Once, Alnea used to think that digging Aspect Wells meant hacking at the ground of his Spirit World with a shovel, just like how a normal well was dug in his world. Not by Wanderers, of course. By normal people. Wanderers could just use their fantastical powers to dig a well in a matter of moments. However, he had forgotten that people who dug their Aspect Wells in their Spirit World were also Wanderers. If they wished to dig a well, all they had to do was use their fantastical powers to do so.

Not the Aspects, and the Mysteries, of course. There was no need to go so overboard with digging just a mere well. Besides, that was not how digging Aspect Wells worked. The ground of his Spirit World, all the rocks, and even the pebbles, through which he had to dig, were formed from his own memories, from his experiences. If he wished to dig through them, he would have to slash away at his memories, at what he stood for. And for that, what he needed was not some awe inspiring power of the Origin Sea, but just a resolve. An unyielding resolve to keep moving forward no matter what happened.

And Alnea never lacked in his resolve. Wrapping the edges of the sword in his hand with his resolve, forming the sharpest blade in existence—in his Spirit World— Alnea pointed its tip towards the ground, and let it slide its way through the rocks. And as he had expected, the rocks resisted, refusing to yield way for the blade. Thus ensued a clash between the rock, and his blade. A clash between his memories, and his resolve. Memories of the time when his father was still alive. Memories of the time when his mother had the brightest smile. Memories…

“Come on, Ernith, let’s go!”

“We have to wait for dad… He said that he would come today, no matter what.”

“A guard from the Redbud family came by earlier… he promised to meet us directly at the Altar after completing it.”

“Really? Did he really say that? Is he really coming?”

“…Today is the day our son is going to lay his Roots and take his first step as a Wanderer. He wouldn’t miss it for the world…”

“Don’t mess my hair… It took me so long to set it.”

“…Have you decided on what you want as your Root?”

“…I want to be a Warrior… I am going to take you as my Roots.”

“…What will you give to the Origin…?”

“My ability to love anyone else other than you… I don’t need anyone else!”

“What if someone learns of your Roots, and then tries to take advantage of it?”

“Easy, I will just have to protect you…”

Protect. It was to protect, that he had dig his Aspect Well. It was to protect, that he had to swing his sword. Such a memory was not enough to make his resolve waver. A memory… Which memory had he just slashed? It seemed like an important memory. A happy memory. A precious memory… He had very few of those. Happy, and precious memories…

But that was not enough to make him stop. It was not even enough to make him tremble. Changing the grip on his sword, Alnea began dragging it against the ground. Against the rocks. Against the memories… His memories…

“You are even more of an idiot than your father… And much cuter as well, especially when you try to act so manly.”

“I am not a kid anymore, mom!”

But he did not stop.

“I did not know you could be so funny as well, Alnea…”

“What do you want?”

“I want to be friends with you.”

He did not waver.

“I would like that. A true friend.”

“How about I become your true friend?”

He never lost his resolve.

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“…would be willing to be my disciple?”

“Can you help me become the greatest Wanderer?”

He was Alnea Oathkeeper.

“…you are my only hope, Alnea. Only you can save my clan…”

“I, Alnea Oathkeeper, am taking an Oath that I will always be a true friend to Yuri Faed…”

He lived for the people whom he took his Oaths for.

“...When I become stronger, I will drive away all the Thralls back to the Origin Sea, and to the place that they come from. After that, we will never have to be separated again.”

“...You want to never be separated from me?”

“Yes!”

For the people he loved.

“Then what about Cecilia?”

“Her too. And not just her. There is also Yuri. And my mother. And my master. I want to be together with everyone for all the time to come. And protect them. I want to be the strongest, and the greatest Wanderer, so that no one will ever be able to separate us. And then, I will live happily with everyone.”

And that was why he could not stop. Not even when he felt all his memories slipping away from him. No… Not slipping away from him. They were being slashed apart. And he was the one who was slashing them. Driving them to them to some unknown parts of the Origin Sea. They would all come back in time. Yet it still hurt, knowing that there was something missing from him. Something so essential, that it had become a part of his Heart, a part of his existence.

