(Rodova Military Academy, Teachers' Dorm Wing)
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
The metallic door rattled violently beneath Leo's fist, each blow echoing down the dim, silent hallway, as if the entire dormitory could collapse under his fury.
Muiyan Faye flung the door open, her cold eyes flashing with irritation at being disturbed at this hour, but the second she saw Leo, her breath caught, as instinctive caution gripped her.
Leo stood there like a feral beast — hair disheveled, breathing ragged, and eyes wild, as though he had just returned from a battlefield drenched in blood.
"What in the— Why are you banging on my door at this hour, Cadet? Have you lost your—"
Leo didn't let her finish, as his hand surged forward, pressing against her chest, forcing her back into the room without ceremony, as his hoarse voice trembled.
"My family... are they even alive?"
Faye stumbled back a step as the door slammed shut behind Leo, her initial anger giving way to genuine concern, as the sheer desperation in his voice told her this wasn't just a passing nightmare.
For the first time since meeting him, Leo did not look composed to her today.
He wasn't cold, nor was he just angry, as he seemed to be genuinely broken.
"What do you mean? Of course they're alive—" Faye began, attempting to dismiss Leo's panic as if it were a mere misunderstanding, but Leo swiftly raised a finger, cutting her off with a glare sharp enough to silence her.
"I saw it… I had a ghost sleep, so don't fuck with me, Faye," Leo snarled, his voice trembling not with fear, but with rage barely contained. "Tell me the truth about my family, or I swear I will never trust you again."
Faye stood stunned, her throat tightening, as the words of the Evil Cult Elder echoed in her mind.
'Once he reaches the Grandmaster stage… his memories will begin to resurface—'
She had been warned, yet the moment still shook her. 'So it happened exactly as the elder foresaw… he regained pieces of it, and now he's standing here, demanding answers,' she thought bitterly, letting out a deep, defeated sigh.
"You told me I took this mission to protect my family. You told me I'm doing all this to keep them safe. Then you better come clean right now, Faye," Leo pressed on, stepping closer as veins bulged in his clenched fists, his aura unsteady, "because I saw them staring death in the face."
Faye lifted her hands subtly, attempting to calm the tension.
"I'm not toying with you, Leo. Your family is alive. Listen carefully. Did you actually see them die?" she asked carefully, her voice softer, more deliberate.
Leo froze for a brief second, his breath hitching.
"N-no… I didn't see them die. But I saw them charge into a hall full of enemies stronger than them. There's no way they survived. But… I— I'm not sure," Leo admitted, clutching his head, his breathing ragged as the tears threatening to spill clung stubbornly to the corners of his eyes.
For the first time, Leo realized how ineffective [Monarch's Indifference] was when it came to memories of his family, as no matter how deeply rooted the skill was, it could not dull the emotions that surged from his primal core.
And although the skill did provide him with pockets of clarity, where he stabilized for a few moments and his mind rationalised, he quickly fell into the same slump when another wave of emotions hit him like a truck.
"They're alive, Leo," Faye said softly, carefully choosing her words. "Breathing and safe… at least for now."
Leo's throat closed up, trembling as his mind spiraled.
He was relieved they were alive. But now that he knew they were alive, there were a dozen other questions that popped up in his head, which he wanted immediate answers to.
"Do they still think about me?"
"Do they even know I'm alive?"
"Do they want to meet me?"
His voice cracked more with each question, as his fists trembled, barely keeping himself upright.
"You were in danger. Your family came to rescue you. You are lucky to have such a family, Skyshard. But don't forget—they are also lucky to have you." Faye said, stepping forward as her expression softened ever so slightly.
"The mission you're on now is for their safety and for your own redemption. None of this is trivial. None of this is meaningless. That much I can promise you."
Leo's throat closed up, as clarity returned to his head once again, with [Monarch's Indifference] getting a hold of him.
"When you say they're alive for now…. You mean they are still in some form of danger, aren't they?"
Leo asked, his breath quickening, as he caught onto a minor detail in Faye's words.
"Yes, they're still in danger. Hunted by the same forces that once imprisoned you. But they're being protected by my organization." Faye replied, as Leo's eyes widened in surprise.
"If they are in danger, then I must save them— Where are they? Who is hunting them? Which organisation do you belong to?" Leo asked desperately, as although he knew deep down that he wasn't supposed to know these answers, somehow he still couldn't help but ask them anyway.
As listening to his words Faye's heart wavered just for a moment, but she soon shook her head in denial.
"I can't give you those answers Leo, I'm sorry… but I think you already know why."
She spoke calmly, but it hurt all the same.
"If I return them now, every sacrifice you've made, every hardship you've endured so far will be wasted. Worse—your family will never be truly safe."
"You're doing everything you are right now for them. And I promise you it's not without good reason—"
"I can't give you your memories back for now, but once you're officially part of the Black Serpents Guild, I will return everything. Every memory. Painful and sweet. But until then, you have to endure."
She stepped back slightly.
"So if you want them back quickly, just kick ass at the circuits this year and win like it's nobody's business.
Win!
And get scouted into the black serpents as a first year. And you will have your memories back within 2 months.
But until then, I'm sorry I can't–" Faye said, as Leo nodded in understanding.