A Walk with Eternity-Chapter 54: Tears and teasing

Lysander simply kept his gaze on Nilsine, resting her head on his lap. He noticed that she seems to have somewhat calmed down now. Her face is relaxed and blank, her gaze softened, and her shoulders were released from tension. She’s not even bothering to look at the training grounds where all their friends are currently in.

It didn’t feel as if they were literally trying to kill each other an hour ago.

Well, that’s how it’s always been with the two of them anyway. Always bickering, always the duo with the most violent duels, and always labeling each other with filthy names. At least that’s how Lysander remembers both of them.

Just two clashing friends who are enemies most of the time.

"How did you know?" Lysander asks. "How did you know my body was possessed by another? Did you meet me outside?"

Nilsine stayed silent for a few moments before she let out a sigh.

"Yes... The worst part is that you were talking to Heins himself."

Lysander was taken aback. How in the world... that soul knows Heins?

Seeing his reaction, Nilsine decided to continue explaining the whole situation to him.

"You didn’t recognize me, nor did you even acknowledge my presence when I was in the same room as you were. Although I had a feeling that the person in front of me wasn’t you, I kept denying it," Nilsine says, her voice somewhat low and meek. "I nearly vomited my organs out when I learned from Heins that it wasn’t you... but someone else had taken your body."

After finding out about Luna’s condition, she joined them with the goal of protecting Luna in case anything happens. However, when Luna disappeared and became unreachable, she became skeptical with what she joined the High Angels for. It didn’t last long for her to meet Lysander in flesh again, only to find out that Heins had taken his body and had a subordinate occupy that very same body.

"I left the High Angels. I couldn’t bear the thought of our friends drowning in tears of betrayal. Kian and the others deserve to know what has been happening to all of us..." Nilsine continued. Lysander softened as he saw tears forming on the corner of her eyes. She couldn’t hold her tears anymore.

"I can’t fight alone anymore... I need you all with me..."

Her confession completely broke his heart. He could feel chest tightening from the sound of her voice. All of this happened because they couldn’t search for them, they couldn’t save them earlier...

To keep himself from shedding a single tear, his hand gently caressed her cheek and wiped off her tears with his thumb. "It’s alright now... We’ll be okay now... Stop crying, please. You know I don’t deal with a woman’s tears very well."

"I can’t help it, you fool! How am I supposed to stop crying!"

Her voice echoed through the hall, catching the attention of all the others.

"Nilsine!"

Her whining was kept short when she heard a familiar voice of a woman. She pulled herself up and turned her head to the grounds, only to see familiar faces rushing towards her direction.

"Luna?!"

Dolunay was desperate, she was close to crying as much as Nilsine currently is.

Her feet moved on their own, catching the faerie in her arms as she flew in for an embrace.

"Oh my, you’re really here..." Nilsine mumbled under her breath, feeling the

"I want a hug too!" Milera runs to join in quickly. Rue didn’t fail to join a little more calmly than the other two.

All four girls hugged each other tightly, refusing to let go. Nilsine’s already teary eyes wandered around as she saw shadow figures closing in on the group hug. She looked up only to see her elf friend, Cimmerian, already awake and healthy, her beastman friend, Ezio, still smiling as ever, and her annoying cousin, Kian.

"You’re all here... I can’t believe it..." Nilsine’s heart was jumping in complete joy, seeing all of her friends here together in one place. All healthy, and in one piece. Her tears, no matter how surprised she was, couldn’t stop from falling.

"Well, some stupid deity gathered us all together again..." Kian says, making way for the man behind him.

Her eyes widened in shock seeing a mature version of her savior from childhood.

"Yves...?!"

The one person she didn’t expect was here, looking more handsome than ever.

Syvestian smiles at her, "Yes, that’s my name."

Is this why... they’re all here...?

"Ah... you saved us again... didn’t you..." Nilsine mumbled.

He kept his promise to be with us...

Syvestian simply smiles.

