SSS Ranked Awakening: I Can Rewind Time!
Chapter 50: Grim Sense Of Nostalgia.

Chapter 50: Grim Sense Of Nostalgia.

Arriving before the others, I found a rock outcrop beside the crimson haired lady, just a little bit farther away from her, and sat on it.

I knew Mia was giving us nothing more than a few minutes to regain a tactile hold on our mental state.

Everyone had been through hell and beyond within the last few hours. The last thing we all needed now was to rush onward with such a... fractured mind.

...Even if that meant being open to eldritch horrors and nightmarish aberrations.

"Aah..." I exhaled deeply.

The best thing I could do now was hope that the cohort, as a whole, had no such bad luck. Exhaling sharply, I took in the view of my surroundings.

My eyes were drawn to the crimson sky above, subtle cracks congealing across its surface, as if some ancient wound was slowly healing. The sight stirred something within me.

’How nostalgic,’ I thought, a light smile creeping up on my features.

I laid on the cold floor, lost in thought, with my eyes fixed on the distant horizon, and perhaps, something watching from beyond it.

***

Tak, Tak–!

Mia walked towards Aezel. She stopped before him and said:

"How’s she?"

Raising his head up, Aezel forced a smile.

"Nothing serious, she should be awake in a day or two at most."

"Hmm, alright," Mia replied with a light frown.

Although skeptical, she didn’t press on. She nodded and returned to her spot, her eyes scanning the surroundings with honed precision.

But since we were now hiding behind a towering dark rock, I wondered if such caution was really necessary.

’But well... that was Mia for you,’ I thought with a smile.

For a moment, I allowed myself to indulge in the beautiful memories I had with the cohort—from the struggles, to the strength, to the bond slowly forming between us.

A smile crept up my face, but along with it came a broody expression. ’After all, no one knew if I would live long enough to further strengthen said bond.’

***

Aezel’s hand were tightly clenched together. In that moment, he felt a wave of anguish pierce through every fiber of his being.

’It’s all my fault.’

If I hadn’t been weak, if I had trained harder, she wouldn’t have had to do it. She wouldn’t have had to.

"...It’s all my fault."

Slowly, he began to lose it. Slowly, he fell into despair.

Tears welled in his eyes as he clenched his hands even tighter, pain and agony tearing through every fiber of his being.

Yet,

’I’m sorry Livia. I’m sorry.’

He persisted.

Tears blurred his vision as his fists dug deeper into his palms. And the worst thing? He didn’t seem to notice it.

Guilt.

Anger.

Anguish.

A wave of primal emotions slowly ignited within him. And they were only growing stronger with each breath of his.

They slowly crawled towards him, an overwhelming torrent that threatened to consume him.

Right about then,

Slap–!

The sound of a sharp slap echoed through the quiet.

Startled, I was brought out of my thoughts.

"..."

Aezel looked up, eyes wide-open, only to see Mia staring down at him with cold indifference.

As though in disdain, she said:

"Crying like a pitiful kid won’t change anything. It never has and it never will. Only when you learn from your mistakes and stop making them can you hope to protect her. Until then... you aren’t worthy!"

Every word struck him like a blade, each one piercing deeper than the last.

His lower lips trembled, and he dropped his gaze, unable to meet her eyes.

Drip– Drip–!

Tears streamed down the corner of his eyes, as his hands tightened even further.

Mia simply spared him a cold glance before turning back. She then walked back to the spot she sat down on moments prior.

’They only had moments- minutes, perhaps an hour at most- before they would have to move again.’

Not only because the dark mist would soon make its harrowing appearance. But more so because of the carnage that surrounded them.

She had burned them all, and left no trace behind. But they were still some horrifying monsters that could be drawn to this place. Though the chances of that happening was very low.

But even then, it wouldn’t hurt to be every little bit careful, would it?

Exhaling sharply, the crimson haired lady laid on the dark rock, her eyes moving towards Aezel.

Tick, Tick–-!

Time slowly clocked by, yet her eyes never once left him.

At some point, although she couldn’t see it, she could feel it. Sense it, even.

The anger.

The desperation.

They were slowly swelling within him, slowly trying to overwhelm him. But this time around, he was able to control them.

This time around, he was able to make use of them.

...They would be his driving force to keep moving forward.

He would grow stronger. He would protect Livia. And-

A smile slowly crept up Mia’s face.

That was exactly what Aezel needed—a spark to reignite his determination.

***

I couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

I, of course, knew why Mia had done what she did. And as a result, I couldn’t help but praise her:

’As expected of my girl... cough cough... I mean my friend.’

I smiled, a light shade adorning my face as I laughed to no one but myself.

"..."

"...."

The other members were already used to that anyway. So Mia simply spared me a glance before shifting her gaze away.

Right about then, a frown slowly crept up on my features.

And the reason?

I realized that every time I glanced at the bleeding sky, I always felt a sense of nostalgia. A feeling which I couldn’t really quite place my hands on what it entails.

But considering the fact that I had a memory or two pertaining to the nightmarish shattered dimension, I felt it was very well plausible. And though I didn’t like the feeling any one bit, I had a feeling that I would soon find out the reason behind that sense of nostalgia, and at the same time, the reason behind the inevitable sense of doom.

"Hah..." Exhaling sharply, I clenched my hands together.

...Whatever grueling journey lay ahead of us, I knew I had to face them with everything I had. One step at a time.

I couldn’t afford to give up.

Because-

Flick–!

Giving up was not an option.

My hands got tightly clenched,

It never was.

As determination slowly ignited within me.

’...And it never will.’