𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 /// ᴋʜᴜɴ ᴇᴅᴜᴀɴ - Chapter 11: Chapter 11

"Arlene! Hurry!" Lilia exclaimed as she gently tugged the pregnant Arlene along, V running by her side.
I have always seen my feelings as such a trivial thing. If it weren't for always watching Arlene and V, I would have never considered it.
"Lilia-- I'm too tired! I won't make it!" Arlene cried as she struggled to breath. The said woman gritted her teeth as she led the couple towards an area out of sight to rest. It broke her heart to see her closest friend trembling from exhaustion. But this was a life or death decision for them. If Arlene dies here, so will their unborn child.
Considered that we too, could be something genuine and pure.
"Come on, love. Just a little more and then we'll make it," V encouraged. The exhausted lines on his face says otherwise. All three of them were tired. Lilia's proper and keen appearance was now disheveled. Her blue lily hairpin barely hanging on her head.
Lilia watched as Arlene struggled to get up and keep moving. She could already hear Jahad and the others catching up in the distance. The woman remain standing in her place as Arlene and V looked back from their position.
Ironically from the two most impure beings of the tower.
"Lilia? What are you standing there for? Come on!" V ushered. Lilia smile as she sprinted towards the couple, embracing them in a bear hug, something that she had never done before. The couple's eyes were widened in shock at the sudden show of affection.
"Lilia..." Arlene muttered as she firmly grasped onto Lilia's arm, the reason of her friend's action quickly dawned upon her. The woman smiled, her jewel eyes shined under the luminescent light of the tower. She cupped Arlene's face between her hands, and placing her forehead against the brunette's.
Nobody's perfect, Eduan. Not even me.
"Go on, Arlene. Go and live a happy life, a life away from the tower, away from everything." Arlene felt herself tearing up as she grasped onto her friend's red hanfu sleeve.
Lilia then turned to V, who was also giving her the same look of desperation. "V... you better take care of her, okay? Make sure she's always happy... and-"
"NO!"
Lilia quickly turned to Arlene who was biting her lips until it bled.
"No... you're not leaving us! We're gonna leave the tower together! All of us! And you're gonna be our child's godmother! He will call you Aunt Lilia and-" Arlene could barely force out her words as she struggled to choke back her sobs. "-and we'll be happy! To-together as a family..." the woman sobbed as she refused to let go of her friend's sleeve.
Lilia could only watch Arlene now sobbed openly as she leaned onto her slightly taller frame. "Arlene..." she muttered, unable to look her friend in the eyes. Because the moment she does, she'll start crying too. The woman felt her other sleeve being tugged as she looked up to see V staring at her with the same teary eyes as his wife's but no tears were pouring out for he was still trying to suppress his sobs.
"Lilia, please... don't do this. We can find a way for all of us to leave... And Jahad, he won't be so forgiving.. neither will the others. What about him-" his voice was hoarse, making it obvious that he was choking back more tears.
But that chance of protecting something that inspired me to cherish you trumped all logic.
Lili gave V a sad, but reassuring look. "Don't worry. He won't hurt me... I trust him."
I think I love you, Eduan.
It took Lilia a while to muster the strength to give her closest companions her proudest smile. She quickly wrest her sleeves from their grasp as they felt her being leave their fingertips like melted snow.
Before they could say anything, she summoned her lighthouses as they surrounded Arlene and V. They felt themselves being pulled into the vortex created by her magic as Lilia mouthed them her final words of farewell.
"Goodbye, old friends."
So you must be able to imagine my pain, to die at the hands of the one you love. The only one I trust that will protect me, and never hurt me.
Tears were streaming down the Eduan's face as he held Lilia closer to her arms. The wound on her body struck by his spear was overflowing with blood that darkened her red hanfu. Her sheer robe sprawled all over her body, like torn flower petals.
I rarely see you cry. You were always smiling. I suppose I always took that for granted.
At least Lilia managed to do what she intended. Distract Jahad and her former companions long enough for Arlene and V to escape. She wasn't expecting to survive anyway. She just wasn't expecting it to be him to land the finishing blow.
I know I shouldn't forgive you.
Lilia gave him a weak smile before gently reaching out her hand to caress his face.
