Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 20 - Distance Test - Aftermath

Thank you everyone who nominated Aethernea for thefictionawards. 

I want to especially thank ArunPrashathRamasamy, bookwormjup, Lord_Draconis,  EleventhRaven and Rabiroira who went above and beyond to nominate me in a large number of categories. Thank you so much! 💖

Speaking of thanks, I dedicate this chapter to Lord_Draconis who not only nominated  Aethernea for pretty much everything, but he also told all his followers and friends to check it out. I feel so touched right now. 💙💚💛  Lord_Draconis you're the MVP!  💖💖💖

Previously on Aethernea:

Kiel and Elaru test out the distance they can be apart. After reaching 20 km, Elaru can't proceed anymore and starts going back. Kiel notices how telepathy doesn't degrade with distance, but instead, he can feel more emotions passing through. He hypothesizes that the emotions they feel are resonating.

* * *

Or was this...resonance? Their emotions were combining together into something with much higher intensity than the original emotion. Was it because their emotions were the same, because they were going through the same experience? Was this resonance through empathy?

If the mark acted as a wormhole between their Minds, it would be like a portal connecting two different places in space. No matter how far apart those two places were, they would always be right next to each other because of the portal. That would explain why the physical distance between them didn't make their telepathy weaker. Their Minds were always right next to each other.

But the distance did have an effect, it improved their telepathy. The only explanation Kiel could think of was resonance. It wasn't that the distance affected their telepathy, it is that the situation they were in affected it.

And how come each time he heard her voice he felt better? Could it be that the negative effects of physical distance could be countered by mental closeness?

Kiel's pain gradually lessened, and his aura started appearing again. Elaru was getting closer. With each step she took towards him, he felt more excited, exhilarated. As if every fiber of his being couldn't wait to reunite with her again.

His fatigue slowly evaporated, replaced with a newfound energy.

This feeling, it was just like getting out of mortal peril intact; the entire body in overdrive, bursting with power. The heart beating a hundred miles per hour; the body shaking with vigor.

With trembling hands, Kiel wrote down the conclusion into his notebook. "Distance limitation confirmed. Optimal distance: less than 5 km. Max distance: 20 km."

He stroked his chin. Five kilometers was a manageable distance for the time being. And the allowed distance would increase with the evolution of the bond. But how could they make it evolve? What did they need to do?

Elaru imparted her (unclear) opinion on the matter: "Papa says that an emotional closeness between mates positively affects the bond. He says that as long as the mates spend enough time with each other, the bond would naturally evolve. Should we try this experiment again in a few months' time?"