Chapter 24 : Birthday Party

(A/n) A quick note for people who read the author's note but didn't get what I mean. The Dire Tombs dungeon.... Kiyo and Arisu didn't participate in it because it was too low for them. SO, they just chilled and didn't do more dungeons after the previous one.  

This chapter is the start of Xyrus Academy Arc)

(Arthur Leywin Pov)

Standing in front of the mirror in my room I looked back at my reflection. 

Today was my sister---Ellie's birthday. 

The mellow sounds of piano playing downstairs reached my ears as I was looking into the mirror. 

Hustle and bustle due to people pouring inside the mansion caused a rising wave of noise before crashing down as they continued to settle down.

Opening my eyes, I looked at myself again. The clothes I was wearing somewhat resembled to the funeral clothes back on earth, but it didn't matter much. Since, the norms of people on earth and in this world were quite different.

Speaking of which, the reason why I am in this world is still a mystery to me. My encounter with the ethereal people who called themselves djinn remnants in my last dungeon dive solidified my theory of multiple races fighting for dominance. 

The way they interacted led down to one main point---They hated dragons. 

The closed lip conversation about me having someone else's essence and reluctance to trust me between them was pretty obvious. However, I still couldn't put my finger on the exact reason. 

The mana around my dimensional storage ring swirled as a huge opaque-obsidian box appeared in my palm. The outer structure was slippery smooth. 

Unnaturally so.

Holding it with bare hands seemed hard enough. But it was impossible to even hold it in place for a slight second when I augmented my hand with mana. Like how like forces repel each other, the cuboid relic jumped from my hand and fell on the floor, sliding seamlessly until it was stopped by the closed door. 

I sighed, feeling exhausted at the weird phenomenon. It was supposed to powered by something that was similar to mana yet so different. Letting the mana dispel, I bent down and picked up the cube. It was slippery at first but fell into my grip just fine. Closing my eyes, I focused onto the cube. However, instead of the regular focus I let myself and my consciousness be guided inside the cube. Like feeling everything about it. Mana was useless. Using mana would just result in a backlash. If mana wouldn't work, then what would? Thinking over arsenal, the only thing that came to mind was the purple mote. 

It was inherently different than the other motes of mana. While the red, orange, green and blue were exclusive to their respective elements of fire, earth, wind and water---the purple speck was something entirely different.

From its composition to its abilities, the rigid nature how it didn't move despite the repeated attempts, one thing was clear.

This can be the higher form of mana.

While not being anything remotely closer to mana, it still had its uses. The correlation of this speck of mana to Sylvia's will clear a few things. The dragons were no joke. They had reality warping abilities which included Time and Space influence.

While I could do this after just a few years of practice, dragons with their extended lifespan could be a major hurdle moving forward. 

So, can this purple mote help me understand this cube of knowledge entrusted to me by the ancient mages?

Letting go of my control over mana, I let Realmheart flare to life on my skin. The slight sizzle made my skin tingle as I felt the mana particles tremble around me.

However, I ignored it. The only way I could use the purple motes was when I was using my first phase or the wormhole technique. 

So, I had to fool it. Make it think that I want to stop time or bend space and in its active state, direct it towards the cube. 

However, the subtle sound of someone climbing up the flight of stairs broke my concentration as I focused on the door. 

"Arthur dear, you're getting lat... oh my, what happened to you?" Alice spoke as she walked over to me. Examining my hair she spoke, "I swear they were white a while ago."

Removing her hands from my hair and holding them in my own, I looked at her and spoke, "You must be tired, mom."

She sighed but then smiled as brightly as she could as she corrected my coat collars, "The party is yet to begin. Come on now, go downstairs! I am sure, you'll be the center of attention today." She said while placing a soft kiss on my forehead before patting my back, "Hush now. Off you trot"

Center of attention? I am not sure if I should be happy about this or not. Attention is something I had tried to avoid most of my life on Earth. Being out of attention had its perks but it was somewhat bland and not refreshing. For a change, I thought in this life I will not try to hide myself too much. 

The results?

Same. 

There wasn't particularly anything that interested me much in this world too. The concept of mana and magical, mythical creatures was a new thing, but everything was too predictable. The only interesting thing was my newfound relationships. My dad, who wasn't goal oriented like my previous one and cared about family more than anything. My mom, Alice who was kind and put her kids above any and everything. I don't have the memory of my actual mother in previous world so the comparison in itself was a wrong idea. 

Lastly, were my sister Ellie and bond Sylvie. I never had a sibling, nor did I had someone who I had trusted as much as Sylvie. Come to think of it, she knows everything about me. Well... almost everything.    

"Ahhh, Arthur. You're here to save the day!" Vincent spoke as he walked over to me and placed his hands on my shoulder, "I need a handsome man to welcome the guests."

"Uhhh, I don't think I am the one for this kind of task..." Cutting me off midsentence, he pushed me towards the door and have me one final glance, "And don't forget to smile." 