"Why don’t all of us head inside and have breakfast? I think it’s best to catch up with some food," Syvestian suggested.

"Ah... then let’s head to my private garden," Rue says, slowly pulling away from their hug. "That way no one can see Nilsine with us for now..."

The others nodded. It was better to take precautions than completely expose to the public that they are dining with a convict.

"Well, as long as it’s not as suffocating as last night," Lysander chimes in, only for Rue to look away in embarrassment.

"Well, I’m sorry for being so awkward and distant..." Rue explains, pouting her lips. "I just felt like I didn’t deserve to even converse with you all like before..."

Nilsine raised a brow at her statement. "Haven’t I told you weeks ago that you should tell them everything to feel less burdened that way?"

"Well, she did explain it," Milera joins, pulling away slowly, leaving only Dolunay embracing Nilsine tightly. "But she ran away before we asked more questions about what happened for the past few years..."

"What?! I did not run away!" Rue raised her voice, hellbent on denying the claims that were being thrown at her.

"She did," Cimmerian joins calmly, backing up Milera.

"And she ran to Yves instead," Ezio teased with a grin. Rue’s face slowly began to burn and flush.

"So all of us saw that huh," Lysander says with a smirk.

"Oh~? Nilsine smirked and joined in with a teasing tone. "Is that so~"

"Ugh, silence all of you!" Rue shouts, clearly embarrassed. She runs towards Syvestian and pulls his hand, taking her with him. "I’m going to ask the servants to prepare and I’m taking Yves with me! Do you best to hide Nilsine from sight without Yves!"

"Have the best time of your life, Your Majesty!" Kian shouted, refusing to be excluded from the group teasing. "But I guess today wouldn’t beat what happened last night!"

"Close that mouth of yours before I do so myself!"

With that last sentence, they completely disappeared from their sights. Syvestian didn’t even bother stopping the lady from dragging him away, which only fueled their need to tease them more.

"Now then..." Kian says, turning over to Nilsine and focusing on the faerie latched onto her. "When will you let Sin go, Luna?"

"What, are you jealous now?" Nilsine certainly was in the mood for teasing that she jumped from teasing the empress of the Empire of the Amadeus Oceana to the crown prince of the Slora Empire.

Kian rolled his eyes.

"Why would I be jealous of a mere hug? Last night, she already—"

Before he could even finish his own sentence, the faerie was quick to cover his mouth with her hands—yes, both hands—to stop him from speaking any further.

That drew suspicious stares from everyone else.

"Last night, she what?" Ezio raised a brow.

"Yes, what was it?" Milera joined in to interrogate.

These two were definitely going to tease Dolunay to death.

"It’s nothing! We were spying on Rue and Yves last night too!" Dolunay frantically answers them, but none of them seem convinced at all.

Nilsine, with all these happening before her eyes, felt lighter than ever. It felt as though they went back in time, when they were merely training to be strong.

"I’m glad..." she says. "I’m glad to be with you all again..."

She never imagined such a day would come again after everything that had happened.

"Well, we’re not complete ten yet," Lysander stepped next to her. "There’s still Darian left."

Nilsine’s face completely darkened at the mention of that name.

Oh... right, they don’t know about him yet...

All of them noticed the change in Nilsine’s expression upon the mention of Darian’s name. They immediately knew there was something going on that they didn’t know of. They all glanced at each other as if asking whether they should ask her about it, but Kian shook his head.

"Let’s discuss all matters with Yves later," he says, then looks directly to Nilsine. "You’re not getting away from all the questions later, Sin. You can’t hide anything anymore."

Nilsine sighs.

"Not that I plan to either way," she confessed, shrugging her shoulders. "I’m not letting them get away with their plans any further, especially that angel son of a bitch."

Did she just cuss out Darian...?

They weren’t shocked, but they were definitely confused by her words. Seeing her react so openly like this now makes them conclude that she somewhat has knowledge about Darian’s whereabouts and current business.

Uh... what did he do now?

In their minds, Darian definitely stirred up some trouble.