September 9 Year 9,000
The sun was almost up but just like for the past week, Kence was still awake. A large black circle can be seen under his eyes due to fatigue from not being able to sleep
It was already a week after he woke up from the short coma yet in this past week he almost didn't saw his master. Calter will rarely go in their room. As Kence is used at being hugged by his master to sleep, he didn't have much sleep the past week. He only got sleep when his body really can't take it anymore and forced him to rest
Ever since he woke up, Kence felt that Calter is avoiding him. This made him feel hurt and sad. He was always close with his master but now, they almost didn't see each other. Calter just always say that he is busy and naturally, Kence won't force his master to accompany him
As Kence is feeling lonely, he just put his focused on cultivation even though he was tired from the lack of sleep. This made him to improve a lot and it wasn't long before he will become a Level 4 Magic Apprentice like his master
Kence removed the sheets on his body and exited the room. He missed his life back at the Sternix Clan where every morning, he and Calter will cook breakfast and will eat together. He wondered how the chefs are doing back at the Clan now
The City Lord's Magic Tower has exquisite design but if you're alone inside it, the loneliness you are feeling will multiply.
Also, Otto is still busy and was not able to accompany Kence and most of the time he's just by himself
Kence walked around for a while but as big as the tower is, there are only few people inside. Otto cannot allow the special environment under his Manor to be known by others after all
The youth almost didn't saw anyone and if he did, it was just some servants and they will respectfully bow at him before continuing on their way
While feeling sad, Kence decided to exit the Magic Tower and stroll around the snow and ice land. He doesn't have the chance to explore this place before. He will just passed by it then enter the Magic Tower or go back above
After some time, Kence finally exited the Magic Tower and his feet landed on the soft snow in the ground causing his feet to sink a bit. The cold temperature outside hit Kence's body and gave him comfort
Kence walked around and this time he feels much closer to the cold energy. He crouched down and scooped up some snow and made it a ball before he realizes something
He looked at his body and saw that he was only wearing his usual blue robes. It was blue but it wasn't the one provided by the City Lord to protect him from the cold
The temperature inside the tower was regulated and normal people will only feel a bit cold inside but it won't harm them. On the outside however, without enough strength, the cold will be too much for normal people to endure
One needs to at least have the physique of a Knight to comfortably stroll around. But Kence is just a Magic Apprentice, not to mention a piercing cold that will harm him but being in this cold environment just made him very comfortable!
Any kind of discomfort is not present on him. "Eh? What's wrong with me?" Kence asked to himself while staring at his body. He blinked his tired eyes while thinking that this is too inconceivable
He tried to scoop some snow again and although he feels its coldness but it doesn't gave him any discomfort at all. The feeling of cold snow on his hand just gave him a soothing fooling as if he was loved by snow itself
Kence strolled around for some time more to see if he can really take the cold and the result shocked him. Even though it was already an hour since he went outside, he was not harmed at all
He then tried laying his back on the cold snow and it feels like someone is massaging his back. Kence liked this feeling and he rolled around on the snow causing his body to be covered by it
In this way, the loneliness he felt for the past week lessened a bit thanks to the snow comforting him. He sat on the ground and scooped snow again but this time the amount was much larger than before
He shaped the now into a big ball shape that reached his knees. After the first big snow ball, he used more snow to make another one and placed it on the top of the first snow ball. He didn't stopped though and made a third large snow ball but this time it was bit smaller than the other two
Kence then poke two holes on the smaller ball using his finger making an eye like shape. And lastly, he removed a part of the snow below the two holes to make a smile like line
And his simple snowman is finished. He looked at it and pouted a bit. Although he put a bit of effort in making this snowman but he doesn't have any other material aside from snow. Although it doesn't look ugly but it's also not good looking
Kence smiled a bit and talked to the snowman he made "Sorry Mr. Snowman, this is all I can do for now. If I have time and you're still alive I'll make sure to make you look cuter okay?" Kence said with his childish voice while staring at the immobile snopwman
Kence suddenly felt a fabric was wrapped around him and his body jolted in shock. He was too focused on making the snowman and didn't noticed that someone was there with him
He turned around and tilted his head upwards. He saw the face that he misses a lot staring at him
"What are you doing here? Why are you not wearing a cold resistant robe?" Although Calter's voice was not as cold as he used when talking to other people, but this is the first time that Kence heard his master use this kind of tone on him
"I-I'm s-sorry..." Kence bit his lower lip and lowered his head while his hand were clenching his clothes hard causing some wrinkles to form on it
Seeing Kence like this makes Calter to want to punch himself. How can he treat this fragile ice like this? But he can't help it
He thought that after Kence woke up, he will shower him with more love and care. But reality is different. Every time he looks at Kence what he will remember are these three; first is Kence's death on their past life. Second is when a fire arrowed pierced Kence's chest that almost killed him. And lastly, scenes from his dreams where Kence hated him and blamed him for his death
Although he badly wants to always be with Kence but he became afraid. Calter thinks that being with Kence will just cause the latter to get hurt over and over again
The pain from that thought and scenes on his head were too much for Calter to handle. He can handle all sorts of hardships, challenges, or pain but not when it involved Kence!
