MaeveMcCarthy
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Chapter XLII
🕑 Added 2023-11-24 17:56:35 +0000 UTCIn the dimly lit corridor of the monastery, where the shadows clung to the stone walls like silent sentinels, Lucien's eyes were wide with disbelief as he confronted the young girl. The faint flicker of torchlight cast an eerie glow over his face, highlighting his shock and fear.
Lily, caught using Death Magic to break into Hadrian's room, felt a cold knot of dread in her stomach. The monastery's usual tranquility was shattered by the thunderous thumping of her heart.
The fear that gripped Lily was not just of being caught but of the unknown consequences of her actions. Lucien, who had betrayed her trust earlier that very day by reporting her meditation, was now standing before her, his expression not of anger but sheer terror.
He seemed almost unaware of her presence, his thoughts pouring out in a disordered rush. "When did you learn this? Where?" Lucien’s gaze flickered nervously around the dark corridor as if he expected the shadows to come alive.
Confusion held Lily tightly as Lucien's ramblings grew more erratic. "This doesn't have to be... We can... can hide it. Yes, hide it. You don't see, you don't see the danger, the danger you're in."
His urgency felt out of place in the usually calm and ordered environment of the monastery. The [Monk] looked deranged, borderline psychotic. His tan skin and white teeth weren’t those of a friend anymore but a sly hunter.
“I know the danger I’m in,” Lily rebuked.
Lucien's response was a muddled mess of paranoia and fear. "No one must know, the ones in the shadows, the hunters, the... the keepers of secrets. Can't let them... know. Mustn't."
His disjointed words sent a chill down Lily's spine. Lucien's fear seemed almost irrational, his speech a tangled web of half-thoughts and incomplete sentences.
Lily, struggling to make sense of his words, pressed further. "Lucien, who are you talking about? What are you even saying? Are you losing your mind?”
He shook his head wildly, a gesture that seemed to convey a mix of fear, confusion, and a plea for silence. "Not here, not now. Walls have ears, shadows have eyes. We must hide it, your power... for safety, yes, safety."
The corridor, with its torchlit stones and looming shadows, felt increasingly claustrophobic. Lucien's words, though fragmented and nonsensical, hinted at a paranoia that went far beyond mere caution.
His eyes, wide and unblinking, bore into hers. "Come, we must go. You must leave immediately. I can keep you safe. No one must know. No one.”
Lily stood firm against Lucien's frenzied state. His panic manifested in his wide, unsteady eyes and a quivering voice, only deepened her sense of repulsion. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she declared, her voice echoing with a steely resolve that sliced through the thick tension.
Lucien, his face a mask of desperation, stepped closer, his voice rising to a near-shriek. "You don't understand the gravity of what you've done, Lily. You might have just foolishly thrown your life away!"
But Lily, her expression set in a determined scowl, countered his hysteria with calm certainty. "No, Lucien. It's you who doesn't understand. I've just begun to live truly. I must go to Hadrian. I can help him."
The air grew colder as Lucien's warning took on a sinister edge. "If anyone learns about your Death Magic, the consequences will be catastrophic. Not just for you but for your entire family and for this monastery. Think of the lives you could be ruining!"
Lily's eyes hardened, her stance unwavering as she faced Lucien's alarmist claims. "Your agitation changes nothing. My family will remain uninvolved, as will the monastery. I refuse to cower in fear—especially when I know I can help."
As she reached for Hadrian's door, Lucien's voice became disturbingly calm, his threat delivered with a frosty clarity. "Make no mistake, Lily. If you don’t come with me, I will report you to the Church myself. Believe it or not, I am doing this for your sake."
Pausing briefly, Lily's hand hovered on the doorknob, the weight of Lucien's threat hanging in the air – a palpable reminder of the perilous path she was choosing. Yet, her face showed no sign of doubt, only the unyielding strength of her conviction. With a resolute turn of her wrist, she opened the door to Hadrian's room, stepping over its threshold.
