Persistent Part 3

He became more hopeful and started praying to Goddess Myra. 

The mist like particles thickened, and for a second, it really looked like that he would finally summon his own beast. 

Then, without warning, the light vanished, while the mist slowly dispersed. 

"Wait! Please!" he cried out desperately. He tried to hold on to it somehow, but it completely disappeared, leaving him with nothing again.

"N… No…"

THUD!

His knees buckled, and his hands slammed into the stone without him even thinking 

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was very close. 

"Please, just one more time!" he begged the Crimsoner family. 

He could already feel the nobles staring, waiting for him to be dismissed. 

But he could not care less about them. 

Pride and ego didn't matter anymore. He would even dropped to his knees and kissed their feet if it meant getting another chance. 

"Please! Just one more…." he shouted with all his might.

The nobles, seeing this, burst into laughter. In their eyes, he was now worse than those stinky beggar on the street. 

At least beggars knew their place and only asked for food, while he was begging for resources that could let an ordinary citizen live comfortably for years without lifting a finger. 

Chatters spread cross the hall. 

"Shameless, clinging to Lady Elecy like a maggot," one said with a mocking snort 

"What an imbecile. He is abusing her kindness just because of an old agreement," another added

A few laughed while maintaining a low voice, careful not to speak too loudly. 

"Does he really think someone like her would waste more on a failure like him?" 

Kash gritted his teeth, pretending not to hear them. 

Finally, the girl in question stood up.

"Place more spirit crystals on the ritual ground!'

Her command surprised everyone. It didn't make sense for her to help him outside of their agreement, but no one dared question her orders. Not even her family. 

Servants scrambled, placing fresh blue crystals on a compartment located at the far end. 

Kash's chest tightened with each stone set down, and he looked at her with thankful expression.

She didn't say a word to him. 

Kash stepped back into the circle and repeated the process. 

The stones lit up again, and even those who doubted him started getting curious. 

Maybe Elecy saw a hidden potential waiting to awaken, or the birth of another once-in-a-lifetime genius.

They waited, watching the glowing surface of the platform.

Time passed, and the room was filled with different emotions, mostly from the nobles who secretly wanted him to fail. 

But, just like before, the light vanished, and the magic circle went dark. 

His heart sank again when he turned his head to Elecy, who stared back at him with disappointment. 

"Kash Dragmir," she spoke firmly, "I've done what I can. I don't want to see you again next year."

He stood there, his mouth dry, unable to find any words. She even gave him another chance, which only made it worse. 

Because now, he knew that even for a split second, she actually believed in a loser like him. 

"I'm sorry for everything," he bowed his head, drained of all strength and motivation to defend himself. 

He slowly turned his head, and could only kept his mouth shut. The noble's disdainful eyes were all on him, some with smirks, others whispering to one another while obviously mocking his incompetence. 

To them, he was the biggest clown of the empire. 

"You need to leave, Sir." the servant spoke. 

"I will," Kash nodded weakly. 

As he turned to leave, the insulting chatters started again.

He didn't bother looking up. 

The cold night air hit him as he stepped outside. He let out a defeated smile, shaking his head at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. 

"Eh," he muttered, pausing as he felt something on his skin. "Is it... raining?" 

He watched as droplets fell steadily, splashing against the ground.

"Weird... it's coming down hard." His lips trembled, not wanting to admit that it wasn't rain.

'I need some time…' He walked toward the courtyard, needing some space to breathe and clear his head. 

Sitting on one of the stone chairs, he looked up at the starry sky. Two moons hung in the night, their glow beautiful even from a distance. 

He recalled his mother telling him the story of the two moons. 

It was about a human who fell in love with a goddess. But because he possessed no powers, the other higher beings disapproved of their relationship. 

For a creation to marry its creator was a blasphemy. 

Desperate to prove himself, the human struck a deal with a dragon and became the first

Summoner.

Unfortunately, it didn't end with a happy ending. 

Even though he gained the power that matched the gods, no one accepted him. 

In the end, he was killed, while the dragon who made a contract with him was sealed inside a huge rock. The gods then later lifted it into the sky and turned it into the second moon. 

Though no one could really tell if it was true or not, it was a well-known story meant to teach that effort alone wasn't enough to get what you wanted. 

Birthright and status mattered more than anything else. 

'I should now wallow in self pity just because I can't be a summoner. There are plenty of people who've faced worse than me.'

He stretched his arms and took a deep breath. Letting go of his dream gave him a strange sense of relief. 

Now he could focus on more realistic goal.

Just as he stood up, something stopped him. 

A voice. 

"Speak my name." 

It was soft. A woman's voice…perhaps, but he couldn't tell where it came from. 

He turned around. His eyes scanned the empty courtyard. 

"Anyone there?" he called out. 

No answer. 

Only the wind and the drip of water from the fountain could be heard. 

He rubbed his face. Perhaps he imagined it. 

But the voice didn't feel fake…it was clear, like a person whispered straight into his ear. 

'Don't tell me there's a phantom here?' he added, trying to laugh it off. 

"Speak my name." 

The voice echoed again, cutting through the cold air. 

"Who's messing with me ?" he screamed while glancing around the courtyard.

"Speak my name," 

The voice echoed a third time. A sharp pain shot through his head, forcing him to stagger and sit back down. 

'What's going on?' His chest tightened, anxiety rising every heartbeat. 

'Am I losing my mind?' He shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his thoughts, but it only made the pain worse. 

Then, a word began to form in his mind. He didn't know why, but it felt like a name he needed to say aloud. 

"Sera"