Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Azrael didn't know how to feel as he listened to the sound of his clock. He felt like he should be annoyed with the constant ticking.
Tick.
Tick.
Strangely, he felt quite calm. Perhaps because, with all the frustrating thoughts running inside his head, the sound of the clock provided him with some sense of comfort.
Its rhythmic ticking pulled him away from delving too deeply into his thoughts and prevented him from drowning in them.
Currently, Azrael, after a long first day of his class, was finally in the comforts of his own room. The very room he woke up in yesterday and was unfamiliar with now became his sanctuary, protecting him from the pressures of this world.
As he waited for Adham to knock on his door with the promised list, Azrael had to recount the events of this day because it felt like a whole week went by since his transmigration, given how eventful it was.
But most importantly, he wanted to focus on what he had learned about Azrael today because, truth be told, he had become interested in the real owner of the body he was inhabiting.
Azrael Celestria, the character who was named but never fully spoken of in the novel due to his early death. Zak never cared to think about him, even when he realized he possessed Azrael. He didn't initially plan to get to know him fully; his intention was to extract crucial information about Azrael to avoid suspicion and play the role of an imperial prince well.
That was at first, but now, he was intrigued. There was a certain mystery surrounding the original Azrael, alongside a gnawing feeling inside him that there was more to his death in the novel that wasn't mentioned but existed.
That feeling grew the moment he wondered where exactly the real Azrael was now. In most transmigration stories, a person would end up possessing a character who was either on the verge of dying or had already died but came back to life due to another's soul being put inside the body.
But at this point in the story, Azrael should still be alive. Judging by how he was on his bed when Zak woke up, Azrael was in perfectly good health.
Why would Zak's soul, when he died, inhabit a character who was still living? Not just anyone, but Azrael, who supposedly had little to no connection to the progress of the novel.
'Azrael was also going through his own version of hell. Why would the author give Azrael a bad life, then just make him commit suicide and not explain anything about his life in the novel? It's suspicious.' Much like how Eirian suddenly dies with no explanation whatsoever as well.
He was certain this was no coincidence. There was definitely a reason why his soul went into Azrael's body and why he could access remnants of Azrael's memories.
Azrael sighed as he brushed his hair gently. He still wasn't used to having long hair, but he did enjoy how silky and smooth his hair was as he ran his fingers through it. 'I wonder why he didn't cut his hair either,' he thought, referring to the original Azrael.
He stared at his reflection, feeling weird because this wasn't the face he was used to for twenty-two years.
"What happened to you?" Azrael, speaking as Zak, spoke to his reflection, which didn't respond nor do anything differently from what he was doing. He really wasn't feeling his best when he thought about the real Azrael.
He found out too many things today, and none of them were positive. Just by that day alone, he didn't even wonder why Azrael committed suicide. Everyone in the novel, even the author, made it seem like it was such a surprise that he died, but Zak knew most students were aware of Azrael's situation.
'So how come Caelum was still able to convince everyone that Eirian had something to do with his death when he'd obviously been severely depressed?'
So many questions, and no one to answer.
Azrael paused from brushing his hair, placing his hands gently on his lap but continued to stare at his reflection. "Hah. I really don't know where to start."
Just as he uttered those words, a sudden knock echoed through the room, followed by a familiar voice. "Your highness? It's Adham. I've finished the list you asked."
Azrael's eyes widened in anticipation. 'Okay, now that's the start.'
"Come in, Adham," Azrael called out.
The door creaked open, and Adham stepped inside, holding a rolled-up brown paper in his hand. The soft glow from the candles flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls, creating an atmosphere of anticipation.
"Here's the list of the things you've done that I'm aware of since the start of our academic year," Adham said, extending the paper towards Azrael, which the imperial prince gladly took.
"Thank you, Adham. I really appreciate this," Azrael said, his eyes reflecting genuine gratitude.
"You don't have to thank me, your highness. It's no big deal, and I'm just doing my job as your student servant," Adham replied with a humble smile.
Azrael studied the paper, his fingers delicately tracing its edges. The details Adham had provided were meticulously organized, each entry revealing a piece of Azrael's life that was previously hidden from him.
"Still, it mustn't have been easy to recall everything in order, and you even did it without ever questioning why," Azrael remarked, looking up at Adham with a thoughtful expression.
"As long as it's your highness' wish, I will do it with no question. I'm just glad I am needed by you," Adham said with a sense of loyalty, his eyes reflecting unwavering dedication.
Azrael felt touched by Adham's sincerity. 'He really is such a good person.'