In that moment of uncertainty, Lily felt herself being gently pushed out to the corridor – soon, Marcus’s hulking form emerged from within. Lily's heart skipped a beat, her thoughts instantly turning to Hadrian, the ailing [Monk], whose fate now seemed even more precarious because of her. Upon seeing Marcus, she felt a sinking sensation, fearing that this might have been the end of her chance to use her newfound skills to save Hadrian.
Lucien, equally startled by Marcus's sudden appearance, quickly shifted from panic to a kind of desperate hope. He seemed to believe that together, they could dissuade Lily from her dangerous path.
Marcus's gaze swept from Lily to Lucien, his expression unreadable. Then, to everyone's surprise, he addressed Lily, his voice firm yet devoid of hostility. "Enter the room, Lily."
For a moment, Lily stood frozen, a mix of confusion and fear churning inside her. Lucien, on the other hand, immediately erupted in protest, his voice tinged with panic. "No! You can't let her in there. She might use Death Magic again and do something reckless!"
Marcus turned his head to Lucien slightly and nodded slowly – an acknowledgment that carried a depth of understanding. "I am aware of the risks," he said calmly.
His simple statement, riddled with unspoken implications, hung in the air. Lily, still grappling with the shock of the situation, hesitated for only a moment before stepping past Marcus and into Hadrian's room.
Lily’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion and urgency as she swiftly entered Hadrian's room. Behind her, Lucien's shouts of anger and threats echoed through the corridor, his voice strained with desperation. She could hear snippets of his heated conversation with Marcus, his words laced with panic. "You'll be complicit in this, Marcus! I'll tell the Church everything. They'll come for you too!" Lucien's voice was frantic.
Marcus's response was a calm, steady attempt to de-escalate, his voice barely reaching Lily's ears. "Lucien, you need to understand the gravity of the situation. We can find a way to..."
“No! No! We must keep her safe, Marcus! We must keep her safe! I already lost everything; we can’t lose her as well! Not like this!”
“Lucien, shadows take me, calm down. Aurora is not a toddler. She can decide for herself and—”
“What?! She can’t decide for herself! And neither can you, Marcus! You either do as I say, or I will immediately send for the [Pope] and—”
But Lucien's retort was cut off mid-sentence. It was an abrupt end that sent a shiver down Lily's spine. The corridor fell into a bleak, ominous silence, broken only by the faint sound of something heavy hitting the floor.
As Lily's heart raced, a thin trail of blood began to seep under the door, inching its way into the room. The sight sent a wave of unease through her, heightening the already tense atmosphere.
Moments later, Marcus stepped into the room, his hand stained with blood, but his expression was unnervingly calm and collected. He closed the door behind him. "Proceed, Aurora," he said, his voice steady, betraying no sign of the conflict that had just occurred. "We'll discuss this later. Hadrian doesn't have much time."
His words, though meant to reassure, did little to ease the knot of tension in Lily's stomach. With a deep breath, she focused on Hadrian.
She turned her gaze to the bed where Hadrian lay. His skin was deathly pale, and his monk's robe was open at the chest, revealing blackened veins that traced a path over his skin, marking the location of his lungs.
She knew she had to act fast.
She went over to the bed and extended her hand above him, exhaling.
[Lesser Mandala of Eradication]
[Death Touch]
Her fingers trembled slightly, but not from fear, rather from the stakes at hand. The room seemed to hold its breath as she concentrated, visualizing the dark orchid Mandala she had crafted earlier.
As her hands gently touched Hadrian, Lily allowed the dark Mana to flow. She envisioned the outer petals of the Mandala sending out pulsating waves, targeting the bacterial infection ravaging Hadrian's body. The air around her hands shimmered with an unseen force, and she could sense the bacteria beginning to rupture and dissolve, becoming harmless to the surrounding healthy cells.
Next, she focused on the inner petals, channeling them to resonate at a frequency designed to disrupt the viral replication process. She imagined the viruses within Hadrian becoming inert.
