One time, I got struck by lightning in my past life. Now you might think that it was some big dramatic event. Maybe I was walking out in a big grassy field and out of a clear sky, I was blasted away by God’s vengeance, right? Well…no, not exactly. It happened when I least expected it. That’s how these things go. I was just playing videogames and my laptop was plugged into the wall. The lightning hit outside my apartment, and traveled through the charging cord, into my laptop. From there, it went inside my earbuds and jolted me into reality. A little wakeup call that I shouldn’t play games when it is rainy outside. Even though I could see the future all the time back then, the lightning was too quick to react to. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson. Unfortunately…people are not very good at learning lessons. We have a tendency of repeating our mistakes, even when we get a second chance.

Some things you don’t have time to react to.

Life can change in an instant.

And even if you’re me…it’ll be too late if you’re not ready.

#

I wake up one night to find my body unusually cold. Which means that Glacia isn’t snuggling with me. Is it one of Romy’s ambush days? Is Glacia sleeping on the couch today? But didn’t we just have an ambush, a few days ago? Though I keep my eyes and ears open, I don’t sense Romy entering the room. That, in itself, is not proof that it’s not an ambush, because I’ve never managed to catch Romy in the act, while she’s sneaking inside, but the fact that I’m still on the bed and not the floor, is suspicious. Opening my eyes, I discover that my room is empty. The sounds of a huge rainstorm assault my ears. I have no idea what time it is, but it’s very dark.

*Toc Toc Toc*

It’s pouring outside and the fat drops are bouncing off the roof.

*Kraaaang*

Lightning flashes on the other side of the window and my room is brightly illuminated for a second. The devil Raccoon Romy is nowhere to be found. Well at least it’s not an ambush…wait…

Where’s Glacia’s stuff?

The suitcase which contains all of my teacher’s things is missing. She usually leaves it in the corner of my room. However, right now, the case is gone. As is Glacia. The sheets beside me are still warm though. If only barely. She hasn’t been gone long! What’s going on? Is it Lissandrei? Has she been possessed again?! Carefully, I force myself out of bed. The drowsiness is rapidly fading away, replaced by a rising sense of panic. Calm down, Myrr. She’s probably just using the toilet or something. Your PTSD is making you overreact.

Still half-asleep, I pad outside our room and find the bathroom door wide open. It’s dark inside. Empty. I’m about to go back to my room and search for more clues, when I have a horrible feeling. Like when Mephis left and I first woke up in this house alone. That emptiness when you worry someone could be gone forever. What normies would describe as a gut instinct. Intuitively, my sleepy brain knows something is wrong. I walk inside the bathroom. And probe along the wall for the cup which Glacia keeps her toothbrush in. When I find it, I feel better…then I realize that her toothbrush isn’t inside.

“W-What?” My voice breaks. “N-No…there has to be a reason for this!” Immediately, I run out into the hallway and downstairs. I’m not sure what I expect to find. Maybe I’m really just a child. There is no more logic in my movements, just panic, but can you blame me? No no no! This is a dream! Wake up! WAKE UP! I slap myself silly, beating my cheeks harder than Romy beats Mark. It doesn’t matter. I won’t wake up. This isn’t a dream. It’s a nightmare.

*Clack*

There!

A faint noise in-between the rolling thunder. Just audible over the pouring rain. The sound of a small foot on creaky floorboards. I run out into the living room. Someone is there, sitting at the dining table. Clad in her full white robes, with her suitcase beside her chair, my teacher is writing, as usual. However, this time she isn’t writing inside a large book, but rather a little scrap of paper. That’s not her thesis…what’s going on? If she was possessed, she wouldn’t be writing, right?

At the sound of my arrival, Glacia looks up. For once, she doesn’t seem happy to see me. The little spark of joy, which usually lights up her silver eyes, doesn’t come, and the spikes in her hair don’t wave at me in welcome. Instead, all the spikes lie flat guiltily. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her like this, even the night I first met her, her hair wasn’t this deflated. She reminds me of a guilty cat. Glacia smiles sadly and gives me a little wave while chewing on her pen.

“Hey, Myrr. I thought I didn’t wake you up. But I guess you’re too used to sleeping with me, huh?” Her grin isn’t right. Glacia’s grin is not supposed to look like this. But right now, it is unmistakeably so very tight and sad. Her lower lip trembles. She’s holding something in.