This was going to be a really arduous night. 

(3rd Person Pov)

Arthur stood at the entrance of Helstea's Manor main entrance for his sister's birthday party, greeting guests as they arrived. 

He was wearing a party hat that was slightly too small for his head, giving him a comically awkward appearance. His face was expressionless, making it difficult to tell if he was excited about the festivities or not. After seeing a few maids giggle as they walked past him he sighed and removed the hat over his head, "Looks like this was a bad idea." 

He was wearing a black and white suit that hugged his broad shoulders and tapered down to a slim fit. The stark contrast between the black and white fabric created a mesmerizing visual effect, making him stand out amidst the sea of colorful dresses and suits. The suit's jacket was impeccably tailored, with sharp lapels and perfectly pressed creases running down the sleeves. The crisp white shirt underneath was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a hint of a toned chest. The black bow tie was neatly tied, completing the sharp, elegant look.

Although as clueless and monotoned his face looked, the aura he gave was regal, almost otherworldly. 

However, that still wasn't enough to relieve the awkwardness oozing out from him like a tactile veil as more and more guests started to pour in. 

"Welcome," he monotoned as each guest walked in. "Please proceed to the designated party area."

A maid, who had been observing his lack of enthusiasm, decided to intervene. "Boy, can't you be a little more welcoming? These are the Helstea's as well as your parents' friends and family."

Arthur shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't told to. I was given a simple task to welcome guests, not socialize or make small talks."

The maid's mouth remained wide open as she continued to look at him, speechless before turning around and moving back to do her work. 

As more guests arrived, Arthur's lack of social skills that stemmed from his past life became more apparent. One of his sister's friends saw him holding on to his small hat as complimented it, "That's a cute hat!" She said with a wide smile. 

"Thank you for acknowledging my fashion choice," he replied as the girl giggled and ran off inside. 

"Huh?" He murmured as he placed his hand on his lips, the corner of which were curved upwards. 

He was smiling. 

He sighed once again, "Thankfully, she didn't see it."

Although he didn't know how to start a conversation or make a joke, he was still trying his best. 

"Hi," he said to one of the guests, a middle-aged man in a suit. "Nice weather, innit?"

The man looked at Boy quizzically. "It's drizzling outside, lad," he said.

Arthur looked outside from the corner of his eyes and nodded, still expressionless. "Right. Yeah."

"Welcome." Arthur said to one another family that was coming. It had a woman and a girl his age. 

"H-Hello..." She said as she hid her face behind her locks.

"Be sure to ask him for a dance later, love," Her mother whispered to her, but Arthur heard it earning a squeal from her daughter and another sigh from Arthur. 

He had lost track of how many times he had sighed.  

Once everyone had arrived, he left his place and started to walk towards the main birthday area as well. 

As he walked into the room, he was immediately engulfed by the sweet aroma of fresh-baked cake and the sound of laughter and chatter. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel.

Should his heart swell with warmth as he saw the bright smiles on the faces of his family, who had all gathered to celebrate this birthday. He couldn't feel it. The skip of beat as he saw his younger sister play innocently with Sylvie along with his friends nor did he felt any relief seeing his parents laugh to their heart's content. 

He questioned the human nature. 

Why did humans take happiness in trivial things when all of it was temporary. Engaged in a race against time, humans should do nothing but perfect themselves but here they all were, wasting time on trivial things like birthday party.

"Help!" Sylvie's voice ringed in his mind. 

He looked down to see Sylvie in standing between his legs and looking up to him. 

"What do you need help with?" He asked, a bit confused. 

"Your thoughts, papa. It's too overwhelming. Didn't you say you want to try what you couldn't before? Then why look at all of this from the same perspective."

"I don't quite understand. It's not about me. It's about them."

"What is it about them that you don't understand?" Sylvie asked, a subtle brashness in her voice.   

"Why do humans put so much effort into building relationships, only to have them crumble and fall apart. Isn't it struggling for a lost cause? Like a never-ending cycle of heartbreak and disappointment that does nothing else than dragging you down. All of this is just a facade, a way to distract themselves from the emptiness of their own existence."

"But aren't you the same?"

"Hmm?" Arthur tilted his head, looking down, questioning his surrogate daughter.

"Aren't you looking for a purpose too? A purpose to live... not just for yourself but also your new family," her voice trailed off before talking again, "the nightmare of your previous life is over. You can be normal now. Give yourself a chance. Have mercy on your own self." Sylvie said, a plethora of emotions crashing through their bond like a tsunami.

Arthur's features crunched as he felt all of those emotions. The emotions didn't belong to him, however, because of their bond Arthur could not only transmit words but abstract feelings too.

"I don't seem to understand what you're trying to imply here, Sylvie," he said as his eyes gleamed in a shade of azure while his shadow loomed over her, "And I don't see to comprehend whatever you're trying to make me feel."