Last but not least, Lily concentrated on the core of the Mandala, emitting a faint vibration that sought out the toxins in Hadrian's system. For the briefest moment, it was as if she could almost see the toxins binding to the vibrational energy, rendering them harmless and dissolving them into nothingness.
She didn’t know what the issue at hand was, but she could leave no stone unturned.
Throughout the process, Lily's mind remained razor-sharp. She was aware of every minute change in Hadrian's condition and adjusted her magic accordingly. It was a delicate balance, using Death Magic not to harm but to heal... still, Lily handled it without a problem.
Slowly, the black veins on Hadrian's skin began to recede, his complexion gradually returning to a more natural color. His breathing, which had been shallow and labored, started to deepen and even out.
As Lily withdrew her hands, she almost fell over from how little Mana was left in her.
I did it!
“I—I think I did it,” Lily said, turning to a scrutinizing Marcus, who just nodded in reply.
And she hadn’t just done it...
[*Ding!*Skill - Minor Death Touch level 3!]
[*Ding!*Skill - Minor Death Touch level 4!]
[*Ding!*Skill - Minor Death Touch level 5!]
[*Ding!*Skill - Minor Death Touch level 6!]
[*Ding!*Skill – Death Magic level 2!]
[*Ding!*Skill – Death Magic level 3!]
That was just the beginning.
[*Ding!*Skill - Mana Sense level 14!]
...
[*Ding!*Skill - Mana Sense level 53!]
[*Ding!*Skill - Mana Sense level 54!]
[*Ding!*Skill - Mana Shaping level 6!]
...
[*Ding!*Skill - Mana Shaping level 33!]
[*Ding!*Skill - Mana Shaping level 34!]
Lily was beyond excited as her Mana-related skills regained all their levels, and she held her breath as she waited for [Minor Healing] and all the Light Magic ones to reappear... However, that did not happen.
Why? Lily felt her heart clench, waiting for the angry part of her to shout at her again. But surprisingly enough, there was a placid silence in her mind.
I still can’t use Light Magic, Lily sighed.
...
Hadrian woke up abruptly, his eyes snapping open as he gasped for air. He looked around wildly, his gaze darting across the room in disbelief. "I'm... I'm alive?" he spluttered, his voice a mix of wonder and incredulity.
Then, his eyes found Marcus standing silently at the other end of the room and Lily, who was at his bedside. A look of realization and terror dawned on his face as he looked at the girl. Immediately after, he snatched Lily’s hands and examined her palms as he muttered curses under his breath. Finding nothing amiss, he let her go and exhaled deeply, a wave of relief washing over him as he let himself fall back onto the bed.
Lily and Marcus exchanged a look, confused about what had just transpired. "We need to talk," Hadrian said, his voice weak but firm. "There's a lot we need to share... a lot of information to trade."
...
The library was quiet, the first light of dawn casting long shadows between the towering bookshelves. Lily sat at one end of a large walnut table, her mind still processing the events of the night. She had learned from Marcus that Lucien was dead, a revelation that left her with a complex mix of emotions. Marcus hadn't given her a full explanation; he merely said that it was the right thing to do. Surprisingly, Lily felt more relief than guilt about Lucien's demise.
Hadrian, now alone with Lily, had ensured the library was devoid of others. His movements were slow and deliberate as he made tea, bringing it to the walnut table where Lily sat.
“Idiotic kids doing idiotic things,” he muttered under his breath as he placed a cup of tea in front of her.
“What did you say?” Lily asked.
“Thank you for saving my life, I said.” He let out a weary sigh and shook his head.
Before Lily could say anything, Hadrian, with an unexpected seriousness, dropped a bomb in her lap.
"I'm a [Librarian], little girl," he announced without a hint of fear or shame in his voice.
Lily's eyes widened in surprise.
“Yeah, the damn forbidden class,” he smiled.
Hadrian's sudden revelation left Lily momentarily speechless.
She had seen a [Librarian] burn on a pyre! And now, Hadrian had revealed his identity just like that. It was beyond shocking.
