Chapter 10: Home Again...

I opened my eyes only to be met by the blinding light of the sun. Using my arm to cover the light, I saw the rune Scáthach left on my arm.

I felt a warmth coming from it, and I knew what it was. The ring had a similar feature.

"I'm dead..." Sending mana into the rune, it gave off a slight glow before my phone materialized in my hand.

With each second, I got a new notification—hundreds of unread messages and thousands of missed calls.

After around ten minutes of constant notification, it stopped, so I took a deep breath and prepared myself. The best person to call right now was Uncle Azazel. 

I need more time to prepare before I call my mother. I felt like shit for just disappearing; I checked the date, three months.

But I knew it was important for me to learn how to use the flames before returning. I expected to be gone for a few hours and not for months.

I still remember the last time and how it affected my mother. My hands were shaking, and I had a hard time controlling my strength. 

The rune on my back started heating up, and I instantly closed off all my mana. The rune is something that appeared after my fight in my inner world, and it represented the Flames of Destruction. 

The runes activate when I push my mana inside but also when I can't control my emotions. 

I started breathing through my mouth to calm down before opening up my contacts and calling Uncle Azazel.

I didn't need to wait long before he picked up, and his voice came through the line.

[Elijah!]

"Ummm... Hey, Uncle Azazel..." I paused, trying to think of what to say, but the pause was long enough for him to say something.

[Hey? That's the first thing you say after going missing for over three months! Do you know how much shit I'm in with everything going on? Not only from the Heaven side but also from Baraqiel after Akeno got the news!]

I winced hearing that, "Umm... Sorry, I was... Sleeping?" I said, noticing I was in the same place I fell asleep and the empty bottle near me.

[Sleeping...? Do you think I'd believe that? Tell me the truth and pray I won't kill you myself before the others do.]

"Okay, okay... The truth is that I was... Ummm. Sick and needed to find someone that could help me. That's why I went on the whole trip. I didn't expect to be gone for so long..."

[Sick? What kind of sickness would make you need to travel across the world instead of asking a healer? Heaven has a lot of them; even I could have helped with that."

"It was something that I didn't want my mother to know... But considering I disappeared for so long, she is probably more worried now than if I had told her." 

I heard him sigh through the phone, [Just tell me where you are, and I'll have someone pick you up and call your mother! Honestly, with you around, I'm confused as to how she hasn't fallen yet...]

"Yeah, I know... I'm on the Isle of Skye, close to the ruins of Dunscaith Castle. There is also one thing I need you to make for me....."

After I hung up the call, I closed my eyes and prepared for it...

A few seconds later, I heard her voice.

[E-Elijah!?] Just hearing her voice made me feel more disgusted with myself. Why did I do it? I could have told her the truth back then, but at the same time, I didn't want her to know.

[M-Mom... I'm sorry...] I didn't even notice when I started crying.

[Elijah, you're alive! You're safe! Where are you? I will be there right away!]

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom. I'm sorry for everything. I-I'm a horrible son. I didn't even think about what you would go through."

[That doesn't matter, where are you!] 

"The Isle of Skye. Uncle Azazel will send someone to pick me up."

[I will be there in five minutes!] She then quickly hung up.

I need to control my emotions. I can't have the flames go out of control.

Putting my mana on a tight leash so that even if I lost control of my emotions, the flames wouldn't have anything to feed on, I got ready just as someone teleported a few meters before me.

I saw her face, the worry on her face, and the red eyes for probably crying repeatedly.

I clenched my fists as my emotions were going wild. I couldn't let even a drop of mana escape because if it did, I knew I wouldn't be able to control it. 

While the voices are now temporarily gone, the rune on my back has become more dangerous than the voices and me going out of control could have ever been.

The moment the light from her teleportation faded, she didn't waste any time and hugged me.

I tried not to cry, but it was easier said than done. The pain my mother went through yet another time, I just disappeared without any trace. How could I call myself her son when I constantly make her feel like that?

Not only her but from what Uncle Azazel said, then Akeno too...

How could I even be considered an angel when I only bring despair?

The first time it happened was out of my control, but that wasn't the case this time.

This time, I did it out of my own free will. Scáthach may have influenced my decision in a small way, but in the end, I agreed. 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I repeated like a broken record.

"It's okay... What matters is that you are safe." She ran her hand through my dirty, almost shoulder-length hair.

"I'm sorry..." I said again before falling asleep in her arms.

---

After I woke up, I was already back home. My mother must have teleported us back after I fell asleep. 

