Chapter 3 - Parting Ways (2)

When I awoke, I wasn’t in heaven, hell, or the bottom of that cliff. Instead, I found myself in the ward of the Akates Temple, with warm sunlight streaming through the window.

  There was no one else in the room—it was just me in one of the beds. A nun stood by the window, watering a potted plant.

  I asked her, “How… did I end up here?”

  Startled, the nun turned around. After a brief moment of eye contact, she spoke, “Please wait a moment.”

  Soon after she left, Sister Dolores, who had cared for me since I was young, entered the room along with Priestess Azena and the head nun, Sister Yulan.

  As soon as Dolores saw I was conscious, she immediately rushed over and grasped my hand tightly, and with a trembling voice said, “You’re awake… I thought you’d never wake up. Don’t you ever do something so reckless again, you hear me!?”

  “I’m sorry…”

  The head nun spoke next, “It’s a relief you’ve awakened. You have no idea how worried we all were. The goddess Akates must have watched over you.”

  Following her warm words came a stern rebuke. Yet, I could tell her scolding came from a place of genuine care rather than anger. Bowing my head, I quietly accepted their reprimand.

  I was an orphan, with no blood ties or expectations. The fact that they had taken such good care of me and shown so much concern was something I deeply appreciated.

  Once the reprimands ended, they explained what had happened after I lost consciousness.

  Upon realizing we were missing, the priests contacted the vassals of the Pascal family. A few priests, along with the vassals, followed our trail to find us.

  When they found me, I was barely alive. I was closer to a corpse than an actual living human.

  “Lisa used every means at her disposal to save you.”

  Lisa had used every healing spell she knew and every herb she could find to forcefully revive my near-dead body. Even the priests and vassals were astonished, as the feat Lisa achieved on her own usually required several high-ranking mages working together.

  As for the wraith, it had fled after thrashing in agony from drinking my blood.

  Apparently, wraiths specialize in consuming their prey’s blood. Yet, no one could understand why drinking mine had such a bizarre effect.

  “It’s nothing short of the Goddess’ grace.”

  Sister Dolores added, “On special days, we infuse the food with holy water. Perhaps that was the reason.”

  Wraiths could only be harmed by holy magic or holy water, so the only explanation was that my blood had somehow become imbued with divine power.

  “What about Lisa?”

  At the mention of Lisa, everyone hesitated. I sensed a strange tension in the air as if there was something they didn’t want to tell me.

  “Lisa left to prepare for her entrance exams at the academy.”

  “But isn’t that next year?”

  The academy typically accepted students at seventeen, and both Lisa and I were fifteen. Even with preparation time, it felt far too early.

  Dolores, with a sympathetic gaze, explained, “A lot happened to Lisa while you were unconscious.”

  Lisa had caused a serious incident, so the Pascal family decided she could no longer stay at the Akates Temple.

  “She’s staying at her family’s estate until she enters the academy.”

  The news hit me like a bolt of lightning. It seemed the Pascal family had made up their minds to separate me from Lisa entirely. My heart ached at this unexpected parting.

  I fully recovered about two weeks later and resumed my usual life. Thanks to the nuns’ dedicated care, I was able to regain my strength.

  I missed Lisa so much that it drove me mad. Yet, I knew I had to start fending for myself. Lisa, who had always been by my side, was no longer here. With only a short time left before I had to leave the temple, I had to become independent.

  After getting back to work, I slowly gained recognition at the workshop. It wasn’t much, but I even started receiving a proper wage. I spent most of my days at the workshop, only returning to the Loreil Hall for sleep.

  After a few months passed, I was promoted from doing odd jobs around the workshop to an official apprentice. I even earned the right to sell my handcrafted items to jewelry stores under my own name.

  Then one day, a letter came from Lisa.

  Contrary to my hopes, it was a brief note.

  She heard that I had regained consciousness and assured me not to worry about her.

  She passed the academy entrance exam with top honors, and there was a senior student who had been helping her with her magic training. She’d grown quite close to him and was relying on him for guidance.

  She concluded the letter by saying she’d visit the Akates Temple during the summer break.

  I was happy to receive a letter from her, but after reading it, a strange emptiness lingered.

  Lisa’s words felt distant, unlike the way she usually treated me.

  I tried to brush off my unease, convincing myself she was just busy or under heavy scrutiny by her family.

  I immediately wrote her a reply, but even after winter came, a new year began, and spring flowers bloomed—there was still no follow-up letter.

  It felt like a part of my heart had been hollowed out.

  To distract myself from the void, I threw myself deep into my work, honing my metalworking skills.

  By summer, my craft had significantly improved, and more and more people began seeking out my work. Though I wasn’t wealthy, I was earning enough to support myself.

  One day, as I was heading to the workshop, Sister Dolores stopped me.

  “Lisa said she’d be stopping by during the break after finishing her first semester.”

  Upon hearing that, my heart raced with excitement. The thought of seeing Lisa again filled me with anticipation.

  The next day, I poured all my effort into crafting a necklace for Lisa.

  I modeled the pendant after the Elcanto flower, the flower she adored the most.

  I anxiously waited for time to pass.

  Finally, the day of Lisa’s arrival came. I skipped work at the workshop, eager to see her again.

