Chapter 8: New skill

It was Sunday morning, and in the faint glow of dawn, Alder lay exhausted on his bed in the room designated for him within the workshop. He had been working tirelessly, immersed in the creation of his runic system, until exhaustion overcame him and sleep claimed him.

Professor Oliver, who rarely deviated from his research routine for the trivialities of ordinary teaching, had taken note of Alder's unusual behavior. Oliver spent much of his time on responsibilities beyond teaching but kept a watchful eye on the workshop, often through the reports of the guards. Although he was satisfied with Alder's diligence, the young man's seclusion since Friday seemed concerning to him. Decided to investigate, he headed to the workshop in the quiet of the morning.

Upon opening the workshop door, Oliver found everything in apparent calm, except for the persistent glow of the computer screen. Curiosity led him to approach. There, on the screen, lay a document hundreds of pages long. Oliver assumed it was the project Alder had been working on and began to read it.

With each page he turned, Oliver's surprise grew exponentially. He had expected Alder to present something innovative, but he was not prepared for the proposal in front of him. Although some ideas seemed bold, even reckless, there was an undeniable logic to them. Alder had outlined a vision that, if feasible, could signify a revolutionary advance in the field of runic studies.

The document outlined a new runic system, radically different from anything known to date. It was not just a series of individual runes, but a complete runic language, capable of forming complex and precise structures, almost like a programming language for magical energy. It also included an elemental compatibility table, which promised to predict runic interactions with unprecedented precision.

Oliver stood there, in the silence of the workshop, pondering the possibilities that unfolded before him. If Alder's theories proved correct, they would be on the threshold of a new era in alchemy and runic magic. They could design more powerful and precise enchantments, create artifacts of unimaginable power, and perhaps discover new fundamental principles of magic itself.

The workshop was enveloped in silence, broken only by Oliver's murmurs of astonishment. The vision of the future that Alder's theories had laid out in that document seemed to open the doors to a revolution in alchemy and runic magic. The possibilities of more potent enchantments and artifacts of incredible power began to take shape in the professor's mind, drawing a new horizon for magic as they knew it.

The weight of Alder's conclusions was not something Oliver took lightly. With a unique perspective and a deep understanding of the subject, he found the implications of this meticulously crafted work far from exaggerated.

As these reflections occupied Oliver's mind, Alder began to be pulled from the embrace of sleep by a discussion unexpectedly familiar. Despite the weight of fatigue marking his face with heavy shadows, the discordant sounds piercing the quiet forced him to wake up. "I am the true Eón," "No, I am!" shouted the identical voices, each trying to overpower the other with increasingly fervent arguments.

Blinking to clear his vision, Alder found himself face to face with a surreal scene: two silver owls, identical in every feather, perched on his chest, embroiled in a fierce debate over which of them was the genuine Eón. Each one hurled accusations and evoked memories of the past, each detail further proof of their true identity.

Alder, still tangled in the cobwebs of sleep, pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The sharp pinch confirmed that reality had decided to take a strangely comical turn.

Finally, noticing that Alder had come to, both Eóns turned their heads toward him, their eyes gleaming with a comically dramatic plea. "Alder, Alder!" they whined in unison, "someone is trying to usurp my place!"

The situation was so absurd that Alder could almost feel the fatigue fading, replaced by incredulous amusement. He sat up, watching the comical scene of his two 'Eóns,' who continued to argue and vie for his attention.

As Alder tried to process the spectacle of his two Eóns competing in a verbal duel, the discussion became increasingly theatrical and heated.

Eón 1: "A true spirit companion would never forget that summer when Alder tried to fish in the lake with his grandfather and ended up chasing the hook more than the fish."

Eón 2: "Ridiculous! I am the true Eón, and I can prove it by remembering the time Alder fell asleep in history class and answered 'present' to a question about the date of the Battle of the Valleys."

Alder rubbed his temples in frustration: "Eón, whoever you are, both of you have a knack for remembering every embarrassing moment of my life. But that doesn't help to resolve this... this mess of doubles."

