"...I didn't, um," Azrael stammered, feeling an overwhelming surge of emotions. The unfamiliarity of his own body added to the disorientation that clung to him since the possession began.
Well, truth be told, the body was never truly his own from the start, but today marked the first time this reality became glaringly evident.
It was becoming more and more necessary for him to get out of the talk since Valerian's eyes were closing on him. Ironically, interactions with Eirian had not triggered quite this extreme level of animosity.
'It's the genuine emotions of the real Azrael... His body is reacting to the presence of his brother.' He couldn't blame him though. What the current Azrael saw in his vision was nothing short of depressing. Just with that one memory, he could already grasp the full extent of the real Azrael's relationship with Valerian.
His brother seemed to despise him.
The question lingered: why?
In the midst of the vision, Azrael felt a surreal sense of presence. He could absorb the real Azrael's thoughts as if they were his own, witness his sights, and experience his emotions.
It was almost as if he were physically there, yet he wasn't the one steering his own body.
The seven-year-old Azrael, mentioned in his thoughts, revealed a once-close bond with Valerian that had abruptly soured.
'Something must have happened... No, something definitely did. But was Valerian justified? Not only that, he was only two years older than the real Azrael, meaning he was only nine but it didn't feel like he was though.'
Indeed, Valerian projected an air of maturity beyond his years, while the real Azrael behaved precisely as any child would.
"You didn't what? Why are you trimming your words?" Valerian's annoyance sliced through Azrael's thoughts. "I swear by all the Celestial spirits, my patience wears thin. You've barely been here for months, and all you've done is be a thorn in my side."
Valerian's cutting words prompted an involuntary flinch from Azrael, a reflex driven by the body's muscle memory. 'Hold on... What did Azrael do to Valerian in the past few months?'
Setting aside that question for now, Azrael could feel anger simmering within him in response to his 'brother's' harsh words. In his mind, Valerian was nothing short of an asshole.
In Azrael's life as Zak, he had been an only child but had always yearned for a brother. Fate, however, had cruelly taken his parents before they could fulfill that wish, leaving him orphaned and solitary, with no one to share his formative years.
He battled the urge to retort to Valerian, a cocktail of the real Azrael's somber memory, his body reacting out of fear, and Valerian's acerbic attitude stroking his rising frustration.
Despite the mounting anger, he couldn't afford to draw suspicion to himself. There were more pressing matters at hand. With a deliberate, deep breath, Azrael bowed his head, letting his hair cascade over his shoulder, and spoke with measured softness.
"I apologize for ramming into you; it was not intentional. You see... I overslept and realized I was late for my morning lectures, so I had to rush. I wasn't paying full attention to where I was going, and for that, I take full responsibility."
'That should suffice, right? Now, accept my apology and let me go before I say something I regret, you jerk.'
"What kind of ploy is it this time?"
"Pardon?" Azrael couldn't help but lift his head to meet Valerian's scowl. Valerian's response left him puzzled and unable to fathom the reasoning behind his brother's reaction.
'Ploy? What the hell is he saying?'
Valerian scoffed, crossing his arms against his chest. "You expect me to believe your pathetic excuse? You, accidentally running into me? Is this like the time you accidentally fell down the stairs and ordered the academy's healer to have me meet you or else you won't get treatment?"
"W...What? No, I—"
"Or perhaps, it's like that time you accidentally grabbed a bouquet of thorn-filled flowers and cried until the professors and my peers had to pull me out of my training to console you?"
"It's not like that—"
"Then what is it this time? Hmm? What kind of undignified act are you doing this time? Have you not embarrassed yourself enough? You are a prince. Not just any prince, an imperial prince. How many times do I have to tell you before you get it into that head of yours."
Valerian seized Azrael's face, squeezing it slightly, causing the younger prince to wince. 'This asshole!'
"What you do not only reflects on you as a prince but it also reflects on me, because unfortunately, I am your brother."
