-Chapter Three-

Goodbye to a Dream-Like Old World

The sound of rushing, running water filled Aelius’ ears as he splashed himself in the face with it. “Ah…” he exhaled in relaxation as he turned the tap off and looked up into the mirror at his fifteen year old self. This is still so hard to take in. The fact that I’m back… his eyes widened. So not only Alea… but everyone else should be alive too! Like mother and father… Aelius looked down at his Mana core, recalling Aria’s hurt expression looking at him. In order to ensure nothing like that happens ever again, I have to nip the flower in the bud but… he looked down at his hands. I’m simply far too weak right now. And before I can even think of taking revenge on them, I have to purge the poison from my core first. Aelius pulled away from the bench and returned to the corridor, where Alea awaited him. He wore a beaming smile as he saw her, the sight driving it home that he had really returned. “Aelius,” she smiled as he joined her. I see it now. I was too blind in my past life, but Alea always greets me with a smile. I just thought she was a cheerful person, but now I know that it’s actually because I’m special to her. She spent her entire life growing up looking forward to meeting me. He both enjoyed the thought and hated it. “About Quarren earlier,” she hesitantly began to speak. “I’m sorry he attacked you. I knew he always doted on his younger brother, so he must’ve lost it when he saw you send the kid flying.” Aelius raised an eyebrow.

“You were watching?” he asked.

“We saw the commotion from the Director’s window.” Aelius began to laugh aloud.

“That’s rich! So he sees his little brother slapping someone twice, but as soon as the kid gets slapped back, he steps in to throw punches?” Alea reached up and touched Aelius’ head.

“If it was any other fifteen year old, Quarren would have left them pretty battered up. But you actually took him down instead. Was that the power of the Goddess?” she asked in wonder.

“Would you believe me if I told you Quarren was just weak?” Aelius asked.

“Pfft, okay,” Alea laughed. “Sure. I heard he’s as strong as your father, the Kanarian Archduke, but if he’s weak, I mean, whatever you say, I guess,” she shrugged her shoulders with a chuckle.

“My father is weak as well,” Aelius took a deep breath, looking out the window. “But… I believe everything has a reason. I believe in the Goddess, so I believe we’ll pull through one way or another,” he gave a small smile. Alea visibly could not understand his words, and looking unsure, moved onto a new topic instead.

“Speaking of reasons, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive Quarren. I know he acted out of line, totally out of line, but please I still ask you to forgive him. He was acting out of impulse after he saw his younger brother getting hurt. Maybe he thought he was dead, I don’t know. I just want you to reserve your judgement until you learn the whole story behind things, at least. Quarren is a nice person,” Alea said as she twirled Aelius’ hair. “I don’t mean to preach, of course. But the thing I said stands the same for Aria. I don’t know what happened between you two either, but everybody has a reason for what they do. Before hating somebody, you should learn their story first.” Aelius pursed his lips, unsure of how to respond. I have no intention of letting either of those two go, though. He exhaled deeply, after a moment of contemplation. “You realise I’m at the Second Ring, right? Quarren Leos could’ve killed me. Would you have forgiven him if he killed your fated?” Aelius asked her with his nose turned up.

“I don’t think he would’ve killed you,” Alea laughed. “I admit the fact that he threw his punches was out of line, but he never geared on his Magic Apparel, you know? If he did, you wouldn’t have even gotten close to toppling him off his feet.” Aelius’ eyes narrowed at her words.

“You’re right. I did get lucky that he left his guard down, and was coming at me without magic. If I died to a normal punch…” Aelius scratched the back of his head. But that doesn’t change the things he’s done to me in the past.

“Yeah. So you have the right to be angry, but… we should all give people a second chance in this world, that’s how I feel,” Alea looked out the window for a moment. “It’s because hatred only begets hatred, in an endless cycle, and I don’t want things turning sour between you and Quarren. It’ll be a hassle in the future, all over a little incident,” she chuckled with a shrug, leaving Aelius in deep thought as she continued on. “Aelius?” she glanced over shoulder at him, wondering why he wasn’t following.

“Right, yes,” he snapped out of it and quickly rejoined her. “I will contemplate your words deeply,” he assured her.