Calter loves Kence too much that seeing him hurt like that was making him insane. On his past life, he also always had nightmares of Kence but this life is different!
Kence is still alive! Kence is with him! In the past, no matter what he do, Kence won't be harmed because he is already dead. But now, he is afraid that one small mistake might cause Kence to get hurt again or worst die!
But even with being this scared, Calter still can't let go of Kence. In the end, he made sure that Kence is in a place where he can reach him yet he ignored and avoided his love for a week
He knew that this made Kence sad and hurt. He really wants to punch himself for that. But he was really afraid that Kence will be harmed again
Calter removed the bad thoughts swirling inside his head and spoke again. He wants to treat Kence with care like before but he immediately regretted his next words and tone. "Go back inside the tower"
Kence was oblivious of what Calter is currently feeling and bit his lip harder while nodding his head. His head was still lowered and he didn't look at Calter at all
He wants to ask his master if he did something wrong but he was afraid to hear an answer he doesn't like. Thus, Kence can only walk slowly like a hurt little puppy
That stabbing feeling on Calter's heart resurfaced again and he touched his chest while clenching his jaws. "I'm so stupid" Calter muttered in a volume that Kence won't hear before starting to walk behind Kence
The atmosphere between the two was silent and suffocating. Neither of the two spoke another word. A large difference from before where their surroundings are always filled with love and joy
Along the way, Calter opened his mouth a few times but he doesn't know what to say. He wants to say comforting words to Kence and hug him tightly but he didn't dare
He is afraid that even just a single touch will change everything. The two arrived at the tower just like that and one of the servants were already waiting for them there
When they are close enough to that servant, the servant spoke to them. "Young Master Calter, Young Master Kence, the City Lord is waiting for the two of you. He said that he needs to say something important"
The two nodded their heads. At normal times, Kence will surely politely thank this servant but he is feeling too down now and just nodded his head
The servant was ignored by the two and head to where the City Lord usually talks to them. When they entered inside that room, they saw Otto sitting in a chair with Caizha on his side
Seeing Calter, the woman's eyes lit up a bit before she returned to her usual indifferent look
"Kence, Calter sit with us" the two obeyed and walk on the seats prepared for them
Kence sat on the other side of his teacher while Calter instead of sitting next to Kence actually sat next to Caizha. This made the young woman to blushed a bit and caused a small increase on the speed of her heartbeat. She was like a typical teenage girl who not only saw her crush but her crush also sat next to her
Otto was puzzled at this. Knowing Calter, he was sure that the youth will sit next to Kence but he actually didn't. As Otto is busy and was not always around, he didn't noticed that the two seems to be drifting apart
But Caizha notices it and she can't help but feel some hope on her heart but every time that happens she will immediately push it away. Kence is still her junior brother that she should dote on and take care of. He doesn't want to be that petty girl who betrayed her master and her master's disciple just because of a man
She also has her pride! In the entire Soaring Magic City, with the help of the City Lord and her own talent she became the number 1 genius! Her beauty is also well-known and became the belle of the City. She won't stoop that low
Otto decided to just let the kids fix their things and state his objective for calling them
"Normal people might not know this but there is one academy in our whole realm that is the best. Whether it be resources, teachers, or knowledge all of it are abundant on Enchanted Academy that was built by the Enchanted Alliance. The organization that holds the highest level of power and authority in the whole realm"
Caizha and Calter was not confused at all as they already know the existence of Enchanted Alliance and it is not surprising that they will build an academy to foster mages
But Kence is different, he was too ignorant on the world and is already confused that was visible on is face