Magic.
It was a topic that never left the back of Aric's mind, gnawing against his very sanity the more he contained it.
The very idea of performing something so supernatural was enough to give him an incentive to study, something he never did in his previous life…
Heck, it was that incentive that allowed him to learn the god forsaken —damned language! Elvis got up from his rocking chair, taking a particular book from the shelf, as if he already had one ready, placing it in front of him. "Here, go ahead. Read it." Aric looked at the book, his brows raised as he looked at Elvis.
Elvis simply smiled as Aric tried to raise his brow higher.
Eventually, after a period of no response from the old man, Aric opened the book. Reading through it, his brows furrowed. Then his eyes widened as he tilted his head in confusion.
"Holy cow shit.."
This bullshit was only the first page.
He looked at Elvis with contempt and shouted, "What kind of bullshit is this!"
Elvis looked at him, clearly confused.
'Ah, my bad. Wrong language.'
Aric cleared his throat as he pointed at the book, "What is book!"
Elvis chuckled, "What is this book." he corrected as the word clicked back into Aric's mind, who clicked his tongue, crossing his arms, "I know."
Aric shook his head, "Give a good book, this book is bad."
It was horrible.
A children's story book on heroes!
Elvis smiled as he took the book, pointing his finger to it, "But this book is real based on a real incident you know."
'That story was so absurd.' Aric remarked with a frown
Like anyone would have a hard time believing that was real. Aric looked at the book again:
"When the heroes descended, the light in the world flickered. The sun extinguished and relighted, the ground quaked and the world moved to welcome the otherworlders that have descended."
That was the rough idea of what was written in the first page, illustrated with pictures.
And so Aric arrived at his conclusion.
The book was bullshit. Nothing about magic. Some fairy tales to make heroes look good.. Heroes.
'Wait.'
Aric turned the page.
—Flip
He frowned.
'It seems that 286 years ago, heroes were summoned to defeat a monster.' he deduced from the mix of text and pictures.
"Huh?"
Heroes could only be summoned once every 300 years. That was a fact stated by Aurelion. She also said the lifespan of a hero was on average 300 years old.
So how were Ethan and the rest summoned 14 years early?
—Flip
Elvis turned back to his book, adjusting his monocle seeing Aric flip the pages.
—Flip
—Flip
Aric sighed.
The rest of the book just described the heroes' journey.
Aric a pang of disappointment, turning his head to Elvis, who in turn laughed. "Seems like you didn't quite like this one."
"This book is bad," he simply said.
The book didn't have much for him to help in his current circumstances. Well, so did magic…
'But magic is way cooler.'
Aric sighed, caught in an internal stifle. 'I should take books related to the world around me and money I guess. BUT THEN AGAIN! I can learn magic!' He started to violently ruffle his hair, causing Elvis to take notice, amusement in his eyes. "Now now, what do you want?"
Before Aric could answer, the door opened.
Nessa stepped in.
She bowed to Elvis, then shot Aric a smile so sweet it curdled his blood.
She motioned for him to stand.
…Aric stood.
She took his hand and bowed again. "Sir Elvis, I'll be taking Aric. We… have to go."
'JUST WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO ASK FOR A REAL BOOK—'
"Why," Aric muttered—not a question, but a protest.
Nessa's smile grew wider. Way too wide.
'Nope. I value my life.'
He waved Elvis a half-hearted farewell and turned away, refusing eye contact with the demon disguised as his sister.
She picked him up with worrying ease, whisking him out of the study.
***
"I saw Mom on the way back," Nessa finally said.
Aric stiffened.
It was a precarious situation indeed. If Lilia got to know about their visits to Maiws' household, Aric's study about magic and Nessa's advances on Elian would definitely halt for a while.
"Run fashter Nessa!" Aric shouted as Nessa gritted her teeth, "Shut up brat! I know!"
Nessa looked front, as my eyes narrowed. Trudging down the same path would make them cross paths with Lilia. But it was the shortest way home.
Nessa clicked her tongue, "Where is Ines when I need him…"
She looked down, reaching for her tattered bag, made of torn cloth, pulling some coins, she looked at them before clenching them and running towards the path.
Aric pretty much got what she was going for… It was a lost cause trying to reach home before Lilia so might as well make an excuse that she worked in the market. He also knew that the coins she just took out were the ones she hid from Resol, for her sculpting tools.
Aric had noticed that Nessa really enjoys sculpting wooden figures. It was something that she did despite her circumstances and it meant that showing this to Lilia would mean giving the money up to family.
At the end of the day, Nessa was but a 9 year old girl, so it was totally normal for her to feel a bit selfish for herself. She bit her lip as she started walking to the path.
Aric held onto her shoulders as she piggy-backed him, feet pounding against the ground. She was strong for her age—too strong. A result of a life that demanded it.
But something didn't add up.
Lilia had gone to the temple with Tristan. And the old priestess there loved to talk. Aric remembered waiting there once, long enough for a nap. So how was Lilia already on her way back?
His thoughts shattered as Nessa skidded to a halt.
"Huh?" he exhaled.
Ahead stood Lilia—Tristan bundled in her arms, her face pale with shock as she stared down the road. Aric followed her gaze.
A small carriage sat between them—woven from thick, bamboo-like stalks and pulled by a sleek, long-legged bird-beast. Thorp guards surrounded it, hands resting on spear hilts. At the front stood an old man with eyebrows so large they could have been fur. Beside him, a boy—around ten—wore disgust like a perfume.
Their clothes were fine wool.
The old man turned his head slowly toward Nessa. His voice was deep.
"You seem well, Nessa."
She froze.
Her legs trembled.
"Grandpa…" she whispered.
Aric's breath hitched.
His eyes widened.
Lilia turned to the book in surprise, "Nessa, why–?"
Before she could finish, the boy beside the carriage snapped:
"Don't you dare call Grandfather 'Grandpa,' you filthy girl!"
Nessa flinched. The old man lifted a hand — silencing everyone instantly.
His gaze slid to Lilia, cold and unwavering.
"So that man truly made you bear three children?"
There was pity in his eyes. Or maybe disgust disguised as pity.
Lilia's breath hitched. "Father— I didn't—"
His hand rose again.
This time, the words landed like a blade.
"You were exiled the moment you lost your purity to that peasant."
His voice was flat.
"Do not forget. I am not your father."
He glanced at the baby in her arms with a cold expression.
"And I have no interest in your impure offspring."
Nessa's fist trembled against Aric's shoulder—small, but shaking like something carved too thin to withstand a blow. The carriage lurched forward. As it did, the boy beside the old man met Nessa's eyes… sneered… and spat on her sleeve.
Aric felt something snap inside. He glared at the boy until the carriage turned the corner and disappeared from view.
Lilia eventually walked over to Nessa, wiping the spit of her sleeve. This was not the first time, Aric realized. Not even close.
Then Lilia's expression shifted to a stern face.
"Why were you there, Nessa?"
Nessa had a deadpan face, "Since he stole most of our money… I went to the market to make some." She showed a few coins to Lilia, who looked at her for a second, her eyes slowly softening.
No words were exchanged, before she pulled the girl into a tight embrace.
When they finally separated, Nessa's voice came small but steady.
"So mom… why did you come home so early?"
Lilia looked at her — then at Tristan — and a smile bloomed like dawn breaking through a storm.
"Tristan is biologically capable of holding a conduit."
Nessa's jaw dropped.
She slowly turned to Aric.
Then Nessa exploded.
"WHAT?!"