By this time, passing students stared and whispered, but none lingered or offered assistance. Azrael could see pity, eye rolls, and indifferent glances.
'They all seem used to seeing this kind of scene.'
Azrael gritted his teeth, his hands shaking. 'Calm down. I have to calm down...God, I wanna punch him.'
"Do our family a favor and start acting like a proper Celestria." Valerian released him, and as soon as he did, Azrael took a step back, suppressing the urge to glare at the older prince.
Valerian sighed, placing a hand on his waist. "I told father that he shouldn't have let you attend the academy. Other than you not acting like a royal, you have no proper magical abilities, and even have the weakest mana in Celestria history. You're useless through and through."
Something inside Azrael snapped. Valerian's words had crossed a line, and Azrael, never one to endure abuse or bullying even in his first life, felt a surge of anger.
Azrael kept his head down, but his body trembled with rage, which made Valerian snicker, perhaps assuming Azrael was on the verge of tears.
No.
He wasn't going to cry. At that point, all the phantom sadness and fear his body felt were replaced with genuine rage.
'Is this what the real Azrael had to endure? He had to go through this, hear these words even at a young age.'
Was this what drove the original Azrael to his death? It seemed likely. Based on the vision, Azrael knew the original owner of this body was kind and loved Valerian deeply. He was a hundred percent sure that Valerian had driven him to his death.
"What? Are you going to burst into tears again and make a scene like you always do when you don't get your way?"
'I originally wanted to be on good terms with Valerian because it would be nice to have him on Eirian's side earlier than they did in the novel, but now...'
He disliked Valerian.
And he wanted nothing more to do with him. If there's anything Azrael fears now when standing in front of the red-haired prince, it's that he might hit his face at any given moment.
'I have to end this conversation. I don't know what I'll end up doing if this goes on...'
Azrael takes a deep breath, cursing inside his mind multiple times before looking up at Valerian, his eyes meeting the older prince's.
There's a brief look of surprise in Valerian's eyes; Azrael doesn't know why, but he doesn't care. All he wants is to end the conversation.
"Hmm? What's this? Are you gonna start giving me excuses again?"
'Hah... He's not making this easy.' Azrael feels his eyebrow twitch in annoyance as he straightens his body, his hands clasped in front of him, mustering up all his strength to give Valerian a soft smile.
"No, I realized that I've made it hard for you the past few months, and I deeply apologize." Azrael speaks with a gentle tone. "I genuinely did not mean to bump into you today, and I do not plan on bothering you anymore. I swear on our family's name, I'll do my best to stay out of your way now."
Azrael bows his whole body this time to show his sincerity; he prays that Valerian could just take it and let him go because he's already biting his tongue to prevent himself from retorting.
He doesn't raise his body right away; he waits for Valerian's reaction before he does anything. It pains him to be so submissive to such a jerk, but he figures this would be how the real Azrael reacts if he didn't love his brother so much.
After a few more moments of silence from the crown prince, Azrael starts to get impatient. He's pretty sure he's late for his first lecture, and Adham is probably panicking.
Bowing in public where other students would glance and whisper feels highly uncomfortable, but there's nothing he can do right now.
But when minutes pass and Valerian is still silent, Azrael has to speak out. 'He really is just trying to make things difficult for me. Why didn't the novel ever mention how foul Valerian's personality is?'
He already knows the answer to that question.
Azrael is pretty sure Valerian was only foul-mouthed and ill-mannered towards one person, and in the novel, that person died.
Sighing, he raises his head to check what Valerian is doing, and he realizes that his 'brother' is just staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.
'Though I can't make out what he's thinking, I'm pretty sure he still doesn't believe me. I have to convince him somehow that I'm really not gonna bother him anymore.'
"Valerian?" Azrael says softly, slowly raising his body as he tucks his hair behind his ear. For the first time since they spoke, Valerian actually flinches when Azrael calls his name. This surprises and confuses Azrael, so he speaks again.
