Chapter 52 - We, Six Years Later [2]
[Soul Locus], the ability to perceive the soul.
This power is both a blessing and a curse, allowing the user to intrude into people’s thoughts and essence without their knowledge.
Erina could observe people's habits and behaviours to a frightening degree.
In exchange, she had no one outside her family.
No friends, no acquaintances—just herself and her family who cared for her.
Those who approached her often harboured malicious intent, which turned her into a social recluse.
She struggled to tolerate anyone who came near her, not because of her own feelings, but solely for her status.
This dreadful, suffocating life continued without an end...
Until a certain someone arrived at the household, changing her life.
His name was Kuro Historia, the only person she could not understand.
—Vooom…!
“Kgggh…!” Kuro grunted in pain as he attempted to manipulate magic while lying in bed.
“…” Erina silently observed his struggle, her head peeking out.
From behind a door, Erina watched the boy she was now supposed to call her new sibling.
It confused her.
Kuro was nothing like her family—an ordinary boy who lacked their sparkling, golden eyes.
She asked her father why he looked different, but he refused to answer.
The others wanted to ask him too, but they hesitated after one of them received a cold glare.
As each day passed, Erina stopped caring about this and began to focus on how Kuro could fit in.
If big brother Kuro is now family, she should talk to him, too, right?
She wanted Kuro to feel at home, just like her siblings did for her.
“Gaah…! This is too much!” Her new brother flopped down on the bed, flailing around.
Watching him made Erina giggle, surprised by how silly he could be.
It had been 30 minutes since Erina started observing him, contemplating whether to approach him.
Now that he was no longer busy, this was her chance.
He arrived here two weeks ago.
In the first few days, her sisters had mixed feelings about having a boy they didn’t know become part of their family.
But everyone gradually warmed up to him; the only one left who hadn’t interacted with Kuro was Erina herself.
Just a little bit more… just a little more until she could overcome her fear of being around people.
But then she messed up.
—Tumble…!
“Kya…!” Erina let out a cute squeal as she slipped, the loud noise startling her.
“Hmm? Who's there?” Kuro turned his head to see who had come by.
“!!!” She quickly covered her mouth before he noticed her and crawled behind a wall to hide.
‘W-What should I do?!’ Her heart raced from her blunder.
In her anxiety, she covered her ears and tucked her head into her knees, praying.
Despite her determination, she was too scared to look into his eyes.
She couldn’t control her ability, so making friends was nearly impossible; everyone thought it was creepy to look into people’s souls.
What if her new brother hated her for spying on him? What if his soul was stained black, just like the others?
‘Please... please don't notice me…’
…
…
…
An odd silence lingered in the air, and Erina began to calm down.
'Should I open my eyes?' she pondered, slowly lifting her eyelids.
To her right, there was no one.
To her left, the result was the same.
He wasn’t in his room either.
'Where... is he?'
—Thump! Thump! Thump!
Her heart throbbed loudly again.
She felt a wave of paranoia wash over her—if he wasn’t in his room, then where was he?
“Are you looking for me?” A voice suddenly spoke from behind her, so close that she could feel his breath tickling her neck.
Although Kuro didn’t mean anything by it, his sudden actions led to unexpected consequences.
…
…
“…Ah.” The only thing Erina could do was freeze in fear… and cry silently.
—Drip… drop…
“Huh… wait, are you crying?!?” The boy’s eyes widened in panic, unsure how to handle the situation.
“Uh, I… ahh…! W-Wait, hold on, stay right there!” He stood up in a hurry and rushed back into his room to find something.
“Sniff…!” Erina couldn't stop crying; it felt as if she was petrified.
—Shuffle Shuffle…!
The boy frantically searched for something, turning his room into a complete mess until he finally found it.
“H-Here! This is for you!” The boy quickly shoved something onto her chest. Despite her tears, Erina was still able to process what was happening.
“What… is this…?” Erina asked, looking down at the tightly wrapped gift on her chest.
She calmed down a little after the boy handed her what seemed to be a present.
“I was planning to give this to you when I had the chance, but well…” He nervously said, scratching his head.
Bit by bit, Erina's gaze slowly moved toward his eyes, something she avoided doing with anyone else.
“Y-You know! This way, we won’t have an awkward atmosphere when we sit beside each other at the dining table, haha...” He chuckled, trying to ease the tension between them.
