"I'm impressed by your progression with these courses. Not only did you learn basic language in a matter of a day, but you also learned how to listen and communicate in this language with ease. It almost feels as if a mysterious force aids your understanding, allowing you to read fully fledged stories that are not on par to your Lexile score. I can only wonder if there's something extraordinary about your capabilities."
"Really?" Chloe said curiously. "I thought… it would have taken longer."
Realma shook her head and let out a dry chuckle.
"N-No… not at all, Ms… erm… Chloe. Actually, if you continue and read this last book, I will acknowledge Mr. Toivo that you have excelled and passed all the lessons given to you."
After she had been informed, Chloe's chocolate-brown eyes sparkled with awe and surprise, unable to believe how quickly she had learned.
Chloe's gaze drifted from the bookcase to the table as she slid her thumb under the hardcover and opened it, unveiling a wealth of knowledge that seemed almost endless. She felt a mix of emotions swirling inside her —a combination of awe at the vastness of the information and a flicker of fear at the daunting task of understanding it all. Her heart raced as she asked softly, feeling both curious and overwhelmed, "Why… is there so much here?"
The crimson-haired maid tapped her fingers and expressed an amused chuckle.
"Oh, you don't have to read all of it. Just the pages that you feel most comfortable with reading."
Chloe nodded and skimmed the pages, looking for ones that were easiest to read. She felt overwhelmed seeing several areas of the page inked with black, all with scattered paragraphs and numerous colors. It was almost an eye sore for her.
The red-haired maid's gaze eventually fixed on the image of an S mark inscribed in the top right corner of the page as she continued to study Chloe's bewildered expression.
A torrent of complaints swept through Chloe's mind as she saw the illustrations by the paragraphs. She wanted to protest, but thought it rude, considering what awaited her.
"What is this?" She asked as she slid the pried-book toward the maid. "It looks… strange."
The maid gave Chloe a careful, appraising look and leaned back in her chair.
For a moment, there was absolute silence.
Briefly, Chloe felt a childish self-belief. She didn't know the book's contents. Her lashes fluttered as she inquired, voice high-pitched.
"I'm not sure as to what was in that book myself. Be careful…"
Chloe raised an eyebrow.
"Be… careful?! What do you mean?! I thought you knew what this book was about."
"Just be careful." Realma said calmly as she placed the book back on Chloe's open palms. "I don't want you to go too far in your discovery."
Chloe glanced between the book and the woman, remembering Asahi, the white-haired boy she met days ago. She found his name incredible for this world, but nothing surprised her in a fantasy.
Asahi… I still can't believe an otherworldly being like that boy could possess such a name. It's… fitting for his personality too. The Rising Sun. It's poetic. Much like all the other names that have meaning," Chloe murmured under her breath while she slowly peeled the page open. "Even so, there's still so much mystery in that boy. How much does he know about this world, then I don't? How was he born? What was it like in the past? Just yesterday, he seemed to know the location of the mansion without a map, as if led by some unseen force. And the way he speaks of history from a world not known to me, it's as though he lived through it."
When that thought of curiosity flooded into Chloe's clueless mind, what replaced it was a memory she never owned.
"At the time of the grand ceremony among the ancient ages of The Second Incarnation of this world, an awakening for the Church and religion for Adtraic Rulers was born."
* * *
Among vanilla-coated meadows rested the fading hope of an ambitious civilization all compressed into one group.
A calm, careful energy filled the air. Her long eyelashes caught the sun, her fair skin glowed in the dandelion fields, and her pale hair flickered in the gentle wind. "Blessed lands, united as one at long last. This is truly a heaven for all."
She had smooth, pale skin and tattoo-like markings on her right shoulder. Her gray eyes glanced from the statue to the crowd, her expression filled with pride as she gazed out at the distant mountains. Such a heavenly sight. And all of it…" She shut her eyes gently and embraced herself. "Belongs to me, my handsome, strong husband, and my beloved and beautiful children."
Her black fingernails gently brushed her daughter's hair before she tightened her hold and announced to the church with her mature, resonant voice, "Our lands have been blessed. The war has ceased! Our prayers have been answered by the Rulers."
The tall, undeniably voluptuous woman's voice was so soothing, that it was enough to comfort anyone who had heard her. She and her fellow allies were showered in praise. Even the two children who had dark halos above their heads, spread their wings and commended their righteous victory.
"Cheers for The Adtraic!"
