My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 1036: Dreams of the Past: Three years later

He swung down the death scythe, releasing an arc of pure concentrated death energy, which shot at the creature and struck its back.

*Graaaa*

The creature screeched, its body writhing in agony.

It roared and roared before its voice waned, and it plopped to the ground, leaving behind a large glowing orb, floating in the air. It is the spirit core, which could only be absorbed by the finisher.

Eon, panting heavily, spoke. "Finally, we did it. Bro, go ahead and absorb. Enter the rank-7. We will guard you in the meantime."

As Artaigne also nodded, Rael walked to it and stretched his arm to touch the orb, dismissing the scythe

Yet, instead of absorbing the core and ascending to rank-7, he then did something strange.

"This one," Rael whispered, his voice a soft murmur through the shadows, "will serve me instead. If I want to mutate my Arcana spirit further than celestial grade, I need the right monster."

All of its energy flew into Rael’s body, but instead of refining into his soul energy, Rael appeared in his mindscape with the spirit core.

He jumped down to the barren landscape, his mindscape that is filled with dozens of undead monsters, all of which he killed. There were a few human skeletons in the mix, too.

As he landed, they all knelt before him.

Rael looked around and found the one, and he pushed the spirit core into the undead.

A few minutes later, Rael opened his eyes and rose to his feet, surprising the girls.

"Rael, you didn’t enter the rank-7," Artaigne said.

Eon blinked. "Did you feed it to the undead and turn it into a special monster?" She asked aloud.

To which, Rael shrugged. "I think this is the right choice."

Eon and Artaigne exchanged glances but said nothing. They had grown used to Rael’s unpredictable decisions.

"Sigh..." Eon couldn’t help but sigh, feeling pity that her brother is wasting the opportunity on an undead monster which he could only summon through soul skill, and that too, probably for a few minutes.

As they were on their return, they conversed about the next event.

"Okay, once you are done with the awakening ceremony, I will wait for you at the palace," Artaigne said in the end, parting her ways after reaching the academy.

Once both of them had their second awakening ceremony, Rael would be formally engaged to Artaigne at Camelot.

And then, the only thing left is for them to reach the age of 16, and they will formally get married and become husband and wife.

Rael, despite his stoic nature, could not suppress the slight tension in his chest as the thought of being formally engaged to Artaigne came to his head. Without knowing, three years have already over since they knew each other.

*

Three Years Later

Time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Rael, Eon, and Artaigne stood at the cusp of their second awakening—the moment that would define their Arcana futures, and for Rael, perhaps shape his destiny as well.

They were no longer children. Rael, at 12 years old, stood taller, his once-pale skin now hardened with scars of battles fought, his Reaper’s Gate Arcana still carrying the weight of its cursed vision.

Beside him was Eon, who had mastered her Time Manipulation even further. Her confidence radiated in every step, her eyes a sharp blend of wisdom beyond her years.

Artaigne, now 13, had grown into a more formidable force, her elemental magic of Light and Fire honed to a deadly precision, yet still tempered with the grace of her noble bloodline.

All three had grown together—more than just warriors. They had become siblings in their own way, bound by battle and fate.

They were deep in the level-3 region, facing off against the monstrous regional lord—a creature that had once terrorized entire towns. The battle was fierce, every strike and move a testament to their growth. But when it came down to it, the last blow was Rael’s.

His Reaper’s Gate summoned the dark tendrils of death, curling around the beast’s throat, constricting it. The creature screeched, its body writhing in agony.

Yet, instead of the usual end to such a battle, Rael did something unexpected. Instead of absorbing the core and ascending to rank-7...

"This one," Rael whispered, his voice a soft murmur through the shadows, "will serve me."

Eon and Artaigne exchanged glances but said nothing.

*

The journey back to the Duchy was swift.

They had made the decision to return for the second awakening ceremony. The news had come in the form of a messenger—a swift rider from the Duchy, bearing a letter sealed with the royal crest.

"Master Azrael, you are summoned home. The second awakening awaits, and a momentous event will follow." The messenger’s face was unreadable, but the letter’s contents were clear.

Rael looked over at Eon and Artaigne. They had all grown accustomed to their power, but a part of him still wondered if he was truly ready for what awaited him.

As they arrived at the residence, the grandeur of their childhood home loomed in the distance. The tall towers, the soft glow of the gardens—all a reminder of the life they had left behind when they first ventured into the Arcana world.

But something else hung in the air.

The formal engagement—the second part of the letter.

Rael, despite his stoic nature, could not suppress the slight tension in his chest. The thought of being engaged to Artaigne felt like an anchor in the sea of uncertainty. He had never truly expected this path.

It was something he knew for years, but still, back then, they were just kids. Now they were old enough to know what marriage is.

They had trained, fought, and supported each other as friends so far. But will it change anything if they step into the next stage of the relationship? He didn’t know? But Artaigne is a nice girl and he didn’t mind having her by his side for the life of his life. It is just that she isn’t a replacement for Eon either.

Rael knew that being a wife and husband means they are each other’s number one support. But he also knew that Artaigne could never become his number 1 priority. That place always belonged to Eon.

When those came to his head, he couldn’t help but lightly press Eon’s hand that he was grabbing all the way so far.

And before any of these thoughts could settle, the gates opened.

*

It was not the warm sort of welcome that families gave, but the cold, ceremonial kind that nobles perfected, where every movement had meaning, and every breath was part of tradition.

The knights stood in ceremonial armor, polished so clean that sunlight danced across their helmets, and their swords were held in perfect unison, angled downward like the entrance itself was sacred ground.

Behind them, servants stood in orderly rows, hands folded, heads lowered, their uniforms crisp and immaculate, while several maids carried silver trays with goblets of wine and folded cloaks embroidered with the Garcia crest.

Rael stepped down first, and the moment his boots touched the stone, the knights struck their heels against the ground, the sound echoing like a drumbeat across the courtyard. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

A voice rang out, formal and loud, as if announcing the arrival of royalty rather than two young men returning from travel. "The Heirs of House Garcia have returned!"

Servants bowed deeply at once, their heads dipping like a wave, and the knights raised their swords in a synchronized salute. Rael took a slow breath and straightened his shoulders, and Artaigne and Eon followed at his side

Then Rael saw him.

Standing at the top of the steps was their Father, Duke Aurelius Garcia. He did not rush forward, he did not smile widely, and he did not open his arms like an ordinary father. There was never such a relation between this father and his children.

Rael and Eon stopped before the steps, and Aurelius descended slowly, stopping one step above them so he could look down in the proper noble tradition.

His eyes moved over Rael’s face first, then Eon’s, and when he finally spoke, his voice was steady and low, carrying the same authority that ruled the duchy.

"Azrael," Aurelius said, as if the name itself was a statement.

Rael answered calmly, staring directly into the eyes of his father. "Father."

Aurelius’ gaze shifted to Eon. "Eon."

Eon bowed gracefully. "Father."

His gaze then shfited his gaze to Artaigne, "Princess."

She too bowed gracefully with a smile on her face, her hand lightly grabbing her long skirt, "Lord Garcia."

A moment of silence followed, and Aurelius lifted his hands then, not to embrace, but to place one hand firmly on Rael’s shoulder and the other on Eon’s.

"Welcome home," Aurelius said, and then he leaned forward and kissed each of them on the forehead, not as affection but as a part of tradition.