A Little Bit

Leonel didn't answer for a very long time. For a moment, Alienor began to worry about the same thing her own mother had. Had she been away from Leonel's life for too long to be able to ask such a question? Should she have waited longer? But, the result wasn't what she thought it would be.

"… I regret how I did it."

Leonel's voice was still somewhat hoarse. When he pulled back from his mother's embrace and leaned back against the walls of the cave he had created, a flickering sort of indecision was still within his gaze. He still couldn't understand.

"How you did it?" Alienor probed.

Despite her streak as a clean freak, something she seemed to have only passed onto her son in part, if it was for Leonel, she didn't mind sitting on these dirty floors.

"… There was no need to be so cruel. I don't know why I did that. The words came out before I could even control them.

"I just… I just don't think I want to be with her anymore and didn't want to give her an opportunity. But I should have figured out another way…"

"You don't?"

Alienor looked deeply at her son. Leonel's rage seemed to be fueled by something other than what he said. But, she couldn't tell exactly what that was. That said, his statement was as clear as day.

"My mind is too clear and my path is too straight without her. I've made more progress in just a few days than I used to make in months. My head used to be filled with thoughts of her and even the lens I saw the world through was filtered through her first. But when I let go everything improved."

"And that's what you want? To follow your path over everything else?"

"It's not what I want. It's what needs to happen." Leonel closed his eyes. "This world is filled with nothing but trash. Maybe I was angry because today I became one of them."

Alienor's expression softened even more considerably than it did before, her finger gliding over her son's forehead and fixing the sweaty strands of his hair.

"And what is your goal?"

"To unite the Dimensional Verse." Leonel said softly.

Alienor's heart skipped a beat. Even with his eyes closed, Alienor could sense the determination of her son.

"It's quite stupid, isn't it? That's what she said, anyway." Leonel continued. "But maybe it is. I left the arena today even though I know how important getting into the Void Palace is, and I don't even feel like appearing for the third day of the Selections, not that they would even allow me to make it past…"

Leonel felt like an idiot. His mistakes compounded. Now he had let himself down and he couldn't even enter the Void Palace anymore. Great on his part, really. Top tier.

Alienor smiled and shook her head. Her son was clearly still unaware that the Tokens were all in her hands. She flipped over a palm and a gem of shimmering Amethyst appeared. It was carved into the shape of a coin the size of a palm. On its body, a dark and brooding palace could be seen.

Leonel's eyes snapped open. He could feel a strong might coming from the Token, a might that could only come from a higher Dimensional material. Just looking at it, it was at least on the same level as the Memory Ore Uncle Montez had given him, if not beyond.

"This is…?"Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

"This is the Amethyst Token. Mom can give it to you, but you have to promise not to tell your father. He'd throw a fit."

Leonel was stunned for a moment before he began to laugh. His laugh was in one part ironic, another part because he truly found the situation to be funny, and a final part sad.

This world was truly unfair. Who knew how many were risking their lives for a chance to grasp this Amethyst Token, yet his mother was handing it to him without him having proved anything.

Did Leonel think he could get the Token on his own? Yes. But it didn't make a difference to him at all. After all, even if he did earn it the normal way, he would have to rely on talent he was lucky to be born with to do so anyway.

Of course, Alienor didn't care about all of that. She wasn't exactly sane when it came to matters related to her son. Maybe the only reason Miel still had a head on his shoulders was because Alienor's heart softened for that little girl. But, even then, she didn't reprimand her son.

Luckily, it seemed that Leonel was aware of his own mistakes.

Leonel took the Token, moving it between his fingers. It carried a great heft to it.

"Can you give this to her?" Leonel asked.

Alienor blinked. "… Are you sure? Every representative is only given a single one. Even I can't get you a second. The advantage of having one is very great. One of my regrets is that I wasn't patient enough for my true talent to awaken and couldn't get one myself."

Leonel shook her head. "She deserves at least this much for an apology. Revenge for her mother is very important to her and her luck is less than that of mine. I have you and dad, but she… Well, anyway, a Gold Token is enough for me."

Alienor smiled, a hint of sadness in her eyes. This wasn't because Leonel had turned down her good will, but because she could hear the affection in her son's voice… And it most definitely wasn't aimed toward her.

However, Alienor also understood from her own experience with relationships that no outside party could ever force anything to happen. She would have to wait for Leonel to figure it out himself, and she hoped that it wouldn't be too late for him by then.

'I guess… that little girl isn't so bad. Maybe I can help her out a little bit…'

…

On another side of Planet Montex, Aina sat in silence, her tears having dried. She looked off into the distance blankly, not even budging when she noticed Savahn's presence behind her.