I prepared myself as I knew I would need to tell her the truth about why I disappeared. 

Making my way to the living room, I waited for my mother to come down. When she did, I asked her to sit down so I could explain everything. 

"You don't need to tell me anything if you are not ready." She said, probably understanding my expression.

"No, I already kept it secret for too long. You need to know." 

There are things I'm not ready to tell her yet, or maybe I would never be ready to tell her, but I need to tell her this.

"It all started right after Akeno and I were teleported away," I began and took a deep breath, "There was something that happened to me that day. A curse." I said.

I saw her gasp but didn't say anything. She probably wanted me to finish first.

"Normally, I could suppress the effects, but at times, I couldn't... It made me go berserk and attack everything. I didn't want to tell you, so I told you I wanted to go explore the world, but in truth, I tried to find a way to get rid of it."

I took a quick pause and took a sip of the tea I prepared while waiting for her to come down. 

"At first, I learned I couldn't get rid of it without dying. That left me with to choose, seal it, or learn how to use it. After I disappeared, I found a teacher who helped me to control the curse and use its power, but I never expected it to take so long."

The moment I finished, I looked down at the floor. 

I didn't want to know if my mother was disappointed in me or not, but I felt her hug me again.

"I'm so sorry for not noticing it earlier... You needed to go through all of that."

"No, it's my fault for keeping it a secret and disappearing without a word."

After a while, she returned to her seat and asked me, "Are you sure the curse isn't a problem anymore? Your Uncle Raphael could surely find a way to fix it."

I shook my head, "It won't be a problem," for a while. I added in my mind, "Besides, now that I've dealt with it, I got something in return. I like to think of it as a second Sacred Gear." 

I knew it was best to show her the flames. I would need to use them in front of others one day, so I don't want to keep them a secret from her.

I took an apple from the fruit basket and focused. I couldn't make a single mistake now.

Activating the rune on my back, it gave off a slight glow, and the apple burst into purple flames. 

My mother involuntarily flinched seeing the flames. That was expected, but it still felt wrong.

Deactivating the rune, the flames entered their weaker dark red stage before disappearing, and nothing of the apple was left.

"I was gone for so long due to learning how to control the flames. While the weaker dark red stage of the flames was easy to control, the purple stage wasn't. Everything that the purple flames touch will be reduced to nothingness; sometimes, it feels like they have their own will. I call them the Flames of Destruction."

Now that I think about it, is it possible for me to reverse the effects of the flames so they could heal me? Rias has already told me about her arranged marriage and her fiancee, especially the powers he possesses, so I know that it's possible for flames to heal, but could mine do it, too?

I mentally shook my head. This wasn't the time to think about it.

There was also another thing I needed to do.

...

..

.

Entering my room, I flicked on the lights, and she was sleeping on my bed.

Closing the door, I went forward and fake coughed, "Nice dreams?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nyaaa...." She stretched her arms, "Had a nice dream of you giving me many kittens."

"I'm fourteen..." I replied with a flat tone, already had expected she would ask.

"Ohhh, someone's age is just a number in the supernatural world, nya."

Well, that's true... I was just thinking of the age difference between Uncle Baraqiel and Aunt Shuri. Maybe if I...

"No, no..." I shook my head and looked at Kuroka again, "Do you have it."

"Yeah, yeah, here have your cuffs." She paused and smirked, "I didn't know you were into that, nya."

I ignored her and put the bracelets on. There were mana cuffs that I asked Azazel to make, just in case. I never know if the rune could activate while I'm having a nightmare.

I activated them and felt my mana being completely blocked off. It felt like I had chains all over my body blocking me.

But that didn't mean I was weak, as Kuroka thought, "What are you doing?" I asked, pivoting on my heel and grabbing her mid-air.

"Aww, I thought with your mana sealed, I could have some fun, nya..." She pouted.

"I'm still only fourteen." 

"Oh, so when you are older, it's okay, nya?" She asked

"I..." I stopped for a while and saw her smirk grow wider, "N-No..." I coughed and stopped my hold on her.

She dropped on both her hands and feet like a cat before standing up and giggling at me.

"Anyways, do you know how hard it was to shake off Vali? Why don't you just tell him your address, nya?" She asked, sitting down on my bed.

I deadpanned, "Here's why." I replied and threw my phone to her.

She started scrolling up before bursting into laughter.

"It's not funny... More than half of the messages I got were from him asking for a fight!" 

"Oh my, nya..." She managed to say in between her laughter. When her laughter died down, she wiped the tears and asked, "Why don't you just fight him?" 

