Chapter 18 — A Letter from the Past
The sunset washed the Academy in hues of gold and red.
The trio — Lux, Synoh, and Yuta — sat together like always.
Even so, the heavy guilt still hung around them like invisible chains.
That was when they noticed two figures approaching from the far side of the courtyard.
Edward, his usual scowl in place, and beside him—
A girl.
She had hair so white it looked like fresh snow, and eyes shaped like shards of ice, glistening under the fading sunlight.
Her expression was calm, poised — yet there was a deep sadness hidden in those beautiful eyes.
Princess Akane.
---
Edward approached the trio and, in his usual rough voice, said,
"I need to talk. Privately."
His eyes glanced at Lux and Yuta — but then landed pointedly on Synoh.
"You. Move."
Synoh raised an eyebrow and folded his arms stubbornly.
"No."
Edward looked ready to explode — but Akane gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let him stay," she said softly.
Edward let out a growl, but relented.
The five of them moved to a quieter, shaded part of the training grounds.
There, without his usual bravado, Edward began to speak.
---
"I'm not the same Edward you knew, Lux," he said, voice low and shaking slightly.
"Because of what happened to me... because of my parents."
He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering the words.
"When the truth about my parents got out — the slave trading, the black market dealings... I got left behind."
His fists trembled.
"I became trash.
Everyone called me a 'son of filth.' I got mocked, beaten... humiliated."
Akane looked down, her hands tightening around the scroll she held.
She had known about it — but back then, she was too powerless to stop it.
Edward laughed bitterly.
"I lost myself. I hated the world.
Until... my uncle found me."
He looked away, ashamed.
"He said I wasn't like my parents. He pulled me out of the dirt.
...But there were still rumors. Rumors that he was corrupt too.
Even if he wasn't, the stain was already there."
He turned to Lux, pain burning in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lux.
I became... something else. Something I hate."
The silence that followed was thick — almost suffocating.
Lux clenched his jaw, stepping forward.
"You're still my friend, Edward," Lux said quietly.
Edward flinched.
"And you're still you," Lux continued. "Not your parents. Not their sins."
---
Princess Akane then stepped forward and turned to Yuta, holding out a carefully wrapped letter.
"Yuta," she said gently. "This is from your father."
Yuta's eyes widened.
"He heard what happened. He asked me to deliver this."
Trembling slightly, Yuta took the letter.
Akane smiled faintly.
"Your father... he's a war hero," she said.
"He lost many comrades — including your mother.
He knows the pain you're feeling... and he wants you to know you're not alone."
Synoh, Lux, Edward — even Akane herself — stood quietly as Yuta opened the letter with shaking hands.
---
Letter from Yuta's Father, "Garron Strife"
> "My son,
Pain is something you can't avoid in this life.
I lost your mother... my comrades... my friends.
But even if the pain never fades, you can carry it with honor.
Don't let it drown you.
If you wish to walk the path of a knight, I will support you.
If you wish to join me as an adventurer, I will wait with open arms.
You are not alone, Yuta.
And I am proud of you — always."
Yuta crumpled to his knees, tears finally falling freely.
Synoh and Lux knelt beside him, arms around his shoulders.
Edward and Akane stood nearby, silent witnesses to the moment.
---
End of Chapter 18