After returning from the destroyed grasslands Tia asked me to take some rest because it won't be so abundant starting tomorrow. The food was cooked by the lovely moon goddess which tasted really good.
After that we didn't talk much and went back to our respective rooms. Lying down on the bed I realised that until now I was never away from my home. For a long time I will not be able to meet them.
I mean not much can happen when I am gone right?
Then why do I feel restless when I think about them. I cannot shake off the feeling that something is not right. When I asked them if I could see what was going on outside they just said that it was not possible but they also mentioned that my family is fine. I didn't mind this type of secrecy if everyone was safe.
"Ryan?" Selene calmly asked, she was lying beside me wearing her innocent looking nightdress which strangely didn't cover much.
"Is something bothering you?" Her voice soothing every chaotic feeling I had. I ruffled her silky white hair and said "Nothing to worry about."
Suddenly I heard intense banging on the door followed by a strict feminine voice "Wake up you lazy wyrmling, Time for training."
"Annoying woman." Selene sounded displeased by the sudden barrage of bangs.
"I guess we will have to talk about it later tonight." I said while getting off the bed.
"Seems like it." She said before covering her curvaceous body with a black dress.
We were not hungry so we skipped breakfast. After leaving the unnecessarily huge mansion we went towards the colosseum-like building which had a futuristic look to it. I was not that surprised by the sudden appearance of it because I have already seen many surprising things.
Tia was already there when we arrived. She was lightly tapping on the ground with her feet. She was wearing a pair of leggings and tshirt which dangerously highlighted her figure. God no one would be able to tell that this woman who barely has any muscles could kick my ass anytime she wanted. Although I am a bit ashamed by it, nothing can be done because I somehow met one of the strongest people in this galaxy.
"You guys are an hour late." Tia smirked while pointing at us with two of her fingers.
"Stop nagging and start doing what you are supposed to do." Selene spoke with a bit of harshness in her voice which made me wonder what happened to them.
"Still holding on to bygones I see." She said with a pondering look.
"Shall we move inside?" I said while trying to break the metaphorical ice.
"Ok then, follow me." She said before snapping her finger. The huge entrance opened with a loud bang followed by cold air striking on my face but surprisingly it did not give me goosebumps.
"So today we'll start with core formation." She said as we followed her without asking anything.
"There are two types of core as far as our knowledge goes. First one being the elemental cores, which is formed when you try to gather naturally forming mana which is the combination of all elements. Elements like the ones you saw in the atmosphere when you came here." She said with a smooth voice which was very easy to understand.
"I will only teach you how to form them but when it comes to increasing their proficiency you will have to figure out a way on your own." She said as we reached the actual training ground which had a graffiti of a ten headed dragon which looked almost alive.
"This place is huge. The sports stadiums in my world look like babies compared to this place." I was really excited to see something this huge which had been built with the sole purpose of training in mind.
"This is huge because it was created for dragons who are far more humongous compared to any other species I have met so far." Tia said with a hint of pride in her voice.
"Now continuing the topic of cores, the second type of cores are known as origin cores but you are far from materialising even the aura of it. Origin cores are granted when you become one with your soul. Even my father could not form an origin core and is stuck with just his divine power." She said before we reached the exact centre of the training ground.
"Now sit here and try to feel the mana in the atmosphere." I nodded at Selene and sat down in a lotus position. The moment I closed my eyes a heavy pressure descended on me. My shoulder bones broke without any delay.
"Argh....it hurts." I couldn't help but let out a cry of pain. I jerked my eyes open and looked at Selene. The usual smile she had when she looked at me was nowhere to be seen. I saw a teardrop fall from her eye.
I closed my eyes to avoid meeting her gaze, somehow my heart ached when I saw her crying. My weakness was again hurting people close to me.
I focused my mind trying to feel the mana in the surrounding. My healing is working on overdrive, everytime a bone breaks I can feel my blood rushing to heal it but the pain is still there. Soon fatigue started building up, my healing slowed down. Now it is not keeping up with the damage sustained to my body.
"Ryan, if you don't start absorbing mana, the increased gravitational force will kill you in a few minutes. Just imagine breathing from every single cell in your body." Tia's voice gave me more horror than motivation.
As if agreeing with her, my body stopped healing. The gravitational force was still breaking my body but now I was on my own.
Emphasising on this fact I drew my mind away from the pain which was somehow possible for me after yesterday's torture. Eventually I started feeling a slight rush in my cells. It was not completely foreign to me because it was something I always did but unconsciously. It became awfully clear to me that a body naturally absorbs mana but we are not able to feel it because of our shallow knowledge about it.
I kept urging my body to increase the pace it was absorbing the abundant mana around me. At first it felt like only small wisps were getting attracted to me but soon it turned to a breeze. A warm feeling filled my body, I can already feel my body healing again but it is not enough because that wretched pressure is still destroying my body.