A soft yet loving laugh came from the woman. But although her body was as clear as day, not once could Chloe's soul see her face. It was shrouded in a thick and faint blur, almost as if the air around her danced with mystical energy. Whether it was a trick of a distant memory, a magical enchantment, or something more prophetic, Chloe couldn't tell. Yet, despite the mystery, Chloe admired that beautiful woman to the point where she ached from her beauty.
(She's… absolutely beautiful. Is this… Asahi's mother?)
Before any more questions could be asked, a man with a long dark beard, golden eyes, and dark skin shook hands with an individual.
The symbol of an S was suspended and marked on each white building wall, with windows and stained glass on the left and right. It looked to be a massive church. He continued as he offered a grail to the individual.
"We grant you our gratitude for your performance. You brought peace to our country and answered all our prayers. Is there anything we can do to commend you for two of your selfless acts?"
The large crowd cried with happiness.
As the man kindly awaited their answer, the white-haired boy stepped forward, pointed to the stained-colored windows, and raised his voice with all his energy.
"All we want in return is for this church to expand to every corner of our world. Whether deep below or high above, we shall perceive our efforts and spread our love to everybody."
The crowd grew wild. The dark-skinned man replied.
"Such a great meaning behind this. We understand, my lord."
Aletha clapped her hands cheerfully and snapped her fingers in front of the crowd."
"And if you can, erect two statues on that hill to bless this holy land and capture this beautiful moment. No matter where we are, the spirit of our love is intertwined."
The past vision flashed and fast-forwarded ten years after the announcement. Asahi, Aletha, and the crowd stood atop a flower-covered grassy hill a few meters from the church, waiting for the reveal.
"And so… through our determination and blessings from the Rulers, I present you…."
The same tall woman, presumed to be Asahi's mother, stepped in front of the announcer and interrupted him.
"Excuse me… I will take it from here. Despite your doubts hindering your efforts, all of you persisted in putting your sweat and tears into this masterful creation."
She licked her lips and snapped her fingers.
"All of you never cease to amaze me! This lovely art piece will be the eternal guardian for all of us… It's the evidence of our pride, determination, and strength."
The woman gently moved Asahi and Aletha away and grabbed the sheets.
The only unseen features in the memory were her upper body and face. Her dark suit was dappled with white, resembling stars, and a gray ribbon crossed her right shoulder. He pulled the covers off the statue and giggled.
"This is proof of our love and commitment. Each angle, detail, and carving represents all your hard work, effort, and love!"
The woman's palms ignited with a white glow. She hurriedly forced it on both the statues and formed an impenetrable barrier around them.
"I will forever preserve this lovely creation for eternity! No matter if the art encounters disaster, this piece, and the church, will be indestructible! "
The audience erupted.
"Horray!"
The woman continued while the luminance melded into the identical Asahi and Aletha replica statues.
"This is what defines true beauty! It will forever be preserved no matter what!"
She leaned over to the young siblings, scratching their heads and patting their backs.
"Don't worry, kids, you will be fine. Remember, if you're in trouble, just give up. There's no need to waste energy on so"Don't worry, kids, you'll be fine. If you face trouble, it's okay to let go—don't waste effort needlessly. But always try when possible! Right, my little angels?" she said, her luminous smile present despite her blurred face. Bright smiles as her sweet scent touched their nostrils.
"Yes, mommy!"
Just before her face could be revealed, the memory, along with the pages corresponding to this moment, abruptly cut off from Chloe's trembling grasp.
* * * * * * *
(Meanwhile, in the dining room.)
"H… Hey. Are you alright?"
Asahi's vision blurred to a relatively warm room with a chandelier, white table, and flower pots all around the corners. Asahi's vision blurred in a warm room with a chandelier, white table, and flower pots in the corners. He backed up, coughed, and saw a blue-haired girl kneeling by him, playing with his soft white hair.
"So… fluffy."
As she rubbed Asahi's strands with both her fingers, Toivo intervened.
"Hey, Kendra. I know you're all worried for him and all, but can you let the guy have some free space?"
Instead of abiding by his orders, Kendra continued to sniff the riveting vanilla scent lingering in Asahi's soft bristles of hair; relishing and savoring this moment as much as she could. She whimpered as her face turned red.
"His hair smells SO sweet.~ AGH, I just want to--"
Asahi gasped.
"Huh?!"
A gruff, masculine voice sounded after.
"That's it!"
