The room was quiet.
Lumiel sat on the floor, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees, his breathing shallow, his eyes vacant. The air was heavy—almost suffocating—as if the ghosts of a fallen empire were clawing at his mind.
Kurt stood nearby, brows furrowed in confusion.
> "What happened to this kid? Did talking about his mother really mess him up this badly?"
His thoughts trailed off as a familiar chime echoed inside their shared mind.
---
[System Notification: A soul has awakened. Checking current information...]
> — Soul Fragment Detected: Augustus, the Forsaken Emperor
Gift: Army of the Undead Cavalry Knights
Description: Summon a legion of spectral knights bound by loyalty and vengeance.
Status: Locked
Requirement to Awaken Gift: Save all who have suffered by the hands of Augustus.
[System: Synchronization pending...]
---
A translucent system box hovered in front of Kurt.
> "A new soul, huh… Now I get it. Augustus, a forsaken emperor. What kind of past could a soul like th—"
Kurt's body jolted as the memories hit him. All of them. The betrayal, the screams of burning cities, the weight of an empire brought to ruin, and worst of all—the moment Augustus was forced to destroy those he once loved.
> "T-this is too much… Why would he awaken that bastard Augustus? Lumiel's still just a kid—he can't carry this kind of pain."
Kurt turned to look at Lumiel. The boy's lips moved, mumbling broken sentences. His eyes didn't see the room anymore.
> "N-no... w-why did I do that? M-mom said I should be kind... I should be strong... I shouldn't hurt anyone…"
Kurt called out to him—again and again—but Lumiel remained lost, buried deep in his mind. A child alone in a pitch-black hole.
> "I-I killed everyone... I destroyed everything... I killed my fam—huh?"
A voice. Soft. Familiar.
> "Lumiel."
He blinked.
> "Who's… calling me?"
The voice came again.
> "Lumiel."
It echoed like warmth breaking through the storm.
> "Why are you calling me that...? I'm not Lumiel. I'm Augustus. I'm a... killer…"
From the depths of his mind, he saw it—a memory. Two hands reaching out, the same ones that once pulled him from the cold alley and gave him a home.
And then, the voice turned real.
"Lumiel!"
He gasped and blinked. Reality hit him like a gust of air. In front of him, teary-eyed and trembling, Lady Nishia held him in her arms. At the door, Skye stood awkwardly, clearly worried.
"N-Nishia...? What are you doing here? How did you know where I live...?"
"You finally answered me, you stupid civilian!" she said, half laughing, half crying. Her arms tightened.
Skye stepped forward. "You didn't show up at school today. You weren't answering your comms either. We got worried and asked Ms. Viera for permission to check on you... So here we are."
"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you guys worry," Lumiel said quietly. He gently placed his hand on Nishia's head. "Thanks... for coming."
Kurt and Skye exchanged glances.
> "Are they seriously not dating?" they thought in sync.
Lady Nishia, suddenly realizing what she'd done, stepped back quickly. Her cheeks were flushed.
"I-I'm not here because I was worried or anything! I just... I mean... You should take care of yourself, idiot!"
Skye scratched the back of his head, giving a forced smile. "Just... rest up, okay, Lumiel?"
Lumiel chuckled. "Thank you, both of you. Really. I'll be back in school tomorrow."
They both smiled faintly.
> "Seeing Lumiel happy... makes me happy too," they thought.
Then Nishia's brain seemed to reboot.
> "WAIT, WHAT AM I THINKING?!"
"SKYE! Let's go! Ms. Viera will kill us if we're late!" she shouted, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the hallway.
"H-Hey! Wait! I'm not done processi—gah!"
The apartment door closed. Silence returned.
Lumiel slowly walked to his bed and sat down. A flicker of peace returned to his eyes.
"Hey, Lumiel," Kurt called out gently, pulling up the system interface. "Check this out."
He showed the screen again.
---
[Soul Fragment: Augustus, the Forsaken Emperor]
Status: Active
Gift: Locked
Requirement: Save all who have suffered by the hands of Augustus.
---
Lumiel looked at it for a long time.
"I understand now," he whispered. "What he did... What he went through…"
He clenched his fists.
"I won't let that kind of thing happen ever again. I'll make sure Augustus can finally be freed... from his guilt."
Kurt smiled faintly.
> "He really is stronger than we give him credit for."