Chapter 12.5: Interlude

Aeris' point of view:

I looked up at the canopy ceiling of my bed, thinking. My eyes, accustomed to the darkness of night, could detect the smallest flaws in the extremely luxurious material. While I wasn't particularly picky about such things, counting every little protruding thread at the time diverted my attention away from my racing mind, allowing me to calm down and think clearly.

I hadn't slept in a couple of hours since I'd parted ways with Arthur and Tessia. The excitement that was coursing through my veins kept me awake and my mind racing over every detail of Arthur's conversation. I absorbed and compiled every description, every little clue, and as soon as I reached a conclusion, I excused myself to my room, hoping to calm my racing heartbeat.

I've been wondering, 'Am I the only one?' since I awoke here four years ago, in the body of a newborn girl. Sure, I reasoned, if I could do it, why couldn't others? Despite the fact that I was certain there were others like me, I went about my daily life as usual.

Magic was a good distraction that piqued my interest early on, giving me a whole new world to explore. I read, experimented, and awakened my core a few months ago after manipulating the shiny bits I read were part of the core, I was borned the youngest conjurer in the history of the elven realm, according to my new parents.

I was a prodigy once more, a natural genius in both magic and academics, but there was still a void in my heart that could not be filled, something left unfinished in my previous world, and I despised that feeling.

My life was tarnished when he left.

I'd finally found him, and after all this time, I'd be able to destroy him with my own hands. My anticipation grew as the months passed. Class D won by a landslide on the cruise, and I knew who was responsible. Because of my disability, I was unable to attend, but this only added to my excitement. However, one day, an announcement rocked my entire world.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had died.

Nobody knew how it happened; the teachers simply stated that it was due to "natural causes," but I couldn't believe it; how could I when that was all they said? I was on my own to figure out what had happened.

I was confident in my abilities, and I expected the job to be simple because of my father's connections, but it was not.

Time passed, and the D class imploded at the start of the second year. This was unavoidable in the absence of their leader in the shadows. It was only a matter of time before it happened. I imagined what that class could have become if someone like him had led them, but instead they were a waste, a class that had failed due to their reliance on an incompetent leader. Horikita could never hope to catch up to him.

All of these facts only fueled my desire to learn more about what had occurred.

But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find anything. Nothing. No clue. His body seemed to have simply shut down.

I had nothing when graduation rolled around. Only a fleeting sense of victory over the lower classes, a small sense of accomplishment at graduating, and a tangible but shabby piece of paper with my name carved on it. Disappointing.

With a sense of disappointment gripping my body on graduation day, I eagerly anticipated leaving the dreadful ceremony. I ignored my classmates' congratulations and went to bed, but when I woke up.

"She's a beautiful girl!"

Huh? Even I was perplexed when I found myself reborn as a noble elf, but I moved on; it was fun having Tess as a friend; I missed my father, but the new ones weren't so bad.

I couldn't do anything else, so I just focused on living and forgetting what I'd left behind. I began to forget about him.

But as if fate was playing a joke on me.

'Kiyotaka.'

That name, once again. I knew it from the start. Arthur, the reincarnated boy, didn't seem to notice, but I did.

However, I'm no longer Arisu Sakayanagi. This time, I'd meet him as Aeris Edevane; unlike the frail-bodied girl I'd been before, I now possessed the power to become someone at the pinnacle of this world.

"Fufu~ I can't wait to meet him."

After all, I hadn't seen him in 7 years and 234 days.

I want to see him again.

I want to touch him.

And I want to break him.

As the night grew darker, I grew increasingly excited for our reunion.