Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 152. The Revelation of Rebirth

“Cubie, don’t worry. We’re fine now,” Zetius reassured, cupping her hands on his shoulders. She nodded and brushed her forehead against his fabric, seeking comfort. He gently ran his hand through her soft hair.

“She’s definitely on our side,” Zetius shot his best smile at Elenore, causing her to blush slightly. “Right, Elenore Blair Veyne, Celestius of Pisces?” he asked cheekily, giving her a playful wink.

“Teehee, you caught me,” she admitted, raising both hands in mock defeat. Zetius’s assumption hit the mark, judging on her overall appearance and her choice of elemental spell, Thalassion, which directly translated to ‘The sea incarnate’.

“I’m Cubellina! It’s my greatest pleasure to meet you… I don’t mind if you call me Cubie, although my experience with the previous Celestius wasn’t quite pleasant,” Cubie said, referring to Nyrethein Vale of Gemini. Elenore, however, was the complete opposite, an embodiment of purity and innocence. The girl stretched out her palms, and Elenore took them with a warm, amicable shake.

Zetius gripped his chin in thought. “Still, how did you manage to find me here?” he asked, curious.

She spun lightly, her hair flowing elegantly. “Celestius Nyrethein isn’t the only one who’s studied this realm extensively. Luckily, you were on one of the shallower levels, so it didn’t take too long to track you down,” she replied with an unwavering smile.

Elenore gestured toward the shining doorway. Bright light bled in from outside as they began walking side by side.

“I hope you don’t mind the change of scenery?” Elenore chuckled softly as she led the way.

As they stepped through, a different world greeted them. Sunshine and a beautiful beach. The sea breeze brushed against their skin, and the warm sunlight shimmered over the ripples of incoming waves. A serene chorus of seagulls and the ocean tide played in the background.

“Wow! It’s so beautiful!” Cubie gasped, shielding her eyes from the sun.

Zetius reached out, his fingers brushing an invisible wall. “Just a dreamless realm under her influence… in truth, this is probably just a long corridor,” he analysed inwardly.

“It’s from one of my fondest memories… the southern beach of Vinveil, which existed two hundred years ago,” Elenore said, holding down her hat against the breeze. A lock of her brown hair brightened in the light, flowing majestically.

The memory stirred something in him. Zetius found himself reminiscing about their connection. Heat rose to his cheeks like the shy boy he once was.

“Umm… Celestius Elenore, this might sound foolish, but… were you really my wife?”

Cubie snapped her gaze to him, lips parted in shock. “You had a wife?! Aren’t you eighteen?!”

Zetius waved her off dismissively. While Elenore cupped her mouth, trying to contain her laughter, though a soft chuckle escaped her lips adoringly. “Unfortunately, no. Those memories were forged to support your shell. I knew you might catch on eventually.”

Zetius nodded solemnly, then smiled at Cubie, who stood with arms crossed, clearly displeased. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“There’s something that’s been gnawing at the back of my mind.”

Elenore paused beside him and lightly brushed her fingers over his square shoulder. “Now would be the best time to ask, Zetius.”

Zetius began, his expression serious. “The Celestius mages were behind both my alternate identity and my rebirth. But as far as I know, there’s never been a case in history of someone being revived without necromancy. I mean, necromancy would turn your corpse into a mindless beast, animated but not truly alive.”

Cubie stood frozen, watching Zetius unblinking. This was all before her awakening, something he had never fully explained.

Elenore nodded, her gaze turning distant. “You’re right, Zetius. Before the ambush, the Dunkelheit Empire caught wind of your potential, enough to tip the balance in the brewing war. According to our intel, they dispatched hundreds of thousands of Armatus to eliminate you and your master. Both of you were seen as champions of warmongers.”

“That’s wickedly smart... So, Astral Empress Nohrell somehow knew about my primordial power?” Zetius mused aloud.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“It seems so, though we never confirmed how. With the war dragging on even after her fall, there were more urgent fires to put out. We couldn’t afford to chase that mystery,” Elenore said, tapping her cheek in thought.

“Well, after the ambush, your master...” She paused, lips drawing into a thin, solemn line.

“Master Ignius… so it was he who brought my corpse to the Zodiac Council, hoping for a miracle,” Zetius muttered painfully. And indeed, a miracle happened.

“Yes. Celestius Ignius made an irrefutable offer. He bargained your primordial essences, each one of them, with us. So the Celestius mages came together to make this revival possible. Our gifts to you… Though we figured it wouldn’t be worth reviving you just to see you hunted again.”