But I can't bring myself to be mad at you.
"Lilia..." the man muttered as he put one hand over hers that was on his cheek, bringing his face deeper into her cold hands.
No, don't call my name like that.
It makes it harder for me to leave.
I hate you.
But I can't.
Why?
Right... it's because I know love you.
The feeling of helplessness.
It was something that took Lilia a while to get used to.
It's something that she has to endure as Lilith.
From the most powerful lightbearer of the tower to an average wave controller.
From an irregular to just another regular.
If any of her old companions were to see her right now, they would say she lost everything.
To Lilia, it was a fresh start.
But a fresh start to what?
Watching her friends fight from the sidelines, not being able to do anything useful to help?
Or providing minimal support that her current companions would do completely fine without.
The beloved and respected Lilia Belle was no longer.
And now, Jahad is about to kill those dearest to her once again. She could do nothing but stand there, helplessly watch it happen.
At that moment, she felt a familiar surge of electricity flowing into her body as it surrounds the entire dome. It interfered with Jahad's attack as the silhouette of an all too familiar man stands in front of her.
There he is.
The data of Khun Eduan.
"Is that..." Bam asked. Khun quickly nodded.
"Yeah... this power, though it's much less than what I saw. It's definitely Father's."
The atmosphere was tense as the two strongest irregulars stand against each other, Eduan being the one to first break the silence.
"... I'm surprised to see you here. Fake." He sneered.
"Fake? You keep calling me that."
"Of course you're a fake. You're not the Jahad that I know. The Jahad that I know is an adventurer, not a king."
"Then I guess you don't know me very well, Eduan. I born with the seed of a king," Jahad smiled.
"There you go with that nonsense again."
Hansung took this chance to get the family leader's attention. "Lord Eduan!" he yelled as the said man turned towards him.
"Ah.. is it you? Coffee."
"Thank you for coming! You remembered your promise to me!" Hansung thanked as he kneeled and bowed like there's no tomorrow.
"There's no need to make such a fuss. To be honest I hardly expected anything. So, which one is the kid that you promised me?" Eduan asked.
But before Hansung could answer, Jahad interrupted. "Eduan. By 'the kid' you don't mean that kid with black hair, do you?"
The spearbearer ignored him and called for his son. "Asensio."
"Yes, Father!!" a voice exclaimed from an observer.
"Take them to the mirror."
"Yes sir!" Just then a mirror appeared from next to them with a hand extended through. "Hey you guys!" Asensio exclaimed, motioning for them to follow him.
"Stop." Jahad's voice bellowed throughout the room. "No one can leave here," he stated as he readied himself to fight.
"Fake... They can go if I say so. Hurry up and move them! Asensio!!" Eduan ordered, charging up his own powers as well. Lilith motioned for the others to go but noticed Endorsi, Bam, and Khun still standing there, dazed from the intensity of the combat.
"Kids! What are you doing! C'mon!" Lilith's voice barely managed to wake them from their stupor.
"You better let those kids go, Jahad!" Eduan exclaimed as he charged up a ball of electricity on his fingertips.
"You saying that just makes me more insistent on making them stay," the adventurer countered as Eduan tossed the electricity at him. Both of them summoned their weapons as the force of the fight becomes more intense.
Khun and Bam began to run as Lilith yelled for someone to get Endorsi who was still in a daze. Despite all the chaos, she could tell what is going on through their heads.
'If this is how strong they are before they become rankers, how strong are they now?'
And that is an answer that Lilia herself never wants to find out.
"Listen, Jahad, why don't we make a bet?" Eduan bargained, not wanting to drag out this pointless fight even more.
"A bet?"
Eduan pointed at Bam who was currently heading towards the mirror with Endorsi in his arms. "If you let them go, I'll train that black haired kid and make him strong enough to beat you in less than a month."
Lilith, who wasted no time to get to the opposite side of the mirror, heard what he said. "In less than a month?" she muttered as her eyes widened at the outrageous proposal.
"What?!" Even Jahad was shocked.
"If that kid loses, I'll admit defeat fair and square. I'll disappear just like the other data people, how does that sound to you? Sounds like a good bet?"
