As Veer looked at the figure, she turned her eyes to the Veiled Knight. Sythris narrowed her eyes and asked, "Who are you? From you powers you seem to be rivaling a Black Knight, but I have no recollection of you."
The Veiled Knight stopped her attacks and simply gazed at Sythris. She then looked around, and Sythris nodded. "You are indeed very sharp, as expected."
"Come out, everyone."
A number of Silver Knights appeared from around the garden, surrounding everyone. Sythris raised her eyes slightly and said, "It's already wartime, and someone is still after this guy. Everyone, capture her."
Veer felt her voice was a bit strange, as though she were reprimanding him.
The knights began to encircle the Veiled Knight, who gave Veer one last look before rapidly drifting away. Her figure faded away like clouds dissipating.
Everyone was surprised including Veer.
Sythris then called to her knights, who were following the disappearing knight. "No need to follow her. She is very fast."
Sythris turned her gaze toward Kerin in the distance, noticing an odd look on his face. She called a knight named Aerin and said, "Aerin, tend to this guy and have Rolagh and the others take him to his quarters. Before that take him to the ArogyaShala."
Veer just now found Kerin was very seriously injured. Now he was a bit worried about that guy.
Aerin bowed and went after Kerin. He was a Silver Knight. He wore knight's armor similar to Veer's.
Veer suddenly saw, Sythris approached Veer as Veer felt very nervous. With every step, he felt his Nadis tighten.
Kerin was looking his way as he was getting treated.
Sythris gazed at him as Veer sweated. What should he say?
Contrary to his thoughts, Sythris approached Veer, pulled him aside, and asked softly, "Why are you constantly involved in fights or mysterious assassinations?"
Veer was relieved inwardly as he just shook his head, and she stared at him.
He sighed. "I don't know."
Sythris paused for a moment, noticing the extent of his injuries. She murmured, "You're badly hurt. I didn't even notice it."
She asked someone to hand over a first-aid kit, tore a bandage, and told Veer, "Sit down. Let me take care of this."
Veer felt the urge to refuse, but looking at her valiant figure, he shivered slightly, sensing that refusal would invite no good, and he sat on a nearby bench.
He looked at her. She was comparable to Eleana in beauty and valiantness.
Veer noticed she had two swords at her waist. Her leather armor was very light. Her dress was a combination of grey and blue armor. Her cape was blue with various insignia.
Her black hair draped down her shoulders. Her legs were covered by black-blue, faintly armored leg suits. The armor covered all her body, and it seemed very layered. Her cape slightly covered her hands and neck too. Her hands and waist also seemed draped in black leather.
As she turned back, Veer saw that it was again a woman holding a bow in black threads covering the blue cape.
She came back, and as she walked, he noticed that she was just holding a bottle of medicine seriously.
Veer was reining in his thoughts. She really was a powerhouse. He felt a bit of fear and apprehension.
He shook his head as suddenly gritted his teeth. His injury was not serious but still there were quite a number of wounds. He grunted in. He was bleeding from several places.Why did the pain started now only ?
Was it because he was drunk?
He was sitting on a bench that was half destroyed.
Sythris walked toward Veer and bent down. Veer was shocked and couldn't react. His heart jumped, and he almost fainted.
Sythris unfolded several bandages as she carefully wrapped the bandage around his chest from behind. Veer felt awkward and embarrassed as her hair grazed his body, and her soft breath seemed to tickle him.
Once she finished, she nodded and said, "It's done. Your resting chambers are nearby. Go and take some rest."
Sythris looked at him after saying that. Veer didn't know what to say.
Veer expressed his thanks. "Ah, thank you."
Sythris only replied without any emotion, "Don't mention it. Just be careful."
Veer nodded. He wanted to get away from this strong lady.
He waved to Kerin as he was taken away. Strangely, Kerin seemed happy for no reason.
Veer gave him an odd look as he walked toward his quarters. By now, he knew their exact location.
It was not far from the castle gates at the foothills.
He didn't notice Sythris following him as he passed the residence gate and approached his door. The third room was his but strangely the other two rooms were empty.
Veer had carried a key in his pocket for a long time. He knew it was for his residence, but this was the first time using it after he lost his memories.
He took it out as he examined it. It was just an ordinary key. But the design was pretty.
He said, looking at it, "What an odd design. It looks like a star in a key..."
He put it into the lock and turned it.
The gentle rustle of leaves entered his ears.
He opened the door. As he stepped inside and shut it, some distance away, a figure was standing.
Sythris pursed her lips as she sighed outside the residence.
"Does he even understand anything? What do I do? "
"Or is he pretending?"
She furrowed her brows as she contemplated.
"Now the situation is getting even more complicated. Why is the king going to war at such a bad time?"
She shook her head, her cape fluttering, before returning to her team as a gentle sigh escaped her.
"Maybe it's better to put that old fight behind..."
Meanwhile, Veer was experiencing something unknown.
Veer was in a different state. His heart began to race as he looked at his room.
It was slightly messy. Something had been crudely written on the walls. A table had a book opened on it. The bed was unkempt, though the cupboard remained intact. Papers were scattered randomly across the floor.
He felt something sinister crawling over him.
He was actually feeling fear from his own room.
