Deus Didymus: Rend

Pt2Ch36: Pnation II

Riwon closed her eyes, letting off a deep breath. Steam rose from the warm water she soaked in, loosening the tension in her body like a misty massage. Six flames moved around the house, each distinct in their own right. Riwon recognized the closest, the smallest of the six, as Cocona's. Its green hue and sharp edges resembled the girl. However, the rest still mixed in with one another--like the faces of strangers she had just met.

So this is what it's like to sense energy. If I was stronger I could be a Hanam...

With curious hands, Riwon inspected her new body. Aside from bumping her head a few times, navigating in a larger body didn't feel any different compared to her old one. There was a sizable increase in weight at her chest, but the balance difference wasn't anything she couldn't manage with her tail. On top of her physical maturity, Riwon felt mentally matured as well. Whether it be a hidden part of the dragon's senses, or a product of growing older, there was no mistake that she had grown; she cringed at her old self and her former thoughts.

Life for Riwon returned to normal in the following days--at least as normal as things could get for her. She took most of the responsibilities that Hyungseo held as if everyone switched roles. Hearing familiar voices from the mocking birds felt relieving, but she took the most joy in hearing her peers' shock at her sudden growth.

Riwon rushed down the stairs and toward the door. Not many people approached her house, and even fewer people approached with a military-grade wellspring. She opened the door before the woman could knock, earning a surprised smile.

"Woah! Were you looking out the window or something?" Yura chuckled.

Riwon scratched her head, "Something like that. What did you need?"

"Psy wants me to take you guys to the capital. He has business with all of you," Yura replied.

"All of us?" Riwon tilted her head. "The adults are at work right now."

Yura waved her hand dismissively, "That's okay. The others are grabbing them right now."

Riwon hesitantly called her former classmates over before following Yura toward the capital. Mid-way, the group met up with Chaehyun, Haseul, and Keisuke accompanied by three other military-grade women. Of them, the woman named Hyeri caught Riwon's attention. Her wellspring was not only the most refined out of everyone traveling toward the capital, but her demeanor contrasted heavily with the power Riwon sensed permeating from the woman.

Inside the capital, the group made their way toward a large town hall-like building. Four potent wellsprings, including Jaesang's, flared in Riwon's senses, pointing her toward each and every one of them.

The first of the bunch was a woman similar in height to her. Her burgundy hair glistened underneath the lantern's light, and the woman's sharp hazel eyes tracked Riwon specifically. Of the wellsprings she's sensed so far, this woman's mimicked flames--the most powerful ones too.

She's strong.

Riwon turned her eyes to a pair she assumed to be a couple. Among the combinations of eye and hair colors she's seen, this couple stood out the most. The woman's purple hair clashed with her yellow eyes, and the man's yellow hair and blue eyes stood out among the mostly muted building's interior. Their wellsprings mimicked one another's like fraternal twins. At first glance, it would be easy to mistake one for another, but that's where the similarities ended.

The group stood before Jaesang as he snapped his fingers. A suited man carried a long briefcase in both of his hands, presenting it to Jaesang with his head bowed. Jaesang gestured for Riwon to step forward, opening the case while she did so.