Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece-Chapter 90: The Same, But Not [2]

[Eleanora POV]

The strawberry shortcake sat between them. A delicate tower of sponge, cream, and fresh berries glistening under the soft pink lights of the cafe.

The air smelled sweet, almost too sweet. But it was the kind of place people went to pretend life was simpler than it really was.

Eleanora watched as Kyle picked up his fork, hesitating for just a second before digging in.

His expression didn’t change much. He wasn’t the type to show excitement over dessert.

But she knew him well enough to catch the subtle signs. A small, satisfied hum escaped him as the sweetness hit his tongue.

His shoulders relaxed just a fraction, and his fingers curled slightly around the fork, like he was savoring the moment.

’The same reaction.’

That little noise.

The way he held himself.

It was all so him.

The same Kyle from her past life.

And yet...

She traced the rim of her teacup with her fingertip, her mind racing.

Something was different.

It had happened during the spar with Cedric.

She remembered every detail. The way Cedric had pushed Kyle to the edge of the training hall. His sword flashing in a brutal downward strike.

Kyle had been cornered, outmatched in raw strength.

In her past life, he would have taken the hit, gritted his teeth, and gotten back up.

But this time?

A jagged shield of frost had formed in the air just in time. Intercepting Cedric’s blade with a sharp crack.

’Ice.’

Her breath had caught. She had nearly dropped her phone.

’How?’

’Why?’

’He only has lightning affinity before.’

’Why does he have the ice affinity now?’

Kyle wasn’t supposed to have another element.

Countless question flashed in her mind.

Her chest had tightened, a cold dread creeping in.

’What if he’s not the same Kyle I remember?’

What if someone. Or something. Had taken his place? A skinwalker? A demon?

No. That wouldn’t make sense.

She had watched him closely after that. The same stubbornness as before. The same sharp tongue when he faced Cedric again.

— "Next time, it won’t be the same outcome."

Hearing those words had eased the knot in her chest.

She had observed him till now, her eyes couldn’t be wrong.

That was Kyle. That was him.

But the question remained.

’Since when do you have ice affinity?’

On their way to the infirmary, Kyle had asked her.

— "You are not gonna ask?"

"Ask what?"

— "Why I hid being a deviant."

She had smiled, calm and composed.

"Everyone has secrets, Kyle. I’m not going to pry."

But the truth?

She desperately wanted to ask.

’What else are you hiding?’

’How did you get the ice affinity?’

But she couldn’t.

Not yet.

If he realized she knew things she shouldn’t. Everything would unravel.

So she had pushed her half-eaten slice of cake toward him instead.

"You should try the chocolate layer," she said lightly.

He didn’t hesitate before stabbing his fork into it immediately.

’He still trusts me.’

That was good. That was important.

Even if this Kyle was stronger, even if he had new abilities. He still trusted her.

That might be enough.

In her past life.

Kyle had been Rank 9 at this point, same as now.

But he hadn’t been this strong. He hadn’t been able to stand against her and Cedric so easily. Not in the start of the academy, at least.

She had noticed it before.

During the VR exams, when they had partnered up. His magic was too precise. To controlled. His instincts too sharp.

At first, she had dismissed it. Maybe he had trained harder.

It was a good thing that he was getting stronger.

But now?

Now she couldn’t ignore it.

He wasn’t just stronger.

He was smarter in fights.

The way he had moved in the fight with Cedric. Those weren’t the wild, desperate swings she remembered.

They were calculated. Controlled.

Almost like...

Almost like he had been fighting for years longer than he should have.

But how?

Unless—

Her teacup froze halfway to her lips.

’Unless he remembers things too.’

No. That was impossible.

Wasn’t it?

She studied him harder, searching for any flicker of recognition, any hint that he knew more than he should.

But Kyle just kept eating, oblivious to her scrutiny.

If he did know something, he was hiding it well.

Fine.

She wouldn’t push. Not today.

Let him keep his secrets. She had plenty of her own.

But she would watch.

She’d pay attention to every new skill, every unexpected move.

And if the time came when those secrets put him in danger?

Well.

That’s what she was here for.

To make sure this time ended differently.

No matter what it took.

The cafe’s music swelled around them, some horribly saccharine love song.

Kyle made a face.

"Gods, this place is awful," he muttered.

