“Aruta,” Saria says, her voice barely above a whisper, trembling with the weight of her words, “you are not human.”

The declaration hangs in the air, a thunderclap in the suffocating silence. I feel the ground shift beneath me, my entire world tilting on its axis. In this moment, everything I thought I knew about myself shatters like fragile glass, leaving me adrift in a turbulent sea of uncertainty and primal fear.

image [https://i.imgur.com/F3m28wy.jpeg]

The revelation hits us like a tidal wave, leaving us all reeling in its merciless wake. Noarin, her face drained of color, stumbles backward and collapses to the floor with a soft thud, her legs no longer able to support her.

“What… do you mean?” Kai stammers, his usual bravado stripped away, leaving him looking vulnerable and painfully young. His hands clench and unclench at his sides, as if grasping for some semblance of normalcy.

Saria takes a deep breath, her small feline form seeming to carry the weight of the world. Her tail twitches nervously as she continues, “What I mean is… Aruta wasn’t born like every normal human,” she pauses, her voice thick with emotion. “His existence was created through magic, with a pure magic circuit implanted in his soul. Typically, beings like this don’t possess the mind and nature of a normal human. But with the magic circuit, their soul can learn and grow under human care.”

A heavy silence descends upon the room, faces etched with disbelief and shock. Spica’s eyes dart around, confusion evident in her innocent features as she tries to grasp the gravity of the situation. I stand frozen, my mind a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and emotions, desperately clinging to my rapidly unraveling sense of self.

Noarin, still on the floor, clutches at her chest as if in physical pain. “When…” she stammers, her voice barely above a whisper. “When did you discover this?”

Saria’s ears droop as she slowly shakes her head, whiskers drooping. “I’m not the one who discovered it. I only learned about it recently.”

“You’re not the one who discovered it?” Rishia finally speaks, her brow furrowed in confusion, a hint of suspicion creeping into her voice.

Before Saria can respond, the air beside her shimmers and warps like heat haze. In a blink, another cat materializes – sleek and black with striking emerald eyes that seem to glow with an otherworldly intelligence.

“I am the one who discovered it,” the black cat speaks, its voice smooth and assured, carrying an air of authority. “My name is Lucil. It’s a pleasure to meet you all, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“She’s the one who created this body, allowing me to send my consciousness between worlds,” Saria explains, gesturing to her feline form with a paw.

I turn to Lucil, my voice hoarse as I ask, “How did you know?”

Lucil’s emerald eyes meet mine, unflinching and filled with a mixture of curiosity and compassion. “My ornament grants me a biological attribute. I can examine any living being and its components down to the smallest detail. I hope that answers your question.”

The explanation makes a terrible kind of sense, each word another nail in the coffin of my former identity. She can examine someone’s body, peering into every organ, every cell, even the very essence of their being.

“If I’m not human…” I begin, my voice barely audible, a tremor running through my body, “What am I?”

Lucil’s gaze intensifies, seeming to peer into my very soul. “You are a homunculus, created through biological magic. An artificial body that has gained consciousness from the pure magic circuit within you.”

The words echo in my mind, each repetition driving home the earth-shattering truth. I’m lost in a whirlpool of questions: Who created me? For what purpose? Has my entire life been a lie? The room seems to spin around me, the faces of my friends blurring into a kaleidoscope of shock and concern.

Suddenly, I feel warmth enveloping me from behind. Noarin has risen, her arms wrapping around me in a fierce embrace. I can feel her heart pounding against my back, her breath warm against my neck.

“You are you, Aruta,” Noarin’s voice is steady, a lifeline in the chaos of my thoughts. “I don’t care who or what you are. You are still my Aruta.” Her arms tighten, as if afraid I might disappear.

Spica, sensing the gravity of the moment, hugs my leg tightly, her small form trembling slightly. The others in the room seem to soften, their shock giving way to compassion. The air, once thick with tension, begins to shift.

“She’s right,” Kai says, his voice regaining some of its usual strength. He steps forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You’re still Aruta, the guy who never really got along with anyone but us. The guy who’s had our backs through thick and thin.”

Rishia nods emphatically, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Exactly. You’re still Aruta, the one who supports us no matter what crazy things we do. The one who’s always been there for us.”