“Y-You…what are you doing?” I can’t help but ask stupid questions. My Foresight instinctively activates, but terror floods through me. The fear of what I might see. I’m abruptly slammed back into the present as my Foresight unexpectedly cancels. This damn PTSD. Not now…I don’t have time for this. I need to…know. What happens!

Gasping, I stumble over to the dining room table.

Why…why isn’t there enough air?

Stupid lungs, freaking work! This is important!

“Hehe, you’re a genius, Myrr. I think you can guess.” Glacia says gently as I reach the table. Sighing, she takes the little piece of paper in her hands and rolls it up before putting it into her robes. “I was going to leave a note, because I didn’t have the guts to tell you myself, but you’re too smart for that. I should have known you’d catch me.”

“A n-note?” I play dumb. As if that will make it not true. Even though I already know the only reason she would be writing a note. No! There has to be an explanation! Maybe she’s going to visit someone…or…taking vacation! My excuses are lousy and getting worse by the second. At this moment, I’m not a reincarnated man. I’m just a child again. A very lonely child. “A note for what? Why would you need to leave a note? Couldn’t you just tell me…?”

“I’m sorry, Myrr…I have to go.” She just drops it on me. Like God throwing lightning bolts, Glacia Dicentia rocks my world without so much as a warning. Though maybe there was one and I just didn’t notice. After all, I was so happy. Living in this fantasy world. Maybe I made my own little fantasy and ignored reality right in front of me. “I wanted to stay. I really did. But it’s already been a year. And I’ve just been putting it off ever since I taught you Intermediate Magic. You’ve already learned everything I have to teach you.”

“W-What? No! Not at all! I still have so much to learn!” I plead with her. Beg her to listen. I’m convinced that maybe, just maybe, if I can think of some convincing argument, I can change her mind. I shouldn’t have bothered. Glacia Dicentia…despite her shy and demure surface, is not the kind of girl to give up once she has decided something. Just as she pursued an unwritable thesis, just as she stubbornly sacrificed her soul to save me without hesitation, so too in this impossible moment, does she doggedly tell me the truth I least want to hear. My teacher to the very end. I’m beginning to regret not accepting Lissandrei’s original deal to be with Glacia forever, even if it would be as part of the Ice Witch’s ‘collection’. “Please, stay! Just for a little while longer! I’m not ready!”

“Heh…I already have stayed, Myrr. I’m sorry…” She whispers and when lightning flashes outside the window once more, I think I see bright raindrops falling from her eyes, even though we’re indoors. “It’s just…I haven’t made any progress on my thesis for a while. Lately, I’ve been feeling that it’s time to go. The stories you tell me about Mephis…they’re beautiful, Myrr, they really are, but I need more. I need to discover new things about Blood-locks, finish my research. The university allows me a lot of leeway because I am a guest lecturer, but if I don’t show progress, eventually, they’ll cancel my degree. You’ve given me so much to go on, so many leads to investigate…I can never thank you enough, Myrr.”

“B-But you can’t…just…don’t…go!” I would never be this open with anyone else. Not even Romy…or Mephis. But Glacia is the one who holds me at night. The one who has held me together every night. She completes me. Without her…I’d be lost. No…she doesn’t remember, but without her, I’d be dead. “Give me a little time! I’m growing fast! I’ll be big enough to travel with you soon! We can find Mephis together!”

“I’m afraid I’m out of time. Ahh…don’t cry, Myrr. You’ll make me cry too…” She sniffs and I become angry. Who’s crying? You’re the one crying who’s already! “If you still want to travel with me when you’re bigger, I welcome you to join me. But…you know it as well as I do. Don’t pretend you don’t know, Myrr. I see you hiding it sometimes. How smart you are. When I taught you Intermediate Magic, you failed the spell on purpose so I wouldn’t be embarrassed! Hehe…a five-year-old child concealing his skill so as to not embarrass a fully grown mage. How sad is that? I knew at that moment that you were almost ready to leave my instruction.” Glacia’s voice is bitter, just a tiny bit. She lets me see the things she’s been hiding as she prepares to leave.

