Later that night, Sol enjoyed the moonlight on the veranda of his room. He leaned on the stone railings while holding a lunar crystal
in his hand.
Following the old steward's instructions, Sol used Hak to manifest his power, but it triggered a reaction from the lunar Crystals which lit up in response, expelling a warm and comfortable energy that penetrated Sol's body.
Feeling his body shudder involuntarily due to the invasion of the strange yet comfortable energy, Sol felt like his body had become
more receptive to everything.
It felt like the breeze was so much cooler and fresher. Sol felt like his breathing was better, and the air was cleaner. His perception of the world upgraded drastically as if he was on some psychedelic drug.
"Is this what it feels like to cultivate?" Sol muttered while fully experiencing the addictive feelings the simple Lunar crystal was giving him.
While he was on earth, he was opportune to read a few books, so the term cultivation wasn't new to him. However, he always wondered how someone would be comfortable sitting down for hundreds of years in the name of cultivating.
Thankfully, he finally understood the feeling. He almost hoped it would never end.
Thud.
Light footsteps making their way into the open space on the veranda got Sol's attention, but he didn't seem to move since he
already knew who it was.
"You have been snooping around the castle for so long," Sol said, without bothering to look back and confirm the identity of the
person."Tell me, what have you been able to find out so far?"
"Your past," Lyra spoke out without hesitation.
Probably because of her upbringing, she had a brutally honest and straightforward personality.
"So, what do you think of it?" Sol asked, almost absentminded, but Lyra didn't seem to care.
"After getting to know how your parents died and what they did to you..." She said, "I must confess, I am shocked by you."
Hearing this, Sol slightly tilted his face in her direction and gazed at her from the corner of his eyes.
"How so?" He asked.
"I feel nothing from you." She responded quickly."As someone who has been wronged in every possible way, I feel no rage from
you."
"So?" Sol asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I expected you to be a man who would dedicate his life to avenging his parents." She answered fearlessly.
Hearing this, Sol gazed at her in silence for a few seconds before taking his eyes off her and shifting her gaze to the moonlight crystal in his hand. He noticed it was shrinking as he kept absorbing its power from a fist-sized gem it had reduced to the size of Sol's index finger.
"I plan to avenge myself and my parents," Sol said as the images of his parents on earth flashed across his eyes. "However, acting out and showing everyone I'm a victim won't help me do that."
"A well-hidden dagger is more dangerous than a brandished gun," Sol added.
"Gun? What's that?" Lyra asked with confusion written all over her face.
Sol noticed his mistake and ignored her since he didn't have an explanation for her. As soon as the first Lunar crystal vanished after getting drained, Sol pulled out another one and held it with both hands.
"I will fix everything. I will fix the Ark family. I will avenge the death of my parents. That's the least I can do." Sol said the last part while thinking of Sol.
He understood the pains of Sol after his first day at the academy. He understood that this body was not some soulless husk he could use to achieve his goal and dump when he was ready to move on. Furthermore, he realized the owner of this body was a child who deeply loved his parents and died out of depression and not the seal. The grief the real Sol went through is enough to make his body react to things concerning his parents subconsciously, even though he was dead already.
Such love and passion are something he could not ignore as a man.
Such strong emotions were something he admitted he had been lacking, and in this aspect, the dead child was a better man than Louis had ever been.
Suddenly, Sol felt the warm, comfy breasts of Lyra press against his back as her hands wrapped around him and her soothing voice reached his ears.
"You have been in so much pain that you have become numb to pain." She said with a shaky voice and tears dropped on Sol's shoulder leaving him stunned.
"I just want you to know you don't have to hold it in anymore." She continued, "I will be here through your journey regardless of the outcome, so you might as well share some of your burdens with me."
Hearing this, Sol was shocked as images flashed through his eyes. Images of his time in high school when no one believed in him, including his friends. While they were his friends, no one supported him in any substantial way, and simply hitched a ride to instant wealth when things started working out for him.
"I believe in you…" Lyra said.
No one ever said that to Sol while he was still on earth.
"I know you can do it," Lyra said, tightening her embrace.
No one ever believed in him outside or held him this tight. Yes, he had supportive parents who helped him from drowning in loneliness and pain, but he never had that significant other or an outsider who believed in his dreams and supported them.
Maybe that's why he never got married…
Maybe that's why he could never find love after gaining power and fame….
Sol's body shuddered involuntarily, and his legs felt weak. He could only stand because Lyra was holding him tight and wouldn't let him go. He grasped the lunar crystal in his hands tightly as he felt tears run down his eyes, leaving him wondering who was crying, Sol Ark or Louis Park.