Goddess of the Moon (4)

The girl pressed harder on Theo's shoulder. She was tall, slightly taller than him. Her hair was short and black, a bit lighter than Luanne's. Her eyes were a medium blue. She wore a white chiton with black pants underneath. 

"Lady Luanne, he's fragile," she remarked. 

"Selina, can you let him go? Please," Luanne requested. 

"He fainted from one hit. Can't even react to my foot pinning him. Are you sure you want to train him?" Selina asked, ignoring her superior's orders. 

Quietly, while Selina belittled Theo, he formed a silent vortex. 

"Fine, he caught my arrow. But that doesn't earn him any merit—" The girl's eyes widened. 

Theo detonated the vortex, launching her upward with the wind's force. Selina slid across the ground and landed beside Luanne. 

'I couldn't sense his core preparing the spell... How did he do that?' 

'She's a physical monster...' Theo thought. 'Probably a Conduit.' Struggling to recover, he tried to stand. 

"Theo, this is Selina, my apprentice. Selina, this is Theo, my godson and, yes, a man blessed by Alunne. Any issues with that?" 

"For now, yes." 

"That's why I chose you. Theo, Selina, you'll be combat partners. Selly is a Vagus veteran with nine years of experience. Theo—" 

"I want to hear it from him," Selina interrupted. "I joined Lady Alunne to see the world from above. Where emperors will never reach. I seek my own paradise..." 

"Right, fine. I don't care what you want or your goals," Theo shot back. "I only care about the punch you threw. And how I'll return it." 

"Vengeful, huh?" the hunter teased. 

In a single motion, Theo appeared beside Selina, ready to strike: his right leg braced as his left arm tried to intercept her movements, his right fist poised to hit her face. 

Glancing down and noticing he was close to landing the blow, Selina agilely dodged. 

Using his wind attribute, Theo propelled his kicks and punches with one goal in mind: landing just one hit on her. Even as he noticed an ocean of difference between them. 

'Is Theo explosive?' Luanne wondered, carefully analyzing her godson's movements. 

By a millimeter, Theo missed Selina. With each strike, he inched closer to hitting her. 

'He's getting more explosive with every move...' Selina thought, straining to let Theo land a hit. 'His movements are like a dance. The synchronization isn't just with his body but with the wind itself... he's so... unpredictable!' 

Theo kicked the air forcefully, nearly hitting his opponent. 

'Something's off here...' Theo mused. 'There's no way to dodge the wind itself. Unless you have the speed for it. She doesn't—I'm sure of that. So how is she doing it?' 

Selina's eyes narrowed in frustration. 'I'm unfortunately forbidden from attacking him...' 

Planting his right foot, Theo swiftly countered with a left kick. Selina, however, dodged and targeted Theo's supporting leg. Just as she thought she'd won, Theo surprised her with a last-second punch. 

'I see. He differs from a deviant. Instead of conjuring an element from his core to cast a spell, he uses the air in the atmosphere. This boy can alter wind direction and speed so efficiently it makes me think... he can manipulate vectors! The power of a neutral core used authentically—magnificent! But...' 

"Still inefficient," Selina said, dodging the punch and grabbing Theo's arm, slamming him to the ground. 

Theo sighed in discomfort. 

"Sorry," he muttered, turning his face away. 

'What just happened to me?' he reflected. 

For a few seconds, it felt like anger had controlled him. Stress? What could it be? Liam Mason had those outbursts, attacking whoever irritated him. But Theo never did. 

It was just a fleeting theory, but Theo might have assimilated part of Liam's soul during Nirvana, adopting some questionable habits. 

Luanne walked over to her apprentices, perplexed. 'Theo isn't what I was told... maybe I expected too much from him...' 

"Selina. In your opinion, what's his biggest weakness?" Luanne asked. 

"Probably energy control," she replied. "He manipulates wind better than anyone I've seen. But he telegraphs his attacks. His guard is always low. How old is he?" 

"Fifteen. Just entering his peak evolutionary phase." 

Selina released Theo, who sat cross-legged. Luanne rested her right hand on her godson's shoulder. 

"I think he could evolve more on a hunt... Could you guide him?" 

"I don't want to, but—" 

"I won't go," Theo cut in. "Not until I land a punch on her." 

"Violence against women?" Selina mocked. 

"There's no honor or laws in deviant battles. Fight to the death means fight to the death. The only rule is no holding back." 

"Look at you," she laughed. "What do you want, then? Time to train?" 

"To study. I need three days," he retorted, locking eyes. 

"Study what?" she asked, frowning. 

"Telling you would just give you an advantage. It's like explaining your technique to an enemy." 

"I'm proud," Luanne said, ruffling Theo's hair. "I hoped you'd be faster. But since the world doesn't revolve around my wishes... I'll have to ask your school's director for permission. Behave if you go to any academy..." 

"Are you talking to me or a child? I'm polite." 

"With Camille as your mother? I'm shocked you're not formal even with friends... Fine. Selina, I need your help with something in the temple." 

"Of course, milady. See you later, golden curls." 

"Bye," Theo muttered dejectedly. 

The two women left as Theo remained seated, staring at his open hands. 'What is this strange feeling? Why don't I feel like... myself?' 

He sighed deeply, leaning back on the ground. 

'What happened? For a moment, it was like... I lost reason. Am I still conflicted? Maybe. But... did Alexander's words affect me? Learning it was someone who killed everyone that day, not a mechanical failure...' 

Theo tilted his head back and mentally exploded. A soundless scream was cut short by a genuine sigh. His breathing grew erratic, matching his scattered thoughts. 

'Why do I feel so insecure? Why am I... so inferior to myself? What separates the new me from the old me?' Clicking his tongue, he stood with a conclusion: 'I need to understand what strength means...' 

☽✪☾ 

After descending the celestial mountain, Theo wandered aimlessly through Fulmenbour, still lost in self-reflection. The most persistent questions in his mind were: "Why pretend I'm not who I really am? What's the point of all this? Why do I hate Liam Mason so much?" 

Theo's blocked potential is tied to this. Until he finds an answer to his self-hatred, he won't even be able to live as an individual. Yet, knowing this, he can't let go of what torments him. 

A stress-induced headache could have crippled him, but he found his greatest solace while returning to their hotel: coffee. 

Sunset was minutes away, so a cup of coffee at this hour was enough to calm Theo's mind for a few hours. 

"Come on, Lawrence. Discipline, discipline. If Amiah looked into my eyes now, she'd punch me for sure... And my father... would cremate me alive." 

Theo raised the coffee cup to his lips, but his hands trembled. His heart pounded hard enough to send sharp pains through his chest. 

His mind felt under siege by a raging storm. He couldn't think, couldn't reason. Even the cozy café felt hostile. 

No words left his mouth, though he tried to call for help. A buzzing noise drowned out all other sounds. 

Then, that same noise was interrupted by a sweet voice saying: 

"Found you." 

A gentle but firm hand rested on his right shoulder. Theo turned his head, seeking the speaker, and even with blurred vision, he recognized the golden strands of a woman's hair. 

"Hi, brother," said Thays, Theo's older sister. "You're a hard man to find, huh?"