MBUS Book II : Nahat Adelaidein Roosevelt

PEAK OF THE FUTURE

WARNING: BRUTAL SCENES, HARSH WORDS, ANGER ISSUES, KILLING, DEATHS AND TRAUMA ARE PARTS OF THIS STORY.

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'·..➭ chapter thirty
⇉ demon march arc

N A H A T A D E L A I D E I N

Morning came again.

I woke to a soft light sneaking past the heavy curtains of my room. Awake — my eyes wide open — but my body refused to move. I lay still, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

It had been two weeks since Achilles was gone. Yet it felt like just yesterday I learned he was no longer here.

Come to think of it, I still didn't know why Achilles vanished so suddenly.

No one dared speak of his death around me. They guarded the words carefully, as if mentioning them would shatter me again. Even though I spent days in the hospital, the subject never surfaced.

Achexen's worry was tangible — the kind of worry that rests quietly behind concerned eyes. Achexen always noticed when I grew silent or my mood shifted, but when it came to Achilles, not a single question escaped her lips. She knew better. She knew that revisiting loss could pull me back into the darkness when my parents were taken from me, leaving nothing but a hollow shell behind.

I understood. I appreciated it more than they knew. Nothing was ever going to be easy, especially not with Achilles taken from me.

They wanted to ask how I was holding up, but even if they had asked, I wouldn't have had an answer.

I felt nothing.

That was the truth.

There would be a time I'd ask why. But I also knew I was to blame.

Was it because of what Sandra told me? Every time I remembered Sandra pregnant and Achilles gone... I was numb. I didn't know what to feel. I just drifted along, echoing the words others spoke around me. My feet felt unreal — not grounded, like I was floating in numbness.

Sometimes, I forgot I wasn't alone.

Last night, the Royal Bloods took advantage of my weakness, knowing I lacked the strength to show them why I refused to reveal their tainted blood flowing through my veins.

I didn't want to rush healing. My mind hadn't fully accepted what had happened. But when that moment of clarity came, I would demand repayment. But for now, I'd flow with the current.

I had to be careful — I wouldn't let myself disappear again like before. Not now. When I finally took my time, I'd take everything. No one would be spared.

They took Achilles from me. I'd take everything from them.

A faint smile touched my lips at the thought, and I finally rose to prepare breakfast with Yuki.

Speaking of Yuki... I'd missed so much. She had matured so much, almost unrecognizable. Quiet, like Achexen, but now her words came more often, deeper, heavier with meaning.

I took a deep breath and stood fully. I laid out my clothes for the day — modern, simple, royal blue top with white slacks. Clean, unpretentious, enough to hide the blood I was trying to bury under my name.

My blonde hair was just brushed, enough to look presentable but not grandiose.

After getting ready, I stepped out of my room. Every step felt like reclaiming weight in my body.

I headed to the dining hall, accompanied by my three lady-in-waiting, who greeted me politely but with the same quiet tension.

As I opened the dining hall door, the familiar aroma of warm bread, cinnamon, and coffee greeted me — a comforting blend that stirred something deep in my numb nerves.