As soon as Phloria fell asleep, Lith got out of the bed and used Accumulation. This was the second time that a battle to the death had pushed him to the verge of a breakthrough. If not for his debilitated state, it would have already happened.
The process was even more painful than the last time. Not only his bones, but also his flesh kept being destroyed and regenerated almost at the same time to force the impurities out of his body.
Lith had enveloped himself inside the Hush spell, to prevent anyone from hearing his screams, but not before checking the room for listening or recording magical devices.
He had the feeling that there was very little Jirni Ernas wouldn’t do to reach her goals. After finding none, Lith could afford to relax. He tasked Solus with getting rid of the impurities as soon as they appeared, in case he didn’t make it back to bed.
Leaving any kind of proof behind wasn’t an option.
The process was slow and excruciating, but it brought him one step closer to the blue core. Lith didn’t know if it was due to exhaustion or because of Phloria embracing him even in her sleep, however that night he finally felt at peace with himself.
***
The next morning, the awkward relationship between Raaz and Orion turned even more awkward. Unlike Jirni, who was able to talk about any topic, the two men had nothing in common outside of both being parents.
Yet their wives were spending a lot of time together and were pressing them to do the same. The only thing they could talk about was their children, their experiences in raising them, and their expectations about their future.
So, when they entered the room and found Lith and Phloria laying on the same bed, Raaz was really happy to see that she had slept above the sheets while Lith was under them. There was a throbbing vein on Orion’s neck that didn’t bode well.
“I swear to the gods, if it wasn’t for the fact that he is my guest and he is already injured, I would be tempted to kill your son. How do you manage to be so calm despite having two daughters?” Orion asked.
“The gods seem to love me.” Raaz scratched his head nervously.
“Rena didn’t start dating until she became an adult while Tista doesn’t seem interested in dating anyone. She has set her standards too high. She compares everyone to her brother. How can a country boy measure up to a magician?”
“Maybe I’ve failed as a father.” Orion sighed. “She is still so young and yet so reckless. What did I do wrong?”
Raaz would have liked to reply that Phloria was already past fifteen years old. On Mogar, the new world, most girls that age would already be at their second or third relationship.
Being the father of the culprit and Orion being a head taller than him, Raaz preferred to remain silent. He knew what he would have done if their situations were reversed.
“Time to wake up, my little Flower. Breakfast is ready.”
“Thanks, dad.” Phloria was a bit embarrassed, making her cheeks turn red. Not about her father finding her on the bed, but at the thought of what had almost happened.
“How do you feel, son?” Raaz caressed Lith’s grey hair. The refining process had boosted Lith’s magical and physical abilities, but it had left him even more exhausted than the day before.
“Much better, thanks.” Raaz didn’t believe him, Lith was barely able to remain conscious. Yet he wasn’t lying, his mental condition had greatly improved.
‘What almost happened last night made me understand that dad is right. Protector’s death isn’t anyone’s fault. I would have done anything to save Carl’s life, even if it meant losing my own. I can’t stop others from fighting for those they love.
‘It would be as cruel as hypocritical of me. He sacrificed himself doing what he believed right, just like I almost did. Protecting someone is much harder than killing, too many things can go wrong. That’s why I need power, much more than I already have!’
Lith smiled softly to his father, his mind was at peace. His body was a mess though. Right after a breakthrough, until the body naturally recovered its strength, Invigoration was useless.
In another couple of days, Lith was able to walk without help. His hair was returning to its natural color and most of the wrinkles were gone.
“Remarkable, simply outstanding.” Manohar was enthusiastic about his progress.
“Your recovery speed is unheard of. I had patients in a condition far less severe than yours and it took them weeks to get where you are now.” He had become Lith’s personal healer since the first day he had been bedridden.
Manohar was very fond of Lith, considering him one of the few people with enough brains to be worth talking to. Also, he was too scared of Lady Ernas to refuse her request.
She had even befriended his mother, the person Manohar feared the second most in the three great countries, right after Queen Sylpha. Unless he decided to disappear again, Jirni would always know where to find him.
Yet if he did, the Queen had promised him that she would make sure it would be the last. She had already prepared the official document ordering his execution, it would only take a signature to make it effective.
Lith and Jirni spent quite some time together. She would often accompany him during his walks, discussing many different topics with him. Thanks to Soluspedia, he rarely found himself at loss for words.
‘I don’t know if by meeting her expectations I’m improving our relationship or I’m digging my own grave.’ Lith thought.
He continued to experience visions of the death of whoever he watched for too long. It required a lot of willpower to stop the phenomenon, leading him to believe it was all in his head.
He couldn’t care for maids or butlers, but every time he saw a member of his family or Phloria die horribly, his heart would cringe. Even if he knew it was just an illusion, it didn’t make it any less painful.
It was a mild form of torture that put his mind under serious stress while his body kept getting better by the day. A few days after the breakthrough, Lith had regained his old appearance, even getting a little taller.
‘There are only two possibilities. This Death Vision thingy is caused by my mental trauma or it’s a consequence of my attempt to save Protector. Either way, I can’t wait for it to be gone.’
Lith had just seen Jirni die by poison, her face was blue and swollen in his eyes, bleeding from all her orifices. Talking to living corpses was too much even for someone as cynical as him.
“I’m pleased to see how knowledgeable you are.” Jirni sat down on a wicker chair near a small table, prompting him to do the same. They had been walking in the park surrounding the mansion until they found a dining area.
