CHAPTER 31: Weight of Memory

That morning, Sakura awoke to the soft golden light filtering through the wooden slats of her window. After getting ready, she made her way downstairs, her steps light yet hesitant. As she reached the bottom, she was greeted by the warm voice of the blacksmith's wife.

"Good morning, little gorgeous. Come to the dining table, I've prepared breakfast for you! Today’s meal is freshly baked bread with honey, a side of scrambled eggs, and warm herb tea," Mrs. May announced cheerfully.

Sakura nodded with a gentle smile, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. She was known for her shyness, especially around others. "Ah, thank you, Mrs. May"

The woman simply smiled before returning to the kitchen, leaving Sakura to head toward the dining area. As she entered, her gaze landed on Helion sitting at the counter, leisurely eating. His tail swayed lazily behind him, its fluffiness almost hypnotic. Just the sight of it brought a strange sense of comfort to her heart. The temptation to reach out and touch it was almost unbearable.

Without turning around, Helion suddenly spoke, his voice smooth and unreadable.

“You’re not thinking of something, are you?”

Sakura stiffened, startled. “N-No,” she said quickly, shaking her head.

Helion sighed, bringing his cup to his lips.

He had a way of reading people with ease. Yet Sakura remained a peculiar exception.

At times, she was transparent—an open book written in fleeting emotions. Yet something about her baffled him.

Perhaps it was the nature of a Divine Oneness candidate.

A vessel with a human heart.

Sakura shifted, as if brushing off the moment.

“..Where is Kaziel?”

Helion barely lifted his gaze. “Who knows?” His tone was languid, unconcerned.

“He said he had an errand, but I doubt it. If you want to find him, he’s probably somewhere quiet. Somewhere that doesn’t demand anything of him.”

Sakura nodded slowly. “..I see.”

Silence settled between them as she took a seat beside him and pulled her plate closer. The quiet felt unbearably awkward to her, but Helion remained unbothered, eating at his own pace. Her gaze kept drifting to his tail. It was so fluffy. So tempting. But she shook her head, trying to focus.

"About the task…" she started hesitantly.

"The informant," Helion interrupted. "I don’t think you should join us."

Sakura blinked in confusion. "Eh? But why?"

A pause.

Helion was quiet, his golden eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then, finally—

“It will bother you.”

His voice was calm, but the words carried weight.

Sakura stiffened.

Helion knew. He knew something she didn’t.

He wasn’t worried about her skill.

He was worried about what she might remember.

The informant wasn’t just a source of knowledge. He was a tether to her past.

A past where she was tortured—for being immortal.

Sakura fell silent. Was she not capable enough? Her grip on her utensils loosened slightly.

“I-I see…” she muttered, lowering her gaze to her plate.

Helion’s fox ears twitched.

“I know what you’re thinking, even if I might be wrong,” he said bluntly, his golden gaze flickering toward her.

Sakura didn’t respond.

“But meeting the informant might stir up your past,” he continued. “And if he senses your weakness, he will use it against you.”

Past trauma.

Sakura’s breath hitched.

He was right.

The informant had ties to the Warden. To Thalvaris. If she met him…

He would expose everything.

Her pain. Her memories. The wounds she thought she had buried.

And worse—her overwhelming emotions could manifest Greeds in an unexpected place.

She clenched her fists. Was she truly ready for this?

"About what happened at the ballroom… I'm sorry I didn’t come sooner," she said softly, keeping her gaze down. "I should have known… But because of me, things became difficult for you all. Now Anna is on her own."

Her fingers tightened around the spoon.

Helion took another bite, chewing thoughtfully before letting out a quiet sigh.

“Not truly your fault.” His voice was calm, matter-of-fact. “You were the last piece. You saved us.”

Sakura hesitated, then turned toward him, uncertainty flickering in her expression.

“Really?”

Helion didn’t look at her, but his golden eyes gleamed under the dim light.

“I was betting on my fate when I fought against that Dominion Veil user.” His tone was steady, unreadable, but there was an edge of truth beneath it. “But thanks to you, we were saved.”

Sakura’s breath hitched.

For a moment, she had expected indifference, maybe even dismissiveness. But instead—

His words held weight.

A slow, warm smile crept onto her lips. “I see…”

She had always thought she was useless. All this time, she had tried to match Kaziel’s combat skills, following the others on this mission, just so she could be useful.

Then, with more determination, she spoke again. "About the Domain… I saw it. It was terrifying. I could feel its weight pressing heavily on my heart."

Helion’s head turned sharply, disbelief flickering in his golden gaze.

“You mean… you could see it?”

Sakura nodded.

She could still feel it—the suffocating weight of that space.

The air had been thick with an ominous energy, twisting along the walls like dark veins pulsing with raw power. It wasn’t just a battlefield—

It was a prison.

A place meant to crush the will of those inside.

“I had to force myself in because I was afraid something might happen to you all.”

Now that made sense.

