"Fuck! It's so high and big! How are we going to climb up there?"
"If only we had helicopters from Earth, this could have been much easier. But alas, those technologies are now lost forever."
"How can you say that? Who knows, some mad scientists out there are creating something this Realm is not ready for?"
"Still, I don't think they can match up against a Skylord at all. I went to one of their Islands, and they are really strong."
"True. I wanted to join one of them. And this couldn't be a better opportunity."
"I want to join Aegis's Island. I heard he is the strongest among the Skylords," one young man said, admiration shining in his eyes.
"Haha, he is just a coward. The Holy Emperor invited him to battle against him, but he didn't have a shred of bravery."
"Hey look, someone's already climbing up."
The figure of their attention was a young woman with snow-white hair. She climbed using icy mist as propulsion.
Within seconds, she reached the first branch, overlooking the crowd coldly.
The crowd was mesmerized. Her strength was one thing, but she was beautiful beyond reason.
Those proud curves, that regal aura, that adorable contempt, were enough to ignite male hormones. Among those charmed males, no one could form one word except: "Goddess."
Aegis also looked at her face, and instantly became frozen as if struck by lightning.
"It's her..."
He suddenly clutched his head tightly as unbearable pain coursed through his nerves.
Memories resurfaced. Hard and painful.
***
A bright, sunny day.
The sky was blue. Too blue. The kind of blue that made promises feel eternal.
A fairly handsome little boy knelt awkwardly on the grass with his knees trembling as he faced a pale faced, white haired little girl.
His hands were shaking so badly he had to hide them behind his back.
She stood there, fingers nervously intertwined, eyes darting away whenever he tried to meet her gaze.
His heart pounded so loudly he was sure she could hear it.
Slowly, with all the courage he could gather, he pulled out a single red rose from behind his back. One he had saved his allowance for. One he had carefully wrapped so it would not wither away.
"B-Bella.. I like you very much. This flower is for you."
For a moment, time paused.
The girl stared at the rose. Then at him.
Slowly, a faint smile formed her lips. Soft. Gentle. Warm.
She took the flower, saying happily:
"I like you too, Arlan. We will always be together."
That sentence carved itself into his soul.
The world felt perfect.
Until the vision shattered like glass.
Years later.
The same sky. The same sun.
But everything else had rotted.
In the middle of a College garden, two familiar figures stood facing each other. No longer children. No longer innocent.
Arlan stood there, his body heavier, his shoulders slumped. He had practiced this conversation in his head countless times. Every night. Every lonely walk home.
He spoke softly:
"Bella…Why aren't you talking to me anymore? Ever since you returned from abroad, you've changed so much."
Despite his efforts, his voice was practically shaking.
The girl before him was beautiful now. Far more beautiful than before. Her white hair shimmered under the sunlight. Her posture was noblw. Distant. Untouchable.
Her cold eyes passed over him slowly, piercing and judgemental.
They paused on his round face. His soft body. His unfashionable clothes.
Her noble expression immediately morphed to disgust.
"How ugly," she said flatly
.
The word hit him harder than a slap.
"You are an utter disappointment to my expectations, Arlan. I can't believe we were friends once."
"J-just… friends?" Aegis whispered. His chest tightened painfully.
"We promised to—"
Her eyes sharpened instantly.
"Promised what?" she snapped threatingly as if she would kill him if he ever brought up the past.
"We were just kids. Don't tell me you actually believed that."
Each word was a punch to his gut.
"You're so naive."
She turned away as if he were no longer worth looking at.
Her new friends surrounded her immediately, laughter bubbling up as they glanced back at him with mocking smiles.
Whispers spread. Fingers pointed.
Arlan stood frozen.
He felt every gaze; every laugh; every unspoken insult.
The boy who once held a single eternal promise was reduced to a joke.
As Bella walked away without once looking back, something inside him collapsed without a noise.
Just a quiet, irreversible break.
Ever since that day, his world lost its sunshine.
And that pain never truly left him.
Back to the present.
From above, Bella's cold eyes unexpectedly turned toward Aegis, but there was no recognition in them. Only intrigue.
His appearance was different now. Handsome and perfect. That was most likely the reason she didn't recognise him.
She turned away and continued climbing upward.
The crowd finally broke out of their trance.
"Ah man, she's so hot. If only I could get her for one night," one man said, licking his lips lasciviously.
In the past, Aegis would have been angered by such remarks about her. But right now, he felt nothing.
"Yes, that's right. I'm not Arlan anymore. I am Aegis. That woman has long been deleted from my heart," Aegis roared internally.
He was about to stand up when another hand suddenly reached out toward him.
"Are you okay, man?"
The person extending his hand looked to be around the same age as Aegis.
He wore clothing made for a desert hunter and carried only a rusty spear.
"I am fine," Aegis said, standing up without accepting the stranger's hand.
The young man looked at him with deep curiosity.
Aegis was now dressed in a white inner robe layered beneath a royal blue outer robe embroidered with gold, accented by a flowing blue sash that moved like water.
A golden belt tied the outfit together, paired with dark trousers and black boots.
Naida was the one who had hand knitted the attire for him, working day and night.
It undeniably gave off a regal aura, far removed from his past gloomy self.
He had become what the world would call perfect.
But in this brutal world, did a perfect appearance from the past really matter?