A Few Minutes Ago
Still Above the Surface
Outside the Territory of Reginae
Near Mount Fraku
One can see, now walking on the ground between the trees in the darkness, Nero—no longer wearing the white hood that once covered his head and the rest of his body.
He now wore only his black combat garments, which had previously lain beneath his white outerwear.
He appeared to walk with his head bowed, his gaze distant, detached from the present around him. The sounds of the environment were muffled and, at the same time, echoed.
[Selene – Echoing Whisper from the Past] I promised myself that... [Slightly Trembling Breath] –
As he walked, his face bore an expression that blended rage and sorrow, as he recalled the look on his younger sister Selene's face.
She had looked at him—even from afar—with eyes filled with such resolve and determination that Nero, without realizing it, felt the intensity of that gaze coming from his little sister.
[Selene – Echoing Whisper from the Past] ...I would seek justice for what you did to the one we loved the most. [Slightly Trembling Breath] –
Her words cut through him like blades, and yet, deep down, a part of him wished he had truly gone back those few minutes ago.
To the border of the Reginae territory, knowing his siblings were nearby, working to dismantle a mobile base belonging to the Inanis faction.
Nero, almost instinctively, was swept away by the feeling of accumulated loneliness that had weighed on him through all these past weeks.
Until the fateful night of today, just hours away from completing his seventeenth year of life, knowing that from that moment onward—
He would no longer be seen as the sixteen-year-old boy he was, but would be treated as a man by everyone who saw him and knew his true age.
Some Moments Later
Several Steps Ahead
Still Within the Forest
After walking even deeper into the forest, he finally reached the end of that dense wooded area he had been traversing.
He was getting closer and closer to the meeting point with Nero, and the exit from the forest was now visible, opening into a wide clearing.
There, before Nero, stretched a stunning scene—a beautiful lake reflecting the night sky, framed by the swaying foliage of trees and the whispering grass.
The leaves rustled gently as a soft breeze passed through the surrounding area in that exact moment.
Upon the lake's surface, the perfect reflection of the sky above shimmered clearly, where only a few clouds drifted and the moon shone brilliantly.
[Selene – Whispering Echo from the Past] Including my dear older brother, who... [Deeply Stirred]
Nero gazed upon it all with a sense of insignificance. It might be beautiful to others, but to him, it was nothing more than a world painted in shades of black and white.
As he continued walking forward, his shoes eventually stepped away from the forest grass and onto small, pale white stones.
These stones circled much of the lake's shoreline. Everything was so quiet—only the faint hum of a few nocturnal insects broke the silence.
Partially shattering the stillness of that place, Nero stood silently at the edge of the lake.
He was less than a meter away from stepping into the crystal-clear water, where small nocturnal fish swam calmly.
Nero looked down, noting these details, while the water gently rippled under the touch of the breeze.
[Selene – Whispering Echo from the Past] He is, at this very moment, dead inside his heart. [Deeply Stirred]
But then came a gust—stronger than the breezes before, though still gentle over the landscape.
Nero seemed to stop looking down. His eyes lifted toward the moon, shining in its natural nocturnal beauty above.
Behind him, just a few meters away, stood the person responsible for that abrupt and slightly stronger gust of wind.
This person appeared to be a well-dressed adolescent, clothed in noble black garments detailed with hints of purple.
What stood out was the way he had arrived—landing softly upon the white stone path near the lake where Nero now stood.
It was clear he had used his Oculi abilities to reach that place so quickly and yet so silently, weaving through the tree branches.
Nero didn't seem to care about the presence behind him, one that had arrived so calmly and without alarm—aside from that single gust of wind.
The adolescent had short, curly hair, and there was something strikingly handsome in the youthful contours of his face.
His natural hair color—entirely a deep auburn—gave him an almost ethereal look. Calmly, he began walking toward Nero's side.
With slow steps, he closed the distance, until he stood about a meter and a half away from Nero, both facing the beautiful lake.
At no point did they exchange glances, but they knew they were side by side, and there was a strange comfort in that silent presence.
Though dressed in noble attire, the adolescent's clothes were clearly tailored for combat, refined in stitch and form.
[Red-Haired Adolescent – Serene & Curious Voice] ...Nero. Were you able to do what I recommended to you? -
A Few Seconds Later
In That Same Place
Nero seemed to form a faintly trembling smile on his lips—not looking to the side, but still, always, toward the moon.
His mind was becoming as white as the moonlight itself—no thoughts, no painful memories, no agony pressing silently within him.