"...?" Erina tilted her head, confused by his reaction.
In truth, Erina wasn't scared because she was surprised. She was afraid because she thought he had left in disgust.
‘Didn’t he hate me? Is this all a trick so he could do something to me?’
Erina's mind raced, overthinking, and her anxieties grew stronger.
Unconsciously, her eyes searched his very soul, observing his emotions and the colour of his essence:
Those with a green soul were excited.
Those with a purple soul were depressed.
Those with a yellow soul were innocent.
Those with a blue soul were composed.
And those with a black soul were twisted.
There are many colours she can see, but she judges them based on how they feel as raw emotions.
For his soul… it was neither of them.
It was both white and black, neither representing malice nor goodwill, constantly shifting.
To others, it changes colour depending on their intentions, but Kuro’s soul remained unchanged.
Erina doesn’t know why this was happening, and because of it, she couldn’t read what he was thinking at all.
“Do you not like it?” Kuro tilted his head, panicking at the thought that she might not.
“If you don’t want it, I can—”
“N-No…!” Erina raised her voice as he tried to take it away.
“It’s… okay... I want to open it here...” Erina tightly hugged the present, already cherishing it without having opened it.
“...A-Alright.” Kuro scratched his head, feeling nervous about whether she would like it.
—Rustle…
As she unwrapped the gift, she discovered an intricate silver hairpin shaped like a flower.
It was made of a lightweight material, suitable as a hair ornament without feeling stuffy or overly flashy.
It was just a simple hairpin, one she fell in love with at first sight.
‘Pretty…’ Erina's eyes sparkled.
She had the luxury of obtaining anything she desired, but she had never seen such a beautiful yet simple ornament.
The design resembled a blooming flower, with buds sprouting in every direction—the kind of gift she would treasure forever.
This flower… it resembles a—
“—A chrysanthemum... I bought this as a gift for you.” He smiled as he took the hairpin from her hands, proud that he managed to say that without stumbling over his words.
"Hold on, let me put this on for you..." Kuro approached her slowly and gently took the hairpin from her grip.
Erina flinched when he approached her without warning, but he carefully placed the hairpin in her hair, even setting up a mirror so she could see herself.
"The five of you have flowers in your names, so I looked it up— I mean, ugh... forget I said that." He shook his head.
Not paying attention to what he said, Erina was mesmerized as she gazed into the mirror—the silver ornament beautifully complementing her pale yellow hair.
“Mhmm mhmm! That’s perfect.” Kuro nodded in satisfaction, proud of himself for making the right choice.
“Erina, will you accept this gift?”
"..."
Even until now, Erina was... still scared of him.
Her experiences with men had not been pleasant, and each one of them had an ugly stain in their soul, a malicious intent that only she could see.
But Kuro... although it was faint, she could sense the sadness in his eyes.
Just like the rest of them... he was sad that he lost his mother, just like how Erina did too.
“...Hehe.” Erina chuckled suddenly, seeing a new light in him.
“Uh, did... did you just laugh?” He tilted his head, confused about whether he had been forgiven or not.
With pure intentions, Erina looked him in the eyes again.
Although Kuro had black hair and black eyes, his empty, monochromatic soul shone so brightly that it was almost blinding.
For her, he was the most beautiful gem—her big brother.
“Hehe… you’re a funny person, big brother.” Erina said as she wiped the tears from her face.
“Hmm? Who, me?!" Kuro scratched his head, unable to find an appropriate reply.
Finding that to be a compliment, he laughed as well, feeling giddy that he was finally called “big brother.”
Before he could rejoice in that moment, Erina tugged at the hem of his shirt and whispered a single word:
“Eri…”
“Hmm...? Did you say something?"
“You can call me Eri.”
Erina offered a small smile, deciding to put her trust in him.
“Eri...? Can I really call you that?” Kuro's voice was enthusiastic, pleased that they were finally getting along.
“Mmm.” Erina nodded, giving him her full approval.
“Eri…Eri...! Alright! Nice to meet you again, Eri!” Her big brother grinned.
This made her happy, too.
For someone who had given her a gift without any malicious intent, Kuro had gone out of his way to apologize, even though it was her fault.
This was the first time Erina had spoken with Kuro, someone she would depend on.