It was right there, just a sliver away from his reach, waiting for him to come, and get it. But he never could. No matter how hard he tried, he could not remember the memories he had slashed apart. The memories that he was slashing still. With every step that he took, he had to slash a memory that made him who he was. With his memories, he did not even know what he was doing… why he was doing it… He just knew that he had to do it. He had to dig the well.

And so, he dug. Or rather, he slashed, dragging his sword around in the rocky ground of his Spirit World, creating a large circle that was larger than fifty metres in width. How much exactly, he did not know. Neither did he care. He just knew that he had to dig. So, he dug. But the circle was already complete. What did he have to do next?

Right. He had to blast a hole in the ground. So, he poured all of his Oren into his sword, passing it all into the ground, constantly channelling Oren into it, till he was almost out of Spirit Power, before—

“You made me realise who I am. And you saved me from the curse of my fate. You may not have given birth to me, but you are still my mother. The kindest, most caring, and the best mother, ever. And this kowtow is also in recognition of that fact. From this moment on, Alnea Oathkeeper is the son of Nyssa Thornbearer, and even the Origin Sea cannot change that fact. So, please accept my kowtow, mother.”

Alnea felt his Heart, and Serenity tremble, as the memory flashed in his mind. But his actions did not stop. He could not stop.

“Being your mother is my Good Fortune, child. Now get up. And let me see my son’s face.”

Crushing his Heart, Alnea exploded the sword, along with all the Oren in the ground, creating an explosion, that blasted away all his memories that were hindering his resolve. That were stopping him from digging the Aspect Well. He was… He was… He…

“The one you people have targeted is my disciple, and my son.”

Son. He was her son. He was the son of—

“Nyssa Thornbearer… There are only three people in the world who know that name. And two of them are in this room…”

He was—

“May Goddess Faein bear witness. I, Cecilia Serpia, promise that I will always be a true friend to Alnea Oathkeeper.”

A true friend…

“...Both Cecilia and I have been favoured by Goddess Ilea to have a friend like you, Alnea.”

People whom he had to protect.

“I promise that I will always take care of Cecilia… Don’t worry… I promise that I will always take care of you too.”

People whom he took his Oaths for…

“I, Alnea Oathkeeper, am taking an Oath, that along with my master, my mother, Nyssa Thornbearer, I will create a path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer, becoming the greatest Wanderer of all times…”

Alnea opened his eyes just as his Heart started piecing itself back together. He was still shaken, and a little lost, but he was fine. The memories… it could not be helped. Only by depriving a person of their memories, could the Origin Sea determine if their resolves were strong enough to wield the Aspects. Fortunately, this was just a test. And as such, his memories would soon be returned to him.

Before that though, he had something else to do. Looking at the massive hole in front of him, with a straight vertical drop, and smooth walls, Alnea urged the shield on his chest to move into its new home. And as if it had just been waiting for his prompt, the moment that his thoughts connected with his Aspect, the shield jumped away from him, and hovered above the hole, shining in a golden light, tainted with just the faintest of black.

However, even that black was shining in such a majestic light that just within moments, it had already dwarfed out the darkness of his Spirit World, let alone the golden light, that looked like it was borrowing its brightness from Enn himself. No, not just borrowing. If the previous shine of his Aspect had been like a miniature Enn, then what he was experiencing at the moment was akin to Enn himself descending in his Spirit World, lighting it up as if it was day.

Where day exists though, night must come following. And so, after a few brief moments, the brilliant lights faded away, giving way to the natural darkness of his Spirit World. Yet even that natural darkness was not able to succeed all of the golden light his Aspect were releasing. At most, his Aspect was forced to retract its light to the hole he had dug for it. But that light, shining in all its glory, was enough to light up his surroundings. It was enough to let him see the fruit of his labour, his first Aspect Well.