Chapter 7 - I am Preternatural

"...What the fuck?" Blaike froze in shock as she watched Raven sprawl on the ground until he collapsed.

She was just about to reveal her aura as a means of motivation. And then, this happened. There was no way her aura was responsible for this… whatever this was!

As she assessed Raven's condition, she let out a wry smile, 'Uhh… maybe I should leave. He is probably alright… right?'

Yeah, he definitely was.

It was just a normal day for the young boy.

There was no need to panic.

A nagging thought crept into Blaike's head. 'Could it really be my aura?'

In the supernatural circles, it was common knowledge that only mystic sorcerers could sense the auras of other mystic sorcerers. Sure, there were cases of exception. However, it would be too insane to think Raven sensed her aura before she fully unveiled it.

Even the moniker of absolute genius couldn't explain that and Blaike knew a lot of monstrous geniuses. This considered possibility broke all known laws of mystic sorcery. 

'But what if …'

Blaike cursed herself for not thinking about the other possibility, especially considering Raven's present physical state. That was the clear winner.

'Shit, I need to call Kase.'

...

"So what are you saying?" Kase inquired, feeling a headache coming his way. He rubbed his forehead and patiently gazed at Blaike who errantly paced around like a squirrel.

As soon as he got the message from Blaike, he rushed here without hesitation. How did this happen? Blood appeared all over Raven's skin producing such a terrifying sight. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought the damn brat was already dead.

"Calm down, old man. You–"

Kase blew off immediately. "Calm down? I'm calm. You are the one panicking here. Clearly, you understand something that I don't." 

Blaike's eyes flashed with slight fear as she felt Kase's aura wrap around her. She knew it wasn't intentional and likely just instinctually. Spending half a lifetime on blood-soaked battlefields does that to people. However, she couldn't help but frown at the sight of his aura.

Blaike straightened her mind and sighed deeply. "It's an awakening."

"You mean—"

"Yes. Preternatural Awakening. My hunch is that, by leaking my aura, I might have stimulated his imminent awakening."

"Has that happened before? Getting awakened by another's aura? I have never heard of such a situation, but that still doesn't explain what is happening to him."

Raven's situation was dire. His body was hemorrhaging blood at an alarming rate. It was a miracle he remained alive

"I-I'm guessing Raven's alchemical sigil is of the perception type. That's the only way to explain this."

Blaike's face was full of concern. Preternatural awakening was a double-edged sword. Aristocrats mainly used it, but they had access to means that could mitigate its side effects. Yet, even after all this, this method was rarely employed. 

Kase carried Raven's body and placed him on a makeshift bed. "How do we–"

Kase's mouth paused and he instantly jerked to his side. Just now, he had sensed another aura in the vicinity. He scoured around but he found no one. Three auras clashed silently in the abandoned building. Two of them were concealed, belonging to Kase and Blaike. The last one. It felt juvenile, new, vibrant, and yet tinged with a malevolent aura. It had the bearing of a recently awakened mystic sorcerer but felt darker and more sinister as if it belonged to a young devil.

'It's Raven! His aura has emerged!' Kase leaned on a pillar and processed the rapid thoughts in his mind. He couldn't help but worry about the rapid pace of the situation. Raven was his responsibility, and yet, there was nothing he could do to help. He could only watch from the sidelines.

"It's too soon," Kase muttered.

Blaike agreed as she gritted her teeth, "I know. But it's not as rare as you think. Children are more susceptible to preternatural awakening due to their sensitivity to supernatural phenomena. I also went through the same ordeal. My preternatural awakening was spurred by a bloody battle against two mystics."

What Blaike failed to mention was that her awakening occurred right in the midst of battle. She survived purely because of that. However, Raven was in an entirely different circumstance. He didn't awaken during his fight with Light Dorin. Blaike had noticed signs of awakening after that, but the signs weren't at their prime. Instead, what finally pushed Raven into the supernatural world was the stimulation caused by foreign aura. And this was the least of Blaike's concerns!

Blaike pondered loudly, "He has begun the awakening, and as it stands, he is in the phenomenon phase, reflecting the nature of his arcane sigil, but… it's simply taking too long How long was yours, old man?"

Kase's gaze reflected his thoughts. "Uhh…I can't recall. Thirty minutes, I think?"

"Yep, that is an average time. I took close to three minutes and that is only because my arcane sigil is earth-based. Anyway, that doesn't matter. What concerns me is the manifestation of the phenomenon. I believe Raven is awakening a unique sigil."

Kase nodded silently and didn't comment. His mind focused on the well-being of Raven. The thought of Raven's possible death crushed his heart, and he instantly banished it.

'You have to survive, little brat. The world awaits you,' Kase smiled in his mind.

While he didn't know as much as Blaike, he understood Raven was a genius. Perhaps even a great genius comparable to Blaike herself. 

If Raven survived the preternatural awakening, he would become an Incomplete Initiate, one that became supernatural without the consumption of a prima elixir or the fulfillment of requisite conditions, bordering the rank of Class Two–Initiate. He would become one of the very who could attain that rank without going through Class One–Acolyte. This, in itself, was nothing short of a marvel. However, it came with grave risks. Early death being the most common consequence!

Blaike noticed something. "His aura… it has reached its consummation. It is finally happening!"

Raven's body emitted sizzling sounds as every ounce of blood was absorbed back into his body. Symbols etched onto his skin and face, resembling tribal marks denoting special ancestry. His closed eyelids shimmered with a verdant glow and his stature expanded till it reached a perfectly balanced state. 

All around Raven, the ground chimed and verdant vines sprouted abundantly. They joyously danced around his body, forming a mystical formation that astounded Blaike and Kase.

"What the hell? Hey, Blaike, are you seeing this?"

"Yes. It appears to be a nature arcane sigil. How wonderful!"

"Forget about that! Is this… normal?"

"...I think so. The manifestation of elemental sigils often leads to exaggerated phenomena. I caused earthly tremors when I awakened. This is not far off, I think?"

Just as she spoke, Raven's eyes fluttered open and he glanced at Blaike with such pristine gaze akin to that of a newborn child. A profound sensation overwhelmed him in the moments following his awakening.

It took a while before he could form words. "Blaike…? What happened?"

It was only now he noticed Kase standing right beside him. "Old man?"

Kase and Blaike glanced at each other and broke into laughter. "Congratulations!"