Redundancy: Chapter 3 - Falling into a Void

Stepping out of the bath, Julian savored the gentle embrace of warmth, like a cosy blanket on a winter's night. His body, swathed in loose, ash-colored attire, still held a delicate glisten from the droplets of water that clung to him, shimmering in the room's soft, muted luminescence.

The room, despite the relentless cascade of rain outside, felt like a snug retreat, an oasis of solace amid the chill and dampness of the tempest that raged outside. 

The carpets, worn smooth by countless steps, bent softly under his weight as he advanced toward the room's entrance. This sound seemed minuscule when compared to the rain's relentless percussion on the windowpanes. 

Julian's hair seemed to have undergone an alchemical alteration, had now reverted to its innate hue. It enveloped his visage with a subtle luminosity, an expressive indicator of his authentic self. 

As he passed over the threshold, a wholly unanticipated spectacle arrested someone's breath. 

In the doorframe, a girl with hair reminiscent of cerulean seas stood, her eyes agape with wonder. Her wide, azure orbs resembled mirrors reflecting the ocean's sagacity, and within their depths, Julian noticed a multitude of emotions. 

Their gazes interlocked, and in that fleeting instant as he stopped instantly, the towel from before still covering his damp hair. 

It was Roxy. 

Her heartbeat quickened as she beheld him, his hair returned to its natural shade. Nostalgia surged through her as an unforeseen wave of sentiment that threatened to inundate her senses. Vivid recollections of the early years flashed through her mind. 

"You're back...." She mumbled; her breath caught in her throat. There seemed to have been no doubt in her that he was gone forever. However, still, seeing him all of a sudden in front of her was something that threw her off-guard. 

"Yeah. I just came back." Julian replied nodding his head. 

A surge of self-consciousness crashed over Roxy like a meteor, her realisation of her rather disheveled appearance hitting her with undeniable force. 

Her neat hair was now in disarray, and her eyes appeared droopy, a clear consequence of just having woken up from a nap. Her responsibilities as a teacher at the Magic University had become so demanding that even her bustling duties left her fatigued enough to require a brief afternoon rest. 

Trying to act normal, she quietly patted the back of her head to fix her bed head and tried continuing the conversation. "Where were you all this time?" She asked, her eyes carrying an inquisitive glint.

Julian's head canted towards the right as he pondered over something. "Hm. It is a long story." He spoke and for the first time, Roxy felt an unexpected amount of lightheartedness in his voice. 

"I am free, oh...." She paused, realising it wasn't entirely about her, "...you must need some rest. Sorry. We can talk later." Scratching her neck in sheer embarrassment, she turned around. 

"It's fine. I am not sleepy right now anyways." Julian shrugged as she opened the door to his room and stepped to the side, leaving space for her pass. "We can talk." 

Her heart skipped a beat. However, she slapped her cheeks, shaking her head and rid her mind of any useless thoughts. "Thanks. Sorry for the intrusion." She spoke respectfully and stepped inside the room. 

Julian watched down at her tiny frame as she passed by him and inside his room. 

'Hm. She kind of smells nice.' 

(***)

In the heart of the house, the atmosphere danced on a tightrope between joy and awkwardness. 

Zenith reclined gracefully in a massive rocking chair, her arms cradling the newest addition to their lineage, little Lucy Greyrat. She wore a smile of profound contentment. 

The baby, with but a few unruly strands of sandy brown hair gracing her delicate head, sported wide, curious red eyes that roamed the room in wonder. Her tiny ears were reminiscent of the elven lineage from her mother, poked out adorably, albeit significantly shorter than Sylphy's own.

Norn, initially cautious, could not resist the irresistible allure of this tiny bundle of joy. 

Her reluctance crumbled under the captivating spell of baby Lucy, and she found herself drawn closer. The child's cherubic cheeks became the target of Norn's constant fascination. 

With an enthusiastic demeanor, she gently poked at them, and her heart leapt when Lucy's tiny fingers closed around her proffered index finger. 

The room echoed with Norn's near-squeal of delight, a sound that rippled through the warm, contented ambiance.

Aisha, brimming with emotions that danced just beneath the surface, nestled close to her mother, Lilia. Her teary eyes glistened with unshed tears. 

Yet, she was resolute and smart, and not a single tear fell as she was determined not to disturb the serenity that enveloped the room. 

Paul, the wayfarer of this family portrait, stood in a far corner, a man shackled by the weight of his own conscience. His eyes flitted about the room, fraught with guilt and apology. 

