Andrew was working on a project in the nature lab when Rahim texted him, asking to see him and Daruk in his office. Andrew was a little worried to receive such a message because, let’s face it, he wasn’t among the high rankers of his class, and regardless of how Rahim might spin it, Rahim definitely played favorites.
He put aside his experiment and texted Daruk, wanting to know if he’d received the same message, and when Daruk confirmed that he had, Andrew left the nature labs and began making his way to the lower floor of the administration building where Rahim’s office was located.
He met Daruk on the way there and, for the first time, found his cold friend sweating.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“No.” Daruk scowled. “Forgemastery is killing me. I just wish the forgemaster would just take our advice and install cold runes within the forge, but he says it’ll mess with the forge.”
“He’s against any idea that isn’t his, isn’t he?”
“Yeah.” Daruk sighed and wiped sweat from his brow. “His forging techniques are good but archaic, yet he refuses to employ more effective methods.”
They spent the rest of the walk discussing the class on forgemastery, and perhaps it was the lingering heat Daruk was feeling, but he was more talkative than usual. His stance was also slightly loose, compared to the rigid and detached posture he usually adopted.
When they reached Rahim’s office, Daruk pushed the door open, and Rahim gestured for them to sit down before speaking. “It seems to me that every time I have the both of you in my office like this, it’s always because I want to share bad news. Hopefully, that will change in the near future.”
Andrew frowned, wondering what in the Raol’s name had happened this time. Daruk, however, didn’t need to wonder. He just asked. “What calamity has my brother wrought this time?”
Rahim smiled proudly. “He gained another seal.”
Andrew’s eyes widened, and he was just about to jubilate when he remembered the repercussions of gaining a seal. Rahim put his mind to rest before his imaginations could run too wild.
“Fortunately, he was with Eldrith and Helzarvauth when this happened, so he’s safe. That’s not the bad news, though. The bad news is,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, and Andrew had to fight the urge to tell him to spit it out.
“Well,” he continued. “The bad news is that he almost killed Yurin while the both of them were under the control of the twisted effect.”
Andrew blanched. “What! How’s that even —
“Fortunately, we managed to save Yurin on time,” Rahim hastily cut him off. “However, we imagine he’ll be traumatized for a while, maybe even have some problems relating with you guys as a result of this.”
Andrew was too shocked to speak. The fact that one went ballistic while undergoing the twisted effect wasn’t something that was new to him, but it usually happened in a contained environment. Never had he seen a rampaging awakened, despite the fact that every member of his family had experienced the twisted effect at least once in his lifetime, even Aunty Mio.
“How did this even happen?” Daruk asked the question they were all wondering, and Rahim responded.
“It was a terrible, terrible accident, one that we can only thank the ascendants didn’t devolve into something else.”
“That’s not an answer.” Andrew scowled. Even if he wasn’t smart, he could at least tell that much.
Rahim sighed. “That’s all I can tell you; I’m sorry. I was told to inform you just so you know he’ll be in seclusion for the next few days. Yurin should be released tomorrow, and if not then, the day after. Let’s be thankful that they are both alright.”
Andrew was not appeased, but he nodded regardless. If Rahim couldn’t tell them, then it must be something the academy wanted to keep confidential. Daruk, however, wasn’t satisfied with Rahim’s response and asked a few more questions, none of which Rahim gave a straight answer to.
When it became obvious that Daruk wouldn’t be getting the response he wanted from Rahim, Andrew suggested they leave, and Daruk reluctantly agreed.
The rest of the weekend passed by in a blur, and when Monday came, they attended their classes like usual. Aodhán’s absence was noticeable, though, and more than a few people, even Meredith, came up to them asking about Aodhán. There was no need to keep the fact that he had gained a new seal secret, as there was no other logical reason for his absence, not to mention the fact that it would probably be a few days before he was released from seclusion.
