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When Eclipse first awakened in this worldline once more, the absence of his system companion was the first thing he noticed.
Silver was gone.
Yet despite that, his system interface remained intact. It responded as usual, functioning without error. Without hesitation, the first thing he had done upon regaining awareness was to access the [System Archive] and search for information regarding his mother's family.
But the results—
Were disappointing.
There was nothing substantial to be found.
Aside from the general knowledge that the Asterrix family was a merchant household, and that their patriarch held the position of Headmaster within the Merchant Alliance, there were no further details.
Nothing concrete.
Eclipse almost cringed at how familiar the situation felt.
'This… feels exactly like those so-called hidden background characters I've encountered during my missions in other worldlines.'
A faint scoff escaped him.
'And now I'm the one placed in that role?'
The irony of it all did not escape him.
However, dwelling on such thoughts would serve no purpose.
There were more pressing matters that required his attention.
As his thoughts shifted, he recalled the image of the servant from earlier—the one who had caught his attention in the dining hall. At that moment, his expression darkened slightly, his brows drawing together in a subtle frown.
He had not expected to encounter that person so soon.
'It seems… I overlooked something important during my first life.'
The realization lingered uneasily.
'Could this be the reason I was sent back to this point? Is that person more significant to this worldline than I initially believed?'
His thoughts sharpened, turning analytical.
'But according to the [System Archive] … that person was only briefly mentioned. Nothing more than that.'
The contradiction disturbed him.
He began pacing slowly across his room, his steps measured as he sorted through fragmented memories and incomplete data. Yet no matter how he arranged the information in his mind, the pieces refused to align.
Then, without realizing it, his movements came to a halt.
His gaze lifted.
Reflected before him was the full-length mirror within his room.
Eclipse stared at his own image.
And for a brief moment—
He frowned.
'Aside from my inability to awaken the Chevalier bloodline… this appearance alone is enough to mark me as an outsider within this family.'
His reflection stood unmoving, yet the differences were undeniable.
His strawberry-colored hair—soft, vivid, and completely unlike the darker shades commonly found among the Chevalier lineage—was inherited entirely from his mother.
Only his eyes remained as a link to his father.
Those cyan-colored eyes.
Everything else about him—
Belonged to her.
If he had been born as a girl, there would be no doubt that he would become a perfect mirror of his mother's appearance.
A complete reflection.
As that thought passed through his mind, his expression grew colder.
Without warning, he turned away from the mirror.
He did not wish to linger on it any longer.
The memory it evoked was not something he was prepared to confront.
Even after thousands of years spent traversing countless worldlines, encountering various figures who had taken on maternal roles—some kind, others cruel—none of them had ever replaced the one person he held closest to his heart.
His true mother.
The first person he had ever loved.
Aryna Asterrix.
The name itself carried weight.
Eclipse may have cast aside his identity as a Chevalier, but that did not mean he had discarded everything tied to this life.
His mother was different.
She was the one who had stayed with him.
The one who had stood by his side until her very last breath.
No matter how much time had passed—
That bond remained.
And yet…
It would be a lie if he claimed he felt no resentment.
There was anger.
A lingering bitterness.
For leaving him behind.
For forcing him to face everything alone.
But even that anger could never last long.
It would always fade, replaced by something far more complicated.
Something heavier.
He exhaled slowly.
'…I was just… hurt.'
That was all it was.
Nothing more.
There had even been moments—during his long journey across different worldlines—when a fear had taken root deep within him.
The fear that he might forget.
Forget the sound of her voice.
The warmth of her embrace.
The gentle smile she always carried.
But for reasons he could not explain, those memories remained untouched.
Untainted.
Clear and vivid within his mind.
In contrast, most of his memories from his original life had already faded into obscurity.
He felt no attachment to that past.
None at all.
Only her remained.
Only the memories of Aryna Asterrix persisted—etched into both his mind and heart.
And yet… the moment he returned to this world, something changed.
The past resurfaced.
Fragments of it, at the very least.
Tragic memories—ones he would rather forget—began to reappear, one after another.
Though most of them remained incomplete… distorted… and unclear.
Eclipse closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, his gaze hardened slightly.
'Since my memories are unreliable… I can only rely on the [System Archive].'
It was the only stable source of information he had.
The only guide left to him—now that Silver was gone.
That absence…
It lingered heavily.
He could feel it.
For so long, Silver had been by his side—a constant presence throughout his missions. To suddenly find himself alone…
It left behind a hollow feeling he could not ignore.
Still—
He remembered what Raven had told him.
This was only temporary.
And so, he forced himself not to dwell on it any further.
There were bigger concerns to deal with.
From what he could vaguely recall, the current timeline placed him in the middle of summer break.
Which meant—
After a month's time, he would be expected to return to Lumen Academy as a sophomore.
At that realization, his expression darkened instantly.
'As if I would willingly return to that cursed academy again.'
A quiet scoff escaped his lips.
'Give me a break.'
The very thought of it was enough to irritate him.
When he had first awakened in this world, the world plot had already been transmitted into his mind—as it always did whenever he entered a new worldline.
That part had not changed.
But everything else had.
The absence of Silver.
The inconsistencies in his memories.
The sudden appearance of someone who should not have mattered.
All of it—
Did not sit well with him.
Eclipse exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting toward the window.
'I just hope… I won't be stuck here for too long.'
There was a quiet finality in his thoughts.
'I have no intention of becoming part of this damned world plot again.'
He clenched his fist slightly.
'I've already played my role in my previous life.'
And as far as he was concerned—
That role had long since ended.
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