Words slowly lifted from the pages entering his mind; with every page turned, more knowledge of the world Jared thought he knew filled his mind. With the last crisp turn of the page, Jared found himself at the end.
[ Chapter 0- completed... Chapter 1 began.]
Jared stopped. Taking a second to look at Kaelin as she prepared the meal, he realized how focused and attentive she was to even the preparation of the food.
'We should have more time.'
Jared looked back. He pointed to trees above him, tilting his head like he was recalling a few wise words.
'For every hour you learn, you need to spend ten to review… Oh- And stay focused when doing so.'
"That brotherly advice was useful… But having a journalist as a travel partner kinda makes standard training like that pointless."
'I still don't get why she's allowing me to stay here... or why she helped with Toast the other day, but… This is the first chance I've gotten to truly see the world… unfiltered by my family.'
Jared looked down at his book, ready to turn to the next page. 'Do I really want to let this opportunity pass?'
Jared's eyes glowed radiantly before balancing and maintaining a consistent life. As he flipped the page, getting closer to the first bookmark in his book, clear water circled him. Slowly lifted from around his waist, the ring slowly became smaller, hovering over his shoulder with its smooth blue color. With every breath, the water pulsated, matching the beating of his heart.
Flames burst from the bookmark. Blood swiftly dripped from the sides of his head as more ran from his ears.
With his book going out of control, Jared slammed his book closed, his body eating the backlash
"Damn!.... That hurt."
His vision fogged; Each page rotted his brain into a smushed mess.
One by one, Kaelin's bookmarkers started to melt away. Feeling his body turn into powder, consciousness faded into abstraction, and the final pages started to turn, a quick sense of relief washed over him.
….
Jared's eyes started to glow. It was the first time his mind was actually empty, a feeling that his older brother Aizen tried to explain to him before.
Aizen's words passed- "My mind was so clear that nothing about myself was a mystery. Thinking about it now; that was the time I truly understood how limitless my ability could be and the limits that I was currently at. I understood what power I had at my hands. "
Jared- "I think I get it now, but…. It is not the same; I feel like I'm missing something."
Turning over his book, the ripped cover that was there from the beginning was repaired, but the cover remained blurry.
Blood slowly ran from Jared as a wet rag wiped it off the side of his face. Jared's eyes widened as the white-cyan color left his eyes.
Jared- "The HELL!"
The water circling him quickly vanished into the air. In a sudden snap, Jared abruptly looked to his side as Kaelin stood over him.
Kaelin- "Looks like you made some progress. Can't believe you made this much progress. At this rate, you'll Meld before me."
Jared looked at Kaelin with confusion, practically begging for an explanation.
With a shrug, Kaelin explained, "Meld is the act of being one with your book." She calmly removed the rag for Jared as she continued. "It resembles fully acting as yourself. It usually results after completing stage two, but it has been seen to occur sooner, depending on the ability and its user. I guess you're one of the unlucky few."
"Unlucky? Ok, stop doing this. You know I'm going to ask you to explain."
Twirling the rag in her hand, Kaelin turned to him and replied. "When I was growing up, having that happen meant that your social life was over. Being gifted in one sense meant losing freedom in the other. I'm sure that you understand what I mean."
The memory of Aizen being attached to Melinda's hip like a dog being taken out for a walk came rushing to his memory. Without much of a reply, Jared hummed, giving a confirming nod.
Kaelin- "Well, whatever." Kaelin shrugged her shoulders, walking the pond nearby. "Just get up so we can discuss the plan for the day."
Kaelin continued to walk away as Jared watched. Breaking free from his mind prison, he got up and followed her.
…
It was peaceful. The bubbling hot soup, the setting of the charred sticks and logs, and the quiet chirping in the background played over the sounds of Jared eating his meal. With Kaelin seated across from him, her eyes focused more on her book than the bowl of soup she prepared.
Breaking the silence between them, Kaelin looked up, pointing her pen causally in his direction, completely grabbing a hold of Jared's attention.
"So, how are you feeling?"
"How - I'm… feeling? I mean- awake, I guess."
Kaelin pressed the pen to her lips. "Oh, I forgot you're slow. How are you feeling? Like, do certain parts of your body hurt or feel sick? It's been a week- two maybe- since you glued to me. Surprised that you haven't passed out from tiredness, if I'm going to be honest. "
"What…" Jared muttered, thinking to himself that this had to be a ploy for more information. He coughed softly, playing along.
"Oh, you're asking because my family is a bunch of bookworms.- "
'Not like I'm any different.'
"- But I train my body more than most."
"Even so, traveling isn't comfortable, I can't really guide you back, but I can figure something out if you want to go back home."
With a slight facial twitch, Jared looked down at his soup. 'Ok, this is eating me inside. This is not the Yidhra I remember. She must not be.'
Silencing his thoughts, Jared replied, struggling to maintain his act. "No, that's fine." Jared blew twice on his hot soup, taking a sip before finishing his thought. "I'm learning way more than I ever could by being locked up in my room all day."
"So you don't miss your parents? What about your brother? He seems like he cares about you a lot."
Jared paused for a moment.
"Ok, that's enough. What's with the code switch? I'm young, not dumb, so just tell me why you're acting like one of my relatives during Christmas."
Kaelin stretched her neck, muttering to herself just loud enough for Jared to hear, "Guess I can't keep the facade."
As if flipping a switch, Kaelin dropped her head and her overly caring attitude.
"How about you take a guess. Wait, never mind, you'll take too long, even with a hint."
Scooping out some grub for herself, Kaelin continued. "Let me be blunt. First, stay with me or go home; I don't care which you decide since you'll likely become a tool either way. Especially with how much progress you've been making.
Second, Melinda asked me to do her a favor, so here I am. I at least wanted to give it a try before upright denying.
Third, hand over your book."
With a defiant exposition, Jared replied, "And what if I don't?"
"Then that's the end of whatever… this… is. You won't see me tomorrow, so I hope for your sake you know how to survive out here on your own."