Instead of verbally answering Adham's statement, a warm smile spread across Azrael's face, making Adham's face turn slightly red, though Azrael had no idea why.
Before Azrael could ask him if he was feeling fine, Adham cleared his throat. "Well then, your highness, I...uh have to take my leave now. It's almost curfew."
Oh.
That's right, Azrael remembered that student servants are only allowed until a certain time in the evening. When it was time for their curfew, they should already be in their own dorms, or else they will be sanctioned.
"See you tomorrow, Adham," Azrael nodded in understanding. "And thank you again."
"Have a great evening, your highness," Adham responded softly then bowed before leaving, the door closing gently behind him.
"You as well."
As the room embraced solitude once again, Azrael stood idly for a few moments, staring at the rolled paper in his hand. The flickering candles cast a soft glow, creating an ambiance of quiet contemplation.
"Time to plan," Azrael murmured to himself as he headed towards his mahogany desk, unfolding the paper, and carefully placing it flatly on top as he pulled his chair and sat comfortably.
True to his word, Adham did provide a detailed list of everything Azrael did with the date and the approximate time; there were even little comments.
Studying the details of the list, the clock's ticking accompanied his thoughts again, marking the passage of time as Zak delved into the intricacies of Azrael's life, seeking answers, and unraveling the mysteries that surrounded him.
Azrael was so engrossed in reading that time went by quickly; he didn't even notice until he finally looked up from the paper to check the time.
'It's been an hour already? That was fast,' he thought to himself, his eyes feeling a bit tired, so he had to take off his glasses that he'd forgotten were there.
A few things Azrael noted and also found suspicious, as he expected, the real Azrael's past was quite puzzling.
First, he confirmed Valerian's words to him earlier today. Though he already knew it from the visions and from Adham, he wasn't sure how much Azrael did follow his brother.
The real Azrael did, in fact, spend most of his time attending his classes late to approach Valerian every morning, and most of the time, Azrael would look like he'd cried.
Now, for the part where Valerian and Adham mentioned that Azrael would end up being injured, Valerian claimed that he did it on purpose to get his attention, and that Azrael would refuse treatment unless his brother came to his aid.
But...
'I didn't throw myself off...I was pushed...'
'I didn't refuse treatment. They refused to treat me unless they had my brother's permission.'
These were the original Azrael's thoughts when he overheard students talking about an incident where he supposedly threw himself off a flight of stairs. "Azrael said he was pushed...but he didn't say who pushed him."
Azrael took out a pen and paper from the drawers of his desk and wrote down a few things. 'There is an unnamed person who pushed the original Azrael, it's also safe to assume all the times he'd been injured were caused by that person.'
Was he a character he knew from the novel?
Or was he a person who was never mentioned?
He knew he'll find out eventually but figured the original Azrael might closely know the person considering he didn't do anything or say anything to anyone.
'Wait. Does he even know who pushed him? There's also a possibility that some random student was messing with him; they could've used magic to conceal their face.'
Magic.
Azrael sighed; that was also one of the things he had to think about that he listed down. He still has no clue what kind of magical abilities Azrael can do; there's also the matter of his Celestial core. He had to find a way to figure it out without asking Adham because there's a high chance that asking about his own magical abilities is ringing alarm bells.
Writing those things down, Azrael also thought of another thing; his eyes darted over to the pair of glasses on his desk. "Azrael didn't have his glasses during his first week in the academy. According to Adham's list, Azrael suddenly got glasses out of nowhere in his second week."
Azrael's visions were impeccable, so there's no reason for him to wear glasses unless:
A. These were magical items to help with his abilities.
B. Someone gave these to him, and it holds significant meaning.
C. He had these made for a specific purpose.
That was third on his list to figure out.
'So first, figure out who pushed Azrael, find out what my magical abilities are, and then learn more about the glasses... What else...'
Azrael read through Adham's list again, humming a bit to himself as he did so. "Well, besides the countless mysteries, according to this list, Azrael hates flowers."
In the original Azrael's second month in the academy, Adham noted that he would always go to the academy's garden and plant red flowers, perhaps the same flowers he saw in his vision.
According to Adham:
Your highness planted and grew red flowers in the garden, but it never seemed like you were fond of them.
"Maybe because they're Valerian's favorite, not his."
He also found out that Azrael was almost always expressionless, and he'd never speak even when spoken to. He'd only show any form of expression when around Valerian and become talkative when talking to his brother, despite the countless times he was ignored.
'He really loved Valerian that much.'
