-Chapter Forty-Nine-
Changes
The Universe had a will.
People could not tell when they looked up at the sky and merely saw the sun’s rays or vastless blue, that it did. But in the corners of society, there existed generations of philosophers and scholars that theorised such.
This Universe was like a living body, and the power that governed its smooth operation was what people called ‘the Heavens’.
If you violate the order of nature, in other words, you violate Heaven’s Order, you will receive Heavenly Retribution at the behest of Heaven’s Will.
And the order of nature was all about balance and equilibrium.
Just as how when a human body is wrought with sickness, it automatically responds with a counter method such as immune responses, so will the Universe when it faces a threat.
But what would such a response look like? It could only be decided by Fate, the will of the Heavens.
No one could possibly know.
Until one day, a man tapped into it.
He came from an ancestry of Diviniators, and one day he broke his way into the cycle of Heaven’s Will.
He caught but a mere glimpse, but even that was enough for him.
He saw that one day, a falling star would be born. Someone who possessed destiny for greatness would be born.
Someone with the mark of Heaven’s Will. Heaven’s progenitor. The Heavenly Heir. Heir of the Heavenly Order.
He founded an organisation to operate in the shadows, slowly stealing power away where no one noticed.
He sharpened his fangs, awaiting the day that star would grace their planet.
And as awaited, that day came.
Thus, the hunt began in the earnest.
Unfortunately, that star eluded him for fifteen years. And even just as he was about to capture her once and for all, she was dashed away from right under his nose by another entity thirsting for her power.
But he will not give up.
—-----------------------
The three months Lia spent within her own psyche, as she painstakingly one-by-one reformed her Mana Core from its very foundations, felt like an eternity was passing over her.
As she did, memories she had long since forgotten came rushing into her.
They were solemn moments; eating dirt while on the run for having nothing else. Watching her uncles give her what little food they had while starving themselves.
Her own younger brother who deserved nothing of this, suffering as much as she did just by being of her blood.
Her grandmother smiling at her warmly and assuring her that everything will be okay someday.
Her parents before they died, in the early days of Leo’s birth, and their happy family of three.
How suffocated she felt. How desperately she wanted to seek revenge, not just against the people who chased her, but the world itself for ‘blessing’ her with this curse.
And lastly, a temple.
The visions of which were cryptic and vague, but she could sense it as she gradually awoke.
It had an ominous and powerful aura. Yet at the same time, it felt like she had some sort of deep connection with it.
A deep familiarity with it.
Or… whatever it was that awaited her within it. She knew for sure there was something.
When she opened her eyes after the three months, she could see a beacon off in the distance. Like a lighthouse, it felt as though it were trying to guide her way.
It was the very first thing she saw after waking up, but as her thoughts fell back into clarity, she acknowledged there was nothing she could do about it until she discussed it with Aelius.
Speaking of which, she did not know how much time had passed.
Looking up, she saw the drill that had been firing a light beam into her chest detect her reawakening and automatically withdraw, allowing her to feebly push herself upright on the chair.
Immediately, her stomach grumbled but when she looked down, she was surprised to see her body was still as healthy as it was before she fell unconscious.
Maybe not that long had passed after all?
If she had starved for more than a few weeks, she expected that she would be skinny again. Yet she wasn’t, oddly.
Pushing herself to her feet, she felt Mana pulse through her entire being on its own, giving her miraculous strength.
Not just the Mana within her, but she could see the myriad rainbow of colours all around her, free at her disposal to manipulate.
This was a new realm of Mana she had stepped into. Before, she was unable to even perceive the existence of this natural energy.
Now, it was all at her bidding.
I wonder how Aelius is doing…
The thought of seeing him put a small smile on her face as she pushed herself out the door and wandered down the corridor, looking for traces of either him or Sura.
As she continued, she passed by a transparent window on the wall and glanced into it, blinking in surprise to find Aelius.
