Power surged through Elowen's veins like a wild river—hot, untamed, yet weighed down as though it carried stones she had no desire to hold. She walked beside Nael, the crunch of his boots on dry leaves blending with the faint, distant song of birds she scarcely noticed. Her mind drifted elsewhere, caught in a whirl of doubt that smoldered in her chest, an unyielding flame refusing to fade.
Abruptly, she halted. A cold wind grazed her face, carrying the damp scent of the forest, and she frowned, her fingers tightening at her sides.
—"Ave, speak to me."— Her voice sliced through the air, sharp yet quivering at the edges, as if restraining a scream.
The reply came soft and steady, almost tender, lingering in her mind like an inescapable whisper:
—"Of course, Elowen. What do you want to know?"
—"How much did I spend for this?"— She hurled the words like daggers, her tone rising, thick with a rage that pulsed with life. —"And don't tell me it was little, because I feel a hole inside me!"
Ave's response carried a faint hint of amusement, as if savoring someone else's storm:
—"One million points of destiny, Elowen."
She froze. Her eyes widened until they stung, and a step backward nearly sent her stumbling over an exposed root. One million. The phrase reverberated within her, a thunderclap trapped in her throat.
—"What? That's robbery!"— The cry burst forth, hoarse, echoing through the trees. —"One million? Are you joking with me?"
Ahead, Nael paused. He didn't turn, standing as a tall, silent shadow, though his fingers twitched slightly, sketching invisible patterns in the air. He listened. He always did.
—"I can explain, if you let me."— Ave's tone grew firm, unshakable, a wall Elowen longed to tear down with her bare hands.
—"It better be good, Ave!"— She crossed her arms, her face flushed with anger, glaring into the emptiness as if the system might materialize before her, flesh and blood.
A beat of silence followed, cutting like shards of glass.
—"One hundred thousand were for the atemporal space, for you to cultivate up to the Great Master Domain. A place where time stops, where no one can reach you, where you grow faster than the world outside."
—"One hundred thousand?"— Elowen laughed, a dry, humorless sound. —"And the rest? What explains the other nine hundred thousand?"
—"The Semi-Immortal Supreme Treasure."— Ave spoke as if it were plain as day, a trace of pride in her voice. —"You used it to awaken your soul."
The air lodged in Elowen's lungs. She blinked slowly, grappling with the enormity of those words. Nine hundred thousand for a treasure? The realization crashed over her like a dark tide.
—"Are you telling me that thing cost almost a million points?"— Her voice trembled, a volatile mix of fury and disbelief.
—"Yes."— Ave sounded pleased, unnervingly calm. —"It's a relic rarer than stars falling on a clear day. Only three have existed since the dawn of all things. Crafting one demands a price few can fathom."
Elowen clenched her fists until her nails bit into her palms, the blood pounding in her ears, loud and fierce.
—"And you couldn't warn me before throwing all that away?"— Her tone dripped with venom, each word laced with raw hurt. —"I trusted you!"
—"You asked for the best path. That's what I gave you. Nothing else would guarantee your awakening so quickly."
Nael turned his head then, just enough for her to catch the icy glint in his eyes—like peering into the depths of a frozen lake.
—"Are you crying over something you already knew would be expensive?"— His voice was pure frost, cutting and devoid of warmth. —"You wanted to run, Elowen. Don't complain about the wind in your face now."
Her mouth opened, primed to snap back, but no words came. His gaze pierced her, pinning her in place, reflecting her own nature back at her: impulsive, power-hungry, blind to the costs. She despised it.
—"It's not the result that kills me."— Her voice dropped to a whisper, rough with defeat. —"It's just that… I didn't imagine it would be so much."
With a small, almost lazy shrug, Nael resumed walking, his boots grinding the earth beneath them, indifferent.
—"The price doesn't matter."— He said it without looking back. —"What matters is that you got there."
She stood rooted, the wind tugging at her hair, her chest constricting. I did get there, she thought, sensing the storm within her—alive, potent. Yet the cost lingered, an ember that refused to die.
—"Alright, Ave. You got me this time."— She murmured, mostly to herself, and took a step to catch up with Nael, her eyes steely with resolve.
Mist rose from the ground like smoke, wrapping the forest in a white veil that muffled all sound. Elowen felt the transformation clinging to her skin, a dense energy humming in her bones. She walked beside Nael, but the silence between them was stifling, as if the air had solidified. A sharp doubt gnawed at her, impossible to ignore.
She stopped again, her breath quick and shallow. The damp air reeked of earth and decay, and she inhaled deeply, summoning the strength to speak.
—"Ave, explain something to me."— Her voice held steady, though a thread of curiosity—and perhaps fear—wove through it.
—"Always here for you, Elowen."— Ave replied, calm, her tone hinting at vast knowledge and scant emotion.
—"My talent…"— She hesitated, arms crossing, her boot nudging a loose stone. —"Everything about it revolves around destiny? So how did I end up gaining a talent outside of it? Something very contrary… Illusions."
Ave paused, as if weighing her next move.
—"It's because of the blood in your veins now. But don't worry, it will disappear in a few weeks."
Elowen's eyes lifted, her brow creasing in confusion.
—"Blood? What blood?"
—"When you ate the purple fruit, the one that changed who you are, Nael mixed a drop of his normal blood into it."
The world stilled. She blinked, dazed, her heart thumping too loudly. His blood? The thought twisted in her mind like a blade.
—"He did what?"— The scream tore free, loud enough to shred the mist, startling a bird into panicked flight.
Nael stopped ahead but didn't turn, a living statue whose silence outweighed any words.
—"It was on purpose."— Ave pressed on, serene. —"His blood isn't just anything. It holds fragments of what existed before all things, pure essence. What you gained from the fruit is tied to him because of it."