“That’s not enough though. I’m sorry for being so blunt while you are still recovering, but I couldn’t help but notice how much my daughter cares for you. I want only the best for her and I need to know that we are on the same page about it.
“What are your intentions towards her? I know you are still young, but she is not. I have no problem if what’s going between you is just a fling. Phloria is completely inexperienced about love. She has to start somewhere and sooner is better than later.
“However, I want you to be completely honest with me and of course with her too. If you are not serious about this relationship, she has the right to know it.” Lith recognized how Jirni was looking at him.
It was the same way he did at everyone he met. She was trying to determine if he was someone valuable or just a disposable tool. Despite her tone being calm and her manners impeccable, Lith had never felt so pressured before.
Not even when Marchioness Distar had taken him prisoner in her house until he had cured her daughter. Lith pinched his nose, he needed to think without being haunted by ghastly visions.
“I really like your daughter, Lady Ernas. Both as a friend and as an invaluable companion. Yet I can’t promise you or her anything. I have planned my future way ahead of time and I can tell you that marriage is not part of the plan.
“Once I become an adult, I’ll join the army. It will only be the beginning of my journey. There are things that I must do before settling down and I have no idea how long it will take. I can’t ask Phloria, or anyone for that matter, to wait for me.”
Jirni nodded, pleased by his honesty.
‘At his age, most teenagers confuse daydreaming with planning, but if he’s like me, then he is dead serious. I can’t force him into marriage, it would mean making an enemy out of him and most importantly, it would make Phloria miserable.
‘However, it is not over yet. There’s no telling how their feelings can evolve, especially since they have yet to experience real intimacy.’
“Just make sure she is well aware of your intentions. The rest is up to her, Phloria is her own woman. Here, this is a token of my goodwill, in case you should change your mind.” Jirni took a white hardcovered book out of her dimensional amulet, handing it to Lith with both her hands.
There was no title nor illustration on the front cover, making Lith curious about its nature. He only needed to open it to a random page to realize it was the new world equivalent of the Kamasutra for beginners.
“Well, well, well.” Lady Ernas said with a surprised tone.
“You didn’t become beet red nor can I see any sign of arousal after you looked at those pictures. This means that you are not a virgin or at least you are devoid of emotions. Remember my words: make my little Flower suffer and I will return everything in kind.”
‘Now I’m sure of it. I’m definitely digging my own grave.’ Lith thought.
***
Another week passed, Lith had completely recovered from his condition. The only traces left of his trauma were the grey streaks between his hair and the Death Vision still plaguing every moment of his life he shared with others.
He seemed to have finally hit his growth spurt. His hunger was through the roof and he could feel his muscles and joints aching.
The White Griffon academy had reopened, allowing the students to go back for the last month of the last trimester. It had been a long year, no one was really in the mood for more studying, not even Lith.
Yet he was happy to finally be out of house Ernas. Lith was tired of Phloria’s parents constantly staring at him, even though with completely different mindsets. Jirni had worked hard to give them some alone time whenever it was possible, while Orion had put just as much effort into foiling his wife’s plans.
Also, he was eager to go back to his all-nighters of working on the boxes remaining in his pocket dimension. There was something scratching at the back of his head, telling him that something was wrong. He hadn’t experienced any more visions, but it meant nothing.
‘It could mean that I have succeeded in avoiding that future or that it’s still pending. Whatever it is, I need to find out the truth and fast!’
Since his recovery, Lith had used all the alone time he had, including the bathroom breaks, to study the shotel Orion had let him borrow with Invigoration. His heart bled when he had been forced to separate himself from that masterpiece, but he had no choice.
The sword had been specifically designed to counter Balkor’s undead and Orion had no reason to gift him something so precious. He had managed to gather enough data about the pseudo cores and the magic crystals embedded in an item to be confident about opening the sealed boxes.
The first person he met on the fourth year floor was Yurial. Lith was so shocked by his appearance that he had to blink several times to make sure Death Vision wasn’t responsible for what he was seeing.
Yurial had lost several kilograms, his eyes were bloodshot and dilated.
“Yurial, what the heck happened to you?” Lith asked.
“Nice to meet you too, old friend.” Yurial hugged him, leaving Lith flabbergasted.
“Are you high or something?”
“Or something. Please, come to my room. I really need someone to talk to.”
Lith had recognized the symptoms of drug abuse, so he followed him without asking any more questions.
Yurial told everything to Lith that had happened to him since his return home, from his efforts to change his father’s mind to his tranquilizer addiction. His story was highlighted by many attempts to take a sip from a vial which Lith foiled every time.
“This is different from the second exam. Back then, I just had to get over my trauma and I had my father by my side. You have no idea how much it meant to me that for once he took some time to take care of me instead of give me lectures.
“Not to mention I had the girls to keep me company, I was never alone.” Yurial half laughed and half cried the whole time.
“I can’t get over my future. I’m scared sh*tless of it, I feel trapped like a mouse. I’m so sorry for never visiting you, but I didn’t know what to say. I was too afraid you would have blamed me for your friend’s death.”
“Sadly, I probably would have done it.” Lith sighed.
“I spent my first day awake trying to find a scapegoat. I’m still having a hard time accepting what happened.” Lith shared with him the details about his Death Vision and how it was driving him insane.
“You see dead people?” Yurial offered Lith his potion.
“No. I don’t see ghosts. I see how people may die according to my paranoia. In the last few minutes, I watched you die by poisoning, decapitation, and an odd illness that covered your corpse with moss.” Lith refused the tranquilizer.
If it actually worked, they would share the same addiction.