The woman felt her heart clench at Eduan's end of the deal. It shouldn't matter to her since he's just data... but she's so afraid of what he's currently become that his data form is the only remnant of their past that is left.
"A completely clueless regular from the outside catching up to you in one month-- if you don't accept it, you're not Jahad's data or anything."
"Ha! You're a terrible bluffer Eduan! How could that kid beat me in just a month?!"
"Well that's not for you to judge," Eduan's voice suddenly got deeper. "Will you do it or not?"
Jahad stared at Bam who stared back at him in awe and fear. He was silent for a couple of seconds, but he agreed.
"Alright. I'll see you in a month. I will choose the place, but it won't matter as I'll win either way. But if you don't show up, then I will kill all your companions that I'm keeping here."
"My companions?!" Bam exclaimed.
Jahad ignored him as the mirror flashed next to them. "Mark my words, Irregular."
Lilith felt her body give out underneath as it dropped her onto Khun's lighthouses keeping everyone afloat instead of hitting the ground. Quickly, she scrambled behind Candy, hoping to be completely covered by her larger frame as Bam and Eduan conversed.
"... Do you remember about my father?!" Bam asked as soon as he heard Eduan call him Son of V.
Eduan smiled as he crossed his arms. "Of course. V was a fellow companion who climbed the tower with us."
Bam's eyes lit up at the response. But before he could ask another question, a golden observer popped up next to the family leader, asking if the training ground was to his liking.
"Well, just so-so. I smell grapes over there," Eduan stated as he looked up at the floating piece of land.
Lilia smiled to herself. 'Ah right, how could I forget his obsession with grapes.'
"This stage was created with the highest consideration to your tastes. It was grapevines and a waterfall flowing with grape juice," the observer explained.
'Now that sounds too good to be true... Jahad is probably just trying to distract Eduan.'
"My taste hmm...?" Eduan's face immediately darkened. "All that is a lie. Aren't you keepening me here because you're up to something?"
The yellow observer squealed in fright as it continues to explain the layout of the training field.
"- and just so you know above the battleground is a 'champion villain'. If you can beat the quest there, you can move onto the battleground... though you could still use your scroll to get back to your castle. But that would be breaking out bet--"
"Yeah yeah I get it!"
"Yes sir! Well, see you in one month!" the observer beamed.
"Hey! What about Wangnan and Icarus?" Bam exclaimed. The observer looked at the brunette before saying the same thing Jahad said to Eduan.
"They will be kept hostage until you win the battle against Lord Jahad." And just like that it disappeared.
Eduan looked clearly displeased as he stared at the group of regulars before him. He had yet to notice Lilith hiding behind Candy.
"Well we'll keep talking later, for now let's get to the lodging first."
As soon as they approached the island, Eduan called for Asensio who appeared through a mirror. He told him how he can't join them for the time being and to keep an eye out for Jahad when pursuing the mirror of the end.
"Yes father," Asensio replied. Just as he hung up, Eduan ordered everyone to get ready. "For now, all of you go rest in the lodging. Son of V, I want you to get changed and come outside. And Coffee, make sure to tell the kids about the 'Mirror at the End' in the lodging."
"Yes sir," Hansung bowed as Eduan walked away. Bam noticed Khun staring blankly at his father.
"Hey, Khun. Would you like some alone time with your father now that you've met him?"
Khun sighed as he watched his father's retreating figure. "No. Forget it."
"Why?"
"I have no idea what he's like back then... but now, he's no more than a stranger to me."
"... say, where's Lilith?"
"Shhh!" both boys jumped at the sudden sound to see the said woman semi crouching between them.
"There you are, where were you?" Khun asked as he watched her straighten her posture and fixing her skirt.
"I was with Candy."
"Ah, okay. C'mon Bam, you've got training soon," Khun gestured towards the lodging, Lilith slightly lagging behind. Once both her companions and Eduan were out of view, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness--"
"Thank goodness for what?"
Lilith felt herself tense up at the voice coming from behind her. The voice she was all too familiar with.
"Nothing!" she squeaked, refusing to turn around.
Her senses were so keen at that moment she could almost hear Eduan furrowing his brows as his lips creased into a frown.
"Face me when you speak, regular. Who do you think you are to think it is appropriate to speak with your back towards me."