“You don’t have to do that,” she chuckled. “I don’t want to keep you up at night in deep thought.”

The two returned to the Director’s office, where upon entering, Aelius found Quarren sitting at the sofa with his arms sternly crossed. Instead of feeling awkward, Aelius did not attempt to hide his hostility as he took a seat opposite to the man who, upon hearing the door open, peaked one eye open to see who entered. Alea took a seat beside Quarren, and the room was silent until Director Polia cleared her throat loudly.

“Ahem.”

The silence continued a moment longer, until Quarren sighed and lowered his arms, opening his eyes to meet Aelius’ gaze.

“I apologise about my behaviour earlier today. I was acting out of impulse, and I sincerely hope you can forgive me.” Aelius narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“Do you really mean it?” he asked in response.

“I do,” Quarren answered.

“Hmm…” Aelius looked to Director Polia. “I honestly can’t seem to think of a reason why you would,” he shrugged. “You’re a Holy Knight, sanctioned by the King himself. Why do you have to bow down your head to a fifteen year old five years younger than you? A cripple, nonetheless,” Aelius scoffed. “Your words, not mine. And I don’t think it’s only because our headmaster is at the Eighth Ring. Do you have some sort of ulterior motive? Or does the fourth Holy Knight not have any backbone, unlike what everyone believes in our nation?” he coyly wondered aloud. An uncomfortable expression crossed over Quarren’s face, a look Aelius had never seen on the man before. A human expression.

“I thought my little brother was done for, when you sent him flying. I’ve always had issues with being reactive. After you somehow… knocked me out… I woke up and was told he’s fine, in fact he only had really light injuries. I saw what he was doing to you, and that he provoked you.” Quarren lowered his head sincerely. “I’m sorry on behalf of the entire Leos family for the behaviour of us two brothers. Even after seeing he was the one who caused it, I let my emotions get the better of me and tried to take it out on you.” Quarren took a deep breath. “As an elder sibling, I failed to educate my younger brother appropriately, and it resulted in his disgusting acts toward you. On top of that, I myself behaved in the same manner. From the bottom of my heart, I apologise.” Aelius stared at the man in utter bewilderment. Is this the same man I once knew? The young boy rose to his feet and approached the window. Why do I feel this sense of hesitation and guilt? The vivid rage that drove me to the end of the world in my past life feels so distant. Is what Alea said true? Can I learn to forgive? Aelius clenched his fists. I thought Quarren was just an evil dog. It never crossed my mind that he might actually have a heart too… he reached up and rested his head on his hand. This is all so messed up. Why couldn’t it have been simple. Why can’t I just continue hating you? “Ugh,” the fifteen year old groaned, returning to his seat opposite Quarren. Alea was beside her colleague, looking at him with shining, expectant eyes. “Listen… I don’t even give a fuck. Don’t bow your head to me, don’t fucking apologise. If you’re gonna act like a prick, just do it to fucking the end. Don’t be an asshole first and then turn around and try to get forgiveness for it. If you were just gonna do that, why even be a prick in the first place? Gah,” Aelius groaned in frustration. “Fine, it’s whatever. I don’t have it out for your younger brother, okay? I’m not gonna hold a grudge over something like this, so if that’s what’s worrying you, just let it go.” At his words, Quarren slowly nodded.

“Very well, very well… thank you, Aelius.” The fifteen year old flinched at being thanked by the man he hated, and hearing his name from that person’s lips.

“Brilliant. Now that that’s out of the way, I assume the spirit summoning was a success?” Director Polia asked and Alea gave her a big thumbs up.

“You were right, Aelius is indeed very talented,” she said. Aelius scowled, looking off to the side in a foul mood. Beside her, anxiously avoiding eye contact, Quarren leaned forward.

“Hey, Aelius,” he hesitantly began to ask.

“What?” the other boy asked in response.

“About earlier when you KO’d me, how’d you do it? How’d you put out so much strength?” Aelius saw a dazzle in the other man’s eyes he had never witnessed before.

“You are really… a nerd for strength, aren’t you?” he realised with a groan, and Quarren looked away in embarrassment.

“I respect strength. It is the absolute ruler of this world,” he shyly answered.

