Reborn As Papa Silva

A couple of things: Did all of you guys skip chapters 49 and 50? How many times do I have to repeat that no one is watching this? Only Acier and Sebastian know what's going on. Maybe I didn't write that clearly enough, but no one is watching the dream. However, a certain eldest brother may find out what happened very quickly after the dream ends—for those who want someone to know what Sebastian and Acier have been through.

I know many of you may be disappointed by this. Perhaps some closure? Don't quote me on this, but a friend on AO3 is planning to write a dream-watching fanfic for this arc. Planning, not guaranteed.

I have an exam on February 11, so updates may be slower. I'll try to finish this dream by Monday.

A friend from the group Discord has started a short fanfic based on my fanfic. It's about a guy reincarnated as Gilgamesh in Black Clover, who has made it his mission to torture Lucius. If you want to read a fun, chaotic parody, check out: I Died from a Fanfic and Now I'm Gilgamesh in a Black Clover Fanfic by Targaryen_Official.

—

Love is complicated, love can be hidden, love above all else is loyalty - Alice Hoffman

—

While his family wept in front of his father-in-law's grave, Sebastian stood motionless in his and Acier's cottage. He looked around, taking in the spotless, clean old home of theirs that had been abandoned for five years.

He had expected cobwebs, torn planks, roaches, rodents, cracked windows, grass growing out of the floorboards, moss on the ceiling. He hadn't expected the place to look as clean as the day he was pulled into Castle Silva.

Thinking of Nathaniel, understanding what he had done, how he had maintained and looked after this place all those years, Sebastian choked up, his lip quivering, his eyes stinging.

He stood in front of the fireplace in the living room. It was the peak of summer, a heatwave outside, yet he lit the logs on fire, smoke billowing out of the chimney.

In his hand, he clutched a red book—his old diary, his memories and memoirs of life. He flipped it open to the last page and began ripping out paper after paper, entry after entry, starting with the day of Nozel's birth, back to the day he first met Acier.

Sebastian couldn't bear to rip out that final page—the page when Acier entered his life. He closed the diary with a tired sigh, then threw those masses of crumpled paper, those three years of beautiful memories, into the fire pit to burn and incinerate.

The papers swiftly turned to ash, and so did those memories. He understood—he and Acier were done. He would never get to be with her and their son as he was now, so he didn't try to hold onto something he shouldn't.

He entered his private study, yanked open a drawer, flipped over a false bottom, and threw the diary in there like trash.

Then he walked out of the cottage and took one last look at the beautiful home he and Acier had built together. He seemed to be looking back nearly six years—to their beautiful youth and beautiful memories that would never have a chance to be reenacted.

In his mind, he heard the mocking, cackling laughter of his doppelganger. He didn't care. When he returned to Castle Silva, he ordered Alfred to stop cleaning the cottage. To stop looking after it.

To let it fade away, rot, tear, and fall—just like his and Acier's relationship.

Then, when he was alone in the patriarch's office—what had been Nathaniel's office just three days ago—at the patriarch's desk—what had been Nathaniel's desk just three days ago—he heard a snap in his head.

He returned to that astral, murky-black ocean mindscape, bound, chained, sealed, and drowning. After flashing him a devilish smile, his pitch-black doppelganger reassumed control of his body.

Sebastian, the real Sebastian, sank beneath the sea of madness and suffering once more, drowning and drowning, wondering to himself when the next time would be that he'd be let free.

—

A mere five days after Nathaniel's passing, hell on earth began for the Silva family. Sebastian had targeted Amara to consolidate his lordship and control over the family.

He had meals delivered to her that went against her dietary needs and stirred her allergies. He lashed out at her, her daughters, and her grandson, firing any and all servants who tried to stick up for her or them.

He was merciless to the newly crowned widow, grieving her husband's passing. With her emotional state already fragile and her age at sixty, his actions were killing her.

The sheer hatred in Nozel's eyes when he looked at him caused the real Sebastian, locked away in that mindscape, to shatter again and again.

Part of him was happy—his son was drawing a line with him. His son would be done with him, and hopefully, his mother and everyone else would too. But it hurt all the same.

He never wanted to be the reason Nozel cried, yet he was.

He never wanted to be the reason Acier wept, yet he was.

He wasn't nearly as attached to Amara as he was to his wife and son, but he didn't want to treat her like that. His doppelganger didn't care.

