Chapter 347
Le… th… e
IAM felt his eyes squint as he looked near her chest area, his gaze deepened as he focused—confirming that right there, the pristine number one could clearly be seen.
How?
IAM couldn't understand how a member of the Circle of the Accursed could possibly get recommended. She would have had to be approved by the very vice principals that were running the academy. It was impossible. How could they not know?
But then again… Hise Grave—Mr Graveyard—had managed to rise through the ranks of the Hold to the point where he was one of the main commanders, and no one had even suspected him.
So getting into the academy wasn't some impossible reality, right?
The possibility that there could be more… began to surface.
Yohan took a couple steps back as his expression grew solemn.
While the numbers weren't necessarily an indication of how strong someone was, they still pointed towards whose talent was the most easily recognisable—so much so that they were recommended before anyone else.
Someone like her couldn't possibly be simple.
Even with her cute face attempting to suggest otherwise, as she looked at Yohan for a few seconds… her eyes suddenly flashed with a faint white light.
Yohan spoke again, still trying to process it. "I'm really surprised… I didn't know there was someone like you around the academy."
Lethe's expression shifted slightly, something faintly complicated passing through it, almost like a mix of disappointment and acceptance. "but.. b… we… a… in the… class."
"what?" Yohan said, confused.
"same class." Lethe replied meekly.
"we are in the same class!? But I don't remember ever seeing you before!" Yohan exclaimed, disbelief clear on his face. "there's no way I wouldn't notice someone from our class."
"b.. but… I… sit… to… IAM."
"…"
"…"
"…"
It was like an explosion of alarm bells ringing through his mind.
IAM subconsciously caressed the front of his neck, his fingers brushing against his skin as something cold crawled up his spine. "what do you mean you sit next to me." his voice was filled with quiet intent.
Lethe didn't seem to even want to make eye contact as she spoke, her words slow and broken. "I… I sit n…ext… t… ever… y… lesson… y… you… just… do… don't notice… me."
Words of shocking meaning escaped her lips.
IAM took a step towards her—
Before he noticed Natsuki raise her sword once more.
He stopped.
Took a breath.
Forced himself to calm down.
He took a second to think… and recall.
He usually sat near the front of the classes he was in…
But…
Did he ever sit right on the end seat?
His mind began to buzz, a faint pressure building as his memories felt like they were peeling apart layer by layer. And then—
Just in the corner of his awareness—
He noticed something.
For some reason…
He had unconsciously always left a seat next to him.
In.
Every.
Single.
Lesson.
A buzz.
Reality itself seemed to peel away slightly, like something hidden beneath it was trying to surface, and a blurry face could barely be seen… fragments of presence flickering through his mind.
When he was in his lessons.
In the canteen.
In the cubicle in the library.
Always there.
Always close.
Without him even noticing.
IAM felt his body tense.
Yohan suddenly grabbed both of Lethe's shoulders, causing her to yelp in surprise, but Natsuki didn't interfere as she sensed no killing intent from him.
"what do you mean!? since when!? how!? I don't understand! how can you do that!" an expression of shock and horror spread across his face, his voice rising as his grip tightened slightly.
Could what she was saying be true?
Had she always been there?
In the background of everything?
Every action they did.
Every conversation.
Everything.
Such a thing would cause even someone with the thickest skin to feel goosebumps.
Such a horrible feeling.
Of someone being there without your awareness…
Always watching.
Your every move.
"I've… I… h…al…ways… been… here… I… was he… for… th.. e… acade…my… trials… I… even… f…ou…n…d… a… black… f…fl…ag… bu…t… th…ey… sai…d… on…ly… four… was… found…" suddenly, from her eyes, pure clear drops could be seen building up as she spoke, her voice trembling more with each broken word, "I… was… th.. ere… for… th.. e… competition… with… th… e… oth… class… b…ut… ever… yone… for… got me… I… was… al… ways… the… re… in… every… moment… but… everyone… al… ways… forget… me… like… I… don't… exist."
Her words came to an end as Yohan spoke once more, his voice filled with disbelief as he tried to make sense of it. "what do you mean everyone forgets you… this has to be a result of using your path methods… unless it's impossible… ascenders have better memories, there is no way we could just forget about someone so easily!"
Her bluish grey eyes were desolate as she didn't answer, her silence almost confirming something far worse than what he was hoping for.
"but the mana required to have it active… it would be insane… there is no way someone could keep up the same method continuously for hours on end, not even masters could do that" Natsuki added, her voice plain, it was hard to discern her exact thoughts, but one could clearly see that she was just as shocked as the others.
"This…" Yohan could barely speak as he had so many questions upon questions piling up in his mind, each one clashing into the next, but before he could continue—
"That's enough."
Everyone turned to face IAM, who was staring at Lethe intensely, his gaze deep and unwavering as if he was trying to see through her entirely. "that's enough. We are wasting our time. Everyone has something that makes them unique, but now is not the time to question her all day. We need to find the others as soon as possible. Our questions… will be answered when it's all over."
Everyone fell silent, their thoughts unclear and heavy in the air as Lethe looked at IAM from her peripheral vision while he spoke once more, his tone unchanged. "is that your weapon?"
He pointed towards the hammer that was around the same size as her, the sheer size of it contrasting heavily with her small frame.
She nodded.
"pick it up."
It was a command, one that carried something unknown behind it, sending a chill through her body as she unconsciously obeyed, walking over and picking up the hammer that even the most jacked bodybuilders on earth would struggle with, yet she lifted it with ease, hugging it close to herself as she returned to them.
"you will stay with us. You are not going anywhere and you will listen. Do you understand?" His words were direct, leaving no room for interpretation.
She eventually nodded.
Yohan looked at IAM strangely, his brows furrowing as confusion and concern mixed within his expression. "what is going on with you? Why are you so hostile—wait, did you know that she would sit next to you this whole time… is that why you…" he trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.
But seeing he wasn't going to get an answer, he sighed as he tried to smooth things over. "it's OK, I'll make sure he doesn't do that again, OK?" Even after hearing such horrifying words from her, he couldn't stop himself from wanting to protect this girl who seemed so... fragile.
"she will stay by me." Natsuki pulled Lethe away from them, positioning her beside herself as she gave IAM a sharp gaze before turning her attention back to the girl. "you will stick close to me le… le…?…" her words faltered unexpectedly.
Natsuki went silent as her face shifted, and for once, a genuine expression other than control and dominance appeared on her pristine face.
Surprise.
"what is it?" Yohan asked, now confused again.
"her… her name… what was her name?" Natsuki said, her voice lacking its usual certainty.
A wry smile began to form on Yohan's face as he answered instinctively, "her name? She just said it… her name is… is… is…" his voice slowed, his expression freezing as something felt wrong.
His face went cold.
The two of them just stared at the girl, their faces now filled with confusion and surprise, as if something obvious had just slipped completely out of their grasp.
Yohan spoke again, slower this time. "hey… what was your name?"
Disappointment settled within her, deep and familiar, as yet another lie revealed itself. They broke their promise. They said they would remember. They promised. And yet…
"lethe."
Her face lifted slowly, her gaze rising towards the one person whose eyes had never once left her.
IAM.
His expression was unreadable as he spoke, his voice low and grave, it pressed into the air itself. "they may have forgotten… but I will never forget… I will never forget you for even a second… from now till the day death embraces me once again… I will never forget you. For what you did to me… I will never forget."
His words were filled with threat, the kind that would normally make someone uncomfortable just hearing it, the kind that would send chills down their spine.
But instead, it had the complete opposite effect as the excitement buried deep within Lethe's eyes began to swell, growing rapidly as if it was about to burst into fireworks.