Wuma,
The way Man found to fight the once almighty beasts, each and every Wuma was different, unique in their own rights, yet they had similarities.
All of them had a small glassy empty pearl inside their stomach, A Wuma Bead.
They Awaken it by drinking their predecessor's blood, a resonance of their own and their ancestor's blood, which leads to the awakening of this mysterious bead.
Of course, a failed resonance — drinking an unrelated Wuma's blood as a mortal — meant death. It will just burn your bead, leading to your death… as long as you were not a Glue.
And once they Awaken, they become more than a mortal.
They become a Wuma.
"Teacher, am I a Wuma now?" the question echoed in his head for a second, and Ethan looked at her face, "You are," he answered, his pale white face smiling.
Wine's bright smile brightened even more, then she turned confused and asked, "I just saw a special place teacher, and there was a golden light inside it that felt alive, it..uhm…" unable to say what she meant exactly, she mulled for a second, But Ethan said in her stead:
"A moving light like a flickering snake, mischievous, approaches the visitor, in the dark place it becomes their sole focus, it leads them, it moves them, it finds them, it reaches out to them; they become one."
Wine blinked.
Yes, that was it; she felt like she had become one with the light.
She felt she was that light.
Ethan chuckled and looked around the room, walked towards the bookshelf; his touch passed by one book after another, and finally, it rested on a single dark cover; he slid the book out.
It was a weighty tome, a book that his one hand could barely contain.
He turned towards Wine, smiled, and held out the book in the air.
Her golden eyes followed his hands, he pulled back his hand in the air, and Whoosh, the book pierced through the air, fast, it headed for her head, the black cover, the black pages.
Her heart lurched.
Everything turned silent.
She could see the pages flapping as the book moved towards her, the book circling in the air as its edges headed straight,
yet, why was it…so slow?
She moved her head to the side.
The book passed by her head and crashed on the wooden wall.
It fell to the ground with a dull thud; its dark cover had some bloody marks on it.
Ethan's hands were bloody, after all.
The Knife had cut deep earlier.
"The Golden Eyes of Everhart… the first Awakened Wuma Bead inside you gives you that eye," He paused and looked at her stunned gleaming golden eyes, "They are capable of seeing both in and out, the place you were in, consider it as inside your empty Wuma Bead."
And after that test, he was sure there was no mistake now.
Her Eyes weren't some random golden eye; she was well and truly… a Glue.
Her heart beating a bit wildly, she asked: "Why are there not any black worms inside then?"
She had already thought it was inside her Wuma bead.
Ethan's eyes shined, 'This girl's intelligence did slightly increase," he changed the subject, "This Eye lets you see in the dark and gives you a vision that can react to everything more quickly, and alongside that, it even enhances your other senses."
In fact, he had no reason to speak anymore but might as well; she was a disciple, after all.
Wine sat up from the ground, wiped the blood around her face, and asked: "So this is my Wuma magical ability?" she was not very impressed even though she felt it was quite useful; she expected something more flashy.
Like flying?
Ethan chuckled, his own golden eyes shining, "Don't worry, it's natural to have a sense ability on your first Wuma Bead like it's expected for your second one to have something that can strengthen your body."
"Do I have another bead inside me?" Wine asked eagerly; she wanted to know more about that… it just intrigued her.
"Of course, the one that acted as your soul and body's bridge is now used to carry the mark of your golden eyes, so it will automatically create one to make it balanced again, and then, you could go through another ceremony to attain new abilities."
"… by drinking teacher's blood again?" Wine asked, a bit, teeny tiny bit shy.
"No," Ethan shook his head, "Next is a different ceremony, but your new bead is just infantile. It will take time to grow capable of handling an ability and not just crumble by itself halfway in the ceremony."
it would have been much better weren't that the case.
"…So I can't get more abilities now?" Wine asked sadly, her excitement doused.
"There is no need for any abilities now, for now, do what I say," Ethan replied and calmly sat in the lotus position.
And closed his eyes.
Wine followed, sitting a bit clumsily before she adjusted, looking at his calm face, "What now, teacher?" she gently asked.
"Take the knife beside you."
She took it and looked at its mirror-like surface, then asked nervously, "Now?"
"Kill yourself."