Lara Point of View

  The Next Day

  "Oh, you're a mage at your academy?" I asked the student in front of me, who was currently using her powers.

  "Yeah, I am," she replied enthusiastically. "By the way, what's your secret ingredient for this fried chicken?" She pointed to the dish, speaking informally since we were about the same age. I felt a bit uneasy—sure, I was 20, but still... it's quite uncomfortable

  Dam* this system to be honest.

  "It's a secret," I said with a playful smile.

  "Oh, by the way, since you learned it, do you use synthesis?" I asked her, curious.

  "You know synthesis?" she asked, surprise lighting up her face.

  "Yeah, I do. ," I explained. I used it all the time, allowing me to sense the auras of people around us.

  "Are you also from the academy?" she inquired.

  "Well apparently , I'm not," I replied, trying to keep it casual.

  "That's shocking! It's rare for an outsider to know about synthesis and its purpose," she said, her eyes widening. I thought to myself, Little do you know, I'm using it right now.

  "Well, I do find it hard to learn synthesis. Even a warrior struggles to learn Stygma," she mentioned.

  "Is that so?" I said, continuing to serve her. I recalled how she had left her badge the last time we met.

  "I also know someone who learned synthesis in just four months," I said, thinking of Thailon.

  "So that might be why you know about it," she concluded, and I smiled at her reaction.

  "But that guy must be incredible to learn synthesis in just four months—it must be a lie!" she exclaimed.

  "Well, I'm not lying," I said, a grin spreading across my face.

  "It's true—he learned synthesis in four months, and Stygma in three," I added, recalling his determination.

  "He also knows Stygma?" she asked, her disbelief evident. "If he learned both, he must have been an amazing adventurer."

  "Yes, he was," I answered, a bittersweet feeling washing over me as I remembered him. Yes, he was. But he might be too far gone now.

  Someone Point of View

  Lara, my sunshine.

  I still can't find a way to bring her back. All I have now is the item she gave me—the one that lost its shine the moment she died. I've tried everything, but nothing works. Even building the academy she dreamed of, the one she wanted to call a "school," hasn't helped. I created it hoping to discover a way to bring her back, but it's all been for nothing.

  All for nothing.

  She is really gone but why is it so hard foor me to accept this? It's been 200 years I don't really somehow recall her voice but-

  Flashback

  "You really are clinging to me, child, just because of that little trinket," Lara teased as I polished the item she had given me, her voice soft but playful. She always called me a child, despite me being older than her—at least in years. But that was Lara, always smiling, always teasing, treating me like I was still a little boy.

  I didn't mind. I was used to it.

  "That's the only reason you joined us, isn't it?" she continued, handing me a plate of her signature fried rice and a simple, homey meal. It smelled as good as it always did, making my mouth water.

  "Youngsters nowadays, all for their own benefit," she added, shaking her head with a chuckle.

  She acted like I was still a kid, but I didn't argue. Instead, I accepted the food, savoring the aroma as she sat down next to me, her scent mingling with the smell of herbs and spices.

  "You smell like an old person," I teased her, a small grin on my face. I want her to take it as an insult.

  She didn't take offense—she never did.

  Instead, she laughed, that bright, infectious sound I always here from her that happiness she had. "All those medicinal herbs smell good. Don't underestimate them," she said, her smile fading slightly as she looked up at the night sky.

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  It was something we all noticed—how her expression would change when she looked at the stars. She always seemed so... distant, as if her mind was somewhere else, somewhere far away.

  "Lara, why do you always stare at the stars?" I asked.

  She looked at me, her eyes thoughtful. "Thailon, do you want to hear a story?" she asked, her tone softening. She was treating me like a child again, but I let her, as always.

  "Sure," I said, more out of curiosity than anything else.

  "There's another world beyond this one," she began, her voice taking on a solemn tone. "A world where monsters don't exist."

  I raised an eyebrow, half-expecting more nonsense. But she continued.

  "In that world, people live their lives without the threat of demons or beasts. But even without monsters, people still suffer. Suffering isn't something you can escape from."

  I nodded. "Suffering happens everywhere."

  "Exactly," she agreed. "But in that world, there are places called schools, where children can learn. And malls, where people gather to shop and laugh. I miss those things—watching children with dreams in their eyes, learning and growing. Oh and tall building, bustling sound of a car and so on so forth"

  "Why do you care so much about helping people?" I asked, my voice low. For me, defeating the demon lord was nothing more than a duty, a necessity. But Lara... she did it out of compassion.

  "Because there are people far less fortunate than us. They have dreams too, and I don't want to see them trampled on. Everyone deserves the chance to dream."

  I sighed. "But we're unfortunate too, you know."

  "Yes, we are," she said, her gaze still fixed on the stars. "But some people are more unfortunate than us—they can't even afford a proper meal."

  That night, the sky was dark, the fire the only source of light. Yet, in that moment, Lara shone brighter than all the stars combined. I watched her, that warmth in my heart growing—until everything changed.

