The birds chirped in the distance as Jack and Aurelia sat across from each other in the gazebo at the centre of the garden. A cold breeze brushed gently against his skin.

  His red eyes lingered on the ripples in his tea, his mind weighed down by his nightmare.

  “What’s on your mind?” Aurelia asked, her lips poised on the rim of her teacup.

  “Huh?” He blinked, snapping back to reality.

  “You seem lost in thought. Did something happen? Is that why you can’t sleep?” She speculated. She was wiser than she looked.

  “Yeah… I think I’ve been having a series of nightmares lately.” Jack confessed, his expression stiffening.

  “A series, you say?”

  “Yeah… they seem connected, like a continuous story.”

  “Intriguing. What’s it about? The trash monster?” Aurelia quipped, smirking.

  Jack found himself chuckling. “Ouch. You do enjoy jabbing at those below you, Princess.”

  “Not true. I actually admire those who get their hands dirty for the sake of others’ comfort.”

  Jack didn’t answer. He simply stared at her, unimpressed.

  “I just like poking fun at you specifically.” She took a cookie and popped it into her mouth whole. “Without an Armatus or a hulking knight’s armour, you look like a gentle uncle or an easy prey.”

  “Very boyish…” Jack noted in his mind. “She really doesn’t respect my age at all.”

  “Hehehe, my bad, my bad.” She waved dismissively, an innocent smile adorning her face.

  Jack sighed. “She’s a strange one… The first time we met, she lunged at me too…” Then something clicked. “She mentioned this name…”

  A voice slipped from his lips. “Zetius…”

  Aurelia’s eyes widened. She sprang to her feet, hands slamming onto the table. “You remember?!”

  Jack hesitated. “Remember?” He shook his head. “No… It’s from my dream.”

  “Tell me everything.” Her fiery red eyes locked onto his, filled with a sharp intensity.

  Jack recounted his visions, from his first experience floating in weightless space with three unknown children to his most recent nightmare. Aurelia listened quietly, nodding along, but remained uncharacteristically silent.

  By the time he finished, Aurelia had her arms crossed, her eyes closed in thought.

  “Did I bore you?” Jack scratched his cheek.

  Aurelia shook her head. “No. So… you’re his dad, huh?”

  “What?” Jack frowned. “Impossible. I buried my family with my own hands.”

  “Did you see their faces? Your son and your former wife?” Aurelia pressed.

  Jack lowered his gaze to his hands. “No… they were burnt beyond recognition…” Then his eyes flickered with realisation. “Wait! I do have a picture of him!”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  He yanked the locket from his necklace and showed it to her.

  Aurelia’s eyes gleamed with hope. “Wow… that is Zetius. Or someone who looks just like him.” Her voice was almost a whisper. She remembered him like it was yesterday — his charming smile and the brilliance in his eyes.

  “How can you be sure it’s not a switcheroo?”

  Jack frowned.“Have some respect for the dead, would you?”

  “It just… doesn’t add up,” she muttered, tapping her lips in thought.

  “What part?”

  “Everything.” She said, and the air became dense.

  Jack’s stomach churned. “Are you telling me this is some kind of hoax? That my family might actually be alive?” His voice wavered.

  “What would I do then? What about Lupus?” He found his resolve shaken.

  Aurelia shot him a devious smile. “Your family? Did you just have second thoughts about your current wife?”

  “My wife?”

  “It’s obvious. I’ve seen her flaunting that ring.” Aurelia lifted a finger knowingly.

  Jack sighed. “You’re awfully perceptive, aren’t you? Jeez… Let’s get back to the topic. Who is Zetius?”

  Aurelia’s expression softened. “He was my friend. We studied arcane together, along with Fried. We were the best arcanists in our class.”

  “So I saw you, Friederich, and Zetius.” He connected the dots.

  Aurelia nodded solemnly.

  She exhaled deeply. “Even as a child, he surpassed us in power. He was the best among us — the prime successor to Master Ignius of Aries. One day, I got lost in a dungeon. A terrifying beast attacked me. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be alive today.”

  Her words hung in the air, heavy with longing. She must have truly missed her friend.

  “This kid was brave… noble,” Jack muttered. Though he admired Zetius, the name meant nothing to him emotionally.

  Aurelia sniffled and nodded. “And now you’ve seen the rest through your visions…” Her voice faltered. “I never thought Dunkelheit had caught on to his existence. Imagine if there was another Celestius mage — the thirteenth one. Dunkelheit would have no chance of winning this war.”

  Jack’s voice was low. “So… he was a child prodigy. A gifted arcanist under Celestius Ignius. I got the picture now.”

  He hesitated. “But… is there any chance he’s my son?”

  Aurelia shook her head. “Highly unlikely now that I think it through. Despite your likeness in appearance, you have little to no mana. Bloodline plays a major role in an offspring’s arcane affinity.”

  Jack’s shoulders slumped. “Then he’s actually dead…” His voice was barely above a whisper. “Zetius’s private plane was ambushed by a fleet of over ten thousand Armatus.”

  Aurelia clenched her fists. “No… I refuse to believe that. I can still feel him in my heart.”

  She lowered her gaze, her bangs shadowing her teary eyes. Her body trembled as she struggled to hold back tears.

  Jack sighed. “He’d be happy knowing someone still thinks so dearly of him.” He placed a gentle hand on her head. This time, she didn’t push him away.

  “She’s just a lost kid…” Jack thought. His heart swelled with something else — rage.

  “Damn this war… Damn them all!” His mind seethed.

  A sudden voice shattered the moment. “What are you two doing?”

  Jack and Aurelia jolted. Frain stood before them, her thousand-yard stare locked onto Jack.

  Jack immediately straightened up. “Oh!~Hi, Frain! Didn’t even notice you there. You’ve really been working on your stealth! Atta girl!” He laughed awkwardly.

  Frain was not amused. “Answer my question, Jack.”

  Jack gulped as her oversized axe gleamed ominously. “Crap, crap, crap!”

  “You see, Aurelia was feeling homesick, so I, um… consoled her.” He chuckled nervously. “Right, Princess?”

  “Yes, yes! We weren’t doing anything shady at all!” Aurelia added swiftly. “Just talking about my country! See how far apart we’re sitting?”

  Jack’s eye twitched. “What? Is she daft?! You’re not helping!” He muttered under his breath, trying to shush her.

  Frain leaned in close and whispered, “If you cheat on Lupy, I’ll rip your thing off.”

  “Never!” Jack blurted, nodding furiously.

  Frain stepped back and offered a sweet smile. “Good.” Then, she spun on her heels. “I’ll go train a bit. See ya.”

  “Frain, are you coming to the feast tonight?” Aurelia asked, pretending to fix her hair.

  Frain glanced over her shoulder. “Yeah, me go.” She grinned, flashing a thumbs-up.

  As the lioness disappeared into the wind, Jack and Aurelia exchanged awkward smiles.

  “Ah… there’s a feast tonight.”

  “Yeah. And tomorrow, we cross the border.” Aurelia grinned.