Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 122 - Three Years Ago

Previously:

Elaru rescues the hostage and apprehends the criminals, thus finishing her practical exam.

Episode 122 - Three Years Ago

Elaru opened her large teal eyes to meet two equally large purple orbs.

Two heads, one red and the other white, stared at each other expressionlessly, silently, motionlessly.

With identical facial expressions, the two females that at first glance had nothing in common, suddenly looked oddly familiar.

The eerie silence persisted for several seconds before the redhead opened her lush lips to murmur softly: "Mageheart... is my compatibility ratio high enough to initiate a forceful switch of ownership?"

"No." The white-haired beauty answered in an apathetic voice.

Elaru closed her eyes and exhaled. "How about in the future? Is it possible to raise it high enough?"

"Your compatibility ratio is currently on the rise. It might reach the required threshold in the near future."

Mageheart paused her response briefly.

"However, no matter how high your compatibility ratio may reach, you will not be able to initiate a forceful switch of ownership. Even if the current owner abdicates voluntarily or dies, you will still not be able to become my owner. I cannot go against the prime directive."

Elaru's tired face finally revealed a bitter smile, yet it did nothing to lessen the enchanting beauty of her being. On the contrary, seeing a stunning beauty with such an expression would only serve to make one's heart clench tightly.

However, Mageheart showed absolutely no reaction. Though she had a "heart" in her name, there was no heart beating in her chest that could clench in pain.

Another moment of silence passed with neither female moving to break it.

Reluctantly, Elaru got up from the egg chair, her teal eyes never leaving the purple ones. "Are my current user privileges high enough to lock out the current administrator?"

"Yes. Unique entity Elaria has been assigned authority second only to the owner." Mageheart confirmed. "However, I would advise you against provoking the Arite family. The benefits it would bring you do not justify the price of turning the Arite family into your enemies."

Elaru's footsteps sounded in the otherwise deathly quiet room.

"Turning the Arities into enemies? What are you saying Mageheart?" A melodic chuckle reverberated inside the black room like a chime of bells.

"Arite family and me..." Elaru paused her walk several feet away from the white-haired woman. "We've been enemies from the start..."

Mageheart continued to stare at Elaru Wayvin unblinkingly as the latter walked past her, almost brushing her shoulder with her own. "....mortals only have a single life. And you..."

"...and I am living mine." The redhead interrupted her, pausing her stride to give Mageheart a side glare. "And I don't need an artifact to tell me how to live it."

Once again, neither of the two females spoke, the only sounds breaking the deathly silence were Elaru's retreating footsteps.

As her lonely back reached the exit to the room, her tightly clenched fists relaxed slowly. "Mageheart, delete all records of our conversation. Also, stop collecting capability data on Elaru Wayvin and Kiel Rroda and delete all capability data already collected from your memory."