Aodhán woke up the next morning feeling very refreshed despite the chaos of last night’s party. The semester had finally come to an end, and Aodhán was more than ready to go home.
He was a little worried about leaving Andrew behind, but there was nothing he could do about that, so he simply left a message on Andrew’s chip, wishing him a speedy recovery. Andrew would still have to do his exams before going home in a week’s time or two at most. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take too long, so they could all view their results at the same time.
Despite the thrill of anticipation that shot through him, Aodhán wasn’t really looking forward to seeing his results. The specific date it would be released wasn’t official yet, but Aodhán expected it to be released in the next two to three weeks.
One thing he was certain of was that he couldn’t fail. Not after all the extra points he’d gained here and there, but everything within the academy was a competition, and the examination results were no exception.
No, failure wasn’t what Aodhán was worried about. He was sure he would pass, but would he pass in flying colors or just normal colors, or even no colors? The second half of the semester had been a turbulent one for him as he had been missing classes left and right, and had the changeling hunt in sector 7 not been so fortunate, he was certain he would have missed even more.
Sighing, he lay on the bed with his eyes closed, humming and waiting for the first rays of sunlight before jumping to his feet. The fact that there would be no gym exercises for the next three weeks filled him with joy, so much so that he sent a mental ‘fuck you’ to Coach Harvey to celebrate the moment.
However, the fact that it was the last day of school didn’t mean there was nothing to do. In fact, his entire day was packed, and so, without wasting time, Aodhán moved to his training room and took up a meditative pose at the center.
He spent about ten minutes settling his mind before moving on to the activities he has planned for the rest of the day. Picking up from where he left off a few days ago, Aodhán opened up his spirit to the origin plane of storm, and as chaos rushed in, he began expanding the bundle of essence threads connected to his nostrils and mouth.
So far, he had completed both his eyes and ears and was nearly halfway done with his nostrils. The expanding process had become a little easier, and although it still took up nearly all his attention, Aodhán could now devote a little of his attention to other things, like Varéc’s incessant growling within his spirit.
Varéc's excitement bled into his own, and although Aodhán could feel his emotional state rise, he remained unaffected, thanks to {Eye of the Storm}, which basically eliminated the usefulness of the Empathic Link technique. In fact, {Eye of the Storm} was far better than the technique because he didn’t have to shut himself off from Varéc to maintain his sanity, nor did he have to constantly keep tabs on his psychic link.
The passive skill took care of all that. He could simply watch the rising emotions from his bastion of calm and harness the chaotic emotions whenever he felt like it.
The feeling of control he felt in that moment was so strong that Aodhán almost felt giddy. For a long time now he had stressed and worried about the matter of controlling both his and Varéc’s emotions, but now he could do so with ease. It felt very liberating.
One thing still bothered him, though, and that was the ability to infuse the effects of {Eye of the Storm} into other skills. From the reports agent Kaelith had gathered for principal Zatya, it seemed that the rain had infused sleepers with a brief moment of enhanced perception and clarity.
Agent Kaelith had concluded that the skill had been too weak to affect awakened individuals, but then, Aodhán hadn’t infused the skill with any buff either. What would happen if he infused the skill with his seal, willpower, chaos, or all three at once? Needless to say, Aodhán had been unable to stop thinking about it, despite trying his hardest not to.
There were so many options and so many ways he could utilize the skill that the results he would come up with would be nigh endless. However, there was a reason why he had restrained himself from dwelling too much on the skill’s possible effects, and that was because he couldn’t test the skill on humans yet.
Granted, without any buffs, the skill was considered harmless to humans, but would that still hold true when he infused a whole seal or his willpower into the skill? Would it still be harmless then, or would it drive people mad?
Principal Zatya had suggested carrying out a ‘discreet’ test, but Aodhán was hesitant, knowing exactly what she meant by discreet. One way or the other, he had to test out the effects and limits of the skill. How he would do that was what he wasn’t quite sure of yet.
While he meditated, a rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, and at first, Aodhán dismissed the sound as his mind playing tricks on him. However, when the sound came again, Aodhán’s eyes snapped open, and he rushed out of the training room to look up at the sky—a sky that was roiling with dark clouds.
A bark of excited laughter erupted from his lips, and he immediately rushed up to the roof, laughing as the wind picked up and another rumble of thunder echoed out. Rain had finally come after nearly six months of clear blue skies, and Aodhán was far from the only one celebrating its arrival.