I sighed and sat down on my bed beside her, "You know how the battle maniac acts. If I hold back, he won't stop until I go all out. If I win the battle, he will want a rematch, and if I lose, he will just ask the next day for another match."

"Yeah, that sounds like him, nya." 

"Anyways, I want to sleep now, so go home," I said while lying down on the bed.

"Owww, won't you let this kitten sleep with you, nya?" She asked and got on top of me.

"Kuroka, I'm tired and don't have the energy for your games." I deadpanned. 

"Nya? But who's going to stop me? You sealed your mana, and to unseal it, you would need to access the cuffs," She said and grabbed my hands, making me unable to remove or even deactivate them.

If she wasn't strengthening her body right now, this wouldn't be a problem.

"Now what should I do, nyaaaa..." She whispered in my ear.

"Kuroka..." 

"Nya, you aren't fun at all." She grumbled before sniffing me, "You smell different since the last time I saw you." 

"Because I showered not so long ago..." I replied with a deadpan.

"I didn't mean that. Your smell became... How do I put it? Like something about you changed, nya."

Could it be related to the curse? That's the only major thing that happened since the last time I saw her.

She licked her lips and came closer to my face, "Come on, why don't we make some kittens? I can promise you will enjoy it, nya." 

As much as my body tells me to do it, my brain is thankfully stronger, "I just returned home after being close to dying each day for over three months. I just want to sleep."

"Tsk..." She clicked her tongue and let me go before walking towards the open window. "I'll let you go just this time, nya." She chuckled before jumping out.

I chuckled at the black-haired cat Yokai and didn't bother to close the window. It was nice with the slight breeze, and I looked at the ceiling.

"As of now, you are nothing more than a crippled angel. You need to learn how to use them again," I whispered the last word my teacher told me.

Did she mean my wings? 

Can I get them back without losing my swords?

But how can I do it?

I chuckled to myself as I slowly closed my eyes, amused by how she only gave me hints instead of a direct answer.

---

On top of a pile of large rocks, I was doing one-arm push-ups.

One thing I found out after returning home is how reliant I am on mana. Augmenting myself became like second nature whenever I do anything.

The current place I was in looked like a rocky desert, and there was a clear blue sky above me.

Everything would be normal if not for the stairs going up towards the blue sky. I like to call it the stairway to heaven.

This place is a specially made training ground located under our house. It even has a simulated day and night cycle.

Training would also help me with my Flash Step. That technique puts a lot of stress on my legs, meaning I can't use it the way I want to.

Currently, I can use flash step around 25 times, and I know the distance is still too short for my liking. Leg strength and stamina are important for improving the technique.

I still have two years of free time I can use just for training.

Akeno and I decided to attend high school. I decided to do it because I wanted to attend a regular school, and the other was to have an everyday life unrelated to the supernatural world.

Everyone I know is related to the supernatural world, so it would be nice to have someone that isn't. 

Anyways, Rias also wanted to attend high school in the human world, and thanks to her family, they are going to make the academy in Kuhoh co-ed school so her peerage could also attend.

So, for now, I should focus on my body and increasing my mana. The way I made it for increasing my mana works, but it's slow. I need to find a way to increase it so I can use the flames of destruction more. 

The problem is that, from my experience, the fastest way to increase my mana reserves is during life-and-death battles.

While I have nothing against having a good fight once in a while, I am not someone who would go out and seek a fight.

Finishing with my push-ups, I decided to train my stamina by running around for an hour before going to eat breakfast.

...

..

.

Slightly out of breath, I walked up the stairs and entered the empty living room. 

My mother has already left for heaven, and Aunt Shuri and Akeno should arrive before lunch. I still remember the day she woke up from her coma. It was probably the happiest Akeno had been since that day.

I took a quick shower before entering the kitchen, opened the fridge, picked up a few leftovers, and made my breakfast. 

"Now then, what should I make with these?" I asked myself, looking at the ingredients.

Leftover rice from yesterday, a few eggs, onions, and some beef.

While I'm not the best in the kitchen, I can at least make something edible and not set the water on fire.

With that in mind, I took out a wok to make a quick beef fried rice. I also made some extra in case they arrive earlier, and knowing Akeno, she will want to eat some of it.

Putting the steaming bowl of beef fried rice on the table, I went back to the kitchen to fill up a glass of water before sitting down and eating.

Just as I was about to start eating, I heard the sound of keys; the door was unlocked, and two almost identical people stepped inside.