“Hah…” Aelius sighed. “Though I agree with you that power is the ruler of this world, strength is nothing more than illusion.” He pursed his lips. Why is the Quarren I know so different to who I remember? Was he really such an innocent person, all along?

“What does that mean?” Quarren asked, and Aelius remained silent.

People pursue strength to stand on top of others. But in this world, no matter how strong you get, they will come, beings born into strength that cannot be caught up to in a lifetime. The absurdity of working hard for your entire life, for it all to mean nothing, for you to be completely powerless in front of truth strength. And then, the people who defeat you are defeated by the next people, stronger than the last, and then the next, then the next, again and again. So you truly never had any chance at all. Strength really turned out just to be… an illusion. A deluded dream.

“Shit, just forget it. I wouldn’t want to give you an existential crisis,” Aelius rose to his feet. But even if it’s a deluded dream, I have a duty. I have a purpose. An agenda I cannot run away from. “I-I… I have something I need to do. Alea…” It’s going to be another separation for us again. In order for this timeline to remain as close to the original as possible, I cannot create any ripple effects. As much as I want to go with you, I have to keep the variable factors controlled.

“I…” Aelius began to chuckle. “I wish you great success, wherever you go.”

Genuinely touched by his sincerity, Alea gave him a look of affection.

“Thank you, Aelius. You too. I wish you great things as well.” He returned her a smile as she rose to her feet and gave him a hug.

“I look forward to the next time we meet, with all my heart,” the elven girl spoke in his ear, her voice filled with emotion.

Aelius gave her a firm nod, and a smile.

“Until that day.”

As Aelius descended the long, winding golden steps of the Academy, making his way down the illustrious path with a small bag of clothes slung over his shoulder, he felt waves of emotions battle away within him. His eyes did not take in a single detail of his blurry surroundings - he was too lost in his thoughts. His mind recalled Alea’s words. Not an ornamental flower, he chuckled to himself. That’s right. He was mistaken. Just because she faces the threat of dying, caging her in a prison is not the ideal solution. As Aelius reached the bottom, he turned his back one final time to look at the Academy. Technically, I haven’t even stayed here for six months. But there’s no time to mess around anymore. After taking in the sight, he turned away again and began to slowly make his way into the heart of the city. The solution is to acquire a power that can overcome any adversary. The power to prevail. The power to not only destroy, but to protect as well. His eyes wandered up to the sky. I’m currently fifteen. In the first life, I reached the Seventh Ring by the age of eighteen. In this life, I will try to reach my peak in three years. Returning to the past has without a doubt given me an incredible advantage. I will reach the Ninth Ring in three years.

Mana Rings - in a world where Magic made the world turn, such was the measurement of an individual’s capability. Mana Rings were everything. As long as a Mage was higher than their opponent in which Mana Ring they had refined to, even the cheapest and poorest of techniques were superior to even the most profound of skills. The more Mana Rings a Mage had refined to, the more advantages they held over a lower tier Mage in terms of Mana transmission rates, True Affect, True Damage and how much Mana they could store in their Mana Core, so much so to the extent that even a brainless monkey swinging an axe would be able to stomp on the world’s strongest swordsman. In the world of Magic, Mana Rings were everything.

In the southern region of Farrien, the capital city of the Kanarian Archduchy, the city of Dawnbreak, the closest city to the sea, the Archduchess of Kanaria, Leislette Kanaria was waking up to yet another wonderful day. The fair-skinned, emerald-eyed, blonde beauty, an object of envy to many men and women alike, was ready to carry out her typical, daily duties after breakfast when she heard a frantic knocking from the dining room door. The Kanarian Butler, Calloux, entered shortly after with a worrying expression across his face. “Madam, a letter was sent in the early hours of this morning. It just arrived. The delivery man bore concerning news… I believe it is of the utmost urgency,” he presented the letter with a bow to his mistress.

“Oh… oh dear,” Leis raised an eyebrow in a frown. “I wonder what it could be?” Upon retrieving the letter, she found it to bear the seal of Sky Academy. “Oh… it appears to be the faculty. I wonder what they are contacting us out of the blue for? Urgent matters…” she rose to her feet, feeling a small tinge of anxiety stab at her. “Could it be that my little Ael has gotten into trouble?” She quickly undid the seal and unfolded the text before her eyes skimmed over the words at speed.

