Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 356: A Different Angle [2]

His hazel eyes stared back at me with a suffocating intensity that soon shifted to the right where a little girl stood, staring at the scene in amusement.

She smiled, alternating her gaze between the two of us.

“Hehehe.”

Her eyes seemed filled with delight.

“….You really do have a hand in everything, Oracleus.”

He turned his head to face her, his expression appearing completely indifferent. The two locked eyes for a brief moment before ‘Oracleus’ finally opened his mouth,

“You’ve overstayed your stay. It’s time you leave.”

“You think…?”

“Yes.”

“That sucks, but I guess that’s fine. I’ve seen and learned enough. Whatever you’re trying to meddle with, it’s not going to stop me. You’ve grown weaker, and I—”

With a wave of his hand, the little girl froze.

Clenching his fist, her form dissolved into the air, vanishing without a trace. She hadn’t even the chance to fight back.

I watched all of this in a daze, feeling overwhelmed by the situation only snapping out of it when the pair of hazel eyes locked back onto me.

“…..”

His presence felt suffocating, but I didn’t feel tense under his gaze.

I knew he meant no harm.

No, ‘I’ meant no harm.

The man before me was none other than me.

I just knew it was me.

“I…”

I opened my mouth in an attempt to ask how he was here given that there was already another ‘me’ present in the middle of the dome, but just as I opened my mouth, he spoke,

“I am indeed you.”

“….”

It was almost as though he could read my thoughts.

“This is indeed the future.”

He spoke without giving me a chance to say anything.

“…And what you’re feeling is real.”

Blinking his eyes, he looked back at me.

“Don’t take your eyes away from me. It’ll be your turn soon enough.”

“Uh?”

He then let go of my shoulder, turning his attention away from me and disappearing.

“Wait…!”

I tried to reach for him, but he had already left my reach.

“Where?!”

I looked everywhere for him, but he appeared to be nowhere in sight. Where did he go…? Where—

“I can’t… do it. I can’t…”

Leon’s cries brought me back to reality.

He sat on his knees, staring at his trembling hands with a pale face. He looked to be in a sorry state, unable to go through with his actions.

I stared at the scene stunned before a thought suddenly occurred to me.

‘This is the future…’

Suddenly reminded of ‘my’ words, my expression changed.

Wait…!

‘This is different from the vision.’

Doesn’t it mean that the future has changed?

After all, if Leon didn’t go through with the situation then that also meant that I wouldn’t die in the future?

“…Is that possible?’

I suddenly felt light.

I would no longer need to die like in the first vision.

For some reason, my chest felt light at the thought. Though I hadn’t cared much about my death in the past, things were a little different now. I had a goal and a reason to live. If I no longer had to die in the future then—

“Raise your head.”

A cold voice faintly echoed in the air, cooling down my head.

Staring down, I looked at the me who stood before Leon.

His expression was masked by his hair, but just a look at him made me shudder as I involuntarily stepped back.

“Ah.”

I swallowed dryly.

My shock only grew when Leon responded to his words.

Leon… He could see him.

“Y-you…”

Leon didn’t even look surprised by his appearance.

I was stunned by the situation, trying to understand what was going on. Why did it seem as though this wasn’t the first time he saw him? But what about the me from within the dome?

And what were his intentions in appearing before Leon?

‘Is he trying to ensure that I don’t die…?’

Yes…

That would make sense.

I would do that too if I had the power.

“What are you doing?!”

Leon let out a startled sound.

Reaching him, Oracleus held Leon’s face with both hands, lifting it to meet his gaze as Leon’s face trembled.

“….Don’t forget your mission.”

His voice layered.

My pupils shrunk.

‘This…!’

The world suddenly froze, his words the only thing that I could hear.

“Everything that you’ve worked so hard for… Don’t let it come to waste with this one moment. We’ve already talked about this. You have to do this.”

“Haa.. Haa…

Leon’s breathing started to grow heavier.

“B-But…”

“You worked hard for this.”

Oracleus cut Leon off before he had the chance to speak, his voice layering further.

“You’ve reached this point. Don’t let everything go due to some sentiment of yours. He’s nothing!”

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

“Finish what you started.”

Oracleus leaned his head to get a better look at Leon whose breathing was growing more and more frantic.

“Don’t let a meaningless death stand in our way.”

“Haa… Haa… Haa… Haaa…”

Clank!