Followed by Kendra's squeals, the elderly man stepped in and pinched the maid's left ear, dragging her away from Asahi, unable to tolerate more of her desperate attempts. As Asahi watched the maid get viciously dragged back to her room, and heard Kendra's whines vanish into the distant hallway, the gray-haired boy stepped forward and analyzed Asahi's every muscle.
He commented as the veins on his arm pulsate and throb.
"So, you look different."
A silence fell inside the room.
Glasses were heard shuffling and shining within the kitchen.
Asahi nodded his head and gulped down a breath of anxiety.
Asahi looked out the window and saw his reflection, clear as day, cast on the shiny glass like a mirror, revealing his body gleaming in the sunlight. All six of his abs thickened like rock, coupled by his arms which had also presented his hard work he had done throughout these two days.
He remembered the intense, almost otherworldly training session under the moonlit night where he felt a surge of energy coursing through him, as though guided by an ancient power.
This mystical force seemed to synchronize with his emotional resolve, transforming him both physically and mentally.
Asahi's new features seemed to express a fine arrogant acrimony and harsh truculence to Canyon's mind; So much so that he grew envious and questioned how this transformation was even possible.
He questioned as they heard Kendra hurriedly racing through the hallways toward the dining room.
"How did you become… that? We just saw you four days ago."
A drowsiness coiled insidiously in the young man, feeling his anxiety flood his emotions. Following a complete silence had suddenly intruded the moment, Asahi stepped forward and exclaimed with a trembling tone.
"It's been awhile since I have seen you all."
Asahi bent over to Toivo, took a long sigh, and asked.
"Is this part of your scheme, too, Toivo?"
Brunella clenched her fists and screamed as the red carpet reflected the light.
"ARE YOU BLIND?! JUST LOOK AT YOURSELF!"
At that moment, Toivo and the group dragged the young man down the hallway toward a large mirror. He gasped, his eyes rounded in shock, and his face stretched his chin as Kendra and the other maids smiled with excitement.
"I… completely transformed."
Toivo coughed awkwardly and turned away, crossing his arms and squinting with envy.
"You were supposed to become this in five months, not two days. I don't even know how you did it, but I guess… you paid off."
Brunella coughed and released a gulp of anxiety, hearing footsteps sound behind her back.
"Maybe you don't need that adventuring training after all. If I knew you could do this, perhaps that might motivate Katib to get ahead of himself."
Canyon commented with just slight hints of jealousy blooming in him.
"Wow, you look surprisingly different now. And to think that it just took some training. Heck, I might as well join you if that's the case. I think that green-haired girl and all the others would pass out if they saw you return like this."
To add onto the humor, Joshilyn pushed her silver spoon away from her mouth and included.
"Correct, people may think you're some sort of demon seeing this. At that point, I might even get ahead of… myself." She hurriedly shook her head and coughed. "Y-Yup… but still, you have to go through the process. It's just I don't think it would be a challenge with what you have."
The gray haired boy complimented as Toivo tried desperately not to get envious.
"How. Just how are you able to do that?"
Asahi shrugged.
"I have no idea."
"CLEARLY you do. Because you wouldn't look like this if you had no clue what you are doing."
After the commotion that eventually stirred up between them, Joshilyn returned back to her serious state, stepped forward and included as the sounds of a raging storm came outside the mansion.
"On a serious note, what happened after we lost you was something so catastrophic, nothing could describe it other than chaos?"
Asahi cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
"W… What do you mean?"
"You know your sister, Aletha?"
The young man replied with a tone of sarcasm as the roof of the building trembled and shook.
"Yeah. What about her?"
In a grave expression, everyone including the group turned their heads downward and gulped with disdain. Asahi started to grow panicked, hoping to goodness that his sister hadn't lost herself during the trip. He asked as a roaring and whistling wind shattered windows furthest from them.
"Just tell me! Stop standing here, and tell me! Please!"
Toivo backed away in surprise as he saw two gleaming daggers fall from the pockets in Joshilyn. She quickly picked them up and slid them over to Asahi, replying as the sounds of glass shattering came from behind.
"Aletha and their entire group were caught in the storm of chaos a day ago. Everyone, including the strangers that were in the ceremony, watched as your sister dueled and raced with all her content."
Canyon said with a cold tone resonating in his shifting voice.
"Dark monsters invaded that place. Even though we were far, me, Joshilyn, and Brunella could just see from the sidelines, that even though the geysers were at their most active, it wasn't enough to stop… them from k-killing…"
(THUNDER)
A tremulous expression came from his panicked scream.
"Isa."
* * * * * * *