Deviating Expectations

Stanzi walked away from the fog, considering his offer. But, he cannot force himself to do so. The power that caused his family's death. The shallow water felt cold in between the fingers of his feet. 

Since the mindscape was created for him to avoid painful memories and experiences, he himself could not feel any emotions. He could only sigh as he thought of the offer.

"So?"

The fog appeared out of nowhere, it slowly took the form of a little boy. He sauntered behind him, looking at him. "Hm?"

"Shut up... I'm thinking." Stanzi glared at the fog.

"Calm down, nothing to be angry about."

The fog walked around the shallow waters in a lull of silence. His eyes followed the fog as he grappled with the possibility.

'This is too much,"

"La la La la" the fog sang in a high falsetto. He moved in a flimsy way, like a butterfly or a flower swaying in the wind. Stanzi looked at him.

"What, are you doing?"

The fog glanced at him with a smile. "Nothing?"

"Why are you prancing around... Stop mocking me."

"Eh." The fog smiled widely.

He felt annoyed by the fog. In technically, the fog was an extension of himself. The nonchalancy sprawl him down the path of turmoil. He sang as if it was mocking him. He asked himself, 'what could he achieve with this.'

The fog ran around, like an hyperactive child. He said while running, "You better make a decision. Reclaim what you want."

He ignored the fog. He fidgeted his hands. 'He's mocking me now, I can't let him put an edge on me. His offer is irresistable, but the conditions... I don't think I can fulfill it... I can't unleashe a calamity like that.``

Then the fog pulled closer to him, he slightly crouched with his hand under his chin. He scrutinized Stanzi with curiosity and asked. "What'cha thinking? Is my offer that hard to fulfil?"

"..."

"Beats me, if you change your outlook, then it'll be easier to consider it."

What the fog said made sense to him. But, people were resistant to changes; humans were as stubborn like a mule. Changing their minds in a heartbeat requires great effort. So even if he could force himself to change, it itself was doomed to fail. 

But the possibility of that path diverging to another direction made the scale balance itself. A fifty fifty? He thought, yet... Was it really worth it?

He closed his eyes, letting the darkness fester into him. Due to the effects of his mindscape. No memories ever go through, but... As his worries rose... His mental faculties surged as well.

[Stanzi, stay here. Mommy's just going to the market.]

Memories formed in the fog, a woman with gorgeous blue hair. Her smile was angelic, bright. Voice smooth as honey. More memories began to form in the fog of the sea.

As he heard the memories, he opened his eyes once again. His muscles trembled in nostalgia.

"What's happening?" The fog asked, he's as clueless as Stanzi. He knew that the mindscape prevent any memories from surfacing; but this alone broke the only rule he put into the space

[Children, settle down. Stanzi is a sensitive child]

[Remember, protect each other. You and your siblings.]

"Mom..."

Memories brought forth like a bubble blown into the world. 

His eyes widened in surprise as he witnessed his memories.

"Is this your work?"

"No, absolutely not... I'm as clueless as you."

All the pleasant memories were in front of him. He reached out to them, but they scattered like embers of the fire. Everytime an old one vanishes, a new one emerges.

Seconds later, the pitch black skies turned blood red. The mist disappeared as the water formed into blood red figures. They attacked each other; rend each other asunder, beheading. Violations of one's body, children running as more blood figures attacked it. 

His face painted with a horrified expression. He backed away as his body shook with fear; it was accompanied by a piercing migraine, like a knife stuck to his head.

He could hear the sounds of death around him. Macabre scenes of violence, cries for help, laughter.

[Stanzi, whatever happened to me... DO NOT GO OUT.]

A voice of a woman, her voice trembled as she hid a boy behind the walls.

[ARGHH... I won't tell you anything]

Two blood red figures caused a physical altercation with another red figure.

"This is..." The fog crouched... It ran to Stanzi as it Clung to him.

"Make it stop..."

Voices of men filled the memory.

[Is she still alive?"]

The man kicked the woman's body. It was motionless, her lifeless gray eyes fixated on the wall; meeting Stanzi's own.

[Damn it, I told you not to kill her. Now we lost track of the kid.]

