The mansion was quiet, bathed in the silver glow of the moon.
The boys were fast asleep—Darius sprawled out across his bed snoring loudly, Ethan muttering something about Arcana circuits in his dreams, and Hugo…
Hugo was awake, leaning against the balcony of his room, staring out into the city.
But elsewhere in the mansion—
The girls were still awake.
In one of the luxurious guest rooms, Stella, Lena, and Iris sat together, their conversation having drifted into casual talk… before inevitably shifting back to Hugo.
Lena smirked, leaning back against the bed frame. "So. Iris. Mind explaining what you meant earlier?"
Iris blinked. "Hmm? About what?"
Stella folded her arms. "When you said Hugo 'saved' you when you were younger."
At that, Iris grinned. "Oh! That?"
Stella narrowed her eyes. "Yes. That."
Lena chuckled, clearly enjoying this.
Iris tilted her head dramatically, tapping a finger against her chin.
"Well~," she said playfully, "I could tell you… but what do I get in return?"
Stella sighed sharply. "Just tell us, Iris."
Iris giggled. "Alright, alright! No need to be so serious~."
She shifted slightly, her playful expression softening just a little.
"It happened when I was a kid," she started. "Back when the Republic was still in chaos, and my father was just starting to gain political power."
Stella and Lena listened closely.
Iris's voice was light, but there was something distant in her eyes.
"A group of anti-Republic extremists tried to kidnap me to use as leverage against my father. They wanted to force him into giving up Arcana regulations."
Stella's eyes widened slightly. "That… actually happened?"
Iris nodded. "Mhm. It was bad. I was trapped for days, locked in some abandoned building."
Then, she smiled, a hint of warmth beneath her usual teasing nature.
"But then… he showed up."
Lena smirked. "Let me guess. Hugo?"
Iris beamed. "Ding ding ding~!"
She leaned forward, her eyes glowing with amusement.
"He cut through all of them like they were nothing. He wasn't even trying—just casually slicing through their little operation like it was child's play."
Stella's expression was unreadable. "And… what happened next?"
Iris giggled. "Oh, I ran straight into his arms, obviously."
Stella scowled. "Obviously."
Lena chuckled. "And let me guess—you never let him go after that?"
Iris grinned mischievously. "Bingo~! I told myself right then and there—this man is mine."
Stella rolled her eyes. "You were a child."
Iris shrugged. "What can I say? First impressions last."
She leaned back, twirling a strand of silver hair between her fingers.
Iris grinned, clearly enjoying the attention. "Ever since that day, I've kept my eyes on him. After all, how could I not? He's Hugo."
Lena smirked, turning toward Stella. "And what do you think about all that?"
Stella huffed, looking away. "I think it's ridiculous."
Iris giggled. "Oh, you so care."
Stella clenched her jaw but didn't respond.
Lena chuckled. "Alright, alright, let's move on before Stella actually explodes."
Iris pouted. "Aww, but I love teasing her!"
Stella shot her a glare, but before another argument could break out, Lena cut in.
"Alright, let's shift gears. If we're really talking about Hugo, I wanna know—what's the deal with that sword of his?"
Iris's expression turned curious. "Cosmos?"
Lena nodded. "Yeah. That thing talks. Like, fully talks. I thought Arc-Weapons only worked with mental resonance, but Cosmos actually has its own personality."
Iris tapped a finger against her chin. "Hmm… Well, all I know is that it's really old. Probably even older than the Eclipse War itself."
Stella thought for a moment. "It acts like it's known Hugo forever."
Lena smirked. "Maybe Hugo and the sword are secretly best friends."
Iris giggled. "Oh, I love that idea! Just imagine it—Hugo, brooding as usual, and Cosmos just whispering dramatic monologues in his head~!"
Stella rolled her eyes. "That's ridiculous."
Lena grinned. "You say that, but you know it's probably true."
Iris tapped her lips. "Hmm… Maybe we should ask it."
Stella frowned. "Ask… the sword?"
Iris nodded. "Why not? Next time it speaks, we can interview it! Oh! Maybe it knows embarrassing stories about Hugo~!"
Lena burst out laughing. "Now that is an idea I can get behind."
Stella sighed. "You two are unbelievable."
Iris winked. "And you secretly love this conversation~."
Stella ignored her.
As the night stretched on, the girls continued talking—about Hugo, Cosmos, the mansion, and even their upcoming mission.
Though they all had different reasons for being here, one thing was clear—
This journey was only just beginning.
The girls' conversation was suddenly interrupted by a flash of red and blue light bursting through the window.
The room glowed for a brief moment, the shifting light pulsing like a heartbeat.
Stella, Iris, and Lena immediately turned toward the source.
"What was that?" Lena frowned, already moving toward the window.
Stella peered outside, her eyes narrowing. "It's coming from the training ground."
Iris tilted her head. "Ooooh~? Did someone decide to get a midnight workout?"
The three leaned forward, looking down into the outdoor training area—
And there he was.
Hugo.
Standing in the center of the courtyard, his coat discarded, his shirt slightly torn, exposing the faint glowing scars across his arms.
In his hands—Cosmos.
The blade radiated a shifting glow—red light from Corona's power, blue light from Luna's energy, constantly flickering between the two.
He swung the sword again and again, his strikes fluid but not quite right.
Each time he tried to merge the two lights, the energy faltered, sparking violently before he was forced to stop.
Lena raised an eyebrow. "Huh. What's he doing?"
Before anyone could answer—
"Master Hugo is trying to overcome his mental block."
The girls jumped, turning around—
Reginald stood behind them, as if he had always been there.
Iris gasped. "Reginald! You must stop sneaking up on people—it's bad for my heart!"
Reginald merely chuckled. "My apologies, Lady Iris. Old habits die hard. In my case… quite literally."
Stella, ignoring the banter, looked back at Hugo. "So he's still trying…"
Reginald nodded. "Indeed. Master Hugo is attempting to reawaken Eclipse Mode."
Iris tilted her head. "Eclipse Mode?"
Lena turned to her, brows furrowing. "Wait—you don't know about it?"
Iris blinked. "Should I?"
Before Lena could say anything, Stella spoke first.
"Eclipse Mode is Hugo's true power," she said, her voice steady.
Iris turned toward her, listening.
"It's the fusion of Corona and Luna, the perfect balance of light and dark," Stella continued. "When Hugo enters Eclipse Mode, he becomes something else. Faster, stronger—"
Lena crossed her arms. "Basically unstoppable."
Iris raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And why isn't he using it all the time?"
The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly.
Reginald's usually lighthearted demeanor softened.
Lena sighed. "Because he can't."
Iris blinked. "What do you mean?"
Stella's expression darkened. "Hugo has a mental block."
She looked back at the courtyard, watching Hugo's relentless training, the way he kept trying to push past his own limits.
"It's because of him," she said quietly.
Iris leaned forward. "Him?"
Reginald closed his eyes. "The one man Master Hugo once considered his brother."
The tension in the air grew thicker.
Lena exhaled. "The leader of Eclipse Requiem."
Stella finished the thought.
"Solstice."
Outside, Hugo swung Cosmos once more—
The blade flashed brilliantly, red and blue converging for just a moment—
Before it broke apart again.
Hugo gritted his teeth, stepping back, his breath heavy.
Still not enough.
Iris, watching carefully, suddenly felt something new in her chest.
For the first time since meeting him—
She saw Hugo struggling.
And for some reason—
She didn't like it.