Eleanora laughed, the sound bright and real.

’Yes. Definitely the same Kyle.’

For now, that was enough.

———

Kyle bid farewell to Eleanora as they parted ways near the academy’s central plaza.

The sun had begun its descent, casting long shadows across the cobblestone paths.

A group of seniors sparred near the training grounds, their blades clashing in rhythmic strikes.

Kyle paused for a moment, watching their fluid movements before continuing toward the faculty quarters.

The door to his and Aurelia’s shared quarters was reinforced with a mana-lock system.

Each awakener had a unique mana signature. They are like fingerprints, impossible to replicate.

Kyle placed his hand on the knob, letting a trickle of his mana flow into the mechanism.

A soft click echoed as the lock disengaged.

"I’m home" he called out, stepping inside.

Silence greeted him. Aurelia wasn’t back yet.

’Of course.’

The instructors were probably still holed up in the observation room, dissecting every second of the exam.

Performance reviews, strength assessments, weakness breakdowns. Each student would receive a detailed report by tonight.

Kyle exhaled, rolling his stiff shoulders.

His body ached, remnants of phantom pain from the simulated battles lingering in his muscles.

A shower first. Then food.

The bathroom tiles were cool underfoot as Kyle stripped off his uniform.

The mirror showed a face worn thin, shadowed eyes, weary lines. Yet beneath the exhaustion, his features retained their sharp with effortless charm.

—

Freshly showered and dressed in loose training pants and a thin shirt.

Kyle padded into the kitchen. The pantry was well-stocked as ever.

He grabbed vegetables, rice, and a slab of seasoned meat.

Simple stir-fry. Quick. Filling.

As he chopped onions, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Then buzzed again. And again.

’What now?’

Wiping his hands on a towel, he pulled out the device. The screen lit up with a flood of notifications.

"Team 7" group chat created.

Roland added Sylvie, Orion, Isolde, and Kyle to the chat.

Roland: Oh, Kyle is here guys.

Kyle blinked.

Kyle: How did you guys get my caller ID?

Sylvie: Luna gave it to me.

’Of course it was Luna.’ Kyle sighed, shaking his head. That girl was a menace.

The messages kept coming.

Roland: Meeting tomorrow? Afternoon? Library workroom?

Sylvie: Yes! But we should review our footage first.

Isolde: Agreed, but didn’t we already discuss this today?

Kyle glanced at the sizzling pan. He flipped the meat with one hand while typing with the other.

Kyle: Noon works.

A pause. Then—

Sylvie: Orion? You have been quiet.

No response.

Roland: He’s probably just reading. You know how he is.

Kyle smiled.

Typical Orion, silent but observant.

The big guy would show up tomorrow with a fully analyzed battle plan scribbled in that tattered notebook of his.

The stir-fry was nearly done.

Kyle added a final dash of spices, the aroma filling the kitchen. As he plated the food.

The front door clicked open just as Kyle was setting the table.

"Smells good," Aurelia’s tired voice called out.

Kyle glanced up to see his sister shuffling in, looking like she’d fought another war.

Her usually perfect ponytail hung half-undone, strands of black hair escaping to frame her exhausted face.

She’d rolled her uniform sleeves to the elbows and washed her hands clean.

"Long day?" Kyle asked, pushing her plate across the counter.

Aurelia collapsed onto a dining chair with a groan. "Grading two hundred exam recordings makes fighting monsters look relaxing."

Kyle snorted, grabbing two glasses from the cupboard. "That bad?"

"You have no idea." She accepted the water he offered.

As he placed a plate of stir-fry in front of her.

She stabbed her fork into the stir-fry and took a bite, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "This is good."

"Thanks. Figured you would be hungry."

Aurelia hummed in agreement, eating in comfortable silence for a moment before glancing at him. "Your team did well, by the way."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Even though we got ambushed by Lyra’s group?"

"Especially because you got ambushed and still won." She pointed her fork at him. "That ice platform move was smart. Risky, but smart."

He shrugged, trying to play it cool despite the praise. "Just reacted."

Aurelia studied him for a second. That piercing look that always made him feel like she could see right through him, then shook her head.

"Whatever you’re doing in your extra training, keep it up."

The conversation lulled as they ate. The only sounds the clink of utensils and the distant shouts of students still celebrating outside.

———