It had been three weeks since the incident on his birthday. Zalmiuth was looking at the demon book his father had given him as a gift.
Not only had he managed to connect with a god, but he had also been blessed by him. His aura was definitely stronger than before.
As he read the book, he saw countless strange pentagrams and spells he didn't know existed. The chanting from the book was still in his mind, but it was less aggressive this time.
"Mh…Maybe I should try this," Zalmiuth mused.
He hovered the book in the air and looked down at a spell, analyzing it. After a quick check, he chanted.
"Obscerio Noctum…"
Suddenly, a surge of energy flowed through him and a huge purple flame erupted from his hand. He looked at the fire in amazement and satisfaction.
"Amazing..!" Zalmiuth exclaimed.
He slowly ended the spell, watching as the fire dissolved. "Alright, that wasn't so bad..!" he said, clenching his fist. "I should try more spells!"
He grabbed the book and continued exploring its contents. He had never felt so happy to be strong again; it was a feeling he had experienced before, but this time it felt quite welcoming.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Zalmiuth turned around. "You may come in!"
The door opened, and he saw Ayla smiling. "Can I enter?" she asked timidly.
Zalmiuth nodded. "Sure, what's up?"
Ayla smiled and ran towards him with excitement. "What are you doing?"
Zalmiuth chuckled. "Well…I'm just practicing some spells from my new book."
She looked at the book with curiosity. "What can you do?"
Zalmiuth thought for a moment, then an idea came to him. "I can try a spell that tells the future blessing of others!"
While reading the book earlier, Zalmiuth had come across a spell that caught him by surprise. It could reveal the future blessings of others, a rare and somewhat difficult spell due to its sometimes inaccurate visions.
As soon as she heard those words, Ayla jumped in excitement. "Can you really do that?!"
"Well…not always accurately," Zalmiuth admitted.
Ayla sighed. "Oh…"
Zalmiuth chuckled. "But that doesn't mean we can't try... Ready?"
Ayla's smile quickly returned. She seemed undeterred by the possibility of the spell being inaccurate. "Ready!"
Zalmiuth turned to the page with the spell and placed his hand on Ayla's forehead. "Future Yutor..."
As Zalmiuth chanted the spell, a small red glow appeared on Ayla's forehead. The glow slowly faded, and Zalmiuth removed his hand, looking at the symbol that had formed in his palm.
Ayla eagerly looked at her brother. "What's that?"
Zalmiuth's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow... That's the symbol of Ashtura, the god of berserk."
Ashtura was a formidable god of berserk, known for battling countless other gods in fierce wars.
"So cool...! Uh...is this a good thing?" Ayla asked, her excitement tinged with uncertainty.
Zalmiuth chuckled. "Like I said, it might be inaccurate. We'll have to wait until your 14th birthday to know for sure."
Ayla, already 12, would have to wait until she turned 14 to receive her blessing. "Oh shucks..." Ayla sighed.
Zalmiuth gently caressed her head. "Don't worry. Whatever blessing you receive, it will be really good."
Ayla smiled at her brother. "But what about you...how was Nocturne?"
Zalmiuth looked into the distance, recalling his meeting with the god of space. "Well...a bit mysterious and friendly...is the best way I can put it."
"If my blessing is from Ashtura, will he be as nice as Nocturne?" Ayla wondered aloud.
Zalmiuth laughed. "Ayla, the god who blesses you won't harm you, you know?"
"I know, but...remember that one kid's birthday...his blessing did tons of damage to him."
Zalmiuth's expression grew serious as he remembered. The boy's name was Tyoni. His blessing was supposed to be from Qwula, the god of fire, but something went wrong during the ceremony, and his arms were severely burned.
"Yes, I remember," Zalmiuth said softly. "Tyoni's blessing was from Qwula, but something went terribly wrong. It was an unusual case."
Ayla looked down, the memory clearly unsettling her. Zalmiuth pulled her into a comforting hug. "Don't worry, Ayla. That was a rare situation. Whatever your blessing is, we'll face it together."
Ayla nodded, feeling reassured. "Thanks, Zalmiuth."
Zalmiuth: And beside a little twerp like you is really strong at heavy swords.
Ayla punch her arm "I'm not little and great swords are hard to control!"
Zalmiuth roll his eyes "Then why did you chose it..?"
Ayla shook her shoulder "I don't know, their cool."
Zalmiuth grinned mischievously. "Ah...little AND stupid."
Ayla's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "I'm not stupid..! And besides, a real knight doesn't waste their time studying... It's about killing stuff and doing adventurous things."
Zalmiuth chuckled. "Why do I feel like Tsokiri taught you this?"
Ayla's cheeks flushed slightly. "Maybe because she did... But that doesn't mean it's not true!"
Zalmiuth sighed and looked at his sister with appreciation. As he reflected on their past, he remembered how Ayla was blessed by Yuna, the god of healing. But strangely, Ayla was angry and dissatisfied with this blessing. She withdrew from everyone and refused to speak about it.
A part of him felt broken after that. Their family seemed fractured, and Zalmiuth couldn't understand why.
All Ayla wanted was to be strong, to fight, to embark on bloody adventures. A healer's blessing didn't align with her desires, and it left her feeling lost and disconnected from her own path.
Zalmiuth slowly hugged her sister.
Ayla stood silent and looked up. "What's this for?"
"...I promise to make your dreams come true."