“I…just didn’t want to make you feel bad. But you’re my magic teacher! You can’t go!” Already I’m lost, just thinking about it. Just because of that one slip up, you’re going to leave? Damn it! DAMN IT! Glacia doesn’t falter at my futile attempts to convince her to stay. She sits on that stupid chair, and just keeps complimenting me, but I don’t want to hear her praises. Stop…stop…why do you have to keep saying good things about me when you’re leaving! I don’t know how to feel!

“I’m just the first teacher in your life. And I’m proud to be able to say that, if somewhat ashamed at my incompetence. You’ve taught me so much! I could almost consider staying and quitting the university because I’ve been learning so many things from just watching you grow. Did you know? It’s been almost a year exactly since the day we met. You’re going to be six soon! And yet my quick casts have nearly doubled in speed because of the theories you came up with. That kind of progress is unheard of! If I changed my thesis to documenting your development, it would shock the world!”

“T-Then do it! Change your thesis to me! I’d be happy to volunteer myself as your subject!” I declare boldly and she shakes her head. Now I really am crying. Why isn’t there a spell for this? All this magic, all this training, but I can’t do anything! What was it all for if I can’t hold on to what’s right in front of me?!

“I wish I could. But I’ve spent too much time on this degree to stop now. Even if I could learn more at your side, it wouldn’t be right.” She gets out of the chair and walks over to me. I’m paralyzed, completely and utterly frozen as if someone’s cast Chill on my body. Even when she wraps me in a hug, it fails to warm me the way it usually does. “You need to spread your wings and be free, Myrr. If I stay here, I’d only hold back your development and I don’t want that on my conscience. Still…it hurts my heart to go. But as your teacher, my final duty is to say goodbye when my students don’t want to.”

“…You’re…really doing it then?” I can’t believe it. It’s so out of the blue. Like lightning from a clear sky. It really is. I don’t care if there were signs. I didn’t see them! Come on, God! I DIDN’T SEE THEM! GIVE ME SOME WARNING!

“I’m afraid so.” Glacia nods, while hugging me. Her tears fall on my cheeks. “I was going to leave this for you with the note, but now I see that was just cowardice. I was afraid I would change my mind if I looked at your face. Here…a final present. Vanity, but I suppose even if I should let you grow on your own, it’s nice to think that I left my mark on you.”

“What is it?” I manage to choke out that much from my swollen throat. Though my eyes sting, and everything is too hot right now, I feel cold inside. Very, very cold. Glacia’s smile only makes her look sad, as she takes one hand and puts it over mine. There’s something in her fist. Slowly…she lets it fall into my palm. “This is…?”

“A Stone of Calling. The best one I could find with all the money Romy gave me.” She explains one last thing to me. One last lesson. But this time…it’s for real. “I’ve set it to match the frequency of the one I wear.” Glacia uses her other hand to pull out a pendant from under her robes. There’s a blue, teardrop-shaped stone on it, identical to the one she placed in my hand. “The stone is charged by your mana and vibrates if it’s near another stone which matches its frequency. Additionally, if you hold it near another Stone of Calling, you will also have the option of adding the frequency of this stone to that stone’s repository. Thus, if you want to have a courier send me letters, provided you know what city I’m in, you need only show the courier this stone and they’ll be able to find me. Naturally…one day…if you’re in the same city as me, you’ll also be able to find me. If you still want to…”

If I still want to?

What kind of line is THAT?

Why do you say it with such an unsure expression on your face?

As if I’d ever not want to find you!

Take one look at my face!

TAKE ONE GODDAMN LOOK!

AND TELL ME I’D EVER NOT WANT TO FIND YOU!

“I’ll find you.” My voice no longer breaks. We separate from the hug. Suddenly, I realize that in the short year since Glacia has gotten here, I’ve grown taller. It seems she’s barely changed, though perhaps her form has filled out a little from all of Romy’s cooking. The change in the gap between our heights is quite stark now that I see it. While once, she had to bend over to wrap me in those soft arms, now she need only look down, and I’m practically right there. “In a few years…after I’m big enough, I’ll go out in the world and come find you. No matter what!”

