KAORI NIGHTFALL'S POV:
"It's bad!!" A voice in my head awoke me spontaneously.
"What is it, Stella?" I groaned. "It's literally 03.00 a.m."
"It's Papa!"
"What?" I sat up in my bed almost immediately. "Why? What happened to him? Is he okay?"
"His emotions…" Stella panted. "They have been sealed again. There is a second seal on his astral core."
"What?" I immediately got out of bed and reached for my wand. "Is he in trouble right now? Where is Project Atlas? They are definitely disturbing him again."
"No, it isn't Project Atlas. Papa sealed himself. He sealed his own emotions. And now, the seal is much stronger than Project Atlas'. There is no point in reaching out to him now." Stella sighed.
"He…sealed himself?" I repeated.
Surely, I couldn't be hearing things. How much grief, regret, and sadness was he feeling that forced him to seal himself? Why would he seal himself? Is he hiding from something?
"That is the information I am receiving from Papa's body," Stella confirmed.
"What? No…" I muttered. "This can't be true…"
"I don't know the cause of this, but I do know that right now, you shouldn't ask him anything about it. His body might break if he tries to hide it from you again. Right now, if I'm reading this from his memories properly, he needs…" Stella paused.
"What is it? What does he need?" I asked.
"...Love," Stella said slowly.
"Huh? What do you mean by 'love'? Don't all of us love him already? Very deeply so?"
"Yeah, but…"
"But what?"
"The love must come from the person he chooses. He and that person must love each other mutually. And I'm not saying that he doesn't love you, but he must be madly in love, I guess." Stella then muttered, "Valtheris isn't really giving him a choice, that trickster. The only love that works here is the romantic kind."
"Ehh? Who?"
"No one!!" She laughed it off.
"So romantic love?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Hm…"
"It's best if you don't meddle with this one," Stella suggested. "I trust that he will find his way out of this one and that he already has a plan."
"I see, as expected of my brother," I exclaimed.
"Good night," Stella yawned.
"Good night, Stella."
ALISTAIR NIGHTFALL'S POV:
As soon as my eyes fluttered open, sunlight shone into my room through the window behind my bed. Everything felt calm and peaceful, almost as if nothing had happened the day before. Which made me wonder: Was yesterday just a dream?
I glanced at my clock.
It was 7.30 a.m.
However, almost immediately after I sat up, the wound I somehow got in my chest opened up and bled. I guess yesterday was not a dream after all. But I do need some gauze. Fast.
After getting some bandages and gauze from the first-aid kit under the kitchen sink, I wrapped them around my chest. You have no idea how troublesome it is when you can't snap your fingers and your wound heals in an instant. Who knows when Principal Celestine is watching?
Yesterday's nightmares were bad. There is a reason they're called nightmares, I guess. They were truly thought-provoking. I have been having too much fun in my life that I have completely forgotten about Mom and Dad. How could I forget them?
That was a mistake on my part. I should have never let myself be distracted by the pleasures of this world. How can I allow myself to be happy while my parents suffer, knowing that they will never get revenge? I can never forgive myself for forgetting about them. As their son, this is not how I should repay the kindness they have shown me throughout the thirteen years of my life.
I can never allow myself to lose sight of the reason I came to Celestara again. Firstly, it is to temporarily escape from Project Atlas's pursuit. And secondly, it is to gather more information on Project Atlas before confronting them.
Ella…
I wonder how she's doing right now. Before leaving for Celestara High, I had asked Artemis to kindly take care of Ella after school, since her school was near our house. Surprisingly, she agreed without hesitation. She had said then that Ella was a good kid and she wouldn't mind taking care of her. From then on, I think she moved her things over and has been living in our guest room ever since.
With Ella in Artemis's care, I should be worrying less. At least I know that Ella has scrumptious lunches and dinners cooked by Artemis every day. Apparently, her cooking is amazing. She even packs Ella's lunchbox for her before going to school.
Artemis sounds like her mom now.
But if I could…I would want to see her occasionally. After all, she is my only family left. If only she were here. She could be the cure to my broken astral core. Furthermore, I only have a little over two years…
Wait…Ella would be in Celestara High two years later. She could be my cure. Mm, I guess that is settled then. But the faster the healing, the better. I will leave that as my small side quest then.
However, finding the cure now would be more convenient. Project Atlas could ambush me anytime. I need to make sure I am in my top form when I do, or else I will only end up in the same place as Mom and Dad with nothing done, leaving the burden of revenge to Ella. I can't die, not just yet.
On the other hand, there is nothing I can do now. There is no one I love here. Especially NOT Kaori. She's so annoying. I should just leave it as it is, a mini side quest for my free time.
