First Day of School

Erica, seeing Herman unharmed, crossed her arms and sighed inwardly, 'I guess I was worried for nothing.'

Still, a knot of tension remained in her chest. She avoided looking directly at him.

After Ariase's purification, she had used the favor Herman owed her to ask the question that had plagued her for years: why had he left her?

She already knew the answer was something cowardly, but hearing it straight from his mouth only reopened old wounds, making them sting anew.

Turning away, Erica forced a neutral tone as she said, "Congratulations, Herman, on reaching the 5th Halo. Now that you're back, I'll take my leave."

Without waiting for a reply, she waved her hand, opening a teleportation void gate.

Ariase, standing off to the side, felt the heavy atmosphere between the two.

Herman tried to open his mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped himself as he watched Erica's silhouette fade into the gate while wearing a solemn expression.

Meanwhile, Ariase couldn't help but have countless thoughts swirling in his mind.

Watching the drama unfold, he thought, 'Man, I wish I had some popcorn right now.'

Erica's obvious avoidance of his uncle piqued his curiosity even more.

He'd tried asking about it in the past, but both of them had skillfully dodged his questions, leaving him with nothing but a growing pile of unanswered queries.

Hoping to break the awkward silence, Ariase coughed lightly, "Uncle, you're finally back—"

Before he could finish, the void gate fully dissipated, revealing Herman's appearance.

Ariase froze mid-sentence and took a step back, his eyes wide in shock.

His uncle's ears had changed, they were now elongated and pointed like an elf's.

Ariase gawked, his mouth hanging open, his mind momentarily blank.

Herman, noticing his nephew's reaction, chuckled softly, the tension from moments before easing slightly, "Are you really that surprised?"

Ariase nodded rapidly, stars practically shining in his eyes, "Uncle, can I touch them? Just once!"

Herman sighed, relenting to his nephew's curiosity as he nodded.

Tentatively, Ariase reached out and touched the pointed ears.

They were warm and undeniably real, sending a strange thrill of fascination through him.

"Uncle, what exactly happened to you? And where have you been these past few days?" Ariase fired off questions, his curiosity bubbling over.

But Herman simply flicked his nephew's forehead.

"Enough with the touching, will you? I'm not some elf out of your wild fantasies. Remember those fairies who helped you during your bone purification? Let's just say I've become... partially like them. And no, I can't tell you why, so don't even bother asking."

Ariase blinked, recalling the ethereal, otherworldly beings who had aided him.

While the answer left him with even more questions, he knew pressing his uncle further would get him nowhere.

Reluctantly, he let it go, sighing in frustration.

Moments later, Herman's ears returned to their normal human shape, trembling briefly like some kind of living organism.

The sight made Ariase shudder.

Herman cleared his throat, "So, how many days was I gone?"

"It's already been four days since you left," Ariase replied.

Herman frowned in thought, 'Only four days? I'm pretty sure I spent a month in Luminaria… I guess time works differently in that realm.'

He trailed off, realizing the time dilation between the two worlds.

Still, relief washed over him.

It was Sunday, which meant tomorrow was Ariase's first day of school.

More importantly, he was grateful for the progress he'd made.

In Luminaria, he successfully reached the Divine Guidance Realm, and his talent, [Flutter of Healing Grace], had evolved to Tier 7, becoming his second semi-divine talent.

As Herman stood there, smiling faintly while tracing the lines of his ancestral mark, Ariase watched him with growing curiosity.

He wanted to ask more questions but decided against it, knowing his uncle wouldn't answer for some reason.

With a shake of his head, Ariase turned and retreated to his room, resuming his routine and leaving his uncle to the time he clearly needed.

...

Countless hours passed in the blink of an eye, and night fell quietly over their home.

As they sat down for dinner, Herman glanced at Ariase and asked, "Ria, you ready for school tomorrow? It's your first day, after all."

Ariase nodded, unable to reply with his mouth full.