Helion had sensed something was wrong, but he hadn’t been able to see it.

The moment Kaziel stepped in, they were trapped.

That could explain why his fate abilities had failed. The Domain had drained his energy—cutting his connection to the threads of fate.

And with Miki’s ability to control minds with a single gaze…

There was no doubt.

The people from the Thalvaris tribes weren’t meant to be taken lightly.

Yet Kaziel had almost taken her down.

Still, something about them intrigued Helion.

And now, more than ever, he needed to understand what they truly were.

Meanwhile, Sakura found herself lost in thought. The weight of their conversation still lingered, stirring something deep within her. She needed air—needed a moment away from the tense atmosphere of strategy and caution.

Without realizing it, her feet led her through the bustling city streets. The noise of merchants and travelers blurred into the background as she moved on instinct, drawn toward a place of solace.

Soon, she arrived at a familiar place—a grand fountain where a statue of her mother stood atop a glistening blue crystal. She lingered, staring at the carved face of the woman who once stood as a symbol of warmth and strength.

Then, across the fountain, she noticed someone sitting alone on a bench.

Kaziel.

She walked up to him, her voice breaking the contemplative silence. "There you are! I was looking for you. Helion said you were on an errand."

Kaziel blinked, startled out of his thoughts. "A-ah… About that… I just finished it."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You're bad at lying, Kaziel."

He scratched the back of his neck, letting out an awkward chuckle. “Haha… Sorry about that.”

His gaze shifted away, uncertain, searching for an excuse—but none came.

Instead, he exhaled, his shoulders sinking slightly. “…I… I don’t think I should be around anyone for a while.”

She could tell the weight of what happened at the ballroom still lingered on him.

Guilt hung over his shoulders, pressing down like an unseen burden. He must have been replaying it in his mind—the moment he lost his patience, the deadly look in his eyes that had shaken those around him.

But Sakura never resented him for it.

She understood. He had his reasons.

Instead of letting the moment sink into regret, she chose to lighten the mood.

"Well~ I’m a little jealous that you have a childhood friend," she admitted. "I wonder what it feels like to grow up with someone you're very closed with."

Kaziel glanced at her, sensing the quiet sadness in her voice. Unlike him, she had lost those close to her—Etsuko, Himeji, and others. But she never had the chance to hold onto them forever. Kaziel understood that sentiment well.

"You can tell me how you and Anna met during childhood. It must be a good memory, right?" she asked, tilting her head with a smile.

Kaziel hesitated for a moment before exhaling and looking toward the fountain. "I… met her when she fell off a high cliff. I was lost in the woods when it happened. Something… unfortunate had happened to her."

His voice carried a distant sorrow as he recounted the memory.

Anna had been small, just a child, lying on the ground in agony, a sharp piece of wood piercing through her waist.

Kaziel had run to her, panicked. "H-hey… wh-what happened to you?!"

But Anna couldn't answer—she was gritting her teeth through the pain. Then, a Greed emerged from the darkness behind him.

"I was terrified. I was just a coward. I thought I’d run away again, but… I didn’t. Seeing Anna in pain gave me a reason to fight back. So I decided to protect her."

Sakura listened intently, captivated by the quiet intensity in his voice.

“I didn’t think about whether I would die. I just knew I had to fight. Even if I lost, at least I wouldn’t have died a coward. I wouldn’t let Anna suffered and died in horrible state”

Kaziel’s voice was quiet, but there was a raw honesty in it. “That moment… changed everything.

Anna was the only friend I ever truly got along and grew up together with, before we met Helion. But now… I’m sure she’s disappointed in me.”

“I don’t think so.”

Sakura shook her head, her gaze steady, her eyes flickering with admiration for his determination.

“Deep inside, I’m sure she remembers how you saved her too. She wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you.”

Kaziel’s breath hitched for a moment.

Her words settled something in him—a quiet relief, one he hadn’t realized he needed.

“I’d always thought of myself as a coward before..”

Though his admission made Sakura pause, curiosity stirring inside her for a bit.

What had shaped him into the person he was now?

Her voice softened. “What happened before?”

Kaziel went quiet.

"What did you do before?" she pressed gently.

His reluctance was evident. He avoided her gaze, "..It's not something you need to know."

But when he saw the earnest curiosity in her eyes, he sighed, relenting. "Fine… Guess I have another person to talk to about this now."

He adjusted himself, his voice lowering slightly. "I… had a little brother. His name was Luke. But… I lost him. Because I was a coward."

Sakura’s expression surprised. "Why? What happened to him?"

Kaziel sighed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His fingers tightened around each other as he exhaled slowly, his voice quiet but steady.

“My father… was a high-ranked Sapphire Heart protector—the strongest. Our bloodline was rare, powerful… and feared.”

Kaziel let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “And we were just kids.”

Because of the constant danger, his father knew they would always be targets. So, to protect them, he entrusted their caretaker with their safety, choosing to live far from Selphine Kingdom.

