And this is the last chapter for the major release. I hope these chapters live up to the expectations.
Anyways it's just a side note but would yall be interested in Aric's time living with Vayne? I can just make it like a lost chapter.
But don't worry, I am more than happy to scrape it. I value your inputs after all and it is what helps me to make better decisions.
See you tomorrow. (No posting on weekends)
Seraphina crossed her arms tightly over her chest,
"Prove it." she demanded abruptly,
Aric raised an eyebrow as he drank the cup of water, "What?"
"Prove to me that you're really Aric Lawson and not just…Vayne trying to deceive me."
Aric was startled by the bluntness of her request.
Well, it would've been too easy to just say, 'I'm really Aric you know.' Uh let's see, maybe we can just tell her how she looks?
Maybe I should tell her something only I would notice. Like how she always walks like the world owes her an apology but still manages to care more than anyone else.
Or maybe I just call her hot.
[No, that's stu—]
Shut up, Ivy!
"…I think you're beautiful?"
[Of course you still say it.]
Seraphina tilted her head, "Beautiful? That's your proof? That's as convincing as a drunkard's vow to change."
"Uh… I find you really beautiful?"
"Well…" Aric continued hastily, "During the month we stayed here, I couldn't stare at you for too long without feeling uncomfortable. Every time you looked at me, I'd shift awkwardly because… well, because I thought you were stunning."
Seraphina was still not convinced but she had a faint smile.
"I uh...like Dr House?"
Her expression softened and she put her hand over his hand.
"And what else? If you truly absorbed his essence, then you must remember everything he experienced including the very few times he has done something for me.."
Aric straightened slightly, meeting her gaze
"He made you a failed chocolate cake in December. It was a week after you both got married."
He paused briefly to take a sip of water before continuing, "He also tried to do some origami although it failed as well. In January."
"You must know what he wrote on the paper then."
"In times of darkness, I will be your light. In moments of doubt, I will be your anchor. And in the face of adversity, I will stand unwaveringly by your side, protecting what we hold dear. Together, we will forge a future brighter than any one of us could imagine alone."
"Seraphina Arkwright, you are my—"
Before he could finish, Seraphina moved swiftly to cover his mouth with her hand. Her shadow tendrils writhed visibly behind her, reflecting the turmoil within her as she struggled to maintain composure.
"Okay, okay. You really are Aric with all his memories. How do you even remember that? Just the first paragraph would've been enough!"
Aric had a muffled chuckled which Seraphina took her hand off mouth,
"I have hyperthymesia."
Seraphina looked confused, "A hyper... what now?"
"It's a condition where I remember nearly everything in perfect detail. Dates, conversations, events, the small details, it's all etched into my mind in clear memory."
Seraphina blinked rapidly, clearly unfamiliar with the term.
"So...it's like magic?"
"No...it's just a mental condition."
"Oh...is it treatable? Maybe my healing can help with that."
"No, you're born with it and pretty much just live with it your whole life. Even back on Earth, there's no way to cure it. Basically, I don't forget things easily. Good or bad."
Seraphina looked like she was deep in thought.
"Hmm...so, you remember every single thing to the last detail? Isn't that hard on you? I mean...you already had a tough life...then you came here and then you live as Vayne. That's like...2 lifetimes worth of experiences all in your head."
"I got used to it."
Seraphina could tell he was lying but she didn't want to stress the man.
"I see. I am glad...you're here. I..."
She started crying which made Aric immediately worried,
"Hey, hey. Why are you crying?"
She was rubbing her eyes while stuttering her words,
"Because...like...I thought I'd doom you forever. I thought...I made you stuck in death forever. I thought I gave you a fate worse than death. I was worried...I was so worried."
"I...I'm sorry for putting you through all of this."
Aric weakly hugged Seraphina which Seraphina leaned into him.
"I don't know why you're sorry but I will accept it if it makes you feel better. You didn't do anything wrong Seraphina. I was the one who didn't think of a better plan to defeat that demon. I pushed you to your limit didn't I?"
"Bringing someone from death...it must have been a powerful spell. I'm grateful that you never gave up on me...Thank you, Seraphina."