“So you hid me under a new identity, entirely. On the moon,” Zetius concluded, closing his eyes. His time as a DebrisX collector, the spacewalks, the solitude — those memories still felt real.

“You're on point, Zetius!” Elenore nodded energetically, twirling a trailing orb of light between her fingers. Her eyes reflected it mesmerisingly. “My twin sister, Serene, used her necromancy to revive you, triggered by extreme emotion. Meanwhile, I created a convincing backstory.”

Zetius raised a brow at her sudden shift in tone. Her usually pale cheeks flushed with a gentle pink.

“My gift to you was that heartfelt memory of us, our echoes, to steel you from spiralling into an identity crisis when you were Jack,” she admitted, cupping her cheeks.

“Thank you for doing that,” Zetius said. Though he still wasn’t entirely sure why she had placed herself, of all people, in his forged memory. However, he decided not to press the matter. Absentmindedly, Zetius brushed Cubie’s hair with affection. The girl purred contentedly.

“That explains how Nyrethein obtained the primordial essence of Nyxphaos.”

“To be honest, we weren’t sure this would even work,” Elenore said, brushing her hair aside. “One revival into Jack was already an exquisite feat, but your true rebirth… that was something fateful. Something that defied arcane logic.”

The sweet Celestius reached out and gently patted Cubie on the head. "And also… Cubie. I’ve never seen an essence quite like this before."

Cubie glanced at Zetius hesitantly before turning back to Elenore. "Celestius… you know of me?"

"Of course. Didn’t you just get registered with the Institute?" Elenore asked softly.

"Yes… But that was only this morning," Cubie replied, tilting her head with a faint frown.

"Not exactly," Elenore said, her voice warm. "The passage of time in this realm is... inconsistent, especially before you’ve learned to tame it." She smiled gently, a blush blooming across her cheeks. Her luminous blue eyes flicked away from Zetius’s gaze.

"I’ve always kept an eye on you."

Then, with a playful shift, she cupped Cubie’s face between her hands. "And the best part? Cubie, you’re absolutely adorable!" Elenore beamed. Cubie giggled in delight, cheeks rosy.

They began strolling together along the shoreline, the tide whispering at their feet.

Zetius glanced sideways at Cubie, thoughtful. "That part of her… It’s still a mystery. Even Celestius Elenore doesn’t know."

After a silent moment, Elenore spoke up, louder this time. “Umm, about your essence—”

Zetius raised his hand modestly. “I’m a very different man now. You can keep the essence, I wouldn’t be able to use it anyway. And more importantly, it was a worthwhile trade.”

Cubie nodded along, even if she didn’t fully grasp all the details just yet.

“Are you sure?” Elenore tilted her head, locking eyes with him. The flame behind his gaze was a clear testament to the conviction in his words.

“Definitely,” Zetius reaffirmed, straightening his back with quiet resolve. “I used to live for myself for power. But now, I live to protect those I hold dear,” he reaffirmed, casting a warm glance at Cubie.

“My rebirth, despite everything… I’m grateful that it happened.”

He exchanged a smile with both of them before turning to take in the scenic view. The sun was setting, gilding the sky and ocean in brilliant gold. Breath-takingly beautiful.

In that quiet moment, memories stirred.

He remembered Lupus, her laughter, her warmth, the way she taught him to love fiercely and without fear.

He thought of the Hoffmanns, who gave him the family he’d never known, drawing him out of solitude into the comfort of belonging.

Frain’s bold and unyielding drive still echoed within him, reminding him to act, to seize life rather than drift through it.

Aurelia’s innate strength had shown him what it meant to lead not by force, but by trust and compassion.

Friederich’s rational mind and quiet courage grounded him, teaching him to keep a level head no matter the storm.

He remembered Ziyue’s sacrifices, never spoken of, yet always there, the kind of silent endurance that stitched his world together.

David’s laughter, his banter and stubborn optimism had taught him the joy in small victories, even as the world collapsed.

Hein’s devotion to craft and Canis’s wonder for architecture and beauty had opened his eyes to the magic of the Renaissance way.

Celestius Elenore, who stood as the testament of his past and present, with her soothing presence.

And then there was Cubie. Cheeky, steadfast, and evolving, her presence had finally made him whole, helping him reconcile the fragments of Jack and Zetius into something ordinary yet special in an unexplainable way.

Each of them had carved out a part of him, making him far more than he ever thought possible. Together, in this golden silence, he felt no need for words.

For the first time, Zetius was simply present…