  "No... no, no, no!" I had cried, dropping to my knees. Lara lay dying in front of me, cursed by something none of us had seen coming. Even the priest couldn't help. She smiled at us, even as her life slipped away.

  "Don't... don't leave me," I whispered, my voice breaking.

  But she was gone.

  End of Flashback

  My head throbbed, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push the memory away. Suddenly, the item in my hands—the one Lara had given me—glimmered. Just for a moment, but it was enough to make me gasp.

  "Am I hallucinating?" I muttered to myself. It had been a long day, and maybe I was just seeing things.

  Then the phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I picked it up quickly, my heart still racing from the sudden burst of light.

  "High Elder," the voice on the other end said, hurried and panicked, "the item that Laraeon, the Greatest Hero, owned... it shattered. Ynahva's in a panic right now!"

  "Shattered?" I echoed, my pulse quickening. "How could a high-class wand just shatter? It's level Z! Who's the idiot responsible?"

  "No one knows," the voice replied, sounding equally frantic. "It just... it shattered out of nowhere."

  My heart pounded in my chest. Could it be...?

  "Lara..." I whispered, gripping the phone tightly. My mind raced, my emotions swirling with hope, fear, and longing. "Could she... could she be back?"

  After all these years... had one of those bastards finally done it? Had they finally found a way to bring her back?

  My sunshine.

  "Lara..." I breathed, my heart aching with the possibility. "You're back."

  Lara's Point of View

  I strolled through the shop, leisurely picking up the usual supplies for the restaurant—flour, spices, and a few fresh vegetables. The familiar rustle of my list in hand gave a sense of normalcy, something I cherished in this quiet life. But, as expected, Fernin's scrunched-up nose and disapproving glance broke that peace.

  "You stink," he muttered bluntly, crossing his arms. The boy had a sharp tongue and an even sharper sense of smell.

  I couldn't help but laugh, tossing him a playful grin. "It's just herbal oil, my dear brother. It's refreshing, you know? Why don't you give it a try? Might lighten up that gloomy aura of yours."

  "No thanks," he responded quickly, turning away in disgust, as though the very thought of touching the oil would ruin his day.

  The way he acted like that—so picky, so serious—it always made me chuckle. The kid was too much sometimes. I shrugged, watching him wander off to the other aisles, gathering whatever it was he needed.

  "Fine, you go on ahead. I still have a few things to grab," I called after him, and he waved dismissively without turning around. Always in a rush, that one.

  With a sigh, I turned back to my list, but my mind wandered as I moved through the shop. Living a life like this—running a restaurant tucked away by the woods—hadn't been part of my grand plan. But now? Now, it felt right. The simplicity of it, the quiet... it had its charm. And yet, the weight of everything I had left behind still tugged at me. The memories, they lingered, haunting me even in the most mundane moments.

  Supplies in hand, I made my way back to the restaurant, breathing in the crisp, cool air of the surrounding forest.

  The restaurant sat nestled among the trees, peaceful and far removed from the chaos of the city. Business was good—people came from miles around to taste the meals I poured my heart into. There was even talk of expanding, maybe adding a few rooms to offer shelter to travelers.

  But then I froze. My heart skipped a beat as I noticed a familiar figure standing near the entrance, tall and lean with platinum-blue hair glinting under the morning light. The sharp points of his ears—there was no mistaking it. Thailon.

  He stood there, staring up at the restaurant's sign, seemingly lost in thought. For a moment, I could hardly breathe. After two hundred years, there he was, standing as though no time had passed at all. How was it possible? He should have been long gone, like the rest.

  Should I pretend not to know him? He never believed my stories the first time we met. Back then, he had brushed it all off as the wild imaginings of a child.

  Taking a steadying breath, I walked forward, keeping my expression neutral. "Sir," I called out, my voice surprisingly steady despite the storm inside me, "the restaurant doesn't open until nine. I'm afraid you'll have to come back later."

  Thailon turned, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. His face was unreadable, but the familiarity of his presence sent a shiver through me.

  "Are you the owner of this place?" he asked, his voice carrying the same quiet authority it had so long ago.

  I nodded. "Yes, I am."

  He glanced at the menu posted outside, and his brow furrowed. "This menu... who taught you how to make these dishes?"

  My breath caught in my throat. The menu—it was the same one from centuries ago, the one I had crafted with him and the rest of our party in mind. Keeping my composure, I forced a smile. "My mother taught me."

  For a moment, he said nothing, just studying me. His silence hung heavy in the air, the unspoken questions thicker than the morning fog. And then, without warning, his stomach growled loudly, breaking the tension.

  I stifled a laugh. Of course, some things never change.

  "I can offer you some coffee while you wait," I said, gesturing to a small table outside. To my surprise, he sat down without protest.

  As I prepared the coffee, my mind raced. Did he suspect? Did he know? Thailon wasn't the type to miss subtle details, but could he really believe that after all this time, I was still here? But still he sis alive and seems to be suffering.