HIM AND HER

Within the expanse of the endless worth, a strange silence encompassed it. A strange atmosphere distended as all eyes focused onto Lynne who, in turn, slanted his head to the side, confusion written on his face. Thalia shook her head lightly, sighing, as she looked away.

“What?” Lynne asked, breaking the silence at last.

“… let’s forget the fact that the only reason we exist at the moment is because you can Magic,” the Spirit said. “What you’re suggesting is even more insane than wiping out every Grand Realm Magus.”

“Actually, let’s not forget that first fact,” the woman suddenly leaned forth, her face just a few inches away from Lynne’s. “You genuinely do hate Magic,” she said, narrowing her eyes slightly. “Encapsulated by it – even emboldened and enamored by it – you still hold hatred against the very same thing keeping you alive. You’re like a living, breathing paradox.”

“… I don’t hate Magic,” Lynne said, taking a step back. “I’m just on the fences about how it’s used. So, I’m guessing that my idea is shut down?”

“You can’t rip Magic or prevent it from being taught, Lynne,” Thalia sighed as she explained. “You should know that all living beings inherently have Magic; those that don’t, well, are dead. Even if you somehow find a way to rip the knowledge they acquired about Magic without them going insane, they’d be able to learn it from the start again. And to prevent Magic from being taught… that’s just a childish dream.”

“As I already said,” the woman floated back up before continuing. “You’re the alive ones, tied in to the World. The war won’t have anything to do with me and, even if it did, I’d encourage it rather than try and prevent it.”

“The fact that the Source itself initiated the events that will eventually lead to war… should it kind of scream of the End being quite near?” the False God said, his expression grim.

“To humans,” the woman explained. “And even to Gods and Spirits, time is a fractured knowledge. For instance, time here doesn’t flow – it’s completely frozen. However, time outside still flows. On and on. What is a billion years period to us? It feels like an eternity. Yet, to the World and to the Source, it is but a blink.”

“That’s that then,” Lynne clasped as he spoke. “The war isn’t going to happen any time soon, the World won’t end any time soon… but could we kind of leave this place any time soon?” the woman looked at him strangely, her eyes seemingly shimmering.

“You’re a mystery, boy,” she said at last, extending her arm forth. “But I’ve seen many mysteries come to light in my lifetime. In the end, you’ll have to come to light too; those that dance at the borders of the conflict are always the first to go. You need to make a choice,” she said as a small, spherical object appeared in her hand; it was much smaller than the one that floated beforehand, and was barely visible. It emitted almost no energy, and were it not for the slight glow, Lynne would have probably missed it. “Either you’ll discard your hate… or embrace it and let it become your guide and fuel.”

“What is this?” Lynne asked after the woman flung the object at him, catching it.

“It’s for the day you finally choose,” the woman said as she began floating into the sky, going back to the gigantic sphere. “Let it become a part of your Soul, and so will I.”

“… I already have enough weird things living inside my Soul.” Lynne grunted.

“As for you,” she suddenly paused and turned to Thalia. “What do you value more? Knowledge of a Divine Magus, or--”

“The other,” Thalia interrupted her. “I value the other more.”

“… very well,” the woman spoke, entering the sphere. “When you’re ready to leave, just shout it and I’ll let you go.”

The massive sphere closed up and slowly began growing ever so smaller, until it returned back to its original size. The Spirit and the False God returned back into Lynne immediately after, leaving behind only Lynne and Thalia.

“What was she talking about?” Lynne asked her. Thalia glanced at him before replying.

“Nothing,” she shook her head. “Should we go?”

“She offered you the entirety of her knowledge Thalia,” Lynne said, his expression growing serious. “It can’t be nothing.”

“Alright,” Thalia said, turning towards him. “If you tell me what those two were, I’ll tell you what the ‘other’ was.”

“One is the False God I fought,” Lynne said plainly. “The other is the Spirit Guardian of the Emperor Flame Sect’s true grounds that I inherited when we went to the Ancient City.”

“…”

“Your turn.”

“… how can you just blurt out something so important?” Thalia grunted, crouching down.

“Because it’s you I’m blurting it out to,” Lynne said, smiling lightly. “If I can’t trust even you with it, who else can I?” she raised her head slowly, their gazes meeting.

“You trust me.” she muttered.

“Of course I do,” Lynne chuckled, crouching down himself. “You’ve stuck with me despite all my shortcomings. You’ve even pushed through the days when I did nothing but whine about how life is unfair, and how terrible I felt because I killed people. You rushed to save me despite the fact that there was a gigantic God standing in your way. And, you even chose to enter here with me on the blind faith that I won’t fuck it up. The least I can do is to trust you with all my heart and tell you where I’m getting all my knowledge from.”

“… why does it feel just like emotional blackmail to get me to share my secrets too?” the two burst out in laughter as they sat down while their voices echoed out into infinity.

“Yeah, yeah, maybe there was a little bit of that too,” Lynne said. “But I do want you to trust me.”

“You’ve changed Lynne.” Thalia said following a short silence.

“I have, haven’t I?” Lynne sighed, looking up.