Both Eón

s turned their heads towards Alder, their dispute momentarily ceasing, only for one of them to resume the argument:

Eón 1: "It's me! Remember how you snagged your pants on the fence and walked through the whole town with a huge tear before someone pointed it out to you."

Eón 2: "Or the time at the market when you mistook hot sauce for tomato juice and ran all over the square looking for water."

Just when Alder seemed about to burst from exasperation, Oliver entered the room, and the look of surprise on his face gave Alder a brief respite from his double troubles.

Alder, seeing his mentor at the door, seized the opportunity: "Master, Oliver, I think I need some help here. There's... a small problem with Eón."

Oliver watched the two Eóns in Alder's hands, each as identical as it was impossible to discern the authentic one at a simple glance. Alder, somewhat frustrated, looked to his master for some way to resolve this unusual predicament.

"Alder, what exactly happened here?" asked Oliver, an eyebrow raised in scientific curiosity.

Alder sighed, "Honestly, master, I opened my eyes this morning and found myself with... this." He indicated the owls that continued to eye each other suspiciously. "They were already embroiled in their argument when I woke up."

Oliver then addressed the two owls, "Eón, can you explain to me how this started?"

Both owls, as if synchronized, exclaimed, "I was reflecting on our article, and suddenly this impostor appeared in front of me claiming to be me!"

"To be an impostor, you could at least have mimicked my flawless plumage," said one of the Eóns in an arrogant tone, inspecting his own wings. "Or could it be that you couldn't replicate such perfection?" 

The other Eón shot back in an equally sharp tone, "Perfection? Please, any bird with an eye for detail could see that your plumage is more disheveled than a nest in the midst of a storm." 

Oliver watched the interaction, slightly amused by the situation. Alder, on the other hand, rubbed his temples, feeling the fatigue creeping back in. "Master, a little help would be appreciated. I can't keep up with this... avian debate for much longer." 

"Calm down, we'll solve this," Oliver assured, preparing a more technical and logical approach to unravel the mystery of the duplicate Eóns. 

Oliver continued observing the peculiar situation and, after a moment of reflection, sighed. "Honestly, I'm not an expert on spirit beasts, although I understand that the awakening of new abilities or changes generally occurs during the growth phase, between the ages of 15 and 20 of the beast. It could be something normal, but to be sure, let me call a colleague who is much more versed in these matters than I am." 

Alder and Oliver sat down to wait for Oliver's acquaintance, while the two Eóns continued their endless dispute over who was the real one, who looked better, or who was smarter. 

After a while, a buzzer sounded in the room. Oliver pressed the intercom to listen to the guard: "Professor, you have a visitor." 

"That's correct, let her in," responded Oliver with a voice denoting a mix of anticipation and relief. 

The door opened quickly, and a female voice, familiar to Alder, immediately resonated, "It's strange that you invite me to your little secret den, Oliver." The soft, deliberate steps of the newcomer echoed in the room. 

Alder turned his head only to see Professor Elara Thornewood, who looked at Oliver between annoyed and curious, apparently not noticing initially that there was a third person in the place. 

"It's strange that you invite me to your little secret den," said Elara in a tone oscillating between irony and reproach, her steps echoing softly in the room as she approached Oliver. 

Oliver sketched a sheepish smile, extending his hands in a gesture of apology. "I'm sorry, Elara. It wasn't my intention not to contact you for so long. The truth is that I called you because I've come across a rather peculiar matter and couldn't think of anyone better than you to resolve it." 

Elara frowned, clearly not convinced by Oliver's explanation. "Oh, it must have been urgent," she said in a light tone, but her eyes retained the sparkle of curiosity and veiled joy. "But I hope this time you remember that there are other things besides your projects and experiments." 

Oliver nodded, trying to smooth over the situation. "Of course, Elara. And I think what we're about to see today might interest you a lot." 

Elara then asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice: "What exactly is the reason you called me, Oliver?" 

