Both of them lay in their respective rooms, the quiet hum of mana conduits in the walls filling the silence.

Ren lay on his back, eyes half-closed, staring at the faint glow lines running across the ceiling. The mattress felt softer than he remembered, yet the air here carried the same faint metallic tang of mana he had known as a student.

"Is the origin core a phoenix bird?" he asked, his voice low.

Nyxa's presence rippled faintly in his mind, her tone calm. "Maybe yes. Many powerful energies take a living form over time. It is possible that the origin core has created a living form of itself over time."

Ren turned on his side, his gaze drifting to the wall where moonlight spilled through the crystal-glass window. "Hmmm… so this also happens in this world."

"Yes. Like I am. I am also a form of energy," Nyxa said.

Ren blinked. "What? I really did not know this. I thought you were a spirit… or a god… or maybe one of those angels mentioned in old stories."

"It is true that I am an energy. And like me, Elara also has a living form of energy."

Ren's brow furrowed, the sheets rustling as he shifted. "What? Really?"

"Yes. She was the one who saved you. I do not have all my memories either. There are things I know… and things I do not. I cannot recall why."

Ren exhaled slowly, staring at the ceiling again. "But how come you don't know? Did something happen in the past?"

"I don't remember. Perhaps when you reach a higher level, I will recall. The form of energy that Elara has is called Selurine. She is a close friend of mine. We share the same origin… but our purposes are opposite."

The moment she said it, a sharp, searing pain stabbed through Ren's skull. His vision blurred. He gripped the bedsheet, muscles tensing, then clutched his head.

"Ahh!" His scream tore through the quiet halls of corridors.

Somewhere in the corridor's room, Elara jerked upright in bed. Seroi's heavy steps sounded almost at the same time as hers.Ren's scream tore through the quiet corridor, but the sound was contained by the mana-infused walls. This wing of Arkenhall held only three rooms Seroi's, Elara's, and his own tucked away from the main halls. After 10 years so many things changed in the Arkenhall but this rooms remained as it is. The rest of the facility remained unaware, yet the two nearest doors opened almost at once.

They reached Ren's door together and pushed it open. The room's dim light revealed Ren hunched over, hands clamped to his head, his breath ragged. Crimson streaks trickled from the corners of his eyes, catching the faint glint of mana-light.

Elara's heartbeat quickened. Her gaze darted to her father, and his eyes mirrored her confusion.

Inside her, Selurine's voice resonated, steady but urgent.

"Elara. Nyxa has told him something he is not yet ready to know. We cannot stop the pain, but you can lessen it. Go to him. Place some of your energy on his forehead. It will give him some relief."

Selurine had spoken to Elara about Nyxa before. About their connection. She had told Elara only what her current strength that of a Planet-level mage allowed her to comprehend.

Elara stepped forward. The floor's smooth surface was cold under her bare feet as she crossed to Ren's bedside. His knuckles were white, gripping the sheets, his face contorted with agony.

She knelt beside him and pressed her palm gently to his forehead. Warm, golden light seeped from her hand into his skin, flowing in slow, steady waves.

Ren's breathing eased, the tension in his muscles loosening slightly. The crimson streaks stopped running, though the pain still twisted faintly in his expression.

Elara kept her hand there, the golden glow pulsing between them, until the worst of the tremors subsided.

The room was still again, save for the faint hum of the mana conduits and the echo of what neither of them yet fully understood.

The air in the room was still heavy after Ren's screams had faded into quiet, his body now resting under the faint light from the crystal fixtures in the walls. Seroi stood near the bed, his arms folded, his gaze shifting from Ren's pale face to Elara.

"What happened to him?" Seroi's voice was low but tense.

Elara kept her hand resting lightly on the blanket near Ren's side, her expression calm yet shadowed by concern.

"As I told you before, Father," she said softly, "there is much in this world we do not know. Someone is watching us. Always. Even here."

Seroi's brow furrowed. His eyes searched hers, as though looking for the piece of truth she was not saying. "And you think this has something to do with it?"

Elara nodded once. "Yes. But it is not something we can fight right now. We must move carefully. I will tell you everything. When right time will come. Ren and I, both have same powers and same limits. We both are bound by someone."

Seroi's jaw tightened, but he did not press further. He stayed there until Ren not felt good. Then he and Elara stepped back, glancing again at Ren before quietly leaving the room. Ren now sleeped. Unaware of their presence. So they leaved quietly without disturbing his sleep.

★★★

Deep inside Ren's mana sea, the darkness stretched endlessly, a black expanse with a faint ripple of light far in the distance. Selurine's form emerged, her golden glow sharp against the void. She moved with urgency, her presence cutting through the oppressive stillness until she found Nyxa.

Nyxa's figure was waiting, her expression unreadable.

"You know he was not ready to hear that," Selurine's voice was cold. The golden light around her pulsed with her anger.

Nyxa's lips curved faintly, but the weight in her gaze betrayed her own unease. "I did not think it would harm him so much."

Selurine stepped closer, the darkness around them trembling with her energy. "Then you do not understand him as well as you think. This is not a game."

Nyxa lowered her eyes for a moment, then looked back up. "I know. I will not make the same mistake again."

"I am sorry," her voice came gently, softer than usual. "I should not have said those things to you."

Selurine's presence followed, her tone no longer sharp. "Do not forget, Nyxa. We protect him. Not test him."

There was a pause, the silence stretching before Selurine finally turned away.

★★★

When morning came, the tension of the night had faded into a quiet calm. Sunlight spilled through the tall windows of rooms, painting warm lines across the polished stone floor.

Ren stirred in his bed, his body heavy but his mind clear enough to feel the quiet presence of Nyxa in the back of his thoughts.

Ren opened his eyes slowly, feeling the cool air of the room and the faint hum of the wards in the walls. Outside, footsteps moved faintly in the corridor the world carrying on as if nothing had happened.

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