[Red-haired Teen – Calm & Hesitant Voice] I understand you... not wanting to speak, Nero, but... [Deep Breath] –
The red-haired teenager beside him was gazing forward, admiring the calm and tranquil surroundings, recalling memories from many years ago.
It had been in a place like this, somewhere near his family's castle, that he had spent his first night alone under the moonlight.
With the young princess from another family—someone he had long since forced himself to lie about, pretending he no longer loved her... though, even now, in this very moment, he still did.
His smile turned both nostalgic and painful—because that memory, after all this time, remained the most important one he had.
[Red-haired Teen – Calm & Curious Voice] You know that "acting" that way was necessary—to protect Selene and Salon... [Deep Breath]
[Nero – Regretful & Pained Voice] ...Was it really necessary to do all that? To make myself appear so... "monstrous"? After five years without even seeing them once? [Anxious Sigh] –
[Red-haired Teen – Calm & Reflective Voice] Circumstances changed in a way I could never have imagined, Nero. –
Nero seemed to inhale deeply, trying to ease the pressure in his chest, as he spoke to the red-haired boy beside him.
[Red-haired Teen – Calm & Reflective Voice] Someone else who also knows the "truth" is keeping a close eye on them both. –
[Red-haired Teen – Calm & Reflective Voice] Waiting for your siblings to search deeper—for something that might change the Nives family's future. –
The red-haired teenager, who had been gazing forward, admiring the beauty of the lake, now smiled in a way that was serene yet undeniably sincere.
[Red-haired Teen – Assertive & Calm Voice] They'll hate you—fiercely—until the very moment they learn the truth, but... [Deep, Faltering Sigh] –
[Nero – Regretful & Pained Voice] ..."But"? [Deep Breath] –
He, too, turned his gaze toward the same direction Nero had been staring—the moon shining high above them in that tranquil space.
Its light illuminated not only the lake but the entire forest around them, unbroken by clouds to dim its gentle lunar glow.
[Red-haired Teen – Comforting & Calm Voice] But even if it feels like a painful path—more painful for you than it will ever be for them who still don't know the truth—
Nero clenched his teeth, his heart tightening painfully, his eyes falling toward the ground rather than the heavens.
[Nero's Mother Shouting Playfully – From the Past]
Nero felt as though a weight on his shoulders pulled his gaze downward—until he saw his reflection on the surface of the lake.
[Red-haired Teen – Comforting & Calm Voice] You still want them to know the real truth—something that can no longer be spoken from the lips of your late mother. –
Nero seemed to be holding his mind together with all his strength, preventing it from collapsing beneath the memory of his mother—smiling, surrounded by a world of radiant white.
She was beautiful, wearing a long white dress, barefoot upon what looked like a crystalline surface of water.
She looked at him—not with disapproval, even though her death had been caused, unintentionally, by a young Nero only eleven years old, five years ago.
And so, in those fleeting flashes—what he understood as visions of his mother in "paradise," watching him in that very moment—he was overcome.
[Nero – Regretful & Pained Voice] I only ever wanted to kill that bastard—my father and my uncle—not my mother, but... [Soft, Trembling Sigh] –
Unknowingly, he began to cry. Silent tears—the truest he had shed in over five years—fell down his face.
[Nero – Pained & Nostalgic Voice] ...Even after years of abuse at the hands of those bastards... she still... stepped in front of them to protect them from me. [Faltering Sigh] –
Because, in his thirst for revenge against the one truly responsible—hidden deep in the heart of the Oculi capital—Nero had been manipulated without even realizing it.
[Nero – Pained & Nostalgic Voice] As though her heart had been bound by the chains of the one truly behind her silent suffering. [Deep Breath] –
Someone he wished he had never helped in his pursuit of vengeance for his mother. And that mistake had made him, unknowingly, one of the key figures responsible...
For the total fall of the Oculi capital five years ago—a city that now lay in utter ruin, above ground, lifeless and decayed.
Vegetation now overtook the hundreds of shattered, abandoned buildings—once among the most beautiful, once full of life and families.
One of those homes, near the edge of the ruined capital, had been the very place where he once lived with the most incredible woman in the world.
Who was, without a doubt, his mother—alongside his sister and younger twin brothers, born a year after him.
[Nero – Pained & Furious Voice] All of this! It's the fault of that damned old man—the one who manipulates the entire Nives family! [Contained Vengeful Sigh] –
[Nero – Pained & Furious Voice] Without wanting it... me, my sister, and my brother—we share the same blood... [Deep, Disgusted Sigh] –
The red-haired teenager turned around, shaken by those painful words, and the surface of the lake seemed to tremble faintly in response.
