𝐀 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 /// ᴋʜᴜɴ ᴇᴅᴜᴀɴ - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Why can't humans transcend to gods?
"Huh... where did Lilith go this time?" Khun groaned as the black haired woman was nowhere to be seen.
"Maybe she's trying to talk to Lord Eduan?" Bam suggested while his companions raised a brow at the outrageous statement. Well, everyone except Hansung Yu.
"Why would she try to talk to my father?"
"...Maybe to get him to train her too?"
Khun scoffed as he began to take off his outer garment. "That's impossible. She told me that she hated the Ten Family leaders," he reasoned, recalling their time on the earlier floors.
"She probably just went to the washroom or something. She's always been keen about hygiene and cleanliness, and we've been going through levels without break," the boy continued. "I'll just go find her. That way Hansung can explain to us about this 'mirror of the end'."
Bam nodded as Khun headed out the door, "Okay then, I'll get changed."
"Turn around." Eduan ordered but Lilith refused to budge. If it were any other family leader, she would have no problem showing herself. But the man behind her wasn't just another one of her companions.
He was the one she didn't want to see the most.
"... I'm sorry, but-"
"Did I stutter?" Eduan questioned, though more like stated. Annoyance laced his tone. Never in his life has someone as lowly as a regular act so difficult towards him. It made him wonder if the future generations of the tower are slowly forgetting the authority the Ten Great Warriors hold.
"No... sir," Lilith muttered. She dared not to raise her voice, afraid that he'll find it familiar the moment she does.
Though for what is she doing this for?
She's abandoning her pride and character, all just to hide herself from a single man?
Even if he didn't recognize her voice, how will she be able to excuse herself without looking at him in the eye.
Khun Eduan is just as prideful. He won't just simply let such a thing slip by.
That stupid pride they both once shared...
"...is just what I hate about you..." Lilith muttered under her breath.
"Excuse me?" She could tell Eduan is losing his patience with her. Knowing him, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she pushed him any further. But she can't die again.
Not yet.
'I still have to take Bam to the top of the tower.'
Heaving a heavy sigh, her meek posture straightened to that of a more confident one.
'If the gods hate me that much then so be it. I'll take whatever comes my way.'
Slowly, she began to turn around. "I said..." she began, this time much clearer than before.
Eduan felt his eyes widened as he couldn't utter a single word the moment a pair of violet jeweled eyes clashed with his cobalt ones. The very eyes he had always cherish so lovingly.
"That stupid pride of your is just what I hate about you."
Lilith held her gaze as she watched Eduan having no other choice but to comprehend her unexpected presence. For once she felt as if she had the upper hand. He remained unmoving in the same position when he confronted her, arms crossed from annoyance and standing upright. But his face no longer held a sour crease, but a world-shattering disbelief.
No words were exchanged between the once star-crossed lovers. It was complete silence other than the rushing of the distant waterfall and the occasional breeze.
Lilith couldn't help but take this chance to soak in the beautiful man's appearance. It's been so long since she last saw him, but could never bring herself to forget what he looks like.
As always, he looked perfect in her eyes, no matter how many times she wanted to deny it.
Khun Eduan was still wallowing in his flabbergasted state as he stared at the delicate woman before him. She was someone he never thought he'd see again.
He was told that she was dead. And that he has nothing left of her as soon as her data got erased.
So why is she here?
Could she a ghost that came back to haunt him?
But even is she was a ghost... she was still his Lilia.
He wanted to do nothing more than to run towards her and embrace her in his arms, and never let her go. Never again.
But he couldn't. He was still scrambling for words. If he doesn't speak now, he might never get to see her again. She'll disappear, like snow melting from his fingertips.
"... Li-"
"LILITH!"
Both Eduan and Lilith turned to the source of the voice to see Khun standing a distance behind from his father, his eyes fixed on the jewel eyed woman.
"Ah... Aguero," Lilith muttered from her cherry red lips as she watched the boy completely dismiss the family leader and ran up to her.
"C'mon, I've been looking for you," he said as he gently grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the lodging, his eyes never once looking at Eduan. The older man just stood there, not knowing what to do.
Does he stop them?
Lilia is leaving.
He must stop them or else Lilia would be gone for-
"Lord Eduan? I'm ready." The said man was awoken from his internal dilemma at the sight of the irregular before him all dressed in his training gear. Turning back, he noticed that Lilia and her companion was already gone, leaving him with the Son of V.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Eduan gave Bam a firm look. "Alright then, let's get started."