With an ironic tone, Oliver pointed towards Alder, who was sitting watching the exchange with some surprise: "Honestly, it's not about me, but about my student here." 

Elara followed the direction indicated by Oliver's finger until her eyes landed on an uncomfortable and surprised Alder. He blushed slightly before returning to his usual friendly expression. "Ah, I see. Then you must be the young student to whom Oliver has entrusted that badge he was so jealously guarding." 

Alder, still somewhat confused, quickly stood up and bowed to greet her: "Good morning, Professor Thornewood. That's correct, my name is Alder. It's a pleasure to meet you." 

Elara smiled. "Oh, what a polite young man, quite different from a certain individual who can't even send a message to his acquaintances." She threw a critical glance at Oliver. 

Elara continued, her tone a mix of friendliness and reproach: "Honestly, I don't usually respond to calls, let alone this type of personal consultation. However, I'll make a small exception today, as I'm curious to meet the young man who has managed to capture the attention of someone who only seems to care about runes." Again, her critical gaze settled on Oliver. 

With an uncomfortable smile, Oliver responded: "How rude of me. Please, Miss Elara, have a seat while I prepare some refreshments." With a chivalrous gesture, he gently took Elara's hand and guided her to sit across from Alder. Elara accepted, sitting down while continuing to look at Oliver with a slight annoyance.

Alder decided to ignore the strange and tense relationship between the two professors, focusing his attention on Elara who began to inquire: "So, Alder, tell me, why do you need my help?" 

Alder began to narrate the facts, showing the professor both Eóns he still held in his hands, awaiting her expert opinion on the peculiar dilemma. 

Once Alder finished narrating, the professor observed the two owls that still exchanged comments whenever they had the opportunity. 

The professor continued asking, interested in learning more about Eón's peculiarity: "I had heard about you, about your little companion's debut in Professor Lynwood's class. Since then, I've been interested in the uniqueness of your companion. I've heard it can talk and transform into a sort of hand, what other abilities do they have?" 

Alder thought for a moment before answering: "Well, really, Eón can turn into almost anything, I guess, but his transformations aren't exactly perfect. Also, ever since I've known him, I've noticed I have better visual and auditory memory." 

The professor thoughtfully touched her chin. "Interesting. So, we're talking about an enhancement in perception. Could you show me some of Eón's transformations?"

Alder nodded and released one of the Eóns, who began to transform proudly: first into a chair, then into a book, and so on into various objects. The peculiarity was that the objects were always a bit larger than the original owl form, but did not reach the actual size of the mimicked object. 

As Eón transformed, the second Eón slipped from Alder's grasp in a moment of carelessness and, with a look of disdain, said: "Is that what you call transforming? Let me show you how it's done." And he also began to transform into the same objects as his counterpart. 

The professor couldn't help but let out a laugh as she watched both Eóns compete with each other. She nodded at the demonstration and asked: "Interesting, can it only become objects?" 

As if wanting to answer her question directly, Eón began to transform into various types of animals, including the professor's own swan and the Draganso she had shown during her presentation. The peculiarity was that none of these creatures exceeded 100 cm in size. 

As Eón continued his series of transformations, Professor Elara Thornewood analyzed the spirit's unique qualities with interest. Intrigued, she posed another question: "Tell me, Alder, has Eón always been an owl, right?" Alder shook his head. "Professor, to be honest, when I met Eón, he had no defined form. One day he just saw an owl and has since adopted that shape." 

Both Eóns intervened with pride, transforming back into owls. "Owls are elegant and beautiful, they perfectly represent my qualities." 

The professor nodded, pondering. "Interesting, a formless spirit. Usually, spirit beasts have a form upon entering this world that reflects their bloodline. Although we don't fully understand how they are born, this was something we had assumed to be true. While most spirits take animal forms, there are also some peculiar spirits that take the form of objects, but until now I had not encountered one that could change shape and talk." 

Alder sighed, somewhat disappointed. "So, I suppose there's no way to know what's happening with Eón."

