Chapter 99 99: Two Souls Alike

Rio blinked, his hand checking his chest as he felt his heart steadily beat. For a moment there, he thought he saw a real otherworldly angel.

"Mr. Rio?" Samantha tilted her head, confused.

"Ah... Samantha," Rio answered, his head shaking. He curled his lips into a smile as he approached the angelic blonde haired professor. "What are you doing at this time outside?"

"Hm? What I'm doing...?" Samantha smiled, pausing slightly as she stared at the starry night above. Her eyes shone like a star, glittering in awe and admiration. "I'm here for star sighting. It's a hobby of mine ever since a child to star-sight in the beginning of a new month."

'A new month..? Ah... right,'

Rio faintly thought, his head turning above the starry night.

'...It's already September 1st.'

His eyes suddenly turned vacant, staring at the bright illuminating beacons. The blanket of stars shone like beacons of hope, stretching boundlessly to the infinite reaches of the universe.

—The stars... they were beautiful.

It reminded him of the scenery before he was transported in this world. If he were to think about it—nothing had really changed, yet a lot happened. Similar to the night before, the stars shone ever-brightly, illuminating the starry sky.

'So it was already a month, huh?'

Rio closed his eyes. It was hard to believe that a month had passed ever since he had been transported in this world... after all, in the brief span of a mere month, a lot had happened and changed within him.

At the start, he transmigrated into the novel his former friend was writing. To top it off, he was a magical professor;... later on, he had become a monster through a being's manipulation, emptying his principles and morals, making him like a monster lacking of any empathy to everything.

Two seemingly impossible events happened in quick succession. He didn't know what was more absurd between the two. Not that his thoughts mattered. In the end, whether he liked it or not, he was forced to accept them and resign from his fate.

However, the worst thing had yet to come.

In the finale of the first arc, he had discovered that his supposed to be ever-trusting friend betrayed him, turning all the trust and friendship between them obsolete. It taught him how truly fragile relationships were.

And lastly, at the end of everything, the question that plagued his mind for all eternity finally... received an answer.

Rio sighed in melancholy, his eyes opening as he chuckled emptily.

So much things happened, and yet one thing still remained from the start and at the very end;... he was still the same, usual empty broken husk of a man. It was like a trademark of his origin.

"Mr. Rio?"

Samantha suddenly called out.

Rio snapped out of his thoughts, shifting his attention to Samantha.

"Are... you alright?"

Samantha asked, staring at him worriedly.

"..." Rio didn't reply. His eyes staring at Samantha for a while, stretching the ever-peaceful silence of the atmosphere. Was he alright? He didn't know the answer to that question.

"...It's just that, your eyes..." Samantha said, her eyes staring back at Rio.

Rio titled his head, confused.

"Ah, maybe it's a bit hard to understand..." Samantha chuckled, her hand suddenly holding onto his. Rio didn't dodge, letting her hand freely take hold of him. "It's just that... your eyes... they look lost and sad. It seemed as if you're drowning in a sea of sorrow..."

Rio's smile suddenly disappeared.

Samantha quickly took notice of that, her mouth opened before quickly closing, unable to continue.

Rio stared at her silently, not saying anything.

Samantha averted her eyes, slightly ashamed. The silence between the two continued—both of their figures stood on the grassy terrain, the calm, frigid air caressing their bodies as they held each other's arms under the starry sky.

The night was tranquil, only the fluttering of leaves and grass could be heard. Rio eventually broke the silence as he sighed. He stared at Samantha, asking:

"How... did you know?"

Hearing that, Samantha sighed in relief. It would be embarrassing... she shook her head, removing that thought. No, not for now. She raised her head, staring at the blanket of stars above as she answered:

"...I'm sorry if I'm getting ahead of myself, but... I thought you were sad... and I saw my past self in you."

Rio furrowed his brows, confused.