More importantly, I should be aiming to help Crystal get to Class A. Even better, if we reach Class S, no one can touch me. Then, I can live my high school days in peace, researching on Project Atlas. Come to think of it, I have seen no Class S students around except Snow. They are so elite, almost perfect without flaws that they probably have their own paradise island with their own facilities, not needing to share with us, flawed people.
It sounds nice, being able to have your own facilities.
But I should probably start walking to school now.
"Hey!!! Alistair!!!" A 'pat' came down heavily on my back, almost forcing me to cough out blood.
"Good morning, Tank," I said without looking at who it was.
"Ehh? How did you know it was me?" He scratched his cheek, bewildered.
"Your hand," I answered.
"Wow, you can tell just by me patting your back?"
"Yes."
"It's rare to see you walk to school this late. Did something happen? Are you okay?" Tank asked, concerned.
"I'm fine. Something came up at the last minute."
"I see. By the way, I have no club activities this afternoon. Is it okay if I join Crystal's study session today?" Tank asked.
"I don't mind, but shouldn't you be asking Crystal instead?"
"Huh? I thought the two of you were dating, so if I told you—" Tank was definitely thinking wrong.
"No, we're not dating." I cut him off.
"Really?" His eyes suddenly lit up.
"Yes."
"So you don't mind if I try to pursue her?" He grinned.
"Do what you like."
I really didn't care if Tank liked Crystal or not, or joined the study session today. As long as he doesn't fail the Genesis Evaluation or any other mock tests we have and drag us down, I am fine with anything.
"Yes!!! Thanks, Alistair!!" He exclaimed.
"..."
Suddenly, I felt a small vibration in my pocket. It must be from my phone; someone must have texted me.
As Tank rejoiced, I opened my phone to check Crystal's message.
Ice Queen: Where are you?
A: On the way to school. Why?
Ice Queen: I need to talk to you.
A: Why?
Ice Queen: It's something important. Meet you at the lockers.
A: What…why not in class?
✔✔read
I have been left on read again.
"Sorry, Tank. I need to go first." I told him.
"Don't worry, you can go ahead first!"
When the ice queen calls, you'd better respond within five minutes, or you're done for. You never know what she will do. One day, she might just make sharp ice crystals grow from your body inside-out. I have no idea why Tank would want to pursue someone like her. To me, he would be burning in living hell every day after he confesses to her.
"Sorry, I was talking to Tank."
"You look like you ran up here," Crystal frowned slightly, studying my uniform.
"I didn't," I said. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I adjusted my uniform. It looked a little crumpled.
"Liam wants to know how Tank got the CMP," Crystal said sharply, her eyes meeting mine. "Do you know how serious this is?" She asked, frowning slightly. Perhaps she was frustrated about the situation.
"I don't see the problem here,"
She sighed. "If Liam knows, then the entire class might know," She explained, tapping a finger against her arm. Was she anxious? "If the whole class knows, it is highly unlikely that this news will travel to the whole cohort. If classes A, B, C, and even S are interested, they will use any means to know our strategy."
"I will explain it to him then."
"It is not that simple," She groaned. "Liam is suspicious of our study group, because Tank is in there," She rubbed her temples in dismay. "If he knew we…" Crystal didn't finish her sentence, but I knew what she meant.
"..."
"What should we do?" She dragged her hands down her face. "Tank said that he didn't tell a soul, and Frederick and Pax know nothing, so who leaked this out?" She looked at me intently. "How would they even know?"
Frederick and Pax could have told Liam that Tank had stayed back with Crystal the other day, but they won't exactly betray their friend without even knowing what is going on.
That leaves me with…
"Don't worry, I have a rough idea where this is going."
"Really? Because we might face very serious consequences if we do not handle this properly and professionally." She groaned, "I regret listening to you. I could have done this my way."
"Trust me, I will handle it," I said.
"Fine, just this once," Crystal muttered.
Ugh, I was hoping it wouldn't come down to this. Troublesome.
Surely it must be Annabelle. She must be toying with us by telling Liam that the day after we finished our study session, while the three of us went out to celebrate, Crystal talked to Tank alone, and I was not present. This narrows down who gave Tank CMP.
I walked into the class towards Liam. "Liam," I said. "Do you have a moment to spare?"
Liam turned to face me. "Of course." His eyes narrowed as soon as he met my gaze. "Shall we talk at the stairwell?"
"Do what you like."
There were about ten minutes before class started. Wherever this stairwell is, he should make it quick, or we would both be late for class. But only after passing classes C-S did we arrive at this stairwell.
"So? What did you want to talk about?" Liam crossed his arms. "Is it what I think it is? It is about Tank's sudden increase in CMP, right? I knew something was wrong when I accidentally oversaw his balance at the convenience shop last night."
"Yes."
"Explain everything to me. Clearly," He instructed.