About two weeks after Nathaniel's passing, Acier came to see him—alone in the night once more, in his bedroom.

—

Acier wept, teary-eyed, clutching her baby bump in pain. "H-how can you treat your mother-in-law—my mother, Nozel's grandmother—like that, you sicko?!"

Sebastian's body, gazing absentmindedly out the window, turned around nonchalantly, sporting a perverse smile. He glanced down at his seven-month-pregnant wife, making her tremble as he walked toward her.

Then he knelt before her, making her stiffen, her trembling returning in full as he softly raised his hand, caressed her cheek, and spoke in an almost gentle tone.

"After the hell she put my beloved wife through, I believe it's well warranted."

Acier felt like puking as she took in her husband's sickeningly sweet grin. Sebastian didn't care as he continued.

"She's an eyesore, still ordering servants around willy nilly like she's the matriarch of this house. That's no good—you're Lady Silva, not her. She needs to learn her place, keep her mouth shut, and behave."

Acier shivered as her eyes watered all over again. "H-how could you be so cruel? A-after... a-after everything Daddy has done for you, how could you treat his wife this way—"

"Done for me?" Sebastian's body cut Acier off with a dark smile, possessing a bit of a manic edge. "That old thing? That good-for-nothing, responsible for the death of my family—you expect me to be thankful to him? You really are strange, my love."

Acier froze like a statue, disbelieving what she was hearing, as she stammered hoarsely, pushing through her unborn daughter relentlessly kicking in her womb.

"H-how can you say that?! D-Daddy loved you, treated you like his own son—how c-can you possibly say that?"

Sebastian's body let her finish, his smile never faltering, as he reached up and ran his hands through Acier's hair before speaking in that same gentle tone, which would seem loving if not for his words.

"To me, Nathaniel Silva was the worst of the worst."

Acier froze all over again as Sebastian carried on.

"He ignored the suffering of his daughter at the hands of his father and wife for fourteen years. He looked the other way as the people he swore to protect were squeezed dry by your grandfather. He gave his supposed beloved daughter his blessing to go to a war zone—do remember, you would've died if not for me bringing you back. And he looked the other way for nearly five years as I abused you and this family. Dying is a small mercy for that pitiful, pathetic man. He didn't deserve that little peace—"

Sebastian was cut off by Acier's arms shooting out, her hands wrapping around his throat as she began choking him, her face riddled with tears, her frame shaking, her visage furious.

"D-don't you dare insult my Daddy, you bastard?!"

Sebastian, who was quickly losing air, didn't show any pain. He just continued to smile softly as he parted his lips weakly. "W-what are you… going… t-to… do… about it?"

Acier froze again. Sebastian didn't waste the opportunity to wrestle free of her chokehold. He slowly stood up, rubbing his throat, then looked down at his wife and spoke softly once more.

"You and your father are cut from the same cloth."

Acier raised her head to follow Sebastian, her eyes widening, her lavender pupils dilating in incomprehension as he continued.

Sporting a derisive smirk, Sebastian beamed. "Both of you—father and daughter—are pathetic people. No matter how much I torture you, your mother, your sister, your son... even this unborn child in the future, you haven't even been able to mutter the words divorce."

Acier's stomach churned all over again, her breath shortening into hyperventilation. Sebastian reached down, grabbed her by the hair, and jerked her head up, making her wince in pain as he crouched to meet her eye level.

"Just like Nathaniel, you don't know how to let go. No matter how much Nicklaus abused you, even nearly killing me, you still loved him. No matter how much Amara ruined your life, you still love her dearly to this day. I could have ruined Nozel's life all those years ago when I pulled that stunt, but just a few crocodile tears were enough for you to leap into my arms and forgive me. And now, despite what I'm doing right now, despite you—even as a pregnant woman—possessing the power to pinch me to death like a bug, you just sit there and take it."

"Both you and Nathaniel are the same. Like father, like daughter. The two of you are so unbearably hypocritical, wretched, pathetic, and pitiful. All that power, yet none of you have it in you to defend what you cherish most. Simply pathetic."

The color faded from Acier's eyes all over again. She had no response.

Sebastian snorted and let go.

Then he smiled softly again, like nothing from before had happened, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. "But don't worry, my love. I love you even if you're imperfect. I love you for your imperfections, not in spite of them. Even if you're trash, I still love you."

Liar. You don't love me—not at all. Acier thought inwardly, emotionless, like a robot.

