My mother glanced at me but ignored my presence; apparently, she wasn’t here for me. The two headmasters near Velexa tensed. Still, she commented on me anyway.

"I see you've corrupted my exiled son," she said, her voice oozing with contempt. "Even going so far as to have him become a bearer of one of those burdensome beasts. How utterly embarrassing." She paused for a moment, her gaze shifting away from me. "While I did come to witness his execution, I will not allow you to take away our protector of the eastern front."

“Even you can’t save her, Esmerelda Conmor.” Responded Blood Giant, his voice deep and hinting at an existing resentment.

“We’ll just have to see, aura rats.” White Lightning came over her and stormed around the entire snowcapped area. A nova of the lightning spread before me; she had gotten even more ridiculous than the last time I saw my mother. It had been roughly over eight years since that day.

The lightning was arching everywhere, including some coming to fry my body. Elnara stood up and deflected the lightning like it was a bothersome fly. She did it with such ease it was as though the lightning was merely an annoyance rather than a dangerous force of nature.

Glancing behind her over at me, her gaze steeled. “Keep watch over him, Verdenia.”

Verdenia, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded and moved closer to me. She murmured fiercely, her voice barely audible over the storm, "No one is taking my Solaen away from me again."

Grand mage Esmerelda was an imposing figure radiating power and authority; she watched with a cold, unforgiving gaze as Velexa was being taken away. Her anger and determination ignited in a lightning storm, fueling her resolve to intervene by any means necessary. She wasn’t like Velexa, a new grand mage. Instead, she had been stuck at the very peak of that mage ring for over two decades now.

Elnara, sensing the impending clash, braced herself for the storm that was about to unfold. Nature's essence surged around her, intertwining with her body as she prepared to protect the citadel and ensure the capture of Velexa. She clenched her legs; then the ground cratered when she sped in the air towards Esmerelda. Several paths of nature were infused around her.

The three headmasters were standing guard over Velexa now, ensuring they didn’t lose such a critically important captive. Velexa had to pay a price; she wasn’t leaving them today. The various elders and instructors were tending to the wounded, as well as me. A few erected various barriers of power. While the headmasters could potentially interfere with the fight, the elders and teachers would just get in the way.

Esmerelda's hand swept through the air, summoning streaks of white lightning that crackled and seared the sky as they hurtled toward Elnara. The air crackled and sizzled as the elements clashed, Elnara harnessing the raw nature’s essence to deflect and counter the onslaught. Plants of iron sprouted in the air.

Vibrant green tendrils of energy sprouted from Elnara's fingertips, weaving a shield of entwined vines to fend off the relentless assault. Leaves rustled, and flowers bloomed within the battlefield, their serene beauty standing stark against the destructive power.

The sky was a canvas painted with the spectacle of their clash. The dazzling lightning and the vibrant force of nature danced together in a mesmerizing display, their battle lighting up the night sky. Each sizzling arc of white lightning, every pulse of nature's essence, the two sides clashing with power beyond any ordinary follower of a path to power.

As the battle raged on, I watched, torn between the remnants of wanting to be accepted by my mother and the trust I had developed for Elnara. My heart was heavy with conflicting emotions, but not for long. Things had changed; that woman made me, but that’s all. She may as well be a stranger now. What sort of crazy person do you have to be only to come to watch your son get executed? Good riddance.

For a rare moment of vulnerability, my mother's eyes met mine, her expression a mixture of anger and disappointment. In that fleeting connection, I saw the depth of her expectations mingled with the weight of her choices. It was a glimpse of the woman she once was before the burdens of mana and duty shaped her into this shell of a person. It reminded me of my earliest years of life. Before all the hope of me becoming a mage, just like her, and then failing to do so.

Elnara, ever perceptive, recognized the turmoil within Esmerelda and seized the opportunity. With a decisive shift in her tactics, she redirected her energies towards a more offensive approach. Her movements became fluid; grand ice treants began to appear, and gigantic steel plants bloomed, becoming lightning rods for the white lightning, absorbing the power for further growth. A grand array of green light was forming. Esmerelda’s power was being used as fuel to create a hurricane against her, indescribable in its power. Her lightning, now hostile against her, tinted green as if obeying the nature of Elnara.