In that fleeting moment, as Paul and Zenith's gazes collided, a delicate flower of hope blossomed within Paul's heart. Zenith's expression softened at the sight of her husband, and her eyes conveyed a hint of forgiveness, drawing Paul into the tranquil oasis of her regard. 

But the bud of hope, so delicately nurtured in Paul's soul, withered away all too quickly. Zenith huffed in defiance, her gaze shifting resolutely in the opposite direction. The flower of reconciliation had yet to fully bloom within her heart, and she remained resolute in her stance.

'I won't forgive him so easily this time, hmph.' 

Rudeus was sitting in a chair just beside Zenith's gently looking at his daughter. 

However, as warm the interaction between this family, the new introductions were not faring very well. 

While Sylphy and Nanahoshi had become good friends, Sara and Eris still saw her as someone who was a big nuisance as she was related to the man who claimed to be Rudeus' dead brother. 

"Rudeus." Zenith spoke and she handed Lucy over to Sylphy due her crying out loud. "Don't you have something to tell all of us? You and Julian made up, didn't you?" 

"Huh?" 

"What?"

"Rudeus! Is this true?"

Paul, Sara and Eris exclaimed in unison. 

'Well, fuck me for collaborating with that little shit. They're sure going to kill me.' 

"Uh, ahh, calm down a little. Let me explain." Rudeus stood up, nervously, sweat dripping down his face. Sylphy seemed to already be catching up the current situation. She always knew, or rather could tell what was up. She never doubted his mentor and one of her best friends. And the way how Rudeus so vehemently insisted on Julian being fake despite being quite a rational person made her skeptic. 

"So, it goes like this..." 

Rudeus started explaining. From the first encounter of him with Hitogami, meeting with Julian where he almost killed him, his training to become strong enough to get revenge on the one who was using Julian's body. 

The reaction wasn't much since this was something that they had known until now. 

However, as Rudeus started to describe deviations, their eyes widened. 

Julian's unique magic that can tamper with a person's brain that also healed Zenith was used on Rudeus so show him the reality. Then their plan to gather people with high mana output in one place so they can end Man God once and for all. 

Their faces changed from awe to pure horror as they realised the real reason why both brothers were not present for so many months. They were fighting World Powers and even ended up in being the top-most category. 

"....So, I was doubting him for no reason?" Paul asked, the amount of shame and guilt unbearable for him. 

"Uhhhh, yeaaaaaaaah. Sorry for that, dad." Rudeus clapped his hands together, apologising to him. 

"What is your sorry going to do? Damn it. I can't even look him in the eyes now." Paul cursed under his breath. 

"Eeeeh, I don't think he cares much about what you think about him." Rudeus blurted out and everyone nodded. 

Truly careless. 

That was the image of Julian everyone had in their mind about him. Someone who didn't care of other's evaluation about him. He was someone who lived by his own pleasures and displeasures. Provocations and cheap tricks didn't work on him. 

"I think if you two talk to each other, you can make it back. Although, there is more than doubting his identity." Rudeus added and Paul looked up at him. "You know..." He jerked his head towards Zenith. 

Paul sulked. 

There seemed to be no redeeming him. 

As Rudeus and Paul tried of ways to reconcile, Lilia and Zenith also joined in, however Zenith took an appropriate distance from him, not acting too frank or open with him so he won't get any other ideas. 

(***) 

"And, so, that is what happened." Julian explained, leaning back into his chair. The chair reclined back, and the feet rest popped out, scooping his legs up. Letting out a sigh, he picked a glass of water and drank it. 

Roxy watched him closely, his larynx going up and down as he gulped at water, thirstily, steam rising from him. His hair was damp and was combed back haphazardly. Sitting in front of him, she was an anxious mess, her left hand balled with her right hand covering it, cradling it in her lap as she rubbed her skin reprovingly. 

"You went through quite a lot." She broke the ephemeral silence, her voice soothingly low and calm. Like the stillness of a lake, with only the warmth of gentle breeze causing a ripple in it. 

"It's not much, really." Julian replied, placing his head chin in his palm as he closed his eyes. The arcadian darkness graced his eyes as wobbly lines started forming behind his eyes. Opening them with a surge of urgency, he felt the surrounding blur followed by feeble headache. 

'It's catching up.' 

"Are you alright?" Roxy asked, standing up from her seat and walked over to him. She stood in front of him and tiptoed a bit to scoop his face into her palms. Using her thumbs, she stretched the lower skin of his eye to force them open. 

Blinking repeatedly, Julian opened his eyes, the tremulous, quaky abstract lines getting replaced by the troubled face of Roxy. Her hair was neither loose nor tied in braids. Instead, in contrast to her usual self, she had tied her hair in a high ponytail. 

