Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start

Alex's steps echoed through the empty corridor of the castle as he walked down the stairs. He had decided to use the stairs instead of directly jumping down the castle.

'Are you sure this is fine?' He questioned inwardly, not sure about his decision.

[Believe me. This was the best move right now. Your presence there would've just disrupted their talk and probably made it all awkward.]

Sophie's reply came the next instant.

'But I wanted to know why they became like that,' Alex sighed when he heard Sophie's words.

It was Sophie who had told him to move away after he asked Venassa what he wanted.

Alex wanted to stay as the feeling of everything not turning for the better clawed at his heart. But Sophie's words at that time made him agree to her suggestion, although reluctantly.

[Not everything is meant for others to know, Alex. Sometimes, some things need a little push to get better. You gave the push. That was all you had to do.]

'But—' He had tried to interject, but Sophie's words had made him sigh.

[Trust me,] was all she had said, making Alex agree. 'How can I say no when you say things like that?' He had muttered.

Right now, walking down the spiral stairs, feeling the coldness of the polished railings, there was just one thing Alex wished for: 'I hope things turn out well.'

Alex's worries weren't uncalled for since he didn't know what the problem was, unlike Sophie.

Sophie had been long aware of it. Her powers made her aware of at least things that happened in her proximity.

Even now, she was focused on what was happening above—the place Alex had just walked away from.

Vanessa remained seated in her spot, staring at the sunset with a lost look in her cold eyes.

"Alenia," she called, her shadow trembling in response before a lady with back-length silver hair that featured a long braid on each side with small blue bows at the ends, while the rest was let down, which ended in twin braids, and silver eyes appeared next to Vanessa, bowing without saying anything.

It was as if she was awaiting Vanessa's order. But Vanessa couldn't say anything for a while.

She knew that—no matter how much she had tried to deny it—she was the one in the wrong. She had known that for a long time. But she could never come to terms with it.

Vanessa's mind drifted back to years ago when Alex was just a child—around three years old, learning the way of life.

'He used to be so scared of me,' her heart bled as she recalled those moments when Alex used to run away from her as if she were a monster.

'But Alenia,' then the scene of him playing with Alenia, jumping around with a smile flashed through her head. 'He was always so happy around her.'

It wasn't that Vanessa didn't know why it was so. She knew that it was all a courtesy to her cursed physique—something Alenia didn't have.

But Vanessa was still content with just seeing Alex smile like that. Alenia was her best friend—someone who had been by her side since childhood. They had been through a lot together—many life-or-death situations and many jubilus situations. They have been through it all together.

But one day, a crack appeared in that relation. The reason for that was simple: Alex had called Alenia 'Mother'—something Vanessa was dying to hear.

Since then, the moments of Alenia and Alex together started to prick her. She would call Alenia away from Alex and give her more work to wanting to keep them away. But somehow, no matter how much work it was, Alenia would finish it and return to Alex.

'I was jealous,' Vanessa accepted, her eyes still staring at the sunset, the golden hew reflecting in her cold blue eyes.

She was jealous of Alenia being able to show her feelings so easily while she struggled to even get close to her child without scaring him away. It was heartbreaking to know that.

Vanessa could tell that Alenia was working harder than ever to complete the work given by Vanessa to get back to Alex, but that just made her angrier.

'I was working hard as well,' Vanessa thought as she recalled how she used to study each and every recent, old, and even ancient record to find a solution to her curse for hours without a break just so she could hold her child in her hands and see him smile at her instead of running away in fear. Experience new tales on empire

Vanessa tried to endure it. For two or three years, maybe four, she tried to live with her child running away from her while calling someone else 'Mother'.

But one day, when Alex was hurt, crying in pain, and Vanessa rushed toward him in worry, everything changed. That day, Alex didn't scurry away in fear; he rushed past her as if she didn't even exist and went straight to Alenia in the kitchen.

'I feared being erased from his memories,' sighed Vanessa as she recalled using the shadow seal—something every imperial had—something that made it possible for the masters to issue an undefiable command to their shadows.

Vanessa had used that shadow seal to restrict Alenia from showing motherly emotions in front of Alex.

'It had been so long since then,' Vanessa's thoughts churned as she tried to recall when, after that day, was the last time she and Alenia had ever talked out of work, and she found no such moments in her memories.

Alenia, on the other hand, was just... too pitiful.

She had never blamed Vanessa for anything. Not once. Because she knew how much Vanessa had suffered and how much pain she felt for not being able to get close to the only person she wanted to love.

Alenia was also aware that Vanessa had long forgiven her—or realized how wrong she was.

Alenia, who had grown up with Vanessa, knew the woman better than she herself did. She knew that Vanessa was now regretting using the shadow seal—something she hated—but was too proud to accept it.

Even now, just staring at the quivering shadow of Vanessa, which reflected her emotional state, Alenia knew that Vanessa was struggling to find words, but she again would keep quiet like she was supposed to.

'I am a slave, after all.'

That was something Vanessa had reminded her before she had used the shadow seal on her, and although Alenia was ready to forget everything, this wasn't one of them.

Alenia was in pieces when Vanessa had just tossed those years of friendship away by calling her a slave.

"Say," Vanessa suddenly spoke, her voice low as a murmur, making Alenia's body jerk. "Isn't the sunset beautiful?"

"It is so, my lady," replied Alenia, bowing like she had been.

"You didn't even look at it, did you?" Vanessa's question made Alenia lower her head deeper, but she didn't answer.

For a while, Vanessa kept quiet as well before a black stamp-like thing appeared in her palm, emanating dark energy that made Alenia freeze. She could tell what it was without even looking at it.

'The shadow seal...' Thought Alenia, her fists clenched as just looking at the accursed thing was hard for her. It was the reason for everything that went down.

But the next second, something shocking happened...

A chilly breeze blew, freezing the seal in Vanessa's palm before it shattered.

Shatter!

Alenia blinked, momentarily frozen. 'What just happened?' This was the only question passing through her head as she finally saw Vanessa turning to look at her.

Alenia's eyes met Vanessa's, only to widen to the extreme. She saw tears in Vanessa's eyes—for the second time in her entire life.

"I don't care about the seal, Alenia." Vanessa's voice broke as she spoke, desperation clear in her voice. "I just want my friend back."

Alenia, who heard those words and felt the raw emotions emanating from Vanessa, trembled. Her gaze quivered. Eyes never lie—Alenia knew that. And that was why it felt worse.

"How can you... how do you even do things like this?" For the first time today, Alenia spoke informally to Vanessa, tears brimming in her eyes. "How can you make me feel like I'm the one in wrong with just a single action of yours?"

She gritted her teeth, feeling the pain Vanessa must be feeling. For her, Vanessa showing even a hint of emotion was a big thing. She knew just what kind of cursed physique Vanessa had. So, the fact that a woman like that was crying was more than enough to tell her that the pain she felt right now wasn't something even her cursed physique could stop.

"I-I... I am sorry—" Vanessa breathed shakily, lowering her head as her nails dug into her palm.

But before she could complete her words, both Alenia and her paused. They froze as they felt something.

"Alenia..." Vanessa, with a grim look on her face, stared in a particular direction, as if she could see something or someone. "Protect him at all costs."

"I will," Alenia nodded, her expression as solemn as it could be, and before the next wave of wind could even hit them, they both vanished from their spots.