PHASE 16 - HAVE YOU EVER FELT BETRAYED BY YOUR OWN SELF?

Aeternos…

He has short golden hair with some silver strands. His eyes may be crimson red and bear the mark of the Cursed Guardian, but our gazes are identical. His white face is the perfect copy of mine. His nose, his mouth, his ears… everything looks very same. It’s as if I’m looking in front of a mirror.

I was completely astounded. My mind failed to process any thoughts. My jaws hung, and I can no longer utter an audible word.

“What? You haven’t seen a handsome man before?” Aeternos’ cybernetic voice is no more, and now his voice and tone are similar to mine.

“Y-You imposter!” I cried. Finally, I can speak again due to my anger.

I immediately materialized my crimson katana and made a swift slash, attempting to cut his carbon-copied face. But he effortlessly caught my blade with his armored hand.

Erylle and Jeanne are about to act too, but Aeternos spread out his five fingers to signal them to stop.

“No. I’m not an imposter.” Aeternos laughed. “I’m Alaric Eisenhower, the arrogant king, the second leader of the Aether Crusade, and the lover of Tiara Hikari; the Frozen Soul. I am you, and you are me. And you are… Aeternos.”

“I-Impossible!” I cried. I didn’t realize that tears are already falling down from my eyelids for some unknown reason.

I can't believe it.

I will never believe it!

Erylle is just dumbstruck, as well as Jeanne. We failed to process the information on our brains. Me, Aeternos? But I am me! I am right here! How is it possible that there are two Alaric Eisenhowers?

Jeanne raised her revolvers, pointing at the head of the armored man. “You may have copied his face, his accent, his personality, and his prana signatures, but you can never fool me. From what universe did you come from?”

“Jeanne, Jeanne.” Aeternos shook his head. “You really sound as smart and ferocious as Amy. But you’re wrong. I’m not an Outsider from this universe. My home… My home is here.”

“T-That’s…” Jeanne trembled, which forced her to lower her weapons.

“He’s right,” Erylle muttered.

“E-Erylle!” I cried. Why is he siding with this man!?

Erylle held her elbow as she painfully bowed. Then, she explained words that are hard for me to understand.

“I’m sorry, Alaric. He’s telling the truth. I hate to say it, but he is you. He is the future you. I’m sorry that I just realized it all now.”

“That’s right.” Aeternos made a relieved sigh. "At least the Outsider here is telling the truth."

I looked at Jeanne and then to Erylle. Both of them have this unsatisfied frown on their faces as if they have been slapped by a pill that they are forced to swallow.

I made one, two, three steps back. I withdrew my blade and lost my hope to fight. I even lost my will to live. I can’t believe what I just heard. My hands are shaking. My feet became cold. My brain felt a lot more painful. And my heart felt like burning.

I shook my head. This should be a dream. This should just be a painful dream!

“” Aeternos loaded his armored right hand with divine energy. A magical circle that looks like a clock materialized on his fist.

“No. No. No. No. No.” I shook my head. I tried desperately to wake up from this nightmare, but I couldn't.

I looked at the melted Frozen Soul. Finally, Tiara was completely defrosted. She’s now free from the responsibility of singing eternally. She slowly opened her eyes and gave me a worried look.

“...Rikkun?” I finally heard her soothing voice once again.

But that might be my last chance to hear her saying my name.

“I have waited for a long time to revive my love,” Aeternos muttered. “Sadly, you will have to wait a little more, Alaric of the past.”

Aeternos swiped his finger to open a green-colored Gate behind me. And then, with his gentle left hand, he pushed me away to fall to the dimensional rift.

“No!” I cried.

I looked at their faces once more.

Tiara has this clueless look on her face. She might be wondering why there are two Alaric Eisenhowers.

Jeanne and Erylle maintained to have a pitiful glare at me.

And Aeternos… He’s crying. He can’t suppress the happiness that he finally has to meet his love one again.

With my last ounce of willpower left, I shouted the name of my love.

“Tiaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

And then everything became white.

<>

“Hey… Wake up!”

My vision is blurry. All I can see is the sunlight above my face. I felt a soothing breeze on my skin similar to those fresh beach air.

“Wake up!”

My vision focuses, and finally, I can see the man who’s trying to wake me up. It was a middle-aged man with long brown hair and crystal blue eyes similar to Tiara. It was Mister Frederick Solstice, my future father-in-law.

I find myself lying on the soft white sand of the beach. My trench coat is soaking wet, and my saliva is flavored salt. There are colorful umbrellas everywhere, and there’s a lot of girls in bikini. I shook my aching head. I feel like I’ve slept for a long time and had a terrifying nightmare.

“Urgh…” I said. I tried to overdrive my brain to remember what happened.

About the journey to Underworld, meeting Jeanne, melting the Frozen Soul, and… Aeternos being me.

Those things are so ridiculously impossible. That might be a really long dream.

“Are you okay?” Mr. Solstice asked as he tapped my shoulder.

“Y-Yeah, I’m okay.” I smiled. “Where are we?”

“Did you got washed away?” Mr. Solstice asked. “We’re here in Myrrh City Beach.”

“Myrrh City Beach, huh…” I held my forehead.

I have no recollection of coming to this place. The last time I got my foot here on the white sand was two years ago when Amy, Tiara, Helena, and Key first formed the Aether Crusade. Just what the heck is going on?

I was about to open my mouth and ask questions about Tiara and the Frozen Soul, but the voice of a male kid interrupted us.

“Dad! Dad!” A cute boy with brown eyes and platinum black hair made his appearance. He’s topless and wearing blue Hawaiian shorts. He’s carrying ice creams on each of his hands.

Did he say “Dad”? Is this kid Mr. Solstice’s secret lovechild from another mother? Tiara will surely be pissed if she heard this.

Anyway, the boy’s face looks familiar to me. He doesn’t look a lot like his father, but he’s more similar to Tiara.

“Oh, Diadem.” Mr. Solstice sighed as he patted his son’s forehead. “You brought two ice creams again. You’re really as gluttonous as Yukiko.”

…

What the heck!?

Is this eight-year-old kid Diadem!?

My jaws hanged in surprise. I couldn’t utter any more words.

Seeing that I’m stunned, Mr. Solstice talked to me that made me more baffled.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I didn’t introduce myself to you.” He lent out his hand. “I’m Frederick Solstice, and this is my son Diadem. Nice to meet you.”