However, he was still on the machine identical to hers, and clearly unconscious.
For a moment, she felt disappointed, as she pushed open the door and approached him.
I don’t think I should touch anywhere, right? Just in case I interfere with him.
She simply glanced at his face for a moment, when she heard footsteps behind her and turned to find a familiar head of blood crimson hair smiling at her from the door.
“You’re finally awake.”
Asura crossed her arms, leaning up against the doorframe with a smug smile.
“Yes. How long was I on that machine for?” Lia asked.
“Three months. I hope you got what you wanted.”
Asura gestured for her to follow, and she did as they entered the main lounge, surprised that an entire three months had passed by.
“Since you’re awake now, maybe Aelius will wake up soon as well?” Asura wondered aloud as she sat down at a makeshift couch, and Lia took her seat opposite the older girl.
“That would be nice,” Lia answered when her stomach grumbled again, causing her to flinch with flushed cheeks.
“Hah… well, to celebrate, should we go grab a hearty meal at a restaurant?” Asura suggested.
“Is it alright for us to leave though?” Lia asked, looking back down the hall to where Aelius’ room remained.
“Yes, it’s fine. Ael already went over a bunch of things with me, including what to do if you woke up before him.”
“Oh… okay…”
They wandered outside of the bunker, into the clearing where Asura commanded the bunker to conceal itself, and it acknowledged her order and did so.
“Now, do you think you can teleport us both back to the city?” Asura asked as she turned back to Lia, referring to the town of Araho, a modest border city of the Imperial Empire where Aelius had purchased a safehouse for them.
“Of course, easily.”
Lia raised her hand and instantaneously, without any chanting needed, an orb of light erupted from her palm and engulfed them both.
As soon as the flash receded, they were revealed to have returned to their apartment, and Asura gave Lia a beaming smile.
“It’s a relief to see those three months were not in vain,” she commented.
—-----------------------
The two went straight to a nearby tavern to pick up some food, after which they leisurely conversed the night away.
As they finished eating, Asura looked up and asked Lia, “So, what sort of changes exactly did you undergo?”
“My pre-existing powers have substantially improved, and I’ve also gained new ones. It feels like I’ve overcome some sort of burden or obstacle that was blocking me, and I feel much more liberated now,” Lia explained.
“That is good,” Asura smiled. “Not much has happened during these three months, however …” her tone turned grave. “I received correspondence from Saki.”
Lia’s eyes lit up at the sudden mention.
“While we were unconscious?” she asked.
“Indeed. She was just checking in, and had hoped to catch up with Aelius. Unfortunately, I was the one there to receive her, and told her Aelius was in an unconscious state.”
“Oh… well, how is she doing? Did you two talk much?” Lia wondered with slight disappointment.
“Well…” Asura leaned back down and exhaled deeply. “I hope Aelius wakes up soon. Do you remember what made him so worried, nine months ago?”
“Nine months ago…” Lia closed her eyes, trying to recall. Nine months ago was perfectly when they set out for the main bunker.
“I remember him being very panicked about something. But I don’t know what it was.”
Asura leaned forward with a serious gaze.
“It was about Saki’s actions. I had no idea either for the whole six months, until Saki happened to contact me. You may recall that she is on a journey to find a way to return to her realm.”
Lia nodded along.
“In doing so, she is going around Vertex and locating what I call ‘Sites of Power’. Specifically, ones related to her realm.”
“Okay…?” Lia did not know where Asura was going with this.
“Aelius was worried that Saki might accidentally open up a bridge to her realm, instead of simply returning herself to it. If she does that, any monstrosity from her world could invade us, and we’d be powerless to stop it.”
“That… there’s no way Saki would be that careless, right?” Lia asked with frightened eyes at the sudden seriousness of the topic.
