Diverging Thoughts

POV Cynthia Goodsky

It has been over two years since I met Julián, a boy who represents many of my hopes for helping this continent.

Unfortunately, time does not seem to wait for us, and in recent months the incursions of the Alacryan spies have increased.

Julián told me the reason for the increase, and he also said that there was a spy in the school who might be planning to harm us.

But they will not move yet, they are waiting for the moment when they could cause us the most damage.

After thinking about it, I know when it will be; in about two years or less, we will begin the inclusion of other races in the academy.

That change will be the most vulnerable moment within the facilities, which is why I decided to gradually prepare myself for a possible case of attack.

I had to be very discreet so that the spy would not notice anything strange, and Julián also told me that he has his own plans.

"Director Cynthia, the student from Elenoir that you were expecting has arrived."

While I was thinking about what was coming, I was informed of the arrival of Virión's granddaughter.

Julián told me she was very talented, but she lacked some self-control in decision-making under pressure, so he asked me to help her improve control over her emotions and help her mature to face complicated situations.

I was very interested in knowing what her qualities were, after all, Princess Kathyln escaped from my hands to train with the white-core mage Varay Aurae.

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POV Emily Watsken

Today I am heading to the workshop of the genius Artificer Gideon by invitation, as he requested to meet me.

I was somewhat nervous because I would meet a person who was like a hero to me.

That's why I didn't realize how fast we were going, and when I paid attention, I realized that I was in front of the door with the butler waiting.

"Miss Watsken, it is a pleasure to meet you, my master awaits you inside," said the man in front of me as he guided me.

When I entered the laboratory, I saw several unique items of which I could not even imagine their uses.

But we did not stop there; we went to a deeper room that had very high security, there was a translucent barrier on the other side of it where several platforms and metal supports with different marks of writing on top were seen, among all the items I had studied I did not remember anything similar and I was intrigued because that barrier seemed to be able to withstand very strong attacks.

But the Butler simply presented an emblem and that opened a space in the barrier for us to pass through.

When I entered, I saw several bracelets with the same marks as the platforms outside and also several green rings organized in different drawers engraved with other symbols that I did not know.

Are these secret experiments? As I looked around, I could see some weapons with similar symbols, from swords, shields, and bows to wands.

And at the back of everything was the Artificer Gideon looking at a purple pendant while murmuring things until he shouted, "Damn kid, why won't you just let me open your brain?"

The shout startled me because I didn't think someone so calm could yell like that.

"Master Gideon, I brought our guest," said the butler.

"Oh Himes, I see, so she is the girl that Cynthia's protégé wants to develop improvements to the runic weapons system and review the other items," Gideon gave me a scrutinizing look and then handed me several books.

"I need you to read this theory, the books do not leave the workshop, so you will have to come every day, Himes will make sure someone picks you up," he said as he turned around and continued looking at the purple pendant.

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POV Kathyln Glayder

I woke up about a year ago, and since then I was under the care of Director Cynthia Goodsky of the Xyrus academy for a while.

But for about six months now, I have been under the direct tutelage of Miss Varay. When we first started training, she told me that my magical sense and manipulation were very high.

Is it due to the meditation exercise that Julián taught me?

I wasn't sure about it, but she praised me saying that I had a lot of potential and that I should work hard.

During this time, I have been practicing a lot and in the spaces I have had, I have sent letters to Julián, but he does not come.

He only sends me replies telling me that he is somewhat busy and cannot come to see me.

It makes me a little sad that this happens, but I am glad that he responds to my letters telling me about his adventures, in addition to some gifts he has given me.

Today I am going to a meeting with my father, as he wants to see how much my abilities have developed, but I think he just wants to show off in front of the other nobles.

So I spend my days trying to reach the person who taught me so many new things and one of the few I consider my friend? I thought as I blushed.

"Is something wrong, princess?" asked one of the maids.

"I was just remembering some things," I said in a stoic tone.

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POV Tessia Eralith

Is this a dream? I said to myself as I looked at my small hands and the castle where I always played.

I couldn't control my body; it moved under its own will, and I was just another spectator.

As I walked around the castle looking for something or someone, I stopped in front of the library we had.

My body opened the door and began to walk around as if it were trying to find someone.

Finally, I saw him; it was Julián, a very small one when he first started coming to the castle, something inside me was attracted to him, and it made a sweet smile appear on my face.

This was not a simple dream; it was a memory from the past when I first met Julián.

Ever since I can remember, I always felt something for Julián. I didn't know how to describe it, but it was as if he completed me as if he were another part of me.

It was a feeling that made me feel calm and protected, so I always tried to get close to him, but for some strange reason, he seemed reluctant.

He wanted to maintain a certain distance, but I didn't care and kept trying to become his friend. When I found out that he had gone to train for a few years without saying goodbye to me, I was saddened and ended up fighting with my parents.

Since they hadn't told me anything, I tried to go out and look for him myself, but I was kidnapped. I was very scared and wished I hadn't gone out to look for him.

Why did you have to leave without telling me anything? Did you hate me that much? Did you not want to see me that much? I had very complicated feelings.

After being rescued by Arthur and Julián's beasts, I realized that he had been taking care of me all the time. Arthur told me that from the beginning, the beasts had been ready to attack if they tried to hurt me.

They guided us to Zestier, helped us arrive safely, but after arriving there, they separated from us.

I hoped from the bottom of my heart to be able to thank Julián and to be able to see him, but I felt ashamed of the feelings I had had against him, blaming him for everything.

