"Can you explain to me what happened in detail?"
The young prince asked, as he stood in the center of the room.
WIth Reynold at his front, his hand in his head, as though he had seen a ghost, he stared at the young prince, his eyes quivering as he said:
"It was worse than we expected."
"What do you mean?"
"The Echoes. There were more than we anticipated. When we got there, we noticed that the school had already been pervaded with echoes. Some of the students had already turned into echoes. But that wasn't even the most terror."
The prince switched to an even more curious expression as the word terror came out of Reynold's lips.
"At first, when we got there we thought we could just wait it out, as planned. To see if any of them will awaken during the chaos. And for the meantime, it was going as anticipated. Most of them awoke."
He used his head to gesture to the students who were with Sinon, and then continued:
"However, when they awakened, something suddenly happened."
"Something? What was it."
The prince asked.
"It was like a quake. You know. How it usually happens in Luminastra, Lumi-quake."
The young prince nodded in understanding.
"Exactly, just like that. But this time it was different. It wasn't the usual quake that we used to experience at Luminastra, it was completely different. Both the ground and air were affected. And then it happened, we felt a negative Othir Essence. And that was them they showed."
"What do you mean?" the young prince asked.
And Elysia, one of the knights that went with Reynold jumped it, her voice urgent.
"It was the sky. It opened, just like how Alon opens his portal. But different. It was like reality itself was split into… two. And after it opened, they descended. Echoes. More than we expected."
"Did you get a number?" Alex asked.
"Number?" Elysia scoffed, like it was making a joke.
"What number? There was no way we could have counted. We were lucky that we carried Alon for his barrier ability. If not, we would have had to fight all those echoes, before coming back.
"That is if we could have survived." Alon spoke.
"Hmph… you guys are weak. I should have gone. I would have destroyed their lives and turned them into dust, where they belong."
Alex said with a fierce expression, making it sound like the rest were weak compared to him.
"You think you could... Huh?" Reynold lashed with an even more fierce expression, making Alex close his mouth instantly.
The young prince was about to say something, but stopped when Reynold spoke. And the expression Reynold carried, he was sure that whatever they were about to say was more serious than what they have said so far, making him more curious. Then he asked:
"So… what do you mean by if you could have survived?"
The four knights beside Reynold all took a quick gulp, while Reynold released a heavy sigh before he said:
"They were there. A higher Echo, I mean."
"What? A Converter." Alex exclaimed.
"Yes."
Hearing this statement from Reynold's lips, the young prince fell to his knees. His eyes widened, as his grimoire fell from his hand. His body shivering as though he had seen a ghost. At this point, a series of memories coursed through his head.
"Impossible!!"
Alex exclaimed.
The sound of his voice caught the attention of the others, even Sinon who was healing the rest. Her gaze landed on the young prince on the ground. She wanted to make a move, but was stopped by Reynold with his hand.
He shook his head, telling her to not go to him. And then she stared at the young prince. She knew exactly what was going through his head, since she was also listening.
And with the mention of a Converter. It was bound for him to react as he did, since she could also relate to it. However, for him, it was a moment that only him had to overcome by himself,
Alex, who was feeling agile and ready to fight an echo earlier, was now calm and silent. Even he knew what his own limit was, and what he couldn't face.
It didn't take too long for the prince to get back up to his feet. He picked his grimoire with a determined expression on his face. He might be young. 14 years. But he wasn't native, He wasn't the one to lay on the past.
"So? What happened next?" he asked.
"Yes." Reynold, said with a slight smile on his face as he saw his young prince toughing it out.
"Go on…What happened after that." the prince asked again, and Reynold responded.
"After we saw it, it appeared when we wanted to save one of them."
He turned, and made a gesture to D'lean. Who at the time, was engrossed on how weak he was, and wasn't able to save his friend. How did the others get abilities and he didn't. What was the logic behind it.
"While we were about to save him," Reynold continued. "...the Converter interrupted. Its speed was so fast, I couldn't even track its movement. And while it intervened, it released its negative Othir Essence, and those who weren't awakened died."
This time, he gestured to where Uvenna and the other students were. They seemed to be listening, but didn't utter a word. However, Uvenna's eyes were D'lean, as she watched him at the corner.
"And as that happened, one of them rushed in rage to attack it, but he…"
Reynold didn't say another word, as his expression alone could say it all.
The room fell silent
The young prince stared at the rest of the students, including Uvenna. He saw their faces. They were filled with fear, engrossed in despair. He saw it all, and could relate.
He could tell that they were all awakened. And after, he turned to D'lean. He was the only one isolated from the rest of the other. As he was staring at him, he squinted, as though trying to make out something. But there wasn't anything.
"But with all that, there was one thing that bothered me the most."
Reynold said, as he broke the silence. And the young prince turned to him, away from D'lean.
"What was it?" he asked, and Reynold continued:
"The rate at which they were turning into Echoes… was strange."
"Strange how?"
"With my own two eyes, I saw it. Those who were bitten by an Echo were turned immediately, not even following the usual two minutes range. It was something that we have never seen before."
It was at this time that D'lean's eyes widened in shock. The information he had just heard, played repeatedly in his head. As he thought of what that meant for him.