Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 146 - Hope

Previously:

Friday, the last day of Muni entrance exams, Special exam. Examiners give Kiel a final artifact, whose enchantment he doesn't need to replicate but to just draw out. However, Kiel finds that the enchantment is too small and he can't sense it clearly with his mana sense. While Kiel is stressing out, Elaru can feel his panic and wants to help him, however, the anti-cheating contract they had signed prevents them from communicating. So she comes up with an idea to break it as a part of her special exam and shocks the trio of old men with her ability. After breaking her contract she realizes that Kiel no longer needs her help and a backlash of Kiel's actions hits her. After the appearance of the headmaster Eruan Arite, she finally manages to break away from the trio of shameless old men, leaving the classroom. She meets up with Kiel and he tells her about what happened to him earlier.

Episode 146 – Hope

"Then you don't have any Aethernea that I know of." Elaru shrugged helplessly. "If you have an Aethernea at all..."

Peeping Toms? Self-regenerating lizards? Trackogs?

...people driven to do strange things...?

And mind rapists...?

Kiel broke out in goosebumps. Forget it. Aethernea wielders are a bunch of weirdos... I certainly don't belong in that group.

Misunderstanding Kiel's strange look, Elaru reached out to pat his head in an attempt to console him. An action that looked very awkward considering that she was shorter than him and had to fully extend her arms to reach his head. "Divine gifts aren't all that great. They are just as much of a curse as they are a gift."

Kiel looked at the awkward way the redhead was patting him and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He didn't even have the strength to move away at this point, lest she came up with another less acceptable way to 'comfort him'. Of all her ways of showing affection, this was certainly the least touchy.

"You know, the majority of Aethernea wielders don't survive the birth and majority of those that do, end up going insane and dying soon after. And that's not even the curse I am talking about. What I mean is, divine magic is burdensome on both the body and the mind. Mortals weren't meant to wield divine power. And there is no way to turn this tiring and maddening power off. Besides those lucky bastards with Aethernea of Life, the rest of us will probably not live past 60."

Kiel didn't respond. He even momentarily forgot that Elaru was still messing up his hair with her pats. Painful sourness swelled up within his chest. The idea that sometime in the future he might get to see Elaru die right in front of him was too unpleasant to think about. What surprised him the most was that the first thing he thought about wasn't the fact that he would return back to his non-mage self if Elaru died.

What is this unbearable sense of loss?

...I guess there is some compassion left in me after all.

It must be that he no longer viewed Elaru as a stranger unrelated to him.

But then, what was she to him? A friend? A partner? A person he could rely on and be himself with?

Did the exact classification even matter? Kiel shook his head. "Then I better reach success in life before the age of 60." He attempted to lighten the mood.

Elaru let out a humorless chuckle. "Papa often jokes that we power divine magic with our life. Like a candle flame that burns blindingly bright for a fleeting moment. I guess it is not far from the truth."