Chapter 12 S2

Niris closed the book he was reading and glanced at the time on his chip. It was nearly midnight. For three weeks now, he had been immersing himself in Selanpian documentation to learn how to master the science of energy channels. 

It was dense, but he was beginning to understand the basic workings of the discipline. He listed everything in his dematerialised encyclopaedia that he thought might be of interest to him in the future. He had collected over three hundred and twenty pages of practical and theoretical information that he intended to learn later on his trip. 

He stood up and grabbed his coat. After putting the book away, he headed for the exit, his coat folded over his forearm. Spring was just beginning to dawn in Selanpe and the nights were still chilly. He walked along the corridor, which was lined by a bay window, staring into the night. Selanpe had no moon. So the nights were very dark on the little planet. 

He went up a few flights of stairs, then changed buildings. He headed for the treatment rooms adjoining the institute. After going through a few doors, he stopped in front of one of them and knocked. Hearing no answer, he opened the door slightly, then opened it when he saw that the room was plunged into darkness. 

The angel closed the door behind him and approached the bed. His master was lying there, sleeping peacefully. The operation had gone well, despite the length and intensity of the care it had required. The master of blades' arm had been saved, and the black grooves that ran down it had now disappeared. But the operation had been extremely tiring for the angel, who had performed an operation that consumed a great deal of natural energy and fought against the deterioration of her energy channels just after waking up from a long cryogenic sleep. 

She had given it her all and managed to hold out to the end, but this activity had made her enormously tired. Since the end of the operation, she had spent most of her time asleep, staying awake very little. Not even enough to eat, which meant she was still on a drip. 

The doctor had recommended two to three months' rest, but Niris knew they didn't have that much time. He watched the sleeping angel in front of him. His build was as impressive as ever, even when he was lying down. Yet an angel like her also had her limits. He rested his elbows on his knees and bent his head above the ground. 

He thought he'd finally found the courage to go forward, he thought he'd finally become strong, but seeing his master collapse in front of him had upset him much more than he'd anticipated. He had thrown himself wholeheartedly into the study of energy channels in desperation and to calm his feelings of incompetence. While he had more or less managed to accept the fact that Azur had left because he felt guilty himself and not because he blamed him for any inability to do anything, he couldn't find the strength to stop questioning himself at the slightest blow. 

If the person he thought infallible collapsed in front of him, he didn't know how to overcome his own weaknesses and his own fear of the future. With trembling hands, he took the twin bean out of his pocket and clutched it in his fingers. It had barely begun to sprout. At this rate, he wasn't going to be able to talk to Seiran for months. This thought alone filled him with a mortal loneliness that he fought against every day. But now that all his defences were down, he no longer had the strength to fight her. So he let despair take hold of him as he held that little bean with his fingertips. 

Suddenly, a gentle warmth began to emanate from it. He looked up, surprised by the sudden source of heat he felt, and saw the Gojiak glowing softly. He placed it gently in the palm of his hand and gazed at it in ecstasy. He recognised that warmth. That gentle warmth that he missed so much. It was Seiran's. Seiran was thinking of him at this very moment and sending his love through the little bean. Surely he had felt his distress some time earlier. 

Filled with a wave of warmth, the angel clasped the Gojiak in his hand and pressed it to his chest. He bathed the bean in all the love he felt for the demon, intending to pass it on to him through the little seed. He felt it move against his skin and opened his hand to look at it. The seed had finally broken through the skin and was now opening into a beautiful bud. He felt a warm tear roll down his cheek and a smile stretched his lips. 

For the first time in months, he had proof that Seiran was alive and waiting for him. The thought warmed his heart, and he couldn't hold back the tears that rolled down his cheeks. He wiped them away with a sniff. Then he heard movement coming from the bed and saw his master half-open his eyes. 

-Ah..." said Niris, who didn't even try to hide his deteriorated psychological state. I had a bit of a slump, but you woke up just when I needed you, and then... I received my first contact with Seiran via the Gojiak. 

The master of blades smiled at her with a tenderness that the prince did not know. Seeing her in this diminished state of health had upset him greatly, but he was learning to discover her in a different way. More tender and loving, something he would never have thought the legendary Master of Blades capable of. But she was angelic like him, and her power didn't mean she was devoid of sensitivity. That was what he understood today, seeing the gentle glow emanating from her eyes. 