"Tank's CMP was dangerously near the point of expulsion. If he were to be expelled, our class CAP for this month would decrease drastically. As smart as Crystal is, she came up with a solution to counter this problem. The solution was lending out CMP. Of course, there are pros and cons…" I explained everything to him.
As one of the key figures of our class, it is natural for him to worry about us. However, why would he be upset? The last time I checked, this was beneficial for our class and Tank himself.
The more I explained, Liam's gaze gradually softened with understanding.
"Is that so? Then, I understand now." Liam smiled as he patted my back. "Thanks, Alistair, for telling me. I was afraid that people from Class C had offered to lend out CMP again. Crystal is really very smart. She is fit to be a class leader, really," He chuckled.
"Class C offered to lend out CMP?"
"Yes," Liam sighed, "But in exchange, they gave us a high interest rate, so of course Annabelle and I refused. So I thought Tank had given in to them and would face dire consequences if he didn't return the CMP."
"..."
"Crystal is truly intelligent, coming up with a solution like this," Liam laughed. "I would have never thought of that! With the solution countering our lack of CMP, our class CAP would definitely rise by the end of this month!"
"..."
"Don't worry, Alistair," He suddenly looked at me. "I didn't tell anyone about Tank's…situation, so…you can rest assured. I didn't want to tell the class about my assumptions unless I confirmed the threat."
"Thank you."
"No problem! Class is starting. We'd better head back now." Liam patted my back, walking past me. "We don't want Ms Seraphine scolding us, do we?" He chuckled.
"Yeah…"
Class proceeded as usual.
Boring.
Then came Combat Fundamentals.
Everyone in class removed their navy dress jackets and replaced them with their house cloaks. Wearing house cloaks during practicals or classes that require the use of magic is a must. According to Principal Celestine,
"Good morning, 1-D," Ms. Victoria yawned. "Today, I'm going to teach you something that will be tested during the Genesis Evaluation. This is a very crucial part of the exam. Please note down what I'm going to say next."
"Ms Victoria," Liam raised his hand. "May I ask when this exam will take place?"
"Of course, Liam," Ms Victoria tilted her head and thought for a while. "If I'm not wrong…the Genesis Evaluation starts on the 28th of May till 8th of June. So, the exam for Combat Fundamentals will probably take place on June 1st."
I glanced to my right. Crystal was busy taking down the date of the exam on her tablet and arranging her timetable carefully. She was even setting reminders on her calendar to remind herself. How diligent.
"Today, we will be learning about skills," Ms. Victoria started. "Now, if you open your status, you will see your blessings and skills given by the gods during your baptism." She opened her status to show us. But just at the bottom of the column of her skills, there was a skill called fish. I don't remember any water goddess giving out that skill.
"As you can see," She pointed to the fish skill. "This is not a skill given by the gods. Can anyone guess where this skill is from? Crystal? Can you answer this question?"
Crystal stood up from her seat and answered, "I am not very sure. However, I do believe that this skill could be your skill. A skill created by you."
"Yes! You're right!!" Ms. Victoria cheered. "This is a skill that I created by myself. And the best part about creating a spell by yourself is that, unlike spells, Celestblade and Celestials alike, people with the same affinity as you, even though they know the spell, cannot replicate it."
"Wow!"
"That's so cool!"
"I want to have a skill too!"
"That's awesome!!"
The class murmured.
"Also, with every skill you have, you will have an astral stage of your own. Cool, right?" Ms. Victoria smirked. "Do you guys want to see my skill?"
Astral Enactment?
Skill?
If I remember correctly, the throne room that I transported Tyler into the other time, that must be my Starlight's astral stage. And if that is Starlight's astral stage, then my skill must be those Starlight threads I saw sometime back then.
Come to think about it, Valtheris had requested my skill to be cards in dedication to him. I will have to see what this "skill" thing is about first before I decide whether to use Valtheris's skill.
"Yes!! Please!!!" The class begged.
"Okay, here I go!" Ms Victoria closed her eyes and raised her wand to her lips.
"Shh."
Her voice felt strangely soft. It was different now, with a soft echo to it. I could not help but want to hear it again and again. Will my voice be this powerful when I have my own skill?
"Astral Enactment:「Ocean」."
A single word.
And yet, it held unspeakable weight.
The scene immediately shifted to deep inside an ocean. We were inside a giant air bubble. But…it was empty, except for some seaweed and corals. There was no trace of marine life in this ocean.
"This is my astral stage, Ocean," Ms Victoria sank from above slowly. "Welcome," She smiled.
"Wow, this is so cool!!" Tank felt the walls of the air bubble.
"I know, right?" Pax's eyes gleamed. "I want to be as cool as Ms Victoria next time!!"