He'll go find Lilia later. He has so much he wants to ask her.
What happened to her?
Why is she here?
Most importantly... How did he lose her?
That was one answer he could never get— not even from Hansung Yu.
He'll make sure he gets his answer from her.
Even if it's the last thing he'll do.
"You must be tires since you fought not too long ago. But you can handle this, right?" Eduan asked as Bam nodded. The two irregulars are currently standing amidst the spacious training ground.
"Um, sir. You said you know about my father right? Could you perhaps, tell me about him?" The brunette asked, still very curious about what kind of person V was.
Eduan raised a brow at this question. 'Did Lilia not tell him?' The man pondered but chose to answer anyway.
"Of course. V travelled the tower with us. Although he doesn't remain in this mirror as data right now."
"W-what kind of person is he?"
"Well... it's hard to describe him. But if I had to choose one of us to be the king of the Tower I would have chosen your father." Bam's golden eyes widened at the choice of words.
"Although our leader was clearly Jahad, V was very interested in the residents of this place. Unlike us, who became less interested in other people as we gained more power."
He paused for a bit, observing Bam's reaction before continuing. "Jahad and V had completely different personalities. while your father kept trying to get closer to ordinary people, Jaha, well... the more we traveled, the more it felt like he was becoming something completely different. Arlene would always try to keep the peace when the two of them fought."
"Then what about Lilia?"
"Huh?" Eduan guffawed as his posture hunched slightly in surprise.
"Lilia Belle. She was one of your companions right? I heard she was close with my parents. What was she like?" Bam continued, his brow furrowed at the family leader's reaction. Did he say something wrong?
"Why are you asking me about Lilia when she's..." Eduan muttered. 'Doesn't he know that she's with-'
It was as if a lightbulb went of in his head as the spearbeared put everything together.
'Oh, so he doesn't know...'
"When she's what, Lord Eduan?" Bam asked, pulling him from his thoughts.
Eduan cleared his throat as he straightened himself. "Ah, sorry, it's just that I didn't expect you to ask about her. Considering that she doesn't have that much to do with your current situation and all."
"Oh yeah, hah..." Bam laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know, something about her just feels familiar... I know it sounds strange."
The data felt himself smiling ever so slightly. "I see. Well, Lilia Belle... there are too many ways to describe her. Like Arlene she would sometimes interfere with Jahad's arguments. And believe it or not, despite her usually calm nature, she would clash heads with Jahad occasionally too. Sometimes even more aggressively than V!" Eduan tried to control the excitement in his tone as he talked about the woman, but Bam could tell that the family leader was obviously very happy to talk about her.
"She sounds like an amazing person."
"She most certainly is."
"Are you close with her, sir?"
Eduan felt himself tense up at the question. The man was silent as Bam felt a small tension rising. He realized that he probably shouldn't have asked such a personal question.
"I'm sorry, I-"
"No."
"Huh?"
Eduan looked up, his cobalt gaze now seemingly unimpressed. "I wasn't closer to her at all."
A pregnant silence followed as Bam scrambled for a new topic to cut the tension. "Um. so about my father..."
"Oh yeah," Eduan perked up again as the tension dissipated as if it was never there.
"I'm not sure what happened, but V died and Jahad became the king of the Tower. I heard the news from that coffee kid later. The ones who came here before that don't even know V's name."
"What?! Hansung told you about my father?!"
"Yeah, plus he asked me to help you defeat Jahad's data because V's son will come to this place someday."
"Of course I didn't believe him, but look where we are now. So, shall we get started? Prove to me you are the Son of V." Eduan asked as he prepares for a demonstration.
"The mirror of the end?"
"Yes, originally it is a mirror which can be encountered when a person clears all the stages on thar side. It allows heroes who have cleared all the stages to go to the outside. But if data people left in this world try to look at themselves in that mirror and get out, the mirror deletes them."
"It deletes them?! You mean.." Khun exclaimed.
"That this mirror could delete Jahad's data." Lilith finished as Hansung nodded.
"Lord Eduan intends to find the mirror and use it against Jahad during the battle. He seems to have made the bet in order to buy time."
"So it's all part of his plan... But if the team fails to obtain the mirror, then Bam will-"
"Will end up battling Jahad with no chance of winning."
"It's a complicated situation indeed. But it's best if we keep this secret from Bam. Knowing him he would probably try to go save the others right away," Lilith stated.
"Yeah, your right."
