Chapter 59 : Mind Manipulation Magic

Later, on a hill overlooking the village:

I walk next to Elvie, silent but pensive. Behind us, Valentin and Alfira follow closely. We lied to Aliosi, saying we had to leave to complete the quest. The bitter taste of that lie lingers in my mouth, but I didn’t really have a choice.

"Aley… is she really your sister?" Valentin suddenly asks, breaking the silence. His eyes are filled with doubt, as if he’s trying to piece together an impossible puzzle.

"Yes… and no. Aliosi is dead," I reply immediately, my voice heavy. And it’s my fault…

A heavy silence falls. Valentin seems hesitant to ask his next question but eventually gives in to his curiosity.

"I’m sorry for you, Aley… but in that case, who were we just talking to?" he finally exclaims, his voice full of confusion. He continues walking but accidentally steps on a twig, which snaps loudly under his foot. The sound makes all of us jump slightly. We glance back at him, exchanging puzzled looks, before resuming our march through the yellow flowers swaying in the wind.

"In the past, I was the God of Hatred, Aleystria. A title I earned by unintentionally causing countless innocent victims… including Aliosi. She absorbed far too much Stria for her frail body," I finally say, my voice laden with regret. Then, after a pause, I continue:

"Everything she said is true. However, there are dark parts of my memory, like this one, that I deliberately buried in an attempt to forget them. And yet, all of the answers from this… 'Aliosi' are strangely perfect, as if she knew everything beforehand. In other words, the person we just spoke to is using some sort of—"

Suddenly, Elvie stops dead in her tracks, her eyes fixed on the horizon. The wind rises around us, howling across the hill. Though the sun still shines high in the sky, a chilling tension settles. My heart tightens.

"Mind manipulation magic…" she murmurs softly, finishing my sentence.

"Indeed," I confirm gravely. "We have almost no resistance to it. All the members of Novus Obris use a specific skill system for their magic. As Valentin mentioned, there’s an academy in Iveralmn to help people master those abilities. Unlike them, we rely solely on innate power. Elvie and I… we lean too much on the Stria."

At these words, Alfira speaks up in a faint but serious voice.

"Mind manipulation magic… so that’s what that strange energy coming from the village was. I’m not sure I fully understand the implications…"

"For now, we’re going to hunt this dragon," I say firmly, making an effort to inject some confidence into my voice to reassure everyone. "Then we’ll return to the village as if nothing happened. Don’t let yourselves be manipulated. I’ll try to get information from this so-called Aliosi."

My gaze shifts toward the small village nestled below. It appears peaceful, almost idyllic under the golden rays of the sun… but I know something dark lurks there. The beauty of the place is a trap, a facade.

What does the princess of Voltruite truly want from us?

No matter. There’s no point in asking questions I can’t answer right now. For the moment, Novus Obris has a clear quest: a dragon extermination. Nothing simpler.

"Hey, Aley… do you remember Phloriphis?" Elvaria suddenly asks, her gentle voice interrupting my thoughts.

"Yes?" I reply, a bit distracted.

"Is she pretty?"

"Why are you asking that?"

"She has red hair, like me."

"I know."

"Do you like her?"

"No?"

"So you don’t like my red hair either…?"

"I do?"

"But you just said you don’t like Phlo!"

"Well… because you’re not Phlo."

"So you like me?"

"Yes…?"

"Good, then that’s fine," she concludes, looking perfectly satisfied as she turns back to focus on the path ahead.

I didn’t understand a word of that conversation. Absolutely none of it. But it doesn’t matter. We continue walking through the hills covered in yellow flowers, moving further and further away from the village. The wild grass and flowers brush gently against our clothes, creating that familiar, soothing rustling sound.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

The sun begins to slowly set, casting long, golden shadows across the landscape. According to Aliosi’s directions, the dragon nests in a cave nestled in a nearby hill. Officially, the second princess of Voltruite has requested its execution, but… at what cost? And more importantly, why?

"Aley," Valentin suddenly interjects seriously, breaking the moment’s quiet.

"Yes?" I reply, turning my head toward him.

"Where are you from, on Earth?"

"Excuse me?"

"I asked: where are you from on Earth, before we arrived in this world, you and me."

I understand the question perfectly, but his sudden curiosity catches me off guard.

"I heard you; I was just… surprised. Why do you want to know?"

"Your name, Aley, it’s the first time I’ve heard it. I’m wondering which country you’re from to have a name like that. And your brother, you said his name is Lux?"

"In my first incarnation, my name was also Aley. I suppose that, one way or another, fate pushed my parents to give me the same name a second time?"

"Do you think that makes sense? Lux… like Luxentrost, a fairy tale hero. You know, the one who’s said to be a dimensional traveler."

"You’re suggesting Lux is a reincarnation too?"

"And your sister’s name, it’s Alicia, right?"

"Yes?"

"And your sister in your first incarnation was called Aliosi. Don’t you find that strange?"

"Now that you mention it…"

"Then answer me, what country are you from?"

"I’m from—" I open my mouth to answer, but suddenly, Elvaria throws herself at me and wraps me in a hug without warning, cutting the conversation short. Her comforting warmth surrounds me as the cool mountain air brushes against us. She probably doesn’t have any specific reason; she just… wants a bit of attention.