Azrael shook his head with a sigh. "Valerian didn't deserve him as a brother, I swear to God." He mumbled under his breath. "He better be thankful that he's useful to Eirian someday; if not, I would've started being as rude to him as he was towards Azrael."
As he read the list and wrote on his own paper, he started to think whether or not he had to consider a few more things, but he initially decided that there wasn't anything important to figure out or noteworthy, so he placed the list Adham gave him down.
Goals regarding the real Azrael:
1. Find out who pushed him or kept injuring him, and figure out his connections with Azrael (because why on earth would Azrael let him do that? Additionally, find out why healers refused to give him treatment unless Valerian is present coz wtf?)
2. Find a way to know what his (my?) magical abilities are and how to show Celestial core. (In addition to this, I think a good goal would be to study so I can actually do well in class. Give this body a better reputation.)
3. Learn more about the glasses and its function (They might definitely be magical items but I have to make sure first.)
"This seems good." It may not seem like he got answers to his questions; well, he really didn't, but at least now he had a clear goal on what he has to figure out regarding Azrael.
So far, he has been so messy and all over the place. As Zak, he didn't know whether he should prioritize finding more about Azrael or focus solely on helping Eirian. That's why he needs to sort everything out.
"Ah. Wait, I almost forgot the most important thing..." Azrael grabs the pen again and started to write down his fourth goal.
4. Attempt to trigger more visions/memories. (I believe most of my questions will be answered by Azrael himself.)
By this time, he was already sure that his visions can be triggered considering his first one was caused by bumping into Valerian, while his second one was caused by looking at the red flowers that are supposedly Valerian's favorites.
He had no problem having visions again because as he wrote down, he knew most of his questions will be answered by Azrael's memories. He'll also get to know the real Azrael more because of that. "But—" Azrael leans his back against his chair's back post.
"...the visions are triggered by things related to Valerian."
Meaning, as much as Azrael wanted nothing more to do with the crown prince, his so-called brother, it seems he can't fully avoid him. Most of the original Azrael's memories heavily relied on Valerian, and if he really wanted to know more, he had to remain close to him.
'I know I have to, but ah.... I really don't want to.'
Meeting Valerian personally really ruined Azrael's vision of him; as Zak, he was heartbroken that one of his favorite characters turned out to be such a jerk and the worst brother in existence. The only redeeming quality Valerian has is being neutral towards Eirian and helping him someday.
Eirian.
Now that his personal plans have been settled, Azrael's thoughts drift towards his main goal, the reason why he was putting so much effort into everything; and that was the protagonist. Azrael recalls their conversation in the botanical garden.
"I will definitely change your destiny and mine."
It was a bold claim by Azrael, he knew that, but there was no other way to show his sincerity except this one.
Eirian's eyes remained on him, and though Azrael felt self-conscious being watched like that, he didn't look away. Instead, he clenched his hands into fists to calm his nerves down, waiting for the black-haired prince's response.
Azrael tried not to let his resolve waver due to Eirian's silence. He wanted to think positively. 'And besides, he isn't walking away or being hostile anymore. That's a good sign.' He thought to himself confidently.
But after a few more minutes passing without a single word from Eirian, Azrael was starting to think that Eirian wasn't going to answer.
At this point, Azrael's hands were already shaking because of his nerves and with how much he's clenching them. He could see Eirian's yellow eyes briefly look at his hands, noticing how they shook, so Azrael quickly hid them behind his back.
'Should I say something? I think... I should say something.'
What else can he say though? He already said everything he can. If that didn't work, he didn't know what will.
"... I have my conditions."
'Ah. I'm so nervous,' Azrael said inside his mind, closing his eyes. He really wanted the ground to just gobble his body—
'Wait...'
Azrael opens his eyes to gaze up at Eirian again, who was now looking away from him. "Excuse me? I spaced out... I didn't hear you—"
"I said..." Eirian paused as he ran a hand through his hair. "I will give you a chance, your highness. Though I find you highly suspicious... and I still can't figure out why you're doing this, I can't turn you down."
"Really? Eirian, thank you—"
"But as I said, I have my conditions. The chance I will give your highness isn't regarding helping me; rather, I'm giving you a chance to come up with your plan. You mentioned that you don't have a definite plan yet, so that's why you can't explain anything yet." Eirian turns his head back to Azrael, his expression serious rather than hostile.
"I figured you knew I'd do everything in my power to ignore you if you hadn't gotten the chance to speak to me now, so you came to me without a way to convince me."