The rumor mill must have been slow-going because they were eating dinner in the cafeteria when Cyrus eventually found out, and his expression was absolutely priceless. Andrew couldn’t blame him, though; if he’d been competing against Aodhán, he’d be flabbergasted too. Aodhán had set a record Cyrus was yet to break when he’d had only one seal. How much more powerful would he become with two seals and most likely another powerful skill?
Even Daruk was a little jealous, but he’d overcome his demons a long time ago. He was happy for his brother, and although he couldn’t wait to catch up, he wasn’t in a dying, desperate need to do so.
The first day went without a hitch, but after gym exercises the next day, Yurin returned, looking almost completely worn out with dark circles under his eyes and sunken cheeks. His usual jovial nature was absent, and instead of sitting with them in the cafeteria for breakfast, he sat alone in one corner, muttering to himself like a crazed person.
Andrew contemplated reaching out to him, but Daruk insisted they give him time to come to terms with what had happened. They still didn’t know what had happened within the seclusion chambers between Aodhán and Yurin, but it wasn’t hard to deduce some things.
Yurin bore no scars, but the fear in his eyes every time their gazes met told a story of its own, and they soon decided to give him time to process the experience on his own before confronting him.
Sometimes people needed time to process traumatic experiences, and on a scale of one to ten, Andrew would rate this particular experience at the peak.
From what he’d heard from other people, the twisted effect was a state where one's consciousness took the passenger seat while chaos took over a person’s mind. For most people, they retained the memory of their actions and experiences during the twisted effect, while others completely forgot about them. From the way Yurin kept stealing fearful glances at them, Andrew suspected it was the former.
Andrew shook his head and returned his attention back to his meal while Daruk read softly from a textbook Master Lamarr had recommended last week. Andrew glanced at the book, noting that Daruk was almost done with the voluminous text when he hadn’t even begun.
The fact that he was lagging behind Daruk in his studies just reminded him of the fact that he was also lagging behind in other aspects, such as the forge rankings, the leaderboards, and even seals. Aodhán now had two; Daruk and Yurin had one each while he still had zero. But Andrew was confident it wouldn’t be for too long. The moment he found a large forest, he would definitely soar.
The day passed without much drama aside from Cyrus's futile attempts to break Aodhán’s record on the tower leaderboards, and the next day after gym, Andrew asked Daruk if he’d spoken to Yurin since they were housemates, but Daruk shook his head and sighed. “I’m not sure he wants to talk to us yet.”
“Did you ask him?”
“No.” Daruk hesitated before confessing. “I did not, but I think he’s having a bout of OCD.”
“What’s that?” Andrew asked in confusion, familiar with the term but unfamiliar with its meaning.
“It’s a compulsive disorder that involves a lot of obsessive, repetitive behaviors and causes mental anxiety.”
Andrew glanced back at Yurin, who was once again seated alone in one corner of the cafeteria, and whispered. “Is he mad? Did Aodhán break him?”
“No, no. It’s just… I think he’s working through a new skill and it’s giving him issues.”
Andrew’s expression softened, and he sighed. “We should help him.”
Daruk shook his head hastily. “No, we should let him work through his emotions on his own.”
Andrew frowned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he watched Daruk squirm subtly. Needless to say, the gesture was odd, especially for Daruk, who was almost always as cold as ice. His suspicions led to a confusing conclusion, and he asked, “Are you scared of approaching Yurin?”
“No.” Daruk replied too quickly, confirming Andrew’s suspicions, but after a while he sighed and said, “Look, I’m not scared; I’m just embarrassed to face him. My brother nearly killed him; surely, he’s harboring some resentment.”
Andrew contemplated the matter for a moment and admitted. “I would if it were me.”
“See?”
“But we’ve given him a day already, Daruk. We have to talk to him.”
Daruk hesitated for a moment, but in the end he just shook his head and sighed. “Let's go talk to him.”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
They made their way to Yurin’s table, and when he saw them, his eyes widened and he croaked. “I don’t feel like talking.”