I didn't know if it was right or not, so after returning, I tried to forget those thoughts by spending more time with my friend Arthur, but I couldn't feel the same feeling of peace and protection.

So more than three years passed until I saw him again, but his beautiful silver hair, the one we shared, had disappeared.

It was replaced by completely white hair, with piercing red eyes, but that was not what changed the most; it was the feeling he conveyed.

The sensation that another part of me was with him became stronger, so after seeing him, I immediately ran to embrace him and could feel that sense of relief I had missed so much again.

At first, he seemed reluctant to be close to me, but little by little the gap closed, and now we were much closer.

Just at that moment, I returned to the scene I was watching in front of me; I could see Julian looking at me with his characteristic calm gaze.

The scene began to blur, and when I could open my eyes, I saw one of the elf guards touching my shoulder, "Princess, we have arrived at the Xyrus academy."

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POV Julian Kingscrown

(How do you see the Dryas eggs?)

(They are very close to hatching, I estimate it will be today by the life signs they transmit.)

(While we wait, I'm going to absorb the core of the Hades serpent) I said, sitting in the lotus position.

I closed my eyes, began to think about everything that happened yesterday and today, from the encounter with the Alacryans, Uto's current location, to meeting the twin horns.

All were important things that constantly resonate in my head, innocent people dying, people who will die, cruel enemies, each and every one of the things are reminders.

They are things that remind me where I am and where I want to go, just as I told Grandma Rinia, I do not intend to get lost on the path I chose to cross, nor do I intend to carry everything and not ask for help from people when I need it.

After all, I know I can't win this alone, I need the support of all available people, each person in Dicathen is responsible for their own future.

All of them must want to be saved because the first step to winning the war is to desire it, and I know that as long as the Dicatheans have hope, they will move forward, no matter how scared they are or how tired they are of fighting, as long as their hopes live, they will continue to advance.

I don't know who will be that symbol, whether Arthur, me, any other of the spears, or the council leaders, personally, I don't care, what's really important is that as long as it stands firm, it can defend everyone's hopes.

After that reflection that lasted hours, I felt something breaking inside me, so I immediately went to check my core to see what had changed, but strangely, it didn't change much.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the Wyvern eggs moving, and the core was no longer in my hand, what the hell, why didn't my central stage progress even a little bit, if I absorbed all the mana from the AA core.

While I was distracted with my thoughts, three Wyvern hatchlings of very varied colors came out of their eggs.

So I immediately focused on them, and the first thing I noticed was that they looked somewhat similar to Silvie, I used mana vision to see them through a different focus, and while they were different from Wyverns like Avier, they were also not the same as Silvie.

"What do you think, Silvie?" I said out loud.

But I heard no answer; in fact, I've been without hearing anything for a while, not even from Dryas.

Something happened, I thought as I looked towards where both were, and they had frowning expressions.

Looking over me? When I turned around, I saw something strange, there was a beautiful girl with green eyes and white hair, her skin and features were exquisite, but what most accentuated her charm were the beautiful elf ears on the sides of her head.

"Tes" before I could finish speaking, I covered my mouth because it was impossible that the person in front of me was Tessia, she looked too mature, she was several years older than the one I know, but above all, her hair was white like mine.

Her clothes were also unfamiliar to me, I did not remember having seen or read anything similar before, it took me a few seconds to connect this with the break I felt when I finished absorbing the mana.

"I see, you are one of the Acclorite," I said uncertainly as I approached.

She just nodded, but showed no further reactions, she was like a cold, emotionless doll.

"Can you stay with me, or are you weakened?" I asked, trying to find out if she had any problems.

"I can stay here," she spoke in a flat tone.

"Do you know what your abilities are?" I asked.

"I can help you with the Art of Extinction, plus I have part of the abilities of what the master calls legacy," she replied.

I was somewhat surprised, but I guess if she is an Acclorite with a lot of my mana, she could acquire some traits of the legacy, although I am more concerned, her mechanical tone sounds too flat. Does she have a problem?

"Can you be more specific about the abilities?"

"I can repair cores, help you gather and manipulate mana, as well as cast wide-range spells, I can also help you cancel spells because I possess mana vision and can establish pure mana constructions, but I cannot transform into a weapon or beast like my companion Dryas does; however, I can synchronize with you to extract more power from the legacy," she answered me without a single reaction on her face.

"What about extinction and your combat mode?" I know Dryas can cast some fire spells, but her true potential lies in recovery abilities?

"I can use extinction and help you withstand its use in wide areas, my combat mode is based on the combination of both an augmenter and a conjurer, although I am not so powerful at present, these abilities are due to your traits as a legacy I can manipulate and access all types of mana," she replied in a dry tone again.

In short, she is equivalent to a silver-ranked mage, who can handle all elements and their derivatives, but I feel there is more to her than what I am seeing.

"What is that synchronization you speak of?" I asked while trying to notice any change in her expression.

"I can strengthen your core for some time allowing to extract even more power from the legacy, I can also help during use to cancel spells in a certain area and manipulate all the mana in the surroundings, this synchronization is necessary to access the wide-range extinction," she said disappearing.

I guess she's still not quite used to being in her physical form, "I thank you for all the information you gave me and thank you for coming to this world Frei," I said as I bid her farewell.

But after that, I couldn't fully concentrate on what I was doing, I was trying to find an answer to her form so similar to Tessia and her behavior that seemed incomplete, but I couldn't conclude anything.