After they finished reminiscing and Bedryt explained that Irwin's familiar was actually the offspring of Zorax—a creature that could only be summoned by someone of dragon blood—Irina led the group to their rooms. Ard and Eva remained with Bedryt, moving to a room that looked like a training dojo. They sat cross-legged on the floor with Bedryt facing them.

"Now, close your eyes. I am going to unlock the memories of your lives on Earth," Bedryt said.

Ard and Eva immediately shut their eyes. Bedryt raised his hands and closed his own, and the atmosphere in the room instantly turned heavy. Sweat began to pour down Ard and Eva's faces as they began to drift back into their past lives.

***

[The Story of Ace aka Shadow]

Ace was born in Belgium in 1913. After his city was leveled during World War I and both his parents were killed, he was taken to America by his uncle and aunt—specifically to Ellis Island—in early 1915 when he was only two and a half years old. Because his uncle couldn't find work and their finances were drained, Ace—who went by a different name back then—was handed over to the military authorities overseeing them. His family hoped he would gain citizenship and a better life.

However, instead of being sent to social services, the boy was taken to a military training facility despite his young age. The reason was unsettling: he could control and move objects around him using black shadows that emanated from his hands. To the military, it looked like telekinesis. Naturally, the army treated the boy well and gave him the name Ace. Having grown up on military bases, he was taught how to handle a weapon by the time he was five.

The soldiers were fond of Ace, letting him play in the command center, the barracks, and even the airfield where the air force was stationed. Beyond his training, Ace was also taken to research facilities to be studied. By the age of twelve, he could manifest black shadows from within his body to control anything in his vicinity; he could even use his shadows to fire ten pistols or rifles simultaneously. The researchers developed a serum designed to stabilize his shadow powers, which were sometimes uncontrollable, while also enhancing his physical body. They turned him into a super soldier under the codename: Shadow.

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Ace was 28 years old and serving in the Navy. He was thrust into the heart of the war to defend his country. All his years of training were unleashed on the battlefield, earning him a dual reputation among allies and enemies alike: he was known as both the God of War and the Demon of the Battlefield. Once, when his unit was pinned down in a forest surrounded by enemies, Ace wiped out an entire enemy battalion single-handedly by luring them into the trees and slaughtering them until not a single man was left.

By 1943, Ace—now famous as Shadow—heard rumors that the Nazi side had their own super soldier. This soldier was said to possess powers just like his, a pure-blooded Aryan operative with the codename: Phantom. That same year, while Ace was wandering alone in a forest after being separated from his unit, he crossed paths with Edith, a Nazi soldier who was also stranded. Initially, they drew their weapons on each other, but since they were both wounded, they ended up helping one another instead. At the time, Edith had no idea that Ace was Shadow, and Ace had no clue that Edith was the Phantom.

Their first real encounter on the battlefield happened a few months after that meeting in the forest. It was then that Ace realized Edith was actually the Phantom, and he felt a pang of regret that he hadn't finished her off when he had the chance; she felt exactly the same way. They continued to clash for a year; wherever Shadow appeared, Phantom was there, as they were the only ones who could match each other's strength.

Eventually, however, they fell in love, even though they knew their love could never exist anywhere but on the battlefield. Finally, feeling used and seen only as weapons of war, they decided to end their lives together at the end of 1944, right when they reached the age of 31.

***

"Huaaah!"

Ard gasped as he snapped awake. Sweat poured off him, and tears streamed down his face without him even realizing it. He covered his face with his forearm, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open as he struggled to catch his breath.

"It's true... even as a child, I could already use dark magic that the soldiers mistook for shadows," Ard thought.

Suddenly, Ard felt his body become light. A dark magical aura, appearing like shifting shadows, began to envelop him. It forced the light magic out of his system until his power became pure; he could now only use dark magic, but it was exponentially stronger than before. Ard looked at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Is this... my power?" Ard asked, stunned.

"That's right. Your true power... the strength that was always meant for you. The same power Malekh once wielded," Bedryt answered.