"You don't have to believe me right away. I understand that you do not trust me, but please give me this final chance. If you let me go now, I swear that I will not be a bother to you anymore."
One would think that with how calm and respectful Azrael speaks, it would be met with at least some reciprocation, but for some reason, Valerian seems more aggravated than he was earlier.
"You..."
Valerian finally speaks as he puts his hands behind his back.
"Yes?"
"You are acting strange."
'It's one after another with this prince. First, he's bothered because I ran into him and kept pestering him. Now that I apologize, I'm acting strange?' Azrael mentally groaned but had to maintain his smile.
He tilted his head slightly to the side. "What do you mean, Valerian?"
Though he seemed to be even more annoyed now, Valerian spoke eerily calmer than he was earlier. He did, however, narrow his eyes at Azrael.
"Do you honestly expect me to believe that someone who cries and throws a tantrum every chance he gets could suddenly act so mature now? If this isn't an act, then I'd still think that either you did something or something happened for you to suddenly change your attitude so drastically."
Alright.
Azrael did not expect that. Valerian got him there. For some reason, he didn't expect to be questioned like this, not immediately.
Perhaps it was because in his first life, when he read those transmigrator novels, people barely mentioned the fact that the villainess started acting kind, or the spoiled princess started becoming frugal overnight.
Even if some characters questioned the main character's sudden change, it wouldn't be addressed until further on.
He didn't even consider that if he suddenly changed how Azrael acted that someone would question him on the spot.
'Adham didn't question me so I thought the same logic applies considering I'm inside a novel, but then again he's probably blinded by his loyalty to me.'
Valerian was quick-witted, and Azrael should've known better.
Right now, he just dug his own grave again.
"Hmm? Quiet now, are we? That means I was correct. Something happened to make you act like this. Now the question is..."
Valerian walked closer to Azrael, and the younger prince had to take a step back because there was something menacing about Valerian. It was all too sudden.
His body... No, he, himself, felt afraid again, especially when he felt a hand grab his arm tightly as Valerian leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"What did you do?"
Azrael wanted to speak; he wanted to defend himself and say that he didn't do anything. He thought of a million different excuses, and he even thought of just running away, but he couldn't.
His eyes were wide as he felt Valerian's mana overpowering him. He knew he was doing it on purpose to scare him.
'I was annoyed at him earlier because he was mad and acting harsh. I didn't fully understand how the real Azrael didn't get annoyed at his brother instead of being afraid, but...'
This was the Valerian that the original Azrael was afraid of.
Azrael's hands were shaking, and this time because it was him who was frightened. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to cry; he wanted to ask for help.
"Answer me. What... did you do?"
Azrael was about to force himself to speak, even when he was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd die on the spot because of how powerful Valerian was. He didn't know if Valerian was using some sort of ability to dominate him. Whatever it was, it scared him.
But he didn't have the chance to speak because...
"Oh? Prince Valerian, quite a surprise to see you here. Aren't you late for class?"
A voice spoke behind them; almost immediately, Valerian let go of Azrael's arm and stepped back.
When he was free from Valerian's grasp, Azrael felt like he could breathe again.
'Ah... I really, really am starting to hate him.'
Valerian's demeanor changes upon the arrival of the mystery student who, unintentionally, saved Azrael.
Though Azrael wanted to check who his benefactor was, he was still in shock with whatever happened earlier. He had to gather his thoughts and himself because he was so close to pushing Valerian away.
"I could say the same to you. Why are you only arriving now?" Valerian, though still looking at Azrael, spoke to the person behind him.
Now, Valerian was back to acting like how he was described in the novel.
Calm and expressionless.
A complete turn from how he acted just mere seconds ago.
By this time, there were barely any students outside the academy because, as the mystery person said, they were all already late, meaning classes had already begun.
Luckily for him, he could probably slip out now since it was obvious that Valerian had no intentions of continuing their conversation with another active presence behind them.