“I hope you still feel that way when you’re older. Hehe…children always have so much conviction when they’re young.” Glacia sighs, and it doesn’t sound like she really believes me. No…I can’t let her go like this. Absolutely not! Never in a million years can I let it end like this! If not for this girl, I’d still be terrified of being alone after Mephis left. I’d never have slept a single night without crying. That Demon Scout would have taken me to God knows where! She doesn’t understand how much she has helped me! If only I could tell her all the things she’s forgotten!

But there’s more-

She taught me the proper fundamentals of magic and never held anything back even though she was worried I might surpass her. Who stays for an entire year to teach a kid, when her degree is on the line? Every lesson she carefully planned to help me grow to the best of her abilities...each memory. It’s all engraved into my heart…no the depths of my soul.

Screw it!

I don’t care!

I’ve never felt this way about anyone else! Not once, in two lives!

“I swear it. Even if I were to be reborn in another world, if the gods stood against me, and if every assassin in Meirkeep were to stand in my way…I’ll still find you again! NO MATTER WHAT!” My voice is louder than thunder. The most important promise I’ve ever made. I must have woken up Romy and Mark.

But-

Don’t.

CARE!

“Shhh! Myrr! Romy and Mark are still sleeping!” Glacia frantically waves her hands in front of me, but it’s too late. Besides…I think my auntie and uncle have been listening to us for a while. Because when they come down the stairs, they’re already dressed.

“Glacia, Dear. You can’t go now…it’s raining. And Myrr will be devastated!” Romy holds back tears as she walks up and grabs Glacia into a bear hug. “You were really going to leave me to raise Myrr all alone, with only this idiot for help? These two boys would be crying for weeks!”

“Heh…stop pretending, Honey.” Mark chuckles and it seems that he has no fear tonight. “You’re crying harder than Myrr is.”

“Pfft…me?” Romy rapidly blurs, using her inhuman speed to wipe away the incriminating tears, with the back of her hands. “You must be mistaken, Mark. From where I’m standing, it looks like you’re the one crying a river…!”

“Tch…there must be a leak in our roof. Water keeps getting in my eyes. I’ll fix it tomorrow.” Mark’s hands aren’t as fast as Romy’s. He’s having more trouble hiding the evidence. But I’m used to seeing Mark crying in this house, so I suppose it doesn’t matter if we glimpse a few more manly tears tonight. “Romy’s right! Glacia, you don’t need to leave tonight. There’s a thunderstorm out there! Just stay until it ends, okay? And then we’ll hire you a carriage.”

“A c-carriage? But those are expensive! You can’t! I mean…I can’t…afford that…” Glacia stammers nervously. As always, she has no idea how much she’s worth. To anyone. But least of all to me. If I ever find you again…you’ll never have to walk a day of your life, if you don’t want to. I’ll carry you wherever you need to go. “It’s really not necessary!” My silly teacher keeps trying to escape Romy’s embrace. But now, backup has arrived!

As if it’d be so easy to get away!

Good job, Mark, Romy. We’ll work together to keep her here!

“It’s too dangerous!” I weave in a team combo attack with my auntie and uncle. “Look at the lightning out there!”

“I’m a mage, don’t worry. The storm won’t hurt me.” Glacia tries to sound confident, but jumps a little as a particularly vicious crack of thunder rolls through the house. My face gets a bit smug as nature demonstrates it’s fury. Nice timing, God! I owe you one! “No matter how bad it is, I really need to leave tonight.”

“Then…you’re sure? It has to be tonight? And nothing we say can change your mind?” Romy asks three questions, but none of them are really questions. Rather, they sound more like realizations. Glacia nods and my auntie lets go of her.

Wait…no…Romy, I thought you were on our side! Stay strong! We can still win this battle!

Suddenly, I blink and Romy has her raccoon mask on.

When did she…?

For a moment, I’m a little afraid that my auntie is going to beat my magic tutor into staying.

This isn’t what I meant!

“H-Hold on, Auntie! There’s no need for violence-!”

However, Romy walks to the front door and flings it open.

*Shuuuaaaa*

“R-Romy! What are you doing?!” Glacia yells as the sound of rain comes flooding in. A second later, my auntie steps out onto the doorstep. She looks back at us over her shoulder, the white raccoon mask hiding her expression, while the heavens sprinkle down more tears than even Romy can wipe away with her hands.

