NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: Awakenings
XING HUA’S POV:
Well, the last few months were certainly interesting. A mysterious boy had crashed through the roof of my stable, and forgotten his memories in the process. Upon seeing my abilities, he had immediately become interested, and spent his days in the study, reading every book I had– and every book the stores had to offer, for that matter. I didn’t exactly pay him handsomely, I didn’t truly have the money for that… but he only ever used it on those books.
Tucking a few strands of black hair out of my eyes, my hand tightened around the weaved basket I carried by the handle. The reeds it was made from stood firm, as I had been using it for years, to tell the truth. There were still many mysteries about that boy I had yet to uncover. He seemed to be learning at a fast rate– not just about magic. Just about anything I taught him, he picked up at speeds which truly weren’t normal in any case.
Merely thinking about him caused me to sigh, as I worried about what he was getting up to. His awakening was coming at any time now; with it, he would likely destroy the surroundings, so I had told him to practise outside. After all… I really did not want him destroying the house.
That was the storm’s job. And even then, fixing it was a pain in the ass that I really didn’t want to deal with…
The winds were rather courageous today. They lashed at buildings, as well as anything in the open– including my face– with dark clouds approaching like an oncoming army. A storm was approaching, rather fast.
My walk quickened, in order to get my shopping done before the rain came. Truly, I hated rain. Although it watered the crops for me, everything got soggy.. And the trek up the hill to the farm was just that much more difficult when one’s feet were trapped by layers of mud and water.
Sometimes I think Atlas is just like a little baby. Honestly, I take my eyes off of him for one second, and he’s gone doing something else! I could never just leave him be, however– if I ever let him meet the battle-hungry men of the town, he’d become just as hard headed as them, honestly.
However, he seems to gravitate– I mean, he seems to LITERALLY be pulled towards the study room. Even when I’m telling him off for climbing the roof or whatever other silly thing he’s gone and done, he’ll be inching over there unconsciously! Though, he most certainly enjoys watching the warriors practise. Once he’s done his work, he’s either reading more or gone to watch them train.
I think he wants to be an adventurer– though, we’ll both have to be older before that happens. He can’t even use a sword– and he hasn’t even broken out his soul core yet. But he’s getting close, I can feel it.
And when I feel it, it’s gotta be true! I got called a genius when I was little, heh. Awakened my soul core at the age of 10, way earlier than when it was supposed to awaken. AND I had an affinity for nature.
…If you want to clap, go ahead. I’m not waiting or anything…
If I had to guess, I would assume Atlas is a year younger than I. Through his mannerisms, behaviour, and appearance, I’m guessing he’s 10 whilst I am 11. Why am I so mature? Well, that’s a secret, of course! No other 11-year-old is quite like me!
As I finished my daily rounds, I turned, exiting the shop I had been in, beginning the slow trek back down the road, back to the farm.
ATLAS REYES’ POV:
Around a year has passed since I began training to break out my soul core. It’s truly been an arduous process– I’ve been gathering tiny little bits of soul particles from the outside world and absorbing them through my skin, whilst attempting to widen my veins at the same time. Truly– I’d rather learn to fight blind than to do this all again…
When the book said most people awakened at 15, I could see why. Normally, one would sit and wait for the particles to gather at the core, wait for the veins to open up. However, due to that voice in my head, it had become apparent that I didn’t have time to sit and wait for anything to happen. I severely doubted most would understand the concept of instead of waiting, simply grabbing the lights– as according to Hua, I was ‘the weirdest genius she had ever met’. I took that as a compliment, though.
But it would be harder later than now. After all, children learned things more easily than adults, as adults were more rigidly stuck in their ways. Children were mouldable, though many seemed to use that to their advantage for all the wrong reasons.
Darkness fell upon the earth as night came, stars twinkling above my head as I meditated in the field. The wind brushed past my ears, growing stronger as my hair whipped my face. I wanted to cough, but my breathing remained steady as I continued to tirelessly gather particles, drawing them towards my core.
Daily exercises consisted of working on the farm– which, fully enough, was building my strength. When I had arrived, I had been mostly skin and bone. Now, I had put on enough muscle to hold and use a farming hoe for hours without needing a break every fifteen minutes.
I don’t really know why, but I seem to be more mature than other kids of my age, as though I’m an adult in a child’s body. It’s rather odd, and I don’t really get it myself, to be perfectly honest with you.
The wind seemed to howl around me as it all turned into a cacophony of discordant noise, an unholy screech from the depths of hell.
Then it all… stopped for a moment, as though time itself was put on pause–
And an ear-piercing shriek echoed a moment later, with a loud bang.
XING HUA’S POV:
I didn’t really realise what had happened myself. Just as I reached the top of the hill, a large shriek echoed, some kind of death knell. The noise rang out like dolorous bells, and my heart raced a mile a minute. Eyes already widening with shock, breaths already coming out in gasps as all the blood drained from my face, it becoming pale with horror and worry.