So, once he gathered all his thoughts, he was prepared to just say he's really late for class then dash out.
"Oh, you know, the church had me bless a few commoners early in the morning again. I have a letter from them to give to our professor to excuse my tardiness."
'Wait.'
Azrael's blood ran cold; his whole body froze in both fear and shock.
"By the way, your highness, if I'm not mistaken, this one... It's our lovely prince Azrael, right? It's been a while since I've seen him. Despite the fact that we're in the same academy now, I don't think we've had the chance to meet."
He could hear footsteps from behind him; the person walked, and when a body passed by him, his eyes slowly looked up to confirm his suspicions.
Suddenly... Azrael wasn't feeling lucky nor grateful anymore.
"He seems as though he's about to cry, your highness. Are you scolding him? You mustn't be so harsh on the young."
'White hair that resembles snow.'
Valerian sighs as he looks at the person who was now beside him. "It is none of your business. I was just having a talk with him before his classes. I'm sure you've already heard plenty about him from other students."
With a wolfish smile, he spoke. "That's right, but I believe he's just a doting little brother who misses his older brother. That is why, as your friend, I advised you to spend some time with him."
'Eyes as blue as the morning sky, accompanied by a smile that seemed to hide a thousand secrets.'
"Are you advising or are you telling me what to do, Caelum Eversly?"
'It's him...' Azrael had to hide his hands behind his back because they were shaking. He really wanted to run away now.
No amount of fear that Valerian instills in him can compare to the fear he felt looking at him.
The boy who was considered a saint, treated with more respect than even the imperial crown prince himself, the one who caused all of Eirian's suffering, the antagonist, and...
The one who will cause the Celestrian empire's fall.
'The real spawn of darkness.'
Azrael made it clear since his first day that he wanted to avoid Caelum at all costs. He didn't want anything to do with him, not just because he was the antagonist, but because he was pure evil.
He had no sad backstory. He was evil for the sake of being evil. Caelum reveled in chaos and destruction, finding pleasure in the suffering of others. His malevolent acts were driven not by a troubled past or twisted sense of justice but by an insatiable thirst for power and dominance.
Caelum would kill without any mercy, men or women, adults or children, as long as he perceived them as a threat, he would get rid of them.
Behind his angelic exterior was a true demon.
And right now, he was in front of Azrael, staring at him with playful curiosity and a grin on his face.
'I didn't expect to meet him so soon... I'm not ready for this. I have to get out of here now. I don't care what Valerian ends up thinking.'
"Prince Azrael."
Flinching at Caelum calling his name, Azrael looks at him. He tried his best not to stare, but he couldn't help noticing that Caelum was, indeed, handsome and exceptional looking.
Though he has long hair much like Azrael, he looked much more masculine compared to the younger prince.
There was a playful smile on his face, and Azrael could almost understand why people were so drawn to him. Eirian and Valerian were both handsome men, but Caelum was on another level; both men and women bowed at his feet.
"Despite the fact that I've known your brother, the crown prince, since childhood... I believe this is the first time we've formally spoken..." Caelum eyes him up and down. "And the first time I've seen you up close..."
But Azrael knew behind all his good looks, behind his smile.
"I must say, rumors underplay how beautiful the second prince actually is. I find it hard to believe that you're the crown prince's brother..."
Behind his flattering words.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, Prince Valerian, Prince Azrael's features are much softer compared to yours; if he didn't look so much like the empress, and you didn't look so much like the emperor, I would've assumed you both weren't biological siblings."
"This is coming from the person who does not look anything like his parents? One would think you were adopted, Eversly."
"Haha! touché, your highness." Caelum's eyes remained on Azrael, making him feel highly conscious. His hands were still shaking behind his back as he tried to calm himself down. "Is there anything wrong, Prince Azrael? You're so quiet..."
Behind that concerned tone.
'Is a cold and heartless villain trying to measure my worth, whether I'm useful to him or not, trying to peer into my mind to know what I'm thinking...'