Oracleus kicked the sword on the ground, extending his right hand to display a familiar-looking black ring. A sword materialized shortly after as he handed it to Leon.

“Go.”

His voice layered once more.

“Finish it.”

“Haa… Haa… Haa… Haaa… Haa…!”

Leon’s eyes turned bloodshot.

But that was still not enough.

Not enough to make him fully commit.

“Do it…”

The kick came from the other me who nudged his head toward the black dome, his voice faintly echoing throughout.

“….Kill me.”

“Haa… Haa… Haa…!”

That’s when Leon finally snapped, his hands desperately reaching out for the sword and grabbing it as his eyes grew frantic, adrenaline seemingly coursing through his body.

He jumped forward and entered the dark dome where his figure disappeared.

“….”

“….”

It suddenly grew quiet.

I watched all of this from my spot, unable to tear away from the scene that shook me to the core.

I didn’t know what to say or how to react.

‘Is this how it really went…?’

The future vision… I had previously thought it had changed given Leon’s sudden change in attitude, but I was wrong. It had never changed. I was just watching everything unfold from… a different angle.

“But…”

Why…?

Why was this happening?

Why would I want to kill… myself?

Unless…

Cra Crack—

A subtle cracking sound reverberated through the air.

Lifting my head, light began to spill from the black dome that showed signs of shattering. I watched, transfixed, as more cracks snaked across its surface, weaving through the dome-like intricate webs before…

Crash!

Everything shattered, revealing the shadows of five figures.

Thump!

Kiera, Evelyn, and Aoife all stood in the air while Leon stood behind Julien who knelt on the ground, a sword stabbing his back.

The girls were silent.

Leon was silent.

I was silent.

The world was silent.

All eyes were focused on Leon who stood before the me from the vision who showed signs of life as his chest heaved up and down lightly.

The chalice was scattered across the ground, spilling the contents within.

Leon’s expression was different from before, it was a lot calmer and colder. He looked at the vision version of me as his lips parted,

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to make it quick.”

His voice gently echoed throughout as his gaze lifted, turning his attention away from one me to another.

Standing in the same spot as before, he appeared invisible to the others as Aoife and the others didn’t seem to notice him.

They were instead all looking at Leon who gripped the sword tightly.

‘This…’

I blinked my eyes, visualizing the scene for a moment, and when I did, my entire body shuddered.

That was because…

‘This… I’ve seen this before.’

It was the exact same scene from the small glimpse of the game that Noel had shown me during my last day.

Even now, I could vividly recall how I had thought Leon was looking at me through the television.

But what if…

I looked at Leon and then the other me.

What if that truly had been the case?

“Hah.”

I covered my mouth.

‘….How can this be?’

“This is the last step, right? …The last step before my hell is finally over?”

The same lines, and the same expression as Leon’s eyes faltered, the calm he tried to keep slowly starting to show cracks as what replaced it was anguish…

Grief.

But there was something different about the situation compared to what I saw on the television.

This time…

“It is.”

A voice replied back.

“What are you waiting for? You’ve already completed the hardest part.”

Leon clutched his shirt, slowly wrinkling it as his face trembled.

“…Hah.”

A hazy smile appeared on his face.

“I’ll do it.”

He lowered his head to look at Julien.

A change occurred as he said those words. The me who was kneeling on the ground suddenly raised his head, his eyes staring right at Leon’s whose face suddenly trembled.

“Stop dragging this out.”

He only snapped out of it with my reminder as Leon bit his lips.

“Ah, yes… I shouldn’t drag this out.”

Leon lifted his hand, unveiling the cold gleam of the sword. His lackluster gray eyes quivered ever so slightly as the blade descended down in one fluid motion.

SHIIING—!

“I’ve waited far too long for this.”

A head rolled shortly after, stopping beneath the other me’s feet as he bent down to pick it up. Blood dripped down from the head’s severed neck, and turning his eyes away from the head, his eyes met mine.

I felt my body freeze.

He blinked slowly, turning his attention back on the head.

“You’ll understand soon enough.”

He mumbled, his other hand reaching for his arm where a familiar tattoo appeared.

“….All you have to do is remember.”

He cast his gaze down, pressing over the tattoo.

“Remember everything that happened.”

The world glowed a white color, and I was soon engulfed in darkness.

By the time light returned to my world, I was back in the palace.

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