Azrael was surprised when Eirian said that, but he was also very impressed. 'As expected of the protagonist, he's smart and self-aware.' It seemed that Eirian still wanted to say something, so he just nods in response.
"I'll give you my word. The next time you attempt to speak to me, I will let you speak, but it is important that you say something that makes sense because this chance comes as one. If I am not convinced, as I mentioned earlier, even if you are an imperial prince, I wouldn't care."
When Eirian was done speaking, Azrael smiles slightly, surprising the black-haired prince who expected a completely different reaction from him.
He repeats the same words he couldn't finish earlier, as this was the only thing he could think of responding at this moment.
"Thank you, Eirian."
After that conversation, Eirian and Azrael both parted ways, and he went back to look for either Caspian or Adham. 'Eirian gave me a chance, and I'm sure he meant what he said, that if he wasn't convinced, then he'd avoid me like the plague.'
Azrael took out another paper, determination etched on his face. "So I have to do my best to think of a detailed plan on how to get Eirian to trust me, and how I can save his life."
'Let's start by writing down every important event that will happen in the future, then think from there.' Not minding the time on the clock, Azrael began writing and planning again. He didn't want to waste any more time; he wanted to have a definite plan that he could tell Eirian and also create an elaborate story, as Azrael, to gain his trust.
'It shouldn't take that long, right?'
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Wrong.
It's been two days, two whole days since Azrael started planning. He honestly did not think it would take that long because he was able to sort out his plans regarding the original Azrael.
He didn't know why he failed to think about the fact that he had to do and consider countless things before actually creating a plan. Writing and remembering every single important event or detail from the novel alone took him the whole night.
Azrael hadn't noticed the time and was only snapped back to reality when Adham knocked on his door and came in with his breakfast. The next day after that came with organizing what he should prioritize, thinking about what he can do now, and what he has to do later on.
Also considering what he can do with or without Eirian's presence, or what he can do for Eirian, and then the day after that was the actual planning stage. He made an intricate plan that would fix every single one of Eirian's future problems, which also included foiling all of Caelum's plans to make people hate Eirian even more.
Azrael decided to also make some plans to make others like, or at the very least, respect Eirian earlier than in the novel.
And, of course, the most important plan was getting Eirian to unleash his real magical abilities earlier as well. In Azrael's mind, most of their problems would actually be solved if he found out the truth months before Caelum takes over the empire.
But that would serve difficult considering not even Eirian knew why he couldn't use his own magical abilities.
In the novel, though Eirian hated the idea of having dark magic, he still wondered why he couldn't use it. At first, he was happy that he couldn't. It meant that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't actually cursed but everyone, more or less, saw it as the gods punishing Eirian for merely being born.
'It wasn't explained why he couldn't use his magic earlier on either. I always assumed Caelum had something to do with it considering he decided to take over Celestria the same day Eirian figured out that he had light magic.'
With those thoughts in mind, Azrael also figured that, besides the original Azrael, there were many things he needed to look into.
So, that was also a new tier of planning because how on earth was he even going to investigate when he didn't know where to start? Right? That's why it took him almost three days of planning before he came up with possible things to do and possible solutions.
And right now, he was finally ready to tell Eirian about his plan, and he'd already come up with the perfect excuse. All that's left now is to meet with the protagonist.
"Prince Azrael? Are you okay? You've been quiet for quite some time now."
"Ah." Azrael was too engrossed in his thoughts that he forgot he was in the presence of someone; he didn't even realize that he was tugging on his own hair until he mistakenly pulled a little too hard, making him wince in pain.
"Prince Azrael...?"
Azrael turns his attention to the person beside him; it was Caspian. "I'm fine, Caspian. Sorry, I was just lost in my own thoughts." Ever since he saved Caspian, true to his words, they ended up being friends.
When Azrael met up with both Adham and Caspian after talking with Eirian, they were waiting for him at a table quite awkwardly. Remembering how they looked, Azrael couldn't help but chuckle.
Azrael ended up formally introducing them to each other. Fortunately, Caspian was also not the type of noble who looked down on the student servants, but Adham, on the other hand, did act formal towards Caspian.
It didn't seem to bother Caspian, so Azrael just let Adham be. He was just glad that he managed to befriend or get close to two out of the few who will be willing to help Eirian at some point, which was actually part of his plan.
There were many instances that Eirian would both knowingly and unknowingly help a character out. They would feel grateful towards him, some would see that he wasn't as bad as rumors perceived him, then try to get close to him; some even had feelings for him.