Sylvie's body shuddered and a jolt went across her spine. 

"Go back up, before anyone starts to notice you other than a cute toy to play with." Arthur said as he spun on his heels. 

"No."

"I'll bring meat."

"Ok. I will go back."

With a grin on her face, Sylvie ran upstairs while Arthur looked at the crowd. "For my family, huh?" He questioned himself before being called by his family as they got ready to cut the cake. Ellie was dressed in a silver dress with frills all over the midsection and net-sleeves.

"Brotheeeeer!" She squealed, jumping into Arthur's arms. He caught her and wrapped his arms around her, as he spun her around a few times. "Stop, stop!" Her voice muffled by her hysteric laughter boomed in the wide hall as everyone giggled at their antics.  

Arthur stopped and placed her down, feeling a bit awkward as he felt everyone's eyes directed at him. 

"Blew it... again. sigh" he said to himself.

"Come, come, it's starting!" Ellie said, holding Arthur' hand as she pulled him and brought him close to the cake. "Let's cut it together."

Arthur looked down at Ellie, her smile as bright as the morning sun. 

'Is this really what I seek? A comfort gained by affection given to me by other?' He questioned himself once again but waved those thoughts off. He knew he was changing, slowly but surely. And the crack in his heart was being made by his little sister who had unknowingly made her way into his heart. Placing a hand over her head, he placed his other hand on her hand and extended it towards the cake. Cheers of people with music in the background caused an uproar as both Arthur and Ellie cut the cake together.

'Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought it would be.'

>>After a while, when all the guests have left <<

Rummaging through her gifts, Ellie looked for one gift after another. One of them was a bow made out of a peculiar wood. Arthur recognized it as the same wood was found in abundance in Elenoir and the style was Elven as well. 

'Must be Tessia.' He thought to himself. 

"Brother, brother. Where is my gift?"

"Ellie, you shouldn't be like that." Alice reprimanded her. 

"We will have to go down for that." Arthur said and motioned for everyone to go downstairs. 

Once everyone was downstairs, Arthur reached out for the piano. The piano was something that was Arisu's idea and ever since then it was being sold in Xyrus among all nobles. Seeing his interest, Vincent decided to buy one for Arthur since he secretly helped Lilia in her awakening.

"I am not very good at this, but I hope you like it." Arthur said and started to play the 'Clair de Lune' which also translated to Moonlight. 

Everyone stopped doing what they were doing. The glass in Vincent's hand in his office, the cosmetics in Tabitha hand, Ellie's eyes opened wide as the gleamed like stars on the darkest night, Rey's hand slowly crept up Alice's back and, on her shoulders, as he pulled her trembling body in, tears already cascading down Alice's cheeks.

(A/n) Face cheeks, you weirdos!

Once he was done, Arthur pressed a melancholic tone---ending the mesmerizing symphony, a parallel to his own life and mental state. 

"That was so cool!" Ellie said, jumping off the ground but stopped as she saw Alice crying. 

"What happened, mom?"

"Nothing... just seeing my boy grow up into such a fine human being just moved me to tears. But...", she paused before hugging both Ellie and Arthur, "it just means I am that proud of you... both of you."

"Umm... there is something else too." Arthur said, peeling his face away from his mother's embrace.

"Another?"

"Yes." He said, taking out purple pendants from his pocket. 

"What is this?" Alice asked. 

"These are two orbs of mana... my mana. While it can be used as a defense mechanism, it can have offensive uses too. Just imbue the slightest fraction of mana into it or pull the plug from the top which will activate it. Even if your cores are limited."

"Did you get two?" Alice asked. 

"I found these in a dungeon dive as loot. I don't have enough uses for them, so I thought about giving them to you two."

"And what about me?" Reynolds asked. 

"Uhh, I forgot to place you into the equation." Arthur asked, his voice monotone. 

Ellie and Alice looked at each other and busted into laughter, leaving Reynolds sulking. 

>>Another timeskip of 20 minutes after all the family fuckery (not literal) <<

Arthur walked inside his room, turning the knob clockwise. The room was dark, a streak of moonlight intruding through the transparent glass window, illuminating just a fraction of the room.

"I was about to come anyways. You didn't have to go through the trouble." He said, taking his coat off as he threw it on the bed. 

A figure sat on the bed, the pure white hair shining even in the murky darkness of the room while her golden eyes gleamed with an animalistic thirst.

Unbuttoning his two buttons he spoke, "Let's get started," he said. 

"I've been waiting." She replied with a grin as Arthur pounced on the bed and moved his pawn to E4 to which she replied with knight to F6. 

Arthur tilted his head and did something that made Arisu even more ecstatic and aroused. King to E2, initiating the "Bongcloud Opening."

"This is going to be a fun night." She murmured. 

(A/n) Don't ask me what I did in the end. It just came across my mind. Anyways, this is it. Lemme know if you see any mistakes.