“What…? What in the world?” Her head whipped to Calloux. “Where is my husband?” she asked.

“The Lord did leave in the early hours of the morning however he returned and went to his study shortly before you awoke, Madam.”

“Thank you, Calloux,” she slipped past him and ran down the corridor to the stairs.

As the woman drew closer to her husband’s study, she heard sounds of two men holding a conversation. Giving the door a short two knocks, she did not wait for a call to enter and simply opened the door to step in, blinking in surprise to find her husband accommodating a certain guest. “Leis, my dear, you’ve come just in time,” the Archduke of Kanaria, Kael Kanaria, grimaced as she entered. He wore his brown hair slicked back in its typical form, over his Knight uniform, looking up at his wife through his coffee-brown eyes. Leis, however, blinked in surprise at the guest seated at the sofa.

“Donagon?” she asked and the gray-haired man rose to his feet, giving her a respectful bow.

“Lady Kanaria,” he nodded. She returned the nod and quickly joined her husband, setting the letter down before him.

“This is urgent. This letter just arrived from the Academy.” Kael’s eyes narrowed at the piece of parchment and sighed.

“This is also what Donagon came to speak to me about,” he responded, and she looked at the guest with a confused gaze.

“...What? What would Donagon have to do with this?” she asked.

“Join me, my dear,” he gestured at the vacant seat beside him. Unsure and sceptical, Leis reluctantly sat her bosom down on the chair, waiting for her husband to speak. Kael frowned as he read the contents of the letter.

To the Dear Kanarians,

This is headmaster Director Polia writing to you.

Though I would like to make conversation since it has been a year since we last met, I am afraid I nor you have not the leisure to do so.

I am writing to inform you that as of the evening on the tenth, the same evening I am writing this to you, your son Aelius Kanaria vacated the Academy.

That is to say, he has disappeared.

Normally, I would investigate and wait a few days before informing the family of the student, however, my intuition tells me your son is long gone, never to return to the Academy.

Please forgive me for my lack of adequacy in catering your dearest child’s needs.

I believe that… the Kanarian blood has finally awakened within him.

As of the moment he left the campus, I am certain he considers he no longer holds any ties to myself or the Academy.

I wish you the best in ascertaining the nature of this incident.

Best wishes and regards,

Polia.

Kael placed the letter down and rubbed his brow.

“The Kanarian blood has awakened?” he scoffed. “There is no such thing. We are ordinary men…” he sighed and turned his head to Donagon. “Mr Donagon, would you please give the same account you gave me to my wife?” Leis frowned and turned to Donagon, tilting her head in wonder at what he had to say.

For Donagon, the Seventh Merchant King, running the most respectable trades palace in the southern region, it was meant to be just another day as well. However, in the evening as he was wrapping up and closing the store, he found a young boy seated in the corner, gazing at him. Taken aback, Donagon approached the teenager to find himself face to face with the Young Heir of Kanaria, giving him a gaze he could not decipher.

“Can I… help you?” Donagon asked with a raised eyebrow. The boy continued to gaze at him for a moment, before he spoke.

“I’ll be taking some of your materials. For the billing,” he rose to his feet and began to browse the nearest shelf. “You can send it to my household. They will easily be able to foot the costs.”

“Oh, certainly. Of course. What are you looking for?” Donagon asked as the boy eerily manoeuvred through the aisles.

“I will be taking… everything here,” he waved his hand and the air around them began to shake. Donagon’s eyes frantically shot back and forth around him as he tried to ascertain what was going on. The ground shook violently beneath him and Donagon fell backward onto his rear, looking up in awe as the fifteen year old before him activated the Sixth Tier spell, Space Dimension. One by one, the items down the isles flew off the shelves into the boy’s portal, until the wooden frames were left barren and empty. The portal quickly closed, the wind ceased and the ground returned stable again. By the time Donagon was pulling himself to his feet again, the Young Heir was just leaving out the door.

“Hey, wait!” Donagon called after him, quickly catching up and putting a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “You’ve taken too much-” The Young Heir looked back at him over his shoulder with a glare, and Donagon felt himself freeze at the death stare.