Another man lunged at the other, he grabbed his shirt as he threatened to kill him.

[How could I know?]

The man on the other end held his hands up.

[Whatever, I'll blow off some steam.]

He looked at the woman's lifeless body.

[She's dead, don't you have respect for the dead?]

[So...? As you said, she's dead]

[Don't blame me if you caught any curse to your nether regions.]

Both men laughed, as if nothing happened. The room was donned in sticky blood as the metallic scent filled the room.

Stanzi pulled his hair violently as the fog Clung to him in fear.

Then he stood up and shouted. "Please... Make it stop!" Stanzi quivered as he flailed his arms around violently; destroying any figures near him.

Calm down.... Calm down...

He quivered in fear, inch of his body in cold sweat, Stanzi tried to breathe in and out. But the underlying memories poured out like a blocked dam. 

Seeing the memories with his eyes. The recollection of that night, the feeling of the cold behind the wall, the men's cruelty against his family. Not like he could do anything now. He's still affected by the visions, he could not control what he felt. The fog felt the same, even if it acted on its own- by itself was an extension of Stanzi. 

"I... I don't like this... Stanzi... You're free to go... Forget the conditions..." The fog pushed Stanzi away. The sea parted into a gaping abyss, Stanzi plunged to the bottom of the abyss as the fog stared at him with remaining fear in his eyes. 

Suddenly, he felt an intense cold in the house. His magic running wild, Mel shook him. 

When he regained control of his body, the bluish aura retracted to his body. The heat came back, like a water sluice. His face grimaced as he looked around...

"Arise..." He looked around for him; his face calmed down as he saw him lying down on the floor.

Mel rushed to Stanzi, pulled him in a hug. He felt warm from the woman's embrace. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes."

"You scared me beyond recognition... You really put my heart in a fishing line, child."

The boy held his head down. His lips shifted to regret.

Upon seeing his reaction, Mel comforted him. "Don't look like that... You didn't harm anything."

Stanzi sat in silence as he realized the slight destruction he caused in Mel's house. But, the effects of his mindscape still lingered around him; the repeat of the attack caused him to be on edge. Shoving his magic deeper into his body. He looked at Arise as he grappled with his inner turmoil, the sight of the young man; peacefully asleep put him in a state of serenity that he could not understand himself. 

"I'm still grateful to you... You protected me at the expense of your own body. You said, you're not selfless, are you a hypocrite?"

Out of nowhere, Arise muttered in a low voice, his eyes drooped heavily as his wound healed slowly. "Maybe I am, I do not know why I needed to do that." He tried to chuckle but nothing came out.

"You heard all of that...?"

"..." Arise went unconscious.

Stanzi let out a chuckle. "You're unbelievable." He laid down on the floor, staring at the wooden ceiling. He heard low snoring that came out of Arise. He closed his eyes as he savored the tranquil he had.

"To think Stanzi had a negative reaction upon hearing your family's name... I did not anticipate that." Mel sipped tea, her legs crossed as she conversed with the lady in the common area.

Hazel sat gracefully like a doll, her face however invited melancholy rather than peace. Mel invited her for a tea time, which she gladly attended. "I did observe him on the way here. He seemed troubled, now I have a faint idea why." 

Sipping the brown tea, the women conversed in a manner of topics, one of which was the latest incident. 

"The guild told me the boy was an orphan, I could guess what happened to them." Mel said in a calm tone. "Considering his deviation, life could not be better for that lad."

"Deviation?" Hazel asked.

"Yes, have you not heard of them? People bearing other elements instead of the usual five."

"I have a slight knowledge of them... But, I did not know they have a term like that," She answered back.

Mentions of deviators were as rare as erudition users, mainly because acquiring such abilities were entirely up to a person's circumstances. To achieve deviation, one core thing was to have another element besides your affinity; and under immense pressure, the two elements' present body might forcibly fuse together leading to creation of a new element. Cases however- were rare, mostly to people that came out of war and even rarer, being born possessing two elements already then resulted in the creation of the new element while still inside the womb. Stanzi's the case of the latter.

