Satholia’s voice continued to echo.

‘True Magic shaped itself by your world-view, but it is your heart which makes True Magic miraculous.’

Behind Cytortia, the tree sealing away the ethereal green light glow as its trunk unfurled itself.

‘Cytortia, of all True Magic, Blessing-type belong to purest most compassionate heart. Learn this, my dear. All power is equal, the difference lies at its properties. Your True Magic is no tool to boast your might. Summon her for malice, and she won’t answer. Use her to heal and create, and she will bring forth power unlike any.’

The green light shone like a second sun. Illuminating the words of the personification of good herself.

‘The races in Phantasia is also equal. As deities born above mortal, a burden curses the gods. In time, you must find the strength unimaginable for your species and destroy this shackle binding your potential.’

The green light intensified, overlapping with the entire mental world. Satholia’s voice faded as she left behind one last message.

‘Among the gods, I believe a humble soul such as yours will be the first to reach the Maya. God speed my dear.’

...

Luxinna threw a body of the crocodile monster onto the pile of bodies. So far they had fifteen Snapper lining up for Cytortia to refined. The hunt was a success.

Luxinna stretched, fighting for hours boded poorly for her back. Then she watched in surprise as her comrade arrived. She couldn’t believe what she saw.

Rem trudged forward and dumped another Earth Snapper onto the pile before exhaustedly slumped. The boy’s clothing looked tattered, traces of blood and claw marks were visible on the dirty cotton. He had no visible injuries on him, which were obvious given his healing-factor. However, the limp in his leg suggested a furious battle.

“No freaking way,” Luxinna looked at the limping Rem. “How did they hurt you this badly?”

No, that was not it. The boy was dead on his feet from the morning. The bag under his eyes, his white-hair, they were signs something was amiss. She refused to believe a guy this cautious carelessly got mauled by a glorified mole. Something weighed him down.

“What did you do last night!” Luxinna asked, lending him her shoulder before he tripped. “You were fine this morning!”

“Not really,” Rem leaned on the elf’s shoulder, trying to breathe in more oxygen. “I don’t think my recurring nightmare will affect me this badly. The first was okay, but the exhaustion they added up. I assume my condition deteriorate the more time I spend battling.”

Luxinna looked at him with a mix of concern and annoyance.

“Are you sure you will be fine?” Luxinna said. “It will damn embarrassing if you drop like this.”

“I will manage,” Rem replied with an emotionless smile. “How are things going on your end?”

Luxinna’s eyes widened, and she smiled cheerfully at the cloud.

“Extremely well, I am slowly getting used to my True Magic,” she sounded excited. “At this rate, I will make Mag’s jaw drop to the floor the moment we meet again!”

After hearing the statement, Rem looked downcast. His eyes dimmed as he craned his neck to the sky. Luxinna subtly noticed the change in mood, and she couldn’t let it go.

“Rem, what’s wrong?”

Rem stayed silent. The gear of conflict ground in his mind. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, courage trumped his fear.

“I will tell you a story,” Rem said, slumping by the side of the Black Mercy. “It’s a depressing one, to be honest. I guess now is the best chance to get this out of my chest.”

“Wow,” Luxinna slouched, leaning his back to the van for support. “What a curve-ball, but go on. No one tell me stories for years.”

Then Rem began his story.

“Once upon the time, two cousins grew up together, but they wouldn’t be more different. A mother pressured one cousin to be the best in a world he never wants. Another cousin got no attention from the families and grew to seek it any way she can.”

Luxinna laughed.

“Let me guess, you are the rebel, aren’t you?”

“No, I was the one under mother’s thumb,” Rem said. “My cousin, Jeane, and I have the same origin, but we become an anti-thesis to each other.”

Rem looked around.

“I believe what separated us is the way we took our teaching. My dad often said respect come with lack of vulnerability, while mom taught us we should focus on what is important and nothing else.”

Luxinna wiped sideways to avoid directly looking at Rem.

“I don’t know why, but I feel the story has a downer ending.”

“It ended with a boy who live like dolls and a girl who live like beasts.”

