Beast will 7

“It’s become habit to say ‘manipulate,’ but in actuality, it is more important to think of it as influencing aether. And you’ve already had a taste of this quite a few times, My Dear. Windsom had mentioned you being able to stop time for a brief moment.” Myre set the cup down and distanced herself from where I was.

“Yes! That was actually the first ability I was able to use with Sylvia’s will!” I exclaimed.

“The control over time, aevum; the authority over space, spatium; and the influence over all living components, vivum…” Myre recited. “These are the three components that make up aether.”

This was knowledge that I might perhaps never come across again, so I hungrily absorbed every word the asura was saying.

“No matter how powerful, how insightful, and how lucky a practitioner may be, he will only be able to master one path. Ancestors of the Indrath Clan have lived all their lives trying to gain insight on one of the three paths, only to realize that they don’t have the capability of mastering it. However, over time, we’ve realized a way for some asuras to know where their aptitude lies,” the asura confessed.

“How?” We had reached the climax of the story and I was greedy for more.

“The runes that run down the body from using Realmheart.” Myre closed her eyes and went silent.

A palpable force suddenly pushed down on my shoulders, forcing me to use my arms to keep myself sitting up on the bed. The air turned thick and heavy as I stayed seated on the bed in awe. The pressure that Myre was emitting was neither violent nor ferocious like Kordri’s had been, yet, in terms of level, it was much more overwhelming. I had no confidence that I would be able to muster up the will to fight against her—that much was clear. It was as if I could almost see her transforming into dragon form.

Golden runes began carving down her bare arm but they looked very different from mine. Whereas mine appeared complex and detailed, her runes flowed like branches of an elven tree, or interconnecting streams of water being woven together.

Myre finally opened her eyes and stared at me with an icy gaze of radiant lavender. “These runes are different for each Realmheart user, but the markings, when studied, show that I am of the vivum path. And that is also why I could heal you.”

I found myself unable to muster a response as I stared in awe. Her very presence felt different than mine when I had activated Realmheart; the runes that ran down her arm were much more vivid and bright compared to the dull glow I had when I used this profound power, and her eyes seemed to almost pulse, as if they had a mind of their own.

“Now, My Dear, activate your Realmheart,” the asura gently nudged, despite her intimidating presence.

I wasn’t sure how long we had been talking but I began to feel my strength leaving me from using Realmheart. Noticing my strained expression, Myre expressed that it was okay for me to withdraw the ability.

Color began permeating back into the world as I released Realmheart, and as always, the runes were the last to disappear. “So, Myre, have you found out what ability of aether is best suited for me?” I asked, letting out a relieved breath.

“Yes, but before you get too excited, allow me to forewarn you that even I cannot predict whether or not you will be able to consciously control aether like we can. Even though you do possess the ability to manipulate all four elements and have gained both a dragon’s will and the Realmheart Physique, you are still a human.” While her message was harsh, her words held no pretension or condescension.

“I see,” I muttered. I would’ve been lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. In a world of not just humans but other races—more powerful ones—that coexisted, I was beginning to see this invisible ceiling that I had been ignorant of in my past life.

“Like I had mentioned before, you cannot compare aether to mana. Aether can be thought of as an organism, almost sentient, that needs to be coaxed and coerced into action. Because of this, the manipulation of aether places a heavy burden on the caster. You’ve probably felt this every time you used the time manipulation ability.”

“You’re right. And no matter how many times I’ve used it, it doesn’t get any easier,” I confessed, leaning against the wooden headboard of my bed.

“And I doubt it ever will. My dear, although I’m unsure as to why the ability to manipulate time, albeit briefly, showed itself to you, you were never meant to go down the route of aevum.” Taking out a pen and a small parchment from the nightstand drawer, she began drawing some symbols. “Arthur, you were able to tap into aether manipulation only because of Sylvia’s will, but I imagine that you weren’t able to get a grasp of how it works.”

“In terms of theory, I still have no idea as to how it occurs,” I acknowledged reluctantly. Using the first phase of Sylvia’s will allowed me to stop time for a brief moment but whenever I had used that ability, it felt like I was simply looking at a manuscript in a foreign language: I knew what it looked like, but I had no idea how to read it or what it meant.

“This is why.” Myre held up the small paper she had been writing on, revealing an array of familiar symbols. “Just like Sylvia had, you were meant to control the very fabric of the boundaries that keeps the physical realm in place; you are of the spatium genus.”

Despite the revelation, I wasn’t happy. Not at all. “But, as you’ve said, regardless of this knowledge, it’s still fairly possible that I wouldn’t be able to consciously control this ability.”

Myre regarded me with a solemn gaze but didn’t respond.

“From what you’ve told me so far, I was only able to even use the time manipulation ability because it was pre-embedded into the will that Sylvie imparted to me before she was killed.” I was doing my best to contain my frustration, but my voice was growing steadily louder. “Please, Myre. Tell me what I need to do. So far, everything you’ve told me about this grand ability is that I have the qualifications for it, but because of the physical limitations of my species, I wouldn’t be able to handle the burden!”

The asura stayed quiet for long time, doing nothing else but combing softly through my ruffled hair. “I truly pity you, Child. You have such an overwhelming potential for greatness, but your capacity is hindered by something you cannot control. The reason I told you everything that I have is not to mock you for something you will never be able to accomplish, but rather to encourage you to do something beyond the ordinary. Even as you progress into the white stage and beyond, you may be unable to control aether like dragons can, but that does not mean you do not have that ability at your disposal. Knowledge is an immeasurable strength that can overcome the boundaries that even asuras place on themselves.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry for taking my frustrations out on you. I know you only mean to do what is best for me,” I whispered.

“Yes, my child. Only what is best for you,” she echoed. When I looked up at Myre, however, her face was lined deeply with an expression of sorrow.

“What’s wrong?”

“Arthur. I have broken many rules by imparting all this knowledge to you. This knowledge can certainly be used against the dragon race if it fell into the wrong hands, so please believe me when I say that I truly do wish for what is best for you.”

I still couldn’t figure out why Myre had shown so much care for me since the beginning, but if there was one thing I had learned in my previous life, it was being able to read the intentions of those around me. The asura meant well despite the fact that we knew very little of each other.

“Even if Realmheart cannot be utilized to its full extent, it can become an irreplaceable asset in the coming battles through its sensory functions. With Realmheart, your ability to manipulate all four elements, as well as your remarkable combat prowess, you have many tools at your disposal to take advantage of…” Myre’s voice trailed off, filling me with apprehension for her next words.

“But?” I asked.

Letting out a deep breath, she took a moment and stared into my eyes. “But this movement technique that you’ve created, the one that placed you into my home in that horrid state...cannot be one of them.”

As if her words weren’t clear enough already, she clarified for me once more.

“Never use that technique again.”