Sebastian was unaware. Maybe he didn't care. He gently patted her head, like a pet... like a toy.

"If you want your mother and your sister to be safe, then keep them somewhere out of my sight, out of my reach, out of my influence, and out of my power."

Acier's dull irises briefly flickered with light as Sebastian tapped her on the shoulder.

"Now, unless you're staying the night, please leave. I've had a long day and an early morning—I need my sleep."

Like clockwork, she stood upright, one arm cradling her baby bump, and walked out, emotionless.

The real Sebastian, chained and bound in that mindscape, cried. What are you doing?! Why are you letting me treat you like this?! Be done with me! Divorce me! Kill me! Get rid of me! What are you doing, Acier?!

—

The next morning, Acier entered her mother's room.

Her steps were slow.

Her expression was blank.

Amara lay in bed, frail and weak.

She stirred the moment she saw Acier, already trying to push herself up to help her sit—

But Acier spoke first.

"Mother, go live in House Vermillion."

Amara froze. Her eyes widened. "W-what are you saying, Acier? W-why would I—"

"Aurelia will be going there soon." Acier's voice was flat. Distant. "I'll convince her."

She paused. Then, simply—

"You should go with her."

Shock flickered through Amara's pink irises. She shook her head, weak but firm. "A-absolutely not! I—I won't leave you and my grandson alone with that monster—"

"Mother."

The word was cold.

The glare even colder.

Amara trembled.

"Aurelia will be going to House Vermillion shortly." Acier's tone never wavered. "You will accompany her."

A beat of silence.

"I am Lady Silva. Don't make me use my authority to kick you out."

Amara's will collapsed. Already frail, she sank back into the mattress, looking up at her daughter with a quiver in her voice.

"A-Acier, h-honey… w-why are you doing this to me… d-did I do something wrong?"

Acier said nothing.

Amara bit her lip. Tears welled in her eyes. "J-just for a month. Then I'll be back."

Acier gave a hollow nod.

Then she turned and walked away.

The door closed behind her.

Amara was left alone.

And then she wept.

—

Aurelia wept at her sister's bedside.

"Sister, I hate him. I hate him so much!"

Acier sat up against the headboard, one hand running gently through Aurelia's hair, the other through Nozel's. The nearly five-year-old rested his face against her baby bump, eyes shut.

Acier smiled softly. "As you should. You're perfectly in the right."

Aurelia looked up, red-eyed, voice cracking.

"W-why won't you divorce him? W-why won't you kick him out? E-even if he's Lord Silva now, you're the real heiress. With House Vermillion's help, you could get rid of him."

Nozel looked up at his mother. The same question burned in his eyes.

That look cracked something deep in Acier's heart.

But she only smiled, shaky yet resolute.

"Because no matter what… I still love him. And deep down, I know he loves me too. Loves me. Loves Nozel."

Nozel shuddered, burying his face against her warmth so she couldn't see the fury in his eyes.

Aurelia didn't hide hers.

She jerked up, hair slipping free of Acier's fingers as she screamed.

"How can you say that?! How can you lie like that after everything he's done?!"

Acier didn't flinch. Her voice was quiet, steady.

"Aurelia… the same could be said about how I treated him."

Aurelia froze.

Acier turned to Nozel, rubbing his back. "Nozel, can you please step out? I need to speak to your auntie."

Nozel sniffled, his eyes red, and nodded politely. "Yes, Mother."

He rose without another word and walked out, his small frame trembling ever so slightly.

Acier's heart cracked anew.

She let out a tired sigh as the door shut. Then, she turned back to Aurelia and smiled.

"I treated him in a way no human deserved, for nearly two months. Yet he never gave up on me.

"He opposed my grandfather. Defied the nobility. Went to a warzone. Nearly destroyed his own reputation.

"All for me."

She met Aurelia's eyes, sorrow threading through her expression.

"That is proof. Solid proof of his love."

Aurelia's lips trembled. "It was a lie! A big, fat lie! I-it was all just some grand scheme to put him where he is today!"

Acier paused. Then, she smiled. A sorrowful, nostalgic smile.

"Even if it was a lie… it was the most beautiful lie of my life."

Aurelia's pupils dilated.

Acier reached out, running a hand through her hair once more.

"Those three years had some of my saddest moments… but they were also the happiest of my life.

"For three years, he gave me everything. All of him. All his love.