Lyra and Darius nod in agreement, while Keller and Chen offer supportive smiles from the background. The room feels warmer now, filled with the strength of our bonds.

I raise my arms, returning Noarin’s embrace with equal fervor. “Yeah,” I manage, my voice thick with emotion, a single tear tracing its way down my cheek.

In this moment, surrounded by the warmth and acceptance of my friends – my family – I realize something profound. Maybe someone did create me. Maybe they had some grand design or purpose in mind. But right now, none of that matters.

I am myself. Not defined by my origins or the circumstances of my creation, but by the bonds I’ve forged, the choices I’ve made, and the love I feel for those around me. In their eyes, I see not an artificial being or a science experiment, but simply Aruta.

And for now, that’s enough.

Saria’s whiskers twitch as a gentle smile spreads across her feline features. “I see,” she purrs softly, “nothing can really break your bond.”

Noarin reaches out, her fingertips gently stroking Saria’s fur. “Come on, you’re part of this bond too,” she says, her voice warm with affection. Saria responds with a contented wiggle of her tail, her eyes closing briefly in appreciation.

Kai leans back against the wall, his brow furrowed in thought. “But really,” he begins, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and concern, “I know Aruta and his family. On the one hand, they take really good care of him, but on the other hand…” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. “They don’t seem to have a good bond. No offense though, Aruta.”

I feel a twinge in my chest at Kai’s words, but I can’t deny the truth in them. The silence that follows is heavy, filled with unspoken questions.

Rishia breaks the tension, her voice gentle but probing. “Have you ever asked your family about your parents, Aruta?”

I shake my head, my gaze dropping to the floor. “More like… I can’t remember,” I admit, frustration evident in my voice. “Every time I tried to think about them, the more I got lost in my memories. It’s like trying to grasp smoke – the harder I try, the more it slips away.”

Noarin moves closer, her eyes searching mine. “Do you… want to find them? The ones that gave you a name?” Her voice is soft, laced with concern and a hint of something else – fear, perhaps?

I close my eyes, memories flooding my mind. I see the faces of the Kuroyuki family members who cared for me until middle school – kind, but always slightly distant. But when I try to picture those who gave me my name, there’s nothing but a hazy void. I feel a strange mixture of longing and detachment.

“I guess… I don’t really care now,” I say slowly, my eyes opening to stare at the ceiling. The patterns there seem to swirl, mirroring my conflicted thoughts. “If I ever get to meet them, I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions. But now, being with you guys is enough for me.” The words feel right as they leave my lips, a truth I hadn’t fully realized until this moment.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Noarin nods, a look of relief and satisfaction softening her features. The others exchange glances, small smiles of understanding passing between them.

Saria’s tail swishes, drawing our attention. “Well, if you still feel like it…” she takes a deep breath, her small form seeming to brace itself. “Let’s talk about Belzad.”

The atmosphere in the room shifts instantly. The warmth of our shared moment gives way to a tense alertness. With our new understanding of the Absolute Resonator, we need to reassess Belzad’s potential plans.

Saria begins, her voice taking on a more serious tone. “As we now know, only those who have a pure magic circuit on their soul can become an Absolute Resonator. But since Belzad doesn’t have that…”

“He can’t be an Absolute Resonator…” Lyra mumbles, her voice trailing off as she processes the implications.

To our surprise, Saria shakes her head, her ears twitching in disagreement. “He can still be one.” She turns to Lucil, who has been watching silently, her emerald eyes gleaming with hidden knowledge. “All he has to do is plant a pure magic circuit on his soul.”

Kai’s hand shoots up, his face a mixture of confusion and curiosity. “How do you even create this pure magic circuit? It sounds like some high-level magical engineering.”

Lucil steps forward, her sleek black form emanating an aura of wisdom. “A condensed human emotion,” she answers, her voice smooth and authoritative. “You already know about ornaments that read the emotions of their Holder to become an Absolute, correct?”

We all nod, hanging on her every word as she continues. “What actually happens is that the ornament resonates with the shards of pure magic created by the emotions the Holder is experiencing. These shards are like crystallized fragments of feeling, invisible to the naked eye but potent with magical energy.”