“Of course, it’s better to have faith in her. But what if, just by chance, we weren't careful with this matter, and the worst comes to pass?” Asura suggested. “It’s better to be prepared, even if it never comes. Anyway, I found out from Saki that she’s already halfway through the Seals… that was when I last spoke to her. Her speed has, without a doubt, exceeded Aelius’ expectations. The sooner he wakes up the better, so I can relay this news to him.”
Lia gulped nervously.
“Asura… there won’t be a time where we end up with enemies as Saki, right?” she unsurely asked.
The other woman looked out the window seriously, a frustrated expression on her face.
“That idiot warrior of mine is too soft at the wrong times. I doubt Aelius would be willing to become enemies with her. Even so, I must tell him so he can prepare.”
“Okay,” Lia firmly nodded with determination. “But there’s nothing we can do except wait for him.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Asura sighed. “It’s up to chance. Before he started his procedure however, he left me with some tasks in case you woke up first.”
“What is it?” Lia asked.
“Aelius said that this power is something he is unfamiliar with. And more so, your power is something he will be unfamiliar with.”
Asura leaned forward again, gazing into Lia’s eyes.
“Your unknown power, combined with this unknown power, is very far from what Aelius is familiar with. At the end of the day, he is a Magic Swordsman, and more so than a Magic Swordsman, he is a Spiritualist. His knowledge lies in a different realm to Mana. The two of you are walking similar paths, but you had different starting points.”
Yet again, Lia was unsure of where Asura was leading her.
“Just as how Aria taught you how to be a Sorceress and Aelius only gave you general combative pointers, you now require a teacher who is more familiar with Sorcery and casting, in order to unlock your true potential.”
“A teacher?” Lia blinked in surprise.
“Yes. Even if they can impart a slight amount of knowledge to you, it’s better for you to squeeze one dry than to stumble in the dark on your own with unfamiliar territory. At least until you get brought up to speed, you should glean the basics off whoever you can,” Asura explained.
“As of right now, you are a blank canvas. Even the basics from someone experienced will help to set you up to navigate this new power with more ease. Every little bit counts, was what he wanted me to tell you.”
“Right… well, I do see the sense in that,” Lia acknowledged.
“There’s a prestigious Academy in the centre of the Imperial Capital. They don’t just specialise in Magic, they have dedicated branches to close-counter combat, conjuring, swordsmanship and martial arts. It’s called the Saint Ernia’s Gate Academy, or just Saint Nia for short. Even though it’s currently part way through their year’s curriculum, I have already secured enrollment for you, ready for when you wake up.”
“Saint Ernia?” Lia wondered aloud.
“Yes. And keep in mind, we’re not sending you there to go at the slow pace as everyone else. Even if you start half a year late, the real idea is to get you to latch on to some magic-bumbling fool and convince them to take you in as a direct apprentice,” the red-head woman told her straightly.
“Okay… how would I do that?” Lia asked.
“Display your talents. To a certain extent. Do not expose your identity. Powers that seem like they may belong to the Heir of Mana, you must keep hidden. Aelius is still trying to protect you from the Forbidden Order. He said that they are no doubt searching desperately for you, even as we speak. The Academy is right under their nose, they may not even think to check there. So long as you don’t attract too much attention, or cause a ruckus, that is.”
Lia inhaled deeply, trying to dispel all of her apprehension.
“Okay, I got it. How do we get started?”
—-----------------------
Further down the nation, a different genius in her own right was passing her days.
As the blue haired, golden-eyed beauty rested at a desk, she looked out the window with melancholy and heavily sighed.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
“..-ria? Hello?”
She sighed again, glancing out the window in a trance, over the underground trees and forests.
“Aria? Helloooo? Can you hear me?”
The voice suddenly snapped her attention away and she looked up in surprise.
“There you go!” Brian exclaimed, standing over her at the desk.
“Oh… sorry, Brian. I was zoned out for a bit,” Aria coolly apologised.
“Hah… what’s going on with you these last few months? It’s like that time you lost that necklace,” Brian shrugged as he turned to the door. “Come on, we’ve got some work to do.”
