Chapter 10: early gift for Christmas

***steve P.O.V.

I returned home and took a shower before making something to eat. I somehow feel like this was the calm before the storm and I should enjoy it as much as I could.

I ate in silence as I watched the town that looked so alike to my town and yet it contained wonders that might never become reality in my world. After eating, I walked toward the park and strolled in it as I waited for Liam and ruby to appear. While the snow didn't fall in this region, cold winds would be prevalent, and trees flutter to it as they tried to survive the icy winds so that they could welcome spring.

I noticed that very few people own pets in this world and according to past owners' memories, it was because most animals were accused of magica in the air, and they had evolved quickly to utilize it so normal people were not allowed to handle them due to safety reasons.

I wonder what the so-called cutest pet would look and behave like.

After some time, they finally appeared and I greeted them as they fell into order beside me and we kept walking.

" What happened? Your face doesn't look good right now, something on your mind?" Liam asked as he observed my expression while walking beside me.

I took a deep breath as I looked in the distance before I replied," Just missing my home. While there are some fundamental differences between both towns, it still reminds me of my home." Both looked interested in listening more.

"How was your life before coming here, Steve?", Ruby asked with her ever-cheerful smile. I wonder where does she get so many positive emotions that her smile never faded since I saw her?

"My life, huh? Being an orphan I grew up while never knowing my parents but I received love and care in an orphanage. I liked to paint because I wanted to make something of my own that was unblemished of the real world but my painting skills never improved enough to visualize that world into art. I liked to read and learn about science and expand my knowledge about this world but when it came to studies related to the curriculum I was just above average. Not much I guess." I told her as I reminded myself that not many things glued me to my old world. Why do I need to feel sad when both worlds were the same in that sense? I never had some loved one in the old world that I needed to care about and my friends were self-sufficient to live their lives wonderfully.

Ruby looked apologetic about breaching that topic as Liam said," We lost our parents early on too, especially ruby. when she was 3 years old, our parents died while trying to stop the magical beast's stampede that happened suddenly near our hometown. They were able to stop it from destroying our town but while doing that they sacrificed themselves. After that James was more like a father to us than a brother so I could understand the confusion you had to face considering that your case is even worse than ours." Ruby nodded to that as she looked apologetic.

" No need to be sad for me, life is life, and you don't get to choose your starting point in life but you could choose how it will end. I like to enjoy the beauty of the present than being drowned in past. " I told them as I gave a gentle smile at ruby.

" Now while there is still time for Christmas, I brought an advanced gift for you. It might look simple enough but let me tell you a secret," I kneeled before ruby as I softly spoke to her, Liam looked confused at what I was trying to do while Ruby was more interested in the so-called secret. I even lowered my voice to a whisper as I continued," It is given to me by an elf in my dream yesterday. he said that he couldn't reach out to you so he wanted to pass it to you through me."

" You are lying, I know elves are not real creatures," she told me as she pouted.

I softly shook my head, " No, im not. He said that Santa gifts exceptionally good kids in advance as he had to deliver a lot of kids. Here, make sure to not waste a single drop." I told her as I passed her the tonic that I made this morning, it had a light purple color.

She took it carefully as she looked into my eyes questioningly before looking at Liam who just shrugged his shoulders. She opened the cap and put it on her lips. I watched her carefully as she tasted it.

It might have been tasted exceptionally good because she widened her eyes after that before drinking it all.

"What was that? Do you have some more, it was really good? " She asked excitedly as I stood up.

" Now we just have to wait and see if it works said it should. " I muttered as I observed her.

" Observe what exactly? What does it d-" Before Liam could complete his sentence, ruby exclaimed unexpectedly as she held his hand.

As he turned to her, she asked me surprised," What is happening to me? I suddenly feel that my heart is pumping fire instead of blood but somehow it doesn't hurt but rather I feel like this is how it should be. " Liam looked torn between being worried for his sister or being angry at whatever I gave to her.

" Try to circulate the magica inside the vessel so the tonic could work a little faster," I told her as I again sat in front of her while Liam was already beside her when she exclaimed.

" What the hell was that, Steve? " Liam asked as ruby unexpectedly followed by advice without question. I guessed she might have already figured out what was happening to her body currently.

" Just be patient for some time, you will realize what it was by yourself. " I calmly and gently requested from Liam as my entire focus was on Ruby.

I guessed because of fluctuating mana sensitivity, I could feel the changes that were going on in her mana vessels. The tonic first affected her heart and inside it produced highly concentrated and yet gentle mana that then traveled inside her mana vessels as she circulated mana while clearing the blocks inside them.

Before long she started to take energized deep breaths with a growing smile on her face until suddenly her expression froze.

Liam got so shocked and worried when her expression froze that forced her to look at him as he brought his body in front of her.

Her expression became horrified when he forced himself in front of her before she suddenly vomited a black smelling tar-like substance on his clothes.

She looked at him shocked and horrified after what had become of his clothes but Liam was unfazed and stayed rooted in his position because he could now finally feel his sister circulating mana perfectly fine when he touched her.

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Christmas may have already gone but the spirit of it remains the whole year.

Give power stones to the Author so that Santa adds you to his list of good kids. Write comments about grammatical errors and how you felt about the chapter.