Lily leaned forward, keeping her voice down. "A [Librarian]?" she echoed, trying to reconcile this new information with the grumpy, albeit skilled, [Monk] she had come to know. "But why? How?"
As she heard her own words, she looked around, realizing that, perhaps, she had been more foolish than she had imagined.
Oh, darn it. He was obsessed with books and taught me a Lost Skill, and I didn’t even put two and two together!
Hadrian took a slow sip of his tea, his eyes meeting hers with a mixture of resignation and a hint of defiance. "It's a long story, one filled with choices and consequences. Not all of them good.”
The man’s revelation about his class as a [Librarian] and his connection to Lily's father, Lucianus, brought a new dimension to their already complicated relationship – but he was about to explain it all to the little girl.
"You tread on dangerous grounds, Aurora, now more than ever," Hadrian warned, his voice serious. "Your venture into Death Magic... what you did with it...”
Marcus had talked to them, briefly explaining to Hadrian what Lily had done, and she had confirmed his hypothesis. The [Librarian] had just listened, keeping his questions for their time alone.
“Your application of Death Magic is uncharted territory, even for me." He paused as if wanting to inquire further about her exploits, but then, he held back.
The library, silent and still in the early morning light, seemed to be a fitting backdrop for such clandestine confessions.
"Your father and I... we've had our share of dealings. Lucianus never asked for anything in return for one of the last great trades we made. Instead, he instructed me to offer you my assistance with anything you might need."
Lily listened intently, her mind racing to piece together the puzzle of her father's involvement.
"The [Seven Worlds of the Soul] skill... I gave it to you because it was what would benefit you the most at the time," Hadrian explained, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "But after that, you ran out of credit. Even Lucianus's secrets have their limits in what they can bargain for."
Lily, absorbing this new information, suddenly connected the dots. "Wait," she interjected, "if [Librarians] trade for everything, why didn't you ask for something in return for revealing your identity to me?"
Hadrian's lips curved into a faint, wry smile. "You’ve already paid, Aurora. Your payment was saving my life."
Lily's protest was heartfelt. "But you wouldn't have been in this state if it wasn't for me," she insisted, her voice tinged with guilt and determination. "It's because of what I did..."
Hadrian raised a hand to stop her, his expression grave yet understanding. "It's much more complicated than that, Aurora," he sighed. "What happened to me... it's not just about you."
She looked at him, puzzled, but the realization dawned on her eventually. "Oh, everything is a trade, right?" Lily murmured, a hint of curiosity creeping into her voice. She pursed her lips, deep in thought. “So, can I trade you for that knowledge?”
Hadrian snickered, a shadow of a smile crossing his lips at her understanding. "Even though you might know a lot about the healing arts, it's unlikely you have the specific knowledge I seek," he said. "However, that doesn't mean we can’t work out a minor deal. I have a vast repository of knowledge that could prove useful, especially if you plan to delve deeper into forbidden magic."
Lily's interest piqued, a glint of intrigue in her eyes. "A pity you can't tell me much if I can’t bargain for it," she smiled.
Hadrian's expression grew tired. "Yes, it is a pity—it’s just one of the many limits of my class. Knowledge never comes free of charge. Furthermore, the knowledge I possess could even significantly amplify your abilities."
At that moment, a mischievous smile crept onto Lily's face, and she leaned forward, her eyes locking with Hadrian's. "Then... what if I told you I could offer you knowledge from another world?" she asked, her voice steady and confident.
Comments
Erebus
Thanks for the chapter.
NethanielShade
Tyftc
BAAAB The Blood God
Thanks for this exiting chapter !
Beeees!
Finally an Ally she can trust through mutually assured destruction kinda
Isley
good chappie
Thx for chapter
phantom
Lucien was even more insane than thought. also what a waste of a perfectly good flex. One opinion is last chapter you could have just said Lucien's voice. The cliff would even still be there just without the wondering if it was actually him.