Herman smirked and added, "And your hair, it's ridiculously long now, even passing your waist. It's already strange enough for someone your age to have white hair, let alone before the Rite. You should've gone to a barber while I was away."

Ariase swallowed his food hastily, waving off the sermon, "Nah, I'll keep it for a while. It looks rather—"

He stopped mid-sentence when he caught his uncle's expression.

Herman leaned closer, covering his mouth as if to suppress a laugh, "Don't tell me… Are you—"

"No!" Ariase shot up from his chair, his voice rising.

"Stop with the jokes already, Uncle!" he crossed his arms defensively before adding.

"I just think it looks cool, okay? It's not every day you get to look like some kind of Immortal. Let me savor the moment, will you?"

Ariase's current appearance indeed resembled a secluded cultivator from those mythical stories: long, snow-white hair, skin as pale as ivory, and features so flawless they seemed almost otherworldly.

The transformation was a testament to the grueling purification process he had endured.

This newfound look wasn't just about vanity for Ariase.

It was a way to embrace the second chance he'd been given.

In his previous life, he'd never had the freedom to indulge in small dreams like cosplaying or standing out.

Now, he wanted to seize every opportunity, no matter how trivial or ridiculous it seemed.

Herman chuckled, clearly amused by his nephew's reaction. "Alright, alright, I get it. But seriously, why are you so obsessed with something like that? It's not all that great to have a long life, you know."

He patted Ariase on the back, both teasing and appeasing him as they continued their lighthearted conversation.

But as dinner wrapped up and the dishes were cleared, Herman's tone shifted.

"Stay for a bit after eating, Ria. There's something I need to check," he said, his voice serious.

Ariase, sensing the weight in his uncle's words, nodded silently.

After the table was cleaned, Herman gestured for Ariase to sit down, close his eyes, and calm his mind.

As Ariase complied, Herman focused, channeling energy to examine his nephew's soul.

Herman sighed deeply. The soul fragments were still very scattered and incomplete.

"Ria," he began, his tone heavy with concern, "We don't have much of a choice but to accept this. With your current soul power, I doubt you'll awaken more than two or three talent slots. And even then, the rarity of those talents isn't guaranteed."

Ariase clenched his fists, frustration flashing briefly in his eyes.

His dreams of becoming a renowned mystic user felt further away than ever.

But he quickly composed himself, smiling to ease his uncle's worry.

"Don't stress about it, Uncle. I'll accept whatever fate gives me. Besides, I already have the talent you gave me, and three talents would be more than enough to get by."

Herman patted his head, his expression softening. 'Brother, Sister-in-law… please guide your son tomorrow. Even if he can't awaken the average number of talents, at least ask Bathala to grant him a protective soul artifact.'

"Get some rest, Ria," Herman said gently. "Tomorrow's a big day."

The night passed swiftly, and before they knew it, July had ended.

It was August 1, 2016, the day Ariase had been waiting for.

At exactly six o'clock, Herman shook Ariase awake, "Time to get up, Ria," he called.

Ariase yawned, his drowsiness overshadowing his excitement.

He'd stayed up late, lost in thoughts about the Awakening Rite and the prospect of seeing his friends again in their younger forms.

"Move it now, or else both of us will be late," Herman warned.

Groggily, Ariase forced himself out of bed, quickly eating breakfast and heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

By the time he'd finished, the drowsiness had faded, replaced by nervous and excited energy.

He slipped on his sky-blue school uniform, taking extra care to tie his hair into the half-bun he'd practiced many nights before.

Standing in front of the mirror, he smiled to himself, "Whew, I'm finally done. Time really does fly when you're doing something."

By the time he was ready, it was almost seven o'clock.

He grabbed his bag and joined Herman, who was waiting by the car.

In just a few minutes, they arrived at his destination, University of the Southern Visayas.

As the gates came into view, Ariase took a deep breath, his heart racing with anticipation.