Nirvana (1)

"Should I bring something for him?..." thought Aryna, staring at a shelf of jewelry.

Rebecca was under Paul's supervision, being the youngest in the class, the attention had to be focused on her. On the other hand, they weren't that far apart. Aryna was on the second floor of an artifact store, while Rebecca and Paul stayed on the same floor but on the opposite side.

"Sir Amiah said they came to pick up an amplifier for the blondie. What if it's ugly? Being a noble, he has to look extravagant. Yes, yes. Definitely."

"Having trouble?" A saleswoman approached Aryna.

Looking at the girl's shoulder, she noticed a Wispells emblem, highlighting the name "Specialis." When you're in the special class, you usually wear an emblem like this to be recognized. Generally, they have better access to complicated places—like Vulcanus' Workshop. In that case, Antony and Ivan completely refused to wear the emblem, so they had to rely on their charm.

"Yes. I'm looking for a gift for a classmate..."

"Can you tell me his tastes? Maybe I can help you."

"His tastes?..." Aryna reflected. She quickly panicked when she realized she knew nothing about Theo. Nothing beyond his last name and his favorite myth: the Saint of the Sword and the Moon Dragon.

The myth of the Saint of the Sword and the Moon Dragon is a story brought from Midgard—many say it actually exists. The myth tells of a fierce dragon that terrorized a city and demanded human sacrifices. Not satisfied, it began to revolt and wanted to wipe out the population.

The Saint of the Sword then appeared: a soldier of faith, strong and brave, who acted in the name of God. The warrior then chased the monster across the Earth, through the air, and to the moon. And there, on the natural satellite, a fierce battle took place, leaving craters as a reminder.

The adapted myth says that the "Blood Moon" event represents the dragon's blood spilled by the Saint. Those born on the day of this event are bathed in the evil blood purified by the Saint's sword. They believe it to be a divine sign to bless the children born on this day: those they call Saints.

The reason Theo liked this myth was because Liam died under a blood moon and was also reborn under a blood moon. Even though he didn't believe in something so surreal, Theo/Liam adopted this myth as his favorite because it represented something he embraced: a being of luck and blessing. After all, who else could live two lives despite being so impure?

"Um... Uh... Moon. I think he likes something about the moon. Yes. A moon necklace that has an amplifier support."

"I knew it... She's looking for a gift for Lumen," thought the saleswoman, whose eyes and hair were as black as night.

"Then, how about this one?" she said, picking up a box from the shelf.

Aryna took the box in her hands and opened it. It was elegant inside. A wine-colored cushion lined the entire interior of the wooden box. A triluna necklace, followed by the order of moons: crescent, full, and waning. The full moon was empty, with a clean space formed by a perfect circle.

"Well, it's a necklace that tamers usually wear. It comes from the ancient culture of deviants, from fifteen hundred years ago. For the Romerians, it represents the feminine trinity of the moon. But for the descendants of those who fought in the mythological war, it represents the trinity of the moon: Leedan, the hero of life. Lumen, the hero of fate, and Lerdothn... the hero of death. They were saints who fought for humanity in the war against the Titans..." the saleswoman explained, giving a thousand and one reasons for Aryna to buy it.

"Wait... Lumen?" Aryna inquired.

"Hey, Theo. You're the only one with a codename here, right? What is it?" Antony asked.

"It's Lumen. It might sound silly, but someone special called me that, so..." he breathed. "I just adopted the heroic nickname."

"I'll take this one!" Aryna said without a second thought.

"Alright," the saleswoman replied, smiling and closing the box. "Take it to the counter to complete the payment."

'Apparently, your pieces are moving as you wish.' a voice echoed in the saleswoman's mind. 'You still act recklessly. How will you explain it to her if they meet?'

"It was a coincidence..." she mentally replied, waving and smiling at Aryna. "Get well soon, Theo. I'll be with you shortly."

Fulmenbour Hospital, Theo Lawrence's Room

15:00

Aryna carefully entered the room, trying not to make noise. The young woman placed the bags on a sofa in the corner of the room, taking only the necklace box to Theo's side.

"Hey, blondie," Aryna began. "I brought you a gift. The lady at the store gave me a summary, and it seems to mean something to Lumen. So I bought it, since your nickname is Lumen. I hope it works for you." Aryna swallowed hard, with no more words to say.

Then, she started looking around. Until she found a calendar on the wall, marking visits. Aryna stood up and started walking towards the calendar.

"When I was coming back from shopping, I ran into the boys leaving Vulcanus' Workshop. I found it strange, so I asked why. Apparently, the interschool tournament starts in two months. Tony is trying to get a recommendation from the dwarf king. Ivan mentioned he's considering going back home... There, he can get a recommendation letter from his family. Becca and I are thinking of trying our luck with alchemy. So... In the end, only you'll be left."

Aryna looked at the calendar and noticed a time slot for that same day:

"In thirty minutes, you'll have a visit from someone from the Fulmenbour Order. So wake up by then..."

"Are you talking to me without even knowing if I can hear you? You're starting to sound like a schizophrenic..." Theo commented, his voice so low and weak it seemed like a whisper.

"Are you awake?" Aryna asked, surprised.

"No, no. I'm just a voice in your head. I've been awake for a few hours, but I'm so weak I couldn't move until now."

"Got it, Sir Rude. That's good then!"

"Why are your cheeks red?" Theo inquired, noticing a slight change in Aryna's skin tone.

"What are you talking about?" She slapped her own face.

"The necklace is..."

"A triluna necklace," Aryna replied. "I remembered the myth of the Saint of the Sword that you said you liked, so I used it as a reference."

"I see... I'll get you a gift later."

"Theo. Say 'thank you' to Ellen," ordered Camille, Theo's mother.

"You don't have to force him to say that to me, milady," retorted Ellen, Theo's maid. Or as he hated to call her... his nanny.

"No! I didn't raise him to have trouble saying thank you when he receives a gift. Come on, say it!"

"Th... Thank you, El."

"You're welcome, young master."

"See?" Camille said. "It's not so bad to say thank you and receive a 'you're welcome.'"

"Why did I suddenly feel melancholic?" Theo thought, remembering the day he turned eight. "Anyway..."

"Thank you, Aryna."

"You're welcome," Aryna said, smiling.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Theo inquired.

"Of course."

"Stay with me? At least until my visitor leaves."

"It would be my pleasure."

Fulmenbour Hospital, Theo Lawrence's Room

15:30

The door suddenly opened. Momentarily, Amiah entered the room, slightly surprised to see Aryna and Theo awake, but soon called someone else from outside:

"Come in."

Aryna's eyes widened when the person entered the room.

Her eyes and hair were black, like the void of space. Her strands were long and extended down her back. She wore dark gray pants that reached halfway up her abdomen, paired with a black shirt that went up to her neck. She wore black high heels and was covered by a white lab coat with the emblem of the main Fulmenbour Order.

Theo lit up like a child seeing his mother after a week. His eyes shone like a supermoon, and he mustered strength from nowhere to exclaim:

"Godmother Luanne!"

"Godmother?" Aryna inquired.