32 Losing Consciousness (2)

Michael told Aria about the six Great Gods of Alchemy and Magic. When he finished, her gaze contained a mix of amazement and admiration. "Can a Magno Deorum save everyone in Elisium?"

The male sighed as he thought about the Great Gods. Meeting at least one of them with the help of Luminae Academy was already considered impossible. He didn't want to tell her the truth, but the light in Aria's eyes dimmed as she continued to watch Michael Caelum. A small hand patted him on the shoulder. Her small voice echoed in the otherwise quiet room.

"It's fine. I'll become stronger than a Magno Deorum," she stated with confidence. "I'll come back and save everyone."

Michael Caleum pursed his lips. Unfortunately, it couldn't stop his muted chuckles. He laughed at her. A small eight-year-old was going to surpass a Magno Deorum? It was absurd. Yet he wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that the girl in front of him could become an existence that was beyond that of a Magno Deorum.

The small hand smacked his arm and a pair of adorable eyebrows scrunched together. A cute pout made its way to Aria's lips. Michael had to resist the urge to laugh even louder. He cleared his throat and settled down. "That's the plan. Any questions?"

Hesitation flashed in her eyes. "Is my name… really Aria?"

"Yes. Yes, it is." He felt the corners of his lips curve up into a smile. "I never met your parents before, but I knew your last name was Asterope. Your full name is Aria Asterope."

"Then," she paused slightly. Her eyebrows were creased. "-do you think my parents remember me?"

Michael stopped himself before he could say anything. The smile on his face fell. He didn't know if they did.

"They probably don't, do they?" Aria shrugged and flashed him a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes.

His breath got caught in his chest. He reminded himself to breathe – to keep the pain from showing on his face.

"You have me. You'll always have me," he said. "So, don't worry about something like that."

"...what would you have done… if I died?" she asked in a reserved manner that was unlike her.

The young man was left speechless. Just imagining it made his heart twitch in pain. It was a tough question. Somehow, Michael remembered the words the child had said the first day they met. Aria had said that a name was only a burden for the people left behind. But he didn't think that way – not even after she had disappeared into thin air.

"I would probably be heartbroken, even when the Aria I knew wouldn't like that," he honestly confessed. "Life moves on for those who live. But even so..."

His hands touched her long brown hair and met her gaze. "I would do my best to carry on with my life while remembering you… while making your name and your life into a beautiful memory."

At first, the little girl's lips were pursed in a thin line as her eyes widened in surprise. But after a few seconds, the corners of her mouth twitched and quirked up into a smile. It was the most adorable thing Michael Caelum had seen in his life.

She nodded. After a few quiet moments, the girl went ahead and asked him another question. "Can't we take the entire class of Aquarius with us?"

The boy with multi-colored irises blinked.

Michael wasn't sure he heard her right. He was expecting her to ask more about her past. But instead, she asked something completely unrelated. Did she just say she wanted to bring the entire class of Aquarius along? Before he could clarify, she continued.

"What if they cooperate with us? They know how to use spells and I can teach them a modified version of Celare."

Michael ran a hand through his brightly colored hair. "Aria, who is they? How many children are we talking about exactly?"

"The entire class of Aquarius."

"You weren't joking when you said that?" The boy's hand fell to his side. His mouth was slightly agape.

The child shook her head. "I showed them everything. They know about the Laboratories underneath Elisium."

"…Let me think about it, okay?" he murmured. There was something weird with what the girl just said but he couldn't put a finger on it. The male felt slightly muddleheaded. He couldn't think straight. Having only a few hours of sleep didn't help. He was really craving for some shut-eye.

Her eyes lit up. "I'll tell them. We'll help think of a plan."

The youth took a deep breath. He could feel his head throbbing. "Tomorrow. Let's talk about it tomorrow."

Michael wanted to tell her that escaping with a group of people was going to make things more difficult. But the hopeful look on her face made him hesitate. He wanted to sigh. He wanted to sigh a lot. But instead, he left the classroom like he always did and took the usual deserted route back to the laboratories of Elisium.

The throbbing in his head intensified and the palpitations in his chest only got worse. His heart continued to speed up. Anxiety welled up in his chest. Cold sweat started to drip from his back. The young male blamed it on energy drinks – after all, he had finished one bottle just to stay awake for the entire day. Maybe he should stop by his mother's room and ask her for advice? All the mothers he had met seemed to have special powers when it came to homemade cures and concoctions.

The hallways were pretty much void of life aside from the boy with bright red hair. Michael Caelum sped up and headed for the direction of the senior researcher's living quarters. A long shadow stretched at the end of the empty hallway. The young man's steps slowed and drew to a stop. His eyes narrowed as he saw Asha Claire standing a few steps away from him. He didn't want to deal with her. Quite frankly, he wanted to avoid the woman at all costs. But the Silas Fidi's disciple completely blocked the young male's way and didn't show any signs of leaving. She even took a step towards him, the corners of her lips rising to reveal a row of white teeth.

"What's this I see?" The female's voice was so sweet it was dripping with honey. "Where have you been?"

"I went back to one of the observation rooms to read about tomorrow's procedures." Michael Caelum calmly replied with the lie he had prepared beforehand. He loosened his collar and opened the top most button of his shirt. His heartbeats were getting even more irregular. He was finding it harder to breath.

"Oh, I see then! You're really a hard worker, just like your mother." The woman's blue eyes gave him a knowing gaze that kept him on edge. "Don't let me stop you then. Go ahead."

Asha Claire moved away in an exaggerated manner and gave half a bow as Michael Caelum walked beyond her. The male hadn't even walked a dozen steps in when her high-pitched voice made him stop dead in his tracks and froze him on the spot.

"By the way, what are you planning on doing with 373?"