[ Thalia's POV ]
I didn't know what to do at this moment.
Again. I had failed.
I was this close to winning. This close to proving everyone wrong. And yet again, I made the same mistake. Reached the same result. Where he had to interrupt to save me.
I looked at my partner. My savior.
Eren.
He was walking toward me. And every step he took sent a jolt through my spine. I didn't understand why, but his face was scaring me.
He was looking directly at me. Not at my cousin Azrael. Not at the battlefield. Just at me. As if every cell in his body was cursing my existence.
After a few more steps, he stood face to face with me. Completely ignoring Prince Azrael who stood just meters away.
"What the fuck was that?" His voice was cold. Angry. Disappointed.
I couldn't reply. What would I have said? What excuse could justify what just happened?
"You know what's worse than losing? Choosing to lose when victory was already in your hands."
He didn't wait for my response. Didn't need one.
"I was shocked to see you shocked in the brink of victory. You executed everything perfectly even with that ass summon of yours. You fought well with that mind of yours. But then what happened to your brain when your summon was defeated? Were you thinking 'it didn't go according to my plan, so let me just accept defeat because I'm a pathetic girl who relies on her summons'?"
Each word was a knife. Precise. Brutal.
"You stupid girl. You had this moron right in front of you."
He gestured at Azrael without even looking at him.
"You had plenty of time before that burning elf could return. You had these fists. These teeth. These claws. You had the best chance to grab his throat, look at those recording orbs, and show the whole world, show the people you have beef with—that you are coming for them. But nah..."
He went silent.
Even Azrael seemed confused. Standing there, unsure whether to attack or wait. Unsure what was unfolding before him.
Then Eren spoke again.
"You want to hear the truth no one tells you about revenge? Revenge isn't a destination. It's not some noble quest where you train hard, fight fair, and justice magically appears at the end. Revenge is a transformation. It's the moment you stop asking 'why did this happen to me' and start asking 'how badly do I want them to suffer.'"
His eyes bore into mine.
"Your father. The man who married a princess of an enemy nation knowing it would cost him everything. The man who chose love over safety. He didn't die running. He didn't die begging. He stood between your mother, you and death and said 'take me instead.'"
His voice dropped.
"And his daughter? His legacy? His blood? She's a scared cunt who can't even finish what she started."
The word hit me like a physical blow. Not because it was crude. Because it was true.
He sighed. Ran a hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm saying in anger."
But he wasn't done.
"But you want to know why I'm angry? Why I'm wasting my breath on someone who clearly doesn't want to breathe? Someone this mentally weak that I would have never given a damn about putting sense into her? Wanna know why I didn't just burn his royal ass and move on? Wanna know why I sat there watching you the entire time?"
I couldn't speak. Could barely breathe.
"Because I see myself in you. The same broken pieces. The same wounds that you and I share. The same rage burning in your eyes."
For a moment, his anger softened. Just a fraction.
"But there's one difference between us. When I fell, I made a choice. I chose to let the fall sharpen me instead of shatter me. I chose to turn my scars into armor. My pain into purpose. My hatred into hunger. And trust me it transformed a weak man into someone who fears nothing."
Then his gaze hardened again.
"You? You're still lying at the bottom of the pit, waiting for someone to throw you a rope. News flash—no one's coming. No one cares. The only hand that will ever pull you out is your own."
He had insulted me.
Humiliated me.
And yet... it didn't feel like an attack.
Everything he said was right. In his own twisted, brutal way it was all true.
This was his way of helping. His dark motivation. His method of burning away the weakness.
I understood now. He wasn't watching to see me fail. He was watching to burn all the obstacles in my path. The obstacles that haunted me from within.
"Move behind me." His voice cut through my thoughts.
"I'll finish this off. And you can cry back at the villa."
He turned away from me. Eyes locked on Vaelis. Ready to end this match himself.
I was helpless again.
I looked at Azrael. Wanted to punch that smug face. Wanted to make him bleed.
But what was the point now? It wasn't my battle anymore. I would just look pathetic hiding behind Eren. Another failure. Another disappointment.
And yet—
Something was burning inside me. A rage unlike anything before.
This time, it was different.
I wasn't cursing the ones who had wronged me and my family. I wasn't cursing the Elf King or the nobles system who destroyed my father.
I was cursing the one most responsible.
I was cursing her.
I wanted to beat the hell out of her. Destroy her completely.
And I knew exactly who she was.
It was me.
From the very start, I was the one who should have been defeated first. The enemy within. The coward hiding behind excuses.
The moment that thought crystallized—
THUMP.
A pain shot through my heart. Everything went blurry. The arena faded. The sounds disappeared.
And when I opened my eyes—
I was somewhere else entirely.
A beautiful elf stood before me. Her aura radiated like a divine being. Light seemed to bend around her very presence.
She rose from a throne I hadn't noticed. Smiled warmly.
"Now you are ready, my child."
She approached slowly. Hovered her hand near my cheek. Not quite touching. But I could feel her warmth.
"I was waiting for you. I have been residing within you, seeing everything you endured. I saw your resolve. I wanted to help you. But you weren't capable until today."
Her voice was like music. Calming yet powerful.
"You might be confused about many things. But let's not waste time on matters that can be discussed later. First, let's register your first victory against the path you have chosen."
She smiled one last time. Then the space faded.
I felt an immense heaviness in my core. Energy flooding through me. Power I had never known existed.
And then I faded too.
When I opened my eyes, Eren stood in front of me.
I was lying pathetically on the ground. But something was different now.
I recalled what had just happened. Understood what she wanted. What we both wanted.
I reached for her.
Called her name.
And she answered.
FWOOOOOOSH!
Divine energy erupted around me. Light condensed into form.
She materialized.
Her appearance was simple: plain clothes, nothing extravagant. But she looked utterly divine. She floated in the air, her feet hovering inches above the ground. An aura of pure majesty surrounded her.
Seeing her, Vaelis tensed immediately.
His burned, broken body went rigid. His eyes widened with recognition.
"Lady... Aerin?"
His voice was barely a whisper. Disbelief and reverence mixed together.
She smiled at him. That same warm, knowing smile.
"Look at you, Vaelis. You look like a barbecued chicken. How many times have I told you to fight seriously? Your ego always gets in your way."
Despite his injuries, despite the absurdity of the situation—
Vaelis bowed.
Low. Respectful. Genuine. "I am honored to see you again, my lady."