The necklace… Aria suddenly blushed, recalling the incident a few months ago.
A few months after she had arrived at the village, a necklace magically found its way to her with a teleportation spell.
She could immediately tell who it was from.
The design was intricate but also royally lavish.
To an aristocrat, nothing was a more direct path to her heart than lavish jewellery.
The necklace was accompanied with a note that plainly told her to wear the necklace at all times.
Aria immediately became incredibly attached to that necklace. It was, in its own right, proof that she belonged to someone already. Though he was faraway, this necklace will always connect their hearts.
However, that particular day of the incident, she had lost the necklace somehow. Actually, some kids had taken it as a prank in her sleep.
But she was incredibly distraught. It was the first time anyone in the village had seen the cool, calm and bright Aria like that.
After that, Brian began acting strange towards Aria. When he found out the necklace was a gift from another man, he began to act more brazenly. Aria didn’t think of it much.
That same Brian, was leading Aria to their next job when he apprehensively looked over his shoulder.
Aria had been acting more and more strangely as time went on.
At first, it perplexed him.
She would often go out into the forest and sit down, for hours, as if waiting for someone.
After six months of her arriving at the village, she was going outside to wait more and more frequently, and each time she returned, he could tell she was becoming more and more deflated.
With each day passing, she seemed less enthusiastic about remaining in the village, and at times, he saw this indescribable emotion in her gaze, while she looked up to the sky.
Until one day, he plainly asked her what was going on. She wouldn’t give him a plain answer, so he ended up asking her father, the Archduke instead.
Or former Archduke, that is.
He was surprisingly loose-lipped, having not even an inkling about Brian’s intentions, and told him very directly, Aria was probably feeling down because she had not been visited by this ‘Aelius’.
Brian was immediately against it.
Why is someone they don’t know trying to visit the village? The village is the lifeblood of the children, and it’s to remain the utmost secrecy.
The reason grandma goes so far to conceal its existence is because the outside world is dangerous, and who knows when someone might covet the talents of all of their young’uns.
They can’t have some random person visiting the village, just to see Aria. Who knows, he could even be manipulating her.
From the sounds of him not even coming to see her, it clearly seemed to Brian that she cared about him way more than this ‘Aelius’ cared about her.
He has to… it’s up to Brian to bring Aria back onto the right path. He can’t stand by and watch someone so perfect, have her precious heart toyed with by this unknown fiend.
And so, one day, it happened.
He got fed up, and blew up.
—-----------------------
-Three months later-
A full twelve months had gone by, and Brian found Aria one day looking up at the artificial sky in the carven, where artificial stars shone down on them.
An entire year since she first arrived at the village.
He joined her with a seat.
As the two oldest children by a landslide, they were always stuck running errands together for the children.
Neither of them minded it, though. For Brian, this was his home where he was taken in at his lowest. He was willing to help in every way he could.
For Aria, she adored the genius children, outcast from society, probably reminiscent of her own childhood, and so helping the village was nothing to her.
Because of that, Brian felt he had grown a lot closer to her, but she always kept some sort of guard up, no matter how hard he tried to close in.
At times, she let him in. At others, she kept him out.
He never knew why until he found out about the existence of ‘Aelius’ from her father.
“How are you doing?” Brian asked, opening the conversation as he joined her, and she looked up to him with a small smile.
“As well as any other day.”
“That’s good to hear,” Brian remarked, noticing her tuck her growing hair behind her ear, and felt his cheeks heat up. “I’ve just been noticing you’re feeling down these days.”
“Mmm… it’s nothing serious. I can’t deny that I have been, but…” she looked out over the village and gave a beaming smile. “It’s all okay.”
“Do you want to share? I don’t know if I can do much else for you, but I can at least listen for a while,” Brian offered nervously.
“Whaaaat?” Aria teased him with a chuckle. “No, no. I can’t do that. How could I, an older woman, vent my worries on someone so much younger who’s supposed to find me dependable?” she chuckled again and Brian pouted.