People filled the streets, cheering and congratulating each other on the end of the dry season. Water and wind awakeneds dotted the rooftops, meditating in preparation for the rain that was about to descend, but more than that, the first rain of the year was a sign of good tidings, especially for the farmers who’d had to water their plants daily for the past six months.
The dry season was over, and the season of natural greenery had come. In every sector of Ragnarok, cheers echoed through the streets, but the loud sound was nothing compared to the noise in Aodhán’s mind as Varéc roared in excitement.
This was the first natural gathering of storm clouds Aodhán had seen since he arrived in ?FLYM, and it was glorious. Storms back on earth had been beautiful and fearsome, but this one was more. It roiled and thundered, generating a ton of storm and lightning essence that grew denser with each passing second.
Aodhán watched the gathering storm through the metaphorical lenses of his understanding, not just as a natural phenomenon but as something he could create and even manipulate.
He watched from his rooftop, eyes glued to the storm gathering above. It covered the sky nearly as far as his eyes could see, but Aodhán could tell that it was far from ready. It was gathering momentum very quickly, though, and before long, even the horizons were covered in roiling black clouds.
It was absolutely beautiful, and at this point, the air was filled with so much storm essence that Aodhán could nearly taste it. Still, the storm wasn’t ready. It kept gathering momentum, growing fiercer and darker with each passing second.
Winds blew strongly, throwing a myriad of stuff into the air and blowing Aodhán’s hair into his eyes, causing them to twitch as tiny arcs of electricity touched them.
Aodhán left his eyes open, though unfazed by the howling winds. Instead, he listened to their song as they howled around him, urging him to take to the skies. Harnessing the chaotic swirl of excitement that was his emotional pool, Aodhán created a storm platform and began floating up to the sky.
The winds buffeted him, swirling around him to caress the storm scarf around his neck. Varéc roared in jealousy, and Aodhán finally let him out, watching as he shot towards the roiling storm like a bullet, roaring along with the rumbles of thunder.
Aodhán felt the urge to do the same, but he restrained himself, choosing to watch the storm grow from the outside. He rose into the sky slowly, his fingers itching, as he fought against the urge to take control of the storm and amplify it.
Aside from the fact that such a feat would completely drain him of energy and willpower for very little result, it would also be wrong of him to manipulate this rain. It was the first rain of the year, an event the people of Ragnarok attached a lot of significance to.
Manipulating the rain was a sacrilege. However, despite knowing all this, Aodhán couldn’t help himself. His fingers twitched uncontrollably, and his skills sang to him, or maybe it was the wind, filling his mind and ears with enticing urgings.
Unable to take it anymore, Aodhán raised a hand to the sky, and for the first time since the origin breach, he connected his mind to the physical manifestation of his element, not to control it or amplify it, but to feel it.
Thunder boomed in his mind as his perspective suddenly shifted. He was still floating below the storm, but he felt it more keenly than ever before. The undirected fury that roared within it, the searing sharpness of lightning, the howling of winds, the deafening cracks of thunder, but most of all, the gathering momentum that pushed the storm clouds closer and closer to their breaking point—a point at which they would burst and unleash rain on the earth below.
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Experiencing the storm in this manner filled Aodhán’s mind with bits of understanding and insight. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it reinforced his understanding of the storm, buttressed it, and even answered many of his unasked questions.
Smiling, Aodhán flew higher and higher, and as the density of storm essence increased, the more insight he gained. A feeling of belonging soon enveloped him, and when he finally entered the roiling storm, Aodhán was certain he had never felt more at peace.
It felt as if he was within the origin plane of Storm, except this time, there were no whispers of chaos nor all-encompassing consciousness ready to tear his mind to pieces.
The storm encompassed him, both mentally and physically, with an essence density so high it was nearly overwhelming. Aodhán didn’t bother trying to find the eye of the storm. He was the eye, the bastion of peace in this sea of chaos and violence.
Things became far more interesting when the storm cloud finally ruptured, unleashing a torrential downpour that cascaded towards the earth with a deafening roar of thunder. Unable to contain his excitement, Aodhán let out a whoop, his voice booming with the same raw intensity as the storm itself.
Rain poured all around him, and Aodhán realized that without the taint and whispers of chaos, this was exactly how the origin plane felt, although it operated at a much higher density of energy.