Despite Esmeralda’s absurdly skilled displays of white lightning, Elnara seemed nearly bored. She wasn’t struggling at all. More and more nature bloomed around her; her strength was only growing. Being an ever-calculating person, Esmeralda understood with a transcendent here that even she could do nothing. Elnara was the equivalent of an Archon mage. With a cold stare, she shot off, rings of white lightning accelerating her faster than ever. At least, that would explain how she got here so quickly.

Elnara let her go, glancing at me as she did so. Ironic, the woman who exiled me was spared because of me. You could argue that the debt I owed her for letting me live, despite being cursed, was repaid. Now, that debt was owed to Elnara instead. Elnara quickly came back down, acting as if she had only taken a nature walk, and then, without a word, started to come back to healing me.

As Elnara and Verdenia tended to my broken body, their hands moved gently, their expressions reflecting concern and…guilt. The snowy area was filled with a quiet atmosphere, allowing moments of conversation to break the monotony of healing.

Seeing nothing else to do, some of the others around set up a tent over me; an animal fur was placed gently under my body. They must’ve decided moving my body back to the citadel over a distance may be too dangerous in my condition.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Elnara focused on the mending process and broke the silence first. Her voice had a soothing quality, tinged with a hint of playfulness. "You have a talent for courting danger, Falond." She chuckled lightly, her fingers weaving their healing magic over my wounds. "Your little dramatic performance certainly got the auramancers into a frenzy. Lost without their precious Moth.” A playful smile softened her face. "Thankfully, we're here to patch you up. And would you look at that? Even your dear mother graced us with her presence. How... considerate of her."

Her light-hearted jab was met with a stern glance from Verdenia, her protective instincts flaring subtly at the casual mention of my estranged mother.

Hmph. I guess Mundara wasn’t too pleased with being referred to as The Moth now.

As they continued to work, the conversation shifted to lighter topics, sharing stories and anecdotes to distract me from the discomfort. I was glad they did; turns out getting healed enough to put your body back from being practically dismembered was not pain-free. While I appreciated the help the two elves had given me, something still bothered me. Seeing no better time than the present, I went straight for the throat, asking, “Why put a seal on my memories like that, Elnara?”

Elnara had nearly stopped healing me when I said that. She was, for once, caught off guard. Her eyes flickered with surprise, but she quickly regained her composure. With a gentle sigh, she replied, "So, the seal finally broke, huh? I thought as much when I noticed your mana veins being reborn, stronger than ever. But rest assured, they'll vanish soon. You understand why I did it, Falond. I thought you had taken a vow of silence, handsome.”

Drawing a deep breath, she continued, her voice gentle yet stern. "I hope your recent experience in the mage's dungeon made it clear that you're far from ordinary. Even without being an auramancer myself, I can tell you’re far more powerful than when I last saw you. In fact, your body can’t handle the sheer amount of aura you have inside right now. The nature’s aura I gave you is helping you keep your body together for now. But the only real solution is to open the first gate. It's surprising you're ready this soon."

In a firmer tone, I pressed on, "Stop dancing around the subject, Elnara. Out with it."

She began, her voice steady and matter of fact, "Your craving for mana back then would have only fed your mana demon and—"

"You mean Ravatel?" I interjected.

The briefest flicker of surprise crossed her features, but she recovered swiftly. "The fact that it has a name proves sealing your desire alongside some memories was the right decision. Also, it's quite impolite to interrupt ladies mid-conversation," she chided, her trademark grin returning.

I was in no mood to apologize. Sure, she'd just put considerable effort into healing me, but that didn't cancel out the fact that she'd manipulated my memories without consent. Forgiveness wasn't forthcoming, not just yet.

Without missing a beat, Elnara continued, "In order to truly excel at one power path, you must forsake any longing for another. Your world, and especially my people, need you at your strongest. Do you recall the vow you made to me?"