“I am only four months younger than you. And we’re also both sixteen. Though… you’ll be turning seventeen soon.”
“Ah… well, I meant older woman in mind, of course,” Aria smiled.
“As if,” Brian shook his head in disapproval. “Well, you never know, this ‘juniour’ of yours might be of help.”
“I doubt it…” Aria suddenly solemnly responded, looking back to the stars.
“Well, I won’t know if you don’t at least tell me what it is. It’s definitely something.”
Aria remained silent, and Brian could tell from her face that she was not going to spill.
“Come on, Aria,” he groaned. “I’m not trying to be nosy here. Think about it. For the last few months, your mood has gotten worse and worse. It’s not just about you anymore. In order for the village to run its smoothest, the children need you to be happy for them. At this point, where I can easily tell it’s bothering you everyday, it’s really about time you told us what was going on.”
He saw Aria sigh, giving way as she looked down at some playing children below their main hut.
“Am I really concerning the children?” she asked coldly, sending a sudden chill down Brian’s spine. As if he was speaking to a different person.
But he swallowed that small piece of doubt and tried to retain his composure.
“Well, yeah. Children are much more sensitive to feelings, especially the feelings of people taking care of them. I already heard someone crying to me, saying they feel bad for ‘big sister because she always has to take care of them, and what if she doesn’t like them anymore?’ Ah, I won’t share who that was, though,” Brian added.
“Tsk…” Aria looked down with frustration. “And what will you do if it turns out to be something no one can fix?”
“Then at least we tried,” Brian sighed, sitting back up against a nearby wooden beam.
“And you won’t bother me about it anymore?” Aria asked.
“It’s not me bothering you, Aria. It’s whatever that is bothering you that is actually bothering you,” Brian answered matter-of-factly.
“Nice,” Aria scoffed before she sighed heavily. “Fine…” She leaned back and Brian saw her begin to recall her memories.
“Well I don’t really know what to say,” she shrugged casually. “I came here to learn magic originally. I never expected to find an entire village full of children that needed taking care of.”
Brian frowned as he listened on.
“Though of course,” she smiled to herself as she continued. “It’s not bad. But this was never meant to be my… destination. I came here to learn magic to get stronger. I want to become stronger so I can be of help to someone important to me.”
“Be of help?” Brian asked.
“Mmhmm. Because I was too weak, he had to send me away from his side. I’m not like…”
Aria recalled her time travelling with them. Though it was brief, and a difficult journey at the time, it was sweet in its own way.
“I’m not like a genius. Except for these eyes of mine, I have nothing to separate me from an ordinary person. I wasn’t born with destiny or an amazing talent, nor was I blessed. So I have to work very hard to keep up with the rest of my friends.”
“That sounds… very straining.” Brian was unsure of what to answer. He thought Aria was perfect the way she is. Why would someone give her the idea that she needed to change?
“Anyway, that’s the reason why I came here. When I left, the person important to me promised he’d visit me. So I’ve just been trying to be patient and wait for him but…” Aria sighed.
“But…?” Brian hesitantly led her on, waiting for her to continue.
“But forget a visit, I haven’t even heard a single thing from him…” Aria gave a soft, helpless chuckle, as if she wasn’t all that fazed by the whole situation.
“I have faith in him, but I’m worried he’s run into some sort of trouble. Or worse, I was the only one looking forward to our reunion. He can’t have forgotten about me, but maybe I’m just not one of his priorities. Even if he couldn’t keep his promise to me, I had hoped to receive maybe a letter.”
She reached up to clutch the pendant around her neck.
“Instead, this is all I have from him.”
Brian was only more perplexed at her story.
“If he treats you like that, why do you still take it so seriously?” he asked, leaning back.
“If you’re scared he abandoned you, just abandon him first. Stay in this village forever, and when it takes him years to come crawling back to you, just reject him. Tell him too little, too late. Why don’t you try to find your own happiness here? I mean, you clearly enjoy it here.”
