Arc 7. Death to what came before
Road to a Hero:
Three Chances in Another World
Chapter 7. A veil covering bliss
Flying through the air on the way to Ravoria, Gray continues to doze off, trying his best not to fall asleep. Sleep for him is wasted time, he could be training, thinking, and looking around, but all of this was a self-imposed lie. Truthfully, it’s fear. Falling asleep meant he was at the mercy of his mind, which he didn’t trust at all. It was what bombarded him with a month-long nightmare of his parents hating his existence, and another recurring nightmare about the burning of Athens. While he’s drifted off every so often, he hasn’t let it go on long enough to think, always snapping out of it just before it happens. So to him, he hasn’t fallen asleep in over a week, he just keeps moving. The bloodlust-filled rampage he went on in Le Bon, without remorse for the people there is eating at him. They just wanted to see what the Sect was about, and they were mindlessly beaten for it. The boy who once tried his hardest to let his foes live, as he had issues with the idea of sentencing someone to death, had just left over thirty people broken and half dead with almost no remorse, at the time at least.
His eyelids are being pulled down by giants, trying to force him to rest for even a second. The soft cold clouds work as nice blankets and pillows, and Demas saddle works as a bed. His head is aching as if his brain is going to explode if he doesn't shut his eyes, but he won’t let that happen. Sitting in the meditation position, he rushes mana through his body, breaking down his muscles and weighing down his bones. This is the training manner he had formed back at the mansion, allowing him to break his body down, which would quickly heal due to his small healing factor. Doing this not only trains his body but also keeps him awake for the time being. While in this state, he has an enlightened idea, something he hadn’t even thought of before. What if, using his astral state, he locked onto Julius and found out where he was? For the first time in a while, he’s joyous, even Dema seems to be happy. No longer tired, he plants his fists together and locks onto Julius’ presence, but it won’t work.
The only way to astral project to somebody is to have a connection with them, a positive one. While the more you like somebody doesn't mean the distance you can project will alter, just having a connection to somebody's soul dictates if he can or cannot. He tries and tries, strains himself, grits his teeth, and begins screaming. No matter what he does, his hatred for Julius won’t let him project to his location.
Gray: “Of course it couldn’t be that easy.”
Right as his eyes sink, they rise once more, as he attempts to project to Rosemary. Now his astral form begins to pulse, struggling to find her location, but the fact it’s even attempting to find her raises his hopes for her being alive. However, after a bit of trying, it locks onto something, launching him into the light blue void that is the astral realm. His spirit is much stronger than before, but it begins to glitch, trying to force itself to Rosemary. His spirit is warped through a rift in the plane, floating in a pitch-black domain, lit up by his glowing blue spirit. He drifts around, silent, confused, though he hears the crying of a familiar voice. He begins flying to it, with his hopes raging like a flame, but when he finds the origin of the wails, he wishes he hadn’t. Rosemary's crying body is bound by chains, without a face. Her hair has begun to turn black, her skin is more pale, she’s lost weight, and she’s alone. Gray is unable to do anything, or think anything, all he can do is watch. His mind can’t accept it, it won’t accept it, so he’s forced to look at her flat head. There are no eyes, no nose, no ears, no mouth, it’s only skin. The screams are muffled, but her form vanishes into a cloud of smoke when the slamming of a door is heard, kicking him out of the domain.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Flipping and flying backward, forces himself back through the rift, and back out of the astral plane, landing in his body. He gasps for air, lunging up. He found that they had landed in a field covered in snow. As he looks around, he sees a small village in the distance, a fence surrounding them, and a windmill beside them. He assumes he’s in one of Walgonia’s many farming villages. He lays back down, rummaging through his things, taking out the orange scarf, and holding it close to him. Shivering from the cold air and wishing for the warmth of his life to come back to him.
Gray: “You have shone so brightly in the darkness that I let surround me, a golden star amidst my night sky, the sun to my moon. I promise, no matter how long it takes, no matter what it takes, I’ll save you, as you saved me.”
After days of this restless charge, he finally rests. As he drifts into the land of dreams, Rosemary's scarf works as his protector, allowing him to finally have a peaceful dream. In the capital of Walgonia, in the ballroom filled with the people they’ve met along their journey, is Gray. Without a scar on his body, as well as a lack of stress, as if nothing bad had ever happened. Soku stands in a white tuxedo, acting as Gray’s best man, with a congratulatory smile on her face. Everyone is there, all wearing white attire and a smile on their faces. As the ballroom door opens, the all-white room goes silent, watching as this beauty with a veil over her face walks through. In this all-white, indescribably gorgeous dress. Gray is anxious, watching as Edward, with all of his limbs, including his eye, holds the back of her dress up. When the woman steps up to the front, Edward steps back, and Ophelia walks in, holding two diamond rings. She hands them to Gray and his bride, tearing up as they put them on each other. Gray stops for a moment, feeling the softness of the woman's small hands.
As Ryo stands behind them, he asks them both to declare their vows.
Gray: “I promise to stand tall beside you, to live solely to stay with you. As long as you’re alive, I’ll be alive, and if you pass, I’ll have to pass with you, as I cannot think about the hell it would be to spend a second apart.”
The room continues to stay silent, waiting for his bride to state her words
“You are the pillar that holds up life, and I hope you think of me as the same. I wish to have a family, to make a new living, to get another chance at life as one, living for each other and nothing less.”
While they go past the other formality, as nobody will stand against the ceremony, Gray lifts the veil. Rosemary looks at him with a blushing face and a small smile, leaning in to kiss him. He leans in as well, finalizing their marriage. He continues to stay inside of the dream of bliss until the next morning when he’ll be off once more on the blood filled journey.
End of Chapter Seven