Mystical Saga - The beginning

29. Beneath the surface (Z-F)

A/N

This story is unedited so apologies for grammatical and spelling errors if any.

_____****_____

Zachary (POV) 

I remained silent for a while, pondering my words before releasing a heavy sigh. Realizing that if I wanted her to understand and trust me, I had to be honest, I began, "Before I met you, rumors swirled about the potent energy that surrounded you. I approached you cautiously, seeking to discern whether you were merely a person on a quest for identity or a concealed threat in disguise. After confirming that you posed no danger, my intention was to distance myself. However, your intellect captivated me, drawing me in. I found myself staying longer, enjoying our professional and personal conversations. You possess a maturity beyond your years."

I paused briefly before continuing, "As for the cave you mentioned, it's not visible to everyone. While its existence is acknowledged, only a select few possess the ability to perceive it. And among those, only a handful can actually enter. I attempted to gain entry multiple times, but each attempt ended in failure..."

"But you entered it without any resistance with me..." She interrupted. "I didn't enter on my own; you dragged me inside..."

After a moment of consideration, I cautiously asked, "I wanted to ask you something... can I?" Fiora nervously nodded her head.

"Why weren't you surprised when entering that cave, or perhaps scared, like a typical manipulator would have been? It was as if you visited there every day to wander," I asked curiously, seeking clarity on her reaction.

"I was scared, excited, and nervous—more excited because I thought I finally had the answer to my question and could go back home to lead a normal life. But, I didn't want to be alone, so I dragged you inside," Fiora explained.

I nodded in understanding, but before I could say anything further, she continued, "Do you remember the shimmers around you in the cave?"

Again, I nodded, emitting a small sound of acknowledgement.

"I suspected that maybe you're not human as well. Your calm demeanour in that cave confirmed my suspicion. I thought you knew who I was and maybe you'd tell me on your own. That was the only reason I stayed in that cave, wandering," she concluded.

I sighed heavily before responding, "And seeing your excitement, I assumed that perhaps you were feigning ignorance while secretly planning to execute whatever plan you had. So, I stayed there to try to understand your intentions. After leaving the cave, you pretended to conveniently forget everything. I thought maybe you believed that people wouldn't believe what you saw and would consider you mentally ill, hence the pretence. But even that didn't remove you from my suspicion radar."

"We were both trying to protect ourselves," she spoke softly, her voice tinged with understanding. "And as for Arnica, I began to realize that your connection with her ran deeper than mere magic. There was something inherently personal about it. When you were unconscious after the cave incident, her reaction only served to confirm my suspicions. That marked the beginning of my quest to unravel the mystery surrounding Arnica."

After a small pause I began again "To answer your question, yes, I was aware of who Arnica was. However, I couldn't fully believe it until she revealed the truth to us. The existence of Ethereans had always been more of a folklore tale for our community. We knew they once existed but were believed to have gone extinct. Therefore, anyone possessing similar magic to that of an Etherean is considered rare and precious among magic holders.