Aria gave him a sudden smile he could not decipher, though he could feel his cheeks red and his frustration melt for just a moment.
“That’s why you’re still young, little Brian.”
A tinge of frustration stabbed at him from her response.
“Our bond is not something either of us can break apart so easily. And besides, I don’t want to. Even if he never calls me on to help him, I still want to help him. I don’t want to see him suffer. If I can give him some aid in any way, that’d be more than enough. I don’t need his attention or affection… is what I’d like to say, but I still find myself worried for him. He has a hard road ahead of him. Compared to the suffering he will experience, my loneliness is nothing.”
At her words of resolve, Brian saw her wearing a relaxed smile as she looked upwards at the false night sky, and suddenly, he felt angry.
“What’s with that… you’re saying you’re just willing to be used and tossed aside?” Brian spluttered.
“Well, even just that would be good. I’m willing to settle for it. Of course, it’d be nice if there was more. But that’s just a luxury that neither of us can afford, to be honest.”
What is this? Brian rose to his feet, confused.
The Aria he knew was calm, collected, and rational. Nothing could ever worry her. She was someone with so much callousness and authority, she was unapproachable. If they had met in ordinary society, Brian knew he would not have even gotten the chance to speak with her, let alone grow close.
She was this unreachable existence, so high in the sky that an entire lifetime of climbing could not reach.
And yet, this same person was saying these things. That she’s content to be used and disposed of.
“T-that’s absurdity!” Brian shouted.
“I guess it is, a little bit, haha,” Aria chuckled. “My life was absurd from the start.”
“Why do you have to try so hard to hold out for this boy? Why don’t you look somewhere else for somebody else!?” Brian threw his arms as he angrily yelled at her. “What if there’s someone right beside you who’d treat you way better than that person ever could?”
Suddenly, he was taken about at the emotionless apathy in her eyes.
“A lifetime’s worth of love from another man is worthless. But even a moment of him needing me is worth the world to me-”
“What is it that this man can give you, that someone else can’t!? For you to be so devoted to him!?” Brian flung his arm in anger at her.
“It’s not about what they can give me, Brian,” Aria answered straightly. “It’s about who they are.”
He didn’t understand. Simply being a certain way, was enough for her? Not about how well she is treated?
“Who… who even is this person for you to say something like that?” Brian asked.
“Ah well…” Aria shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re so angry, Brian,” she chuckled.
“You don’t know? You really don’t know!?” he shouted.
Aria looked at him, her golden eyes devoid of any glowing light.
He knew she possessed grandmother’s eyes, that could see into a person. But after learning from grandma, Aria learnt to deactivate her eyes at will.
He didn’t know whether it was a good thing or not, that she couldn’t immediately tell his feelings toward her.
Naturally, what this meant for Aria was that she learnt to disable her ‘Blessing’ on Aelius as well, even if only temporarily.
However, whenever she grew curious and activated their connection again, all she could see was that he had not moved from a single spot far further up the continent. It brought her no solace to see that for months, he had not left a single spot.
Why? She did not know.
“No, I don’t. It’s my life, Brian. My choice. I have my reasons, that’s all you need to know to respect my decision.”
Suddenly, her voice turned cold.
“It’s not your place to correct me, with your limited understanding of the affairs of this world.”
Though he found the whole situation wrong, he couldn’t find a response to her words. It was true. Just who did he think he was, to get to decide for Aria something like this? Even if her decision was absurd, it was still her decision.
Feeling crestfallen, he slowly sat down again, looking at his hands.
“Just who is this person? I’m curious,” he begrudgingly asked.
“Ah well, he was the only person of equal status to me in the Kingdom, the Heir of the Southern Archduchy. We were engaged since birth, so we grew up together. To put it simply, we’re childhood friends, I guess.”
