“You really want to know?” Sandra asked with an annoyed expression, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Aether.
He had even gone so far as to take a chair and position himself away from the bed, sitting there with an expectant look as he nodded.
“Of course,” Aether replied without hesitation, his gaze locked onto Sandra, who was clearly hesitating about something.
Sandra took a deep breath, as if gathering the courage to speak, before saying, “Well… his name is Snape… Everyone calls him Master Snape… After my mother’s death, he was the one who lit up the darkness in my life… he came into my worl—”
“Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second! Is this your love story? Because if it is, I’m truly sorry, but I have no interest in hearing it!…. I’ll really get jealous!” Aether suddenly raised his hand, cutting her off with a dramatic expression of protest.
Sandra blinked at him in disbelief, her face blank as she stared at him with a deadpan expression. Then, after a pause, she sighed and said, “It’s not my love story, you idiot!”
Aether exhaled loudly as if he had narrowly escaped some horrifying ordeal, rubbing his chest for dramatic effect.
Sandra’s lips twitched at his antics, but despite herself, a small smile played at the corners of her mouth. “And for the record… t-there’s no need to get jealous. I n-never loved anyone… except… an ungrateful bastard.” The words slipped out of her mouth unconsciously, as if his previous comment about leaving her had triggered something deep inside.
“Oh?” Aether’s eyes sparkled with interest, and in the blink of an eye, his chair, which had been positioned far away, suddenly appeared right next to the bed. He leaned in with a teasing smirk. “Well then… best of luck to that ungrateful bastard~”
Sandra’s eye twitched, but she shook her head, smiling softly despite herself. Then, as her expression turned more serious, she exhaled and said, “… That man gave me a life I thought I had lost forever. He taught me…” Her voice trailed off as she drifted into the depths of her memories.
…
…
Marisandra Naiadia’s POV
“Hmm… That’s it… Feel the weapon… Let it become a part of you… Even if the world sees you as a blank card, never forget—only empty space can be filled.” Master Snape’s deep voice carried across the training grounds as he observed a young girl, barely 15, moving fluidly. She held a small knife, her body twisting with sharp precision as she slashed at the leaves swirling in the air around her.
Thud!
“Huff-Huff-Huff-” I collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, my breath ragged as sweat dripped down my face. My arms trembled as I clutched the knife, my chest rising and falling rapidly. “D-Did I… cut them all, Master?” I gasped, struggling to steady my breathing.
I couldn’t see them, of course—I had been born blind. The only reason I was able to cut the leaves at all was because of their movement—the way they disturbed the air, the sound they made as they fluttered around me.
Master had taught me how to heighten my other senses, pushing me beyond my natural limitations so I could function just like anyone else.
“…” He remained silent for a long moment before finally saying, “Most of them.”
Hearing those words, my hands clenched into fists, my lips trembling.
No matter how hard I pushed myself, no matter how much I trained, I could never seem to move past this limit. It was as if an invisible barrier had already decided my fate.
‘I… I can never avenge my mother’s death?’ The thought twisted painfully inside me.
A hand suddenly rested on my shoulder, making me flinch, but I quickly relaxed. It was Master. His voice was softer now as he said, “It’s fine, Sandra… You have reached the pinnacle of what your body is capable of… Something no one else has achieved before.
Even now, your physical abilities rival those of someone with a Copper Arcane Card.”
“But… still not enough to stand against a Rainbow Card, right?” I spat bitterly, my teeth gritted in frustration.
“…Sigh.”
My lips quivered. At this rate… I would never be able to avenge my mother. Everything I had done, all the blood, sweat, and pain—it was all for nothing.
This was the end of my path… the cruel, inevitable conclusion I could not escape.
Or so I thought, until—
“There is a way…” Master said, his voice unreadable.
“A way?” A flicker of hope ignited in my chest at his words.
“Yes… but it comes at a c—”
Before he could finish, I cut him off, shouting, “I don’t care! No matter the cost, I will do whatever it takes! I will kill those two chosen ones with my own two hands!!” My voice rang out.
No matter what it took… I wanted them to feel the same pain… that same unbearable loss. The agony of watching everything they loved be ripped away from them. I would make sure—no matter what—I would bring that nightmare to life for them.
Master flinched for a moment before a slow, knowing grin spread beneath his hood. His voice carried a strange mix of amusement and intrigue as he said, “Then… here. This is a small experiment of mine. It’s still in the testing phase, so be careful.” With an air of mystery, he handed me something.
Since I couldn’t see, I carefully ran my fingers over the object, tracing its shape. It felt like a long tube, roughly the size of a finger. My brows furrowed, “What is this, Master?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.
“As I told you before… this will grant you the power you seek,” he responded in a cryptic tone, his voice carrying an undeniable weight.
“Hmm…” I nodded, feeling an unfamiliar thrill coursing through me. A small, eager smile tugged at my lips as I held the tube tightly. I was just about to open the cork when—
“Are you sure?” he suddenly interjected, his voice sharper and slightly warm tone before, “Why don’t you take a moment to really think? The side effects of this could be severe… so severe, in fact, that you might not even live long enough to fulfil your revenge.”
“….”
His words froze me in place.
My fingers tightened around the tube as hesitation crept into my heart. Master never spoke without reason—if he was warning me so gravely, it meant the risk was beyond anything I had faced before.
Slowly, I nodded, pressing my lips together as I exhaled deeply. I needed time to think. Time to decide whether I was truly willing to risk my life for this.
With that, Master left me alone, sending me back to the palace. Back to the place that had once been my home… but now? Now, it was nothing more than a cage.
A cold, suffocating prison that only reminded me of everything I had lost.
“Yaaaah…” I yawned, stretching my sore limbs as exhaustion weighed on me. My entire body ached, every muscle feeling stiff from relentless training.
And then—ugh… My nose wrinkled in pure disgust as I caught a whiff of myself.
Sweat. Filthy, sticky sweat clung to my skin like a second layer.
Disgusting!!
I immediately turned toward the bathroom but before that, I placed the tube on the bed carefully and put the quilt over them.
Anyway… With my mother gone and no maids or servants left to assist me, I had memorized every step of my room. As long as nothing changed, I could move through it without difficulty.
The moment the warm water hit my skin, I sighed in relief. I didn’t just take one bath—I took two. Letting the heat soak into my tired body, I scrubbed away every trace of grime until I felt truly clean.
Only then did I step out, wrapping myself in soft nightclothes, my damp hair sticking to my back.
Just as I finished dressing—
Crack!
My entire body went rigid. My ears picked up the faint, sharp sound of something breaking.
“Who’s there?” I demanded, my frown deepening as I immediately reached for the metal knife strapped to my hip—always there, just in case.
“…”
Silence.
A sickeningly familiar scent curled through the air, drifting toward me. A flowery fragrance. My nose twitched, my stomach twisting as disgust rose within me. My grip on the knife tightened.
My voice dropped into a low growl as I uttered the name through clenched teeth.
“Celestia?”
“…Yes.”
A blank, emotionless voice echoed in the darkness before me.