"You see... do you perhaps know why I ended up teaching in the academy?" Samantha asked, faintly chuckling. Ah, she didn't really wanted to remember—but she accepted her past long ago, it was no use trying to keep it a secret.

Rio didn't reply, but internally, he nodded. Of course he knew. That was the precise reason he had remembered her distinctly.

"It isn't exactly a secret... but, I'm a failure." Samantha muttered, embarrassed. Not waiting for Rio to reply, she quickly continued. "Maybe you already knew that... or maybe not. But I was originally the heir of the famous Desmond Family... It doesn't exactly fit that I introduced myself as Constantine, right?"

Rio nodded.

"There's a reason for that...it's because; I'm a failure." Samantha repeated self-depreciatingly. She paused, shaking her head as he shifted her gaze above the starry night. "When I was born, perhaps it was a coincidence, or maybe it was fate cursing at me. The clouds drifted apart as the bright sun shone, the light of the sun directed.... at one human baby. The lady heir of the Desmond Family. That was me."

"The family took it as a sign of providence. Even I believed that." Samantha chuckled, putting her hand on her mouth. She smiled as she continued. "Everything started out lovely and nice. Everyone was happy. Everyone was expectant. I was... happy and cared for. Every day, I woke up, Alisa—the maid, always took care of me. My father, my mother and even grandparents... all of them were there... with pride on their eyes, watching me as they expected something greater on me."

Rio imagined so—inside a huge mansion, filled with people as they celebrated and took pride in their family. A heartwarming fantasy.

"It was all... beautiful." Samantha said. She paused, her eyes turning melachonlic as her head lowered. She grasped Rio's hand tightly, not letting it go. "But then... on one fateful day. The day my magical talent finally got tested... Everyone was there. My father was watching me, along with my mother. My brother was there too. They all watched me with excitement in their eyes, even I was faintly excited. I couldn't help it, you know? It was magic."

"...It was the power of miracles. Magic." Samantha sighed. "Under everyone's gaze, my magical talent got tested... I restrained my excitement. I listened to the instructions—obeying every word the instructor told me. It started with manipulating magic... using it to bring out power. It was well and good... Well, until skills were brought out. The first skill was «Agi»."

"...And it was also the last skill." Samantha bit her lip. "In the orders of the instructor, I tried imagining fire. I tried manipulating magic to bring it out. An ember came out, and after that...it turned into ashes. Feeling good about myself, I turned my head, staring at the crowd with a happy smile... only, they weren't as a happy as me."

"My father and mother, who's eyes always held pride in them, closed in disappointment. The instructor who giddily guided me throughout the process, frowned in displeasure. The maid—Alisa, who always took care of me, averted her eyes in shame. My brother... I couldn't even look at him anymore after seeing the disappointed stares of everyone." Samantha continued, her head lowered. "It was a laughable attempt. A sign of providence? More like a disappointing failure... Everything vanished as quickly as they went. After that, my life had never been the same."

"The ever-soft smile within me never returned. Only an empty vacant forced chuckle as no one in the house ever glanced at me again," Samantha concluded, her eyes turning to Rio. "I became lost and clueless. Unaware of my direction and life. It was years before it took me to realize and accept myself. In the end, when I was legally able to live independently, my family kicked me out at the house and forced me to change my surname to Constantine... Now, I'm here... having things I like, living happily and independently while working on something I love."

Rio stared at Samantha speechlessly. His mouth opened, trying to force out words—but he couldn't. How could he, after all? Samantha's story resonated within him. Even if it was too much of a stretch, there was that part of a burdened, empty childhood.

"Did you perhaps expect something more?" Samantha asked awkwardly, her hand fidgeting in nervousness. "Unlike the usual expectations and story, reality is just very much different."

She waited for a reply, but no voice answered her. Rio remained static, staring at her speechlessly. She caught on to the silence, averting her eyes in embarrassment, a slight blush gracing her cheeks as she muttered:

"..Mr. Rio, say something will you?"