No this is not enough.
I stopped the mana from healing my injuries and forced it to open up my pores and increase the amount rushing inside and it worked.
The previous warm breeze steadily turned into a hot howling wind moving inside my body but it was not uncomfortable at all instead it gave me a feeling of protection.
This is still not enough.
My dissatisfaction led me to burst open my own cells using the mana raging inside me. It was painful but it worked. The rush was now akin to a storm ready to destroy anything on its way and that's what it did. The constant process of inflicting damage and healing it was taking place at the same time.
Now my mana filled body was not accepting any more of it but still this is not enough. I tried to absorb more but it seemed impossible at this point but then my attention was grabbed by an empty region in my chest. As if reading my thoughts the hot mana started rushing towards my chest.
Upon reaching my chest it started spinning and swirling making more space for it like a carnivorous animal declaring its domain. Not finding any more space it started condensing with intense pressure until it turned into a liquid. The sizzling heat dropped exponentially and started cooling down but a thought came to my mind and I started absorbing more mana and directed it towards my chest. The hot mana was strating to cool down upon reaching my chest. The warm liquid which took a place in my chest further condensed and turned solid.
Now I was able to peek inside me and see exactly what it looked like. A glistening red sphere filled the empty space in my chest, it looked beautiful but I noticed some small cracks on it. They were barely noticeable but I cannot do anything about it for now because I am completely exhausted.
I gently opened my eyes and a bright light penetrated my eyelids which were tired just like me. I saw a stunning blue butterfly dancing as if congratulating me on my achievement.
"I did it." I barely muttered these words as I drifted to dreamland.
Selene's POV
So much pain is being inflicted to him. Everytime I hear a crack my heart tightens and squeezes itself in pain. I cannot help but ask the ruthless woman standing beside me.
"Tia, is this the only way he can form a core in his body?" My voice was barely audible because of the screams released by my love. Tears started flowing uncontrollably from my eyes.
I felt a hand lightly grabbing my slump shoulder as she said "This pain is necessary to form his core. I can spoon feed him but he will learn nothing from it. His body is very different from us, he will feel more pain than everyone but at the same time his strength will always be higher than people on his level. Such is the life of a variant who is not restricted by the galaxy." I knew she would say this but this is still not bearable for me.
"Can you at least lessen the pain he's feeling?" I looked at Ryan's body which looked like a volcano ready to erupt. Burning red cracks covered his body, his hairs already fell off when he started absorbing the condensed mana around him.
"Luna I think you already know this but any interference now will only make it harder for him. Let him overcome this on his own, if he can't then there is no point of him being born." Tia's resolute voice made it even harder for me.
"Why him?Why are there always people who are close to me?Am I not allowed to live in peace with the man I love? Answer me!" Words barely left my throat.
"Don't blame anyone Luna, this is his destiny. No one can interfere with the inevitable and I am sure that there is no one more power hungry than him. Look at him." She pointed at Ryan's chest which had a searing hot sphere protruding from it. The sphere looked like a miniature sun expanding and trying to gain more power.
This scared me, I don't want this even if he gains power. I stepped forward and crouched down to touch the burning core. It was hot enough to burn my hands. Tears started falling down my face but they were not from the pain caused by my burning hand.
"Ryan" I called out but he didn't answer.
Can I really do nothing about it?, then what is the point of me being his lover?, no there is one.
A milky white aura rose from my body as it connected to him. I heard Tia calmly say "The thing you are trying to do is irreversible, are you sure you want to give it to him?"
An abundance of power left my body to form a full moon, soon it broke in two pieces and half of it entered Ryan's body. I finally gave something to him. Half of everything I have.
Everything mine belongs to him now.
The searing hot core started to cool down as his body initiated the healing. A calm feeling eased my heart and mind.
"Are you really willing to go that far?, you will forever be incomplete?, why Luna?" Her voice had a hint of worry which she tried to hide but how could she hide anything from me.
I stood up and looked at her, a slight smile appeared on my face as I said "I never felt more complete before, he completes me. This is the bare minimum I can give him." I said as I felt my consciousness fade away.
*Thud*
"Love huh?, I wonder if I will ever fall in love. To sacrifice such things for someone else. Ryan, you better take care of my best friend." She said as a helpless smile appeared on her face.
"I did it." Ryan said as he lost consciousness.
"I guess I need to carry both of you back home." She said as she saw two unconscious people coincidentally holding hands.
"It is already showing effect huh." She said as she carried both of them like sacks of rice before she left the training ground.
It does not matter how long you've known someone, if you are sure that they can sacrifice anything for you.
Then my friend they are the one you should treasure the most.