21. Fateful Encounter

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Five Years Later

Arthur Leywin's POV

The trip through the dimensional rift invoked a very peculiar sensation. It felt as if I was trapped in the middle of a fast forward movie scene. My surroundings were whizzing by in an indistinct blur of colors as I sat on my ass, staring blankly off in the distance with no more tears left to cry.

The ground I landed on cushioned my fall with a pile of leaves and vines. It didn't matter though. Even if I landed on jagged rocks, I probably wouldn't have noticed.

I remained in the same, seated position I was during the trip, not even bothering to take in my surroundings.

She was gone....

I would never have the chance to see her again...

Those two thoughts triggered another wave of emotions as I heaved out dry sobs.

I began recalling the near four months we had spent together; how caring she was, treating me like her own blood. I didn't care that she had prolonged sending me home so that I could stay with her. Through the short time I had been with Sylvia, she taught me so much and gave me insight that I had been lacking since coming to this world.

Succumbing to the faculty of my mind that desired sleep in order to cope with the pain, I curled up into a ball where I landed, when a searing pain propped me back up. The burning sensation spread from my mana core throughout my body until a voice echoed in my head.

"Ahem! Testing, testing...Ah good! Hello Art, this is Sylvia."

My heart fluttered as I instantly responded to the voice. "Sylvia! I am here! Can you hear..."

"If you are listening to this right now, it means I have shown you what I actually am.."

Ah, it was some kind of recording that she had infused into me when she gouged that small hole into my mana core. 

"....You are nowhere near ready right now to know the whole truth. Knowing you, if I were to have told you what the figure in the sky had been, you would have brashly tried to fight. Little Art, you barely passed the age of four. Upon looking at your mana core, I have realized that you have a rare talent seeing that your mana core is already at the dark red stage. I will leave you with this: I have infused with you my unique will. This is something incomparable to a normal beast's will. Your future progress as a mage depends on how well you will be able to use my will that is embedded into your mana core.."

Was that why the purple in her eyes and golden patterns disappeared?

"The moment your mana core reaches a level past the white stage is when you will hear from me again. At that time, I will explain everything and what you do from there is your choice.."

There was a stage past white?

"Lastly, Art....I know you may be in grief but remember that you have your family to look out for and the stone I entrusted you with. My only wish for you is to embrace the joys and innocence of childhood, train hard and make your parents and I proud. Do not go chasing after shadows in a fit of rage. Killing the ones that are responsible for my death will neither bring me back to life nor make you feel better. There is a reason for everything and I do not regret what has happened. With this I bid you farewell for now. Remember, protect your family and the stone, study what I have left you and enjoy this life, King Grey..."

"......"

That name and title was from my previous world.

She had known the entire time...Did she discover something in my mana core? Was she able to look into my memories? So many questions but the only one who could answer them was gone.

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