Rody Rhoeia

The ethereal light flared inside a well kept bedroom. Arise and Hazel's bodies reformed as the light pooled into the shape of their physical form. Hazel laid down the soft bed, with the woman encapsulated in her arms.

Breathing heavily as the aetheric energy sapped from her body. To think that the duke came back earlier than what she initially thought brought her shock, he was not supposed to come back until the end of the charity party. Yet it seemed like the duke had detected their presence inside the dungeon.

She glanced at the woman. She was sleeping as her hair was messily sprawled along the soft pillow. Hazel smiled warmly as she saw the state of the woman, satisfied as she saved the first soul that her father had tormented.

Then, Hazel sprawled herself onto her bed. The moonlight pierced through the window like shade in the presence of the sunlight. Their shadows dancing within the glow of the sconce affixed on the wall.

"Arise, are you alright?" Hazel craned her neck to Arise. He also laid within the comfortable bed, huddled himself like a cocoon between two pillows.

Labored as he breathed, the theory of creation sapped his stamina protecting themselves from duke Thomas. He gave himself freedom by indulging in this experience. The bed nobility used was simply amazing, compared to his bed that could be compared to sleeping on the ground, it was hard and cold.

Arise replied, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." He sat up from the bed, he stood by the glass door that separated the terrace.

He inhaled as the purple energy flowed within his system.

Considering the duke, he must have figured out that we can't be far away. We're still not safe from his grasp… But I can't really fight, I'm so tired. He yawned, however the channeling faltered as his concentration drifted like a boat.

Damn it…

"Graham Bell's Spiral"

Invisible winds coalesced in the dark veil of night. Extending its tendrils out of the terrace, reaching through the open windows scattered in the mansion.

He heard several footsteps, some were light, heavy or in-between.

He could only hear the monotony of the servants preparing their nightly duties. Nothing out of the ordinary. He thought, while the thought of being captured swirled through his head.

"Come on, be quick or Lady Maria will get angry".

"Deborah, you're such a vixen, did you really do it?"

"These spices came fresh from Verona, they're so fragrant."

Arise sighed, as he readied releasing the spell. Since it was magically draining him, prolonging the effect of this spell was futile.

He wiped the blood dripping from his nose.

The spell fizzled as it vanished like a bubble. The surge of energy through his body cracked his head like a log, weakening his muscle that of glass. He did not anticipate this side effect, it was like aetheric energy acted like some sort of radiation…

Wait a minute…

Something clicked in his head, at first he thought it was strange. He first observed this phenomenon when Stanzi was using his cryology. When the frigid energy came in contact with the ground, it would freeze instantly. Denying the matter in that area of any energy to use. Stanzi remained unfazed by the cold but the other people in the area did not. It was unnatural, but it made sense. Why would this energy change its form to an energetic state like flames and electricity or a stubborn one like ice, while keeping the user heated up?

It followed the law of energy conservation.

Matter and Energy cannot be created or destroyed… He muttered.

Aetheric energy simply changed its movement and states, when the magic fizzled, it'll repurpose itself to another state. When Stanzi used his cryology, he just did not conjure ice out of nowhere, he was sucking the energy of the matter around him, freezing it. He could observe it when Stanzi froze a large field, there was an area of denial, a spot with thawed ice. It was because Stanzi could not absorb that much heat before killing himself, so if the energy had no way to go, it'll pool in one spot.

So, if this was the case, his fulmonology could theoretically do what electrons could.

He stared at his hand, the aetheric energy flowing as it dissipated in the air.

Still bombarded by the disembodied voice from Graham's bell. Arise released the spell as the wind fizzled out. Arise's mouth parted as he observed the energy move with his naked eye. He let it fester inside his skin, tracing through the branch like veins as his eyes blurred, and a silvery tang lingered on his mouth.

It followed my nervous system, using the network throughout my body to flow… It was like electricity yet it acted like gas when it came out. How exhilarating…

Arise removed his lodestone ring, holding up as the moonlight glinted through the black surface of the metal ring.

He let a surge of energy flow through the ring, most phasing through while the others were deflected.

