SoulBound

Chapter 43: A Little Distortion

"Looks like we're a team again, bro! Just try not to get any of your shadowy things in my way, yeah?"

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"What's gotten into you? Get a hold of yourself. Don't make decisions based on emotions!"

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"What are you doing, brother?! This is YOUR nation. You're really thinking about destroying your own dream just to get even with him?"

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"I'll support you every step of the way. That's what brothers are for, right?"

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"Ethan?" Ava called out, snapping me back to reality.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah... I just remembered some old memories."

"Oh?" Ava smirked. "Do tell."

"It was about my brother, Damian Mortis."

Ava's eyes widened. "You have a brother?! There are still things you're hiding from me!" She crossed her arms and looked away dramatically.

I chuckled, patting her on the head as we continued walking. "Honestly, I can't even remember what I haven't told you, so it's kinda hard not to let some things slip."

"Maybe we should have a 'truth time' session where you spill all your secrets," Ava teased.

"Maybe," I said with a half-smile. "Anyway, my brother... he was a Sovereign, but he wasn't related to them by blood. Obviously."

Ava nodded. "Hm, that explains how you know the Sovereigns."

I continued, "We used to run missions together, just like this. Only when I'm free though."

"He sounds like a great brother," Ava said softly.

I paused for a moment, my voice heavy with emotion. "He was the best brother I could have ever asked for."

Ava looked at me, her expression more serious now. "What happened to him?"

I thought for a while before answering, "He died... trying to save me from making a terrible decision." A single tear slipped down my cheek, but I barely noticed. "Even then, he believed in me. He thought he failed—failed to guide me into being a better person. He even confronted me when the Pariah was unleashed. What kind of brother goes that far for his little brother?"

Ava wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me into a comforting embrace. "A really great brother."

I hugged her back, grateful for the warmth.

After a moment, she let go, a small smile on her face. "Well, we still have an Unheard to kill. Maybe *you* can be my backup this time?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh? Sure thing, ma'am. By the way, what do we know about it?" I asked.

Ava opened the file Aria had given us. "The B-rank looks like... well, it pretty much looks like a cat with black fur, but its paws create ripples that put pressure on the fabric of reality," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's kinda cool. But Aria said we gotta dust it, so that's what we're going to do."

"Ironically, it was last spotted in this realm. Aria's realm," Ava added.

I glanced around. Aria's realm was an expansive, flat world, but it wasn't exactly land—it was water, an endless surface of calm water that stretched as far as the eye could see. Despite the liquid surface, we were standing on it as if it were solid ground.