I can feel Alfira watching us, her gaze growing darker and darker. The jealousy in her eyes is almost tangible. I’m genuinely starting to fear she’ll explode.

And then, suddenly, I sense something. A magical particle streaks through the air at an incredible speed, almost imperceptible yet strange. Different. It emits a strident vibration, painful to my ears, though no sound is actually audible. It heads toward the village, and its origin seems much farther away.

"D-Did you see that?" I exclaim, startled, turning in the direction it was heading.

"The concentration of magic in that thing… it’s completely insane," murmurs Valentin, his hands trembling slightly.

"GRAGHB—!" Without warning, Alfira collapses to her knees, writhing in pain, her hands pressed against her chest. Her face contorts as if an unbearable agony is overtaking her.

"Are you okay, Alfie?!" cries Elvaria, rushing to her side to hold her, her concern visible.

But, in just a few moments, Alfira straightens up as if nothing happened. Her face, marked by pain just seconds ago, now displays a calm and peaceful expression.

She stares blankly ahead before murmuring, almost inaudibly: "Gift of the King reacted to that particle…"

Her words hang in the air, suspended between us. Even she seems unable to believe what she just said.

For Gift of the King to react… that magic must have a human origin.

----------------------------------------

After a few more minutes of walking, an imposing mountain rises before us. A massive fissure splits it in two, and from this gaping opening emerge several dark caves. This formation, strange and fascinating, has been nicknamed "The Dragon’s Perch" by the villagers of Eclipse.

"We’re finally here," I murmur, relieved to have arrived at last.

The dragon is supposed to be inside. Yet, there’s nothing. No vibrations, no breathing. However, a powerful magic constantly flows from the caves, like an invisible and relentless river, similar to the particle we encountered earlier. It seems to be drawn elsewhere, but where?

"This whole thing is getting weirder and weirder…" murmurs Elvaria. A bead of sweat slides down her temple as she forces a smile, trying to mask her stress.

I approach the entrance of the cave from which this strange energy emanates. It emits no sound, but its pull is irresistible, as if something inside is trying to draw us in.

Behind me, Valentin hangs back. His gaze fixes intently on the gaping opening, as if desperately trying to remember something important.

"This feels familiar… I have to remember…" he mutters, lost in thought.

Elvaria, worried about me venturing in alone, walks up to my side. She walks alongside me, her cautious steps echoing softly on the rocky ground.

Finally, I stand a step away from the cave’s entrance.

"I’m going in…" I murmur, ready to enter.

"Give me your hand," Elvaria suddenly asks, standing beside me. She gently extends her hand, a mix of fear and determination in her eyes.

I look at her for a moment, then, without a word, I reach out to give her my hand. Her fingers grip mine tightly, as if to remind me that I’m not alone.

I take a step inside the cave, and instantly, a buried memory resurfaces.

"Aley, iz my turn to pway!" complains a little girl. Her green hair, her bright green eyes, her pouty face tinged with tears… I recognize her immediately. It’s her. Aliosi, my sister. The real one.

"But I was here first!" exclaims a boy, his soft brown hair reflecting the sunlight. His ebony-black eyes shine with childish determination.

I quickly realize I’m immersed in a childhood memory. Me, at seven years old, and Aliosi, my miniature twin, so fragile, so precious.

"But you’re not being nice…" murmurs Aliosi, on the verge of tears, her small body trembling with sadness.

"I was the first to find the stick…" murmurs young Aley, stubbornly.

"But I want to play too…"

"But you’ll just play by yourself, I bet!"

"No!"

"Then who are you going to play with? Your friends from the village—"

"No, I want to play with big brother Aley…" she replies before bursting into tears, crying her heart out, her face buried in her little hands.

"A-Ah… Sorry, Aliosi, sorry! You’re going to alert Mom if you keep crying, stop crying! Here, take the stick! We’ll play together, okay?"

"Y-You promise?" she asks, sniffing, clumsily wiping away her tears.

"Yes, I promise! I’m your big brother, I’ll never betray you," my younger self replies, wearing a proud and innocent smile. But it’s only a lie… I will betray her. Because of me, she will die. Aliosi…

I snap back to reality, standing at the entrance of the cave, tears in my eyes.

"A-Aley, are you okay?" asks Elvaria, turning toward me, her gaze filled with concern.

But before I can respond, Alfira barrels toward us like a cannonball, running with frantic energy and an expression of focus that’s unlike her. It’s so absurd to see her so serious that I smile despite myself.

"A particle of that strange magic hit you in the head! Are you okay, Aley?" she cries, shaking me violently, her hands gripping my shoulders as if I might collapse at any moment.

"Stop shaking him like a fruit tree, Alfira! Leave him alone!" interjects Elvaria, raising her voice to restore some order to the chaos.

"Calm down, and let’s head into the cave. It doesn’t seem dangerous," adds Valentin as he approaches calmly, his hands in his pockets as if none of this is a problem.

I wipe my tears with the back of my hand, exchanging a quick glance with Elvaria, then turn to face the menacing darkness of the cave.

"Let’s go," I say simply, ready to discover what awaits us in these depths.