“Myrr…I hope you’re watching. Until you reach the level where you can do this, you are forbidden from following Glacia! So, learn fast if you want to find her quickly and become a real man!” Romy speaks not to Glacia, but to me. However, it is the Half-Wraith who blushes.

Huh?

“W-What?” We respond simultaneously. Mark looks on with approval as Romy draws one of her twin short swords out of nowhere. Just like the raccoon mask, I have no idea where she got it from.

“Watch her closely, Kids. Romy’s getting serious. Usually only dead people get to see this.” Her husband proudly exclaims. And then Romy moves.

She twists.

Lunges.

Slashes.

My auntie dances under the hidden moonlight amidst the crackling lightning and falling raindrops. Tonight, she is a goddess without fear. I’m reminded of a red dragon on New Years, sinuously twining itself through the crowd, roaring its defiance towards anything in its way. What is she doing?

“Cutting the rain. Splitting the storm. The dragon flies across the sky. I never thought you could really do this without magic…” Glacia recites poetry in awe, as suddenly, the sound of the rain…changes. Even now, my teacher still understands more than I do.

*Shua…shua-*

Holy…

In that moment, Romy…multiplies…everywhere. Flitting about, an angel under heaven. She moves so fast that a hundred duplicates of her appear in various poses, slashing wildly at the falling teardrops from the sky. Every guilty tear that the heavens weep to hold back Glacia’s passage, Romy hides all that evidence with her sword. She does not clear the clouds so the sun can shine, but that’s okay because she lights up the sky on her own. Her technique is a mirage, a dance, a performance all in one. I knew she was fast, but never would I have guessed that she is this fast. Now I am certain of it. The ones Lissandrei ran from…the ones who saved us that night. It really was Mark and Romy.

No way!

“Heh…that’s my girl.” Mark murmurs quietly. “Romy Rainstopper. The Eastern Raingoddess. One blade to stop the storm. Two to stop any heart. If only she hadn’t decided to spare mine, she could still be dancing away...stealing souls.”

The performance only gets crazier, the tempo faster, as Romy cuts apart the heavens. The sound of the rain gets farther and farther away, but the storm is still here. It’s just being blocked,

*Shua…shua………………………*

I realize then what she’s doing.

She’s freaking cutting the raindrops…all of them.

A hundred Romy duplicates simultaneously beckon us forwards with one hand. Her other hand dances about so fast that I can’t see it. Just flickers of steel reflecting in the wan moonlight. When I step outside, the rain is still falling…but not on us. Romy teleports around, slicing away the drops before they can land. Glacia comes outside and gasps as she stays dry. But then every spike of hair on her head stands straight up as the sky blazes white!

“Watch out!”

“Lightning!” We scream warnings but Romy is not done. She is trying to tell me that I’m not ready. That this is the level she expects from her Acolyte before I am allowed to leave. Mark walks close to us, protectively, but he doesn’t draw his sword. He simply stares up at the sky as Romy vaults up and teleports over us. Her blade stabs high into the heavens-

*KRAAAAANG*

The bolt is thunderous, devastating, as if the gods are angry that Romy is defying their will. However, Romy is just as angry, just as furious as the storm. She vents her frustrations by swinging her sword and when the lightning meets it, the bolt splits in half and surges off to either side before crashing into the ground. We’re perfectly safe beneath Romy Rainstopper’s blade. Today, we are under the Eastern Raingoddess’s protection. Beautiful…it’s so…beautiful…

“Come on. Even Romy will get tired eventually. Let’s get you to the carriage station.” Mark puts a hand on our backs and gives us a push. Both Glacia and I stumble because we’re too busy watching Romy up above, but since Mark has spoken, we meekly walk through the raging storm and into town. The entire way, not a single drop, not even the smallest fleck of rain lands on Glacia or I. The only moisture on our clothes is from our tears. When we get to the station, Romy lands beside us. Suddenly, the rain returns and we rush inside under the awning outside the door.

“Where do you want to go?” Mark asks Glacia and she says quietly,

“Ravenmore City. I’ve heard that there are reports of a Blood-lock in that area.”

“I’ll buy you a ticket!” He runs inside while we wait. Now that Romy has stopped, the sound of the rain swallows everything. It’s worse than silence.

