Just as Seo-yeon took a step to approach Cedric, Aika, who had been wary of her from the start, stepped forward and raised her katana to stop her from getting any closer.

This caused Seo-yeon to halt, and a sad frown crossed her face.

Then, Aika’s expression darkened as she tightened her grip on the hilt.

"You... what are you planning? What are you?" Her voice grew sharp with accusation. "Why are you doing this?"

A dark silence suddenly fell between them. Seo-yeon bit her lip and looked down for a few seconds before exhaling tiredly.

When she looked up again, she alternated gazes between Aika and Cedric. At that moment, her frown slowly disappeared and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"I’m really glad to see that you guys have actually bonded and are looking out for each other."

The frown returned and she sighed. "Forgive me, Min-jun, but I said that I would only tell you everything after your friends left and you were left alone."

"Huh?" Cedric frowned, but before he could say anything else, Seo-yeon shot forward toward Aika.

She was so fast that before Cedric or Aika could react, she grabbed Aika by her sides, spun her around, and pushed her into the massive blue bridge.

"No!"

Both Cedric and Aika yelled as they reached out for each other, but it was too late. The image of Aika reaching out her hand while being swallowed up by the blue bridge reflected in Cedric’s teary blue eyes.

And then... she was gone.

"Aika!" Cedric yelled her name until his throat burned, but the bridge remained silent.

"No, no, no." He began to frantically search his own skin as he reached for his sleeve and rolled it back to check for her tattoo, but he couldn’t find it. He tried to summon her, but then his heart sank into his stomach as he noticed that he could no longer feel her presence.

He could no longer feel his bond at all.

’Why can’t I feel her?’

Cedric panicked.

It suddenly felt like he was cut off from half of his own soul, and even when he tried to establish a mental connection with her, he felt nothing but a cold, empty void.

"What did you do?!" he yelled in fury and desperation as he turned toward Seo-yeon. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Afraid that he had lost Aika forever, he stepped closer to Seo-yeon and yelled again threateningly, "Answer me!"

He was so enraged that he didn’t even notice when his entire frame had erupted in black flames that licked the air with a hungry intensity. His blue eyes had changed to a cold, abyssal black, devoid of any light.

Only after a few seconds did Cedric notice the flames, and when he did, his rage stuttered and he faltered in confusion.

"See?" Seo-yeon stepped closer to him until they were mere inches apart. "Aika is safe."

She ignored the flames and placed a gentle hand on Cedric’s chest to calm him down. The black in his eyes then receded until the blue returned, and the flames flickered out into thin air.

The fact that he could still use his powers meant that she was okay, at least. But why couldn’t he feel her?

He was so worried.

"Why did you do that?" he finally asked, his voice carrying a mix of remnant rage and worry.

Seo-yeon smiled and exhaled exasperatedly. "I can see that you really care for her. But... I’m hurt, you know."

She pouted and looked to the side. "Hmph. Even though we have known each other much longer and were literally a couple, I can’t believe you didn’t even speak to me or try to reach out until you thought she was in danger. Plus, imagine if I were not immune to the flames; I would have been hurt by now."

’Ah...’

Cedric was speechless. After a few seconds, he began to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.

’I did know you were immune though. Anyone who can use the flames is immune to it.’ he mused, but he didn’t say it out loud.

Seo-yeon smiled again and adjusted her glasses. She turned around and began slowly walking away, with both hands in the pockets of her hoodie.

"I’m sorry I had to do that," she said softly. "But it was the only way for you to break free from the authority of the God of Unearned Misfortune."

’God of Unearned Misfortune? There’s a way to get rid of admin privileges?’

Cedric suddenly began to feel lightheaded as hope surged through him like a physical tide.

Seo-yeon stopped walking and turned back to him, gesturing with her head toward the path ahead. "Come on. I’ve missed you. Don’t you miss me too? Let’s have some time alone together."

A small frown creased her brow, but she tried to hide it as she turned and continued walking into the distance.

***

Some time later, Cedric and Seo-yeon could be seen sitting side by side on top of the massive walls which surrounded the obsidian palace. Their legs were dangling over the edge of the sheer stone cliff, and the wind kept playing with their hair.

This quiet moment of peace suddenly reminded Cedric of the first time he and Seo-yeon had gone to the beach.

He wanted to reminisce, but there were other important matters pressing against his mind. As much as he missed the simplicity of their past, the mystery of everything and the disappearance of Aika hung between them, demanding answers.

After a long moment of silence, he turned to her, but just as he was about to speak, she dipped her hand into her inventory. Something about it caught Cedric’s attention. Unlike the inventories the Lords used, which usually appeared as a shimmering blue portal, hers was invisible, just like his.

He watched her take out a Melona bar.

"You used to like this, remember?" she said as she tore open the packaging and extended the bright green bar to him. "I brought one with me when I was brought to this world."

Cedric looked at it, but he hesitated.

Seo-yeon frowned and took a small bite of it herself, then extended it again.

"See? Not poisoned or anything."

Cedric exhaled, wondering why their relationship had ever gotten to this point. He reached out and took the sweet, frozen treat, the familiar scent of honeydew melon feeling completely alien against the backdrop of this entire realm.

He took a bite of it himself, and O Lord, it was so good. It was better than he remembered, even. He ended up finishing the whole thing in silence.

A second later, however, the sweetness faded and his expression turned cold again. He turned to her and, after finding his voice, he asked, "Why did you lie to me?"

Seo-yeon stopped rocking her legs and turned to him. She stared at him for a moment, then sighed and turned away. "I never lied to you. Not once. Yes, I may have hidden a lot from you, but I never once lied."

Cedric narrowed his eyes at her profile. "We could have had a good life, you know? We would have bought the apartment complex we wanted. We would have spent our lives together." He paused for a bit, before adding with a trembling voice, "Why? Why did you take that away from us?"

Seo-yeon sniffed and closed her eyes to hold back her tears. Eventually, she spoke in a whisper. "I didn’t take you away from Earth, Min-jun. I brought you back to your world."

What?

When Cedric heard that, his eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?" he asked.

But rather than answer the question directly, Seo-yeon asked, "Have you ever wondered why you are so strong, Cedric?"

"Huh?" He arched a brow in confusion.

Then, Seo-yeon turned back to him and added, "In this world, you are the son of a baron. Yet, you can raise the dead or completely erase someone from existence. Have you wondered why you have power that even the son of a viscount or count wouldn’t possess?"

Cedric was stumped. He had always thought the reason he possessed a strong bond and such overwhelming power was due to his uniqueness as a transmigrator. He had never once questioned the logic behind it. Was there actually a reason why he was gifted with such terrifying abilities?

Seeing his confused expression, Seo-yeon forced a smile and delivered the truth.

"You, Min-jun, are of the royal family."