Boom-
The surroundings shook once more, and a wave of pressurized wind pushed in my direction, causing my hair and clothes to flutter.
I’d have normally reacted, but the scene before me made me unable to do so.
‘…. What are the two of them doing? No, I get that they’re training, but since when did the two start training together?’
Staring at them and seeing their movements, I knew this wasn’t the first time they had started training together.
I could see there was some tacit understanding between the two as they fought.
When Kaelion pushed, Caius retreated, cushioning all of his blows. On the other hand, when it was Caius’s turn to push, Kaelion would retreat and take in all of his attacks.
Staring at the two, and seeing all the blood splattered across the ground, a realization hit me. ‘Now that I think about it… Isn’t Kaelion the best meat shield possible?’
Seeing the blood on the ground, and seeing it move back to Kaelion who sucked it all back into his body, healing his injuries, I realized my thoughts weren’t far off from reality.
He really was…
Bang!
Shifting my attention back to the fight, I noticed Kaelion crashing against the nearest wall. His expression twisted from the pain as he stumbled on the ground.
“Haa…! Stop! Stop…!”
Holding his hand forward, he spoke in a hoarse tone.
“I… Haa… I can’t take it. Let me take a rest.”
On the other side, Caius stopped dead in his tracks and took a deep breath. He looked relatively unharmed besides a few scratches here and there. At first glance, it looked like Caius had dominated the entire fight, but staring at the pool of sweat beneath him, I knew he was merely putting up a front.
He was probably extremely tired.
‘No, even that seems like an understatement.’
Lost in thought, I didn’t realize that the two of them had taken notice of my presence. It was strangely quiet in the training grounds, and when I looked up, I saw four eyes staring at me. “Oh.”
I rubbed my face, trying my best to think of something to say.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t very good at it and the awkward silence persisted.
That was until I heard Kaelion groan again.
Helping himself lean against the side of the wall, a bitter smile formed on Kaelion’s lips. “That hurts.”
His words were directed towards the silent Caius who was still looking at me. His gaze was quite intense, finding it both uncomfortable and awkward.
Thankfully, it didn’t persist for long as he raised his hand and pointed it at me.
“Fight me.”
Just two words, but the meaning behind his words was clear.
On the opposite side, Kaelion looked at Caius with an incredulous look.
“…Are you serious? Are… Haa… you not tired?”
||||
Caius didn’t reply and just stared at me.
Meeting his gaze, I narrowed my eyes and shifted my focus to the pool of sweat beneath him. He didn’t really look to be in the best of state to fight.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
There was no hesitation in Caius’s eyes.
With his attention fully fixed on me, he pointed at his temple.
“Use your Emotive Magic on me. Let me feel it.”
“….Ahh.”
So that’s how it is…
He didn’t really want to fight me. He was clearly not in the state for that. His real intention was to test or experience my Emotive Magic.
‘Right, given what happened to him, I’d also do the same thing.’
What had happened to Caius wasn’t really a secret. Everyone knew about his condition, but nobody really looked down on Caius for it. After all, emotionless or not, he was still a monster.
In fact, one could even argue he was more monstrous now than before.
His score for the third progression analysis highlighted this.
“…Will you…?”
Raising my head back up, I looked straight into Caius’s eyes and nodded my head.
“Why not?”
I stepped forward, moving closer to him. I was also curious to see the extent of his ‘condition’. If he couldn’t feel emotions, did that mean that he was immune to Emotive
Magic?
If that was the case, didn’t that mean he was stronger than me?
‘I’m really curious to see if Emotive Magic can still affect someone who doesn’t feel
anything.’
Coming to a stop right in front of him, I furrowed my brows and asked, “Which phase do you
want me to test on you?”
“The first phase.”
I raised my brow.
“….Are you sure?”
The first phase was touch. The most powerful and intense of the five phases of Emotive Magic.
If I didn’t hold back, then I was certain I could leave permanent damage to someone’s brain. I
had already done this in the past.
This was why I was a little apprehensive about his request.
“I’m sure. Go all out.”
However, seeing how resolute he was, I could only internally sigh. Shifting my attention
towards the silent Kaelion, I pressed my hand against Caius’s shoulder.
“If you notice anything out of the norm, push me away from him.”
“Okay.”
Kaelion nodded while holding onto his shoulder. I felt a little more relieved upon seeing him
nod. With him here, I could feel a little more safe about my next actions.
Taking a deep breath, I squeezed Caius’s shoulder and mumbled,
“Joy.”
***
How did joy feel like?
Caius had long forgotten the feeling. No, he had long forgotten what any of the emotions felt
like.
