"Ori? What are you doing here? Get out!" The young man struggled, his limbs thrashing against the arms that were carrying him.
"You're drunk, Achan, stop trying to resist!" The man's voice was tight with frustration as he wrestled to get him onto the bed, his grip never faltering despite the young man's relentless thrashing.
"You're not Ori, why are you here?!" The young man named Achan mumbled, finally recognizing who was before him.
A faint sense of happiness flickered through the man's eyes. Even in his drunken state, Achan still recognized him. A small thing, but enough.
"I heard you were looking for me. Did you miss me?"
Upon hearing this, from the man who had vanished without a word, Achan felt his chest tighten. Anger surged through him, raw and unforgiving, curling around like a vice.
"Fuck you dude! Fuck you!" Achan yelled, despite the exhaustion, he tried to raise his hands to hit him, to hit the man who he thought left him for a woman.
"I know I should have explained it to you, but I can't involve you with this, not anymore!" The man held Achan to his chest tightly.
"You said you love me, Uther? Why are you doing this to me then?!" He could only do nothing but weep.
Achan regrets giving his Witch friend, Ori, his remaining energy for the day. Now he can't do anything to this man but curse him.
"I'm sorry, I promise, as soon as I settle my debt with Beucraf, I'll tell you everything!" Uther started to sob, he couldn't stand seeing the love of his life hurting this much because of him.
But what can he do? Beucraf is a powerful security company, not only that, this company is owned by a very powerful Craftsman, a woman with Divine Magic, one who could take Achan from him and use him to make profits out of him. And telling him would only make it impossible for him to settle his debt, the debt he made when he asked Beucraf for help finding him. It'll only make it worse for both of them. He knows how Achan thinks of himself, and he doesn't want to lessen Achan's confidence about himself even more.
"Are you sure you're not dating?!" Achan asked after hearing Uther's explanation.
"No, she's just an old friend, she's helping me settle our deal with Beucrafs." Uther smiled, leaving every part that includes his deal with the head of Beucraf.
"Then, if her name's Mikah, who's Maine?!" Achan whispered, fighting the urge to sleep.
"She's old, you don't have to be jealous about my business partner!" Uther laughed, his gaze steady as he watched the young man before him. His eyes held a quiet contentment; after all this time, he finally had the chance to touch his face again.
"Hmp! I'm not jealous?" Achan hissed, his words sharp despite the sluggish drift of his gaze. "She just sounds shady, that company is shady!" He grumbled, yet as warmth settled over him, his resistance faded. Slowly, he nestled into Uther's chest, his breath evening out as sleep finally took hold.
Uther smiled, his gaze soft, lingering.
"I promise, Achan. You're the only one I would love, as long as this heart that you healed beats. You'll forever be the reason for it!" He whispered before kissing Achan's forehead.
"You promise?" Achan mumbled, making Uther nod in confirmation uncontrollably.
Minutes passed, yet Uther didn't move. He kept Achan close, ignoring the tingling in his arms as they began to numb.
With a deep breath, he reached for his phone. His mind was set; he was finally ready to accept the deal.
"I'm ready, prepare all the research you need, I'll be there tomorrow!" Uther sighed, his heart was now ready to face Beucraf.
"No, we're doing it now, we can't let the time pass? What if you change your mind tomorrow?!" The woman from the other side demanded before hanging up the call.
***
Achan's P.O.V
"Uther, what's taking you this long? We have to bring our baby back home!"
The woman's voice echoed in my head.
"AAAHH!" I screamed, startling the dogs in front of me.
Before they could bark at me, I just stared at them and let out a small amount of violent Lifeforce out of me, making them cower and run away.
"Why did Ori's Spell take me here? Anyway?!" I whispered to myself as I stared into the dark pathway near the school campus.
This is the first time Ori's Teleportation Sigil sent me somewhere else than my intended location, I guess I must be overusing it too much. Two consecutive teleportations in just a few hours.
"I should go home!" I told myself after hearing a rustling of a bush near the university's walls.
I was about to run away when the bush started to rustle again.
"Heyyy!" A familiar voice suddenly jumped out of the bush when I started to raise my hands, preparing to summon the Grimoire out.
"Khein?!" I called out to him, my voice sharp with concern. What was he doing outside his dormitory at this hour?
"Oh, hi! Why did you leave? Just listen to his explanation, you'll only hurt yourself with pointless reason!" His words came loose, unsteady, as he swayed in my direction. Was he still drunk?
"Leave, leave where?" I asked, confused about what he's saying.
As he was about to get to me, he stopped and stared at something behind me.
"Oh, nothing, also, there's a man there… Goodbye!" He suddenly ran away after pointing at the dark part of the campus walls.
His hair whipped from side to side as he sprinted down the dimly lit street, each footstep echoing in the quiet night.
"Get back here!" The Union head's voice rang out behind me, sharp and commanding, before he rushed past.
"I told you, get me my strawberry drink first before I sleep!" Khein's voice tore through the silence, his playful laugh echoing down the empty street.
"What a weirdo?" I mumbled.
I don't really know Khein well. Every time we cross paths, he says the strangest things—like he knows something about me that I don't.
He's different, though. Unlike the other students, some were sophisticated, some nothing more than spoiled brats. But him? He carries himself in a way that doesn't quite fit in. There's something distinct about him, something deliberate. I've heard he comes from a well-off family, while others say that he's just a commoner. There's even a rumour that the Union Head helps him with his tuition, but that doesn't explain the way he moves through this place. The way he commands everyone's attention, his confidence, and that Royal-like aura around him, he's making me think too much about it!