I see… Arise nodded. Realizing the nature of the aetheric energy. I think Ayase could understand this better than me, knowing how she worked with thermodynamics in the past…

This would explain why my body sucked at processing aetheric energy, the efficiency only adding up to 16.5% Everything decays into heat and life energy. Maybe because as an otherworlder, my soul already has too much entropy to begin with and it affects this body's ability to process energy.

It might be why lodestone rings were created, aside from helping with the channeling of energy, it also protected the user from experiencing the ionizing radiation caused by this energy. It may be the reason why these rings are usually made with metal, and why magic has a unique interaction with crystal lattices.

"I see… this is incredible. Ha..ha ha…" Arise could not help but chuckle to himself. Trembling in excitement as he smiled in a manic manner.

Arcs of electricity jumped his fingers to another, it ran through his entire nervous system. Unlike normal electricity, ones conjured by aetheric energy did not immediately harm its user. It surged through his body as it rapidly oscillated around his nerves.

Invisible waves propagated from his body as it festered inside the mansion.

He closed his eyes and pooled aetheric energy behind his eyelids. At first nothing came up, only the surreal flower patterns of purple and black dancing. However, as the electricity ran wild, his senses overcharged!

He could see a static silhouette from his eyes, disembodied voice from his ears.

Everytime the waves came back to him, the image and audio updated accordingly.

So I was right… The state of the energy changes according to its frequency and how much energy I invest in it. However, my body feels hot… It's like blazing, is it because of my efficiency?

Bullets of sweat turn to steam in an instant. As Arise's presence overwhelmed the mansion, he could sense every living being in a three hundred meter radius. "Hah… Hah… "

"Arise… did you hear anything?" Hazel walked through the door, she peered slightly, seeing the servants waltz in the hallway.

"I think we're still in danger."

"Yes… we are… I could hear them talking."

Arise cycled through frequencies created by him, the radio waves bounced off from the servants and soldiers, turning their sound into electrical energy and it came back to Arise.

Suddenly, the electricity abruptly vanished. It severed Arise's connection within the three hundred meters of the mansion. He groaned as axes split his head open. He limped on the bed and reported to Hazel about his findings.

"They're looking for us all over the mansion. We're surrounded." He closed his eyes, savoring the pitch darkness without the apparition. His guess was right, fulmonology was not limited to just electricity… It could theoretically induce other types of radiation of he pleases. He gave himself a derisive smile and laughed silently.

The door creaked close, Hazel picked up a bell and rang it. She looked at the scientist then to the door.

Ring!

Arise heard the ring, he looked at Hazel. His eyes widened with surprise as the energy around him dissipated.

He wondered why Hazel would do such actions, he lumbered close to Hazel. He asked, his voice was hoarse. "What did you do?"

The fair lady sat on the bed, she waited patiently for Rosie, she replied. "Summoning Rosie, you can't go out now because the effects of mimicry wore off."

Now that Hazel mentioned it, his body felt it was not as robust as Rosie's. It seemed like he returned to his original form, however, something was amiss. But he could not put his finger around it.

Knock Knock knock!

Knock knock!

Hazel whispered through the door,

"Business?"

A woman's voice was heard outside the door, she said. "Order."

Hazel sighed, she was relieved to hear Rosie's voice. Then the fair lady ordered. "Get Rody here, quick!"

The shadows melded under the door as the footsteps thud outside. A few minutes later, the shadows came back. The door's hinges creaked as the woman and a young man walked in.

Dressed modestly, with cuffs and ruffles. He looked at Arise with a faint smile. His blond hair illuminated with the candlelight as he shared Hazel's blue eyes.

This must be Hazel's brother…

"Sister, is this one of your foolish endeavors?" Rody said.

Hazel replied. "Don't be rude now, he's a visitor, however, we're in a precarious situation." Her voice was hushed and gentle, was it because she was talking to her brother?

Then the conversation continued.

"Hm… did you try to sabotage father again? Is this why he looked rather angry?" Rody probed questions as Hazel answered calmly.

"Yes, unfortunately."

"I see, then why do you need my help?

Rosie or Petunia could help you." The young man sat on the bed, he noticed the sleeping woman. "Hm… sister, I did not know you're into this."