I pushed through the swirling winds which seemed to be forming some kind of barrier around the area.
“AT–LAS!!!” I screamed repeatedly, voice hoarse from yelling his name, over and over. Blood rose in my throat as I continued to damage it, shouting into the howling winds for no answer. I spat the bile out onto the grass, slamming my hands into the floor as a hum emanated from them as well as a green light, body and mind having already gone into overdrive.
The grass grew, coalescing into a mass of thick vine which reached over like an almighty hand from the heavens, flinging bits of broken debris out of the way as I fought to reach my dearest friend and housemate. After removing the final bit of rock and fighting through the storm, my mouth lay agape in shock as I collapsed to my knees, a weak chuckle escaping my mouth. Wiping whatever tears had brimmed in the corners of my eyes, I smiled quietly.
….This guy truly was a maniac.
Floating in the centre– all the animals had rushed over to one side, likely afraid of his newfound power– was Atlas, hair hanging down in a wild, yet sleek mess, torn out of the braid I had oh-so-nicely taught him how to make. The explosion had been caused by the breaking of his soul core.
He lingered in mid-air, and I could make out the soul particles gathering around him, before they were abruptly sucked into his body and absorbed in a flash of light, as his body descended, falling like a stone.
My reflexes kicked in and I was by his side in the time it took for a heart to beat, catching him as he fell, his multi coloured eyes blinking to life as I smiled softly at him.
“Did you sleep well, you goddamn weirdo?”
ATLAS REYES’ POV:
“Did you sleep well, you goddamn weirdo?”
Hua’s voice was a rather wonderful wake-up call. Though, it was still a little loud for my tastes… but better than nothing.
The inside of my mouth tasted sour, bitter, like blood. My throat felt as though someone had run a grater along its inside, and was undeniably scratchy as I opened my mouth, attempting to talk.
Nothing escaped my mouth but mere hoarse cries and a few shallow breaths.
My body was much the same. My limbs felt more like lead than anything else, with any attempt to move them like trying to push a wheelbarrow of bricks up a hill with drenched clothes on. My head was heavy and aching, and I was sure, had Hua not been cradling it in her arms as though I was merely a baby, it would have dropped to the floor like a stone through thin air.
Her eyes conveyed worry. It wasn't an emotion I had seen on her before. I was more used to the joy shining in her eyes… It was an interesting moment. I had never noticed before just how much the eyes hinted at a person's emotions. When Hua was happy, her auburn eyes glimmered like the rising sun. They were focused, confident.
When she was sad, the flecks within swarmed and separated every second at random as her eyes darted around, the light in her eyes gone. And I didn't know what to say to that– I couldn't say anything. Instead, my hands reached up as best they could, pain spiking throughout my entire arm as I stifled a gasp due to the sheer shock. It hurt so much. But comforting her was more worth that.
At that moment, it was more like I was the older one. In that moment, she was just the child she had always been, not the mature adult she was trying, pretending to be for the both of us.
The roughness of my palms was a stark contrast to the smoothness of her face. It was like sandpaper against a pillow.
My eyelids grew heavier by the second, and all I could manage was a soft smile– which I hoped, at least, would be reassuring– before the whole world faded to black.
XING HUA'S POV:
His hand cupped my face, and it was warm. I hadn’t felt such a thing for a while– no, for the longest time. And such a thing reminded me of my parents. The gilded white halls of the palace were a stark contrast to the pitiable shack I had been granted, a small bit of respite from the tussle for power in the capital, and more specifically, within my family. And it saddened me, as regret had taken root deep within my soul. I had pushed it down since coming here– but this boy was enough to drag it out of me.
Why was I running away, again? I didn’t remember, truly. All I knew was that this boy– was someone I’d never known I needed. He hadn’t said anything, but he didn’t need to. The wordless exchange was enough for me to know, to understand what he was trying to tell me. And perhaps, the way he smiled and the way his multicoloured eyes gleamed softly in the light of the setting sun, was enough to show me that perhaps it was better this way.
“It’ll be alright.” His eyes told countless tales, and mine did too.
One day, if he ever remembered, I’d like to hear his story. Then, I could relate to him better– and be there for him when he’d been there for me.
The ground cracked, and I could hear growls in the distance. Panting, like that of a wild animal. A hungry wild animal. My eyes darted up.
Elysian beasts. Crystals lined their backs, and long fangs hung out the front of their mouths, fur matted with dried blood from their last meals. Drool dripped down their maws– they were hungry, and had likely been brought here sensing the eruption of soul energy that had come from Atlas’ awakening. They preyed upon that, eating Sages alive. Although it was only the Tier 5, weaker beasts that hunted in packs, I could see about twenty.
I couldn’t deal with that. Prodigy or not, I was still weak.
And so, they approached– I could do nothing but shield Atlas’ unconscious body, raising my hands and getting ready to fight the best I could.
Death slowly dragged near, and fear had already begun to set into my bones. I wanted to run, but they had already encircled me.
Nowhere to hide, nothing to do but fight.