Saria picks up the explanation, her tail swishing in agitation. “A pure magical circuit can be created by collecting these shards and condensing them into one cohesive form. The more shards it collects, the more powerful the circuit will be,” she pauses, her eyes narrowing. “Which explains why Belzad wants to create great chaos…”

“Massive shard harvesting…” Rishia breathes, her eyes widening with horrified realization. The implications of her words hang heavy in the air.

Saria nods grimly, her tail now completely still. “Exactly. By causing widespread chaos and intense emotional turmoil, Belzad could potentially harvest an enormous amount of these emotion shards. It’s a terrifyingly efficient way to gather the raw materials for a powerful pure magic circuit.”

The room falls silent as we all absorb this chilling revelation. The scope of Belzad’s potential plan is staggering, and the human cost unthinkable. I feel a shiver run down my spine, my fists clenching involuntarily.

“So,” Kai breaks the silence, his voice uncharacteristically somber, “we’re not just fighting to protect people from immediate danger. We’re trying to prevent Belzad from literally weaponizing human emotion on a massive scale.”

Lyra leans forward, her brow furrowed in concentration. “Wait,” she interjects, her voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and concern, “how can someone plant this magic circuit in their soul?”

Lucil’s emerald eyes gleam with an otherworldly intelligence as she turns to Saria. “By using another magic, of course,” she explains, her tail swishing thoughtfully. “In fact, Saria’s attribute is capable of doing just that.”

Saria nods, her small form seeming to radiate an unexpected power. “My attribute is spiritual,” she begins, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "I can see someone’s spiritual image, like a blueprint of their very essence. I can send messages telepathically to other souls, bridging the gap between minds.” She places her tiny paw on her chest, a gesture both solemn and proud. “And since my ornament has awakened to the Absolute, I can manipulate someone’s soul directly.”

A chill runs down my spine as I recall Saria’s words from our time on the island. “Oh right,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper, “you mentioned that you sealed Belzad’s soul once. So… does that mean you can spiritually kill someone instantly?” The question hangs in the air, heavy with implication.

Saria shakes her head, her ears twitching with discomfort at the idea. “I can’t ‘kill’ someone’s soul,” she clarifies, her voice firm. “What I can do is pull their soul out of their physical body. It doesn’t count as ‘dead’ because their physical body remains fully functional, even though their spirit has already left them.”

“It will become an empty vessel…” Rishia muses, crossing her arms as she processes this information. Her eyes are distant, likely imagining the horrifying implications of such an ability.

Kai suddenly straightens, his face a mask of concern. “Well, then Belzad would need Saria’s power if he wants to become an Absolute Resonator, right?” His eyes dart to the small feline form. “Doesn’t that mean that Saria is in danger?”

“No,” Saria assures us, her tail curling around her paws. “I’m safe in my world. Belzad can only travel in this world, otherwise he’ll lose his power. The Ornament can only travel between worlds once.” Her explanation is calm, but there’s an undercurrent of relief in her voice.

Lucil nods, adding her expertise to Saria’s words. “The magic circuit can’t really handle spatial disorientation,” she elaborates, her voice smooth and authoritative. “If an ornament travels between worlds more than once, its magic circuit will be irreparably broken.”

Noarin’s grip on my hand tightens slightly as she processes this information. “That means he can’t reach Saria…” she says slowly, hope creeping into her voice. “So Belzad has no way to become an Absolute Resonator now?”

Saria’s whiskers twitch, her expression a mix of caution and resignation. “There might be another way,” she admits reluctantly. “There are a great number of Ornaments in our two worlds, each with its unique ability. Some even have the same attribute – I’m not the only one with a spiritual attribute.” She shrugs, the gesture oddly human on her feline form.

Darius, who has been silent until now, leans forward, his eyes narrowed in thought. “Hey, don’t you think it’s weird?” he asks, his deep voice cutting through the tension. “Belzad doesn’t seem to have made a move since you fought them a month ago. It’s like he’s vanished into thin air.”

The room falls silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. I find my gaze drawn to Spica, who’s now sitting contentedly on Noarin’s lap again, seemingly oblivious to the weight of our discussion. As I watch her, a troubling thought begins to form in my mind.