"I'm... alright. Just concerned because there are only three of us now who aren't in class, and I'm sure my student servant has grown worried." Azrael managed to speak. Out of everyone, he didn't want Caelum to have any interest in him or find him suspicious.
Caelum chuckles. "It's alright, your highness. No one would dare scold the Celestria brothers, and of course, me as well. The three of us... We hold a different kind of power in this academy."
'Only you and Valerian. I'm pretty sure you know that.' Azrael had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from saying that out loud.
In the academy, two individuals stood at the pinnacle, attending normally, while two found themselves at the bottom. Caelum and Valerian were the undisputed elites, considered the most outstanding duo in the empire.
The rest included normal princes from other kingdoms, nobles, and carefree commoners. At the bottom, there were two with tarnished reputations—the second imperial prince who tragically took his own life on academy grounds and the one prince cursed with darkness.
'Even before his suicide, Azrael already had a bad reputation, so even now, I'm still part of the bottom two.'
"Your highness... you're spacing out," Caelum points out, still wearing a smile. "Do I make you uncomfortable? If yes, then I apologize in advance. I cannot help myself because I've always been curious about you..."
The white-haired prince takes a step forward, triggering alarms in Azrael's head.
'Oh no... In the novel, Caelum hates it when he feels like someone doesn't like him, especially if that person is another prince or noble. He wants those of importance in the empire to be at his beck and call, so he can control them.'
As Caelum inches closer, Azrael realizes how small he feels, a sensation even Eirian or Valerian can't evoke.
Caelum doesn't need to use his mana or abilities to overpower him. Azrael knows he conceals the full extent of his power to hide his dark magic wielding.
'He'd always try to win over every noble until they bow to him. If they don't, he ruins their lives in secret, ensuring they never return to the academy or high society again.'
The only exception is Valerian, whom Caelum doesn't bother to manipulate, due to their friendship spanning since childhood.
Despite the seemingly genuine friendship between Caelum and Valerian, Azrael discerns that Caelum views his 'older brother' merely as a pawn in his grand game. In the novel, when Valerian uncovers the truth about Caelum's schemes, the depth of betrayal profoundly affects him, revealing the insidious nature of their so-called friendship.
Once close enough, Caelum, who Azrael avoids making eye contact with, brings a shift in his aura to Azrael's attention. A long, slender finger gently threads through his hair that was resting on his shoulder.
Caelum is caressing his hair tenderly, giving Azrael a chill. 'What is he doing...?'
"Tell me, young prince. It seems you don't like me very much. Is it because I'm close with your beloved older brother?" Caelum whispers. "Are you envious?"
'No, I just don't like you in general. You're evil, and you ruined Eirian's life.'
"...Or is there another reason for you to be acting like this towards me?"
Azrael takes a deep breath; Caelum is now directly questioning him. He should've known better than to act so distant in front of the prince supposedly adored by the empire.
Could anyone blame Azrael? Not only had he experienced a vision minutes ago, but he also faced a tense confrontation with a character who used to be one of his favorites. He was late for class, unable to catch up with Eirian, unsure of when the next chance to talk to him would arise.
Worst of all, the antagonist he vowed to avoid was right in front of him, touching his hair and is starting to get wary of him. All of these challenges unfolded on his first and second days in the novel.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, had worked out for him, and in his frightened state, he even considered allowing Caelum to end him. No amount of novel knowledge could aid him now.
Unaware of his magical abilities and lacking close connections besides Adham, even his so-called 'brother' refused assistance.
"Caelum."
Valerian's strict tone snapped Azrael out of his thoughts. He turned to Valerian, who looked at them with a calm yet disapproving expression.
"Do not touch my brother so carelessly. Keep in mind he is still an imperial prince. You must know better than to impose on one's personal space."