The usual, Igniology, Hydrology, Aerology, Geology and Fulmonolgy. If one of these elements interact with each other, another element will emerge. Scholars called them.

"Elemental Deviation, creative right? Scholars do pick the most boring names"

Then Mel continued

"This is why they're a rare commodity. Unlike Eruditions, which offered bizarre powers. Deviators still suffered the fate of mastering their aetheric conversion; which the Erudition users could usually ignore as their powers are powerful enough the moment they awakened it."

Mel explained, her voice hung with professionalism like a teacher with a lecture. It was easy for Hazel to grasp what she meant. This was why she was a renowned alchemist in Rosea, she was lucky to meet her.

"Then, he was targeted at a young age due to the fact he could not defend himself?"

"Exactly," she took another sip. "Child deviators are easy to abduct, which was why they were indoctrinated into the army with a false sense of patriotism. Child soldiers, growing up to become a weapon. That was the kingdom's hero, Mazilors, a victim of that. I wonder what the old bag is doing now."

"You're close to him?" Hazel said.

"No," she denied. "More, like acquainted."

Then, Mel suddenly perked up. "That son of a gun never told me he had Erudition."

"L- Arise?"

"Huh? Yeah, all I know is that he's from another world." Mel blabbled. However she realized her mistake.

"Pardon me?" Hazel tilted her head in confusion. She was puzzled by what Mel said. From another world? That surely is not possible. She thought to herself.

Of course, all of it was true, it was up to Mel on how she'll cover it up. Considering her mistake and her promise to Arise.

"Ah... Ahahahaha." She nervously giggled, sweat dripping down her forehead. Then she excused, "By that I mean he's a foreigner, you know... From a different world compared to us in the Soren kingdom, different cultures, right?."

"I see..."

"Yes, he came from Kankaku isle, what a beautiful place that is."

"But, he looked like a Solician to me."

"Is he though?"

Hazel sipped her tea, "That's what I think, or maybe he was Solician but his parents traveled to those lands. How could I know."

"That's right..."

Hazel however did not believe what Mel said

'A cover up... For a renowned alchemist, you're quite bad at lying'

An awkward silence descended like a mist, they both sipped their tea in silence looking at each other. Mel gave Hazel nervous smiles, while Hazel returned with a sweet one.

Mel then said to herself, 'Did she buy it? I think she did... Phew that was close, what was I thinking?'

Hazel however thought otherwise. 'At first I thought it was a genuine mistake, like absurd talk. But she goes on a length to cover it up... Then I assume it must be true. His body is undoubtedly from the Solician region, his spirit however must be not from this world. How fascinating is that.'

"Uh, care for more tea? Maybe Jalhana tea might be to your taste?" She offered as she called over her servant Faust. "I just got this tea from the Marusthala region, unlike from violet evergarden, Jalhanas are not god signs, they have this exquisite aftertaste, fitting for a desert flower."

"Sure, I'll accept that offer. My mother's collection is not as expansive as yours, which was ironic considering how much she mooch off the city taxes just because she's the duke's wife."

"Do you hate your family that much?"

"No, only father and mother. Horrible people." Hazel said in a raspy almost angry voice.

"Since the daughter herself said this, I won't disagree. Especially the recent tax decree, absolutely horrible."

The woman stood up, she kneeled down to Mel, and apologized. "I am sorry on behalf of my family..."

"No, no you did nothing wrong. Honestly, I don't have grudges for what your brother did to Arise. It's up for him to decide if I should."

The burden of her family weighed upon Hazel like a sack of rocks tied to her feet while floating in the ocean of failure. She tried every conceivable way to lead Alexandris astray, but her father always found a way to slither into his mindscape, even using a memory cell to visualize the duke's target. She felt trapped in an endless loop of loyalty, contemplation, disgust, empathy and justice. Yet, she cannot move against it. 

Hazel then opened his mouth, a hoarse air came out of it but she forced it. "I do not know what to do with him anymore. After he nearly killed his-"

Stanzi quickly hid behind the wall, accidentally eavesdropping on their conversation. He heard something he should not have heard... His eyes filled with interest.