"Kind of." Julian replied, his words vague as his azure eyes evaded Roxy, looking at the ceiling. "Just some itch in my eyes. Nothing to worry about." 

"It doesn't really look like just an itch." Roxy, as vehement as ever, pressed on the matter. Her fingers dug deeper into his skin. Despite having attained such a high level of swordsmanship, his cheeks felt extremely soft as her fingers left dark imprints on them. 

A strand of his hair fell between his eyes as he had previously combed them all back. It was just a subtle shift, something that was normally barely perceptible, however, even this was enough to make Roxy aware of the proximity with his face. 

He was looking straight at her, his eyes scantly, but ostensibly heavy. 

He was breathing slightly, controlled breaths. His nose flared unobtrusively as he breathed in and out. She almost recoiled but steadied herself. Her hands were pale, and so was her face. Confusion, fear, loss, regrets...everything congregated into one huge cloud of emotions, thundering within the confines of her mind. 

"Your hands are cold." Julian muttered, his timber barely above a whisper. However, it brushed off the single cerulean strand off her face. 

"Your face is too warm." She replied, her fingers trembling as the pressed heavily against the skin. Her breath was erratic, and Julian could feel it brushing against his face. 

She looked down but then looked up again, not wanting her weak resolve to break her efforts. Meanwhile, Julian just sat like a statue, looking straight. 

His lips parted and he shifted in his chair. "What did the of you two talked about?" He asked. The question made her squinch, but she remained standing, albeit her eyes went down. 

"....." She stayed silent, unable to say anything. The words had formed a tangible lump in the back of her throat. 

"Don't force yourself." Julian placed his warm hands over her cold arms, slowly removing her hands from his face. However, she slightly shrugged them off and placed them on his shoulders, leaning on her. 

"Stop talking...I'd lose the will to say the thing I have held in me for so long. So please...just stop talking." Roxy spoke, her voice a desperate whimper. 

Julian tilted his head, like a curious animal. 

He could've interrupted her. Told her something to avoid all the trouble. 

'It takes a lot of courage.' 

He spoke to himself and straightened up, mere inches away from Roxy's face. 

"So....I---I, uh, I lo--" 

"Master, Madam Zenith is calling for yo--aha! Sorry for the intrusion." 

As soon as she had come inside, Eva left the room at the speed. However, once Julian looked back from the door to Roxy, the blush was replaced by a melancholic look on her face. 

"You were saying?" 

"Oh...That I'd love to go along with you to Rudy's house. I haven't seen him in ages." She spoke, recoiling back from him. 

"Hm. Sure. But later. I have to rest. Feel free to stay here if you want to read the books." Julian said and stood up, making Roxy step to the side. Julian's room was filled with some unique books that he had read during the time he was finding a cure for Zenith. 

Motioning towards them, he jumped and landed face first into the bed. The whole bed moved, and creaked painfully as he pushed his face inside the pillow. "I think I hurt my nose, again." 

He spoke to himself, his words muffled. 

However, after moment, sleep started overtaking him. 

Roxy sighed, feeling lost. 

'She gave me one chance. And I messed that up. Why am I still shamelessly doing it? Didn't she allow it only because she couldn't conceive herself? The situation has changed. Why am I still...haah, I am so pathetic.' 

With another deep sigh and one last look at Julian's sprawled golden hair, she turned around, preparing to leave. 

'I think I've stayed here for long enough. I should resign and go far away from here. Hmmm, yes, let's do that.'

She lamented, drowning herself in words of self-deprecation that shattered her will even more. Julian slept carelessly; his face still buried inside the pillow. Suddenly, he felt a tug at his locks. With one hand over his hair and the other below his chin. He groggily opened his eyes only to see her face next to his, her lips locked with his like a crab's vice. 

"I love you." 

In one breathless swoop, she confessed and immediately stood up, ready to bolt outside the room. 

However, she was suddenly grabbed by the scruff of her shirt. With her body creaking, she looked back. Horror, dread. Afraid. Afraid of consequences to her actions. Afraid of his reaction. Afraid of her own bad luck. 

Afraid of rejection. 

All those fears flashed into her mind as she saw him burying his face back into the pillow while his long arm was extended to hold her by her shirt. 

He picked his head up as his lips moved, saying something. 

She felt her heart drop, like a wound being inflicted on it. Which only intensified after seeing his face with no remorse. 

"Huff... hufff...." As the painful seconds trickled into a minute, she felt a tug, as if falling into a Void.