"Everything up until the second he returned to the castle on New Year's Eve was perfect to me.

"And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

Aurelia opened her mouth—to argue, to refute, to scream—but Acier cupped her cheek, soft and steady.

"I put him through hell for two months.

"I broke his heart twice.

"I turned my back on him twice. Ran away. Distanced myself.

"And yet, he stuck with me. Kept coming back. Even when I was at my worst.

"Now I'll do the same."

Acier exhaled.

"Even if it's hell, I promised him a lifetime. Till we're gray and old.

"Even if it breaks me, I'll see it through.

"Because he deserves it."

Aurelia sobbed, messy and broken.

Acier rested a gentle hand on her head.

Then, in a whisper—

"Now it's time for you to go to House Vermillion. You've kept Florian waiting too long. A good guy like that doesn't come around every day, you know."

Aurelia whimpered, voice weak.

"W-wasn't Brother supposed to be that good guy?"

Acier's eyes reddened.

But she said nothing.

Aurelia lowered her head, pressing her forehead against the mattress, trembling.

Then Acier spoke again.

"I know you're afraid, Aurelia.

"Afraid to love.

"Because to you, love only brings bad memories.

"Grandfather's love for Grandmother made him torture me and ignore you.

"Mother's love for me made her torture me and distance herself from Father.

"Father's love for all of them made him look the other way.

"Sebastian's love turned him into what he is today.

"And my love for him doesn't let me push him away."

Silence.

"I know you're scared. Scared that you and Florian may turn out the same way.

"And it's certainly a possibility.

"Because love is a variable.

"Unpredictable.

"It tests us. Breaks us.

"But it also brings us joy.

"My love brought me Nozel.

"And soon, it will bring me my beloved daughter."

Acier let out a slow breath.

"If things don't work out between you and Florian, so be it.

"But if you don't even try—

"You'll regret it more than anything."

"Now go, and take mother with you, this is no longer a place either of you should be."

Aurelia lifted her head.

Her eyes were empty.

Lifeless.

Then, quietly—

"Alright, Sister. I'll give love a try."

Acier kissed her forehead.

A day later, the kingdom buzzed with news.

The Prince of House Vermillion and the Princess of House Silva—

Engaged at eighteen.

They would live together but would not wed until twenty-one.

Aurelia wasn't ready.

Florian wouldn't push her.

He would wait.

As long as she needed.

The day Aurelia left, Sebastian found something on his desk.

A smashed object.

The communication device he had given her that first Christmas he spent with their family.

Sebastian smiled.

The real Sebastian—locked and chained away in the depths of his mind—

Sank further.

Amara never returned.

And the moment she left—

Nearly all the abuse that Acier, Nozel, and the Silva servants suffered at Sebastian's hands ceased.

She had received a letter.

A warning.

If she ever returned—

So would the suffering.

So would the torture.

In full.

—

Time flew by.

Sebastian kept his distance, as promised. Instructors were hired for Nozel, ensuring he never had to learn under his wing or even see him.

His body, out of his control, moved with its own purpose—starting with consolidating power.

With Nathaniel gone and Amara as well, the branch and vassal houses under House Silva's wing wavered in their loyalty.

They didn't want to kneel before a bastard-born lord with barely any Silva blood in his veins. To them—like to most of the kingdom, the aristocracy, and the nobility—Sebastian was a nobody. Just a commoner lucky enough to seduce Acier Silva.

The vassal families eyed House Vermillion, House Kira, or even independence. The branch families schemed to take House Silva for themselves.

They didn't get far.

Within a month of Nathaniel's passing, Sebastian had them in his grip.

No one knew how he did it, but he dug up everything. Concrete evidence of their darkest sins—

Smuggling Clover Kingdom citizens as slaves to Diamond. Running underground sex rings. Spreading drugs. Assassination plots. Embezzlement. Blackmail. Cheating the crown. And more.

Crimes that could see them hanged. Or worse.

He presented it all with casual ease, watching their faces drain of color.

And suddenly, they loved him. Swore undying loyalty. Pledged their lives to his service.

The false Sebastian smiled, perverse in his triumph.

The real Sebastian, locked away in the depths of his mind, did the same.

For the first time, he agreed.

He didn't pity them. Not even the few innocents, blackmailed and coerced.

They were loose ends. Risks.

Threats to his family.

So he approved of his doppelgänger's actions.

Even applauded. Weakly, but still.