"No, good heavens, what's with your mind right now." Hazel deflected Rody's teases, her face was as red as a tomato. "Also, Petunia? Rody, are you serious, she snitched on our mother."

Rody crossed his legs as his fair skin brushed on the bed sheet. "That's true… amongst all of us, she really does stick to mother does she?"

"Unfortunately."

Amongst the twelve children of the Rhoeia family, Hazel was the eldest daughter and Alexandris was the eldest son. They rather sat at the hierarchy of power in the mansion as no one could refute their influences inside. Younger siblings like Rody and Petunia were in the middle of the power struggle.

While Rody was in the middle of this, as the middle-child, he enjoyed his freedom unlike the pressure from his older brothers and sisters and his younger ones. He often reveled from Hazel's favors as she rewarded him accordingly.

Petunia was the second youngest of the family and the youngest one was missing years ago.

Then, Rody yawned. He narrowed his eyes then asked. "What do you need me to do?"

"Transport me and Arise outside." Hazel's voice seemed desperate. She pointed at Arise who avoided the young man's gazes.

"Transport you and this beautiful lady out of this mansion? Can't you do that with your erudition?" Rody pointed at Arise.

L-lady? Is he talking about me? Arise shook his head as he listened to the siblings

"Lady? Yes, of course, that woman we need to save her."

"Not her, that one."

"Oh, Arise? I guess the mimic-" Hazel

stopped herself. Arise scoured his entire body with his hand. His eyes widened as he felt his family jewels missing from its spot.

No way… did I just…

He could not feel but embarrassment by the side effect of the mimicry spell. Due to the panic, he did not realize that his body remained as a woman while retaining his original appearance. Hazel did not know about this penalty for using the mimicry spell, all she knew was that 'The target will temporarily lose their original form' but she did not expect it to be this drastic.

Hazel sighed, her palm against her face. "I-i'm sorry, I did not know. I thought you'd just lose your original body for a few hours, but it seemed like it passed that limit. Your body is not reverting."

"It's alright… my original body could not fight for the life of me. I'm much suited to use this slightly robust body. Don't be sorry." Arise flailed his hand in the air.

While Rosie's body felt great to move around on. I guess this body also does its job. Unlike the body of the young man. I really can't help but ask, why is he built more frail than stereotypical princesses. Why is he feeble?

Arise slapped himself awake, red lingered on his cheek as Rody and Hazel watched him.

"What is she doing?" Rody asked.

"Nothing, don't mind him."

Rody stood in the terrace, he gestured like he was looking into a camera, with Arise, Hazel and the woman inside the 'lens'. He confirmed Hazel about his range, "I could only warp you within the Calica District Church, after that you're on your own."

"I understand, we're ready." Hazel held the woman's hand as she stayed within the boundaries of Rody's sight.

Arise stuck to Hazel like a chewing gum. Rody turned around to the vast darkness outside the mansion, he surmised the location of the Calica district and shouted.

"Projection!"

Trio vanished in an instant, leaving a communal chair in their wake.

Rody wiped the blood festering on his nose as he tidied Hazel's room and locked it.

Projection, it was an Erudition that allowed Rody to project himself or others into objects. Using his fingers as a catalyst for its range, he could swap the location inside the boundaries of his fingers no matter how far it is.

Arise and Hazel drifted through the church floors tumbling several communal chairs. Hazel looked around as she saw the familiar murals of the gods in the Calica spires of the church. She smiled as she reached the woman who flew several meters away from them.

However, her smile was wiped like dirt on a window as she heard a familiar voice.

"So, this is what you're up to? Then, let's start this." Winds gathered as Alexandris prepared for a fight.

Arise retreated to Hazel's side as they stared at the nobleman. He looked at them with blood lust. His blond hair swept with the wind as he raised his hand for an attack. "I won't let you get away this time."

Rody Rhoeia walked along the discordant hallway, flipping the family coin that the eldest son received on his birthday. He smiled as he looked outside the window. He had made a deal with Alexandris a while back, he did not like how Alexandris does things… but in exchange, he'll get something that he deeply wanted.

"I'm sorry Hazel, I'm just tempted by his offer. I'll get back at him if he hurts you, but do not die yet."