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Chapter 24 - Painful Return
🕑 Added 2025-01-16 04:12:52 +0000 UTC“Do you have any preference in materials?” Valeria asked, still not taking her eyes off the stone.
“Mmh? Oh, yeah, just…” Nova had to step out of his thoughts, at least with one foot. “Whatever can be used for smithing and infusing. The higher the quality, the better.”
"Great!" She finally looked up from the stone. "We can arrange for you to pick it all up here tomorrow."
"Yeah, sounds good." Nova turned abruptly and strode toward the door.
"Uh, sir?" Valeria's voice rose with sudden alarm. "You don't want to keep your soul?"
Nova paused at the doorway, not bothering to turn around. "Oh... You keep it. Put that name on the line. I trust you."
And with that, he was back in the hallway, finding his way back down the stairs. He nearly stormed past the two counters, throwing a glance at Eliana, which caused her to lean back against the wall with fearful eyes.
‘Maybe I should apologize to her tomorrow… But now it’s time to go back home. Please let everything be fine!’
Nova reached the top of the cliff in seconds, landing softly on the familiar stone wall. He saw the children listlessly playing in the courtyard. Something about the scene made his blood run cold.
‘Something’s wrong… Bandages?’
Four of the children had white strips of cloth wrapped around either arms or heads. One bandage was stained red, with blood seeping through the fabric. Then he noticed the scattered stones in the narrow hallway—stones that shouldn't be there.
He jumped down to the ground, looking for someone he could ask. “Iver… What happened here?”
A young boy turned away from the simple drawing he had made on the ground and stared at Nova with wide eyes. “Nova? Nova!”
The courtyard froze. Every child turned toward his voice. Then they surged forward as one, surrounding him in a tide of small bodies and eager voices. Their cheers filled the air as they pressed close, seeking comfort in his presence.
The joy in their faces calmed Nova slightly, but he knew something was terribly wrong. "Okay, everyone, please sit down!"
As soon as his voice was heard, they all started sitting where they stood, looking at him expectantly. But in their eager eyes, Nova could see pain. He could see an eagerness for distraction, for another one of his stories to bring them someplace else.
“Iver, what happened here? Why are some of you hurt?”
“... A loud bang while we sleeped. Made the roof fall, and…” Iver bit his lips together, looking down at the ground. “Paula, Kovu, and Millie are gone now…”
The other children lowered their heads, all sharing the grief of what happened.
"Gone?" The word felt like ice in Nova's throat. He knew well what that meant, or at least what it meant for the kids. They weren’t there anymore. They had disappeared from the Garden.
Nova walked past the seated children toward the pile of rocks. The destruction became clearer with each step—the shattered roof, the crumbling walls, and there in the floor, a small crater. Right where Millie used to sleep.
"... What..." His legs threatened to give way as the reality hit him. His heart hammered against his ribs, jaw clenched so tight it hurt. "... What have I done?"
Larena sat in her office, absently reading through a document for the fifth time. And still, none of the information stuck. Her eyes were heavy after another sleepless night, but there was little she could do about it. Images haunted her whenever she closed them.
‘... I could have saved her… If I hadn’t been so focused on Millie, I could have saved the girl that fell in the water…’
The pale, lifeless body she dragged up to the slippery rocks refused to leave her mind. Still with a hint of warmth, but already too far gone. And she was so light, so feeble in her hands.
The office door burst open. Cold air rushed in, bringing with it a presence that made her blood freeze. The young, white-haired child had the presence of death itself as his eyes stared at her.
“What happened?” His voice came out rough, barely controlled.
“Nova! Thank the gods you’re here!” Larena burst out of her chair, but was unsure if she should approach him. Her instincts advised her against it. “Millie had an accident, and… two children died.”
"... Kovu and Paula..." The deadly aura faded with each step as Nova approached. "It's not your fault, Larena. It's mine."
"No, I could have..." She gripped the edge of her desk. "I think I could have saved the girl if I had thought clearly. But the boy, he..."
Nova reached the carpet by her desk and simply lay down, staring up at the ceiling. "Millie was my responsibility. I'm her teacher." His small voice carried a deep, almost tangible regret. "I gave her the building blocks of destruction, not expecting her to understand them... An incredible talent, now gone because of my mistake…"
Larena shook her head quickly. “No, Millie survived.”
"What?! She was taken?" Nova shot upright.
"No, I..." Larena twisted her hands together. "I expected her to be discovered after the accident, so I flew her to the church. They accept anyone with talent and, if nothing else, will keep her safe."
