Divine Path System

"Oh? She can cook better than you?" Varian raised his brow in surprise, implying 'That was unexpected.

"N-No. She…never cooked." Sia was completely confused but her heart beat eagerly. Her hope just wouldn't die.

"Then how can she help me?" Varian shrugged and pointed at her. "She can't do everything better than you. Compared to you, she can't cook better, can't smile better, can't speak better, can't listen better."

"T-That's…" Sia was at a loss for words. Just what was he trying to say?

"Idiot."

"Huh?"

"Should I say it directly?" Varian gave a wry smile. "You used to call me dense, but you are the dense one now."

Sia flinched at his words. "H-How am I dense?"

She genuinely couldn't understand. Cooking, smiling, speaking, and listening—they weren't important enough for him to interact with her.

Varian looked at her with a sad face and said in a pleading tone. "Don't disappear from my life, Sia. Please don't run away again."

"I…don't want to keep you sad." Sia clenched the cloth of her pants and said.

"When you left, I wasn't happy either," Varian recalled his one-year depression.

"And you…once you ran away, it took me a whole year to chase you back. It's hard you know? You randomly appeared in my dreams and I had no idea it was you." Varian said in a complaining tone like he was accusing her.

Sia shuddered. This tone…even though he was complaining, he only used it with close people.

Sniffing back her unending tears, she asked in confusion. "I still can't understand, why did you do what you did? You said it yourself, you can't remember me. Then why—"

"Why attend the entrance test? Why join the defense academy? Why use my prize to search for you?" Varian asked with a meaningful smile.

Sia nodded in curiosity.

"Watch it," Varian said and used his mind power to convey the first memory system gave him.

Sia watched the small piece of memory in shock.

"S-Save Sia."

Amanda's last words caused her to lower her head. Her voice shook like she was shivering from cold as she said. "E-Even though I was the one who killed her, she still asked you to save me. I'm the vilest sinner."

Varian shook his head at her words. Compared to a few minutes ago, his emotions calmed down.

Even though they were still in turmoil, he was able to think and speak clearly.

"She was certain it wasn't you. She didn't know what happened to you, but she felt that you were in danger.

She could've said a million things at that moment. But what she was most concerned about was you. She wanted me to save you." Varian said.

"I see." Sia wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. Then, she looked at him with a disappointed expression. "So the reason you did all those things…"

"Yes. I didn't even remember you back then. I was just fulfilling my mother's last wish." Varian admitted.

Sia lowered her head. Her beautiful brown bangs hid her eyes as she bit her lip. "S-So…the reason you want me to…stay is because of the promise?"

Even though she tried her best, her voice was shaking. The pain and disappointment in those words were crystal clear.

"No," Varian said lightly.

But his words caused Sia to raise her head eagerly and stare at him with intense eyes.

'Continue.' Her golden eyes said. '…don't play with my emotions.' They begged.

Varian took another deep breath and calmed his racing heart. "There's something more. Even though mom asked me to save you, I didn't know who you were.

I only know the girl from my dreams. I dreamt of you. I saw you wearing the academy's uniform, so I joined the academy."

He snapped his fingers and showed her his 'dream' of a brown-haired, golden-eyed girl whose face was covered in fog.

Sia's eyes widened and she stared at him in shock.

"H-How?" He was supposed to forget her completely. Even when she approached him in disguise and asked if he remembered someone named 'Sia', he adamantly said 'No'.

Then why…

Why did he still dream about her?

When the one who erased his memories was Sovereign Kreo himself, just how did he manage to keep his memories intact, even though they're temporarily forgotten?

"I didn't have an answer for it until recently," Varian said with a smile.

Sia listened with her ear perked.

"Sia, I gained a…power recently. It was staying with me since childhood. If there's anything that can resist the power of a Sovereign and keep my memories safe, I can only think of it." Varian revealed the reason.

Sia nodded in understanding. She already knew that Varian had some secret. But she didn't want to pry. However, hearing that his secret was able to help him keep his memories surprised her.

"I-If you have that kind of power, then why did you…" Sia trailed off as a difficult expression formed on her face.

But Varian understood what she meant. With such a power, why did you go through so many hardships?

"I can't control it. I must've activated it when my emotions were immense like never before." Varian explained and looked at her with a smile. "…when your memories were about to be wiped off from me, my emotions did get intense."

'Right, System?'

[…Yes. Even though the trauma of that period was so intense that you forgot about it.

When Sovereign Kreo's powers reached your mind, you were already in a very vulnerable state. Your emotions were prone to extreme fluctuations. So, when his power was about to wipe out Sia's memories, your emotions reached new extremes.

You used the System's powers and saved your memories. But as a result, they were also sealed from you until recently.]

The System explained in a plain tone.

'And the price for such an action…?'

[It's what you're thinking.]

'The repulsion I feel from Sia and Enigma.' Varian answered with a wry smile.

[The positive emotions you felt towards her helped save the memory. The negative ones created this repulsion.

In the end, it's up to you, host. The day you can completely accept her, the repulsion will disappear.]

"Haa~" Varian sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Sia's concerned voice caused him to open his eyes.

"I'm fine."

"So...you kept me in your memories with that power?" Sia asked nervously.

"Yes." Varian nodded and said her upfront. "It's because even back then, I consider you someone I should never forget."

"B-But you started because of Amanda's last wi—ouch!" Sia rubbed her head as she flinched in a light pain.

Varian stood up and declared. "I hate misunderstandings. I started the journey because of her, but I'm standing here because of you. That's that, this is this. If you make me chase you again, I'll tie you up."

"I…." Sia opened her mouth in shock and finally, she giggled in tears. "You bully!"

"I became a bully in this one year," Varian admitted and looked at her.

Sia looked back at him in silence.

As it finally hit him, Varian's tears dropped in grief for his mother while he smiled in joy from reuniting with Sia.

Both the emotions welled inside his heart, but the way forward was clear.

The grief was still there, but so was happiness.

He didn't have a choice in what he was feeling now. But he surely had the choice in how he could feel in the future.

The choice was in his hands.

Through the tears, Varian smiled brightly. "Welcome back, Sia!"