Seraphina wiped her tears away and calm herself down,
"Mmm...I'm just glad you're back, Aric. I am so glad."
Aric thanked her again and they both just stared at each other. Aric was blinking rapidly as if trying to think of a way to continue this conversation while Seraphina looked relieved.
"Ah, I have to ask. Who is that elf anyways? She looks scary. Also, why is Thorin here? When did he get here?"
Seraphina put her hands on her lap, "Well. That elf is Princess Lira. She was my teacher back at the academy and as far as I know, she is the best magic user in this world right now."
"At least in my opinion, she is the strongest and the fact that every race recognised her as such. She is also the heir to the throne for the next ruler of the elves."
"As for why they are here, I told them that you killed demons by yourself to basically the entire country and people have been very curious about you since. Thorin came with Lira so...maybe they have something going on or maybe they are just friends."
She winked at Aric and lowered her voice, "But my guess is that, they're partners."
Aric smiled and kept talking with Seraphina for a while. After they finished talking about Kayla's awakening, Aric asked an uncomfortable question.
"You said that...you told the news for basically the entire country and that must mean everyone has heard about it. Did...Callista come?"
As Seraphina was about to answer, she noticed Aric's hands were shivering.
"Yeah...she did come. Why?"
Aric's eyes looked fearful and angry at the same time, "I...see. What did she want?"
Seraphina stared at Aric and studied his body language.
His whole body is tense and his hands are still shivering...why is he scared of Callista all of a sudden? But...his eyes, they look angry. Aric is only angry when he is fighting.
What the hell did he saw to make this man scared of that woman?
She coughed to clear her throat, "Nothing much. Just business stuff. I will tell you all about it after you rest up."
"Anyways, now that you are awake, we can prepare to leave in a few days. We have finished rebuilding Ashwick for the most part and we have elected new leaders as well. I will call for them after you rest properly."
She clasped her hands together, "But really Aric, how do you feel? Are you okay? You have this new look and all. You went through inhuman levels of stress. Surely, something is going on isn't it?"
Aric opened his mouth but quickly shut it and thought in his head about what to say,
Should I really say what I experienced? But then...
[You don't have to, idiot. Just say to her that you're not ready yet and she will understand.]
[You don't have to, idiot. Just say to her that you're not ready yet, and she'll understand.]
Hmm.
Aric adjusted his posture before speaking.
"I'm okay. I'll tell you more when we're back… but for now? I'm just glad to be here. And to see you again."
He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Oh, and everyone else too. Of course. Haha…"
*****************************************************
Lira leaned her body against the wall alongside Thorin. They were in their own in the golden griffin as they planned to stay here and help them out.
"So." she began, "Don't you think that boy is a little too weak to have killed a demon?"
Thorin gave her a nonchalant shrug, "Well, if we go purely by raw magical power, there's no way in hell he'd match a demon's strength. But if we factor in his creation magic and his IQ, then the fight becomes more plausible. He compensated for his lack of strength with intelligence and clever use of his abilities."
"You of all people should know that." He started to change his tone and raise his finger, mimicking a teacher,
"'If one's fundamentals are mastered to the extreme, they can rival even the most advanced magicians. That is why you should never look down on people who can only do basic spells.'"
Lira hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "True, but something feels off. His aura… it's different now. When I first looked at him before he woke up, he only had a small green aura..."
"But now…it seems to have mix with another colour."
Thorin looked surprised, "Huh? But I didn't even see that."
"Cause it's mixing with Seraphina's own mana. She may have been pouring her mana into him for who knows how long and because he has awaken, his mana core is mixing in two different mana."
"I need to understand Seraphina's mana to stop any side effects to Aric."
She sighed, "But I can't just be like, 'I need to do this now' when they have not seen each other since Aric supposedly died. I'm not that heartless."
Thorin kissed her cheek all of a sudden, "I like it when you're more honest about yourself."
He grabbed her hand, "Come. We should help the people of Ashwick."
Lira was startled by the quick gestures but she didn't mind it and followed along with a smile.
"Y...yeah. I can help them after they're done."