"I see... when I reincarnated into this world, I remembered the moment of my death on Earth, but I had no memory of my life there. Now I understand. From the moment I was born on Earth, I already possessed immense dark magic," Ard said.

"Now, we wait for Eva to finish. After this, you must begin training to master your true strength," Bedryt replied.

"Understood, Dragon God," Ard said.

He turned to look at Eva. She was still sitting motionless with her eyes closed. Her face was drenched in sweat, with heavy droplets rolling down her forehead to her neck. Her eyes twitched beneath her lids as she relived her entire life on Earth.

***

[The Story of Edith aka Phantom]

Edith was born in Germany in 1913, the same year as Ace. During World War I, she lived with her family, constantly moving from city to city to evade the fighting. Despite the chaos, Edith lived a comfortable and happy life with her parents. That changed in 1917. Her father, who was originally from England, was arrested on false charges of being an Allied spy. Her mother was killed during the arrest.

Edith survived thanks to the family's servant, an Afro-German woman who, along with her husband, loved Edith like their own child. They tried to flee, but before they could reach the French border, the couple was killed by an American spy. Devastated and enraged, Edith watched as the spy turned his gun on her. When he fired, the bullet stopped dead in the air, right in front of her tear-stained face. Her blonde hair suddenly bled into a haunting silver, flaring out around her.

White, ghost-like apparitions erupted from her back. They lunged at the spy, who was frozen in shock, and instantly snapped his neck. She remained there, motionless, for several days until German troops arrived. Initially, the soldiers intended to kill her, but once they witnessed her power, they recruited her into the military instead.

Consumed by a desire for revenge for her parents and her beloved guardians, Edith agreed. At the time, she didn't realize she was being groomed as a living weapon for the German military—a ghost-like soldier given the codename: Phantom.

After enduring grueling training and a series of experiments that transformed her into a super soldier, Edith joined the German Reich at the age of twenty—the same year the Nazi party rose to power. Because of her battlefield exploits, her half-British heritage, and her spectral appearance, she was hailed as a paragon of the pure Aryan race.

When World War II broke out, she was immediately deployed to the front lines. At the time, she was a true believer, convinced that the path she was on was the right one. That conviction held firm until she crossed paths with Ace in the forest. Their story unfolded from that moment on, intertwined until they both died together in 1944 at the age of thirty-one.

***

"Huh,"

Eva's eyes snapped open. Tears streamed down her face, her body was drenched in sweat, and she was panting heavily. Slowly, she turned her head to look beside her. She saw Ard sitting cross-legged, facing her with a knowing smile.

"How are you, Edith... or maybe I should call you Phantom," Ard said.

"Shadow... Ace... Ard," Eva murmured, still looking dazed.

"That's right. But now, we're Ard and Eva," Ard said.

Eva could see a massive aura of black energy radiating from Ard's body. She looked down at her own hands and saw a white, holy aura pulsing with equal intensity. Looking at Ard again, she smiled through her flowing tears. She lunged forward, throwing herself into a hug, and Ard caught her instantly.

"I'm home, Ace," Eva—now fully Edith—said with a smile.

"Welcome back, Edith," Ard—now fully Ace—replied.

They pulled back slightly, though their hands stayed on each other's shoulders. They locked eyes, their faces drawing closer for a kiss.

But then— "Ahem."

The two jumped, startled by the sound of someone clearing their throat. They slowly turned to see Bedryt, who was smiling so widely his eyes were squeezed shut.

"Feel free to continue that once you've left my house. For now, it's time to start your training," Bedryt said.

Hearing Bedryt's words, the two of them snapped back to reality. The memories of their various lives flooded back—their time as Ashton and Esmeralda, as Azroth and Evelina, and now, finally, as Arden and Evangeline. They quickly pulled apart and turned to face Bedryt.

"Forgive us, Dragon God," they said in unison. Bedryt simply smiled at them, contentedly stroking his beard.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.