Nero, unaware, had begun to activate his Oculi abilities—creating soft pulses of wind flowing outward in all directions.
They were like warm breezes, carrying with them a rare heat—and a sensation of sorrow mingled with a desire for brutal justice.
A Few Moments Later
Still Above the Surface
Outside the Territory of Reginae
Near the Lake
The red-haired teenager slowly turned, beginning to walk away at an unhurried pace, tracing the edge of the lake, eventually turning his back to Nero and stopping at nearly five meters away.
His fiery hair and garments seemed to dance with the breeze around them, though not because of the soft pulse of energy unconsciously emitted by Nero.
Only in that exact moment did Nero realize that he had been using his Oculi abilities instinctively, driven by the turmoil of his emotions.
Embarrassed by such a childish display in front of the teenager, he immediately deactivated them.
[Red-Haired Teenager – Calm & Confident Voice] ...You've done terrible things in your life. And I've done terrible things in my own... as a child. -
[Girl from the Teenager's Past – Laughing Gently & Sweetly]
[Red-Haired Teenager – Calm & Confident Voice] If even I could reach the light—after falling into darkness, after being manipulated—then... [Soft, reassuring sigh] -
[Young Girl from the Teenager's Past – Laughing Lovingly & Joyfully]
[Red-Haired Teenager – Calm & Confident Voice] You can still reach the hearts of your siblings. But that will depend... [Deep, confident breath] -
[Teenage Girl from the Teenager's Past – Laughing Tenderly & Affectionately]
[Red-Haired Teenager – Calm & Confident Voice] ...on how much you're willing to sacrifice along the way, to expose the cruel truth behind the Nives family, and the rotten side of the family you belong to. -
As those final words were spoken, Nero turned his gaze from the ground to the side, his expression revealing surprise and disbelief.
Only now did he understand who that person truly was—the one who had saved him from taking his own life three years ago during a panic attack.
Surrounding them was a beautiful open field of flowers, gradually becoming covered by snow as the first signs of winter arrived.
The present moment seemed to grow more serene with the touch of a colder, yet gentle wind.
It caused the lake's calm surface to stir slightly, and the vegetation around them began to sway, adding to the quiet poetry of the moment.
In that fleeting stillness, Nero finally recognized the identity of the red-haired teenager—who always wore that smooth, white mask over his face.
Only his curly red hair remained exposed; his eyes remained unseen beneath that flawless, porcelain mask.
[Red-Haired Teenager – Calm & Confident Voice] If you ask me to help you, I will... but...
[Soft, determined sigh] -
[Echoing Desperate Scream from Nero's Past – Begging to Be Killed, Two Years Ago]
[Red-Haired Teenager – Calm & Confident Voice] ...it all depends on one thing: whether you want to begin this "witch hunt" alone, or with a friend by your side, Nero. [Deep, hopeful breath] -
As those words faded into the wind, that young boy—who in truth was seventeen years old—stood before him not only as a survivor but as one of the strongest warriors of the new Oculi generation.
Even among the new generations of both the Reginae and Inanis factions, he was unmatched. But now, in the present, he no longer served blindly as he once had.
His name was Samael, the current patriarch of the noble Rubri family. Though his family's influence had diminished, it remained one of the ten great Oculi houses.
Upon realizing Samael's true identity, Nero was instantly paralyzed—not just in awe, but with instinctive fear. Samael's name carried a weight steeped in legend and violence.
He now felt the full gravity of that name—the name of the very protagonist of the bloody tale his mother used to tell him as a child.
A story told to frighten him in play, alongside his siblings, Selene and Salon. Samael, the red-haired teen before him, was the infamous "Crimson Demon," a name whispered across the bloodstained fields of Inanis and Reginae alike.
He was the youngest ever to lead a great battle—one where hundreds on both sides lost their lives. Many of them were Reginae, slain by the twin blades forged from Samael's own essence when he was still a child.
And at the end of that massacre, which brought ruin to both factions, Samael was first known by the name he bore in childhood:
Before becoming known to the world as the "Crimson Demon," he had once been called simply: "Beast Child."
Samael removed the smooth white mask from his face, which disintegrated into subtle white particles, vanishing from his left hand.
As he turned to face Nero fully, he revealed a face of noble beauty—one marked by an intensely commanding yet gentle gaze.
It was a paradox that unsettled Nero—a sight so dissonant it made him blink, eyes wide, as a memory resurfaced:
That very night, three years ago, when he was only fourteen, adrift and lost within himself... and met Samael, who still wore the mask then, hiding his true identity for fear of scaring him.
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- (Act 3 - Internal Changes) -