AtFC Chapter 60 - Another Threat (Patreon)

Felicia listened to the door as it slowly closed again, leaving her and Lily behind. She steadied her breathing, keeping the tears locked behind shut eyes.

Will I ever be strong enough to be trusted? To be his equal?

Daniel seemed to slip further and further away as more people entered back into his life, and as more secret stuff piled up. Always secret stuff, stuff she wasn’t old enough to handle for some reason. She had handled everything else life had sent her way, and it was more than most adults could take.

So why wasn't it enough?

“Felicia, are you okay?”

She huffed a short breath, sharp and bitter. Now, even her shocked sister had to care for her, despite barely being able to stand on her own legs.

"I'm sorry. I should be worrying about you, Lily." Her voice came out rougher than she intended.

"No, don't apologize. Well, I am still in shock, but…" Lily's voice was light, almost floating. "That was all real, right?"

"Yeah. The young kid was the academy's headmaster, thousands of years old." Felicia turned her face toward her sister. “He’s in my class.”

"Oh, I figured he had to be… Wow…" Lily was quiet for a moment, probably still processing. Then she asked softly, "But are you okay?"

"I will be." The words came out like a shield, firmer than intended. "...I just hate being treated like this fragile little girl all the time."

"...And the nightmares you have every night are just… bad luck?" Lily's tone was gentle, but the question cut deep.

Felicia felt her jaw tighten. "I was kidnapped and about to be killed."

“I know, but… What if you learned that another corrupted spirit had appeared in the western countries? Or what if some evil mage was kidnapping little girls with spatial magic? What if a meteor is headed for the planet? Would you feel better than you do now?”

Felicia wanted to say yes without thinking, to prove her point. But that would be too stubborn of her, and she knew it. So she really thought about it, turning the scenarios over in her mind.

A corrupted spirit should be easy enough to handle now that Danny is much stronger, but I don’t think they’d worry so much about that. A kidnapper… I’m sure Danny could make some protection against him. A meteor, though…

Her stomach dropped at the thought. That would be a genuine problem, and one even the greatest of mages might fail to protect against. Was that what the telescope near the window was for?

Oh no, I do feel more worried now… A meteor…

-------------------------------------------

Elania’s residence was not much worse than Daniel and Felicia’s, only smaller and meant for one person instead of two. The same blackboard, the same parallel couches with a table in between, the same shelves with books stacked high. But no dining room.

"Oh, this is nice," Elania said, looking around the room. Her fingers trailed along the back of one couch. "More scholarly than what I usually go for, but I guess that's to be expected."

"My bedroom is right behind that wall, so you couldn't be any closer." Daniel gestured to the shared wall to the left.

“I wonder which bedroom I’ll be spending most time in…” She smiled at him, more teasing than he was used to. “Maybe a new door could be—”

“Flirt later, you two.” Zoltran walked to the couches and jumped in, inviting the others to join with a commanding gesture. “We have new enemies, and they’re not to be taken lightly.”

The playful atmosphere evaporated instantly, replaced by cold tension. They both nodded, moving to join Zoltran in the couch salon.

"New enemies?" Daniel asked, settling onto the couch across from Zoltran. He already had a few ideas in mind, none of which were pleasant. "Does this have anything to do with your meeting with the Council?"

Them being the new enemies would be the worst-case scenario, without a doubt. Not only were they the guardians of the world and the ones maintaining the world seal, but they were also the strongest mages from each of the seven continents. 

Or at least that was the idea when it started, but it changed over time. That’s the reason there are seven white hats, though.

Zoltran’s expression turned grim, looking far older than his physical age. “I’m afraid so.”

Fuck. Why is everything collapsing down on us at the same time?

“The Council are our enemies?!” Elania nearly yelled, glancing between the two of them. “The Council?! Why?”

"Calm yourself, dear. It does us no good to yell." Zoltran spoke calmly, but his small hands were clenched on his knees. He seemed just as resigned as Daniel felt.

"I brought them here to the academy, in one of the hidden chambers near the foundations. Two men arrived, and it was an alright meeting at first. But then they asked for the research notes on the body formations, and I started getting suspicious. I told them the notes were burned, which they didn't seem to like."

The young expression darkened further, having a sigh before continuing.