"We are in the middle of the ocean," Crystal stated, studying the air bubble we were in.
"Yes." I turned to see her standing next to me.
"Hey, everyone, do you want to see me use my astral stage to the fullest?" Ms. Victoria asked.
"Yeah!!!!" Everyone cheered.
"Okay…here I go…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Raising her wand, she pointed at the water in front of her. "Mannequin."
Instantly, a water mannequin formed, looking eerily similar to a human. It was transparent, thus showing all its organs. Everything was similar to what we studied in biology on Earth.
I glanced at Crystal. But apparently, they learned it in Middle School. Not that I am not familiar with Biology or anything. However, this subject can be quite confusing at times, and they finished it all in Middle School.
"Ocean, 「Pressure」." She pointed her wand down abruptly.
Obeying her command, the water from all four sides of the mannequin destroyed all its insides as the mannequin's body coiled unnaturally. It looked like it was dying.
My classmates' faces had turned pale after watching her, and they were hugging each other desperately. "Just imagine if that was us," Lauren stammered, hugging Celeste tightly. "Ms Victoria is scary…" Celeste said fearfully, clutching Lauren's arm.
"Everyone, you see, this is the power of one's astral stage. The astral stage will bend to the will of its master no matter what," Ms. Victoria grinned. "So in a duel, the one who initiates the astral stage usually has the upper hand. And, you can't open an astral stage in an astral stage, unless you two are both equally powerful or you are more powerful than the user, so you're definitely cooked, hehe."
"Hm?" She tilted her head in confusion, staring down at us. "You all look so tense. What on earth is the matter?"
"Shit, she's going for us next," Tank whispered to Ethan.
"Mm," She smiled, looking back at the disfigured mannequin. "Then this is perfect for all of you. It's really pretty."
She lifted her wand once more. "Come forth, 「Fish」." Ms. Victoria smiled lovingly as she raised her hand. Two beautiful koi fish made of water swam down her hand.
One fish glowed orange and white, the other black and orange. They glided down her hand freely, with no fear in their eyes. Nodding at Ms Victoria, they swam towards the mannequin and surrounded it.
"O brilliant waters that reflect all truth and lies, thrust forth 「Aqua Spear」!!" Ms Victoria chanted.
Immediately, the two koi fish merged, forming a unique aqua spear that was red, orange, black, and white, unlike the usual spell of Aqua Spear. Then, it thrust forward, piercing the mannequin. This new form of Aqua Spear was very special, not just in terms of looks, but in terms of strength as well. It was much stronger than the Aqua Spear made of water I used to summon when I was younger.
"Wow!!" The class gasped.
"That's so cool, I wanna be just as powerful as Ms Victoria!!!"
"Everyone," Ms Victoria signalled for us to quieten down. "As you can see, when using your skill while casting spells, the product will be much more powerful than what you usually cast. This is the importance of having our own skills. It not only enhances your strength, Celestblades and Celestians alike, but it also differentiates your spells from others. This is Celestara High's speciality. When having inter-school tournaments, we can differentiate which student cast which spell."
I understand now.
"That's all for today, class," Ms Victoria transported us back into our classrooms. "For today's homework, just think about what you want your unique skill to be. We will discuss this again tomorrow."
I see.
I have a rough idea of what I want my skill and astral enactment to be. Based on my understanding, each skill has a theme. For instance, Ms Victoria's theme is the ocean, and the Starlight one is fate.
Based on the notes Ms Victoria gave us, astral stages revolve around four key concepts. The user forces everyone into a temporary reality shaped by their astralis. And the battlefield becomes an expression of the user's power, worldview, and fighting philosophy.
But although the user has the upper hand in opening an astral stage, that does not mean they automatically control everything inside it. It takes immense effort and control to reach that level.
The second fundamental law is that every stage has a law. Each stage possesses a defining rule derived from its user's astralis and fighting philosophy. For instance, one user might become stronger whenever an opponent repeats an attack, and another might turn every lie into a physical wound.
Thirdly, from my understanding, as long as the opponent observes, experiments, and deduces what the stage is doing before it kills them, a seemingly harmless detail could reveal the rule. And by revealing the rule, they would be able to turn the tables around.
I can only conclude that in contrast to what Ms Victoria said, opening an astral stage does not necessarily mean that the user has the upper hand. But of course, from my calculations, the odds against the opponent are not good either.
Lastly, the more oppressive a stage's law is, the greater the burden on its creator. A person who imposes an extremely restrictive rule might pay through rapid astralis consumption, a physical drawback, or a condition that their opponent can exploit.
This puts the user at a slight disadvantage.
As of today, I already have one astral stage. One not so powerful. And the other…I resolve to make it the second most powerful stage I have.
And so, for my skill,
My theme will be…