"Must be why the Head takes care of him so much, he's quite the troublemaker!" I sighed after watching the two of them vanish into the dark.
I should stop thinking about that random acquaintance, I have a bigger problem in front of me.
"Achan?" Manager uttered my name as he lay on the side of the street.
How did Khein see Ricco lying here? Is that why he was hiding in that bush? He must have thought this guy's dangerous or something!
"Let's go!" I said after grabbing his arm.
"Where are you taking me?" He asked, unsure if he wanted to stand up.
"I'm taking you home, you don't look well, you're dirty!" I slowly placed my right palm on his chest, secretly spreading my Lifeforce around his heart.
If what I saw earlier was true, I need to prevent it from happening again!
Flashback:
"You will not win this fight, you're an outsider, begone!" He uttered as black smoke came out of his mouth.
"Who are you?"
"Arthur Moralez, can't you see?" He smirked, eyes glowing red.
"NO! Sir Arthur would never hurt somebody he treasures! WHO ARE YOU?!" I yelled.
"You don't have to know, you'll die with us after all!"
Before the black shadow could fully envelope us, I immediately opened the page in the book that the power inside me tells me to use!
"I don't care who you are, you hurt them and you're dead, die!" I exclaimed as I pointed my now glowing hand at him.
"Tsk, Azudeno, you're such a nuisance!" I heard him whisper before the light from my hands completely ate the darkness around us.
"Mister Arthur?" I whispered as I stared at the person standing in front of me.
End of Flashback…
"Tha-Thanks!" He whispered under his relieved breath after I lifted the exhaustion in his breathing, probably caused by the dark smoke I saw earlier.
I helped him walk, I didn't use Ori's Teleportation. It might send us to a different place again. I should probably consult him about that later!
"Where's the Young Master?" He asked.
We stopped walking for a bit so I could face him.
"Don't worry about that guy for now, let's focus on what's on your chest… Since when has it manifested?"
"What do you mean? Weren't you the one who cursed me? You should know when!" He pushed me away, angered by my sudden question.
What is he saying?
"Achan, get away from him!" Our conversation was cut short when Uther found us.
He stormed to come between us again and tried to punch Ricco for the second time, but I came prepared. I managed to form an invisible wall around Manager before he could hurt him.
"Uther, stop it!" I grabbed his hands before he could hit my Wall of Protection, it's not that strong after all.
"Why are you protecting him? Is this about what Mikah said?" Uther yelled. He seemed frustrated about that.
More frustrated than I should be… Wow!
"I don't care about your business anymore, it's your life, you go live it. Just stop interfering with mine! It's frustrating to be this pathetic!" I finally burst, I couldn't keep it in anymore.
What does he think he is? Vanishing for months, then returning, thinking all is well?
He remained silent, just staring at me, like I had said something he already knew.
"And to think I've let you in so easily, I'm so pathetic!" I surrendered.
Why is this happening to me? Why does everything in my life seem to go awry when I begin liking it?
"No, you're not!" He held my chin up, forcing me to look at his face.
Does he pity me? He looked hurt!
"Oh, hi! Why did you leave? Just listen to his explanation, you'll only hurt yourself with pointless reason!"
Khein's words reappeared in my mind, like he's aware of what's happened between Uther and me.
"You made the right choices, you helped me get a second chance at life. And I would use that lifetime convincing you that you're not!" He whispered to me.
"Not? Not what?!"
"You're not a pathetic person, you are the bright moonlight that illuminated my dark, gray night. And I'm sorry... For not clearing everything up until now." Uther's voice was soft, his smile warm as he gazed at me, sincerity glowing in his eyes.
Something inside me shifted, anger dissolving into relief, though bitterness still lingered at the edges of my heart. Yet, in that moment, I chose to believe him.
I said nothing, but silence was all he needed. He pulled me into his arms, the warmth of his embrace melting the last of my resistance. The weight I had carried for so long cracked, splintered. And as his hold tightened, the tears spilled over.
There, in his arms, I broke.
"Enough!" A cold voice cut through the darkness, sharp and unwavering. It wasn't just a command, it was filled with fury. The figure stood rigid, its presence thick with anger at the scene unfolding before it.
"Manager?" I whispered after sensing the familiar Dark Aura behind me.
"Die!" It yelled, and a powerful force shook the ground.
But before I could see him, Uther pulled me aside, blocking the black smoke that was about to hit me.
"You thought you could get away from me? You messed up my plans, now die!"
"Uther!" My heart sank as I watched his body fly across me, his form slowly swallowed by the dark.
As I stood there, motionless, eyes locked on Uther's withered body, a familiar voice echoed throughout the street.
"Finally, you managed to get back to this dimension." Khein's words carried a quiet certainty, almost amused, as he hovered above us, detached from the devastation before him.
He's a Person with a Gift?!
"First Mage?! Why are you here too?!" Ricco's voice rang out, laced with confusion and fear as he stumbled back, his gaze locked onto Khein's sudden, unnerving presence.
"First Mage?" The words barely left my lips, a breath more than a question.
I could only stare, frozen in place, my body refusing to move, too stunned, too overwhelmed to even think of running.
Why is he here? How can he return without using me?
He shouldn't be. Couldn't be.
The First Mage needed me. I was supposed to be his vessel.
Yet, he's there, whole, unbound, untouched by the process that should have tethered him to me.
Panic clawed at my chest, uncertainty twisting like a sickness in my stomach. If he could return without me, then what did that mean? What had I been all along? What about Ori's sacrifice?