Runic symbol [1]

".... Arghh."

A piercing pain in my arm jolted me awake as my eyes fluttered open. Looking around, I found myself beneath a familiar ceiling.

Right...

I'm back in the academy....

"Arghh."

Another groan escaped my lips. I lifted my hand slightly, the piercing pain still engulfing my mind.

Lifting my torso from the bed, I gently pushed myself back until my back rested against the wall.

"...Sigh."

A sigh escaped my mouth as I looked at my left hand, which was in worse condition than my right.

It was filled with small cracks formed from torn muscles and broken skin.

When 'he' last attacked Delwyn with everything he had, 'he' overexerted my body so much that most of the muscles in my hand got damaged.

It will take at least a few more weeks for my hand to heal before I can actually use it in combat.

"....What a pain." I grumbled, pushing myself up from the bed and moving towards the shower.

"El." I whispered, calling him as I twisted the shower knob.

[...Yeah]

"...Why was I in a coma for nine days?" I asked, wanting to confirm the thing that had been bothering me the most.

[....With a body that can only support mana from the 3th Primeval, you forced it to use mana equivalent to the 7th Primeval.]

"...So I'm facing the backlash for pushing myself?" I questioned, feeling the cold water pouring on my face.

[...Yes.]

"...I see." I mumbled, gently cleaning my skin that was covered in small cracks.

After cleaning myself properly, I walked out of the shower before taking a seat on the bed and opening my phone.

Before returning to the academy, I had asked for all the information about what happened during my absence.

"...So Inës is safe." I mumbled, reading the documents related to her.

She wasn't injured, and as soon as Malenia arrived, she took me to the hospital first.

"...."

Placing my phone down, I lay on my bed again, closing my eyes.

I don't know how to process this information.

For the first time in my life, I've seen my mother's words turn out to be wrong.

...Was it perhaps my own self-defense mechanism that always forced me to believe that whatever she said was absolute?

...That if I didn't follow whatever she said, bad things would inevitably happen?

...But what about now?

.....How should I justify my own belief when she was proven wrong with Inës still alive?

....Should I just act as if this might be a fluke?

....A one-time thing?

"....Sigh. I am tired."

I sighed heavily, mumbling to myself as I forced myself to get up from the bed.

I took out some bandages to wrap my arms.

"... Anyway El," I mumbled, a thought flashing through my mind, "...how does Inës's power work?"

I knew that she could see the past of any person, but how?

Because from what I remembered from the game, her counterpart, the [Oracle of Future], couldn't see anyone's future just by touching them.

[....She needs to meet specific conditions before she can see someone's past.]

"...And?"

[....And she can alter that said past if she's powerful enough to do so.]

I see....

No wonder my mother wanted her dead...

"...But what about those specific conditions?" I asked, completely wrapping my arms with bandages.

[...It's hard to explain.]

"...Whatever then, tell me if she sees visions of the past or not?" Sensing his hesitation, I changed the topic.

[...She does.]

"...How?"

In the game, the [Oracle of Future] could see the future only through the eyes of the next [Oracle].

This meant her line of sight and the information she could gather from the future were severely limited.

Not to mention, she had no choice over which [Oracle]'s eyes she could 'see' the future through.

It was completely random; she could see the future ten years or even a hundred years later.

And she could only see anyone's future given that 'her' specific conditions were met, which weren't mentioned in the game.

[....Inës's condition is the same. She can only see visions of the past through the eyes of her predecessor.]

"...What a pain."

....Changing the past, huh?

Sounds like a really powerful ability.

"...Hey El, is your blessing more powerful than her ability?"

I questioned, shrugging into the academic uniform before walking towards the mirror.

[...Yeah.]

"...Then give it to me, fucker."

I grumbled, looking at my face, which was the only place on my body that remained unscathed.

[So you can die? Look at your body; it will collapse if you use my blessing.]

"...Tch, you're useless." Tying my hair properly, I grumbled, walking out of my room, "More useless than Inna."

...Huh?

My steps halted as those words escaped my mouth without me thinking.

[...What happened?]

"...Who is Inna?" I questioned, my brows knitting together. "...Why did I call her name?"

[...I don't know.]

Am I forgetting something?

With confusion filling my mind, I walked out of my room, making my way towards the canteen.

It was still early in the morning, but not much time was left before classes started.

Lauryn was going to be pretty mad at me for neglecting her training for nine days.

Not to mention, I had no idea how things were going in my class.

"...Weird."

I mumbled, looking around as I noticed a few girls glancing at me before smiling like idiots.

