TBATE: Art and Tess's Second Chance

Chapter 13: A Different Perspective and Goodbyes

Tessia Eralith's POV:

There was a gloomy atmosphere that hung over the room, minutes seemed to drag by after Art left. I waited until I could feel Art's mana signature enter our room before I decided to speak. Before I could say a word, Adam spoke first saying, "That while other life thing was a joke right?" This incited nods from most people in the room. "I can guarantee that everything you heard tonight was for real, not a joke. Please take all of this seriously, Art took a big step telling you all this, especially since he was going to wait until after the war." I said seriously. 

Ellie then approached me before asking, "Can I go see my brother?" Her eyes were red and she was sniffling. Alice was about to stop her but I told her she could go, Art could use the company. I gave Alice a glare to stop her from getting in Ellie's way. Ellie was one of three who he told and truly accepted him no matter what in the previous timeline, Jasmine and I being the only other two. 

After she left the room I was met with a barrage of questions, almost as if Ellie leaving signaled them to start their verbal assault. I raised a hand and released a small amount of pressure to silence the room. I was not here to answer the questions they should have asked Art but were too scared to. I was simply here to give them a different perspective, my own. Though after hearing all he has done for everyone in this room and inferring what he will do for them, it should have opened their eyes already.

"I didn't stay back to indulge your questions, I'm only going to tell you all how I reacted to Art's past," I said in an annoyed, monotone voice as all their forms shrank down in their seats. I was hoping to change their minds, or at the very least, speed up how fast they come around. 

"I know a lot of you are in shock, it was a lot of information to take in all at once. You guys also had to take in his whole second life as well while I did not. I won't blame you for being confused or even a little angry that he waited so long to tell you," I related to their feelings, I felt them as well, I mean who wouldn't. The room stayed silent, some too scared to talk, and some genuinely curious about how I handled the same situation. 

"When he told me, it was merely days before we went to war with literal gods, or at least to me they were at that time. I didn't really have time to process it at the time, but I did make a decision at that moment. A promise to myself if you want to think about it that way. I decided that I would accept him if we managed to survive the war, no matter what. He had always risked his life for mine or that of his family without care of his own so if nothing else, I knew he loved me and them with all his heart. Maybe if the war didn't happen I would've reacted differently but I don't plan to live my life with any what ifs," I took in their looks which changed from their previous ones to one of hesitance. 

"How could you possibly make a commitment like that with someone who pretended to be someone else the entire time you knew them?" Not too surprisingly, Angela was the one to speak up first. From my short time with her and from what Art told me about her, she never had a problem with speaking her mind. It was good that she spoke up first, once Alice does, this conversation will shift drastically.

"That's simple, to me, Grey Wilbeck and Arthur Leywin are the same person and they always will be. He never pretended to be anyone else, he was who he was. He was the person who saved my life, my first friend, and my first and only love. He taught me many things that I would've never known without him. But he also housed so much darkness from his past that I'm sure we've all felt before. If I gave up just because he had memories from a past life, then I'd be the world's biggest idiot in this world," I said, my voice unwavering as I poured out my deepest feelings. 

"I don't care who he is or what he says. He took the place of my unborn child. The Arthur Leywin I have is not the one I was supposed to have!" Alice shouted, her face appeared unhinged as she switched between crying and crazed, unhinged laughter. 'Art had told me she was like this after he first told her his secret, I won't let her stay this way.'