.
She had to be strong and set her feelings aside.
Show any signs of vulnerability, and the Imperial Army would use her—knowing her status.
After all, the Constantine na was t with half–disdain.
Two opinions clashed.
Others state that the rift subjugation was needless, and had only sent soldiers to their deaths.
While others saw it as a tragedy, and Albert Constantine shouldn't receive the bla.
At the mont, everyone was walking on eggshells around her.
Regardless of all the opinions, Albert Constantine had dedicated his life to serving the army.
Alia had to be careful.
Any mistakes—and the Constantine na would be tarnished.
Her father's fruitful years of service would be wasted.
After all, people will always rember the one mistake you made, overshadowing the thousand good things you've done.
Alia knew that.
With all of those facts pressuring her, Alia had to grit her teeth and smile through everything.
But seeing Belle's lifeless body, and Brandon dying right in front of her….
"...."
….It was her breaking point.
***
When a life is taken, the soul becos null.
Despite the fact that binding vows had the power to bypass the laws of the world, it couldn't create sothing out of nothing.
Hence Belle's death was set in stone.
Her soul was gone, and there was no way to get it back.
That is…. in the current progression.
But regardless, Brandon didn't have the ti affinity.
And according to the other Brandon, the ti affinity was long gone.
This was the final progression.
However, the exchange was already done for him.
"Binding vow."
To push his mories back in exchange for his life.
Not his life.
But the other Brandon—who was dormant inside him this whole ti.
"The fuck—Kh…!"
Brandon clenched his face as he felt a rapid surge of mories in his head.
A binding vow.
An exchange that would only take place if a sacrifice of equal value was made.
The mories were pushed back two hours behind.
It was by no ans ti travel.
Just mories and visions of a different tiline.
"Haha."
Brandon scrunched his face, his eyes peeking through the gaps made by his fingers.
"This is it?"
Just a asly two hours.
That was how much value the other Brandon—who was already dead in the first place—was worth.
But…
"Can't believe it worked."
He was back.
"What worked?"
A familiar voice suddenly reached his ears. ѕ ҭσгψ-$Ьу -Ꮇ&ⅴᒪе@Ϻρ#Ƴя
He turned around and t her beautiful gaze.
"Nothing."
He shook his head.
Alia tilted her head, perplexed.
"Hmm…? Should we set–up camp here?"
Brandon looked around after hearing her words.
It was the sa place they had set–up camp back then.
The excitent of the successful exchange had died down—as fast it ca.
He now had Brandon Locke's mories.
….This was nothing new.
And seeing all of the exchanges the other Brandon did throughout every progression—just to push his mories back…
"You're crazy."
He whispered—barely audibly.
Crazy was all he could describe—the other Brandon Locke.
His eyesight.
His senses.
His blood.
His muscles.
His nails.
His limbs.
His emotions.
And it didn't stop there.
Brandon could recall it all.
The pain each exchange took.
And a certain ssage the other Brandon had left for him.
A mory—of him talking to himself—which was clear to Brandon that it was a ssage ant for him.
—You've probably thought of doing the sa thing as . But I suggest you refrain from such actions.
—Rember, you are an anomaly. Binding vows may bypass the laws of the world, but you—making that vow might bring in severe consequences.
—You have the Sovereign's Will after all.
Such were his words.
—I'll do it for you once you make the exchange. The laws shouldn't do anything to you by then.
It was a warning.
Whatever might happen to him, he was unsure.
And he didn't want to find out.
It was way too risky—knowing the other Brandon called this the final progression.
Looking around, Alia was setting up camp, unfolding the chairs as Carl and Aurelia were helping out.
"Alia, I'll be right back."
"Okay."
Given the go signal, Brandon walked ahead, leaving the three to their own devices.
He trudged the forest, pushing the bushes aside, and peering out for any suspicious movents.
Brandon knew the task he was given.
He couldn't save Belle. But given this opportunity….
….He could prevent it.
And after several minutes had passed….
"You…. wa–tah."
He had finally found Lumian.
An eerie smile spread across Brandon's features as he approached Lumian.
"Hm…? Water…?"
"....Yes, do y–ou have any… wa—tah."
His voice was hoarse, and his lips seed chapped.
"I do."
"Please… give …. I'll repay… yo–u."
"Sure."
He did his best to hold back his amusent.
'You made a mistake, Brandon Locke.'
He covered his mouth, and his shoulders began to tremble slightly.
'I may share your mories now. But you've forgotten one little detail.'
And that was….
'I'm still Raven Blackheart.'
He knew what the other Brandon ant by sacrificing Skill Weaver to save Belle.
It was to sacrifice Skill Weaver, in exchange for Lumian's life.
The ultimate revenge.
'But you see, your thods are inefficient.'
He had found Brandon Locke's entire plan ridiculous.
'The way I see it, your plan wouldn't change a thing. The world will still be destroyed, and your loved ones will still be taken away from you.'
Snap!
He snapped his fingers.
'Skill Weaver isn't cancerous.'
It was an opportunity.
'Did you not take into account that no matter how strong I get, I wouldn't be able to kill Jin anyway?'
It was too risky, especially given the deadline that was placed upon him.
'The best way to get rid of Jin…'
Is to kill him from the inside.
Consuming him in the process.
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