“While you’re being so honest for a change,” she said. “Let me ask you: why do you hate Magic? And don’t tell me it’s some juvenile reason, like your Bloodline or the fact that it’s used to hurt people.”

“…” Lynne looked at her strangely as he sighed. “I truly don’t hate Magic Thalia,” he explained. “I never really did. It’s more along the lines of fearing it. The more I learn about it, the more terrifying it seems. It governs the world, from top to bottom, and there’s nothing to oppose it. Wherever I go in this realm, I’ll be either respected or discarded based solely on my strength. I’m afraid to think what my life would have been like if I didn’t have as much talent as I do for it. And then, I think of the people that don’t. They could train for years and decades, pour everything they have into learning and getting better, and they wouldn’t be able to achieve half of what I did within two years.”

“… when I was twelve,” Thalia said, smiling bitterly. “I visited Divine Realm for the first time. I was in absolute awe, filled to brim with hope and confidence. I wanted to prove myself; to prove the condescending fucks that grew up there that even people from other realms can be just as strong and just as talented. Suffice to say, I wasn’t. I got absolutely demolished. Kids half my age were defeating me without even breaking a sweat. I got so disheartened I wanted to quit studying Magic altogether. “

“Then, one night, I went out for a stroll… and I saw one of the kids who beat me, practicing well past midnight. Then another… and then another. And I realized that, just like me, they struggle. However talented they are, they still devote all of themselves to that struggle. Above them hang the expectations – not only from their peers and predecessors, but also from people outside the Divine Realm – to be the best of the best. Talented or not, we all thrive to become the best we can be. Is it unfair that some find it easier? Yes. But, in the end, what worth is to complain when things won’t change by themselves.” she finished, smiling lightly at him.

“… is that an attempt at emotional blackmail? Hai, have I finally corrupted you?” Lynne chuckled lightly as he spoke.

“Tch, how did I expect to blackmail a master blackmailer? Hah, silly me.”

“There is a Paradise, Thalia, somewhere out there,” Lynne said, his gaze shifting onward. “Where Magic is a tool to better the world, not to determine the rulers and the champions. A place where the strength isn’t defined by how many Kingdoms can you collapse with a single spell. I’ll carve open a path to it, one way or another. Eventually, people will land ashore the world which will recognize their determination, their investment. Until then, just like those fucks from the Divine Realm, I’ll struggle too. I can either continue to be a coward and whine about how unfair it was that I was put into this situation… or I can embrace it and move forward. While the first option sounds like a lot of fun, it’s time I accepted all I am rather than just the parts I like.”

“Thank you.” Thalia muttered after a short silence.

“What for?”

“For telling me all that.” the two pairs of eyes locked onto each other. “It couldn’t have been easy.”

“Eh, it was,” Lynne said, chuckling. “The hard part was finally escaping my comfort zone.”

“Oh?” Thalia arched her brows. “Could it be that you’re willing to experience new things? Like, God forbid, younger women?!! Ah! Who are you and what have you done to my Lynne?!”

“Hey, hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!” Lynne protested softly. “I said I’m open to new things, not destroying the very thing that defines me!”

“… isn’t your general assholeness and shamelessness that defines you?”

“Well, yeah—wait, I’m not an asshole! Or shameless! I’m an extremely prim and proper boy!”

“Are you sure?” Thalia asked.

“Yeah-wait, we’re straying even further away from the topic! You’re yet to tell me what the hell was that tripping beauty talking about!”

“…”

“What, cat ate your tongue all of a sudden?”

“Ah, I’m not sure you want to know.”

“… stop dancing around the topic and being whiny,” Lynne said. “That’s my spiel.”

“Alright,” Thalia said, inhaling deeply, as she looked him in the eyes; something in her firm gaze caused Lynne’s heart to froze momentarily, as if hers pierced through through into his soul. They appeared alight, strangely ethereal, with seemingly no end to their depth. “I’ve fallen for you,” … wait… “Despite every ounce of reason telling me not to, I have.” Wait! “You’re careless, downright annoying at times, you’re a ticking bomb waiting to explode, you’ve never heard of subtlety, you’re prone to just shutting out everyone and everything-”

“Wait, hold up!”

“-you’re broken, evasive, you’re indecisive, hesitant, yet also resolute when it matters, you care for others, you’re kind, understanding, funny, smart, you can make me smile even when you don’t intend to, you don’t cave in and change your beliefs for anyone, you’re blunt, straightforward-”

“Hey, listen to me--”

“-you encompass every trait I hate in someone… yet also every trait I love. You’ve carved a way into my heart, slowly grew there until you became a part of it. So there,” she finally took in a deep breath, tilting her head sideways slightly as she showed him a bittersweet smile. “I’ve fallen for you so much… I’d rather live with you in darkness, than without you showered in the light of knowledge. Hah, can you believe it? Go ahead, lau--” Lynne suddenly shed of his olden appearance as he became a youthful boy of hazelnut hair and a strand of blue, with eyes reflecting stars. He leaned forth, his hands awkwardly wrapping around her neck as his lips landed softly on hers, causing silence to emerge as the two stayed kneeling, lips pressed against one another, heartbeats echoing softly into infinity.