– Frey Starlight's POV –
Yawn
Wearing the official uniform of the Temple's elite class, I made my way toward the classroom.
Everything felt like a dream ... as if I'd stepped a full year back in time to when I first set foot in this place. But anyone could tell that the Frey who walked these halls now was no longer the same as the Frey from back then… not by a long shot.
The whispers around me were living proof of that.
"That's him… the one who won the Victoriad."
"The man who defeated the hero."
"Don't make eye contact! He's a criminal."
"I heard he just got out of Alkatraz… only days ago."
"Terrifying…"
Thanks to my enhanced senses, I could hear every word with painful clarity.
They repeated my damned name so often I almost wanted to change it.
Frey, Frey, Frey, Frey… I swear, if one more person says it—
"Frey!"
"…"
"Haha, you're back! Look at you!"
Slap!
Danzo slammed his palm on my back ... just a slap, but it sent me two meters forward before I caught myself.
"It's been a while, Danzo."
"It really has. So, how was Alkatraz? Is it really the hell everyone says it is?"
It had been some time since I last saw him, but I felt an odd sense of emptiness at how easily he glossed over the fact that I was a criminal who'd just left the most notorious prison in the Empire. Instead, he treated it like I'd just returned from a vacation.
That kind of backwards thinking… I guess it's why I never minded him too much.
Adjusting my posture, I replied.
"Other than the time distortion, it was pretty normal."
"Really? I heard people go insane in there."
"Do I look insane to you?"
"You looked insane before you went in! Haha!"
Slap!
He hit me again as we walked toward the classroom, chatting the whole way.
"That's good for you, Frey."
"How exactly is any of this crap 'good for me'?"
"You've got a criminal record now. That probably makes you look tougher… Maybe I should finally drop the whole 'pretty boy' label."
That again…
"I'd really appreciate that."
"Your face isn't helping. Even with the dark circles under your eyes, you still look like the damn princess."
Somehow the conversation swerved toward her now, which made me ask instinctively:
"The princess?"
Seeing I didn't catch his meaning, Danzo clarified.
"Oh right, you've only just returned. It's not a big deal, really. The princess's been spacing out a lot lately. She's got worse bags under her eyes than you."
He paused for a moment before adding:
"Seeing her like that… reminded me of you, somehow."
Those last words made me wonder ... how exactly had others seen me? I hadn't given it much thought over the past two years. I never really cared about what people thought of me.
But from what Danzo said… something was definitely going on with Sansa.
"Everyone's got their own struggles," I murmured.
Danzo nodded.
"You're right."
The princess...
Thinking about Sansa inevitably brought Aegon into the picture.
I wondered what he was scheming now, especially since I'd grown into something far bigger than he probably expected.
Our relationship had become unclear, but one thing was certain ... he was my enemy.
And I fully intended to settle things with him very soon.
After all… I now had the one card that would let me play his game on my terms.
While lost in my train of thought, we eventually arrived at the classroom.
Most of the others from Class B were already there. The only new face was Daemon Valerion, who apparently preferred attending our sessions over those in Class A.
We arrived on time, so I didn't get the chance to talk to anyone else except Danzo.
Before heading to his seat, he turned to me with a grin.
"Better watch your back, Frey. I'm coming for that top rank."
When I looked at his card, I noticed he now held the fourth rank in the class.
'Why don't you challenge the second and third first… then come bother me.'
I sighed and leaned back against the desk at the back of the room.
Before the professor arrived, I quickly scanned the students in the room.
Ragna, Seris, and the princess.
She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes not unlike mine.
Hawk Eyes noticed something else ... an odd shift in her golden hair. It had grown slightly darker.
As I stared at her, she noticed and met my gaze. I waved, and she returned it, though her expression didn't change at all.
Just seeing her again made me recall the power she once displayed…
Somehow, she possessed a strength normally reserved for demons.
It could easily be mistaken for the Supreme Shadow Trait, but I knew better. There was something else.
What exactly was she hiding?
I pondered that, but was interrupted by the creak of the door ... and the arrival of a face that instantly surprised me.
That violet hair… She walked in wearing a long black coat, her expression grim ...a stark contrast to the image I once had of her.
"Sophia…"
I muttered her name without realizing it. Apparently, she heard me ... because her eyes landed on me right away.
"Oh, Frey Starlight. So, you've finally returned."
I nodded at her words.
"Yeah…"
"Good. Now your class can finally resume proper training."
She was brief and to the point, starting the lesson without delay.
Given the Empire's current state, Temple lessons had become almost entirely practical. We rarely sat for theory anymore.
Sophia had us sparring in pairs, only stepping in to offer occasional pointers.
She was especially effective with the Wave Controllers ...her specialty.
But when it came to me, she'd simply nod and move on. It seemed there was nothing she could teach me now.
To be honest, I hadn't expected her return.
After the infiltration incident, Sophia was supposed to leave the Temple for good.
Back then, she lost consciousness when Aegon appeared and defeated Kai Luc ...she never witnessed the massacre that followed.
Eventually, she was meant to investigate, digging until she discovered that the true culprit… was the prince himself.
She'd turn against him and seek revenge, only to be manipulated and discarded in the end.
That was her tragic fate.
And yet, here we were ... the future had shifted once again, and Sophia had returned as our instructor.
I couldn't help but feel a bit curious. What kind of future awaited her now?