“Then they said I was relieved of my duty as guardian. I didn’t take kindly to that, so I brought them into my void to make sure they didn’t leave before I could ask some questions. But once I started knocking them around a bit, one of them activated formations on his body.”

“Ahh… They really have fallen.”

The Council was supposed to be better than this. Had to be better than this, for the world to function.

“The man became much stronger and faster, and even after I defeated him, the formations remained active. I confirmed they were members of the council, then asked why they were doing all this. They said it was for the sake of survival.”

"Right, typical justification." Daniel leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Survival from what?"

“I asked the same. But then a young man appeared behind me, getting into the void through some complex spatial magic connected to the body formations.”

“...Damn. So they have a very powerful spatial mage?”

“Yes, undoubtedly a rare genius. Perhaps even greater than Marie was, I’m afraid. But the real issue is what he used as an excuse for their actions.”

Daniel wasn't sure he wanted to know, but he had to ask. "...And what was that?" 

“The gods.”

Daniel stood from his seat, chills spreading across his entire body. “The gods? Survival from the gods?”

“That’s what he said. But he gave me no proof, so I assume it’s some twisted justification they use to seek more power. It seems the old turtle is no longer part of the Council.”

“Aah…” Daniel fell back down into the couch, deep in thought.

The gods… Could the gods be trying to destroy the world? Are they just playing around with the disasters in the world, then bringing me here to see if I can handle them? If that’s the case, it’s not far from the truth that the gods are dangerous.

Elania leaned forward, looking at Zoltran while putting a hand on Daniel’s knee. “Why would they want to relieve you of your position, though?”

His young head shook slowly. “I fear they might be so desperate that they want to break the world seal.”

"That's going too far!" Elania yelled, losing her composure. She stood, hands clenched into fists at her sides.

“Of course it is. Even if we don’t know what it is sealing, we know it was so important that the entire world worked together to do it.”

Daniel leaned forward in his seat, ready to talk again. “I’m not… entirely sure they’re lying about the gods.”

Elania turned to him. "What do you mean?" 

"...I don't want to make this all about me, but…" He ran a hand through his hair. "With Valkor's prophecy, we have to assume the gods had a hand in my reawakening. But perhaps they weren't bringing me back because the world was in danger—perhaps they were bringing me back after creating that danger?"

A thick silence followed his words.

"...As some kind of game?" Zoltran asked slowly, studying Daniel’s face. "You think they have that much power?"

"I have no idea what the gods are capable of. But I know there have been an awful lot of coincidences since I woke up." Daniel counted them off on his fingers. "The world serpent, the mermaid queen, now the Council? It feels like a test to me, or simply a game."

They all sat in thought for a while, digesting the facts. Zoltran was the first to open his mouth again, breaking the heavy silence.

“I believe it’s too early to say. Yes, there are seemingly huge coincidences, but they could all be connected. What if the council were the ones awakening the world serpent, then causing the mermaid queen to be born?”

“Oh, that could be the case…”

But Daniel still felt he was right. From his perspective, this world was created for him.

"Either way," Zoltran started, leaning forward with purpose. “I think we need to protect the academy from spatial jumps. And for that I’ll need your help, Artorias.”

"...I can make formations, but I don't know much about spatial magic." Daniel suddenly felt inadequate, aware of the gaps in his knowledge. Surely some things had developed over the last millennium.

“Marie’s research is still available, and it has been expanded and improved by later generations. Timothy Doyle also researched it a bit, saying that space and time were somehow connected. I’ll give you the core parts, then I hope you can use them for our safety. And sooner rather than later, I’m afraid. I am worried about that spatial mage.”

"Yeah, I understand. The thought of an enemy appearing anywhere is terrifying. I'll… get right on it." He looked over at Elania with an apology already forming on his lips, hating that their evening together was being cut short.

She shook her head before he could speak, understanding in her eyes. "Go, Art. We have plenty of time to connect. This is more important."

He nodded, standing from his seat. “Then let’s not waste any time, old man. I’ve been looking forward to doing some serious formation work again.”

Zoltran jumped out of the couch, immediately moving toward the door. “You’d better not regret those words.”

As Daniel followed him out, leaving Elania behind in her new quarters, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were racing against a clock they couldn't see.

Ch.59 --|--