Towards the next time rift pt.2

Havel nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility grow within him, "How do we get there?"

"The dark prince here should be able to take you there."

Shirei nodded, even though he was mentally thinking the opposite. Using spectral travel was no problem for him in terms of available energy or distance. 

"The only problem is geography."

Ever since he had awakened, using spectral travel to reach places out of his sight or foreign areas had seemed impossible to him. The Lilies Park was easy to trace, but an unknown place wasn't exactly the ideal choice.

Ammir, though, says I can do it.

He wondered if the god didn't know something, some more information about his powers.

"I don't think there is anything else to say, my dear aspiring heroes."

Ammir shivered at the sight of them and, a second later, raised his hand, which was clutching the letter he had just stolen from Shirei's pocket.

"Let me take care of this, meanwhile," he said with a broad smile. "I'll hand it over very willingly."

The god did not wait for a response. He soared into the sky and, after a twist, disappeared in the warm orange light of the gentle afternoon.

Shirei and Havel found themselves alone again, abandoned with their load of supplies. Sidal's son scratched the back of his neck in obvious annoyance.

"Come on, Purple. Let's get a move on bringing these things in."

They loaded their bags onto their shoulders and headed towards the villa. Havel, due to his usual temper, decided to take most of the supplies for himself.

Of course they weigh, the divine Ammir made it seem like child's play."

Trying to hide his fatigue, he advanced faster, but Shirei overtook him again.

Are you kidding me, newbie?

He thought before quickening his pace again and passing Cragar's son. His breathing was rather labored, but at least he was in the lead.

"Oh, Purple," he said, staring at the entrance of the villa, now not far away, "Where has your speed gone?"

He received no response from the demigod.

"Shirei… Shirei?"

Annoyed by his companion's silence, Havel dropped his bags to the ground and turned behind him, "You're struggling so much you can't even speak-"

He stopped. Shirei had disappeared into the Interworld.

"That damned…"

In the main hall, Havel found the demigod busy rummaging through the bags while Ada, still in a state of stasis, sat with an aura of serenity. 

"Nothing yet... we'll have to wait for her to wake up."

Shirei nodded and walked silently towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

The boy turned and pointed up with his index finger, "To rest, I would like to try something. If Ada wakes up, come and call me."

"Don't fall asleep," Sidal's son warned him, "otherwise you won't be able to rest properly tonight and you'll be tired tomorrow."

"All right…"

Before the boy disappeared through the door, Havel called him again: "I'm serious. You're the one who has to take us there with your powers."

That's also why I have to go and lie down, Shirei thought.

His face hid every emotion, but internally he wondered if he would be able to do it.

He left the leader of the Equinox Flowers and reached one of the rooms, and then abandoned himself on the bed that was at least ten years old.

Cragar's son thought back to his arrival at Lilies Park.

There I managed to cross the Interworld and reach the park, but I think I succeeded thanks to dormant memories and Darryl's directions. This time it's different.

Furthermore, during that occasion he had to make several attempts before feeling the strange sensation that characterized the park of demigods. He doubted that he would have been able to reach the Otherworld without the peculiar mana of the goddess Aena.

"There's no point in thinking about it now," he convinced himself after closing his eyelids, "Better to sleep properly, in the hope of receiving other messages in a dream."

Unfortunately for Cragar's son, Fate was not on his side.

Shirei woke up when the sun had already set completely, and the villa was bathed in a soft light due to the glow of the moon. The dancing red flames cast flickering shadows on the walls of the hall, where Ada had just opened her eyes, her meditation concluded. The girl seemed illuminated by an inner light of midnight blue color and her eyes were more than sparkling.

"It's about time!" Havel said with a smile. "How do you feel?"

Ada looked at him with radiant eyes. "Better than I expected. I've gained a new power, something I should perhaps show Shirei."

"You have become too attached to someone who will soon leave our group."

"He made an impression on you too, but in the wrong way…"

Sidal's son thought back to the duel that took place in the Lilies Park and smiled annoyed at his partner.

"I only tell the truth."

Shirei entered the room at that precise moment, almost making the leader of the elite jump.

"Speak of the devil…"

The purple-eyed demigod sat down with them and tried to understand what their intentions were.

"Glad to hear you're okay, Ada."

"Thank you. I have something for you too, I'll show it to you tonight."

Havel pointed to the windows, "It's already evening, champ."

"Ah…"

Ada noticed the lit fire and the dark exterior, "Then give me just enough time to "wake up" properly."

Shirei sat down on the sofa, "In the meantime I'll check the other bags for a map."

Havel smacked his head with the palm of his hand, "We have phones if you need a map."

"What bags are we talking about?" Asked the only girl in the group, totally unaware of the visit from the god of travel.

Shirei stood up to check the supplies while Havel hastily updated his companion.

"Ammir was here."

"Ammir?"

"Ammir. He gave us supplies for the next few days and indicated the location of the next fault."

Ada rubbed her eyes, "Okay… where should we go?"

"Parma," Shirei replied from the other side of the room, "Colorno Hospital."

Rutia's daughter jumped at the word "hospital", an involuntary reaction that betrayed an unpleasant memory. She struggled to maintain her composure as she thought about her journey on the trail. After a few minutes, which the Equinox Flowers used to make a mini-inventory of food and water. Ada stood up. 

"Okay, I'm here," she concluded, "I still have to figure out how to control it, but it will be a great help in fighting whatever is inside the next rift."

Shirei leaned closer, trying not to exaggerate his curiosity. "What kind of power would that be?" 