The doppelgänger clapped along with him, mocking, ruining what little satisfaction he found.

Life moved on.

The real Sebastian watched, helpless. But as long as his doppelgänger kept Acier and Nozel safe, he could stomach it.

Let him ruin lives. Let him oppose bills, block reforms, suppress the lower class.

None of it mattered.

Not as long as Acier and Nozel were untouched.

But with Amara and Aurelia gone, and Acier unable to move much, Nozel was left alone.

Sebastian noticed the opportunists. Women cozying up to his son.

Nozel was only five, but mature beyond his years. Responsible. Sharp.

He would see through their deceit.

Or so Sebastian told himself.

Then October 23rd came.

Acier gave birth. A baby girl. His baby girl.

From beginning to end, as promised, his doppelgänger never appeared.

Submerged in the black sea of his mind, Sebastian whispered the name Nebra over and over.

He liked it.

From what he understood it meant mist. Or perhaps fog.

He wished he could hold her. See her. Just once.

But it was better this way.

The more children Acier bore, the less love she had left for him.

One day, she would be free of him.

The real Sebastian smiled. A broken, resigned smile. But real nonetheless.

His gratitude didn't last long.

Acier, consumed with Nebra, had no time for Nozel.

Sebastian panicked. But nothing happened.

Or so he thought.

Until December 30th. Nozel's birthday.

A snowstorm raged outside. Acier slept, Nebra in her arms.

Nozel studied alone in his room.

Then, a young maid—a House Silva servant who had been growing close to him under the guise of friendship—knocked on his door.

Claiming she had a present for him.

No one noticed.

Hilda was tending to Acier and Nebra.

Jeeves, out on patrol, was trapped by the storm.

Alfred, needing distance from Sebastian, had taken a rare vacation to visit his brother's family.

Sebastian's body didn't reject his uncharacteristic request.

The real Sebastian realized what was about to happen.

Terror gripped him.

He swam upward, fighting the murky black sea, screaming in his mind.

"Please! Please! Let me stop this! I'm begging you, please!"

No response.

Desperate, he tried again—

And then—

A snap.

Something broke.

And he was free.

—

Nozel shivered, trembling, trying to push the maid away. The young woman he had thought was a friend pinned him down on his bed, her hands reaching for his shirt, pulling it up.

"P-please, A-Annabelle, p-please stop this..."

Like a child should, Nozel finally showed emotion—fear, helplessness. He cried, shaking, pleading.

Annabelle only smiled sweetly. "Don't be like that, Young Master. This is a present. I'm going to make you feel really good."

With ease, she overpowered him, her strength and weight pinning him down as she yanked at his shirt.

"N-no." Nozel shook harder, his eyes welling up. He screamed, "Mama! Mama, p-please help me—mmph!"

A hand clamped over his mouth. Annabelle grinned down at him, dark and amused. "Now, now, let's not do that, Young Master. Here I am, giving you a gift, and all I get in return is a scream? That hurts my feelings—"

Bang!

The bedroom door slammed open.

Both Nozel and Annabelle snapped their heads toward the noise, their faces shifting to opposite extremes.

Annabelle's eyes widened in horror. Nozel teared up further in relief.

Neither had expected him.

Sebastian took one look at his son—crying, shaking, trapped beneath that predator—and saw red.

He shot forward, striking Annabelle with a backhanded slap. She yelped, tumbling off the bed, crashing onto the floor in a heap.

Nozel scrambled to his father, clutching his leg, shaking.

Annabelle looked up, fear twisting her face. "M-my L-Lord, i-it's not what it looks like! W-we were just playing a game. Y-yeah, a game! That's right, isn't it, Young Master—"

"Silence!" Sebastian's voice cut through the room like a blade. His mana surged.

Annabelle flinched, trembling.

He wanted to kill her. He should kill her. But he couldn't—not here, not now. If he did, there would be a scandal, whispers that could haunt Nozel for life.

No. He would handle this another way.

She would disappear. Painfully. Quietly.

For now, he pointed at the door, his voice colder than ice. "Gather your things. You're fired. Get out."

Annabelle, still kneeling, gasped. "P-please, My Lord, I-I have nowhere else to go—"

Crash!

Glass shattered.

Everyone's heads snapped toward the window.

Acier Silva burst through, her Valkyrie Armor gleaming, her presence suffocating.

Her gaze darted right—past Sebastian—to her son. Nozel. Trembling. Tear-streaked. Shirtless.

