Sister

Theo's blurred vision gradually cleared, even as his eyes remained soaked with tears of despair and agony. 

The last time Theo saw his sister was seven years ago. Back then, Thays was just a teenager, but now she was a grown woman—youthful in appearance yet mature and responsible. 

Theo was still suffering from anxiety symptoms, leaving him in a mix of surprise, anguish, and nostalgia. He only confirmed it was really her when Thays sat in the chair across from him and placed a bag on the table. 

"Thays..." he murmured. 

"Hi, brother," she said, a bright, wide smile spreading across her face. "You're a hard man to find, huh? Lady Luanne said you'd be around the neighborhood since you're staying here. But tracking you down wasn't easy." 

"Thays..." 

"What is it?" 

Theo sighed in relief, trying to swallow the apparent anguish. 

"You've aged well." 

Thays immediately stretched her arm and pinched his cheeks hard. 

"Can't you just say, 'You look beautiful, sis'? Huh?" 

"No," he retorted, pushing her hand away. 

"Hmm... You've grown a lot and have an athletic build now. Definitely a copy of Ed." 

"Ed... Speaking of him, have you seen him lately? I haven't met him since arriving in Vagus." 

She adjusted in her chair. *'I managed to calm his nervousness and anxiety... that's good,'* Thays thought. 

"Edward joined the Lotus Order. A faction under Titan Lincoln. Currently, he's number three in the second group but can already be considered grade four." 

"Grade four? Just that? Ed's insane for a human without a core. He left a mark on Dad and definitely evolved further. No way he's only grade four..." 

"Blame Grandpa Leon and Uncle Elijah. They're holding back his rank until the interschool tournament." 

"He's participating too?" Theo swallowed hard. 

"He's taking the tests for it, so maybe. And you? Planning to join?" 

"What about you? How are you doing?" 

"Don't change the subject!" 

"Are you close to finishing your degree?" Theo asked. 

"Well... I dropped out." 

"Dropped out?" He stared at her comically. 

"Yeah. I realized alchemy and all that weren't for me. So I transferred to Myrddin to study deviants." 

"I see. What exactly are you studying?" 

"Blessings. We're trying to find a logical explanation for what they mean. But never mind that. Got a girlfriend yet?" 

"What?" His cheeks turned pink. 

"You're fifteen. For nobles, that's the age to start looking for a partner and producing heirs." 

"Why don't *you* have one, then?" he countered. 

"Because..." Thays stammered. "I don't want to, and I'm busy with myself." 

"Same." 

Thays clicked her tongue and pouted. 

"Got any stories about yourself? I wanna hear about your recent mission. If you were gone for so long, it must've been exhausting." 

Theo's shoulders relaxed just thinking about his days in the forest. 

"Exhausting? That's an understatement. It started when I mistook a griffin for a falcon..." 

Thays laughed. 

"How do you confuse a griffin with a falcon?" 

"It was in a hole, so I only saw the crest. I charged in, but it was a griffin! Ended up falling into a ravine and blacking out for a while. After that, I fought an arcane crystal that summoned harpies, but we won." 

"Yeah, I know that part," she said, happy to see Theo still had the same energy as seven years ago. "How are Mom and Dad? Were they okay when they came to Vagus?" 

"Mom, yeah, she's the same as always. But Dad was exhausted. He's been stuck in the duchy's office for three years. It's rare to see him, and when I do, he looks like he's about to collapse and sleep for days..." 

"That's just how it is leading a duchy like Lawrence... But it seems to be working. Loureto is the safest city, second only to the order cities. So the old man's doing a great job." 

"Yeah." 

"And you? Got any plans for the near future? Something that doesn't involve 'fighting two mythological beasts and still walking away alive'?" she teased. 

"A few... I plan to study a bit at Myrddin Academy since I have access as part of Wispells' special class. Also, I want to figure out something I saw recently." 

