Saruto and Void sat inside the Time Chamber, faint auras of energy rising around them. Their faces were resolute, filled with both determination and anxiety. Saruto raised his head toward Void and said defiantly, "One of us doesn't want to merge? That's impossible… We're one body and one soul, aren't we, Void?"
Void replied in his deep, resonant voice, "Of course, I couldn't possibly refuse to merge with you. We fought side by side, we shared strength and pain… It's impossible for either of us to refuse to merge."
As silence fell between them for a few moments, they each reached out to the other, and their energy began to blaze intensely, forming a vortex of violet light. The ground shook beneath their feet, and the air filled with sparks of conflicting energy, but the scene quickly descended into chaos… A violent energy explosion hurled them backward, and they both fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Minor wounds appeared on their bodies, which quickly healed thanks to the Time Chamber.
They got up again and tried again and again. Each time, the result was the same: a painful failure and screams that pierced the walls of the room, followed by a silence tinged with disappointment.
Saruto sat on the floor, his hand on his chest, panting heavily. "It's no use," he said wearily. "No matter how hard we try, we can't merge."
Foyed moved closer. "Perhaps we should postpone it," he said. "Our energies are incompatible right now, or maybe one of us… doesn't really want to merge."
At that moment, Saruto remembered Ethan's words, which still echoed in his mind: "One of you doesn't want to merge."
He closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head vigorously as if to banish a thought from his mind. "No… this isn't true, it can't be."
He stood up and said to Void in a quiet voice, "We'll continue later. Get some rest. I'll ask the servants to bring you food."
Void gave a faint smile and replied, "Do so… and you, Saruto, try to rest too."
He waved goodbye, then left the room with heavy steps. On his way, he instructed one of the servants, "Take the food to the Time Room and give it to Void."
The servants bowed respectfully and left to carry out the order, while Saruto went up to his room in complete silence. He sat on his bed, held his head in his hands, and murmured faintly, "One of us doesn't want to merge… No, it's impossible."
He kept repeating those words in his mind over and over until sleep overcame him, and he drifted off to sleep with a look of both worry and exhaustion.
The next morning, light shone into his room, waking him from his slumber. He sighed deeply, then got up and dressed. As he was about to leave, he heard Ethan's voice behind him. "Saruto, you have to go back to the Academy today. The holiday the Academy gave you is over."
Saruto's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Time flew by so quickly?"
Ethan nodded with a slight smile. "Yes, because you were engrossed in fighting Adrian, and after every fight, you slept for ages."
Saruto chuckled softly. "Well, it seems I should get ready to go."
He changed into his Academy uniform and quickly moved to the Time Room, where Void was eating. "Now I'm going back to the Academy," he told him. "When I return, we'll try to merge again."
Void nodded. "I'll be waiting for you, Saruto."
Saruto vanished in a flash of light, teleporting directly into the Academy. As soon as he arrived, his friend Lucien greeted him with a broad smile: "Look who's finally here!"
They clapped their hands together, and Saruto laughed, replying, "You seem to be doing well, you arrogant fellow."
The two entered the classroom, where the other heirs were sitting, laughing and chatting. As soon as they sat down, the professor entered and said in a formal voice, "Students, we have two new guests today. Please welcome them!"
Everyone turned towards the door, and Arina and Felisa entered with confident strides, wearing their academy uniforms. A moment of silence fell, as surprise filled everyone's faces. The professor said, smiling, "As you know, following the agreement of the Ten Kingdoms, the two princesses decided to join the academy."
Lucien raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, looking at Saruto, "Did they really join the academy for their studies? Or for their fiancés?"
The class erupted in laughter, and the princesses' cheeks burned with embarrassment, while Ryan and Kyle glared at them angrily. "Enough, you two idiots!" Kyle shouted.
Saruto laughed even harder, throwing up his hands. "Okay, okay, I won't say anything more."
The classes continued until the end of the day, laughter never ceasing in the hall. But when they finished, as everyone was leaving, Lucien stopped and said jokingly, "By the way… don't forget the challenge Ryan and Kyle lost. Time for the punishment!"
He gathered the students in the courtyard, and Ryan and Kyle, looking quite embarrassed, went up to the platform. Kyle announced loudly, as punishment was being administered, "We officially declare that our founders are weaker than the founders of the Dark and Ice families! They're not even comparable in strength!"
Everyone burst into laughter, some even falling to the ground, while Saruto and Lucien stood in the corner, laughing with childlike glee. But gradually, Sarotto's expression began to change… his smile faded, and his laughter was replaced by silence. The words echoed in his mind, in Ethan's clear voice: "One of you doesn't want to merge."
He froze, looking at the ground for a moment, then said quietly to Lucien, "I think I'll go to the room for a bit. I'm feeling tired."
Lucien nodded, without asking anything. Sarotto quietly left the space, the smile that had filled his face moments before replaced by a mixture of confusion, fear, and doubt… and in his mind, one question kept repeating: "Is it really true… that one of us doesn't want to merge?"