“Downer like usual. Maybe some explanation?” Luxinna asked. The girl and metaphors didn’t mix.

“That boy lacked motivation,” Rem reminisced. “His mother shoved many things onto his plate; a clarinet lesson he failed, a choir he lip-synced. She pushed him to chase after the friend who stands at the top of the national exam and the bitch who would backstab the world to get to the top. She got only one thing in her mind: herself. Soon her son become a doll who only live to achieve the next goal.”

“Wow,” Luxinna snarked. “You got angsty because your mother forced you to study. How rich.”

“I’m fine with lessons getting shoved down my throat. But the unrealistic expectation was another story. Our family’s name was the only thing that matters. Ironic, considering family love is an alien concept to her. I am her son, so I don’t get to pick. She believes she meant well. But the Breaker dynasty must rise in the political world. No child of Breaker will become a detective or a novelist.”

Rem chuckled.

“She gave a ten-years old a bitter piece of reality. The kid gave up and let his life continued like clockwork. He barely knew sadness, but he couldn’t be happy either. He is a doll who perceived one thing his mom never did. Once you die, all your money and titles meant nothing — living like that is a waste of life. His mother can chase heaven and glory, but all the gods will fall someday. What is the point of building something fated to die?”

Luxinna remained silent.

“Why tell me this?” Luxinna asked. “Are you trying to make my life depressing by telling me all of this?”

Rem smiled sadly.

“You only heard the first part. The doll developed a moral compass. A hero came and saved him from a spiral of despair. The boy realized although life is a trip material emptiness, that gloomy destination is an illusion. The genuine article is the journey. The path we take define who we are.”

Luxinna’s spunk returned with the bittersweet ending of the story.

“Nice Aesop, but, again, why are you telling me this?”

“A warning,” Rem answered. “Your sister remind me of my younger self, but with one twist, she doesn’t fail.”

The last sentence shifted the mood. Luxinna felt Rem just hit her with a hammer. Somewhere in her heart, she knew Rem was spot on. She got her new best friends for only a few days, and his observation always hit the bullseye.

“What do you mean Mag is like you!?” Luxinna said. “Seriously, I don’t get it. You two are nothing alike. I knew her from birth, and you are nothing like her.”

“Because she meets your father’s expectation,” Rem answered. “My parent eventually realized I never fit the mold and let me be, while your sister flourished in hers.”

Rem closed his eyes, recalling how he read Magnolia Drakokia.

“Magnolia meet Lucian’s expectation in every way, and in return, he spoiled her with praises. This mean she ends up with a happier life than mine, but unlike me, she never questions herself or finds the ‘why’ in her goal. She only lives for Lucian’s craving. Worse, she is perfectly content in her twisted reality.”

Luxinna didn’t know how to respond.

“From your tone, I can guess there is a major issue underlying that problem,” Luxinna replied.

Rem opened his mouth, but the elf covered it with her left hand.

“Enough with the exposition,” she said airily. “Let me work this out by myself.”

The young elf relaxed and enjoyed the wind flowing past her refine face. She might miss out on three years of education, but that didn’t mean she got idled. She nodded her head in sync with the wind as she dove deep in thought. For the girl, scent of nature and dance of air was the spell to help her focus — the rhythm of her free spirit.

“She’s father puppet, isn’t she?” Luxinna said, extracting the answer from Rem’s story. “No. Too obvious. Mag isn’t only a puppet, she is a puppet who get euphoria from getting her string tug.”

“Yep,” Rem nodded. “I always wanted mom’s affection, but because I got none, I came to realize said affection is phony. She only excited at the result, not the effort. My mom and your father is a type who see a painting for its price tag. They don’t see masterstroke, the passion nor the pain expressed by the artist, or the hundreds of prototypes paving the way for such a masterpiece. They never care about value. Only how shiny it is.”

Luxinna’s posture sagged a little.

“I can’t tell, honestly,” Luxinna looked gloomily into the distance. “Mag is much closer to him than I ever was, even before I awakened. I think I remind him too much of mother.”

Rem stayed silent.