“I told you to send the payment to my household.” He turned away again, and Donagon could not muster the strength in his shaking legs to utter another word. Like a shadow, the boy disappeared into the alleyways without a trace, with no other sign of having been there.

Leis could not comprehend the words coming from the guest’s mouth. “You’re saying my son is actually at the Sixth Ring?” she asked, reaching up to her temple and feeling faint. “No, no. That can’t be true. This is an elaborate scam. My son is the sweetest child on earth. He can’t even look a man in the eyes… everyone in the nation calls him a cripple…” her voice trailed away. Kael grunted and raised his eyes to meet Donagon’s.

“I hope you understand the gravity of your allegation. If this proves to be false, I will enact judgement,” he spoke lowly. Donagon rose to his feet and knelt down with his hand on his chest.

“Lord, Lordess, I swear and vow on my heart and soul I am telling the truth. I did not come here solely for payment but to inform you of the incident as well. The Merchant Palace is not even close to lowly enough to attempt a scam, I give you my guarantee. Lady Leislette, we have known one another for years. Do you believe this to be in my character?” he questioned her. The logic behind his words was something she could not dispute, and as the realisation settled in, she began to feel tears sting at her eyes.

“No. It has to be a scam. What use would our son even have for robbing your store? Even if we put aside the Sixth Tier Magic, the items you sell can’t be of any value for a person like him.” As she finished her sentence, Donagon shook his head.

“To be specific, your son did not empty out my entire store. Only one of the corner sections. And that section…” he grimaced. “Was the materials section for Alchemy and Spiritualism.” Leis gasped at his words.

“How do you know our son is a Spiritualist? Have you been keeping tabs on him?” she asked.

“No, Ma’m. I am telling the truth. If you wish, you may come and see with your own eyes.” Kael Kanaria rose to his feet with a thud, wearing an unamused glare.

“Then let us do so.”

The Kanarian Archduke and Archduchess entered the store to find indeed, like on Donagon’s account, one corner of the store was emptied out. As they examined, he remained a distance away at the back. “See? I told you, it’s just as I’ve said,” he assured them.

“How can you prove it was my son who emptied these aisles out? Couldn’t you just have brought people in to do it and then blame it on anyone?” Leis doubted him.

“I-I… I cannot refute that with any evidence. I can only say I am truly speaking the truth,” Donagon sighed. Kael turned to the man with his arms crossed.

“From what I see, three ten-metre long aisles were cleared out. Sixth Tier storage Magic is not capable of storing this amount of materials. Do you understand the discrepancy in your story, Donagon?” the Lord sternly questioned him.

“Archduke Kanaria,” Donagon began to speak. “With all due respect, you are going off the standard of average people. That evening, I felt bloodlust from your son that no average man, let alone boy, can exude. Please, your child is an extreme case,” he tried to convince them.

Kael shut his eyes as he considered the words, before sighing heavily.

“Very well. I will ascertain whether you are speaking the truth or not.” He looked around the room. “Where was my son seated originally, when you first saw him?” he asked, and Donagon pointed to the chair in the corner. Kael approached it with calm eyes, raising his hand over it. He had many reservations in this story. Any memory he had of his son did not even imply he was of such a nature. This must be an imposter. But there was a way to find out for certain. His son is of his blood, so if his son truly did cast Magic here, it will resonate with him. Kael felt his eyes light up blue with their household Magic, and he began to look around the room. As his eyes settled on the chair, he gasped at what indeed was his son, seated in the corner. From the recollected scene, Kael could tell Ael had been there for roughly ten minutes before Donagon found him. The child- his child, wore a brooding expression he had never seen on his face before. He retraced the events step by step, each detail indeed identical to as Donagon described them, until they reached the door, where Donagon placed his hand on his son, who returned a glare. Kael felt an overwhelming sensation of murderous intent, enough to rival his fiercest opponent during the war- no, even worse. To have such an aura, one must take countless lives, seasoned to killing over countless years of training. Kael felt the strength leave his legs and plopped down on a nearby stool, burying his head in his hands.

“What is the meaning of this? It can’t be…” he shook his head, unable to fathom the scene. “What has happened to you, Aelius? What happened to my son?” Leis, upon seeing her husband’s reaction, began to sob.