Brian silently but begrudgingly listened onward.
So that’s why he has what I don’t. They already have years of knowing each other. Meanwhile, I’ve only come into the painting so late.
“As a child, he was very innocent and nice. Loving and sincere.” Aria pursed her lip. “Innocent and sinless, unlike me, who was born with my mother’s sin to carry. One day, he suddenly changed. And it was only later on I found out how much my existence had harmed him.”
Brian didn’t know what she meant, but he silently listened onward anyway.
“I hurt him a lot. If I had known at the time how much he was suffering, I would’ve not hesitated to show him some affection. I never knew until it was too late, how much he may have needed love from someone. Anyone. I could’ve been the person to do that for him. But instead… I didn’t realise until it was too late, and now…” Aria smiled softly herself. “Now he’s come back a lot stronger. Loneliness turned him into a strong warrior.” She suddenly sighed heavily.
“Is he strong?” Brian asked.
“Yes. Very. Both as a person, and as a fighter.”
“Stronger than me?” Brian asked. For the longest time now, he had received grandma’s teaching and was quite well-versed in fighting.
He had grown some confidence in his own capabilities.
Aria however, simply gave him an amused expression, and didn’t respond to him.
“Anyway, when he asked me to master magic here, I could tell he truly had me in his heart. It was in his voice, and I could see it in his eyes. He just wanted me to be happy and safe. I just don’t know why it’s been so long. I wish I could get up and go find him, but I’m scared he might decide to visit while I’m gone. Then we’ll have missed each other, so the only thing I can do is obediently wait for him.”
“And if he never comes, you’re just going to be satisfied with one-sided feelings like this?” Brian asked.
“He will come. Someday. It’s just a matter of time.”
Brian raised his eyebrows at her, perplexed.
“I have not been able to understand a single thing you’ve been saying.”
“Well, it’s years on top of years of events and context, after all. Those who are not directly involved in this affair, would naturally be unable to understand. Still, one day he will come looking for me. I just hope it doesn’t take too long.”
Aria rose to her feet, and as she withdrew, gave Brian a gaze over her shoulder.
“So you see, it’s nothing that can be fixed.”
He didn’t answer, only watching as she delicately vacated the veranda, leaving him alone in his thoughts.
As he looked down, he clenched his fists.
“I want to see this oh-so-great guy for myself.”
He took another few minutes to try to calmly breathe, contemplating what just took place.
Aria had always been a stubborn girl. Brian found that to be one of her attractive traits. But now, he does not know how to overcome that stubbornness.
As he remained there, sighing to himself, his moment was interrupted by a sudden ‘boom’ off in the distance and the entire cavern violently shook for a moment.
“What in Goddess’ name…!?”
He sprung to his feet, looking up.
The explosion faded as abruptly as it came, but after a brief moment of silence, another followed.
“What is that!?”
Brian broke into a sprint down toward the village.
When he arrived at the entry tunnel, he found Aria and her father there, wearing grim expressions.
“What’s going on!?” Brian exclaimed as he joined them, and they turned to look at him.
“We’re under attack,” the Archduke lowly answered before turning away again.
“What…? Someone’s found the village?”
“So it seems,” Aria remarked. “Brian, I’ll leave evacuating the children to the pond-cave to you. Father and I will stay here.”
“No!” Brian stamped his foot. “The children are smart. They’ll hear grandma’s voice calling them to her and they’ll sort themselves out. Just the two of you can’t be enough. Even if I can’t do much, it’s better than nothing. I’ll stay here and help defend.”
Aria suddenly looked at him with annoyance.
“Listen here now. This isn’t child’s play you know-”
Brian’s eyes widened as he saw behind her the stone wall begin to crack.
“Aria! Behind you!”
He lunged forward as the face of the underground cave shattered, looking up in shock to see a large boulder come crashing down onto them.
“Watch outtttt!” he cried out, unable to reach there in time, and could only watch as the rock fell upon them.