“He sent us away,” Kaziel continued, his voice quieter now. “To a quiet countryside, where our caretaker lived. A place where we could grow up hidden from the world.”

His expression darkened.

“But the man who swore to protect us… wanted to erase us instead.”

The words came out sharp, cold.

“He knew that if we grew up, we could surpass him. He couldn’t risk that. I was naïve enough to believe he cared about us. But after my father was gone… we weren’t children to him anymore.”

Kaziel exhaled, his eyes shadowed with old memories.

“We were outsiders.”

His hands clenched slightly.

“And burdens get discarded.”

Sakura’s breath hitched as Kaziel’s grip on his hands tightened.

“So he sold my little brother. To the Void of Maw.”

Sakura’s stomach twisted. She had heard of that place—a realm of no return. A void where the unwanted, the cursed, and the forsaken were thrown away.

Kaziel continued, his voice now sharper, colder. “There’s an old belief that sacrificing someone gifted—someone with a strong affinity for the Sapphire Heart—grants unimaginable power. People were desperate. And my little brother… he was just a toddler, but he born with something even stronger than me.”

He exhaled, looking away as if unable to meet her gaze. “Meanwhile, I was a coward. I ran. I didn’t fight back. I didn’t stop them. So, they took him instead.”

His hands clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. Slowly, his grip loosened.

“But I heard something later. Something that changed everything.”

Sakura waited, listening to him carefully.

“Before they could throw him in, he disappeared. No one knows how. They searched for him, but he was just… gone.”

Silence followed, but it was heavy, lingering between them like a phantom.

“I believe he’s still out there. Alone, growing up without knowing where he came from. That’s why I keep moving forward. That’s why I spread the name—the Sapphire Heart Collector. At least the only thing I could do to find him.”

His fingers absently brushed the hilt of his sword, the weight of his past still clinging to him.

Sakura stared at him for a long moment. Up close, she could see the unwavering determination in his eyes. The fire of hope burned in him, stronger than the pain of his past.

"I'm sure we’ll find your little brother someday," she said softly.

Kaziel turned to her, surprised by her certainty. Then, after a while, he let out a small chuckle—as if some of the weight on his shoulders had finally lifted. Whether it was because of Sakura’s presence or the relief of finally speaking his truth, for that moment, he felt just a little lighter.

That night, Kaziel and Helion arrived at the Bastion of Order, a towering stone fortress standing at the heart of the city. It was where high-ranking officials conducted their affairs, where criminals and informants alike were held for questioning. The air was thick with authority, torches flickering against cold iron walls as patrols moved in rigid formations.

They passed through the heavy wooden gates, their boots echoing against the marble floors. Inside, the Detainment Hall stretched before them—lined with cells reinforced by enchanted barriers, ensuring even the most cunning prisoner couldn’t escape. The scent of parchment and steel filled the air, the dim candlelight casting long shadows over the worn stonework.

At the far end of the chamber, the leader of the guard stood waiting, his posture tense. Illiad was beside him, arms crossed, unreadable as always.

Helion approached first, his golden eyes gleaming as he effortlessly cut the string of golden thread between his fingers. His steps were slow, deliberate. “So, you were the one who thought we were suspicious,” he said, his voice smooth, yet carrying an undertone of quiet menace.

The guard leader stiffened. “I… I only acted because the informant told me so.”

Helion’s expression didn’t waver. “Do you believe everything he says?”

The weight of Helion’s gaze seemed to press down on the man, making him hesitate. His breath hitched.

Helion didn’t hesitate. “Then maybe you should give up.”

His voice was calm, almost casual, yet there was an undeniable weight behind his words. “That man has betrayed more people than just you. And we’re here to make him reveal his true intentions—aside from his dealings with Duke Valcrid, who has been involved in… questionable activities lately.”

He tilted his head slightly, watching the guard leader carefully. “We might just find the clue we’re looking for.”

The guard leader’s expression flickered. Then, as if something had just clicked into place, he gave a slow nod. “I see… Very well then. If this is resolved, I will make sure we settle this immediately.”

Illiad’s eyes widened slightly.

Something was off.

The guard leader—this wasn’t him. He had never been this agreeable before.

Kaziel, standing nearby, saw it.

Helion’s ability was taking effect.

A subtle shift—a manipulation just strong enough to bend the man’s judgment.

It wasn’t mind control, not entirely. Just a quiet whisper in the depths of his thoughts, nudging his perception, making him question his instincts. Reality itself was beginning to waver around him.

Illiad noticed the hesitation, his gaze flickering toward Helion.

He had always known the fox was perceptive.

But to see him alter a man’s judgment so effortlessly… it unsettled him.

Before he could dwell on it, Helion turned to him.

“Are we going to see your father?”

Illiad blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.

“Ah—yes.”

He nodded quickly, regaining his composure.

Even now, he wasn’t sure if it was the right choice.

But one thing was certain—Helion had already set the next move in motion.