— Frey Starlight's POV —
"Only three days?!"
I asked the startled guard, who was clearly shaken by the sudden appearance of the Starlight heir emerging from the Nightmare land.
"Y-Yes, my lord… technically, this is the third day."
"I see. Return to your post and inform my sister that I've returned."
"Understood."
I gave him the order. Normally, he wouldn't even listen to me ... but after seeing how easily I knocked him down, he didn't dare say a word.
Once the guard ran off, I turned to Snow and Ghost, both still reeling from what had just happened.
"What the hell is going on? I know we weren't keeping perfect track of time, but three days?!"
"I suppose time flows differently here than it does there…"
Somehow, a single day here was equal to an entire month over there ... making our months-long journey feel like a blink of an eye to those on Earth.
"I guess that's a good thing. At least we don't have to explain much."
Ghost chimed in, then looked directly at me.
"Except for one thing."
I knew exactly what he meant.
"No one changes that much in a single day."
The white hair. The colder expression.
I smiled. "You'd be surprised. Even on that other planet, it was just one day."
Technically, yes. But inside my mind… it had felt like years.
"Let's rest at the Starlight estate tonight. I owe you both some answers."
It didn't feel right keeping them in the dark any longer, so I decided to share enough to satisfy their curiosity.
"No need. You don't owe us anything. That journey helped us too."
It expanded their understanding of the vastness of our world ... of the terrifying forces that exist far above us. And something else…
Ghost twirled his aura, feeling the raw strength that had surged within him.
"Spending that long in a place filled with corrupted aura pushed our bodies to adapt."
"Now that you mention it… you're right."
That cursed aura, hostile to life itself, had become the very thing that strengthened us. Bodies that survived hell would thrive in a world still teeming with vitality.
Any gain in strength at this stage was a blessing.
We returned to the Starlight estate—now completely under my sister's control ever since Leonides Starlight's fall.
Staying at the estate worked in my favor. I could do as I pleased.
And within minutes, I found myself face-to-face with my dear sister and Carmen, still faithfully at her side.
As soon as Ada laid eyes on me, her gaze widened in shock. I had expected that reaction.
"I'm back," I said with a faint smile.
She ran up to me. "What happened to you?!"
"A lot… but I'm fine."
"Fine?! Look at your hair! What's with your face?!"
Her hysterics as the elder sister—who had recently taken on the role of surrogate mother—lasted for quite a while.
At times like this, I simply let her vent until she ran out of steam.
Telling her in advance that I'd be gone and only being away for a short time helped ease the blow ... but it still wasn't exactly a light one.
It took Ada a few more minutes to notice Snow and Ghost, who quickly bowed to her.
"I assume you've heard of the Church's golden boy and Ghost Umbra, son of Mist… They've been a huge help, and I'd like to host them here."
In an instant, Ada shifted from concerned sister to noble lady of a prestigious house.
"Thank you both for taking care of my brother. I'm sure he gave you plenty of trouble."
"N-Not at all…"
Both Snow and Ghost answered, clearly taken aback by Ada's swift change in demeanor.
"I'm glad to hear that. Welcome to the Starlight estate."
"Th-thank you, my lady," Snow stammered, clearly unsure how to handle her. I watched it all from the side, reminded once again of the sides of Ada she no longer showed to me.
Later that night, we were hosted in the grand halls of the Oclas Mountains with all the luxury one could ask for.
And deep into the night, I shared many of my stories with Snow and Ghost—Ada included. She deserved to hear them too.
Of course, I didn't reveal everything. But I did speak of the Engineer—the blue-eyed being who had interfered with my life over and over, always reaching for something far beyond my understanding.
The moment I mentioned the Engineer, the room reacted in different ways ... but the most intense response came from Ada, who instantly connected him to the blue-eyed man that once visited her.
"So that's who he was… the mysterious figure."
The one who had shown her a vision of my death, pushing her to change that future.
"You're telling me... a being who can see the future has been toying with your life? And everything you've done until now... was part of his plan?"
Ada asked, her voice sharp. I nodded.
"That's right."
A bitter truth—finally, they were beginning to grasp some of the hidden layers of my life.
"How do you plan to deal with someone like that? Are you going to fight him?"
Snow asked. He'd had enough. In just one month, he had lived through madness beyond anything he'd ever imagined. I could tell .. this was too much for him.
"I don't plan to fight him. I wouldn't stand a chance against an SSS rank monster who can see the future."
A battle like that would be suicide. No, calling it a battle would be wrong—I'd been a puppet in his hands all along.
"What I plan to do... is keep playing along. There's no point resisting right now. For all we know, even this conversation might be part of his design."
I chose not to reveal the truth about the Nameless, or that I might just be one of his vessels. No need to burden them with that yet.
"I'll help you," Snow said quietly.
I smiled. "I'd appreciate that."
Even though having him by my side meant a lot, I knew deep down—this fight with the blue-eyed Engineer was mine alone. No one else could end it for me.
He held complete control over every part of my life. Even this body… had been tampered with by his hand. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he could end me with a flick of his finger.
The Engineer and the Nameless had twisted my life however they pleased.
Then there was Agaroth, who continued to watch me closely ... his interest in me undeniable.
And let's not forget the looming war against the Ultras here on Earth.
I was surrounded on all sides.
Anyone else in my position might've wanted to scream. But strangely… I felt calm, even as I fully realized the scale of it all.
With a half-smile, I stared into the void, lost in my own solitude.
For the first time, I felt thankful for all those trials that had drained me of tears. Because of them… I could no longer look back, even if I wanted to.
All I could do now ... was move forward.
…
…
…
After sharing part of the truth with my sister and friends, I found myself alone in my room once again.
The clock read 5:00 a.m. We'd spoken for hours.
I could still sense Ada's frustration. She had wanted to help me—desperately—but couldn't. It was all over her face.
She had always been honest when it came to me, and I understood how helpless she must have felt. But there wasn't much she could do. Sadly, House Starlight was just a large piece on the chessboard of those titans.
In the end… it was all up to me.
In other words—my power was all that mattered now.
With that thought in mind, I opened my system interface. I hadn't checked it in a while. It displayed my raw stats—excluding my swords and the Blood form.