*Shua Shua Shua*

Mark returns with the ticket. He hands it to Glacia who receives it reluctantly. Then she takes a step towards the station door. One last time, she looks back at us. Takes in her family of the last year. For that’s what we were. A family of sorts. I’m not afraid to admit it. Not with Glacia. One day…I’ll bring us back together. No matter what.

“You can always come back, you know.” Mark says, and for once, Romy does not disagree with him. Glacia glances at the station, where the carriages for hire are waiting, and then back at us. Specifically, she gazes at me.

“I think…even if we reunite. Things will have changed a lot by then.” She replies softly. “Romy, Mark, take care of yourselves. Try not to be too hard on each other. After all, it’ll be difficult to have a kid as good as Myrr.”

“Hehe, we’ll try.”

“If this idiot can get it up more often, maybe we’d have a shot…”

Then Glacia swallows. It’s time to say goodbye to me.

“Myrr…I’ll miss you. More than you can imagine. Keep that Stone of Calling safe, okay? But don’t feel obligated to use it just because I spent money on it. It wasn’t that expensive. You can throw it away if you don’t want to find me anymore when you’re older.” She says something really stupid in the end. Her angelic white hair droops. But that dumb statement makes me happy. Furious, but happy. Back then, I was angry. I was sad. I was absolutely freaking mad, when I saw her in the living room, about to leave, without so much as a whispered goodbye in my ear. But now I understand. That last sentence showed me the depths of Glacia Dicentia’s obliviousness.

She really doesn’t know…

What the hell?

You really have no idea how much you mean to me at all!

Even if you don’t remember doing it, you gave everything for me!

Can’t you see it in my eyes?

Can’t you understand that I could never forget you after that?

Damn it, Woman! When I’m bigger, I’ll find you and I’ll hug you so tight you’ll regret ever leaving! Because I won’t let go! No matter how you try to escape, I’ll keep you so close that this stupid Stone of Calling will vibrate until it shatters into pieces! And it won’t matter because I’ll never lose you again!

“Wait for me. I don’t care where! Just wait!” I lean in and hug her one last time. Whisper in her ears so only Glacia can hear. And I say something stupid myself. I’ve never risked so much for another person before. Never bared my heart with honest intentions to anyone, except maybe, Mephis. But I ran away back then when the critical moment came. Left him behind out of fear and feckless uselessness. This time, I’m also running for my life. But I have the resolve to make a comeback one day. It’s different. A tactical retreat. All because this silly girl, who doesn’t know how much she’s worth, came into my life and changed everything with a hug. That’s how it started, and now, I refuse to believe the story is ending just like this. She can’t go through life without knowing how much she means to me. One day, I’ll tell her properly! Until then I can only do this-

My hand reaches up. I saw this in an anime, but I never had an urge to do this to a girl in my last life. In all the TV shows, the main character is taller than his heroine. But right now, Glacia is still bigger than me. I have to stand up on my toes to touch the top of her head.

*Pat*

I let her know how I feel in my own cowardly way. With a head-pat and a one-liner that I’d never dare to utter normally. It’s really just like me, to time my words with the crackling thunder that I saw coming in the future, so she can’t quite be sure what I said. But it seems my timing is off because my words arrive before the boom appears in the present.

“We’ll meet again. And at that time…I’ll make you mine.”

“Myrr?!!” Glacia’s face is shocked. Maybe it is blushing, or a bit red. Hard to tell in the flickering light from the thunderstorm. However, I do not think she is angry. Heh…to be honest, that’s a lie. I knew she wouldn’t be angry. I peeked at the future to be sure. After all, I didn’t check what would happen before going to bed, and now I’m going to lose my teacher. I’ve learned my lesson. As if I’m going to risk everything with Glacia without some sort of guarantee that things will work out!

“I mean it, Glacia. I won’t let you pass me by, next time-”

*KRAAAANG*

The booming thunder finally appears to cut away my words. Glacia’s hair, waves frantically under my hand, the soft spikes curling around my palm as if they don’t want me to go. But like she said, this has to be done. If not for me, then for her. So, I turn away. And start walking. Still…even though I don’t actually glance back over my shoulder, I think about it. I peek at a possible future where I do look back. And I smile because of what it shows.

Glacia is crying.

But she looks strangely happy.

And that makes me happier than I’ve ever been in two whole lifetimes.

Damn. I love seeing the future.

#

End of Volume 1.