Elowen shut her eyes, the ground seeming to tilt beneath her. A bitter surge burned up her throat, hot and sour.
—"So this talent… isn't mine?"— Her voice quaked, heavy with pain and rage. —"It's just an echo of his power?"
Ave lingered before answering, the silence pressing down like lead.
—"It's not an echo. It's a piece of him that became yours. It was born from him, but it grew with your soul. It's yours, Elowen."
She drew a deep breath, wrestling with the chaos inside. Was it fury at being altered so profoundly without her knowledge? Or at Nael, who'd thrust this enormity upon her without a word? My talent, my soul, my life… all shaped by his hands, she thought, fists tightening.
—"Why didn't he tell me?"— She murmured, barely audible, the words nearly swallowed.
Nael turned then, slowly, his eyes locking onto hers—deep, dark, like wells where light perished.
—"It wasn't necessary."— His voice was a wisp of smoke, hoarse and cutting. —"What matters is what you do with it, not where it came from."
She searched his face for something—regret, pride, anything. But he was an impenetrable wall, cold and distant.
—"But…"— She faltered, her voice breaking, her chest too tight to go on.
He stepped closer, his presence swallowing the space between them.
—"You wanted strength, Elowen. Now you have it."— His gaze measured her, unrelenting. —"Stop digging up the past and move on."
Nael turned once more, striding forward, his boots sinking into the wet earth. She lingered, the cold wind striking her face. The power within her thrummed, vibrant and alive, yet it felt like a stranger beneath her skin. Still, deep down, she knew he was right. The present was what counted.
With a short, almost sobbing sigh, she squared her shoulders and followed. The mist swallowed her, but her steps were sure. The future beckoned, and she would meet it—with or without his blood.
Elowen spun on her heels, the damp forest floor creaking under her boots. Her eyes blazed, a tempest of anger and determination swirling within them. The air hung heavy with mist and the sweet rot of fallen leaves. She faced Nael, her breath rapid, each inhale a struggle to contain the fire raging inside.
—"Why did you do it?"— Her voice emerged low, nearly a growl, trembling with a strength she seldom unleashed.
Nael moved then, deliberately, as if time bent around him. His eyes met hers—cold, fathomless, a void that devoured light. It was like staring into a starless night.
—"Why not?"— He answered simply, his voice smooth as a blade resting on stone.
Her chest tightened, a hard knot crushing her pride. His words stung like a slap, but worse—they held a mirror to her soul. She stepped forward, her gaze fixed on his, seeking any hint of humanity behind that icy facade.
—"That's not an answer!"— She spat, her hands balling into fists. —"Couldn't you let me decide? Just once?"
Nael tilted his head slightly, a faint, almost curious gesture. He studied her, as if she were a stray piece in a game only he comprehended.
—"With that useless talent you had?"— His words slashed the air, sharp and frigid. —"There's no room for mistakes here, Elowen."
Silence descended like a leaden shroud. Rage swelled within her, a hot wave rising in her throat, yet beneath it lay a bitter truth she couldn't stomach. He's right, she thought, teeth gritted. Without him, she'd still be clawing through the muck, chasing a power forever out of reach.
—"He used a drop of his blood, Elowen."— Ave's voice slipped into her mind, calm, aiming to douse the flames. —"And that cost more than you imagine. Each drop is worth more than a million points of destiny."
Elowen blinked, her breath catching. A million? The word spun in her mind, weighty and unreal.
—"A drop of normal blood costing more than a million points…"— She murmured, half to herself, her gaze lost in the mist.
Nael shrugged lightly, almost carelessly, as if the burden meant nothing to him.
—"The cost doesn't matter."— His voice was firm, incisive. —"What matters is the result."
She fell silent, her heart pounding too hard. Anger lingered, now tangled with a knot of gratitude and resentment she couldn't unravel. She loathed his coldness, the way he dictated her fate like she was a child. Yet, buried beneath it all, she knew: without him, this living power wouldn't course through her veins.
—"Next time, warn me."— She spoke at last, her voice steadier, stripped of its earlier venom. —"Before you play god with me."
Nael offered no reply. He simply turned and walked on, his steps resounding on the sodden ground, dismissing the exchange like a fleeting breeze. Elowen stood still for a moment, the chill wind whipping her face, tousling her hair. He won't change, she thought, a bitter taste lingering. But neither would she falter.
Time seemed to warp as Nael watched Elowen hone her talent. He stood motionless, a towering shadow against the mist, his eyes tracking her with surgical precision. The air pulsed faintly with her cultivation, a sensation most would miss. But Nael felt it—every fracture in time's flow, every subtle ripple. He saw it all.
Not yet, he thought, his gaze drifting to the horizon, cold and detached. His own powers slumbered within him, caged like a beast. Unleashing them would be effortless—and catastrophic. It'd be like a scream shattering a world of glass.
—"Nael?"
Her voice pierced the quiet, pulling him back. He lifted his eyes, unhurried, devoid of warmth.
—"What is it?"— He asked, his tone low, sharp as a knife easing into its sheath.
Elowen hesitated, chewing the corner of her lip before drawing a deep breath.
—"I want to hatch the primordial beast egg you gave me."
One eyebrow arched, nearly imperceptible, though his face remained stone. The silence stretched, thick and oppressive, until he spoke.
—"Of course."— His voice carried a pointed edge, as if she'd tugged a fragile thread of patience. —"Every time I'm about to leave, you hold me back with these ideas."
She crossed her arms, a wry smile curling the edge of her mouth.
—"It's not like you have something more important to do."
Nael ignored her jab, but his eyes narrowed, the air around him growing colder.