Veer stepped forward, only to struggle as though he were dying. His body suddenly gave out.
He kneeled as he could not move. His hands and legs seemed tied. His body felt as if it were expanding and contracting.
He clutched himself but could not breathe.
Was it exhaustion?
Before he could process it, he fell down and became unconscious.
Star energy began to gather automatically in Veer's body from around the room. His room glistened like magical light spots.
The strange uncanniness and shadows seemed to slowly vanish.
Meanwhile, Veer seemed to enter a strange place, walking through what appeared to be graves of countless people.
The environment was dark, and he could not properly see where he was.
He walked and walked until he could not. He was somewhat sad. Where was he ?
As he walked he questioned who was he?
He was drifting around as he suddenly shifted and appeared somewhere else.
As he looked upward, the stars in the sky moved rapidly as seven stars shone brightly. The positions of the stars changed. Something descended drowning everything in white.
Veer opened his eyes, sweating. He checked himself. Where was he ? As he took deep breaths he calmed down. He looked around. It was his room.
Veer suddenly felt a surge of energy.
His fear was gone.
His injuries were not bleeding anymore.
He looked at the study table. There was a lamp nearby it.
Does it even work ? Hi picked it up as it suddenly lighted. He didn't even know how it worked. He randomly pulled a notch that made it lit up. He put it on the table.
Slowly, he walked to the table and looked at the book, his pupils dilating again, and he seemed to be out of breath again.
It was a diary.
The words inside read,
"It's over. They have found me. They have found me. They have found me..."
He rapidly skimmed the pages.
There were a few other words, but they were incomplete:
"They will kill everyone..."
What was that? Who will kill who ?
His mind was filled with questions.
Returning to the first page, he saw a star drawn there.
Is this written by himself before he had amnesia?
Veer thought, Was this a clue ?
He touched the star, and star energy automatically circulated inside him.
He was dumbfounded as something was materializing from his energy: an arrow.
How?
But this...
He was shocked, as this seemed on par with Eleana's abstraction.
Does this mean he was as powerful as them before amnesia ?
But from their interaction, it was unlikely. He had interacted with almost everyone that knows him. But judging from that he was at best a golden knight level. HE was actually a silver knight till today that had some unique techniques.
Or did he hide his true strength?
Veer couldn't figure it out.
Manifestation was an abstract concept, and only Black Knights in the kingdom were able to do that.
The arrow slowly moved toward the cupboard in the distance.
Veer followed the arrow and opened the cupboard, and the arrow stopped in front of an unnoticed section where a simple box lay. Veer became restless.
The box bore marks of forced attempts to open it.
As he touched it, star energy again concentrated around the box as it opened with a sound.
There was nothing inside, but a huge amount of starlight shone and moved to a certain part of the opposite wall, forming a square shape.
Veer pressed his hand against it, and the part of the wall shifted, revealing another box.
The box opened automatically. He was stunned to find what was inside.
Inside, he found a picture of himself with Eleana, Sythris and Eryssa.
What ? Why were three girls with him? And Why was that picture hidden so deep ?
He focussed on the picture.
They seemed close, likely from the same academy.
He knitted his brows. The Veer in picture had a smile. Eleana stood left towards him. She didn't wear knight armor. But a white and soft blue dress. Her long hair flowed in the air. Eryssa and Sythris stood near each other and next to Eleana. Sythris was in white flower dress looking stunning. Eryssa with her usual layered purple clothes was smiling radiantly.
But he could not remember anything.
A folded paper lay beneath it. He picked it up.
Veer unfolded it—it was titled "Secrecy," along with a letter.
He opened the letter and read it as his pupils dilated.
It read,
"This letter is from myself to me. If you are reading this, it means they've gotten me good. Don't worry. Just keep practicing the Starweaver arts. It will at least allow me—rather, yourself—to survive anything under an Aetherial. I can't say more. If they discover the other secrets, everything will be lost."
Veer felt suffocated just reading the word Aetherial.
Had he encountered one?
How powerful were they?
Could that being be stronger than the Grey Knight beside the king?
He didn't know and didn't want to find out.
He tidied the bed slightly and sat down.
He needed to open the scroll, but for now, he was drowning in an indescribable emptiness.
So many events had happened.
He focused on the recent events: his lost memories, the peculiar old man who likely saved him with Star Arts on his katana, the mysterious puppet resembling him, Noelle's manipulations, the prince's involvement, Rheon's death, Valyn's truth, the adventure to Mythria, the lady in the picture, and the meeting with the Ancestor.
He thought deeply.
The Ancestor could be an Aetherial. Her strange powers, Eleana and Eryssa being the Chosen Ones, Lythria's innocence, the collapse of reality, the mysterious white letter, the return encounter with the illusion demon, the Knights of Braevan, and the declaration of war—all of it weighed heavily on his mind.
Veer shook his head and sighed.
He had most likely gotten involved in a very big game.
Finally, he took the scroll and opened it.
It was titled "Starweaver's Beginning" at the top of the parchment.
It contained only a single line, likely so others could not cultivate it.
It looked very ancient and mystical.
It read,
"Circle the Knight's breath, and awaken the Star. When the fruit of the Star ripens, bind it thrice into forming the Core and let it wander the hidden paths. Turn not its current, lest all unravel."