Chapter 461: A Last Embrace
"Are you jealous of your sister now? If you wanted me by your side, maybe you shouldn’t have assigned me to hers in the first place."
What she said was true—
I was the one who had her follow Ada in the first place.
But thinking about it now...
Having Carmen follow me everywhere, just like she now followed my sister ..
I found the idea downright amusing.
"Come to think of it, I suppose you fit better beside Ada now. Besides, plenty of women have barged into my life lately..."
There was no place for Carmen among them.
"It’s been a long time, Frey... Since those days when our biggest problem was dealing with that old fossil Leonides."
"You haven’t changed a bit since then."
"But you have."
Carmen turned to look at me.
She had lived for a long, long time ... long enough that a few years weren’t nearly enough to change her.
But for me, the past few years had changed everything .. Whether for better or worse.
"There’s no need to hold back anymore, boy.
You’ve been suppressing yourself this whole time, haven’t you?"
So she noticed.
I lifted my palm and glanced at my body...
"I’ve spent so much time among monsters, I’ve forgotten how to live among humans."
I had pushed my body to the peak of perfection ..
My mind, my reflexes... everything sharpened and refined.
I had dedicated myself wholly to the art of war.
And because of that, this body now craved it.
It craved battle.
Every fiber of my being screamed at me to release the pressure I had been bottling up inside.
My hands tingled more and more with each passing day I didn’t wield a blade...
Whether it was Balerion or the Dark Sister.
For the first time in my life...
I found myself yearning for it.
Yearning for war.
"Let them know what fear truly means, Frey.
Let them witness the rebirth of a star ..
The star of Abraham Starlight."
Placing her hand gently atop my head, Carmen smiled one last time.
"But remember... Don’t lose yourself."
"I won’t."
I replied simply ..
Savoring these brief moments with one of the few people I truly cared about in this life.
Carmen felt the same.
But at that moment, I didn’t realize it yet—
That my body had already begun its strange transformation...
The change that would shape what I was to become.
Without warning, a strange violet spark flickered from the point where Carmen’s hand touched my head.
A spark only she could see.
But it was enough ..
Enough to trigger a sudden shift that shattered her smile... and darkened her face.
Carmen possessed deep experience and unshakable composure.
She managed to hold herself together, despite what she had just seen.
But that didn’t stop a faint shadow of grief from surfacing on her face ..
A look I rarely saw from her.
"What’s wrong?"
I asked.
She responded immediately.
"Nothing..."
With a heavy sigh, Carmen regained control of her expression and slowly withdrew her hand.
"I guess I’m just tired .. after chasing your sister around for months."
"Then take a break while I’m around," I offered, showing a bit of concern.
But she gently refused.
"Don’t underestimate me.
I may be just an old lady, but I’ve still got plenty left to offer."
"Of course you do."
We stood there, the snow falling gently over our heads,
In the bustling port of Winterfell ..
Sharing a quiet moment, until Ada finally arrived and joined us.
"Look at you, sister... Somehow, you remind me of myself."
The fatigue on her face was unmistakable.
She, too, had developed those dark circles under her eyes ..
A consequence of the constant pressure placed on her shoulders due to her high position in the army.
"It’s still not enough,"
Ada muttered with a frown.
I shook my head.
"No... you’ve already done more than enough."
I cast a glance over the bustling war camp that had taken shape here, Amid the frozen lands of the Moonlight family.
Over the ships that stretched across the horizon, And the vast preparations Ada had orchestrated on my behalf.
I couldn’t have asked for more.
"It’s details like these that win wars.
Be proud of yourself, Ada ..
You’ve proven yourself worthy of being the lord of this family."
I meant it.
And my sincerity brought a bittersweet smile to her face.
"Why are you suddenly acting like the older brother? It doesn’t suit you."
But despite her words, I could sense the quiet happiness blooming in her heart.
She never was good at hiding her true feelings from me.
Ada’s gentle smile didn’t last long.
Her eyes drifted to the distant horizon, where the sun was nearing its descent.
"So... it’s time."
I nodded.
"Yes. The first Imperial Campaign begins now.
The ships set sail at dawn."
I would be aboard the one leading the charge from the front.
"Here we are again... saying goodbye."
I nodded again.
"Yeah."
It had happened so many times in recent years
That we’d almost grown used to it.
Ada knew better than to try stopping me anymore.
No matter how hard she tried...
Her brother would always find his way back to the battlefield.
That was the place I belonged to now.
"I won’t ask for much, Frey."
Stepping closer, Ada spoke firmly.
"All I ask... is that you come back to me in one piece."
As long as I was alive,
As long as I returned to her in the end,
Ada would never ask for more.
And yet, once again, I found myself forced to make a promise I wasn’t sure I could keep.
"I promise."
Ada would be fighting her own battle ..
Commanding from the rear.
While I... would be thrown into the heart of the storm.
In that moment, it hit me.
Once I crossed the Demonic Sea,
It would be a very long time before I saw her again.
Without meaning to, I pulled my sister into a tight embrace ..
One final hug.
Carmen watched silently from the side,
Smiling gently and allowing us to have our moment.
After a few seconds, I let go.
But Ada held on ..
She didn’t want to let go.
She didn’t want me to leave.
But I couldn’t grant her that wish.
"I’m sorry, Ada."
Pressing a kiss to her forehead,
I took my first step away from her.
"I’ll see you later."
With those parting words, I left her behind ..
Before the emotions between us could deepen further.
"See you later... Frey."
Ada echoed those words in a soft whisper,
Fiddling with a strange device in her hands.
There was a lot on her mind lately.
Right now, she wasn’t just Ada Starlight ..
She was the second-in-command of the Empire’s Grand Army.
And I...
I was just a soldier.
A simple fighter playing his part in the vanguard.
But in the end, both of us were heading toward it ..
War.
The War of Darkness.