"Is something on my face?"

[...No, your face is 'fine'.]

"Okay."

Yeah...By now, Ethan should have developed a genuine crush on Ashlyn, not a forced one because of me.

But right now, I had no idea how things would turn out.

"...Sigh."

I sighed again as I arrived at the canteen. Walking towards the counter, I looked at the lady behind it.

"Regular, please," I requested, looking at the lady.

"..Not the special plate?" She asked, giving a gentle smile.

"...No, regular."

It's not like I can taste anything.

"...I will bring it to you, sir."

"...Okay?"

When did they start serving at the table?

...And is she blushing or what?

...Might be the heat.

[...Was Ethan always like this in the game? How was he even likable?]

'...No, he changed.'

Ashlyn was the one who helped him clear his mind from thoughts of only revenge.

But that's not an option now...

"Sigh..."

I sighed again as I sat on the chair, waiting for my serving.

[....That Ashlyn girl, is she related to Gods?]

'....El, let's just forget about them for now.'

[Hmm? I'm sorry, I think my ears aren't functioning properly. What did you say?]

'....'

Is this fucker trolling me?

'...I said let's forget about them and focus on me... because in the next event they will be safe but I will be the main target.'

.....Because of my contract with three Spirits, I am most probably once again the prime target of the Hyspria organization.

And they will not miss the chance to kidnap me in the next event—their favorite object for experiments.

Not to mention Delwyn's parting words.

....The Principalities might also try to kidnap me because of his influence on them.

'.....'

...Aren't I fucked up again?

The only good thing that might come out of the next event is Ashlyn's awakening....

She will truly become a monster after that....

"...Your breakfast, sir."

I shifted my focus as the lady brought my food, placing it on my table, "...Call me if you need 'anything'."

"...Okay."

I replied softly, ignoring how she tried to emphasize her last words.

"...Coffee with shaved ice, that's new?" I mumbled, looking at the cup she brought.

'I like snow.'

As I looked at the ice, a thought ran through my mind that made me wonder...

...Did I always liked snow?

"Hey." I stiffened in my seat as I heard a familiar voice, forcing me to look back.

"...Hello." I replied, looking at Christina standing behind me, her hands folded while her blue eyes glared at me.

"...You can't just run away for days without telling anyone." She complained with a sigh as she slumped into the seat in front of me.

"...I messaged you." I replied, making her glare at me.

"...Yeah, what do you mean by 'don't wait for me'?"

"...Nothing." I replied, taking a bite of the tasteless omelet.

"...Never say something like that, never." She whispered softly, looking into my eyes.

....For a while, I felt lost as I looked at her.

....Is it just me, or was she always this beautiful?

"Y-yeah." I averted my gaze away from her.

"....Where were you?" She asked, rubbing her cheek slightly.

"...With a girl on the first day." I replied, making her expression harden, "...then slept like a log for the rest of the days."

[...Stop being a jerk.]

'...I am being honest—.'

Zap!!

"...The fuck!?"

I cursed out loud as an electric current passed through my body as she touched me.

[...She is jealous.]

'I can see that!!'

"...Which girl?" She asked, her voice cold, sending a shiver down my spine.

"...You don't need to kno—Ow!"

My words halted abruptly as she sent another small electric current through my body.

"...You already have a fiancé, why are you looking at other girls?" She asked, glaring at me.

"...Don't be selfish." I rebuked, glaring back at her, "...You have a fiancé, but think about that poor girl; she doesn't have one."

"...Sigh."

She sighed heavily, massaging her forehead and glaring at me.

"....Anyway, you slept alone, right?" She asked, taking a deep breath.

"...What makes you think—"

"...You wouldn't have run away when you had the chance to sleep with me."

....She isn't wrong.

"...Sigh."

This time I sighed as I picked up the cup, taking a sip of the cold coffee.

"..Give me."

She ordered, and without thinking, I passed the cup to her.

'...Wait, why did I do that?'

She took a sip before returning the cup to me.

Cleaning the edge of the cup with my fingers, I took another sip.

"....."

And for some reason, that made her mad as she glared at me.

"...What?"

"...Give it to me."

I passed the cup as she took another sip before standing up and grabbing my hair, forcing me to drink from the same side of the cup where her lips had touched.

And as if that wasn't enough, she picked up the omelet, ate half of it, and then fed me the other half.

"Meet me after class."

She whispered, kissing my head before walking away...

...but I was too shocked to even think about anything else.

[....What happened?]

'...I-I think I felt something...

.....I-I t-think I f-felt the taste of the food.'