"Wait, so, are they gonna let you live!?" Via questioned.
"I don't know yet." Aaron answered. "I'm trying not to get my hopes up."
"But let's say they actually do let you live. Then... if they let you go... afterwards..."
Aaron stopped her by softly tapping the top of her head with his hand.
"If I actually am allowed to continue living in this world, then there's only one place I'd want to be."
"With your friend Kaden?" Via questioned in a satirical manner.
"Kaden's a grown man and at the very least it doesn't seem like he's alone here. I think I'd be needed more elsewhere." Aaron answered while warmly smiling at Via.
"Mmm."
As they were conversing the ice which blocked the door began to liquefy.
"Someone's here again?" Via asked.
"Maybe they've made their decision already. That was pretty quick."
Aaron walked over to the door to greet whoever was on the other side, but he was surprised to be greeted by a face he hasn't met before.
"Good afternoon." Elder Claire stated with a bright smile on her face.
"Um, good day to you." Aaron responded hesitantly. "I'm sorry but who are you?"
"Oh my, am I that unrecognizable? I know I'm young but I still am donning the colors of an Elder."
"You're an Elder? Please forgive me, it's just I haven't seen you before and yeah you do seem quite young."
"You would've seen me at the gathering but this is our first time meeting, so hello my name is Claire Harvey, nice to meet you."
Elder Claire stretched her arm out to shake Aaron's hand, and at the same time she took a step into Aaron and Via's prison.
"Wait if she's coming in here then that means she can't use her abilities." Aaron thought to himself.
Claire stopped right before Aaron with her hand still waiting on a response. Both Aaron and Via were confused and couldn't tell if she was overly trusting or just overly oblivious. No matter what it was, it doesn't change the fact that at this very moment she's powerless.
"Is something the matter?" She asked out of genuine concern.
"Umm... no everything's fine." Aaron replied after finally shaking her hand.
"Good. I have come here bearing with me news from the Elders Council, but before that. Via may I have a quick chat with you?"
"Me?" Via questioned.
"Yes you, I just need to ask you a few things which shouldn't take more than a few minutes."
Via confusingly looked over to Aaron before eventually agreeing to join Elder Claire.
"Great! Follow me." Claire said as she left the prison.
"She isn't going to restrain me?" Via questioned.
"I like to think that I'm pretty good at reading other people's energy, but she confuses me. She's overly cheerful. Well, don't keep her waiting. I'll be here when you get back."
.....
"Is it true that you've been living in the redwoods all these years?" Claire questioned.
"Yes..." Via nervously replied.
"There isn't much people in that area, do you enjoy being alone?"
"..."
"Are you alright?"
"Weren't you at the gathering? You should've heard everything there is to know about me there." Via replied.
"Yes, but that was more of an interrogation, I'm trying to get to know you honey."
"..."
"...If we allow you to walk freely tomorrow what would you do?" Claire asked in a more serious tone.
"Huh?"
"Would you slip away into isolation once again?"
"I... no I-"
"Where would you go? Ventus would treat you like an outsider and there's nothing tying you to the water continent. There isn't any place where you can say "I belong". No family or acquaintances to account for, so what would you do if we decided to continue on with Aaron's execution?"
Via began to slightly hyperventilate as she received the onslaught of questions from Elder Claire. Words struggled to reach her mouth as her mind became scrambled and lost under this pressure Claire was exuding. With her focus fading, her line of sight fell to the ground beneath her, but only for a short while because Claire gently realigned her sight to directly ahead of them.
"Don't drop your head baby." Claire said softly. "This world won't help you to pick it back up like i just did. If anything, the world will just add more weight until your head's completely in the dirt. You must recognize your own transgressions and embrace it before it's used against you."
"H-How am I supposed to do that?" Via questioned in a shaky voice.
"Firstly, you should be honest with yourself." Claire replied as she placed both of her hands on Via's shoulders. "I'll ask you again, are you alright?"
Via sealed her eyes tightly and slowly raised her hand to grab onto the sleeve of Claire's attire. With her hands trembling and tears beginning to leak from her eyes, she reluctantly gave a response to Claire's question.
"...No... I'm not alright."
Claire took a step closer and embraced Via with tender hug as her usual gentle smile returned to her face.
"It's alright to not be alright." Clair stated. "We're all human and there's only so much we can endure alone. You'll be happy to know that Aaron is no longer going to be executed."
Via's eyes sprung open in response to the news she had been praying to hear for days now.
"You're not lying?" She asked.
"It's the truth."
After a few seconds of disbelief passed, the flood gates in Via's eyes broke open as she began to cry more heavily into Claire's shoulder.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Via cried.
"Mhm... So Via, I do have one more question for you, well it's more of an offer than a question."
"Hmm, what is it?"
.....
The Next Morning.
After a few hours of training with Mai the day before to awaken his water essence, Kaden found himself back at his treehouse.
"Are they sure it's even possible for me to use water essence?" Kaden asked to himself. "It's rare to find someone who can use two of this shit, it could've been a mistake that they said I can use four."
Knock... Knock... Knock...
The sound of a small object hitting against the outside walls of Kaden's treehouse slowly started to annoy him.
Knock... Knock...
"Okay, who the fuck is doin' that!"