Eirian would accept their assistance on the spot, thus making them his allies, but he'd never let them cross the line to friendship. In the end, Eirian died with no friends whatsoever, still believing that he could never fully trust anyone.
It's one of Azrael's goals to connect Eirian to others, starting with the ones he knew would be willing. The more people are on Eirian's side, the more everyone else will see that he wasn't evil.
The easier it will be to expose Caelum's lies.
"I wonder if Adham managed to speak with the head of the student servants? I heard the head was quite strict and didn't like it when student servants bothered him, but then again, you did give him that letter to show in any case they turn him away." Caspian took a bite of his food. "What did you ask him to do anyways, Prince Azrael?"
That's right. That was another part of his plan.
"I know most people think student servants are weak, but I'm a hundred percent sure that Adham has potential, so I asked him to request the head to add knightly courses to his curriculum, mainly the mana control and enhancement subject."
"You really are truly kind, Prince Azrael. It's not very often that student servants get the privilege to choose to add courses that are reserved for those who were matriculated naturally." Caspian states with a smile on his face.
Azrael chuckles a bit in response. "It'll be beneficial to me too, in some way. I have weak magical abilities and mana, if you haven't noticed yet. That means, at some point, I'll be needing a knight. I don't want to be assigned a random knight; I'd rather have someone I know."
Though that was somewhat the truth, it wasn't really the full reason why. Adham is destined to be the knight who fought through Caelum's corrupted army, creating a path for Eirian and Valerian to approach Caelum.
Adham was, in Zak's terms, a late-bloomer of sorts. He wasn't weak at all. His mana amount was huge but for some reason, the academy overlooked it. They'd only discover it when he starts his knightly training.
Now, it was true that the student servant head didn't accept any requests from any student servant, but in the novel, the reason he agreed to let Adham pursue knighthood was that he felt pity for him for being assigned to the cursed prince.
Azrael knew the case would be different now considering he hasn't died and he wasn't Eirian, but he was, however, Azrael Celestria, an imperial prince.
No matter how strict or neglectful the head was towards the student servants, he won't be able to ignore a direct request from an imperial prince.
"Still, I know Prince Azrael is kind, not only because you helped me, but because Adham seemed so hesitant to add knightly courses in his schedule in fear that he'd have to spend some classes not being able to serve you."
"Oh? What if he was just scared that I'd punish him for not being able to serve me properly?"
"I mean..." Caspian placed his fork down and looked at Azrael who was looking back at him with an amused expression. "He seemed to not want to do it because he didn't want to be in a class without you, Prince Azrael."
Azrael couldn't help but raise an eyebrow after Caspian said that but then again, it made sense. Whether or not he acted fine now, Adham knew the closed off Azrael far longer. He was probably worried that he'd go back to ignoring him if he didn't keep an eye on Azrael.
"I'm sure he's just worried. I'm sure he already told you that I've been feeling homesick for the past few months which led to me..." Azrael trailed off, confusing Caspian as he did so. The reason Azrael stops speaking is that he sees some third year students coming out from their building, most likely to also have their lunch break.
For the past few days, Azrael didn't see Eirian at all, well, it was also because he avoided Eirian as well.
He didn't want to face Eirian without a plan anymore, so he made sure that he was ready and prepared before he decides to speak with him again.
Today was that day.
Azrael purposely decided to eat at a table near the botanical garden where him and Eirian spoke in hopes of meeting him, but as he scanned through the crowd of third years, he couldn't see any sign of him.
"Your highness? Prince Azrael? Are you perhaps looking for the crown prince?" Caspian asked making Azrael laugh as he shook his head.
"No, I'm looking for Eirian."
Now, Azrael didn't know whether or not it was because he's been imagining the future where him, Caspian, and Adham were all friends with Eirian, or if his brain lost a few cells from dedicating three days into preparing.
But he ended up being a little too honest, only regretting it when he hears Caspian let out a frightened gasp.
"Pardon? Prince Azrael, why would you be loo—"
"Dearest second imperial prince."
Both Caspian and Azrael jumped from their seats as they heard a voice suddenly chime in from behind them. Azrael's blood ran cold when he recognized who it was even without turning around.
'No...'
He turns his head around slowly; low and behold, a familiar white-haired male stood tall in behind him, his blue eyes seemed to glow with curiosity. Despite the fact that he was smiling, Azrael knew for a fact that he was not happy.
'Caelum.'
"I am quite curious, young prince. Pray tell me, why exactly are you looking for the Wycliffe Prince?"
'What the hell is he doing here?!'