"Come to think of it, is Icarus still not here? She would be somewhat helpful in the fight," Hansung asked as Khun sighed.
"I'm not sure. The Big Breeder said that he sent her here..."
"KHUN! LILITH! RAK!"
Bam's voice echoed from the gauge. "Bam?" Khun asked as he picked up the device.
"Could you guys come outside right now? There's something I want to practice with you!"
Hence the three of them standing outside in the training field with the two irregulars. An awkward tension filled the air as Lilia looked anywhere but the family leader. But he was looking right at her.
Khun noticed this and furrowed his brows. He already was suspicious when he saw Lilith talking to Eduan before. But he just brushed it off thinking that his father was being a flirt like always.
Though now it certainly doesn't seem that way anymore...
The boy 'hmphed' as he turned towards the brunette. "What the hell is this?" he asked referring to the device in his hand. "You want me to push this?"
"Yes! It tells you the qualities and shape of shinsu that suits you!" Bam answered excitedly.
"I get that... but why do you want me to push it all of a sudden?"
The boy noticed his father yawning in the corner of his eye while Bam replied.
"Give it a try. Doesn't it seem unfair for me to do this kind of thing alone?"
"I don't really mind if you do this yourself though..." Khun uttered, obviously not wanting to be there. "Bam, I just..."
"Then I'll go first!" The brunette exclaimed as he clicked his shinsu reactant. A flash of white surrounded the device as an orb of shinsu floats above them.
Lilia smiled at the familiar shape. 'Just like his father.'
"This looked fun! I wanna try too!" Rak yelled as he clicked his own shinsu reactant. A giant stone shield loomed above him.
Bam and Rak looked at the shield in awe as Eduan stared down at Lilith and Khun who were rather despondent to the object in their hands.
"Hey, what are you just standing for? Hurry up and give it a try," he ordered.
The blue haired boy sighed as he clicked his own shinsu reactant, summoning an ice spear.
"Huh... an ice spear? You're my son on the outside?" Eduan asked, causing everyone on the field to deadpan at the question.
"Did you just figure that out?!" Khun exclaimed angrily. He didn't expect his father to not recognize him.
"But why aren't you a spear bearer? The ice spear is an extremely rare ability."
Khun's expression grew serious as he looked his father dead in the eyes, as if making a declaration of war. "I could never beat you with a spear anyway, you know."
Eduan's expression remained unchanged.
"And our team has a spear bearer anyway. I don't want our team to be off-balanced. Well then I'm out of here, Bam don't push yourself too hard, okay?" he began to turn to leave.
"Khun! Wait just a bit more!"
The boy gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, Bam. Pointless struggling doesn't suit me."
"But..."
"Hey, crooked punk" Eduan called out. Khun turned towards the man with a bitter expression. Lilith arched a brow at the childish name calling.
"I don't know what happened between you and me on the outside. And to be honest I don't really care. But I don't think you'll be able to beat me if you keep running away like this. Wouldn't it benefit you a lot more to learn from me here and get stronger?"
"...Get stronger? What good would it do to get stronger? I bet if you see yourself on the outside, you'll probably want to run away.
The jewel eyed woman felt a chill up her spine when Khun spoke of his father's strength. Of course she is aware that he's way stronger than before, but everytime Khun brings it up just gives her an unsettling feeling.
Khun continued. "I don't know what happed since the train while you were climbing the tower. But my father on the outside is completely different from you. So don't kid yourself."
Just like that, Khun continued walking, but was stopped once again by Bam. "Still... we should get stronger together!"
All eyes were now on the Son of V.
"Getting stronger isn't only necessary for beating great fighters. We've still got a long way to go before we can set lofty goals like that... Let's take it slow together. You should at least get even a bit strong for the sake of that. To go together... Couldn't you do it for that reason?"
'To go together..." Lilith thought to herself as she clenched the shinsu reactant tighter. She glanced up to see Khun giving in to Bam's persuasion, unable to say no to him like always. '...though how can I go together with you guys?'
"Hey, Jewel Turtle!"
"Huh?" Lilith perked up at her nickname to see all eyes on her.
"What are you waiting for? Click that thing!" Rak yelled as everyone else nodded. Lilith sighed as she held up the device in her hand, her thumb pressing down on the button.
'Can this thing tell me how far I could go with you guys?'
Perhaps this thing could give her a little bit of hope. If her shinsu quality really has changed, then maybe she can use this chance to finally build her strength the right way.