Then left—to Annabelle, disheveled, kneeling, pleading.

Acier saw red.

"You bitch!"

Unlike Sebastian, Acier didn't hesitate.

Her gauntlet-clad fist swung down.

Annabelle never had the chance to scream.

Before the blow even landed, her bones cracked under the sheer force of Acier's mana. And when the strike connected, she exploded. Blood. Bone. Flesh. Nothing remained but red mist and viscera.

Acier stood there, bathed in blood.

Sebastian and Nozel remained untouched—shielded by a barrier of water Sebastian had raised at the last second.

Then, Acier moved. Stepping over the remains, she reached for her son.

"O-oh baby, are you alright? Mommy's so sorry—"

She froze.

Nozel flinched away. Backing behind his father. Shaking. Sobbing.

Acier's heart clenched. She opened her mouth—to comfort him, to explain—but stopped.

A warm hand cupped her cheek.

Soft. Gentle.

She looked up—and her breath caught.

Sebastian. His face. His expression.

Warm. Loving. True love. Not the twisted obsession she feared, but something real.

She nearly staggered. Why? Why now?

Then—his smile faded. His touch cooled.

And suddenly, he was cold again.

Acier shuddered at the shift as he spoke, voice sharp. "I manage this house, this estate. You manage the Silver Eagles and the children. That was the deal. I've done my job. It seems you've been lacking in yours."

Acier bit her lip. Shame burned in her chest.

Then—his voice softened. Almost gentle. Almost apologetic.

"No wonder he's afraid," Sebastian murmured. "You're covered in blood head to toe... He's only five."

A flick of his wrist. A glow of blue. A sphere of water enveloped Acier, washing away the blood and gore, yet leaving her dry.

She stood still. Frozen.

Sebastian withdrew his hand. He spared her one last glance—ignoring their son still trembling behind him—before turning away.

"I will handle the fallout. No one will know. As long as you keep quiet."

And then, he was gone.

Leaving Acier standing there, cold. Leaving Nozel, still shaking.

She dropped to her knees, gripping her son's shoulders. "Nozel, are you okay?!"

Any other time, he would have nodded. Played strong.

This time, he broke.

He lunged into her arms, sobbing.

Acier held him tightly, her own tears falling as she whispered, "Mommy is so sorry. It was your big day, and even if I was tired, I should've never left you alone."

Nozel only cried harder.

Acier cradled him closer. "Tonight, you'll sleep with me and your sister, in my room, and bed. Alright?"

Sniffling, he nodded.

She forced a small smile and whispered, "Hey, Nozel. Guess what?"

He didn't answer. Didn't look at her. But his trembling had slowed. He was listening.

She kissed his forehead. "Mommy wasn't lying. Your father really does love us."

Nozel stilled.

Then, hoarsely, he whispered back, "If you say so, Mother."

From that day on, Nozel rarely looked at his mother again with that glance and plea.

The plea for her to be done with his father.

—

As Sebastian returned to his office, a snap echoed—and then he was back.

The ocean mindscape.

Chained once again, but not submerged.

He lifted his head, meeting the gaze of his pitch-black doppelgänger, crouched before him, smiling. Victorious.

Sebastian's eyes dulled. The earlier relief of rescuing Nozel, the fleeting joy of being himself—of touching Acier again, even for a moment—vanished.

He understood now.

It was never about making Acier fall out of love. Never about Nozel cutting ties. His doppelgänger wouldn't allow that. Even if it was just a frail knot, a thin thread, the imposter would keep them bound to him—Acier, Nozel, Nebra, perhaps others.

Sebastian couldn't leave this house. He couldn't run. And no one would ever find it in them to cast him out.

Once more, he sank beneath the waves, his expression hollow, his thoughts dim.

Had his doppelgänger set this up? Or that mysterious boy?

What had drawn Acier to come crashing through that window?

How had she known Nozel was in danger?

He doubted it was instinct.

Author's Notes: 

[1] If everything goes well, this should be done in 2 chapters

[2] About the alternative story, I'm going to put it up on tentative adoption. If anyone wants it, and wants to continue it on their own, they can, I just have too many things to do, things I want to write, and I really don't have much spirit for canon rehash. If no one does adopt it by the time Volume 1 is done, I guess I'll continue it myself. 

[3] Feel free to join the discord: https://discord.gg/s3MME8X8ar