The endless void shimmered faintly, a world of nothingness.
Lucillia raised a slender finger, pointing directly at Leo.
"You. You are the only way."
"Huh—m-me!?" Leo stammered, her face stiff with nervousness.
Lucillia's sharp gaze pierced into her golden eyes, unyielding.
"Yes. Of course. Only you can destroy your curse."
She spoke as though it was the most natural truth in the world, then calmly sipped her tea with flawless grace.
"But… how?" Leo's voice cracked. "In this body, it's impossible for me, right?"
"Well, you have a point." Lucillia's lips curled into a smirk.
"But as I said before… you are truly unique."
"U… unique?" Leo's brows furrowed. She clenched her fists and leaned forward, her tone growing serious.
"What do you mean? Why am I unique in your eyes?"
"Why not!?"
Lucillia suddenly burst into laughter, throwing her hands into the air. Her voice rang with a strange joy, her eyes glimmering with unrestrained madness.
"H-huh!?" Leo froze, her heart pounding at the sight.
"I have never seen anything this fascinating in all of reality. You… you are Greed. The Greed one—Leo Julius Eros."
Her lips twisted into an evil smirk, her voice dripping with eerie delight.
"G-Greed one? What does she even mean…?" Leo thought, her hands trembling, her breath uneven.
"If you don't understand, then let me explain." Lucillia's tone turned cold, matter-of-fact. "There are seven more timelines where you exist. Each one… with a different path, a different lifestyle, a different power. Yes. And each one is still you—Leo Julius Eros. Hehe."
She raised her teacup delicately, taking another sip as though she had just stated the weather.
"W-what!?" Leo shot up to her feet, her eyes wide. "Seven? Me?! What the hell are you talking about!?"
Sweat beaded on her forehead, her mind spinning.
Lucillia, however, only smiled wider. She stood slowly, her staff humming faintly in her grip.
"Yes. There are seven more versions of you. The Pride. The Wrath. The Envy. The Sloth. The Gluttony. The Lust…"
Her staff lowered, her finger pointing directly at Leo.
"And you—The Greed."
A chilling laugh slipped from her lips, her face twisting with a wicked delight.
Leo's breath caught in her throat.
"Huhh…? W-what the…?" Her eyes widened, her body trembling.
"All… all seven deadly sins… are versions of me!?"
Her words trembled with disbelief.
"Correct," Lucillia said smoothly. "But… one of them is different."
"Different…?" Leo whispered.
Lucillia twirled her staff and, with eerie grace, sat back down in her chair.
"That's right. You can't destroy your curse by yourself. So why not… meet the version of you who can?"
Leo's heart pounded. Slowly, she forced her trembling hands to still. Her breathing steadied.
"I… I have to calm down. If she's telling the truth… that means I can meet myself."
She sat down once more, eyes burning with a newfound determination.
"Fine then. Tell me. How can I meet my other versions?"
Lucillia rested her finger against her lips, her expression playful, her sharp gaze never leaving Leo.
"I know the way."
Leo leaned forward. "What is it?"
Her smile widened, curling into something both elegant and cruel.
"The way you can meet them… is through the Fragment World."
Her voice dripped with amusement as her words echoed across the void.
"Fragment World? Is this… a portal or something?"
Leo asked, her golden eyes fixed on Lucillia, curiosity shining through her exhaustion.
"Yes, you could say that," Lucillia replied with a small smirk. "By entering that world, you can see all your fragmented timelines. Each gate… leads to a different version of you, Leo Julius Eros."
Leo tilted her head, pondering. "I see… so where is this Fragment World?"
Lucillia chuckled softly, the sound echoing through the void. "Hahaha, don't worry. I can summon the gate for you. You'll enter it… just like that."
"Oh! That's great!" Leo's face brightened, a smile of hope breaking through her weariness. "It's… it's really that easy?"
Lucillia sipped her tea, eyes glinting as she studied Leo.
"Hmm… you're sure you can handle this?"
"I hope I can," Leo said firmly, her hands tightening into fists. "If my other timelines can be destroyed… then this will be easy."
Lucillia tilted her head, her smirk returning. "But if… no one can?"
"They can!" Leo shot back with conviction. "After all… they're me."
Lucillia's expression softened into a playful, yet serious gaze. "Well then…"
She rose from her chair, her staff in hand. The void seemed to shiver as she moved. "Let me summon it."
With a precise motion, Lucillia tapped her staff. Instantly, the white-glowing void began to fracture, shards of light splintering like fragile glass.
"Huh?! What are you doing?! Isn't this supposed to be the gate?!" Leo's voice cracked with fear as she stepped back.
"Relax, Leo Julius Eros. Just watch," Lucillia said calmly, her gaze unyielding.
The void shattered completely, a cascade of sparkling fragments dissolving into nothingness. In a blink, both of them stood again at the place where Leo had first met Lucillia.
"Huh…? We're back… in the normal world?" Leo muttered, scanning her surroundings with narrowed eyes. "What… exactly is she doing?"
"Hehe… look closely, Leo," Lucillia's voice teased.
Leo's gaze shifted. There, standing like a sentinel, was a massive white gate adorned with black stripes and golden rings, glowing faintly as if alive.
