Seven days had passed.
Seven days since Javier's rampage on the battlefield.
Seven days since he lost himself to rage.
Seven days since he believed he had lost Liana and Gloria forever.
Javier's eyes slowly opened, the world around him blurry.
His body ached from the overuse of mana, but more than the physical painâhis heart felt hollow.
His mind was a blank slate.
He had woken up, yet nothing felt real anymore, as if a piece of him had been ripped away.
The maids brought food to his room, but he barely touched it.
A few bitesâthat was all he could manage.
He didn't even taste it.
The ones who had always ensured he ate properlyâwere gone.
There was no Liana gently scolding him to eat more.
No Gloria teasing him about being picky.
The silence was unbearable.
Javier left his room, his steps slow and heavy.
His feet carried him toward the Pekko penâwithout him even thinking.
When he arrivedâ
"Cuquawked!"
A familiar, excited cry broke through the stillness.
Buddy rushed toward him, flapping his wings happily.
Javier forced a small smile.
"âŠBuddy."
He reached out, running his hand gently over Buddy's feathers.
The warmth was comforting, but it wasn't enough.
Thenâhis eyes shifted.
There, standing further inside the penâ
Pikko. Peanuts.
Their silver and golden feathers shone under the sunlight.
Javier stared, and in that moment, it all came rushing back.
Every moment with Liana.
Every laugh with Gloria.
The warmth of their embrace.
The gentle kisses.
The sound of their voices calling his name.
The memories played in his mindâover and over.
His hands clenched.
His body trembled.
And thenâ
Tears fell.
Javier sank down under the big tree, his head lowered.
His shoulders shook as the weight of his grief overwhelmed him.
And for the first time since waking upâ
He let himself cry.
Alone.
With only the wind and the Pekkos to bear witness to his sorrow.
Javier clutched his chest, his fingers digging into his shirt.
A deep, aching emptiness filled him.
His voiceâbroken and tremblingâescaped in a whisper.
"I'm⊠sorryâŠ"
His tears dripped onto the dirt below, soaking into the earth.
"I⊠I couldn't⊠protect you bothâŠ"
His body shook violently.
No matter how much power he possessedâit wasn't enough.
No matter how strong he had beenâhe still lost them.
His fists clenched tightly.
His throat tightened.
His breathing was shallow and uneven.
LianaâŠ
GloriaâŠ
The two women who had always been by his side.
The ones who scolded him, teased him, spoiled him, and loved him.
The two who made every day feel complete.
And nowâthey were gone.
Javier hugged his knees, curling in on himself.
His heart felt as though it had been ripped from his chest.
The estate was quiet.
Too quiet.
No Liana waiting for him with a gentle smile.
No Gloria playfully calling him 'young master' in that teasing voice.
Just⊠emptiness.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain.
But the memories wouldn't relent.
His sobs grew louder.
And beneath the shade of the big treeâ
Javier wept for the women he loved.
"Young Master..."
"Young Master?"
"Young Master!"
Echoes of her voice played in his mindâagain and again.
Rewinding. Repeating.
His heart clung desperately to every memory of her.
Liana.
His Liana.
The only elf in the Armand household besides Lithia.
The one who had always been by his side.
The one who smiled just for him.
The one who cradled him when he needed comfort.
The one who let him hug her as much as he wantedâwho never once pushed him away.
The one who allowed him to lie in her lap, stroking his hair gently.
The one who let him bury his face in her chest when he felt vulnerable.
The one who laughed softly whenever he played with her silver hair.
The One Who Took Care of Him.
The one who always cooked his favorite meals.
The one who prepared his drinks just the way he liked them.
The one who patiently helped him change his shirt, even when he grumbled about it.
The one who always woke him up, whispering his name softly.
The one who stayed by his side, even when he was being difficult.
The One Who Made Every Day Brighter.
But nowâ
She was gone.
Javier's hands trembled as he clutched his head.
His breathing was uneven, and his chest ached with a weight he couldn't bear.
Tears dripped onto his lap as he whispered her name.
"Liana..."
The woman he loved, the one he wanted to marryâ
Was no longer here.
And no matter how hard he tried to rewind the memoriesâ
He could never bring her back.
Javier stared blankly at the ground, his body motionless beneath the tree.
His mind spiraled into darkness.
What was the point?
Why had he been reborn into this world?
What reason was there for him to keep living?
Even with the memories of his past life⊠what did any of it matter?
Without Liana?
Without Gloria?
Why?
Why did this happen?
Why Liana?
Why Gloria?
Why them?
His fingernails dug into the dirt, his shoulders trembling with the weight of his grief.
The rage, the pain, the emptinessâ
It swallowed him whole.
Not just Liana.
They had also taken Gloria away.
The girl who had come after Liana.
The one who spoiled him endlessly.
The one who smiled whenever he acted like a child.
The one who let him do as he pleased.
The one who held him close, teasing him with her soft voice.
The one who playfully allowed him to kiss and hug her whenever he wanted.
The one who laughed as he buried his head against her chest.
The one who gently whispered, 'Ara~ Such a spoiled young master.'
She loved him.
And he loved her too.
But nowâ
She was gone.
Javier's body slumped forward, his fingers gripping his arms tightly.
He didn't know if he could keep living.
Not like this.
Not without them.
His chest felt hollow, his heart an empty void.
What was he supposed to do now?
What was the point of having power⊠if he couldn't protect the ones he loved?
For the first time since being reborn into this worldâ
Javier felt truly lost.
Javier felt hollow.
There was no longer any reason for him to act like a spoiled child.
No more sly grins.
No more mischievous tricks.
No more cheeky remarks.
There was no reason to tease, to laugh, to enjoy lifeâ
Not without them.
Not without Liana.
Not without Gloria.
His world felt unbearably empty.
The estate, once lively with laughter and warmth, now felt cold, silent, and meaningless.
Tears kept falling, his sobs shaking his body.
He couldn't stop.
No matter how much he criedâ
No matter how much pain he feltâ
They wouldn't come back.
His vision blurred, drowning in grief.
His body weakened, the weight of sorrow pressing down on him.
His breathing grew slow and labored.
And thenâ
He passed out.
His body slumped against the tree, unmoving.
Tears still stained his face, a silent testament to his anguish.
But his mind had finally shut down, escaping the relentless pain.
( End Of Chapter )