Kaden flung open his door out of anger and protruded his head outside. Standing on the ground below juggling two small rocks was Kenzo.
"What's your problem?" Kaden questioned.
"You sleep in rather late don't you?" Kenzo asked as he dropped the rocks.
"What do you mean "late" you can't even tell what time of day it is down here."
"Moving on, I was sent to retrieve you as orders from Elder Aira. This is an urgent matter."
"Urgent my ass." Kaden mumbled as he retreated back inside.
"I'll give you five minutes to change, please don't keep the Elders waiting."
"There's more than one of them waiting on me." Kaden thought as he laid on the floor. "Why should I care if they're waiting."
"Sigh..."
Ten Minutes Later.
Kenzo and Kaden traversed through the lively village where people of all ages were going about there everyday life peacefully. Kenzo held his head high and looked forward towards the path before them, while Kaden wore a more relaxed posture and watched the actions of the villagers around him.
"...Do you remember anything that happened after your trial?" Kenzo asked.
"How would I? I passed out right after I failed." Kaden answered looking away.
"Did Miss Aira or any of the Elders mention anything about what happened after your trial?"
"No, what happened after my trial?"
"Hmm, if they didn't say anything then I guess it's undisclosed. You'd have to ask them directly."
"This guy..." Kaden thought.
"You should hurry and awaken your water essence, the outside world is getting more dangerous with each passing day."
"...You worried about something?"
"Not particularly. If anything I'm just ensuring our quality of fighters are up to par. You have the potential to protect yourself from any threat, so you should hurry and achieve that status."
"Something definitely happened... you wouldn't be talking to me like this if everything was fine."
"..."
.....
After a short while, Kenzo and Kaden found themselves approaching the pond where Mai would normally train Kaden. However instead of Mai being there awaiting their arrival, there was a gathering of a few other recognizable people. Elders Aira, Claire, Treya and Faye along with Aaron and Via.
"Good morning Kaden." Elder Aira said greeting him as he walked in closer.
Kaden immediately felt confused and uneasy about this group of people together in a secluded area, but he then noticed the calm smile in which Aaron was wearing. Aaron's demeanor and the calm atmosphere of the group offered comfort to Kaden's nervousness.
"Wh-What's going on here." He asked.
"I was hoping Mai would be here already, but we will have to proceed without her." Aira stated. "I shouldn't have to introduce you to this gentleman over here now would I?"
"...Why? What is this?"
"The short story is Aaron here will no longer be executed, instead he has chosen to live here in Aestus from today forward."
Kaden curiously walked over to them, but as he got closer he began to chuckle lightly.
"How'd this happen?" He questioned.
"I told you we would've talked again didn't I?" Aaron responded.
"Yeah, yeah, you win. So, what else is going on? All of you wouldn't have came here if it was just to deliver that news."
"I figured you be more happy, to be honest I was expecting some tears at the very least." Treya jokingly said.
"What kinda crybaby do you take me for?"
"Well if that's as much as we're gonna get, we should continue, yes?" Claire stated. "Oops, pardon my manners Kaden Adams, this is the first time we're meeting isn't it?"
"You're another Elder?" Kaden asked as she walked over to him.
"I certainly am, my name is Claire Harvey." She said while holding out her hand with a cheerful smile. "I've heard a lot about you."
"I'm sure you have." Kaden replied as he politely shook her hand.
"Now that we're acquainted, I believe there's still one other person here whom you've never met."
Claire along with everyone else turned to face Via, who was even more nervous than how Kaden was a short moment ago.
"C'mon baby girl." Claire said as she gestured for her to come over.
The group fell into silence as they watched Via stagger over to Elder Claire and Kaden. The eyes of the people around her felt like needles piercing into her skin, viewing every little move that she makes. For someone who grew up in a mostly secluded environment, it was almost natural for Via to develop this level of social anxiety. Her gaze was fixated on the ground before her and the pace of her breathing sped up with every step she took. Before her anxiousness became visible to everyone else there, she felt a light push on her left shoulder.
"You're alright." Aaron said softly from directly behind her. "Kaden, this is my little sister Via."
Words that Via thought she would never hear in life suddenly echoed through her ears, leaving her stunned for a few seconds.
"If it wasn't for Via, I wouldn't be here right now." Aaron continued. "For that, I owe her everything, or at the very least someone she can rely on."
"If that's the case then..."
Kaden leisurely walked over to Via and extended his hand towards her.
"Thank you for resurrecting my friend." Kaden said.
"It's because that she resurrected someone, that we find ourselves in the mix of the current events." Faye explained. "As punishment for using the Lake of Lazarus, Via will be completing many hours of community service here in the village. Some of those hours will be fulfilled right here, teaching you on how to use your air essence."
"Huh?"
Kaden looked back down to the fifteen year old who was now displaying a confident grin.
"Not just you, she'll be teaching me as well." Aaron added.
"Remember I told you that you were the only air essence user in the village before." Aira said. "Well that isn't the case anymore, and Via here has agreed to training you as best as she possibly can."
"I look forward to our classes." Via stated as she then extended her hand.
Kaden took notice of both Aaron and Via's grinning faces before dropping his head to cover his own excitement.
"Likewise." He replied as he shook her hand.