The boy waited for his moment, and it came as Lucian's younger self turned to fend off an attacker. With a swift, calculated shove, the boy pushed him backward, directly into the portal.
Lucian's past self stumbled, he almost let go of his sword but then managed to grip it tightly. His eyes widened in shock as he felt the pull of the portal.
"Lucian!"
The white-haired girl's voice cut through the chaos. She had been fighting nearby, her movements graceful and fierce, but her attention snapped to Lucian the moment she saw what was happening.
She sprinted toward him, her hand outstretched, she tried to run as fast as she could,she didn't give up as she tried to take hold of Lucian's hands.
Lucian's past self reached back, their fingers almost touching.
"Almost..." the girl whispered, desperation lacing her voice.
But the portal's pull was too strong. With a final, heart-wrenching lurch, Lucian was sucked into the Abyss.
"No!" the girl cried, her hand closing on empty air.
Her eyes darted to the boy who had pushed Lucian. Rage flared in her expression, and she bolted after him, determined to catch him.
Lucian followed her, his ghostly form gliding effortlessly through dust and debris. The girl pursued the boy with relentless speed, but as she closed in, her path was blocked.
"Hold her down!" one of the attackers shouted, his voice echoing above the din.
"She's the princess of Everaine!" another added, his tone filled with a mixture of awe and fear.
Several masked figures surrounded her, forcing her to defend herself. She fought valiantly, her blade a blur, but the boy had already disappeared into the chaos.
"Thanks, Silvana. I am indebted to you," Lucian mumbled as he shot past her towards that bastard.
***
Outside the banquet hall, Lucian caught sight of him crouching behind a cluster of bushes. The boy, oblivious to Lucian's presence, muttered to himself.
"Phew... that was close. But the rewards are amazing!" His voice was filled with exhilaration. "This system is incredible. It tasked me to push those Lunastre and Nytheris princes into the Abyss, and it gave me tools to do it tools that hid my presence. And now... this soul weapon!"
"I don't regret it a bit! This system gave me these amazing rewards too! And those two rich bastards are now gone from my path to become the strongest! They were just lucky enough to be born into royal families. Hmph. I should have been the one to enjoy those privileges, not them! But now with this system…all that I once dreamt of achieving is possible!"
He held up a blade that pulsed with dark energy, its malevolent aura undeniable.
"This system's gonna make me unstoppable," the boy continued, his tone turning lecherous.
"And that white-haired and that cyan-haired girl... they are beauties. Maybe I'll add them to my harem someday. Just imagine..."
Lucian's disgust boiled over. "You're vile," he muttered, though the boy couldn't hear him.
He turned back to the banquet, his mind racing with questions and fury. "A system? A quest to push me into the Abyss? And rewards? Even a soul weapon..."
When he returned, the scene was heart-wrenching. The battle had ended, leaving destruction in its wake. Nobles huddled in shock, their fine clothes torn and bloodstained.
The attacker's lifeless bodies lay there, lifeless, and blood stains everywhere.
His family stood at the center of the hall, their grief palpable. His mother clung to Valeria, both sobbing uncontrollably. His father's stoic facade had cracked, anguish etched into his features.
"Lucian..." his mother wailed, her voice raw. "My son!"
The white-haired girl approached them, her face streaked with tears. Her voice trembled as she recounted what had happened.
"I tried to save him," she sobbed. "I almost reached him, but... I failed. And the boy who pushed him he got away."
Valeria shook her head, her cries turning into broken wails. "No... Lucian... no!"
Lucian's chest tightened as he watched their despair. "I'm here," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I'm here... please, don't cry."
But they couldn't hear him. To them, he was lost swallowed by the Abyss.
His father took a deep breath, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging within him. "We will find him," he announced, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
Turning to the other heads of the royal houses, he commanded, "Search every inch of our territories, be it in the overworld or the Abyss. Comb through every stronghold of the seven clans. Bring my son back!"
The leaders nodded in unison, their expressions grim. Each of them vowed to aid in the search.
But just as they were preparing to mobilize, the mistress of the Nytheris family stepped forward, her expression grave.
"My son, Alstair... he's missing as well," she said, her voice breaking slightly.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the hall. Two princes, both lost in the same event. The weight of it hung heavy in the air.
Lucian's mind churned with the implications.
"Alstair Nytheris... he's in the Abyss…yeah now that I think of it, that vile thing did say that he pushed me and the Nytheris prince into the portal. He must have done so when my attention was on my past self."
The memory began to dissolve, the scene fading as the void reclaimed him. Lucian stood tall, his resolve hardening.
Lucian's vision blurred again and this time he found himself back in the void, facing that otherworldly figure.
"I will return," he promised, to them, to himself.
Then some questions started to form in his mind.
"What was that? Did that system try to eliminate me?" Lucian whispered.
"And why did that system do so? Who created that system?" his voice breaking.
The question felt like a weight pressing down on him, squeezing the air or whatever passed for air in this place out of his lungs.
He stared into the void, hoping for answers but dreading them at the same time.
The figure's voice had gone silent, leaving him alone with his spiraling thoughts.
"What does it mean?" he asked aloud, his voice desperate.
"Why show me that?"
"Why now?"
There was no reply. Only the unyielding silence of the void.
Lucian's mind churned with questions, but none of them brought clarity. Instead, they deepened the pit in his stomach.
Was his life scripted?
If his death was a foregone conclusion?
If all of it was orchestrated by that system, then what was the point?
Yet... something within him refused to yield.
Even as doubt clawed at his mind, even as despair threatened to pull him under, there was a spark a small, stubborn ember of defiance.
"What do I do now?" he asked, his voice steady despite the chaos in his mind.
The figure smiled or at least, Lucian thought it did. "You fight. You survive. You reclaim your life, not as the prince of Lunastre, but as Lucian the boy who defied the system, the odds, who refused to give up."
The light around the figure began to dim, its form fading into the void.
"Wait!" Lucian called out. "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"
The figure paused, its voice soft and distant. "We will meet again, Lucian. Until then, remember this: Life is the most beautiful thing you can have. Treasure it, fight for it, and never take it for granted."
And with that, the figure vanished, leaving Lucian alone in the void.
It was then that the surroundings of Lucian started to crack.
"Wai-Wait! There are more questions that I want to ask!!"
But before Lucian could understand his current situation his vision blurred again.
As Lucian's consciousness left that place, the voice spoke again, amused, "Let's see what you can do this time, Lucian Lunastre. After all, I put all my bait on your success, don't disappoint me now."