The professor smiled with a mix of comfort and curiosity. "Don't get ahead of yourself, young one. Tell me, Professor Lynwood mentioned that you can exchange information without speaking. How exactly does that work?"

Alder explained: "To be honest, it's like I can know what he knows and vice versa, as if we shared memories."

"Then can you see what your companion is seeing?" asked the professor.

Alder shook his head. "It doesn't work like that. When Eón hears or sees something, it's as if the information automatically lodges in my head. It's not exactly seeing, it's more like just knowing what he knows."

"And in the case of there being two Eóns, from which of them can you obtain information?" inquired the professor.

Both Alder and the two Eóns froze at the question. Alder, surprised, responded: "Uh, are we three now?" This connection between Alder and Eón had been something both had taken for granted since they became conscious in this world. The professor's question made Alder realize the strange sensation he was now experiencing: there was no longer just one connection with Eón, but two.

Alder jumped in surprise. "I can feel both Eóns connected!"

The two Eóns looked at each other, equally confused, and pointed at each other, accusing each other of invading private property. "Why are you in our heads?" they questioned in unison.

The scene in the workshop grew increasingly interesting as Professor Elara Thornewood shared her knowledge about spirit beasts. Interrupting the heated discussion between the two Eóns, she explained: "It's common for spirit beasts to awaken abilities they use unconsciously during their growth phase. To properly control these abilities, precise synchronization with their contractor is crucial. Normally, communication between spirit beasts and humans is quite limited, often expressed through diffuse sensations and emotions."

"Although in your case, I think that shouldn't be a problem, right?" she proposed, looking at both Alder and the Eóns. As if they had reached a tacit agreement, Alder and the two birds nodded simultaneously.

Alder sat down and allowed each Eón to perch on one of his shoulders. The atmosphere significantly calmed with the Eóns finally in silence. After a moment of concentration, Alder suddenly opened his eyes. "Professor, it worked. Now I only feel one connection," he announced with relief, although he felt a strange weight on both shoulders and upon checking, saw both Eóns looking at him.

"I got rid of the impostor," both declared in unison, showing no annoyance this time and fluttering with obvious joy.

The professor watched the interaction with great curiosity. "Eón, do you think you could bring back the body of the 'impostor' Eón?" she suggested, more interested than ever.

Eón looked at her confused. "But, if I already got rid of him, why should he come back?" he asked.

The professor chuckled softly. "It's much more interesting when they can talk," she said, wiping away a tear of amusement. "If I'm not mistaken, this could be a new ability you've developed. Instead of rejecting it, it would be better to try to control it."

Eón looked at Alder for approval, who nodded in agreement. Then, Eón tried to focus on his other body, but initially, nothing happened. "Try to remember the sensation you had when the other Eón appeared," the professor advised. "Try to recreate that same sensation internally."

Following the advice, Eón concentrated deeply and, after a few minutes, Alder felt the dual connection again. "It's back, the connection is back," Alder said.

Following the professor's advice, Eón concentrated deeply. After a few minutes of tense silence, Alder felt the dual connection restored. "It's back, the connection is back," he announced, relieved.

The two Eóns looked at each other confused. "I, am you?" asked one. "And you, are me?" the other replied. Both turned to Alder, clearly perplexed. "It's confusing," Alder admitted, looking to the professor for some explanation. "We were used to being two, but now there's a third that feels very familiar, as if it's always been here, but at the same time it's someone different."

The professor pondered for a moment before responding. "So, are you telling me it's like there's a third person with their own thoughts, but at the same time, it's still the same?"

The three heads nodded in unison. "Exactly, not only are the same memories and thoughts there, but it seems like we've added someone else."

The professor found the exchange between the owls and Alder intriguing and somewhat comical. She tried to contain her laughter as Oliver entered with a cup of coffee for her, observing the peculiar

 situation with a smile. "Isn't that a great ability? Now you can read many more books than before," he joked playfully.

