Meanwhile, Damien froze inside my soul space.

"Wait a minute," he whispered. "You knew King Philip? And the girl who kills you?"

My back stiffened.

Yeah…that little detail.

Sia.

The same girl standing a few feet from me with her arms folded, her eyes pretending not to look at me.

The girl who, according to the Book of Sin, stabs me right through my chest in some future I'm not ready for.

Damien buzzed inside, pacing around. "Bro, this changes things. You were friends—no, family friends with them? That means this isn't just some random scheme.

...fuck!!" The so called villain making system shrieked in my head.

Only now did I realise that the Author we thought as incompetent and dumb was actually so smart.

"This is a long game, Noah. The author's playing 4D chess and we're stuck on checkers!" Damien screamed, his thoughts a jumbled mess.

I didn't respond. I was too busy watching my cousins and Venus start chatting casually with Sia and King Philip.

Aurelia, of course, was leading the charge. "So, Princess," she said with her signature sly grin, "what was it like ruling a kingdom where everything's made of jade? That sounds dangerously aesthetic."

Sia actually cracked a small smile. "It wasn't as green as you'd imagine. More cold stone than shiny gems."

Dario leaned in with curiosity. "Wait, is it true your palace had glass floors? Like, can you actually see down to the gardens below?"

King Philip chuckled at that one. "He's been doing his research, I see."

"I've seen a tour video," Dario admitted. "Ten million views. I clicked for the architecture, stayed for the random peacocks in the courtyard."

Even Erza was watching her now, more alert than usual but not aggressive. "You don't fight much, do you?" she asked bluntly.

"You carry yourself like someone who knows she could, though."

Sia's eyes met hers for a moment. "I don't need to fight. Most people stop at the way I look."

That earned a couple raised eyebrows and a snort from Seraphina. "Relatable."

I realised that everyone seemed to be ignoring the part where Sia and King Philip had relocated after the coup–

Venus, meanwhile, had struck up his own conversation with King Philip. "You still haven't aged a day," he said, shaking his head. "What's your secret? Green tea and forbidden magic?"

King Philip smirked. "Discipline. And having far too many enemies to ever relax."

Their voices faded into the background as my focus drifted back to the memories that were slowly surfacing—ones I hadn't touched in years.

Me, hiding behind my dad's long cloak while he and King Philip stood under a single umbrella, laughing like brothers.

Sia, a lot younger, tugging at my sleeve and asking if I wanted to sneak sweets from the royal banquet.

Back then, we were just kids. There were no politics. No wars. No bloody futures written in cursed books.

I held my fingers together, my nails digging into my palm.

Would I have turned out different if my dad hadn't died?

Would I have stayed that quiet boy who didn't talk much but had a warm home and two kingdoms calling him family?

Damien was still muttering. "She kills you. Kills you, Noah. And she's out here making small talk with your cousins. What the actual hell?"

But my mind was somewhere else entirely, after all, she kills me in the future, and I'm damn sure the past version of me would have done something for her to be so after my life—

It wasn't just the way the room had shifted from tension to warmth. It was how familiar it felt.

Too familiar.

King Philip looked more relaxed now, sipping the drink Venus had passed him.

The grand room had divided into three parts.

In front of the entrance was the view of the whole room and food and drinks placed against a luxurious wall while to the right was the glass balcony.

The luxurious sofa's were placed in the middle while an attendant calmly stood outside the room in case of any help needed.

I could see Grandpa Venus standing near the drinks placed against the wall, dragging King Philip along with him for a drink as they talked like time hadn't passed, like the betrayal and chaos of the world hadn't happened yet.

And Sia?

She was blending in with my cousins like they'd all grown up in the same palace.

She smiled quietly at Dario's dumb jokes, making him fluster at her charms while she also nodded along to Seraphina's quiet observations, and even offered Erza a subtle compliment about her sword posture.

She was perfect.

Except…

Only with me, she was different.

Colder, I realised.

Like I'd done something wrong and didn't even know what it was.

Every time our eyes met, she looked away. Her lips pressed tight, like she was holding something back.

I cleared my throat, leaning forward slightly. "So...Princess Sia, did I offend you somehow?"

The question came out before I could think about it. The others paused briefly, sensing the shift in the air.

Sia tilted her head. "You didn't," she said flatly, not explaining any further.

Ouch.

Damien groaned. "Well, that's not ominous at all."

Venus raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, just watched us with that same quiet interest he always had when things got a little too personal.

I nodded slowly. "Alright then."

It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. I wasn't angry. I just…didn't get it.

And that made it worse.

Because if I had done something, I could fix it.

But this?

This was like standing outside a locked room and not even knowing which key you were supposed to use.

A moment passed, then King Philip clapped his hands once. "Well," he said, his voice lighter than before, "it seems the Romero bloodline has only gotten more interesting with age."

"You should've seen them a while back, sneaking through the back door like I wouldn't know–" Venus said, his eyes twitching.

Dario threw a finger-gun at the king. "You should visit us sometime. Or, y'know, at least let us crash your palace. We'll bring snacks."

"I'll consider it," Philip said, smiling faintly.

But I noticed it. That slight look he gave me. Like there was more he wanted to say.

Maybe about my father.

Maybe about what happened back then.

But he didn't say anything.

And that only scared me more.

***