He watched the storm closely, moving in and out of it, unbothered by the rain that quickly drenched him to the bone. It was absolutely exhilarating, and from the emotions streaming into his mind through their psychic link, Aodhán could tell that Varéc was enjoying himself too.
The downpour lasted nearly four hours before subsiding, and in all that time, Aodhán had simply gilded through the storm, gathering bits and pieces of insights and merging them together to form the building blocks for his next seal.
Aodhán floated around the clouds for a while longer, and it wasn’t until the storm clouds began to disperse that he finally descended. He returned to the roof of house 14 and quickly settled into a meditative pose, eager to condense all the insights he had gained into a whole before he lost them.
Most of the insights he had gained simply affirmed the knowledge he already had and took his understanding to the next level, while others simply deepened his understanding of the origin plane and how it was linked to his spirit through the opening.
Despite how minor some of the gains seemed, Aodhán was extremely grateful for them as they had saved him weeks of reading and meditation. All of his insights crystallized into something tangible nearly an hour later, and Aodhán grinned as a new skill was added to his status screen.
{Surging Momentum}: Allows you to absorb, store, and release momentum or force at will. 2% of every strike, impact, or attack is captured and stored as pure kinetic energy, which can be later released in devastating bursts for attacks, mobility, or utility.
This skill can only store a finite amount of force and momentum. A system cap is enforced when it is considered full. Aodhán read through the skill’s description, fascinated with its tie to the gathering momentum he had witnessed within the storm.
The skill was a seemingly average skill, considering how little it could absorb from an attack, but Aodhán suspected that the skill’s capacity would only increase with time.
There was no indication that the skill was a class scaling skill, but if it was, then it was a very good skill. Also, the skill’s storage cap wasn’t indicated, but that was something he could always test out on his own or simply find out during a training session with Daruk.
He studied the skill for a while, wondering just how well it would work with his Berserk perk. He hadn’t really gotten the chance to use the perk ever since he got {Eye of the Storm}, and he wondered what effect that would have on him.
Sighing, Aodhán realized that what he really needed was time to figure out the synergy between his skills and perks and how well they complemented each other. There was still a lot he didn’t know about his abilities, but hopefully, he would be able to dedicate some time to it during the break.
Varéc returned a moment later, growling and gliding in excitement as a cloud of storm essence drifted off him. Aodhán chuckled and caressed his snout. “I had a great time too, and we gained a skill from it. We should test it out as soon as we get home.”
Varéc growled in agreement, and before long he returned to Aodhán’s spirit, curling up contentedly to sleep as if he hadn’t slept for days. Aodhán understood how his familiar felt.
Gliding in and out of the storm had filled them both with so much contentment that Aodhán himself began thinking of taking a nap too.
Alas, the world was cruel, and just as he lay down to take a nap right where he was, the familiar sense of Principal Zatya’s spiritual attention suddenly descended on him. It passed over him like a cloud of mist, causing him to groan in frustration.
With a sigh, Aodhán stood to his feet and began making his way to the principal’s office. On his way there, he saw a lot of his classmates making their way to the academy gates in preparation to leave for the holidays.
He waved goodbye to the ones he was familiar with and even stayed a while with the Urdanias, chatting with them as they prepared to return to Calodan.
When he reached principal Zatya’s office, he pushed the door open and said,. “I was going to come say goodbye before I left. You didn’t have to summon me.”
Ignoring his words, Principal Zatya looked up from the document she was reading and smiled. “I see you’ve gained another skill. Your spiritual cultivation is as astounding as always.”
“Thank you.” Aodhán replied with a smile, feeling a little proud of himself, but the expression soon turned sour, and he frowned. “I really hope you didn’t call me here to give me another mission.”
“No. On the contrary, I called you here to instruct you to lay low for the duration of the break. Your announcement of your status as an inheritor, and even more recently, ‘your miracle rain,’ are still hot topics outside the academy. The press will hound you, and some may have even staked your house by now, but I trust you can handle them.”
“I can.” Aodhán replied confidently. Things were different this time. He had gained a lot of experience during the midterm break and was now better prepared to deal with the press if they came knocking.
Still, he could never be too careful, so he asked. “What other advice do you have for me?”
Principal Zatya seemed surprised that he had asked, but she soon launched into a detailed explanation of what to do and what to avoid. In summary, he was to stay indoors for the duration of the break, only coming out to attend the events he’d been invited to before returning straight back.