Caelum complied after a moment of silence, offering an apologetic laugh. "My apologies, your highness. I didn't mean to make you feel even more uncomfortable. I just wanted to get close to the little prince since it seems he doesn't have any friends besides his brother. That's not good for one's development, you know."
Valerian ignored him, redirecting his gaze to the breathless Azrael. "And you, get to class. We'll continue our previous conversation next time. Until then, do not cause any more trouble."
'He saved me?' Azrael thought, eyes widening a bit before shaking his head. 'I'll think about this later. For now, I just really want to get away from these two as soon as I can.'
Without wasting time, he bowed towards Valerian and Caelum, who were both just looking at him. "Valerian, Prince Caelum, I'll be heading off to class now." He said quickly before running. "Have a nice day!"
Not caring how the two would react and without looking back, he escaped. 'I'm finally free. I thought I was going to either punch Valerian and get in trouble, or get killed by Caelum on the spot, but... I'm free. I survived.'
As he sprinted, a surge of overwhelming emotions and thoughts inundated his chest, but one sentiment remained: he did not want to be put in that kind of position again.
With this firm notion in mind, he made his way to the first class at Luminar Academy, gearing up for the beginning of his student life in an attempt to forget about what happened for just a moment.
'After the chaotic morning I've had, I doubt any stress from these classes can top what I've been through already.'
Right?
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Valerian watched as Azrael disappeared into the distance, a mix of emotions clouding his usually composed expression. Caelum, with a sly smile, turned his attention to Valerian, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"It's quite an unusual turn of events, Prince Valerian. This is my first time ever seeing you two talk, and the little prince doesn't seem like the person I've heard so much about," Caelum mused, a playful edge in his voice.
Valerian's brow furrowed slightly, contemplating Caelum's observation. He didn't respond, so the white-haired prince just continued to speak.
"Considering your previous discourses, Crown Prince Valerian, it has been emphasized that Prince Azrael is remarkably affectionate towards you, shedding tears at the slightest hint of disapproval..."
"...However, today, he displayed a demeanor suggesting a desire to evade not only your presence but mine as well. Could it be that you may have misconstrued his intentions, your highness?" Caelum teased with an air of sophistication, his words a subtle dance of inquiry and amusement.
"I am not one prone to misunderstanding. He has a history of deliberately causing trouble to garner my attention, often resorting to tantrums when his desires are not met," Valerian asserted with a calm yet firm tone.
Caelum considered Valerian's words before responding, "If you believe that there's a notable shift in his behavior, investigating might be worthwhile. A change in demeanor could indicate something more significant."
"I will agree with you on that one, Eversly. Something is off," Valerian responded, his mind racing with thoughts about the sudden change in Azrael's behavior.
"Valerian."
Azrael's voice echoed inside his mind, making Valerian furrowed his eyebrows. Something about Azrael calling him by his name for the first time in years, instead of his usual 'big brother' bothered him.
Just by that, it was enough to be suspicious of Azrael.
"Let me handle this issue alone. I could tell earlier that you were trying to get an answer out of him, refrain from doing that next time. Not only is this a family affair, but he does not know you. We don't want to scare him off before we get some answers."
Not that Valerian even believed that Azrael would ever be scared off to the point where he avoids him. If it were that easy, he wouldn't have been having such a hard time the past few months.
Caelum chuckled, "A family affair, you say? Quite intriguing. Well, I suppose I'll heed your advice for now."
"Good. Let him be," Valerian said, suppressing the turmoil within him. 'It's my problem to solve.'
As they prepared to leave for their respective lectures, Caelum flashed a charming smile. "Then...shall we head inside now, your highness? I'm sure Professor Sullivan will give us an earful for being late, even if we have our reasons."
Valerian nodded, "Indeed, let's proceed."
Unbeknownst to Valerian, a sinister grin crept onto Caelum's face as they walked away. His thoughts were shrouded in mystery as he thought of the second imperial prince.
'Interesting.' Caelum thought as he placed his hands behind his back.