Celestia knelt beside Koku, his weakly breaths barely able to be heard even against the silence of the mist-laden forest. His life force flickered like a dying candle, his body ravaged by the immense strain of the transformation and subsequent fight.
"He's dying, Seraphina," Celestia whispered, her golden eyes filled with a flicker of concern despite her stern demeanor. "His injuries are fatal."
"There might be something we can do," Seraphina, the ethereal figure hovering beside Celestia, offered. "The city of Elara has a renowned healer, Master Elora. We could take him there, but..."
Celestia frowned, her fingers clenching and unclenching around the hilt of her sword. "Taking him to Elara would be... problematic. He's a wanted man in several nations, and news of his capture would spread like wildfire."
"Then what do we do? Leave him here to die?" Seraphina pressed, her voice laced with concern. Celestia hesitated, the weight of the decision heavy on her shoulders. "No..." she finally said, her voice firm. "I may not agree with his methods, but he doesn't deserve to die, especially for this... i'm sure he has a reason, so.... We'll take him to the hidden sanctuary within the Order of Paladins. They have the resources and secrecy to treat his wounds."
Seraphina nodded in agreement. With a gentle touch, she cast a healing spell upon Koku, stabilizing his condition for the journey to the sanctuary. Together, they carefully lifted Koku, his body light as a feather, and began their journey.
Meanwhile, Yoru and Kurai continued their travel to the city Koku sent the night owls to for their prize. Later that day, they collected the prize money and later found out after a week that Koku still hadn't arrived. So, they began traveling to the port nation through the mist-shrouded forest, still following Koku's instructions.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" Yoru asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Kurai scoffed, her usual calm older sister demeanor returning. "He's probably up and kicking someone around. Besides, he told us to head north to Hydropolis, so try not to think too much of it, Yoru. We have a new mission, and that's to blend in the academy of..."
Despite her words, Kurai couldn't help but steal glances back at the path they traveled, feeling a nagging concern for Koku gnawing at her.
Days turned into weeks as they journeyed north. The journey was challenging, as they kept getting lost in treacherous terrain and encountering wild beasts. However, both girls managed with skill and resilience from their training with Koku in the past.
Finally, they reached the bustling port city of Hydropolis. The vibrant city was a stark contrast to the desolate landscape they had just traversed. Towering buildings lined the streets, teeming with people from all walks of life.
Following Koku's instructions, they began looking for the city's esteemed magic academy, a majestic building with towering spires and intricate carvings. The entrance hall was filled with students in flowing robes, buzzing with excitement and chatter.
Yoru and Kurai approached the admissions desk, the grandeur of the academy overwhelming them. A stern-faced woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun looked down at them, her gaze cold and assessing. "State your business, young ladies," she demanded. Kurai took the lead and told her a made-up story about why they were there.
"Enrollment? at our academy? you know that's more selective for students who are chosen to attend. Plus, the entrance exams are long over," she finally said, her voice devoid of emotions. "However, given your circumstances and the effort of your arrival, I have decided to make an exception. You will both be granted entry. However, I have to speak with the principal about this first."
Relief washed over Yoru and Kurai. The academy offered them a safe haven for now, as long as they didn't reveal anything like connections to Koku. Both sisters were going to take this chance for an opportunity to learn and grow their skills, and perhaps even a chance to learn more about the world and what it has to offer.
Meanwhile, within the hidden sanctuary of the Order of Paladins, Koku hovered between life and death. The skilled healers worked tirelessly, using powerful magic and ancient medicines to mend his broken body and sustain his life force.
With the passing days turning into weeks since Koku's battle with Celestia, 2 weeks had passed. The experience of harnessing the new power had left him drained and disoriented. His memories of the events leading up to his collapse were hazy and fractured.
One day, he woke to find himself in a dimly lit room, the scent of herbs and incense filling the air. His body ached in every fiber, but he was alive. A figure sat beside his bed, shrouded in the shadows.
"So you're finally awake," a familiar voice said, laced with a hint of relief. Koku strained to see the figure. Light filtered through the window, lighting Celestia's face, her expression unreadable.
"Celestia?" Koku rasped, his voice dry and weak. "What am I doing here, and where are we?" Koku asked in a weakly cold tone. "You're in one of the Order's hidden sanctuaries. After your fight with me, I brought you here."
Koku's brow furrowed. The fragmented memories were like shards of glass, sharp and painful. "Fight?" he rasped, his voice dry and weak. The question hung heavy in the air, laced with suspicion.
"Despite our differences," Celestia said, meeting his gaze, "I wouldn't let you die. You may be misguided, but you deserve a chance to recover. Plus, I'm quite fond of yo- never mind." Koku remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Trust didn't come easily, especially not towards Celestia. Yet, a flicker of gratitude flickered beneath the surface. He owed her his life. "How long?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Two weeks," Celestia replied. "Your injuries were severe. The healers needed time to stabilize you."
Two weeks didn't sound like much but felt like an eternity to Celestia. Koku's thoughts drifted to the girls, Yoru and Kurai. Were they safe? Where were they?
"The girls are safe," Celestia answered with a slight frown, which she herself didn't notice; her expression still unreadable to Koku. "They followed your instructions and are currently at the magic academy in Hydropolis."
Relief flooded over him, a wave of ease amongst the still lingering pain. The academy. He remembered mentioning it, a safe haven for them. I had someone I trust dearly follow them just to make sure. But because they did nothing wrong, I can't bring them in with you. Celestia told him, making his upcoming question which was, how did she know where they were headed and stuff like that.