Though he was a little quirky, he was unlike anyone else, trying his best to fit into the family.
She knew that if there was someone she could trust in the future, aside from her sisters, it would be…
“…Kuro. It's been so long, hasn’t it?" She spoke my old name, the one I had long since abandoned.
Her voice was filled with confidence that I was truly Kuro, yet her hands trembled, as if she genuinely believed I was her long-lost brother despite my appearance.
She wasn’t the only one surprised... I never thought someone would be able to uncover my true identity.
From changing my name and becoming a totally new person in general, it was unbelievable.
I may have forgiven Camellia... but I'm not sure I'm ready to forgive the others yet.
—Slap!
“I'm... I'm sorry, but you have the wrong person.” I withdrew my hand from her cheek forcefully, where she had placed it.
“A-Ah…” She looked at me as if it were the end of the world.
It was a shock to learn that the doctor who cared for me daily was Erina, but I never expected her to discover my identity either.
How did she even find out, considering I changed my name and everything?
…No, if anyone could uncover the truth, it would be her.
Erina Historia, the fourth daughter of the Historia family, possessed a rare ability called [Soul Locus].
This extraordinary ability manifests when mana flows directly into the eyes at birth, allowing the individual to see the very soul of another person.
It is an ability so rare that only five individuals have been confirmed to possess [Soul Locus].
It’s not a direct ability to see people's thoughts, but a more sensitive topic that touches a deeper concept.
It's a better version of mind-reading... with a few extra perks.
Like how she figured out my identity, despite me having turned into a girl—dammit.
For her to deduce that I was her brother in only a few days... it was already over.
“Please... wait...” She reached out her hand toward me, breaking character.
But I didn’t look back and planned to leave in cold silence.
Even though I now know part of the truth about how our relationship fell apart, the painful memories still linger within me, making it hard to forgive just yet.
For now, I just need some time alone before I speak to her again.
"If this is all we were going to discuss, I'm going to take my leave. Goodbye." I said, turning around and reaching for the door that led out of the office.
Thinking she had given up, I closed my eyes, my emotions in conflict.
I don’t care if it makes me seem petty; I don’t want to be betrayed again.
Not anymore.
—Fwip!
“Don't... DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!!!” Erina screamed at the top of her lungs.
—Clench...!
This time, instead of letting me go, she held my hand tightly, using all her strength.
Why... why is she so late?
If she could see through my very soul, why didn’t she believe me?
Am I expected to think that everyone deserves forgiveness just because Camellia became a better person?
Erina Historia was supposed to be the one handling everything behind the scenes—the brains of the main character’s party.
She was a genius who single-handedly restored Demiurge as a nation, are you telling me that she only just noticed everything after six years?
I couldn’t say anything, and I closed my eyes in silence.
In this timeline, Erina looked haggard, as if she were tired of everything. Her eyes were devoid of emotion, much like mine had been until now.
Just like Camellia, she had endured the same struggles.
The responsibility she held as a Grand Council member prevented her from searching for her siblings…
‘Ah… I see now.’ A thought clicked in my mind.
—She was just like us, someone who was all alone.
...
...
...
Slowly, I turned around... and decided to at least hear her out.
“…What is it?” I replied, rotating my head to see the face I had desperately tried to avoid.
—She was crying.
Erina held back her sobs... just like how we first met.
Surprised that I had chosen to turn around, her eyes widened, and little by little, she inched closer.
Erina tried to say something but struggled to form the words.
It took everything she had to finally express herself, to never let go of me—something she hadn’t been able to do before.
"I'm… I'm truly sorry, and… thank you so much… for being alive…" Erina gently pulled at the hem of my shirt.
—Thud...!
"W-Whoa!" I exclaimed, startled when she collapsed on the ground, losing her strength.
Instead of standing back up, she embraced my waist tightly.
Even if I disliked it, she wouldn’t let go, never again.
I was trapped in her embrace, unable to feel anything but an unexpected reunion.
—Cling…
“...”
“Sniff…”
The two of us remained like this for a long time, and Erina savoured this feeling of happiness.
The fact that not only Camellia was alive, but I was too, lifted the heavy burden from her mind.
Should I tell her to grovel and beg for forgiveness? Should I have withheld my identity and refused to admit that I was truly Kuro?
I... don’t know.
What matters is that she is no longer alone.
