Chapter 21 - The Power Called Special Eyes

Nathan Evenhart:

Chloe and I were walking through some corridors that I dared not enter before and didn’t even know existed. The place was enormous, and I had no idea how a 5-year-old child had memorized these routes and paths.

“You’re not one to stay still, huh? How do you know all these ways?” I asked the little girl leading the way.

“It’s fun to walk around, but I also had training from my mom. You’ll get it too. There are some routes we need to memorize in case any kind of incident happens.”

I whistled, impressed. “Looks like they’ve thought of everything…”

Chloe led me into a room after several flights of stairs. The floor was covered in grass, and there was even a small pond. The ceiling was very high but painted black. The place was dimly lit by some torches and even had a few trees.

“It’s real grass! What is this place?”

“Of course, it’s real grass, silly. This is a place where mom lets me camp and play explorer.”

I looked around, amazed. They built this place underground just for this?

“She said it’s also fun to practice magic here, but I can’t use it yet,” Chloe said as she went over to the small pond.

“You’re going to be a mage too?” I asked.

Chloe smiled. “Yes! I love magic and have read many books about it. I have lots in the library.”

“Really? Did you also do that mana measurement test?”

She gave me a puzzled look. “Why would I? I already know I’m going to be a mage because my parents are mages. It’s even written in the books that you shouldn’t do the test to avoid accidents if you come from a mage family.”

“True… but what if someone skips the fine print…”

“Who would be stupid enough to skip the fine print? They’re small to make you pay attention and read them.”

I looked away, pretending to examine the surroundings. “You’d have to be really stupid…” I agreed.

Quickly, I tried to change the subject. “Can you lend me some of your magic books?” I asked her.

“Of course, I’ll recommend my favorites. I really like the ones where historians describe the philosophical depths of mana and what it can represent for nature.”

Wow… is this girl really 5 years old?

“I meant something a bit more… practical. Something that teaches how to use mana…” I tried to explain.

Chloe sat at the edge of the small pond. “I do have some that talk about that, but the best magic books can only be accessed with authorization. Only mages can buy them, and mom won’t let me have access to them. They’re expensive and limited.”

I made a sad face and sighed, sitting next to her. It’s going to be useless then… I need to learn this quickly.

“But don’t worry,” she said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “When our Gem awakens, we’ll have access to a teacher who will initiate us in magic. Then we can go to the Magic Academy and learn a lot more.”

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I’m being consoled by a 5-year-old…

“And how will I know when my Gem is awakened?” I asked her.

She laughed. “It’ll be like a little bird breaking out of its egg. You’ll feel it and might even hear something cracking. At least, that’s what my mom said. When that happens, your vision will get a bit strange, like the world is surrounded by rainbows. And if you’re lucky, you might even get a ‘Special Eye,’ but that’s rare and almost never happens,” she said, making circles with her hands and placing them in front of her eyes.

Special Eye?

“What’s a Special Eye?” I asked my cousin.

“It’s a rare side effect that can happen to a mage’s body. Almost nobody gets it. No one knows the exact requirements, but when our magic awakens, our mana travels at high speed throughout our body, including our eyes. The magical energy can cause a side effect that stores mana in the eyes, creating what’s called a ‘Special Eye.’ These eyes can contain unique magic, and no one knows what this power will be—you’ll have to discover it for yourself,” she explained.

That’s so cool!

“And how will I know if I have Special Eyes?” I asked, feeling excited.

Wow, magic is really awesome.

“You’ll be the only one to know if you have Special Eyes. They might have powers you’ll discover over time. Even you won’t know if you have them when your Gem awakens, but some rare people have their eye color change immediately. So, if you want to check right away, just look at your eye color, but that’s not a guarantee. When the Gem awakens, if someone has a Special Eye, it starts the process in their eyes, and you have to wait a while for this second awakening, where they gain access to the eye power, and the color changes then,” she said.

So, it takes time and doesn’t have a definite confirmation.

“It’ll be hard to tell if we have Special Eyes when our Gem awakens,” I murmured.

Chloe laughed and patted my shoulder. “It’s rare for someone to get Special Eyes, so don’t think too much about it. I’m just happy knowing I’ll be a mage. Mages are rare, and a mage with Special Eyes is even rarer,” she said.

I pondered a bit about the possibilities. Good thing I have mage parents. I’d hate to be born in this world without being able to use magic. I’m already disappointed that this place has Aura and I can’t use it.

“Come on! Let’s get in the water. I love playing here, and the water is clean,” Chloe said, pushing me into the water.

“Hey!” I said, now soaked.

She started laughing and then jumped into the water. “It’s freezing!” I exclaimed.

“Just start playing, and you’ll warm up,” she said, splashing water at me.

I got lured into a trap by a little girl…

Katherine Evenhart:

Everyone had just left the throne room, leaving only me and Margaery.

I descended those steps. The right to stand on the throne’s step represented the level of trust, and not just anyone could stand there. Only the Legacies could stand on a step. It symbolized the authority we held in that place.

Anyone who entered would have to look up, and we’d be in the dominant position. Only the worthy and closest could stand on the step, and it was even considered a crime if an outsider dared to step on them.

I looked at the throne and sighed. Margaery began to descend and walk in my direction.

"Get used to it. It wasn't easy for me either, seeing my husband guiding us from that throne and then having to do it myself when he died. Now, you are the mother of the future Duke. You must honor your position," she said.

I kept walking, following her.

"I know... I just didn't want it to come to this. It's a whirlwind of emotions, having to return to this place, and I feel guilty for putting my son in this situation."

As we entered the corridor of the old kings, she closed the door behind us.

"It feels like you're betraying your son and stealing his future, doesn't it?" she asked.

That’s exactly how I felt. I could barely look at him without feeling like the worst mother in the world.

"That's exactly it, Margie."

"Of course it is, that's what you did," she said with a laugh.

I glared at her.

"But it was for his own good. I didn't want this either. Ideally, my daughter and my nephew would grow up away from these problems, and the best way to protect them was to keep them together. Even if you had continued as a fugitive, there would come a time when he would have to return here and become a Legacy of Evenhart, and you know that. Now, our children are protected, and even though we took away their right to choose their marriage partners, we gave them a life they could never have imagined," she said as we walked.

"I still haven't fully accepted it. Even knowing it was the best outcome, I can't accept the decision we made. My heart aches with what I've done," I admitted.

Margaery stopped in front of a blank wall, then turned to me and said, "To hell with our aching hearts. We made the best decision in this chaotic situation. Let me tell you something I concluded long before we sent that document. The truth is, I would have arranged this engagement even if we weren't in this situation."

I stared at her, narrowing my eyes.