TBATE - CHANGING FATE

Chapter 13 - The Mentor

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ARTHUR POV:

*knock* *knock*

"Come on in, the door is open."

Hearing her reply, I stepped into Director Goodsky's office with Sylvie. Taking a seat on the opposite side of her desk, I settled myself in before calming my nerves and preparing to tell her part of the truth.

"W-welcome Arthur! I didn't expect to see you here today! What can I help you with?"

Noticing her nervous expression, I let out a small sigh while thinking how our current relationship was so far different from our past; the memories Goodsky shared with me in the prison cell and while training Tess now gone from her.

But it was better this way... if I could stop not just her death, but the death of others... I would gladly become the only person to experience the true horror of the war.

Reassuring her that she could relax, I began the long-awaited conversation with the director; not before I asked her to set up a sound barrier around us.

"Just before you departed the manor two months ago, I told you that I would deal with Alacrya."

Her expression tensing at the moment I mentioned the other continent, a bead of sweat rolled down Director Goodsky's face – who was most likely wondering just to what extent I knew about her and Alacrya.

"The reason I told you this is because I need your assistance for several things... but before we begin that discussion, I would like to show you something."

While gazing at me in curiosity I asked Cynthia to present her hand to me, which was an unusual request, but she obliged.

What I was about to use was a technique that I had managed to adopt from Elder Three Steps, back when she and I exchanged memories. While Elder Three Steps had not officially taught me how this ability worked, after gaining deeper insight to aether later on I had managed to mimic it.

Although I never got the chance to use this ability – as I decided to only use this on the people I truly trusted – this was the first opportunity that I could.

Holding firmly onto her soft yet callous hand, I began to explore my memories; starting from when the formation of the Council was announced publicly.

From there I shared with Director Goodsky only the most crucial events: the attack on the academy, our discussion in the prison, her murder, the collapse of the Wall and Xyrus, the time I spend in the relictombs, the betrayal of the Indrath Clan... and my victory against Agrona.

Once I decided that the memories were enough for her to understand, I opened my eyes to see Goodsky... crying; something that I had never seen her do before.

Letting go of my hand, she wiped away her tears and spoke to me gently.

"...how could someone so young... bear such a burden..."

Giving Director Goodsky some time to process what I had just shown her, the only sound that remained in the quiet office was the ticking of a clock hanging on the wall.

*tick* *tock* *tick* *tock*

After several minutes had passed, Goodsky took a deep breath and straightened her posture.

Seeing her gain some understanding of the situation, I took out several parchments of paper from my storage rune – placing them directly onto her desk.

"Arthur, what are these?" she asked me while shuffling them around her desk, organising the papers neatly against each other.

"These" I told her while picking up one of the sheets, "are the plans that I stole from Agrona's castle."