TBATE-REDEMPTION(Rewriting)

Chapter 1

Illustration credits-@kamley_w on twitter.

A/N- There might be some grammatical errors.sorry about that. And as I mentioned earlier this is my first time writing anything so I hope you all enjoy it ^⁠_^

'Here I was, in a foreign or rather enemy land, teaching some students that may turn out to be my future enemies,' I thought.

I was in my room at the Central Academy of Alacrya, playing the role of a teacher, hoping to rid myself of any suspicion—a no-bloodname and an ascender.

It's been a few months since I came to Alacrya. At first, I thought about killing any possible threats. Truthfully, I was disgusted when I saw Alacryan people... They were my enemies, the ones responsible for the war and the bloodshed of innocent people in Dicathen. The same people because of whom my father died.

But living and spending some time here while observing the people has changed my mind a bit. They're all just people, being manipulated by Agrona. Agrona doesn't view them as his own; he thinks of them as disposable pawns, just a means to gain power and defeat the asuras. It isn't the people's fault they were born here. They're just like any others in Dicathen, living their lives happily with their families and friends.

The ones who made me realize this were my companions, Regis and Caera. Regis has been with me ever since I got transported to Alacrya's relictomb. I may not show it, but I'm really thankful to him. Because of him, I stayed sane. He was more than just a weapon created for me—he was a true friend who accompanied me through everything here in Alacrya.

Caera... Caera Denoir, an Alacryan noble I first thought about killing. But over the course of the time we've spent in the academy and the relictombs, she became someone I could trust... someone I could depend on, someone who could fight by my side. Of course, she wasn't anywhere near my level of strength, but she was strong enough to protect herself, enough so that I didn't worry about her while fighting. Not to mention her swordsmanship, which was similar to mine.

Even in Dicathen, there weren't many people I could fully trust. That I could trust to have my back. Maybe the lances? But I didn't get many chances to get close to them. Some hated me, one betrayed the continent, and some I couldn't even get a mission with.

Then there was Tessia, my childhood friend, to whom I confessed my love. Sure, she was immature for her age, but I guess that's what made her attractive.

But over time, my feelings became conflicted. What if Tessia had just done what I told her? When I came to Alacrya, a part of me felt unsure... If she hadn't tried to fight by my side and had just left through the portal like the others, could I have made Sylvie leave me and protect the others? I knew it wasn't entirely Tessia's fault, but I couldn't help it.

Would it have been possible that, by sacrificing myself, Sylvie could have survived?

Even without me, she could've lived her life with Tessia, who she viewed as her mother, right?

A part of me didn't want to believe it... but what if the truth was that I never viewed Tessia as a romantic interest? Of course, I told her at the wall that I loved her as a woman... but what if I was just deluding myself into believing that? When Sylvie hatched from her egg, she believed and called me and Tessia her parents. Then there was Gramps, who always teased me about being a couple with Tessia. In my previous life, I never had a lover or a true friend. I had Nico and Cecilia, but after that incident, I never really saw Nico again... and I killed Cecilia with my own hands. After that, I locked my emotions away and just... hah, and here I thought that with a new chance in life, I could be myself and not King Grey. But here I am, turning into Grey again.