Soul Mending

Using a concealment array, Dyon walked through the floors of Focus Academy. Anger he had buried for months was bubbling up in his heart, but he was taking deep breaths to try and calm down.

He had no idea where Madeleine was, and although fighting through the entirety of Sapientia Peak would vent his anger, it would also give the Kami family time to make counter measures. His best option was to lay low and wait until he had his eyes on her before venting his frustration. So, he decided to go to Eli's room, 111, to see how his friend was doing.

As Dyon walked through the school, he was listening to the murmurs of the students. Since they couldn't see him, they spoke with no reservations.

"Did you hear about all the students who died in the Elvin World?"

"Yea, there's a reason there used to be a quota and only the best of us could go, but for some reason they allowed any and everyone to enter this year."

Dyon's eyes narrowed.

"That may not be the case. I heard rumors that all these new students from Focus Academy showed up. And a lot of students who went to the Elvin World talk about how brutal they were."

"Really? Who were they?"

"Everyone thinks they're from the Storm family. They had the patented blonde hair and blue eyes. But, they were freakishly strong. We all thought the best geniuses they had were Tammy and Hauk, but they've hidden themselves so deeply. It doesn't seem to make much sense why, though."

"Maybe they're planning on taking the sect head position away from Sect Leader Patia-Neva. I've heard a lot of elders are displeased with him. He shows up even less frequently than the other pillar family leaders although everyone knows it most likely has something to do with his missing wife, sympathy isn't something you find often…"

"Shhh, don't speak too loudly. Come closer, there's another big piece of information I heard, but it's been being kept hush hush," after pausing to look around, the student continued, "I hear that Senior Sister Ava was one of the casualties in the Elv –"

BANG!

A dense killing intent shook Dyon's concealment array. In a flash he disappeared, speeding towards Eli's room as fast as he could.

'I owe her. Although I wouldn't have actually died that day due to a life saving measure I had in place, it still stands that she stood up for me. Then she tried to help when she thought I'd be expelled. If I found out that even one hair on her head was hurt...'

Dyon had had a small clash with Ava after the incident with Darius, but this didn't change how grateful he was to her. To him, she was a dear friend as well as someone who had saved his life twice.

Venus opened the door with a confused look, but seeing that there was no one, she closed the door and looked back to her brother. Eli was lying on the bed pale and unmoving. The ragged breaths he took every so often was the only thing that let you believe he was alive.

Venus' eyes were red with tears and she stood next to Uncle Ail.

"Don't worry little Venus, your master will be here soon, I'm sure she has a way of helping. However, this little Ava girl is an odd case," He said looking back at Ava who laid on a table not too far away, "She should be dead… but my Aurora is picking up faint signs of life."

The sound of shattering glass resounded.

Dyon's concealment array shattered as he fell on his knees by Eli's bed. Picking up his pale delicate hand.

Venus jumped, startled. Leaping backwards with well trained movement, thorned vines immediately wrapped around Dyon, but he didn't seem to feel any pain.

Venus was shaken, 'Why is his body so strong….'

"Venus, wait!" Uncle Ail went up and touched Dyon's shoulder, then pinched himself, "D-Dyon… is that really you?"

Dyon smiled bitterly at Uncle Ail, "Hey Uncle Ail, long time no see…"

Venus sighed in relief, but she was still apprehensive, 'He's so… strong.'

After Venus removed her vines, Uncle Ail clasped Dyon's shoulder hard.

"Good, good," He said partially choked up, "You of all people don't deserve to die so young."

Dyon patted his back, "Come on now Uncle Ail, men shouldn't cry so much. I'm here now. So, let's save them."

"Save them? Is that possible?"

Uncle Ail could only shake his head looking at Dyon, 'This boy really tries too hard. He's clearly confident he can save them, but his eyes are still red with unshed tears… yet he says men shouldn't cry.'

Dyon looked back at the pale faced girl, gently pushing her red hair away from her face. She was currently covered in a blanket with her arms hanging out, but Dyon could tell she was naked. And… he had a pretty good idea of why she would be.

Although he looked incomparably calm, the boiling rage within him had lit to a new level.

"Her soul is damaged," Accessing his master's memories, Dyon began to piece it together after using his aurora to check her body, "She used a technique to fake her death, but it clearly comes at a large price. She just needs a Soul Mending pill."

Venus and Uncle Ail staggered. Being from a family that specialized in alchemy, they knew the value of such a pill. Even Kami had to pay the price of involving another family in their plans for glory to pay for a pill like that. And that was not to mention the fact that Mayumi's soul damage was significantly less than Ava's.

Venus smiled bitterly, "Even our Viridi family can't afford to make a pill powerful enough to help mend that damage… I'm afraid we'll have to wait for another opportunity."

The uncle-niece pair fell into a bitter silence, feeling that things were still hopeless.