Virelya heard the name. Cyrn was incredibly smug at the moment. It's such a badass name. I wonder how she'll react
Sadly, Cyrn wouldn't see any fawning over his excellent naming skills today. Virelya didn't even acknowledge that he said anything. Just got her answer, then stood up and left.
Cyrn watched her leave, his smugness faltering for a moment, before Elyon burst out laughing.
"Bahahaha! I can't believe you thought you could get a reaction out of her. Good try man, really good try."
Cyrn was definitely disappointed. He'd been incredibly excited to brag about his sword technique with someone that wasn't Elyon for a while now, yet the first person he could talk to just brushed it off like it was nothing.
"Whatever, dude, what's her deal anyway. I get that she doesn't like anyone, but why?"
Elyon's laugh stopped, his face becoming a little more melancholic. "It's not really my place to tell, but seeing as it's an open secret across the Cindral Dominion, I guess I can share. Virelya comes from the Ravenswood Ducal family. Their family was an offshoot lineage from the Saarweir high priests' family, except they took the prophetic talents to serve the Royal Family of the Cindral Dominion. They were incredibly powerful for millennia; however, in more recent times, their strength has been waning. The most recent Royal Prophet, Astellion, wasn't from the Ravenswood family. Not only that, but Virelya is next in line to become the Duchess, yet she never awakened any prophetic abilities, just her Veilfire. It's extremely powerful, but she was shunned for her lack of talents in future sight."
Cyrn was stunned. No wonder she hates people.
Elyon continued, "After that, marriage talks between my family and hers opened. Nothing was made official, but my older brother took that as an invitation. Virelya was visiting during one of these marriage talks, and that day is why I nearly beat him to death and called him what he is, a rapist. My father buried the incident, of course. He's delayed the talks, but it's an open secret at this point. Now, she's hated by her family, seen as impure and used, and only ever acknowledged for her beauty. She's been turned into an object of lust and desire."
Cyrn was stunned. So all those emotions—self-loathing, hatred, shame—were real. Very, very real.
His head turned, and he saw Virelya eating by herself, and saw everyone staring and whispering around her.
He shot to his feet and began to walk over.
Elyon tried to stop him, but he grabbed his wrist. "Cyrn, don't do this. There's nothing you can do to help, and there isn't anything you could say to her that will make her feel better. Trust me, I've tried."
But Cyrn yanked away and continued to walk up to her. He strode up to her and stood across from her.
She picked her head up, anger and disdain still evident ."What?"
Cyrn was speechless, then all he mustered was "I'm sorry for everything."
Virelya's rage was unrestrained now. She stood up, walked over, and slapped him as hard as possible across the face. No armor, no swordplay, just five fingers and everything she carried behind them.
Cyrn stood there, cheek stinging and thoughts scattered. He hadn't come to play savior. He didn't even think he had the right words. But clearly, even silence was too much.
"Sorry?! Sorry for what, my life? Fuck you, you don't get to be sorry, you don't get to pity me! Let me guess, Elyon's blabber mouth told you about me, huh?
What did you think I was, some tragic heroine that needed saving, that you would come here and heal me and save me?
You think looking at me with pity instead of lust makes you better??
It doesn't. It just means you want to save me instead of using me — and I'd rather be used. At least then I know what I'm dealing with. I don't need you to save me, I'm fucking fine on my own, so don't even think about pitying me, or looking at me to serve you 'knight in shining armor' fetish!"
She stormed off after her explosion, and Cyrn stood there stunned. Her footsteps echoed around his mind, again and again and again, as if taunting him for trying and failing to help.
Elyon walked up to him, patted his shoulder, and said, "Told you, dude, happened to me too. She doesn't want or need help. I promise she's strong enough on her own. Come, your next class is gonna start soon, and you need to finish your food."
Cyrn nodded, still processing her words. Is there really nothing I can do? I know how she feels, but…it doesn't do anything to help, huh, I just… I don't want her to be so sad.
Cyrn soon sat down and began to finish his food in silence. He and Elyon split up as he went towards his next class, SoulCurrent Theory.
However, Cyrn dragged his feet heading there. The helplessness weighing on him more than anything. He deeply empathized with Virelya; he lived her emotional state during their battle.
He knew what it was like to be broken, then expected to carry it alone. Now he was grappling with this desire to be something that supports her, without seeming like she needed pity. He didn't know what to do, or if he should do anything at all.