She gently placed her hand on his cheek and the warm touch did Niris good, so he closed his eyes. 

-Love is an immeasurable power and a gift that we must all enjoy sparingly," she said in her warm voice. Never forget this feeling and treasure it deep inside you. When you're lost, when you doubt, remember that someone loves you and that you love them too, it will save you, I guarantee it. 

Niris placed his hand on his master's and inhaled deeply. 

-Thank you," he said in a breath. 

They looked at each other blankly for a moment, and Lou finally dropped his hand, still too weak to make any energy-intensive movements. Niris laid it gently back on the bed, beside her body. 

-Have you ever loved anyone?" asked the prince. 

Lou laughed lightly. The question seemed as absurd as the obvious answer. 

-Of course," she replied. I have loved and been loved, otherwise I wouldn't be able to live happily and pass on that happiness. 

She turned her gaze to that of the angel and planted her now serious eyes in those of the young prince. 

-Never forget Niris, love is a feeling that can be painful, but it is this complexity that makes it beautiful. Don't give in to the pain, but learn to savour it fully, in all its beauty and complexity. At the end of the day, our little lives don't mean much if we have to live without love. 

She paused for a moment before continuing. 

-And love is never a weakness, it's an indomitable force that can move mountains. Don't let anyone make you believe the opposite, because those who want to show you that love is a necessary evil are the ones who cause the most harm in our world of infinite suffering. And if one day you don't know how to approach the complexity of the situation you have to face today, tell yourself that the person inside you is someone who has lost love and turned it into an emotional hell from which she can no longer extricate herself. 

Niris wasn't sure if he had understood correctly, but he didn't ask any questions. Neither he nor his master were capable of holding a decent conversation at this late hour. Their advanced state of fatigue could be seen on their faces. 

-Give me two weeks," she finally said, lowering her cushions to settle back down to sleep. I'll store up as much natural energy as I can and regain my strength in the meantime, then we'll set off again. 

Niris wanted to protest, but he realised from her direct glance that he had no say in the matter. If she said it would be like that, it would be like that, full stop. There was one thing he had understood since he met the master of blades, and that was that she knew what she was saying. And what she said would happen. So if she said they could leave in a fortnight, it meant they could leave in a fortnight. And that's all there was to it. 

He nodded without saying anything. 

-In the meantime, concentrate on strengthening the seal. You need to concentrate a large amount of natural energy on the seal itself, and when you've accumulated enough, you'll start mixing it with the Niyari energy escaping through the gaps in the seal. In this way, you'll get used to its contact in your body, and the more you manipulate it, the more you'll be able to master it in real combat. 

Niris nodded again without saying anything. 

-You also have to get your body used to storing and working your natural energy at all times, whether you're active or at rest, and do so automatically, without necessarily meditating," she continued. Do you know the cycle method? 

-Yes, I've mastered the basics," he replied. 

-That's good, then. Deepen it and get used to doing it continuously, even unconsciously. Your body has to be prepared for battle at all times, and it has to be prepared for an attempt to control Niyari too. 

The angel frowned. 

-I thought she couldn't control me with that seal? Won't she disappear if I die? 

Lou sighed.

-Yes, and that's why it won't try to take control of you directly, but it will try to neutralise the seal. That's why you have to keep feeding it natural energy, so that you can strengthen it, and why you have to familiarise yourself with Niyari's natural energy so that you can immediately detect any attempt to neutralise the seal. 

The Prince didn't reply. He could see what the Master of Swords was getting at. It was complex, but not impossible. Above all, he would need a lot of time and hard work to achieve it. He was going to have to work twice as hard. 

-Very well, I'll get down to it tomorrow," he affirmed. 

-Now go and get some rest, you look exhausted! 

-Are you telling me that? You look like a vampire, you're so pale! he protested. 

-What? Don't compare yourself to those vile creatures, will you? You give me the shivers! She replied, shivering theatrically. 

The angel smiled. If she was able to exchange barbs with him, it was because she had recovered. He had finally found his master as he knew her. This fact warmed his heart. 

-Since you're the old fart who needs a rest, I'll leave you to it, otherwise I'll feel guilty for making you feel worse. 

Lou grumbled that she was going to teach him some manners when she recovered and Niris pretended not to know what she was talking about. On this false master-apprentice quarrel, he left the room and returned to his bedroom for the night.