Nova's body went limp with relief, leaning back on the floor with an audible thud. "Thank god... I heard about the church finding a mythical trait. That's why I… Thank god..." He pressed his forearm over his eyes, hiding whatever emotions played across his face.
Larena felt the gratitude and relief in his voice and smiled. Saving her had been worth the risk. "... I don't know how much you know about the church. They won't hand her over to you willingly. Although I... told them they should. If you ask for her."
"I understand. It might be fine to leave her there for a while." Nova's voice grew tight. "But that depends on how she's doing. After such an accident, I should really be there for her. Otherwise..."
“... They’re not known for being understanding and caring. And a childhood trauma like that would only get worse if left alone. I think it would be better for her to get out of there.”
Nova fell silent, only a heavy sigh escaping his lips.
Larena watched him lying there, feeling an odd urge to join him on the floor. Seeing him had lessened the weight on her shoulders considerably. “... Do you want me to tell you what happened?”
"No..." Nova kept his arm over his eyes. "I understood it from the chamber. Millie caused an explosion of essence, which collapsed the outer wall and roof. Kovu was sleeping close to her, hit by most of the force. Paula slept close to the outer wall and fell..." His voice grew hollow. "And the others were hurt by the falling rocks and explosion. Only losing two of them is almost a miracle in itself."
“... Do you mind if I lay down next to you?”
“Not at all. It’s your office.”
Larena moved around her desk and lowered herself to the carpet beside Nova. The soft fabric felt surprisingly comfortable, and the ceiling seemed oddly peaceful from this angle. A faint scent of old wine spread as she disturbed the many threads. Perhaps she wasn’t the only captain tempted to drink on this job.
"How hard will it be to get inside the church?" Nova asked after a moment.
"Very." Larena turned her head slightly. "What have churches been like in your other lives?"
“Oh, mostly giant organizations that build temples to worship their god. Only once or twice was there ever any evidence that their gods were real, but that didn’t stop them. And usually, there would be many different churches around the world, worshipping separate gods.”
"Hmm..." Larena folded her hands over her stomach. "In this world, the church is a global organization, and the only notable one. They worship the God of Order, who created the system. Because of that, they have special privileges and abilities. Very few people will willingly act against the church.”
"It's at such a level?" Nova shifted slightly. "What sort of abilities do they have?"
"Well, soul reading is one—they have tools to check anyone's soul stats." Larena counted off on her fingers. "Everyone gets a free reading when they complete their soul, which also works as recruitment. Then there's the ability to purify souls, which is extremely valuable. It reduces Soul Power if the soul is dead, but it's more than worth it."
"Wow, that would be useful." Nova's voice brightened with interest. "Based on what I've discovered, purity affects all kinds of stuff."
"Yeah, it's like free money for them." Larena nodded. "They can buy impure souls and sell purified ones for more than double the price. But it does require work. Then there are the soul-guiders, which ensure a soul stays in the family after death."
"Oh, right, I heard about that." Nova stared up at the ceiling. "But it's expensive, so only for rich people."
“Yeah, keeping it running takes resources. It can’t be helped." Larena shifted her shoulders against the carpet, feeling her armor dig uncomfortably into her spine. "The final special ability is probably the most powerful one. They can create spaces where the system no longer works, making all skills and traits worthless. The cathedral is such a place.”
"Hah!" Nova's laugh held genuine amusement. "I would love to see their faces after trying that on me. I’m not denying that your system is useful, but I’d be like a fish back in water."
Larena smiled. “Hmm, that would be fun to see. You still have your essence and aspects, which are the base abilities in the world.”
“Base, as in, they were here before the system?”
“Yeah. The system adds a lot of convenience, and then you have the whole trait and looting system. Magical items also lose their power in those areas.”
"I am very excited to start learning about those. Tomorrow, maybe." His tone had turned somber again, but then it lightened. "Oh, right, I already earned enough souls for the month."
“Already? How?!”
“I took your advice and went to the outlands.”
“But you just left! How…” Memories of the day before, where every guard and able combatant had been called to the walls to prepare for a disastrous attack, returned to her. "... You didn't mess with a certain mountain, did you?"
"Killed his son." Nova stated it like he was discussing the weather.
"Yeah... yeah, you would." Larena shook her head in wonder. "I get the sense that nothing is impossible for you."
“Well, I obviously have my limits… Do you know of any cloning spells?”
“Cloning? I don’t think there is one.”
“... Guess I’ll have to give myself to the church, then.”
"What?" Larena pushed herself up on her elbows. "That sounds like a terrible idea!"
"Millie needs me," Nova said quietly, but his voice carried an iron certainty that made further argument pointless.
Comments
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
