Roderick blinked as the memories washed over him. The images of Ilira and Milovich's final moments were both vivid and painful. He swallowed hard, his heart heavy with the burden of their sacrifice. "Yes," he whispered, "I remember them."
Thane, silently standing in the corner, looked away, his eyes growing vacant as he faced the specters of his past. A faint shiver ran down his spine as the memories clawed their way back to the forefront of his mind.
Both were beautiful swords. Ilira had been crafted from red metal, shimmering like crystallized fire. Its hilt and crossguard were adorned with delicate swirls of silver and gold, intertwining in an elegant dance that seemed to tell a story of their own.
Milovich, on the other hand, was entirely onyx black, from point to pommel. Its glossy black surface possessed a dark sheen that would captivate anyone who laid eyes on it. The blade seemed to absorb the light around it, creating an eerie, mysterious aura.
Both blades, veterans of the war, had been impeccably maintained, save for one detail. On the leather handles, Ilira's and Milovich's blood had seeped deep into the material, staining it a dark red that Roderick never found the courage to wash off, as if doing so would erase the memories of their sacrifices.
As for the blood runes the two had drawn as a last resort, during the fight they had acted as mediums, burning so hot they fused with the metal beneath, leaving behind an indelible mark.
Roderick caressed the two blades, which felt warm to the touch as if being held by someone just moments prior. He gave a sad smile, thinking of how the blades seemed to remember the warm hands of their previous owners.
Gently grasping them, he raised them in the air, feeling the weight. The Alex part of him wanted to swing them around like an anime character, on the other hand, Roderick wanted to pay respect to the weapons.
In the end, he placed them back down. He felt the thought of the two of them resting together where their masters never had the chance to, to be both sad and romantic.
He turned to Elara, "I need my runes back." he somberly said.
During the war, Roderick had various enchanters gradually inscribe his skin with tattoo-like runes. These shimmering symbols and diagrams protected him from multiple threats, enhanced his body, and in the case of his spells, provided him a quick way to cast his signature spell: Telekinesis.
Telekinesis was not an easy spell to cast or control. It required years of practice to master to a useful extent, and even then, casting it took anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes, lasting only ten.
Roderick spent over six years perfecting it, eventually using it as an invisible weapon on the battlefield. He even had Sera tattoo the spell matrix on the back of his head, enabling him to activate it with just a thought.
However, after losing Ilira and Milovich, Roderick altered the original spell matrix, connecting both swords to the spell. This change shifted its function from all-purpose telekinesis to specifically controlling the blades.
After that, he earned his nickname: the Ghostblade Roderick.
Once the war ended and Roderick transitioned to a life of adventure, he gradually reduced the number of runes. Their constant maintenance limited his mana and control.
Eventually, as he chose to retire the swords and become an academic, he asked Elara to sever the last connection to his war-mage past – the telekinetic matrix on the back of his head.
However, the realization that he could never fully escape that life came back to haunt him.
"The Obsidian Institute had a chance to kill Dean Roderick, they failed. Now they will face the Ghostblade." He thought as he felt the taste of revenge burning in his throat like fire, threatening to spill over. Was it the original soul influencing Alex? Or was it Alex's thoughts? It didn't matter anymore. The two had become one.
"E pluribus unum."
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Later that day in Elara's enchanting class, Roderick sat on a stool, his teeth clenched tightly together as Elara inscribed the new runes on his freshly shaved scalp, where the occipital bone was.
The sensation was agonizing, like fire licking his skin, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead and his knuckles to turn white from gripping the stool. However, he refused to show any sign of weakness, knowing that Elara needed him to remain still to avoid any mistakes in the intricate rune work.
Instead, he decided to dedicate every second of pain to the masterminds at the Obsidian Institute, every time the rune inlayer scraped his skin, he would come up with a new torture he would inflict on them.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Elara finished the last stroke of the runes. Roderick let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, the pain subsiding as he gingerly touched the back of his head.
"Thank you, Elara," he said, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.
Elara nodded, her expression one of concern. "Are you alright? You didn't flinch or make a sound throughout the entire process." her delicate hand found her way to his shoulder, rubbing it slightly.
Roderick gave an exhausted smile, feeling a sense of pride in his ability to endure the pain. "I'm fine. Just thinking about the enemies I'll have to face soon." his gaze hardening. "They're coming for me. But I'll be ready."
Elara gave a small sigh, her concern evident. "Just be careful, Roderick. Revenge can be a dangerous path to walk." She then hugged him, whispering softly, "And I don't want to lose you again."
Roderick gently wrapped his arms around her, feeling the warmth and comfort that only she could provide. "I promise I'll be careful, Elara. But I can't let them get away with what they've done. We need to protect ourselves."
"I don`t like where this is going. I`m scared... and not of them." She confessed, holding him tightly.
Roderick froze for a second.
"I still remember the promise you made me when you asked me to become the vice dean. No more violence, a safe heaven for people that didn`t get a fair starting point and for anyone else that desired to improve themselves."
Roderick took a deep breath, realizing the truth in her words. He gently pulled back, looking into Elara's eyes. "You're right, Elara. I did promise that, and I still believe in it. But now we're being threatened, and I can't just stand idly by. I won't let our dream be crushed by those who wish to do us harm."
He paused for a moment, considering her concerns. "However, I understand your fear, and I promise not to lose myself in the pursuit of revenge. We will protect our dream, but we'll do it with the same principles that we set upon ourselves."
Elara's eyes shimmered with relief and gratitude. "Thank you, Roderick. We'll face this challenge together, and we'll do it without compromising our values."