Alden's eyes snapped open.
He was still inside a memory. And this time it was his own.
He was in a room… a warm room. Familiar.
Photo frames sat beside the bed.
Pictures of family. Graduation day.
Smiles frozen in time.
Her face haunted him—soft, yet pale.
He understood it was just a dream. Still, it all felt too real.
This was his–Damien's room.
Then the memory twisted.
He found himself holding her in his arms.
It was the same scene which had haunted him in his previous life.
Perhaps experiencing Gravius's trauma had jolted Alden's own back.
Blood seeped through his fingers, warm and sticky.
Her breaths were shallow and fading fast.
A fragile and pained smile touched her lips.
"Damien, please…" She whispered, her voice trembling, "Live a life free of regret. Please be happy… I will… I will always be with you…"
Her eyes slowly closed.
Alden's mouth opened unconsciously.
A voice came out from his mouth without his control, "Don't go… Please don't leave me…"
It was the same thing Damien said when she left him.
The heavy silence pressed down on him.
Then he woke, his heart hammering.
Alden's eyes snapped open.
For a moment, everything was still.
His breathing was shallow.
He felt a dull ache in his chest which had nothing to do with wounds.
His body was healed completely. His vision was flooded with many system windows.
He ignored them for now.
He was lying on a clean but unfamiliar bed. The room was quiet, dimly lit by the soft lights.
His gaze shifted to the side, registering the soft feeling on his hand.
She stood beside him, holding his hand.
Her expression—tense and uncertain.
Alden didn't react immediately.
His body remained still, but his mind raced.
Why the hell is Nyx holding my hand?
His eyes darted to the corners of the room, analysing the details.
Furniture was modest but well-maintained.
The mana in the air was stabilised and refined.
This wasn't a hospital, nor a public safehouse.
It was an apartment in the academy dorm. The layout was similar to his own.
His gaze narrowed slightly.
More importantly—why am I here?
The last thing he remembered was standing in the heart of Lustra's devastation.
His body was broken from the fight with Gravius. He had fallen unconscious.
But now, not a single scratch was present on his body.
But more importantly, how did she find me?
Was she also present in the city?
That was the only normal conclusion Alden could reach, except if Nyx was a stalker who knew he was in danger.
He looked down at their hands.
Hers was warm, trembling faintly.
She made no effort to pull away.
Suspicion flickered in his chest.
Was this some kind of trick? A scheme?
He had no illusions about how many people might try to use him after what happened in Lustra.
He pulled his hand away.
Nyx flinched slightly but didn't protest.
"You're awake," she said quietly, voice steadier than her body.
Alden's face remained unreadable.
"You brought me here?" he asked. His tone wasn't accusing—but it wasn't trusting either.
Nyx met his gaze. "I found you in Lustra. You were… surrounded by corpses. Covered in blood. You were unconscious. I didn't know what else to do."
Alden studied her, silent.
Her mana signature hadn't changed.
No signs of corruption. No instability.
She didn't appear to be lying—but appearances could be deceiving.
He had many questions.
How did she survive the corruption?
How much did she see?
She had her secret just like he had his own. If he asked her to reveal herself, she would ask his own.
He didn't suspect a single time for her to be allied with demons.
If she was indeed a demon, saving him didn't make sense. She would have killed him while he was unconscious.
Just the fact that she didn't do that was enough for him to know she didn't have any ill intent.
He asked about where he was. He already knew, but he had to make small talk to get out of the awkward silence.
"You should rest more. You're not fully recovered," she muttered.
"I'm fine," Alden said immediately.
He was actually feeling a lot better. His body felt refreshed.
Nyx let out a sigh, and for a moment, her voice softened. "You don't have to act strong all the time. It's okay to show weakness sometimes."
What is she on about?
He gave her a strange look but dismissed it as Nyx's behaviour.
She did it very often. Talking about some random quotes or information.
He simply got up from his bed and turned to leave.
Just as the door opened. He recalled something.
"Thanks." He said so before he left her apartment.
After parting with Nyx, Alden returned to his apartment swiftly.
It was only a few floors below hers after all.
After arriving in his apartment, he entered his bedroom.
He had some system notifications to check, but he decided to take a shower first.
His body was covered in blood.
He entered the shower. The cold water droplets brought it with clarity and peace.
But peace made his thoughts wander.
His mind wandered to the promise he failed.
She had died in front of him.
Mark's face... as he trusted him with her haunted his mind.
No matter how much he tried to ignore it.
Mark's voice echoed in his ears.
"Why didn't you save her?"
"I trusted you… why?"
"She died because of you."
Alden's face was blank.
He felt guilty for his inability to protect Yuna.
But he had to move on. He couldn't keep thinking about something that had already happened.
He couldn't change the past … All he could do is carry the guilt and move on.
He couldn't change it, but he won't forget it either.
Gravius wasn't the one who killed Yuna.
It was my weakness which killed her.
After clearing his mind.
He exited the bathroom with newfound clarity.
He got dressed as he summoned all the system pop-ups.
He decided to check them one by one.
But one attracted his attention the most.
[YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY INHERITED THE INTENSE MEMORY OF HUMAN: GRAVIUS]