I bit back, my voice laced with frustration. "That doesn't give you the right to toy with my memories as if they're part of some game."

Practically ignoring what I said, she went on. “The seal managed to interfere with the Oracle's black mark, although it also made your initiator's mark useless until now. The church of the portal couldn’t track you down just yet because of it.”

She'd caught my attention. I'd heard of the black mark before but still didn't understand it. And who was this Oracle?

“Confused, I asked, "What's with these marks? Who is the Oracle? What's the first gate? Why should I care about the Church?"

Elnara patiently clarified, “The Oracle is the mage most attuned to this world's fate. She marks those who are the greatest threat to the mages. Even I’ve got one. Your black mark is her way of making mages hunt you down. It’s like a tracer; any mage within hundreds of miles will sense where you are if it’s not covered. For now, I’ll mask it for you. However, mages who get too close will sense your black mark even with that. Be careful.”

“As for the gate, your body has already started the first step. You were forced into it because of your desperate situation. You’ll break apart if you don’t burst through the first gate and ascend. For you, however, it will be an anticlimactic trial; you are overqualified by now. When your headmaster doesn’t have his hands full, he will likely take you to a chamber to shatter the gate. You could ask Hadrian to set it up."

"Let's discuss the Church another time," Elnara advised, shifting the focus elsewhere.

Hadrian was nearby, seeming to guard the entrance to our tent. He had joined the upper echelons back then and even erected a barrier of aura over me at the beginning of Elnara’s short fight. I called out to him, “Just come in already, Hadrian.” He must’ve overheard our conversation anyway.

“I’ve gained a handful for an apprentice. My eyes leave you for a few minutes, and you go and disappear. Was your vacation from training nice?” His words were sharp, but his tone portrayed his real feelings. He was feeling shame and guilt. Not wanting to instigate him, since I would need him to let me break the first gate, I just moved on.

"Hadrian," I began, "I need a favor."

He already knew what I was going to ask. "I can see that, Falond. Once you're healed, I'll take you to the chamber to unlock the first gate. You'll be a full-fledged auramancer, no doubt about it. It’s a shame you won’t finish your initiation before then; I’ll have to figure out a specialized training method for you later. For now, rest.”

Despite his stern demeanor, there was a note of pride in his voice, which also brought a touch of pride within me. Elnara and Verdenia were done with critically needed healing by this point.

Elnara spoke up, her voice a soft melody in the quiet tent, "You need some more rest and a few more healing sessions, Falond. We'll continue once we get you back to the citadel's medical ward. Hadrian, Verdenia has something to share with Falond. Shall we give them a moment?"

Hadrian merely nodded in response, and with their exit, Verdenia and I were left alone in the tent. For a few moments, there was silence, broken by

"Do you know what Solaen means?." Her words tumbled out in a rush, her eyes scared of what was to come.

"Sun, wasn't?" was all I could manage. Confused at why she as mentioning it now.

"Well, that's one meaning. She replied, leaving the other meaning unsaid.

"Then, what is the other?" Pushing for answers now that they were so close.

"It means, my....other-half." She said, looking down toward the floor unable to face me.

"So, that contract was a?" My voice trailed off.

"A specially modified partnering between the two of us. It subtlety influences how you feel toward me, and toward elves in general." Shame was dripping in her voice.

Her words floored me. Just what thoughts were actually my own? First a mana demon influencing my desire for mana, memories being manipulated and now some contract influencing how I feel towards a girl and a whole group of people? Did I actually feel anything real toward the woman then? Only one question came to mind.

"How do I undo the contract, Verdenia?" My voice was tense.

"You...you can't. I'm sorry Falond. I didn't mean.." Verdenia started.

"Leave, now." I shut her down.

"Fal-"

"Just go, it's been clear from the start hasn't it? I'll still come to you for lessons, regardless of anything, you taught me as best you could. I'll see you when I rise to the next tier. Contract or not, your training helped save my life." Despite being blind, I tried my best to have my eyes burn into her.

She left, the sound of tears dropping from her face didn't escape my soundscape.