“You are not the only one with mommy issue,” Lux replied somberly. “The noble houses thrive on arranged marriage. Both of my parents never fell in love, they married out of obligation. My grandparents think tying the two houses together is a marvellous idea.”

“Where were they when your father went nut?”

“Secluded cultivation,” Luxinna replied angrily. “It’s all to do with that damn cultivation manual. My paternal grandmother left father to take care of the clan and secluded herself for her research with my maternal great-grandfather. The deal was how my mother got betrothed to the Drakokia to seal the alliance.“

“Let me guess,” Rem said. “She left the moment Magnolia was born.”

Luxinna laughed bitterly as she slumped down next to Rem.

“Yeah, she followed her dream to be a servant of the gods and left us with father,” Luxinna clenched her fist. “You know, thinking about this, I understand I see you a little better. Who would guess a sensitive kitten lies beneath the ice cube?”

“We are birds of feathers,” Rem took out a knife and tossed it to Luxinna. “Here, take this.”

Luxinna looked at a simple throwing blade. Strangely enough, a single word scribed metal.

‘CLOWN’

“A bet I made with your sister,” Rem said. “Scathach and Cytortia won’t tell you this to avoid hurting you, but she laughed at us for following a fool’s ideal.”

“Did she know the fool in question is the strongest goddess in the multiverse?” Luxinna groaned as Rem winked back. “Of course not. Stacking an invisible deck against the challenger is practically your rule-book. So what is the bet?”

Rem gave a warm, humane smile for the first time today.

“When she is at her lowest, a knight in shining armor she never believes in will swoop in and save the day,” Rem stretched. “And when that knight return that blade to her, let it be known the age of heroes has begun.”

“Huh,” Luxinna blinked. “No wonder she accepted the bet. You are anything but a white knight.”

Rem let out a chuckled.

“If I am the man, I would never show you the blade,” Rem said with a carefree smile. “You who will be a white knight.”

“Eh,” Rem caught the elf by surprised. “What?”

“You heard me,” Rem said. “One day soon, when your father and little sister inevitably stab their foot with their hair-brain scheme, it will be you who come in to save the day. It will be more symbolic that way.”

Rem mused.

“A stranger saving a power-hungry asshole, and rising as the epitome of mercy and humanity is a powerful message,” the boy submerged himself in the savanna’s soothing scenery. “But an estranged sister arriving to save her little sister while teaching her there is another way mean much more.”

“Mag isn’t that easily inspired,” Luxinna said.

“No,” Rem admitted. “But we are not inspiring Magnolia. Eventually, your family will side with Tai Hua’s many, many enemies. Personally, I expect they will go for another Heavenly Daughter. They can’t get Cy, that leaves one manipulative bitch and one immature brat. Either way, conflict will arrive, and Drakokia’s name will get dragged through the mud of evil for the world to see. They will drive themselves to the corner like all soulless power-hungry fools do.”

Rem smiled toward Luxinna.

“Symbolically, it will be a battle of evil versus evil, but what if a knight in shining armor arrives to end the conflict? A symbol of a genuine valor and empathy. An inspiring figure who stood proudly against all the world evil, throwing down a bolt of lightning to lit the sky as she carries the weight of the entire world from the pit of despair. For the hopeless, that knight would be the guardian angel from heaven; a hero they seek to emulate. But to your family, to the elf, you are the monster they cast out. I don’t know how they will react if the girl they rejected resurface as the symbol of heroism and hope, the world loves and reveres.”

Luxinna finished the sentence with a snort.

"Grandmother will rip my father apart if that happens,” Luxinna imagined the scene and giggled. "Hell, I bet Lightwell will treat it as a cautionary tale of the generation. Mag's expression will be priceless."

"Do we have a deal?"

"What deal?" Luxinna imagined her father’s distraught, and it got her pumped. "Eva will kill me if I don't do this. This will be the biggest prank I ever pull on Mag."

"I didn't know you are a prankster," Rem said, following the elf into the van.

"Well now you know," Luxinna winked back. "Want me to teach you some trick?"

Luxinna didn't know this yet, but the elf created a new saying after her debut.

'The ignorant turn a flower into a fool. The great raise an abomination into a hero.'