Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground-Chapter 1074 Plea

As Atticus reached the burial grounds of the Ravenstein estate, he spotted a broad figure standing at the entrance.

Nate Ravenstein.

Nate stood like a statue, his gaze fixed on the burial entrance, lost and distant. Even when Atticus moved to stand beside him, he didn't react.

He only stared, as if nothing else in the world mattered anymore.

Atticus didn't speak. The only sounds were the soft whisper of the breeze and the dry rustle of fallen leaves scraping against the stone.

After several seconds, Nate sighed heavily.

"Atticus."

Atticus's eyes remained forward. "Yeah?"

"Was there… was there nothing you could've done to save him?" Nate asked with a cracking voice.

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"No."

Nate's lips pressed into a line. "It's just that… you're the most incredible person I know. If anyone could've stopped him, I can't help but believe it would've been you."

"If I knew what he was going to do," Atticus said, voice glacier, "I would've killed him."

Silence followed, and the gentle wind turned sharp, cold.

There was no doubt, Atticus meant every word he had just said.

Nate let out a laugh, sounding quiet and broken, the kind that carried both amusement and sorrow.

"That's just like you. Cold and ruthless to the bone. You couldn't even lie to a grieving brother."

Atticus didn't respond. He simply stood there silently.

After a moment, Nate exhaled softly and said,

"You know, when I first met Lucas, my first impression of him was that he was a scrawny-looking kid who had no business being in the Ravenstein family, let alone surviving in our world."

He chuckled faintly. "I didn't like him. Honestly, I was thinking, is this guy really a Ravenstein? I made my thoughts very clear too. And do you know what he did?"

Nate laughed again. "He challenged me to a fight. It was the most absurd thing… this little runt with barely any muscle, standing there like he had something to prove."

"I fought him. And I lost."

This time, his laugh was louder, more genuine. He still felt disbelief even until now.

"I wanted to be the greatest warrior in the Ravenstein family, you know? And I lost to that scrawny kid. I was so embarrassed, I wouldn't leave my room for days. My parents tried everything, but they couldn't get me out."

His smile grew. "Eventually, he was the one who came. I ignored him at first… but then he challenged me again. And I couldn't refuse."

"I still lost."

Nate shook his head, laughing again. "We fought countless times. And every single time, after knocking me down, he'd always try to get me up with a smile. I refused, every time. Kept challenging him, kept pushing back, thinking I just needed to get stronger."

He paused. "But eventually, after yet another loss, Lucas looked at me and said, 'In this world, when you observe only yourself, you'll end up failing.'"

Nate's voice went low. "It was like enlightenment. Something just… clicked."

"We fought again. And I won." He smiled. "I was so thrilled, so damn happy I forgot everything I used to think about him. From that moment on, we bonded. Became close enough to be called brothers."

Then, Nate clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles whitening.

"Atticus," he said, voice cracking.

"They didn't even allow his tombstone to be placed in the graveyard."

The Ravenstein graveyard was vast, stretching across a large expanse, and it was capable of holding the graves of every Ravenstein who wished to be buried there. It was a sacred ground, reserved for those the family deemed worthy.

A final honor to the dead.

But Lucas Ravenstein had been branded a traitor.

And there was no honor for traitors.

"He did something unforgivable," Nate said bitterly. "But he was my brother… and now, I have nothing. No grave. No marker. Not even a place to remember him."

Tears streaked down Nate's face before he quickly rubbed them away with the back of his hand.

They had been together through three years at the academy and a year in the military camp.

Everything Lucas owned had been on him, his space ring, his belongings, his memories.

But now, all of it was gone.

Still, Atticus didn't say a word. He simply stood there, listening.

Then Nate spoke again, but his voice was strained and low.

"Atticus… I know this might sound selfish, and maybe he doesn't deserve it, but I'm begging you… please, fulfill his last wish."

His teeth clenched tight as fresh tears slipped down. "I know I'm weak. I know I can't do anything… which is why you're the only one I can turn to. Please… if I mean anything to you, even a little, if you can't do it for him, then do it for me."

Atticus let out a quiet sigh.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

Nate blinked, trying to collect himself. "To cheer me up…?"

"No."

"Before we left for the banquet, I promised myself I'd make more of an effort to actually be present in the lives of the people around me. That's why I'm here. To see what's going on with you. But that doesn't mean I'll fix it."

He paused, gaze turning cold.

"Lucas's actions didn't just threaten me, they endangered the lives of people I care about. And for me… that's a line you don't cross. One that can't be uncrossed."

"If he hadn't sacrificed his life… I would have killed him."

Atticus's voice was ice.

"And I refuse to honor what he did by fulfilling any wish of his, even one made with his dying breath."

"The answer… is no."

Nate clenched his fists again, trembling slightly before turning away from him.

"…I see. Alright," he said quietly.

He looked back at the entrance of the graveyard, saying nothing more.

Atticus, having done what he came for, which was understanding what was wrong with Nate, turned and walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

As he made his way back to his training room, his expression remained calm. The conversation hadn't stirred anything within him. Everything he had said to Nate was how he truly felt.

Lucas might be dead, but when Atticus recalled the image of Aurora and the others, wounded, almost losing their lives, it felt like death had been too kind. If there were a way to bring Lucas back, he would've done it, only to give him a far more brutal end.