AETHERIA: Adriel Ravena

CHAPTER 18: Once Again

ADRIEL RAVENA's POV

"You're kidding..." natatawa ngunit kinakabahan niyang bulalas. Nagsalubong lang ang aking kilay at hindi umimik. "I know that when a person has an aether core, it will serve as their life force. Sinasabi mo bang patayin ko ang sarili ko?" may bahid ng inis ang kanyang tono nang sabihin niya iyon.

"Do you know what it means to have a shackled aether core?" tanong ko rin sa kanya. "Kung sino man ang naglagay niyan sa'yo ay kaya ka niyang kontrolin. The worst I could think of is that person can burst your core anytime." I softly scoffed. "You're very unlucky. You will die either way. Kailangan mo lang pumili kung saan, kailan, at sa paanong paraan mo gustong mamatay."

Nawalan ng buhay ang kanyang mata na nakatingin sa akin. Nagbaba siya ng tingin at yumuko. "What is this? I was in the brink of death just yesterday. You even healed me and my broken arm. And now I'm suddenly going to die? I am bound to die!?" mariin niyang hinawakan ang kanyang damit kung saan nandoon ang kanyang puso.

"...I am done examining your core. You can now leave this forest." tumalikod na ako at nagsimulang maglakad papalayo.

Humans are so weak. They act all dominant and superior but in the face of death, they cower in fear. 

"How cold and cruel." bulong niya. Napatigil ako sa paglalakad at nilingon siya mula sa aking balikat. Inilayo niya ang kanyang kamay na nasa kanyang dibdib at buong pwersa na ibinaon iyon doon. Nanlaki ang aking mata sa kanyang ginawa.

"Cough! Cough! Cough! Ack...!" 

Blood was dripping out from his holed chest. Umuubo siya ng dugo at bigla ay napaluhod sa lupa. He gritted his teeth and pulled his hand. 

"Ha...Ha...Cough..!" nanginginig ang kanyang kamay habang tinitignan ang kanyang hawak-hawak.

He really did pulled out his aether core...!

Kumuyom nang mariin ang kanyang kamao at buong pwersa na binasag ito. After that, his body went pale and fell on the ground.

Ilang segundo ang aking pinalipas at hindi na nga siya humihinga. "....."

When a human's aether core is broken, the remnants of its magic will slowly come back to the place where it naturally comes from---Aetheria.

Aetheria is the name of this world where magic exists. That magic is what we call the world's essence, aether. Aether is accumulated naturally and only selected beings can handle its power. That is why aether stones were created for people who can't attain this power. These are highly convenient to the citizens of Zephyrion as no one in that kingdom can use magic.

Naglakad ako papalapit sa kanyang kinaroroonan at tinitigan ang kanyang katawan. 

Mabagal at mahina na ang tibok ng kanyang puso.

Sunod ay tinignan ko ang kanyang aether core na ngayon ay basag na. Umupo ako at ineksamina iyon. "It's really broken." bulong ko. Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa kanya at tumayo.

Although aether core serves as the life force of a being, one's heart still had the function to keep your body and not vanish instantly. Typically, if you got your aether core stolen or broken, you will die. But that only applies to humans who are not born with it.

This man, Seige, is an ordinary human from Zephyrion. Ikinagulat ko talaga nang malaman ko kahapon na mayroon siyang aether core. Bihira lamang iyon at sigurado akong hindi siya pinanganak na mayroon ito.

Maaaring nakayanan ng katawan niya ang aether flow nang tumatanda na siya o 'di kaya'y may nagtanim ng pekeng core sa katawan niya. Either way, in the end, his aether is now broken. Hangga't tumitibok pa ang kanyang puso ay kaya ko pa siyang iligtas.

Iniangat ko ang aking kamay at naramdaman ko ang pag-ikot ng hangin sa akin. An indigo leaf fell into my palm and I dropped it to Seige's body. "....Fifteen." my eyes glimmered and a large green magic circle appeared underneath his body. "Healing Magic: Electric Charge." 

A surge of electric current flowed into his entire body and the magic circle's size doubled. Naramdaman ko agad ang pagkaubos ng aking mana pero may natitira pa naman akong enerhiya. Humaba ang aking pangil kung kaya't kinagat ko ang aking palad at isang patak ang nalaglag.

"Ravena's Magic...Aether Flow..." my hair turned all white and a strong gust of wind flowed out from the magic circle.

It only took a second for my energy to be completely dried out. Mabuti na lang at natapos rin ang ritwal kaya hinayaan ko na lang na bumagsak ang aking katawan sa lupa. The magic circle disappeared as well as the electric current and gust of wind.

Now, it depends on his strong grip of life. Will he be able to survive or not?

Wala sa sarili akong nagpalit ng anyo at naging pusa. I was huffing my breath and I am so close into losing consciousness. Mulat pa rin ang aking mata nang mapansin ko ang paggalaw ng katawan ni Seige. 

Pinanood ko ang dahan-dahan niyang pagbangon. Walang imik niyang tinignan ang kanyang sarili at ang butas sa kanyang dibdib na ngayon ay wala na at bakas na lamang ng dugo ang natira. Then his head looked towards my direction. Naglakad siya papalapit sa akin at tinitigan ako. Hindi ko makita ang kanyang mukha dahil sa sinag ng araw pero alam kong nakatingin siya sa akin.

Let's see if my decision and judgment is correct.

Inangat niya ang kanyang kamay at papalapit iyon sa akin. I'm in my most weakened state and I will not be able to do anything if he tries to kill me. Naghahabol pa rin ako ng hangin at nararamdaman ko na ang epekto ng mana fatigue.

If he actually tries to kill me, I'll have no choice but to restart the cycle. It's alright. I have patience. I can still use mana burst for us to die---

"My Master." napatigil ako sa aking iniisip. "I shall now use the power you vested in me, once again."