"So, it'll do you good to acquire at least six extra stones for each of you," Sansa concluded. "No one really understands the energy within True Blue Stones, but its calming effect is undeniable. I've even heard a theory that if the energy were more concentrated, it could suppress any type of elemental energy. But who has the time to work on understanding something like that, except those Creation-affinity bastards? Tsk."
Ethan noticed her sudden disdain and thought to himself, "Does she have a personal problem with people who have that affinity?"
Sansa saw that they had finally reached the boys' rooms and stopped. "Guess this is where we part ways. I have to do something else right now... See you later." She waved, already walking away before they could even form a reply. Her pace suddenly became unnervingly fast, leaving Alan with his hand still half-raised in a frozen wave and Ethan standing with his mouth slightly agape.
"Tsk. Dramatic lady," Ethan muttered to himself. He then turned to Alan. "Hey, man, your hand must be aching already. Anyways, I'll see you later. I'm not stepping out until I find out what my saturation point feels like."
Alan, who had finally recovered from her abrupt departure, nodded. "Yeah, I had the same plan too. When I'm done with that, I'll come find you so we can plan the mission."
"Oh, yeah," Ethan added. "Don't forget to look up what you can find about Blue Mountain. I'll do the same. I'm not sure it'll be easy to get those stones."
Stepping into his room, Ethan took a deep breath. The door clicked shut, sealing him in a sudden, weighty silence. "This is more than a lot to take in," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. "I don't even know where to start."
He walked up to the large mirror hung on the wall and truly looked at himself for the first time since arriving in Talruy. Deep blue eyes stared back, set in a face framed by white, almost silver hair that dropped all the way to his shoulders. The all-black initiate's outfit suited his lean frame perfectly.
"I don't even know if I should feel happy or sad about all this," he mused to his reflection, "but damn, I really look good. I bet I could be a model finally... Hahahah!"
His loud, sudden laughter caught in his throat, turning into a fit of coughing. Trying to control himself, he moved to his bed, the smile fading from his face as he tried to find a comfortable position.
"My god, this feels a little too awkward," he ridiculed himself. "Do I cross my legs for meditation like those monks, or will any position work?"
Finally, a serious expression settled on his features. The mirth was gone, replaced by a focused look. "Now, let's see what this second affinity is. I've put it off long enough. From what I've heard, the Law of Illusion has no offensive strength. I just hope the second law my soul holds an affinity for is offensive enough."
Closing his eyes, he deliberately refrained from activating his breathing technique for the Law of Illusion. Instead, he focused inward, channeling his awareness beyond the mental seal that had kept this part of him hidden—hidden from everyone, and even from the Order's detection array. And there, in the depths of his soul, he felt it.
"Ughhh, Creation? Of all things, how do I even use this for offense?" A wave of cold disappointment washed over him. "This is so messed up. Or was Leo messing with me the whole time? Giving me an impossible mission?"
He began pulling at his hair in sheer frustration, the silver strands slipping through his fingers. "Arghhhhhh! I'll pay you back for this, you hear me?!" he screamed into the silent room, the outburst echoing his sense of powerlessness.
Finally, he slumped, the anger draining away to be replaced by a weary acceptance. "Who am I kidding?" he muttered, lifting his head. A new light, one of grim determination, began to kindle in his deep blue eyes. "I just need to make the best of this world. Finally, I have the freedom to explore, to carve out a path of my own... No more living meaninglessly in an underpaid job. Isn't this all I've been waiting for all my life?"
His resolve hardened
In this moment of clarity, a crucial realization dawned on him. 'All this time, I've seen several awakenings, but no one has had an affinity for two laws. At least, none so far.'
A plan clicked into place. "I'll check the Order forum for information on double affinity. There should be something, at least, so I don't have to walk blindly. All of this is so new to me."
Pulling up the glowing interface of his soulband, he began to scroll, his expression shifting from frustration to anger.
Hours wasted, and Ethan had found nothing—not a single scrap of information on double affinities.
"Well, this is not good," he muttered, the glow from his soulband casting shadows on his frustrated face. "Somehow, I'm happy now that the array didn't detect a second element, or there would have been quite the issue for me."
He leaned back, the initial panic giving way to a more pragmatic worry. "Still doesn't mean there's no issue, though. How the hell do I rank up now? All the explanations Sansa gave, and nothing at all to give me a clue what I should do with two laws. Will my soul even be able to handle two cores? What am I thinking?"
"Arghhh, this is really frustrating!" Taking a series of deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down. "I'll start somewhere. Whatever comes next, I'll handle it the best I can. But for now, no one can know about this until I understand if double affinities are normal in this world."
A tempting thought crossed his mind. "...But I could tell that nonchalant master of mine, right? At least he should be able to guide me?" He immediately shook his head, dismissing the idea. "No, no, no. What am I thinking? I can't trust him, no matter how easy-going he is.
He let out a long, weary sigh, the weight of his unique circumstances settling upon him. "First, my soul body, and now a second law affinity. Maybe next I'll find out that I'm the son of a monarch or have some other cliche problem that main characters find themselves in...
Sigh. I'd better just start with the illusion energy saturation first. When I'm done, then I can think about what to do with my Creation law."