That option hurt more than he'd like to admit. I don't want to fix her. I just don't want her to carry all that alone. But maybe... she wants to.
Cyrn sat down in the middle of the class, and soon he heard the click of heels come from behind him.
An elegant woman, blonde hair, blue eyes, glasses, and appropriate formal-wear strode to the front of the classroom, confidence oozing from every step. She places her items on the lectern and turns to begin writing her name.
"Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Ms. Elise Lovell; you may call me Professor Elise or Professor Lovell. No, boys, I am not free this weekend, and girls, wait till you're a little older to choose a man; these aren't fully cooked yet. Now, who could tell me what exactly SoulCurrent is?"
A few hands shot up, and Professor Lovell called on a random boy in the front.
Cyrn blinked, barely registering the question. His mind was still in the cafeteria. Still seeing her eyes, those cold, blue, angry eyes.
"SoulCurrent is energy used to power our bodies and spells, and it often manifests as affinities, which one could use to create their own spells."
Prof. Lovell nodded, "Close but not all the way there, anyone else?"
A few more hands were raised; this time, a girl two rows ahead of Cyrn was called on.
"SoulCurrent is an energy byproduct of our Soul. Every living thing has a Soul, and therefore SoulCurrent. This energy can be used to physically enhance our bodies, perform spells not needing a specific affinity, or manifest as an affinity, allowing someone to create and use spells. The stronger one's Soul is, the denser and purer their SoulCurrent, and the greater things they can accomplish."
"Good, but a textbook answer. Many different cultures view SoulCurrent and its power differently. People of the Cindral Dominion think their SoulCurrent and power are tied to bloodlines and family lineages. Saarweir believes it's related to how close one is to their god or the future, The Volligrad Union believes it's all about effort, and the Nomad Step believes it's tied to their oral traditions and stories sung of Heroes. No one is really sure if anyone else is right or wrong, but in short, SoulCurrent is power. The power to realize and manifest your desired future."
Cyrn took notes; a lot of information was just dumped on him, and he finally now has a rudimentary understanding of what exactly SoulCurrent is. However, this only leaves him more confused about his own existence.
I definitely have a soul, I think, so why the fuck don't I have SoulCurrent? Is it because my soul isn't from this world?
Before Cyrn could dwell on his existence any longer, Prof. Lovell spoke up again.
"Now, we mentioned SoulCurrent manifesting as an affinity. What does that exactly mean? You, in the back."
A random boy straightened his back, caught off guard but able to answer. "Affinities are what your individual SoulCurrent manifest has. It could be something basic like fire, or conceptual like time or mirrors."
"And what makes these affinities special, young man?"
"Any affinity you have can have a concept applied to it. A flame can be something that heals for one person, or burns for another. Air that increases one's speed or slices through steel."
"Exactly, but that's not all. The current Sword Saint, Sir Zacharias Blackwood, is this era's only time affinity wielder, and he conceptualizes time as an hourglass. Something manipulable, yet only ever moving in one direction. Now, you, in the middle, how do concepts and domains relate to one another?"
Prof. Lovell was staring right at Cyrn when she asked this question. He suddenly froze up and admitted, "I'm not sure, ma'am."
Prof. Lovell chuckled a little. "Alright, I'll give you a pass because you're cute, but only this time ok? Anybody else?"
Cyrn blushed a little at the comment. He had seen himself in the mirror when he went to Elyon's house, and was pleasantly surprised that his features had become a little sharper, but his eyes really sold it. They were an alluring blood red.
No one spoke up, but before Cyrn could continue to admire himself, Professor Lovell traced a glowing sigil in the air. "Imagine a flame user conjures a blazing field — not real fire, but their idea of fire. Now, inside that space, their rules apply. Your ice doesn't freeze unless their concept allows it. That's a Domain."
"Let's keep with the Sword Saint. When inside his domain, time inside the space is utterly under his control. He can move it forward and backward and at different speeds in different areas of the domain. It is incredibly powerful, and why he's currently considered the strongest person on the continent right now."
"Now, domain clashes are interesting, but far too advanced for you guys right now, so let's return to concepts".
"Applying a concept to your affinity is a gradual process. It starts with visualization — seeing your power not as energy, but as meaning. Not all of you will succeed. Most won't."
Cyrn was stunned. SoulCurrent was infinitely more complex than he ever could've imagined. Everyone here has a path. A power. A future. Except me.