Now that I think about it, even though Belzad hasn’t made any overt moves, we’ve had to deal with a lot of strange occurrences since our fight. After we started introducing magic to the world, incident after incident happened, each one stirring up intense emotions in the populace.

And then Spica appeared…

“Hey…” I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. All eyes turn to me as I stare at Spica in growing disbelief. “Could Spica… have been created from the people’s emotions after all those magical incidents?”

The room goes deathly quiet, the only sound the soft breathing of my companions. Spica looks up at me, her innocent eyes wide with curiosity, completely unaware of the bombshell I’ve just dropped.

Noarin’s arms tighten protectively around Spica, her face a mixture of shock and denial. “What are you saying, Aruta?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly.

“Think about it,” I continue, the words tumbling out as my mind races. “All these incidents, they’ve been stirring up intense emotions in people – fear, wonder, confusion. What if… what if someone has been harvesting those emotion shards all along? What if Spica is the result?”

Saria and Lucil exchange a meaningful glance, their feline features impossible to read. The others look between Spica and me, their faces a kaleidoscope of emotions – shock, disbelief, and the dawning horror of realization.

Saria’s voice drops to a near whisper, her words heavy with the weight of revelation. “This means that someone created a vessel for these shards to become Spica…” She pauses, her feline eyes scanning our faces, seeing the dawning realization. “And the only person who could have thought of that is…”

The name hangs unspoken in the air, a specter that chills us all to the bone. We all know the answer… Belzad.

The silence that follows is deafening, broken only by the soft sound of Noarin’s arms tightening protectively around Spica. Her voice, when it comes, is filled with a fierce determination tinged with fear. “But still, Spica is her own soul, right? Belzad can’t control her…” Her eyes dart between Saria and Lucil, seeking confirmation, desperate for some small comfort.

I feel a surge of protectiveness, my mind racing to make sense of this new information. “She’s right,” I say, my voice stronger than I feel. “That means he doesn’t have a way to implant the circuit into his soul… yet. That’s why he’s creating a vessel for it, so he can get it once he finds a way.” The implications of my own words send a shiver down my spine.

Kai turns to me, his brow furrowed in confusion and frustration. “But then why bother creating Spica?” he asks, gesturing towards the innocent child still nestled in Noarin’s lap. “He can just steal Aruta’s soul if he already found a way.”

Lucil steps forward. “His soul is already attached to his physical body, creating a strong bond,” she explains, her emerald eyes fixed on me. “His magic circuit has already expanded to his body, so Belzad can’t take it out easily. Besides,” her gaze softens slightly as it moves to Spica, “Aruta will fight back. Spica is too young for that.”

The room falls silent as we absorb this chilling Information. Spica, oblivious to the weight of our discussion, yawns and snuggles closer to Noarin.

Saria nods solemnly, her tail swishing with nervous energy. “Well then,” she says, her voice filled with grim determination, “we all have to keep an eye on Spica. Don’t let Belzad get close to her. She’s his key to his ascension.”

Noarin and I exchange a glance, a silent communication passing between us. We nod in unison, feeling the great responsibility settling on our shoulders. The weight of it is almost physical, a reminder of the stakes we’re facing.

“We won’t let him near her,” Noarin says, her voice barely above a whisper but filled with steel. Her arms tighten around Spica, who stirs slightly in her sleep.

I reach out, placing a hand on Spica’s head. Despite everything we’ve learned, despite knowing she might be a creation of our enemy, I feel a surge of protectiveness. “We’ll keep her safe,” I promise, my voice thick with emotion. “No matter what it takes.”

The others nod in agreement, a united front against the looming threat of Belzad. Kai’s usual bravado is tempered with seriousness, Rishia’s analytical mind is clearly working overtime, and even the usually stoic Darius looks shaken.

As we stand there, united in our resolve to protect Spica and thwart Belzad’s plans, I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions. Fear of what’s to come, determination to face whatever challenges lie ahead, and a deep, abiding love for this makeshift family we’ve created.

Spica mumbles something in her sleep, drawing all our gazes. In this moment, looking at her innocent face, I make a silent vow. Whatever Belzad’s plans, whatever her origins might be, Spica is one of us now. And we protect our own.

The battle for Spica, for our world, and for the very nature of magic itself, has only just begun.