"You entrusted them with a mission, Koku, what was it though?," Celestia continued. "It seems they're determined to see it through, despite the hidden dangers they might come across." Koku didn't know what this mission she spoke of was since his memories were still a haze, but a flicker of trust sparked within him. He had faith in the girls, in their ability to learn and grow.
Silence descended upon the room, each lost in their own thoughts. Koku knew his journey was far from over. He had new questions, new power he couldn't control, and a debt he owed. He closed his eyes, his mind swirling with thoughts, preparing for whatever challenges lurked in the shadows.
"Wha~ now?~", Koku's vision began to blur out while his other senses seemed to be flipped upside down, placing him back into an unconscious state. Seeing how Koku's body went limp, Celestia hurried over to his literal side.
After hearing the commotion, a few medical experts came in and began to access the situation; and after examining Koku's body, one pulled out a device that picked up on brain waves and pretty much anything regarding the brain. This device was powered by magic, so it was anything but normal and out-dated.
A few hours later, the medical experts informed Celestia that there was currently something wrong with Koku's brain, and that was that it seemed to them that the hippocampus was affected by the strain and stress on his body and mind. "Ms. Celestia, to us, it seems that… at worst, this boy will wake without his memories up to a certain point or will simply just not have his memories. The worst part is, we have no way of knowing if it'll be temporary or permanent… and as for good news, his condition is stable, and he will be making a quick recovery; we presume it'll take him an extra week to better himself." With this, the medical experts took their leave, leaving Celestia alone in the room with Koku, who was still unconscious.
"Honestly, hearing that saddens me, but apart from this, if you wake up and turn out to not have your memories…it wouldn't suit us to carry out any punishment on you… especially since by that point you'll be someone else entirely. Maybe even someone who wishes to be a knight, and be my friend…", Celestia remained present at Koku's side, saying that she herself needed to watch over Koku since he might escape in any case, and due to his power and sly tactics, he wasn't someone easy to catch let alone beat.
Over to where Yoru and Kurai had been, Elora had spoken to the principal, and after a few minutes of thinking, he went to see them himself, finally deciding to accept them into the academy after he spoke with them. "So tell me, why do two young maidens such as yourselves come to this academy? Is it for a better future or?", the principal of the school, an old man with both white hair and white eyes, asked.
Pale as can be yet younger than one might think, "Does my appearance perhaps get you on edge?", he asked both Yoru and Kurai, who looked confused due to his scent and magic radiating off of him. "Are you a human mixed in with something?", Kurai asked out of curiosity. The principal smiled at both of them and responded to Kurai's question.
"I'm not human entirely; however, just because I'm not human to a certain extent doesn't mean anything all that big." The old man then asked the question as to why they were here when Yoru responded to him in a serious and on edge tone. "We're just here because we want to learn from the best academy around…", Kurai then added onto what Yoru had stated, "W-we were also recommended to this place by someone we know."
Hearing this made the old man (Principal) stroke his beard in curiosity. "Ah, of course, please do feel free to join our academy. Oh, before I go; try not to cause any trouble, and as for whatever your goal in coming here is, please try to not hurt the academy or its reputation." With this, the principal took his leave, signifying to Elora that she had the green light to admit them into the academy. "Oh Elora, in the stead of the entrance exams, hold a greeting fighting tournament which is designed for our new family members. Make it among the first years too." Hearing this, she nodded and took the hand of Yoru, who looked bitter for some unknown reason.
Yoru's reason for being bitter was pretty simple, and that was due to Koku. "I held his hand last time…" thinking of the time she and Koku were alone in the eternal city during the one year of training, she felt something run down her cheek. After coming to an abrupt stop, she remained still for a few seconds, as she could see her vision blurred in a way that made it seem that something clear was clouding her vision.
Seconds later, she could feel a slightly cold fluid drop fall onto her hand, which she had positioned in a way she had been trying to stare at it. "Koku~", the feeling of being apart from Koku was a little more than Yoru could bear so she began to tear up, holding it back as much as she could while also hiding it pretty well.
It wasn't till much later in the day, that Yoru and Kurai were in the dorm room they were going to be staying in for a while as of that very day, that Yoru fell to the ground, clutching at her own arms, crying in Kurai's shoulders. "Bw-big sister. I'm scared. I'm scared that Koku's not okay! H-he was so hurt from what I can remember, I-i'm scared!", Yoru cried for the first time and heavily into Kurai's arms.
The scene had hit Kurai pretty hard seeing her little sister heart struck and in pain to this level. "It's okay," Kurai assured Yoru as her arms were currently around Yoru's body in a hug. Kurai, hearing and seeing her little sister at her weakest moment, tightened her hug on Yoru trying to comfort her the best she could. "He'll be back soon, Yoru. Just believe that he's alright," Kurai smiled as she gave Yoru a kiss on the forehead, as she had done many times in their childhood whenever she would get hurt or scared from things like a scrape all the way up to getting scared by lightning.
As this happened with Yoru and Kurai, a week had passed since Koku's falling back into unconsciousness and awakening since Koku woke up later that day that he had fallen unconscious again. "Oh, hello Ms. Celestia," Koku greeted with a different air around his words.
"Uhh-hello~ Koku," Celestia for some reason felt as if his greeting was pretty unusual, especially for himself so she asked a few questions to Koku, and eventually ended up asking him all sorts of things for the entire day which ended up with her getting to a conclusion. "He hasn't forgotten everything… just everything based on his dark past, if not or both his negativity." Celestia wondered this as she would later find out that it had been true, and that the Koku right before her now, wasn't the Koku she came to know, but instead a pure-hearted boy who knew absolutely nothing about fighting or much of anything at that.