That was why he wanted Julien to test his Emotive Magic on him. He wanted to see if he could
feel them again.
…He wanted to see if he could make him remember again.
What it felt like to feel joy.
“Bear with it.”
As Julien’s voice fell, Caius braced himself and he felt something warm embrace his mind.
It tickled at first, starting from his chest and moving up to his head.
His mind started to feel light, and the colors around him heightened. His heartbeat increased
and he felt his lips curl upwards.
But…
These were all physical changes.
In reality, he still felt nothing. While his colors heightened, the changes were minimal. It all
still felt plain to him. His heart raced, but it only felt ticklish.
Was this the extent of his joy?
…He hardly felt a thing.
“Nothing?”
Overhearing Julien’s voice, Caius raised his head and shook his head.
“No.”
“Okay.”
Julien closed his eyes and mumbled something else, ‘Surprise.’
Caius’s heartbeat, which had started to steady suddenly jumped up. The hair at the end of his
neck rose, and adrenaline rushed through him. The changes were more visible than before,
but that was where they ended.
He still… didn’t feel anything. “Nothing again?”
Caius shook his head.
“Alright, then.” Julien looked directly at Caius. Unlike before, his expression turned extremely serious, and
Caius felt his body tense a little.
“Brace yourself, I won’t be holding back.”
“Go ahead.”
It was then that he heard it.
‘Sadness.’
It was only a single word, yet its impact was more pronounced than anything he’d
experienced in a long time. A sharp ache began in his chest, not physical, but suffocating- like his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
Warm streaks started to fall from the side of his cheeks while his lips started to tremble.
Blinking his eyes, he realized that his vision had unknowingly grown blurry.
Was he crying?
The realization hit Caius directly, but he knew this wasn’t enough. This was merely a physical
reaction to Julien’s Emotive stimulus. However, his mind was clear.
He could move, and directly snap Julien’s neck if he wanted to.
Of course, that was granted Julien wasn’t able to react in time. Caius knew Julien would be
able to react.
But that wasn’t the point.
The point was that while his Emotive Magic worked in creating a physical stimulus, his mind
was still clear. This meant that Emotive Magic was ineffective against him, but at the same
time, it also looked like there was no hope in him regaining his emotions back.
‘….Is this how it will be?’
Caius felt a faint prickle in his chest.
It was faint but noticeable.
‘Will I no longer be able to feel emotions?’
Caius closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. Acceptance came rather easily for him. With
no attachment to anything, accepting a certain outcome was easy for him.
Despite tears, his expression softer
as s eyes closed.
As the darkness took hold of his vision, a dry voice reached his ears.
“Focus, I have yet to start.”
“Eh…?”
Yet to start?
Caius’s eyes flicked open as he raised his head. Just as he was wondering what he could
possibly mean by those words, it suddenly hit him.
If before it felt like a hand was gripping his heart, this time it felt as though the hand had
closed in tighter, squeezing his heart with such intensity that it seemed on the verge of being crushed into a pulpy mass.
Caius felt his breath leave his body.
His legs started to buckle while his vision blurred even further.
He could ignore the pain before, but this time…? He couldn’t at all. It was impossible for him
to ignore it.
How could he ignore it when it felt so painful?
“Haa… Haa…”
Unknowingly, his breathing became rougher. He had no choice but to. Caius felt like he would
suffocate if he didn’t take in all the oxygen around him.
Breath after breath, Caius felt his head become lighter and lighter.
He had unknowingly started to hyperventilate.
“Haa.. Haa… Haa…”
Wiping his eyes, Caius looked ahead. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. Instead
of Julien, a whole different figure appeared.
He was a figure he was all too familiar with, and his expression changed.
‘F-father…?’
How could it be? No, where was this?
Caius tried to think straight, but his mind refused to listen to him. His chest squeezed even
more tightly and his entire body started to tremble.
“Haa…! Ha! Haa!”
With trembling hands, he reached out for his father.
He wanted to…
“Stop.”
A cool voice cut through the silence, and at that moment, Caius felt everything freeze. His
father’s figure began to blur and fade from his vision, slowly being replaced by Julien’s as a hand clamped on his forearm. When Caius turned his head, he saw Kaelion standing right next to Julien.
His expression was firm, but at the same time, Caius could see hints of something else within
his eyes.
Was it fear…? But why?
Why did he…? “You’ve done enough.”
Kaelion mumbled again, retrieving his hand away from Julien who nodded quietly and turned
his head to look at Caius.
As Caius felt Julien’s gaze, he noticed the slight pull at the corner of his lips.
Before he had time to process the sight, Julien’s lips parted open. “Not bad,” he mumbled, “It looks like there’s hope for you.”