Alder had a moment of realization and looked at the two Eóns, who nodded and flew in opposite directions: one towards the library and the other to Eón's room. After a few seconds, Alder reported to Oliver, "Master, you're right. I can understand what each one is seeing, although it's a bit more demanding than before. I think there should be no problem."

Professor Elara, briefly pondering this novelty, resumed the conversation with an essential question: "Tell me, Alder, how is the consumption of ether in your soul now?"

Alder nodded, understanding the relevance of the query. It was well known that activating and maintaining an ability consumed ether. He closed his eyes to concentrate on his soul and after a few moments opened them with a moderately surprised expression. "Professor, there doesn't seem to be ongoing ether consumption. Yes, initially when Eón activated this ability, I felt a loss, but it has now stabilized."

"Interesting," murmured Professor Thornewood, a word that had become repetitive but necessary given the case's uniqueness. "Could you call Eón again?"

Alder nodded and with a gesture called the two Eóns, who returned promptly. The professor proceeded to examine the first of the owls meticulously. With great care, she palpated its body, extended its wings, and checked its feathers. In the process, she seemed to lose herself momentarily in Eón's soft texture, caressing it as if it were a small pet.

Eón, feeling a bit uncomfortable under such scrutiny, flapped his wings. "Um, professor, are you done yet?"

Caught off guard by her own distraction, Professor Thornewood released Eón with a slight blush on her cheeks and cleared her throat before turning to the second owl. "Yes, yes, of course. Now let's look at the other." This time, her examination was shorter and more direct, avoiding prolonging physical contact more than necessary.

After concluding her examination, Professor Thornewood released the second Eón, restraining herself from repeating the word that had dominated the conversation since her arrival: "interesting." As she reflected aloud, she shared her observations. "While it's common for manifest spirits to require a specific element along with ether to maintain their form, Eón seems to be an exception. My spirit companion, for example, bonds with water and requires a constant supply of ether to maintain itself. However, Eón, being small, seems to be formed only of ether, without depending on external elements for its manifestation. This suggests an unconscious control over ether that avoids losses and eliminates the need for a constant ether source."

Eón, listening with interest, couldn't help but react. "Really? I'm impressive!" he exclaimed, spreading his wings proudly, a gesture mimicked by his double.

The professor couldn't contain a laugh at his enthusiasm. "Yes, you are impressive, little one." Then, turning to Alder, she asked, "I assume Eón has no affinity for any element, right?"

Alder nodded with a touch of melancholy in his expression, to which the professor responded with a comforting smile. "It's common for each spirit to have an elemental affinity, although there are exceptions that are quite peculiar. I know of a case where the spirit allows its contractor to merge with it, granting abilities such as strength enhancement."

"Eón is certainly unique. Although he can't combine with you, he seems to control ether very effectively, and I feel that you, Alder, maintain an unusually high purity of ether in your soul. This is essential, as a high ether purity facilitates the refinement of abilities and spiritual growth."

Alder, somewhat overwhelmed by the information, could only nod, to which the professor added, "These concepts are advanced and usually not discussed until later classes, but you'll discover over time that maintaining a high ether purity within your soul only brings benefits."

Concluding her visit, the professor suggested, "For now, familiarize yourself with this new ability of Eón and practice with it. An ability is fully utilized only when both the spirit and the contractor master it completely."

Before getting up to leave, the professor looked back at Alder. "I know Professor Oliver has big plans for you, but I recommend attending classes at the Department of Magical Creature Studies. Moreover, I would like to study Eón more closely. How about attending some additional classes?"

Oliver quickly intervened, "Alder is already heavily committed to his current research and doesn't have much free time."

However, the professor, with a sharp look at Oliver, retorted, "Now with his doubled ability, he could send one of the Eóns with me, which would minimize disruption to his work, don't you think?"

Oliver, noting the firm tone of the professor and remembering his own neglect, agreed with a somewhat resigned tone

. "You're right, that could work."

With a satisfied smile, Professor Thornewood bid farewell to Alder and Eón,