Ada smiled. "It's difficult to explain. It's as if I could manipulate the aether with my mana and condense it... let's say to form a coating. But I need time to master it completely."

Havel, who had remained silent, approached with a serious expression. "We have to be ready for tomorrow. Whatever your new power is, Ada, it must not distract you now. We all need to be at the top of our game for the next time rift."

The demigoddess nodded. "I'll do my best, but that goes for you too. You're the one who suffered the most serious injuries."

"I can take care of myself."

Ada burst out laughing, Shirei also covered his mouth with his hand.

"Ah! Are you making fun of your leader? Nice united group!"

It took Ada a moment to stop laughing, "You came up with this, it's not our fault."

She took a deep breath, "Anyway, I'm ready to try a little demonstration."

Havel nodded, although a hint of jealousy passed through his eyes. The understanding between the two "dark" demigods made him feel excluded.

"Very good. Let's see what you've learned."

The group moved outside, where the green lawn stretched out under the dark evening sky. Ada took a position a few meters away from her companions, drew her swords and closed her eyes to concentrate. Shirei and Havel watched intently, curious to find out what she had in store for them.

The swords in Ruthia's daughter's hands began to glow slightly.

"I don't see anything," Havel whispered impatiently.

Sidal's son turned to look at Shirei, but found him fixated on the blades clutched in Ada's hands. The violet-eyed demigod noticed the aether condensing around the blades, an event inscrutable to ordinary demigods. It was an extraordinary phenomenon, as if the swords were absorbing and manipulating the aether of the surrounding environment.

Ada said she can't manipulate the aether, so she's using her control of mana to influence the aether…

Suddenly, Ada's weapons were covered in a thin layer of ethereal light, immediately covered by a patina of darkness.

Ada smiled and danced around to deliver two quick blows to a fictitious enemy. The darkness on the two blades dissolved into nothingness, leaving Rutia's daughter with some frustration. 

"Okay, that sounds… interesting," Havel managed to say.

The girl shook her head, but it was Shirei who spoke first, "That's not what you wanted to do."

"I…" Ada stopped, "How do you know?"

"I saw the aether move towards the direction of your attack before dissipating."

"Can you see the aether?"

Shirei nodded, he never realized it either.

"Actually, it makes sense. You are the first demigod to be able to assimilate the aether, it is no surprise that you can also see it."

"Can demigods see mana?"

"Not all of us, but the most experienced ones usually do" replied Ada tilting her head, "Anyway, you're right. It's hard to explain, I just have to keep practicing."

Havel, who was following the exchange between the two with evident annoyance, approached. "You did a great job, Ada."

"Thanks, but that wasn't the goal. On the path, the darkness that covers my blades is no mere cover. I could condense them in a second and hurl slashes of dark energy with a single movement."

Sidal's son blinked, "Ah... a ranged attack?"

"Yes, like dark cuts traveling through the air."

Havel patted her shoulder comfortingly, "Don't worry, you'll get there without any problems."

"So you can control the aether too?" Shirei asked instead.

"No, I told you. I used mana and compressed it more and more. The aether was displaced by this pressure and settled on the edge of the blade."

"Becoming darkness."

"Exact. If you learn to manipulate the aether properly, you might be able to use this technique too."

Shirei nodded, "Thanks for the advice."

Ada gave an embarrassed smile, which immediately disappeared when Havel pushed her in the direction of the entrance.

"Now that you have finished with your little lesson, let's go and finish the preparations. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

The group returned inside the villa to organize the next day. When they were ready, they said goodnight at the entrance and Shirei called his tenebrae to stand guard.

"May the divine Tefine give you rest" they recited solemnly, before parting.

Shirei had no trouble sleeping, despite thoughts of Rutia's daughter's demonstration. He woke up early, before Havel and Ada, with the intention of arguing with Reno.

Eventually, he became distracted by trying to control the aether and condense it into darkness. While waiting for his companions to wake up, Shirei couldn't help but also think about the letter he had written the previous day. He hoped that Marina would respond soon, offering him news regarding the situation of the park and Dalia. 

"No, that's not my main concern."

For now, he had to focus on the mission. The faults posed a threat and had to be closed at all costs.

Havel tried to take him by surprise with a pat on the back but, at the last minute, Cragar's son stepped aside.

The leader failed, so he simply said, "Good morning, newbie."

"Good morning, isn't Ada awake yet?"

"I'm awake!" The girl from upstairs replied.

"You have your answer. Rather, I lent you my phone for a reason."

"I've memorized the route."

Ada walked down the stairs and raised her thumb. "Great, let's go then." 

Havel stared at the short midnight-colored dress the girl was wearing. Her legs were covered by black leggings and, in the most vulnerable places, Ada wore pieces of light armor.

"Havel, do you need a coffee?" The demigoddess asked.

Sidal's son swallowed, then scolded Shirei, "You heard the vice-captain of the Equinox Flowers. Let's getout of here, rookie!"

The group left the villa, taking a moment to admire the scenery. The morning sun shone high in the sky, an auspicious sign. Shirei looked up at the sky, where the clouds moved slowly, as if the world was holding its breath along with him. 

"Are you ready?" He asked in a calm tone.

Havel nodded, ready to support his companions. "Let's do it."

Ada grabbed the arms of both of her companions, then turned to Shirei.

"Use your spectral travel."

Cragar's son took a deep breath. He looked at the two, finding comfort in their determined faces. 

"Whatever happens, never let go."

Then the shadows enveloped them and, in an instant, they were traveling through the Interworld.