  From a distance, I saw a lavishly decorated carriage approaching the temple, greeted by waving nuns and priests. I stood far behind them, watching the scene unfold

  The carriage entered the temple’s garden before its door finally opened. The first to step out was a tall, handsome man. He was strikingly good-looking, standing at least a head taller than me, with refined, aristocratic attire. His every movement exuded the grace of the nobility. Some of the nuns couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

  Then, holding his hand, Lisa stepped out.

  She looked dazzlingly beautiful. Her expressions and gestures radiated a fresh, vibrant energy. Her hair was perfectly styled, her features flawless, and she wore a silver silk dress that made her seem like a being from another world.

  Lisa and the man greeted everyone warmly. The once solemn temple garden now felt as lively as a festival.

  Even though this was the reunion I had longed for, I couldn’t bring myself to approach her. I had worn my best clothes, but they were just shabby work attire, and my palms and nails were stained with grease that wouldn’t wash off no matter how hard I tried.

  Despite their busy greetings, the man and Lisa never let go of each other’s hand, their fingers still tightly entwined.

  I froze in place, feeling a heavy weight settle in my chest. Without even greeting her, I left the scene.

  I wandered through the city streets, wanting to throw everything away and escape the world.

  Sitting by the fountain in the square, I fiddled with the necklace I had intended to give to Lisa all day long. I couldn't find the courage to face them directly.

  It wasn’t until sunset that I returned to the temple. I had been gone for so long that the temple was entirely dark.

  In the garden, I saw a silhouette pacing alone. When they spotted me, they ran straight toward me.

  It was Lisa…

  “There you are. Where did even you go? I thought I wouldn’t get the chance to see you.”

  I had an ominous feeling upon seeing Lisa. I intentionally avoided her gaze.

  “…Hello.”

  “I’m so relieved you’re healthy,”

  I consciously kept my voice cold.

  “…Yeah. Who were you waiting for?”

  “You, you dummy. I have something I really need to tell you. I’ve been wondering how you’ve been too. Let’s go for a walk while we talk.”

  We left the temple and headed down the path we used to stroll along as children. The moonlight gently illuminated the way.

  Even though we walked the same path we always had, something felt different. If it had been the Lisa of a year ago, she would’ve run into my arms the moment she saw me. Now, she didn’t even hold my hand, let alone ask for a hug.

  We exchanged updates about our lives.

  “Is work at the workshop going well? Are you still working there?”

  “Yeah. I’ve been doing well enough that I can sell things under my own name now.”

  “That’s great.”

  “How about you?”

  “Everything’s good. I got into the Magic Department at Eternia Academy. I even managed to take first place this semester.”

  “That’s great.”

  “…And I found someone I like while attending the academy.”

  My heart sank.

  “Sorry for suddenly springing this on you. If you had been at the temple earlier, I would’ve introduced you. It’s a shame you couldn’t meet Senior Elliott.”

  “...”

  “Senior Elliott and I kept a good relationship throughout the semester, and we recently decided to start dating.”

  I had suspected it the moment I saw them arrive together, holding hands. I had just been in denial, avoiding the truth.

  “He seems like a good person.”

  “He is. He came to visit while I was staying at my family’s estate after leaving the temple. We got to know each other, and he helped me prepare for the entrance exam.”

  “...”

  “Senior Elliott knows what kind of man my uncle is. He protected me. As the eldest son of the Felton family, my uncle couldn’t do anything to him. And the only reason I’m even here is because of Senior Elliott.”

  Daren Felton, the head of the Felton family, was currently the commander of the Imperial Knights. Elliott was the heir to one of the most powerful families, far beyond my reach—a world completely different from my own.

  “I’m sorry for suddenly bringing this up, but I really needed to tell you.”

  Lisa had waited all evening to properly end things between us.

  "...Can you tell me why?"

  "Why what...?"

  "Why your feelings changed."

  It was a pathetic question, but I just had to know. Beyond the hurt it might cause me now, I needed closure. My mother had left without an explanation, and that had tormented me for years.

  “…Do I really have to say it?”

  “Yes. It’s something I need to hear.”

  Lisa thought for a long time before opening her mouth, “Everything changed after that day. It’s my fault that you nearly died. If I hadn’t insisted on going after the star fragment, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

  “...”

  “You did everything you could to protect me, but in the end, you almost lost your life. We were lucky that the Wraith retreated, but in any normal situation, we would’ve both died.

  “That’s when I realized—I couldn’t keep clinging to memories and emotions. If I did, it’ll only end with the both of us being hurt. I imagined what it would’ve been like if Senior Elliott had been in your place that day. He would’ve been able to defeat the Wraith and stay by my side, and we would’ve found the star fragment together. He’s strong and reliable enough to be able to do that.”

  “...”

  “And above all, you can’t stay by my side anymore, but Senior Elliott can.”

  “...”

  “I’m sorry.”

  It made perfect sense once I heard it.

  I had been a fool. Deep down, I had hoped that no matter what hardships came our way, Lisa would remain steadfast in her love for me. I had ignored the differences in status, distance, wealth, and talent, believing that love alone would be enough.

  But anyone in Lisa’s position would have made the same choice.

  The only advantage I had over that man was our shared memories. Lisa’s life was blossoming, and her future was bright. She would go on to meet better people, have better experiences, and the memories and attachments of her childhood would be replaced with new ones.

  It was the best thing that could have possibly happened to her.

  It hurt terribly, but I could accept it.

  I accepted the fact that my role in Lisa’s life was finally over.