“I understand, but we’re your friends, and we want to talk, so you can just listen.” Andrew replied and forced Daruk, who was still hovering behind him, to sit down.
After Daruk sat down, Andrew continued. “I’m very sorry for what happened to you, but I know it’s nowhere near enough. Daruk’s too embarrassed to even look at you, and I won’t make excuses for Aodhán and say he didn’t know what he was doing even though he didn’t, but I digress. My point is we’re really sorry about what happened to you, but I want to let you know that we’re still friends. We care about you, and we absolutely hate watching you eat alone from across the cafeteria.”
Yurin watched them for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t blame Aodhán, not really. What happened wasn’t his fault.”
“Was it the principal then?” Daruk asked, his gaze taking on a chilling quality that caused the temperature to drop subtly.
Yurin nodded. “I am not supposed to talk about it. I’m getting bribed.”
He smiled then, an expression so radiant that it lit the entire table in gold. Whatever the principal had done, she was obviously paying for it already, so Andrew and Daruk decided not to dig too deeply into it; instead, Andrew asked. “Do you want to talk about your twisted effect?”
Yurin sighed and shook his head. “I don’t want to, but I probably should.” He glanced to the side and said. “Undergoing the twisted effect was like taking a back seat in my own mind. It took my emotions, twisted them, and merged them with my ideals. Never giving up became all that mattered to me, and although I wasn’t exactly in control, I wasn’t fighting for control either.” He shook his head again. “I’ve never felt so in tune with myself, even though I don’t want to repeat the experience. I couldn’t give up even when I was tired. It was glorious in its own way.”
Daruk nodded in understanding. “It’s like surrendering, and even though it’s against your will, you can’t be bothered at that moment.”
Yurin nodded and continued. “With nothing and no one to attack, the twisted effect made me spend the entire time training. Nonstop. For two days, I trained tirelessly, and although it was torture, I enjoyed it up until Aodhán arrived, and by ascendants, I know his understanding of the storm is violent, but I’ve never seen such controlled rage and violence before. I remember attacking him the moment he arrived, but I also remember regretting it almost immediately. Aodhán… Aodhán was brutal and fast. I’ve seen him fight before, but under the influence of chaos, he became another being entirely, and even with my new skill, I barely managed to last more than a few minutes. If the principal hadn’t stopped him in time, I’d be dead right now, and that’s an uncomfortable knowledge to deal with.”
“That’s why you’ve been avoiding us.” Andrew stated, and Yurin nodded.
“I just wanted time to process stuff.”
“We understand.” Daruk replied with a small smile. “At least now we know how Lyra Davenport must have felt after she nearly died to Aodhán during the tournament.”
That caused Yurin to crack a small smile, and their conversation shifted to much lighter topics. By the time they finished speaking, though, Yurin felt more comfortable around them and had even begun laughing. They went to their individual classes after that, and after control training that evening, they gathered once more in the cafeteria for dinner.
Just as they began eating, though, Daruk and Andrew received another text from Rahim that caused silence to descend on their gathering like a wet blanket.
“He’s out.” Andrew muttered, breaking the tense silence, and Yurin took in a sharp breath.
“You don’t have to go.” Daruk quickly added, but Yurin shook his head and said, “I want to. It’ll help me to see him as normal instead of the agent of death and lightning.”
“If you say so.” Daruk replied, and without wasting time, they made their way to Rahim’s office. It only took them a few minutes to reach the small office, and when they reached the entrance, Daruk asked again. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Let’s just get it over with before I change my mind.” Yurin replied, and with a nod, Daruk pushed the door open to find Aodhán seated cross-legged in a plush leather chair with a steaming cup of tea in his hands. Aodhán looked up, his gold-rimmed irises seemingly more piercing than usual, but that wasn’t the only aesthetic change he had undergone.”
Aodhán’s hair had lengthened nearly into a mane, throwing slight arcs of electricity every which way whenever he moved. He had also grown a slight scruff, which lent him a wild and untamed look; however, his gaze emanated a deep sense of calm and control that was just unnatural.