Considering how much they look alike, I wouldn't be surprised if people mistake Aunt Shuri for Akeno's older sister instead of her daughter.

"El!" Akeno, seeing me, quickly dashed towards me and, like always, hugged me, almost knocking over the bowl of food in front of me.

"Akeno, Akeno! Calm down! My food!" I shouted, trying to avoid the disaster of losing my food.

Noticing the bowl of beef fried rice on the table, Akeno pouted and looked at me, "You promised you would let me cook breakfast today."

"Fufufu," Aunt Shuri, seeing everything, just chuckled while covering her mouth with one of her hands, "Oh my, oh my. My little Akeno is already trying to act like a wife."

"Mom!" Akeno's face became red like Rias's hair due to that comment, and she looked away from us.

"Sorry, Akeno, I must have forgotten about it," I apologized.

"Fine, I forgive you this time, but tomorrow I will make breakfast for you!" She pouted and tried to look at me with angry eyes.

Aunt Shuri just chuckled even more while going to the kitchen with a white bag full of groceries.

"How about you help me with lunch instead?" She asked Akeno, who instantly brightened up.

"Yes!"

...

..

.

After I was done with the breakfast, it was time for home school, which consisted mostly of Akeno complaining about everything. 

On the other hand, I listened to everything and even had a separate notebook for my notes.

There is a large possibility I would never need to use anything I learn here and in the future when I go to high school, considering I'm part of the supernatural world, with my mother being one of the faction leaders.

I also have Uncle Azazel, who would be eager to buy some of my original invention designs or the ones from my previous world for a good amount.

But still, it's worth knowing it, just in case. Who knows, maybe I will get a job or start my own company. The technology from my previous world is much more advanced than the one currently in this world, including the supernatural world.

After the first two hours, we had a break. Aunt Shuri and Akeno went to the kitchen in order to make lunch while I was left alone without anything to do.

I wanted to help them, but Akeno denied me, saying she wanted to do it and I should rest.

Maybe I should meditate until lunch. Scáthach told me to continue meditating daily, saying it would benefit me.

I sat down on the floor in the living room and started meditating. It has become much easier for me to clear my mind compared to the first time I tried, but I haven't been able to enter my inner world again.

Would it be different from the first time? 

Would he be there waiting for me?

Could I get more of his powers?

These questions floated in my mind as I took a deep breath and cleared my mind.

But this time, unlike the other times, I felt a tug wanting to drag me in. I thought quickly about fighting against it, but I didn't.

---

The moment I opened my eyes, I was back in my inner world, but this time it was different. 

The first significant change was the moon, which had a purplish center to it, and the grey fog under my feet seemed to have lessened since the first time.

I looked around to see if he was there, but no matter how long I searched, I couldn't find a trace of him anywhere.

Seeing as he wasn't there, I decided to look at the gray fog. Trying to touch the ground, I couldn't discern what it was, and no matter how hard I tried to get the fog out of the way, it never showed it.

What does the fog represent? 

This was my inner world, so the fog wouldn't be here just because. It must have a meaning to it. 

Sitting down crosslegged, I started meditating again, and then I felt something change.

The gray fog was entering my body slowly, but what was it doing to me? 

Should I continue or try to leave this place? 

How do I even leave this place? The last time I passed out and returned to the real world.

I didn't know how to leave, so I took the risk and started absorbing the gray fog into my body.

The moment the fog was absorbed into my body, I felt as if something was happening to me. The best way to describe it would be a missing part of me being created or healed.

I didn't know exactly what was happening, but I subconsciously knew it wasn't anything that would hurt me. 

The feeling of the fog being absorbed was almost intoxicating as time started flying by quickly. I don't know how long I've been here, maybe hours or even days.

The gray fog looked exactly the same when I opened my eyes. It was as if what I absorbed of it was only a drop in the whole sea of water.

Would it even be possible to absorb all of the fog? 

What will happen when I do?

Despite the questions, I continued absorbing the dense fog. Suddenly, a voice echoed in my ears: "El... El... Lun... El... Wake up." The sound was distorted, as if I was submerged in water.

In no time, I felt a pull and realized that I was being drawn back to reality.

The world around me faded to black.

---

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the living room with Akeno poking me with her finger, "Lunch is ready. You shouldn't be sleeping during the day."

"I wasn't sleeping, Akeno," I grumbled as I got up.

I knew I had to keep delving into my inner world every time I meditate and continue to absorb the grey fog. 

I somehow knew it was important to do so.

---

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

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