“Oh Goddess, Kael. We have no idea where he is. What in the world is going on!? What are we going to do if he’s in danger?” she began to cry and he took her into a hug. The couple remained in each other’s embrace for some time, before Kael regained his composure, and turned his eyes onto Donagon, silently watching on from a few metres away. “For now, let us settle the payment. Afterward, I shall return to the Knight’s Quarters to arrange an investigation. Come, my dear,” he took his wife’s hand, turning back to the door and leaving the store behind.

As Kael and Leis were exiting their carriage out in front of their house, Calloux came frantically running down the steps to meet them.

“M’lord! M’lady!” he called in urgency.

“What is it, Calloux?” Kael asked in seriousness.

“While the both of you were away, the Young Lord briefly visited!”

“What!?” Leis exclaimed, looking at her husband, and then back at the butler. “Where is he!?” she asked.

“I do not know, he remained for no longer than a moment and then disappeared without a trace. But he did leave behind this letter,” Calloux revealed a parchment from his sleeve and presented it to Kael, who immediately unrolled it and began to read the text of his son’s handwriting.

Forgive me, father, mother.

I love you both.

However, time is something I can no longer afford.

We will meet again someday. Until that day, I pray, please be safe and well.

Know that even if I die somewhere out in the world, it will be a fulfilling death, on my personal crusade, fueled by my strongest beliefs. You no longer need to concern yourselves with me, for I now possess a greater purpose than our Kanarian Duchy.

Please forgive me for abandoning my duties, my heritage, and my past. As of today, I no longer exist.

Please tell Penelope that I love her wholeheartedly, and that I am sorry she must succeed the Duchy in my place.

Someday, the truth will be revealed to you. However, today is not the day.

I have taken the liberty to leave a present in the master bedroom. I ask that the three of you keep it on your persons at all times, Penelope included.

With love,

Forever.

Your son,

Aelius.

“Oh Goddess,” Leis began to weep. “What in the world are we to make of this?” At his wife’s question, Kael did not know. Trying to keep it together, his eyes rose from the words to the gate, where he saw a shadow loitering. A familiar physique. Feeling his breath catch in his throat, Kael could not call out to the figure, but met their eyes. An identical, coffee-brown pair of pupils smiled back at him, and then the figure disappeared into nothingness, fading into the foreground.

“Aelius!!!” Kael called, his voice returning to him a fraction of a second too late, running to the gates but found no trace of his son. He looked left and right in disbelief, before he reactivated Mana resonance to see his child had been watching them ever since they returned, but disappeared in a flash of Mana, a Sixth Tier movement spell. Untraceable.

“No…” Kael fell to his knees. “What… just what…” He was at a loss of words. “What sort of devilry was my son exposed to?”

Aelius hid up a nearby tree as he watched his parents’ carriage leave the residence, taking the route to head to Donagon’s store, before he dropped down and entered through the gate. Without letting a soul see him, he scaled up a side wall to the master bedroom and phased through the window into the room, where his parent’s nostalgic room awaited him. Looking around, Aelius took this chance to have his final goodbye with everything synonymous with his old life. There will no longer be any opportunity to indulge in this love and affection in the future. His eyes wandered over the bed, all the personal belongings, the paintings on the walls. He took in every little detail, relishing this heaven-sent opportunity he never had in his past life. Finally done, he approached the desk against the wall with a deep breath, and fetched a small brown pouch out from his space storage dimension, before opening it to reveal three glowing marbles inside. One for each member of the family. It is a pity he can’t see Penelope, his beloved younger sister, for she was out studying during the day. Sometime passed as Aelius gazed at the marbles he had hand-crafted. Technology of the future, yet to be introduced to Farrien, or the entirety of the Sacred Continent, on that matter. Charms. They will protect his parents in his stead. It was the simple reality. As much as he wanted to remain by their side and protect them personally, the lives of two individuals cannot compromise his role in saving the greater world. So this is the best he can do. Leave them a memento, sneak a final peak at them when they return, leave a few words of farewell, and then disappear never to be seen again. Such was the path ahead of him. Once he is done basking in the atmosphere of his home, a dream-like old world, outdated and extraneous, he will be ready to head off and face reality. This is goodbye.