Usually, people didn’t gain new bloodline aesthetics with each advancement, but unique bloodlines were odd, so it wasn’t too alarming. However, with the extent to which Aodhán was going, Daruk was certain he’d hardly be able to recognize his own brother in a couple more years.
Aodhán’s lips curled up into a small smile that should have been harmless but instead seemed predatory and said. “Hey guys, how have you been?”
When none of them responded immediately, Rahim said, “I think they might need a minute to come to terms with things.”
Daruk didn’t need a minute; he was just too shocked with Aodhán’s sudden change. The sense of calm and control Aodhán emanated was too unsettling, and Daruk had to resist the urge to kowtow and call Aodhán master. Andrew seemed to be going through the same thing, but Yurin was much worse.
He was as white as a sheet, and his hands had tightened into a fist so tight his knuckles were white. Surprisingly, he was the one who spoke first.
“It’s good to have you back in your right senses, Aodhán.”
Aodhán’s gaze shifted to Yurin, and Daruk thought he saw a flash of guilt in his eyes, but the emotion was gone before he could be certain. Aodhán stood up from the chair and nodded somberly. “I am glad to be back in my right senses, and I am deeply sorry for what happened to us.” He shot a glare in Rahim’s direction and added. “I hear the principal is already paying for her mistake.”
“Yes, she is.” Yurin smiled then and added. “I’ll also be seeing a counselor, so I hope we can get past any awkwardness very soon.”
Aodhán nodded. “I would like that.”
He then turned his attention back to Daruk and Andrew, the unnatural calmness of his gaze cracking a little as he grinned and said, “I have missed you guys.”
Finally finding his voice, Andrew grinned. “We missed you too. I'm so glad you’re alright. The last few days have been boring without you.”
Daruk couldn’t help but agree. Nothing really interesting had happened in the last few days, and when Aodhán reached out to hug him, he rolled his eyes and hugged him back. He took in the lingering scent of chaos and storm essence that hung around Aodhán and sighed as a thread of worry returned.
Aodhán was the legacy of the slaughterer, a man so brutal that it had taken the system’s intervention to control him. Daruk knew that not all legacies turned out just like their Patrons, but a vast majority did, and that worried him, especially with the war going on and the part Aodhán would eventually have to play in it.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” He said when he pulled back. “Mum and Dad have been worried sick. Make sure you text them as soon as you can.”
“Uhm…” Aodhán grimaced and glanced back at Rahim, who sighed.
“That is the other reason I called you all here.” He paused, letting the silence stretch for a moment before adding. “Aodhán is going on a mission very soon, one he can’t tell anyone about, not even your parents.”
“What?” Daruk exclaimed, but Aodhán quickly explained.
“I can still call Mum and Dad; I just can’t tell them about the mission.”
“What mission is this?” Andrew asked, and they all turned to glare at him until Yurin jabbed him in the side and muttered. “I think it’s classified information.”
“Yes, it is.” Rahim replied and looked at Daruk. “But to put your mind at rest, I will give you a bit more information. Both the awakened council and the military have requested Aodhán and his expertise for a particular mission, and after much deliberation, the principal has agreed. I was just briefing him on the mission as well as what is required of him before you came in. Of course it won’t be easy—
“Hold up! Did you just say both the Awakened council and the military asked for him?” Andrew blurted out, echoing the question that was on their minds because what the fuck! Daruk knew his brother was destined for greatness, but it seemed he had been thinking too small.
Aodhán smiled at their expressions and said, “I know this is surprising, but I’m actually looking forward to this mission.”
Aodhán’s words only confirmed Daruk’s suspicions, and he realized that something was definitely not right. Aodhán had accepted his fate concerning the war; however, that didn’t detract from the fact that he hated the war and everything that had to do with it. The only reason he could think of for Aodhán’s excitement was that the mission was extremely lucrative.
“How much is the mission paying you?” Daruk asked, and Aodhán’s grin widened.