"S-so… this is the gate?" she asked nervously, stepping forward with hesitant steps.
"Yes. That is the Fragment World's gate. You… should enter alone." Lucillia's tone was calm, her eyes sharp.
"Eh? You're not coming with me?" Leo asked, doubt flickering across her face.
"Of course not. This is your path, your journey. I merely opened the way," Lucillia said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
Leo exhaled, her hand reaching toward the gate. "Then… this is it. The Fragment World…"
She grasped the shimmering edge. The moment her fingers made contact, heat surged through her body. A tremor ran up her spine, her muscles tensing involuntarily.
"Ugh…!" Leo coughed, panic bubbling in her throat. "F-Flavia… what's happening?!"
"Don't worry," Lucillia said with serene composure. "It's normal. This gate is immensely powerful. And you… currently lack strength. Naturally, it affects you."
A thick, white mist poured from the gate, swirling around Leo as the glow enveloped her.
"Thank you… Flavia," Leo whispered softly, her hand still gripping the gate, a faint smile forming on her lips.
"Wha—?" Lucillia blinked, caught off guard.
"I said thank you," Leo repeated, her voice gentler now. "For helping me this far… I appreciate it."
"Uh… but hey!" Lucillia called just as Leo stepped forward.
Leo froze mid-step. "What?"
"Don't forget. I am a Witch. You'll have to pay me back… once you return to your original form." Lucillia's smirk turned sharp, her lips curling with a hint of mischief.
Leo wiped sweat from her brow, forcing a smile. "Hmph… hey, don't scare me like that, Flavia."
She took a deep breath, eyes narrowing, voice firm and unyielding.
"Fine. Then we'll meet again. And when we do… you will see me as Leo Julius Eros!"
Lucillia's smirk deepened.
Leo turned, her gaze locked on the radiant gate before her.
"Let's see what awaits…" she whispered, determination burning in her golden eyes.
With a resolute step, Leo crossed the threshold. The moment her foot touched the portal, the gate vanished like smoke, leaving only the faint echo of her footsteps behind.
In the Fragment World, everything was swallowed by darkness. Thin, white, glowing lines traced patterns across the ground, like veins of light struggling against an endless void. A thick, black mist clung to the air, curling around invisible shapes, hiding everything in its eerie embrace.
So… this is the Fragment World? Leo thought, her voice barely a whisper to herself. It's… so dark…
She began to walk cautiously, her boots crunching against the faintly glowing lines. Shadows danced just beyond her vision, and the mist swirled like living smoke.
"There's so much mist… I can hardly see anything," she muttered, her golden eyes scanning the oppressive darkness.
Suddenly, a cluster of seven distant lights pierced the gloom—seven soft, radiant glows, hovering like tiny suns in the mist.
"Huh? Seven glows?" Leo murmured, her heartbeat quickening. Without a second thought, she broke into a run. "Uhh… ah… it must be seven doors!" Her mind raced as her legs carried her forward.
As she drew closer, she realized each glow wasn't just a light—it was a massive mirror, framed in a gate-like structure.
"Mirrors?" she whispered, slowing her pace. They floated in the mist, spaced far apart, each one reflecting something… different.
Leo stepped in front of the nearest mirror and peered into it. Her reflection stared back—but it wasn't her current self. It was her old form… yet somehow different.
In the glass, she saw a male version of herself, sharp golden eyes blazing beneath a wavy, deep brown mullet. He wore a black coat streaked with gold, and a faint scar marred his left cheek. He was strong. Commanding. Alive in a way Leo hadn't felt in years.
"Huh!? That's… my real form! But… it looks… different…" she breathed. The reflection mimicked her every movement perfectly.
"That means… in that timeline… I'm like this. Strong," she thought, awe and hope stirring in her chest.
She glanced at the other glows, six more mirrors, each distant and mysterious. But her gaze lingered on this one. Something about it… this mirror… can break my curse. A small, excited smile tugged at her lips. The reflection's expression mirrored her own.
"But wait… how do I enter it? They're mirrors, not gates…" Leo murmured, finger pressing to her lip as she thought.
"Hmm… maybe…" she whispered. Slowly, she raised her right hand and touched the mirror. The reflection followed, its golden eyes locked on hers. Then, her finger passed through the surface.
"Huh?! Just as I thought!" Leo exclaimed, a thrill rushing through her. Her smile widened as she pushed further. The mirror rippled, inviting her in.
"YES! Then it's time to enter," she said, fists clenched with determination. With a deep breath, she stepped forward and pressed her whole body into the mirror. A blinding white slash engulfed her.
When the light faded, Leo opened her eyes.
I… I think I've arrived in that timeline…
She blinked, taking in her surroundings. Rolling green fields stretched to the horizon beneath a bright, sunny sky. Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily above, and birds darted through the warm air. Everything was alive, vibrant, peaceful.
It looks… exactly like my world, Leo thought, awe flooding her senses.
She began walking across the grass, her boots brushing against the soft earth.
"Currently… I'm outside my Kingdom," she said softly. Her eyes sparkled with hope. If this truly is another timeline… then my version… in the Shorein Kingdom… he must be here.
Her pace quickened, heart racing. A flicker of determination danced in her golden eyes. I will find him.