Chapter 7-7: Shining Stars

As the older man took the sealed letter from his hands, Ren flinched. He hadn't spoken to Lord Condor since that day when he lost control again. It took some courage to stand there as the man inspected the seal.

When he finally broke the heavy silence, Lord Condor's words were everything but pleasant. "I will deliver this to the High Council. Do not expect an immediate response – the Oracle's ritual will begin soon. They will not have the time to spare for you."

Ren nodded. "I understand. Thank you for delivering the letter, sir." His voice cracked. Lord Condor sighed, then left without uttering one more word.

Only once the older man disappeared in the woods did Ren stand back up. His knee hurt from standing on it for the last several minutes. A mild headache had surfaced once again, mostly due to Lord Condor's released mana. He hadn't even bothered to mask it when he stood right in front of Ren.

"Are you ok?" Light footsteps sounded as Aiden stepped on the weathered stone tiles of the northern courtyard.

Ren nodded. He shook off the dust and dirt on his robes before taking a deep breath and glancing at the setting sun. "We should go." He said. "We shouldn't be late to Battlemage Auria's class."

Aiden sighed, but he knew the young man was right. "So," He asked as they walked towards the main building. "What was that meeting about?"

Ren hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should talk to Aiden about it. "It's my report on wildmagic. Lord Condor will deliver it to the High Council." He glanced at Aiden. "How are you holding up?"

Aiden smiled. "I'm fine. Whatever made it difficult to control my mana disappeared once I came back inside the barrier." He hesitated. "It was pretty." He said suddenly glancing to the sky. "The stars, I mean." He said.

Ren smiled. "They were. They shone so bright; the colours were so vivid." He pictured the wildmagic around that flower. "Wildmagic is also really vivid." He said, lowering his voice. "It's a mix of colours, even a tiny patch of it around a small flower had a smell."

"Does mana usually not have a smell?" Aiden asked after a short moment of hesitation. Ren shook his head. "Not everyone's. Yours smells like fresh water."

"Fresh water?" Aiden asked in surprise. He seemed somewhat disappointed. Ren chuckled. "It could have been worse; I know a person whose mana smelled like cheese."

"Cheese?!" Aiden shrieked. "Ren, are you drunk or what?"

With banter and laughter, they eventually reached the study hall in the main building, where Battlemage Auria was going to hold a class in the coming minutes.

"So," Aiden asked as they entered the empty study hall. "What about your mana?"

Ren flinched. "What about it?" He asked, trying to feign ignorance. Aiden rolled his eyes; he had seen right through Ren's horrible acting. "What's your mana like?"

The young man hesitated. It wasn't something he was comfortable talking about. "It's black." He said after a moment of silence. "It's pitch black, with a hint of purple in it. Once I release it, it becomes my entire world. I can't see anything but darkness, I can't hear anything but the sound of whirling winds."

Aiden, seemingly stunned, stared at Ren in disbelief.

"It's not all bad." Ren said with a faint smile. "The darkness is soothing, in a way. I can isolate myself completely and no one can bother me."

Aiden shook his head. "Please stop lying to yourself like this. You're scared, aren't you?" He could see it in the young man's purple eyes. They were filled with fear – no, terror. He was terrified of his own power. How could he live like that? Always being aware of that incredible power within him, always terrified, always alone. Wasn't it exhausting?

Ren smiled, though it didn't come from a place of happiness. "I am." He said with a weak voice. "But I know that it will not be like this forever. I have hope, Aiden." He said, raising his hand and stretching his fingers. "I have hope because he hasn't given up on me yet. He believes in me still, despite everything that's happened."

"Who is he?" Aiden asked. Who was it that had such an immense effect on Ren? Who was it, that Ren trusted and believed in so much? And… was he going to be an obstacle in Aiden's way?

"My master in the way of the sword." The young man said, gently touching the hilt of his blade. "And closest person I have to a father."

Aiden flinched. "I see. I'm happy for you, Ren." He said, forcing a smile and avoiding Ren's gaze. "I know how much of a difference it makes to have someone who believes in you." Memories surfaced, but he pushed them away. Now wasn't the time to get sentimental. "And-" He began to speak, but the young man interrupted him.

"She's here." He stood up as he spoke and took a step forward. Moments later, Principal Auria opened the door and stepped inside. Aiden drew a sharp breath. Ren's ability to sense mana was so much more useful than simply knowing how powerful someone was.

"My respects to the Seventh." Ren said, placing his right hand on his heart and his left on the hilt of his sword. He bowed and waited for Principal Auria. Aiden mimicked him, though his salute was a lot more fitting for a student-teacher relationship.

"You may rise," She said after a short moment. Both young men straightened their backs, though Ren's posture didn't change much. It was clear that those movements were engraved into his mind.

"I assume you gave your report, Ren?" Principal Auria asked after a short moment. The young man nodded. A smile flashed across the principal's face. "Good, I also assume you've learned something from your little stroll outside."

Ren nodded once again, though he didn't seem eager to explain what that was. Principal Auria simply nodded with a satisfied expression. "I'm glad." She said, then glanced at the windows. "Are they on their way?"

"They are." Ren said after a moment of silence. "All of them."

"How did you know?" Aiden couldn't help but ask. Didn't Ren's ability have a range?

"I can sense them, though it's a bit more challenging without a line of sight." He said with a faint smile.

As he finished speaking, the others soon entered the study hall. The Principal immediately spoke.

"Now that you're all here, let me explain your next exercise."