“I don’t know yet, but my reward for success is not something I can say no to.”
Daruk nodded in understanding. Aodhán’s excitement made sense now, and he could only imagine what Aodhán had been promised.
His thoughts were interrupted when Rahim said, “Aodhán will be well protected. You don’t have to worry about him. He’s an asset to the academy, and we would very much like to keep him alive.”
“I’ll be fine.” Aodhán added in a reassuring tone, but Daruk was still a little worried for him. He was doing so much of that these days—a habit that was in no way helping his efforts in gaining another seal, but Daruk just couldn’t help himself.
“You should text Mom and Dad and tell them about this.” He said after a moment of thought and smirked at Rahim. “I’m sure they’ll have no issue with it, since according to Rahim it’s so safe.”
Rahim grimaced, and Aodhán’s smile vanished. He shuffled awkwardly, revealing a bit more of his old self with that motion.
“You know Synové won’t approve.” Aodhán murmured. “I doubt she would even approve it if I simply wanted to take a walk around the borders of Conquestia.”
“Conquestia is a death trap these days.” Andrew interjected, his expression sagely as if he held all the wisdom concerning war.
Aodhán shook his head and sighed. “My point is she wouldn’t understand, and neither would Unrid. I’ll be well protected, though. Besides, this mission will grant me some experience with the military, experience that might just save my life in the future.”
Daruk scowled. “So in one word, you’re too scared to text them, and you want me to do it.”
Aodhán shrugged. “We can always make Rahim do it.”
“I’m your mentor, not your fucking scapegoat.” Rahim scowled and fixed them with a warning glare. “Sort this out amongst yourselves. I don’t need to give your mother any more reasons to hate me.”
They argued for a few more minutes until Rahim finally agreed to send agent Kaelith to inform their parents. It was most inappropriate, but Daruk would rather be rude than be the one to inform his mother that Aodhán would be going on a mission where his return wasn’t a hundred and ten percent guaranteed.
After that, Aodhán, Andrew, and Yurin left the office, but Daruk stayed behind, and when the door shut behind them, he turned his gaze to Rahim and asked. “Tell me the truth: How is he really?”
“He’s fine.” Rahim sighed. “He gained a new skill, but he refused to share either the name or function of the skill with anyone. I’m aware you guys share your status screen, and I was wondering if perhaps you would have an idea.
Daruk shook his head. Aodhán must have deactivated the sharing feature, because he had been unable to access Aodhán’s skill ever since Rahim had informed them of his seal impairment.
Rahim shrugged. “Well, whatever it is, it definitely enhances his perception and emotional control. We suspect it’s a passive skill, but until he makes it known, we can’t be sure of anything.”
Daruk nodded in understanding and sighed. “How dangerous is this mission?”
Rahim paused, his own concern and doubt now apparent. “I cannot say, but I know he’s going to one of the most protected locations in the entire kingdom. He should be completely safe, and the academy is doing all that it can to ensure that, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
Daruk closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. There was only so much he could do to protect Aodhán, and right now, there was nothing he could do. All he could do was hope his chaos-marked brother would make it back alive. Besides, advancement was a risk, and there was a thin line between trying to protect a person and smothering them.
He and Rahim spoke for a few more minutes before Daruk finally left the office. Wanting to speak to Aodhán more, Daruk made his way to house 14, expecting to find Aodhán, Andrew, and Yurin there; instead, he found Andrew and Yurin on the lawn, both staring up at the sky with their hands shading their eyes.
“Where’s Aodhán?” He asked when he reached the lawn, and Andrew raised a hand to the sky. “He just took off to ascendants knows where, and he didn’t even say goodbye.”
Daruk turned his gaze to the sky and sighed, wondering what exactly Aodhán was up to now. A distant rumble of thunder answered his question, and Daruk chuckled when he saw the clouds begin to gather and darken with the promise of rain.
Finally! Aodhán was using his {Storm Creation} skill for something useful.