"What's that?" Thays leaned back comfortably, crossing her arms and legs. 

"Something called 'Elemental Resonance.' It's like a mark that appeared on my left hand. Still don't get how it works." 

Thays tapped her chin, looking doubtful. 

"Agnes was researching something like that last time I saw her. She called it an 'Energy Pact Mark' or something. Maybe she can help you with it." 

As Theo pondered how to ask his adoptive sister for help, he stared at his left palm, where the resonance had first appeared. 

*'Agnes, huh?'* he thought, tense and anxious—though not as much as before. 

Thays took Theo's right hand, which was resting on the table. Gripping it firmly, she smiled, comforting him. 

"Forget about that for now. Come on," she called. "I'll take you home to rest." 

☽✪☾ 

Eventually, on their way back, Thays and Theo got lost and ended up wandering the city. She insisted on knowing everything he was going through and how she could help, but not wanting to burden someone already too busy, he lied about most of it. Unfortunately, due to work deadlines and school commitments, Thays couldn't stay longer with her brother, even if she wanted to. 

When Theo returned to the room he shared with Ivan and Antony, he flopped onto the bed and spent a long time gazing out the window, where moonlight streamed in. Watching the moon, he reflected on Alunne. Now that he was part of the lunar celestial's cult—or sect—Theo began wondering what exactly Alunne wanted from him. 

The moment Theo injected his energy into the lunar stone, a pact began forming between him and Alunne. Like with demons and spirits, 'gods' and celestials also forge pacts, often to manifest in the physical world (since higher beings' presence would destabilize the four dimensions). 

At that moment, Theo just wanted to know what the celestial desired and what she was willing to give in return. Even if, most likely, he didn't yet have the power to summon her. 

Sitting on the mattress, he started thinking. His current method of training his spirit was through chakras. The first time he'd done this was with Amiah, just before hunting the kynigos. Temporarily, his vision surpassed the ordinary, even keeping up with the bird's immense speed. 

However, chakra discs function as a secondary core and, like a primary core, their energy depletes. Meditation keeps them charged. But this possibility was quickly dismissed. The reason? Simple: Theo's spiritual plane. As long as his spiritual plane remained a storm in an infinite world, he'd never be able to fight himself to evolve spiritually. So, Theo would have to create a schedule to adjust. 

As he mentally planned, Ivan smothered him with a pillow. 

"People weren't kidding. You really do waste time on nothing..." Ivan remarked. 

"I was thinking," Theo retorted. 

"When aren't you?" 

Theo tossed the pillow back at Ivan, who walked to a nearby bed. 

"Antony's not coming today?" Theo asked. 

"Nope. Apparently, the Dwarf King accepted his request, so he starts working today. We won't see him as often from now on." 

"Got it. And you? Where were you?" 

Ivan stretched. 

"Watching fights. Amiah recommended a good fight club in Fulmenbour since he'll take a while to train me. Spent the day watching grade-four and five agents sparring." 

"Ah..." Theo murmured, interested. "You didn't fight?" 

"Nah. You need to be grade four to enter combat. If you want, I can take you there tomorrow. I picked up some combat patterns just by watching. You learn faster than anyone, so you might grasp something more complex." 

"Could work." 

"Cool. See you tomorrow!" Ivan said, getting up and heading to the bathroom. 

*'Selina's grade five. So if I analyze deviant fights at that level... I'll definitely figure out her technique,'* Theo concluded. *'But I also need to break my limiter. Refining my essence is the priority right now. Plus going through Nirvana again... Nothing a night in the spiritual plane won't fix, right, Theo?'* 

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Theo leaned against the wall and rested his hands on his knees. Closing his eyes, he re-entered the spiritual plane. Waves meters high crashed over him every second. He felt serpents coiling around his legs. Theo couldn't see a single point of light, even though in many scenarios, there should've been space to glimpse the sun. The turbulent waters constantly engulfed his body and senses.