Aodhán nodded. He could do that. He had nowhere to go after all; besides, staying indoors for three weeks would give him more than enough time to really delve into his runic practice and experiments.
“Lastly, don’t do anything groundbreaking until you return to the academy. If you need a holding chamber, you know who to call, and—
“I think I’ve got it.” Aodhán quickly interjected. “Thank you for the advice. I’ll try not to do anything groundbreaking.” “I mean it, Aodhán.” Principal Zatya’s eyes narrowed, and she glared at him. “I’m still dealing with the consequences of your previous actions. Do not add to it.”
Aodhán hesitated. Could he really promise that? Could he even promise anything? Still, staying indoors all day didn’t seem like such a hard thing to do. He also had nothing major planned, so maybe things would really work out this time. All he had to do was stay indoors. What disaster could possibly happen if he simply stayed indoors?
His meeting with Principal Zatya soon ended, and he made his way back home to begin packing. On his way back he texted Daruk and Yurin, who had already packed their things and were heading towards the cafeteria for a quick lunch before going home.
After his discussion with Daruk and Yurin ended, Aodhán did a mental tally of the events he had planned for the break. There were only four of them, which wasn’t so bad for a three-week break. That also meant he only had to step out of the house four times in the next three weeks. Chuckling, Aodhán nodded to himself. He could do this. When he got back to his room, Aodhán packed all his stuff and began arranging them neatly within his spatial storage.
Touching the faux necklace brought back memories of the original, and Aodhán grimaced when the memories came back cold and untainted by any emotions. It was to be expected since he had placed his memories of the necklace within the veil along with all his other secrets. Perhaps it was time to unearth the original from where he had hidden it.
He had been wearing this facsimile for a while now and was yet to be accosted or ambushed by anyone. A dry laugh escaped his lips, and Aodhán concluded that he must have been overly paranoid about the whole thing.
A ding sounded in his mind, and Aodhán opened Daruk’s message. “We are ready to go. Where are you?”
“On my way.” Aodhán quickly replied and shoved the rest of his things into his spatial necklace haphazardly. He was grabbing the last of his textbooks when a very complex rune suddenly manifested itself outside his room. It shined brightly for a moment, and then the blazing energies of a familiar core revealed themselves.
Aodhán rushed towards the window and opened it to reveal a holographic image of a beautiful woman with platinum blonde hair and golden skin. The woman was dressed completely in animal furs, and when she saw him, she smiled. “I’m sorry, I’m not here in person, but the aerial shields around your school are not so easy to crack.”
The woman was Geneva Ryntharion, the Witch of Selia, and Aodhán was just so shocked to see her standing in front of his room that all coherent thoughts deserted him for a moment.
He stuttered. “You… you’re not really here. How can I sense your core?”
The words tumbled out of his mouth incoherently, but Geneva didn’t seem to mind at all.
“You can sense my core because I’m projecting it, but I’m quite a distance—” the screen went blank for a moment before Geneva reappeared. “Never mind, I’m now at the tea shop just opposite the 5th academy.”
“What…how…why are you here?”
“I’m here because I need a partner for a series of missions, and I was wondering if you would like to join me.”
“What? Me? W—”
“Too many questions.” Geneva raised a hand to cut him short. “I don’t need questions, Aodhán; I need answers, and I need a partner. Yes or no.”
“Yes.” Aodhán replied immediately, his entire body buzzing with excitement. Going on a mission with Geneva was an opportunity of a lifetime. He would be a fool to reject it.
Geneva smiled. “Good. We are going cultist hunting. Meet at the tea shop in twenty minutes. We don’t have time to waste.”
The holographic darkened once more, and Aodhán let out a silent scream as excitement rumbled through him. The cultists Geneva was referring to were obviously the Children of the Watch, and the fact that he would be hunting them down filled him with a heady thrill of anticipation.
The first thing he did was tell Daruk and Yurin, both of whom were excited for him. He texted Unrid next and then drafted a brief letter to Synové, informing her that he wouldn’t be coming home for the holidays any longer. Throwing the letter into his spatial storage to be posted later, Aodhán rushed out of his room and raced towards the gate in a blur. He reached the tea shop with eight minutes to spare, and with a wide grin, he stepped into the building, his promise to stay indoors for the duration of the break all but forgotten.
It was time to put the fear of Raol into the children of the watch, and Aodhán couldn’t wait to begin.
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