The surrounding air turned chiller as the sky got darker, indicating midnight wasn't that far away. Nonetheless, Sylas felt heat surging through his body rather than shivering cold even though his upper body was bare. It's the kind of heat that is produced when one gets anxious.
Although he said he didn't mind dying once again earlier, he didn't actually mean that. He had experienced what it felt like being in a dying state for once, so of course if he had an opportunity to avoid such mishap, he'd gladly do so.
When Sylas first grasped the stone tablet, he was surprised by the contradictory feeling it gave. It weighted light as a feather but at the same time solid as metal. "What a bizarre combination."
The second he uttered a compliment, his eyes widened in horror at the sight of complicated runes that began to emerge on the stone tablet's surface. Along with the runes' emergences, glittering light began to gather at the centre of the tablet as though wanting to unleash something.
Before Sylas had a chance to react, his vision abruptly filled with nothing but brilliant scarlet light.
"Ah..!" Sylas subconsciously cried out in a low voice.
"What's going on? Did I say some words that trigger a magic spell? Will I die now?" Countless thoughts began to haunt Sylas's mind, leading his train of thought in disarray. He had an impulse to flee off the scene, but he was so panic-stricken that he didn't dare to move even a muscle.
It took him a full minute to regain his composure. He convinced himself that since no harm was inflicted on his body, it should be safe to say he was still alive. At this moment, Sylas seems to forget that sensing no pain, could also refer to his nerves being damaged.
With his mind full of doubt and hesitation, Sylas slowly opened his eyes. At first, it was a bit blurry due to his eyesight in the process of adjusting, then the scenery of the familiar lake welcomed his eyes.
"What was that light? And what's for?" Sylas wondered as he scanned his peripheral, attempting to figuring what damage or changes the light caused.
However, there was neither damage nor changes around the lake. It is as if the light's merely a spell that had the same effect as flashbang.
"Is that it? Nothing else?"
Just as Sylas felt an immense uncertainty, his eyes traveled down to his coated hands and were struck dumb after realizing the tablet was now gone.
Gone? How could it go missing? It's not like the tablet had a pair of wings…
Sylas almost fainted out of panic.
How could this be?
Clutching his throbbing head, Sylas tries to regulate his breath. His mind starts working briskly, mulling over what exactly just happened. He knows that the tablet won't be gone for no reason. If he dropped it out of instinct, it should be landed nearby him. But when he checked just now, nothing was discovered.
So, where is it now?
After thinking for a while, Sylas still couldn't find the answer. When he was in despair, a strange image suddenly flashed within his mind. A moment later, his eyes popped in fascination. "This… Is this the stone tablet's content?"
For a strange reason, when he thought about the stone tablet, a mysterious rune appeared in his subconscious. In addition, when he probed the matter deeper, he discovered there seemed to be other runes as well, hiding in the darkness.
"It's currently unavailable?" Sylas mumbled in doubt. Upon a closer inspection, Sylas noticed the other runes were dyed in black. Based on his experience, being painted in black means it's locked or other similar conjecture.
"Could it be because I'm not worthy enough?" Sylas wondered before shaking that thought off his head. Since he couldn't study them for now, he won't bother them, lest he wanted to strain his brain further.
"Phew…" When the danger was finally gone, Sylas could now exhale a deep breath of relief. He didn't suffer any physical damage, but he sensed his mental state was on the verge of collapsing.
From his mother's sickness, the church's hidden agenda, into a mysterious stone tablet. There was so much information he absorbed today that his brain was overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge he needed to digest. At the moment, he wanted nothing but to lie in his bed for half a day.
And without wasting any more time, he wore his clothes back and headed for home. He decided to think about the whole problem tomorrow when he regained his lucidity.
…
When the sun blazed intensely at noon, Sylas slowly stirred up at his sleep. He was so dead tired last night that he couldn't even recall how he managed to get home safely.
"I think I am forgetting something…" Sylas muttered in a daze before abruptly jumping out of bed. "Mom!" his remaining drowsiness was all gone now.
Sh*t! Because his head was wholly occupied by yesterday's matter, he forgot to attend to his mother's daily necessities. How could such an important issue slip out of your mind, Sylas? You are stupid! You're a pig!
While repeatedly scolding himself, Sylas hurriedly reached out for his mother's room. "Mom, I'm sorry that I overslept."
But, when he opened the door, he saw the scene that exceeded his expectation. Instead of seeing his mother's figure on the bed, he saw nothing. The bed was empty and looks had just been tidied up.
"Eh? Where is she?" Sylas scratched his head in puzzlement.
"She wouldn't be going out in her current state, doesn't she?" Right when Sylas was about to search for her mother's whereabouts, he heard the door open.
He quickly went to the entrance and welcomed his mother. "Mom, why are you going out in your current condition? You haven't completely healed. Just imagine if you fainted in the middle of the road and no one helped you? What should I do?"
"If you're that concerned about me, then why are you cursing me?" Sylas' mother rolled her eyes at her son, that literally acted like a young mother who couldn't stop but nag all day.
"No, no, mom. You interpret my words in the wrong way. I'd never dare to curse my own mother." Sylas stated solemnly before realizing her mother deliberately said that to change the course of topics. "Don't try to change the subject, mom. Where have you been this morning?"
"I'm just buying groceries. Now, are you satisfied with my answer? Please step aside, I need to cook our lunch." Sylas' mother promptly went to the kitchen.
"But, mom! Are you really fine? The doctor said it might take you a week to recover fully." Sylas questioned as he tailed before his mother.
"Does my face looks like someone in ill?" Sylas' mother's faces gradually enlarged on Sylas' vision.
Sylas shook his head. "No," his mother's complexion has indeed shown a sign of improving. Her eyes no longer held an inner fire, and her cheeks no longer showed a pinkish-red color of fever.
"Then what are you fussing about?" Sylas's mother glared at him.
"But-" His words were cut off by his mother's inquiry, "I should be the one who asks you a question. Where did you go last night? You were looking so exhausted that you even acted like a child by asking me to help you to get in bed."
"Did I?" Sylas gaped at her in disbelief. He admitted that he was bone-tired after going through a lot of things, but behaving like a child? Really? He was dubious, but seeing his mother's stern gaze, he could only gulp a mouthful of nervous saliva, "I was merely sightseeing outside the town, mom. That's why I'm so tired."
"Is that true?"
"Just look at my sincere eyes, mom." Sylas jokingly said. From a particular perspective, what he just told can be considered a truth. Of course, only a portion of it.
"Well if you say so, I'm not gonna ask anymore." Sylas immediately patted his chest in relief.
"But, are you sure you can cook, mom? You won't fain-"
"Will you shut up for a moment!? Go to your room and do something else. I'll call you once the lunch is ready." Sylas' mother quickly pushed him toward his room and directly shut the door.
Feeling helpless at his mother's antic, Sylas decides to trust his mother's judgment about her own condition. Since she had already stated she was alright, then she must be fine.
Anyway, there are more important issues he needs to solve right now other than bothering his mother.