Dimensional Descent

Back when the Metamorphosis first descended, Leonel remembered thinking that this was really the end and that this would really be how he died. He had already concluded that the Paradise Islands had fallen and his father was dead, and now he was certain that he would follow not long afterward.

In those moments, he felt lost and alone. He remembered the only thing he had wanted in those final seconds he thought he had was for Aina to look at him, to just spare him one glance as that portal-like wormhole approached them.

He remembered feeling as though his heart was being stabbed through because even then, even when there was nothing else to live for, the girl he had chased for four years didn't even want to look at him. Even now, he could remember how each individual strand of her hair had fallen to the back of her head before he was sucked away and completely lost consciousness.

However, what he hadn't known was that Aina didn't look him in the eye because she couldn't. In those moments, she thought that Leonel was dead, that she would never see him again.

It hurt for Aina to admit any of this, but she gritted her teeth and did so anyway. She felt that she had to…

"… When I saw you came out alive, I was the happiest I had been in a long time. But, I felt that I didn't deserve you, I had done such a horrible thing all because I couldn't open my mouth to speak, so I did something I thought would make you hate me… And I killed Conrad in the most gruesome way possible."

Even now, Aina could remember Leonel's smile fading from its usual bright ray of sunshine. That was the moment the thing she did 'for' Leonel became twisted and dark, so much so that she had a hard time even looking at herself.

"… I realized soon after that what I did was wrong. You had been going through a tough time back then, adjusting to a new world. And, instead of supporting you like I should have, I gave you another dose of trauma…"

Aina didn't realize how bad it was until Leonel went out to fight those A-grade Invalids all on his own. He was suicidal and it was her who had pushed him to that point.

But, this wasn't something Aina learned until

she had almost caused Leonel's

you before things got any worse. But I still

those bandits came to take advantage of how tired you were and I saw how angry you got when they disrespected me, even to the point of not caring about the deaths and killing them directly, one part of me felt happier than she ever had,

chest to wake you up from your anger. I was just so mad that you kept putting others before yourself... that you kept putting me, a

were the hardest to say. Even compared to the others, she found that she was almost dying on the

a deep

Zone we entered. Back then, I didn't know what to do and I felt like I was making mistake after mistake. Not even the small

was like a Heaven sent opportunity. Despite the

entry limit. It might make a mistake in deciding exactly what the quests and main mission

back then that Aina lied to him, but he didn't mind. The time they spent in the Zone had brought them closer together and he had already put his rose tinted glasses back on.

had never thought that the

very first chance we seemed to have. I never seemed to have trouble talking with you

was right, we grew a lot closer, but

long time. Even when we fought against the Royal Blue Fort together and you teleported me away, the fear of being

lot of things, I couldn't even bring myself to explain how I almost died at

always mine. I didn't trust you because I couldn't even trust myself. I made so many

they began to drench Leonel's chest like a