Freedom an Inch Away

"Hurry! Ask me a question!" Rowan excitedly demanded toward the platinum-haired man, to which the man could only helplessly comply.

"What is my name?" Only silence had answered him this time. In the previous hour, Rowan was forced to answer. But now, he could remain silent.

A vast improvement from a few hours ago. Now, Rowan had the ability to freely speak and move.

Strangely enough, he was still unable to smell or taste, though it might be for the best. He would not know how to deal with it if he could.

Unconsciously, he jittered in excitement. Luken had to use more than the normal amount of force to hold the mirror still and prevent it from slipping from his fingertips.

He was worried if he was grasping too hard, but also concerned at the possibility of Rowan falling down. His concerns quickly proved to be redundant as Rowan snapped out of his excitement.

"Luken, Luken!" Rowan called out in a melodious voice, coating each syllable with a hint of happiness.

Narrowing his eyes into crescents, the platinum-haired man hummed in response.

His mouth was crooked into a small smile, unlike his usual awkward or self-proclaimed domineering ones. It smoothened out his handsome and sharp face into a delectable dessert. Sweet and soft.

Something that Rowan usually experienced through the man's actions, rather than his facial expressions.

But, he doesn't mind. No, no, he definitely doesn't mind!

Handsome is handsome.

He openly gaped at Rowan's good looks. Where his hair was slicked back, only a few strands falling right above his crimson eyes. Slowly, going down to the sharp jaw that led to his soft smile.

Rowan mentally imagined himself standing next to Luken. He would be, perhaps, around the man's height? He never got the chance (or tools) to measure accurately. He would contrast with Luken, if he remembered correctly, when he was transfered into the mirror, he was messy-looking and wore loose clothes.

Even if he knew Luken would not judge or despise him for his attire or looks, he couldn't help but think of his reaction if he sees him?

Most likely not negative. Rowan, though not a narcissist, was confident enough to feel that he was quite elegant... thanks to years of useless etiquette books at least.

He hasn't truly smiled in a while. So, his face would be a bit stiff.

Wait.

Rowan twitched a lip in his foolishness and hindsight.

He shouldn't think of these small things right now. He mentally smacked himself on his forehead.

Right now, he needed to find a solution to their current predicament.

Despite the large amounts of magic that Luken had sent for him to absorb, Rowan suddenly stopped gaining any changes nor could he feel any noticable changes. Although he was still able to increase his magic pool, he did not gain any new senses nor was he close to actually leaving the mirror.

So, what was left?

Rowan thought deeply, contemplating on all the possibilities in breaking Lost Magic and its illusive spells.

Lost Magic, an ancient magic that was abandoned due to complexity and strange spells, but brought back due to their niche usefulness and abilities that could be used by anyone. However, few are able to learn them as there needed to be large amounts of time to invest.

And Rowan and Luken did not have the luxury of time.

The gossip war against Olinthus has been initiated and the actual war was not far behind.

Rowan internally twisted himself in discomfort in not knowing the answer. That was, after all, his job for the majority of his life...

Noticing the negative feelings sprouting from Rowan, Luken released a small input of warm light energy to silently comfort the man trapped in the mirror.

Rowan shook the mirror body to show his appreciation as he had too much on his mind to give a verbal answer.

When the warm magic seeped throughout his mind, he was suddenly hit with a seemingly loose thought.

Lost Magic could only be learned if there were records of it.

He vaguely remembered Empress Juno visiting the forbidden area of the library and taking a strangely dirty and thin parchment away with her. And he disdained her with the way she treated the books and paper.

Over the ten years of his house arrest and "employment" in the castle, he had read every single thing. That parchment was no different.

As he was prevented from learning magic, he was only able to read a portion of the parchment before it was confiscated and put in the restricted area of the library.

He had not minded it as it would be no use for the him of the past. But now, he was trying to dig that faint memory out of his head. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet he was unable to pull those words out. The last page on that old parchment, what did it say?

To his disappointment, he could not remember the few words he read. Rowan was certain that the pieces of paper that the Empress took away was the Lost Magic spell she cast on him.

Before Rowan could wallow in his own incompetence, the one time he had information yet brushed it off, Luken was there to pull him out. Sending another comforting wave of warmth.

Rowan quietly hummed in response, he should not think so badly. He doubted that the Empress would have destroyed the papers.

Thus, a chance in the future. They just had to aim for Olinthus.