"You're late."
Azrael stood in front of Eirian's door with a sheepish smile on his face, while the black-haired prince narrowed his eyes slightly at him.
"Sorry, I overslept," Azrael explained as he tilted his head in embarrassment.
In a panic, Azrael had to finish all his food and then change into different clothing because when he woke up, he was still wearing the same clothes he wore in the morning. After that, he headed straight to Eirian's room next door and knocked.
Honestly, Azrael still could not understand why he asked Eirian instead of Caspian to help him, especially since not knowing how to summon one's magical core was common knowledge. 'He must think I'm so suspicious now,' he thought to himself nervously. But when Eirian opened the door, his first words were about Azrael's tardiness.
It surprised Azrael, but also washed him with relief because he was half expecting that Eirian would not actually respond due to the fact that Azrael's request was odd.
"You overslept?" Eirian repeated; confusion was evident in his tone. Azrael nodded his head as he scratched his cheek gently. "Okay then. You may come in, your highness," he said as he stepped aside to let Azrael inside his room.
Azrael's smile grew a bit. "Pardon the intrusion," he said while walking inside Eirian's room in awe. It was not his first time seeing Eirian's room, but he couldn't appreciate the interior much the last time he went due to the stress of his interaction with Caelum and fear of Eirian rejecting his help.
In the novel, Eirian's room was his safe space, but despite that, it was never mentioned what it looked like. It never made sense to Azrael why, but maybe it did not cross the author's mind or they weren't good with describing the interior.
As Azrael looked around, he was drawn to the snowflakes embedded on the wall that looked remarkably real. He had noticed them before, but this time, he couldn't help but be amazed. The intricacy of each snowflake was breathtaking.
"I forgot to mention this before, but the snowflakes on your wall... great design choice," Azrael remarked, trying to make small talk because he was starting to feel slightly awkward.
Eirian, still standing near the entrance, glanced at the wall and then back at Azrael. "Ah, those. They're magical snowflakes made by my father. They serve a purpose other than just decoration. Wycliffe kingdom has a cold climate. I'm accustomed to it, but the dormitory's rooms are all just normal temperature, not hot, nor cold. So, my father sent me these magical snowflakes. They can make the room colder."
Azrael nodded, absorbing the information. Though he already knew the part about Wycliffe kingdom's snowy weather and Eirian preferring colder weather, the information about the snowflakes was new to him. "So, that explains why your room seemed much colder than mine. That's actually really interesting."
Eirian hummed in response then gestured towards the couch adjacent to where he was sitting. "Feel free to sit, your highness. It must be uncomfortable standing."
"Thank you." Azrael complied, taking a seat, but as soon as he sat down, an uncomfortable silence settled between them. He doesn't know why, or maybe it was just him, but it just sank in his mind that he was literally in front of Eirian again, earlier than anticipated.
Truthfully, Azrael did not expect he'd even have the chance to speak to Eirian again until next week when Azrael managed to obtain a sword for him. So when they spoke yesterday, his mind was a bit excited despite his series of unfortunate encounters.
Azrael shifted slightly, trying to find the right words to say. He wasn't sure if he should outright ask Eirian to teach him now about magical cores. 'Hah. Did I really have to ask Eirian of all people? I didn't even think that it might've been offensive to him. He doesn't even use his magical abilities at this point yet. It's a miracle he even said yes.'
Eirian would never have done this in general, but then again, Azrael might be a different case due to their agreement, and he did offer.
Which was also very unexpected.
Azrael absentmindedly played with his hair, feeling a bit anxious. He wondered why Eirian was not talking and over-thought if it was a good idea to even be there. As a way to ease the tension, Azrael decided to braid his hair. However, his lack of skill in braiding and the fact that his hair was tied in a low ponytail made it a tangled mess.
Azrael sighed, realizing his attempt at self-soothing had backfired. He stole a glance at Eirian, hoping to find a way to steer the conversation, but the black-haired prince seemed to be deep in thought.
'I should say something. I'm the one who asked him to help me.' He thought as he mustered up the courage to say something, anything, to break the silence once again.
"Eirian, um... thanks for agreeing to help me with this," Azrael began, trying to fill the awkward silence. "I know it's probably an unusual request, but due to the fact that I have weak magical abilities compared to my brother, I was not given proper lessons...and yeah."
Azrael cringed with how clumsy he was speaking but also commended himself for thinking of a good lie on the spot. 'I'm getting better and better at lying. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad.'
Eirian's expression remained impassive as he listened, and Azrael couldn't quite decipher his thoughts. The air in the room felt heavy with anticipation, and Azrael found himself anxiously awaiting Eirian's response.
Fortunately for the young prince, Eirian responds.
"It's not that unusual compared to everything we've talked about so far. I figured there must have been a reason." As usual, his voice was monotonous. Azrael thought that was good because in the novel, Eirian only ever had two personalities when speaking to people.
His first personality was being hostile and skeptical, especially towards those who have wronged him or acted suspicious. His second was his default personality which is aloof and uncaring. Azrael, as Zak, used to describe him as similar to Edward from Twilight, a book series that he would never admit he actually liked.
Eirian had a lot of walls built up which led him to never have any friendly connections. It was as he preferred, but he was not always calm. He could also be temperamental, mostly towards Caelum and future characters that Azrael is not bothered to think about at the moment.
"Your highness."
Azrael was snapped out from his thoughts as he looked at Eirian who was staring at him.
"Ah—Yes?"
Eirian furrowed his eyebrows, Azrael doesn't know why but to him, it seemed like the black-haired prince wanted to ask him something but was hesitating. He wasn't certain though because, as always, his face shows no expression.
His yellow eyes kept looking everywhere except Azrael which was kind of strange but he does vaguely remember Eirian acting the same earlier today, so he decided to give him a light jab by speaking. "What is it?"
"Are you..." Eirian pauses as he crosses his arms against his chest. Azrael tilted his head to the side as he was curious as to what Eirian was about to say, then he realized.
'Ah. Is this going to ask me if I'm alright?' Azrael thought, his eyes widening a bit. It was possible considering Eirian was an observant person. He probably noticed that Azrael was off or exhausted.
Still, he was not usually the type to ask a person if they were okay because he makes it a point not to care about others. His whole philosophy was about staying out of other people's business and keeping his curiosity at bay.
It had something to do with that part of Eirian's past that Zak hated because even he cried about it.
'Ugh. I don't want to think about that right now, I might just cry again...Eirian's sad past aside, if he ends up asking me if I'm okay, that's a really big development. I'm so worried that I'll end up squealing in joy that my favorite character is concerned about me—'
"...ready?"
'Oh.'
"What?" Azrael unconsciously said out loud; mild disappointment was evident in his face that obviously confused Eirian.
Slowly, Eirian repeats his question. "Are you ready? I'll teach you how to summon your magical core but since you are already aware that I can't use my magical abilities, I'm sure you are also aware that I won't be able to properly demonstrate it.'"
'What was I even thinking?' Azrael wanted to laugh at himself for being silly; perhaps the frustrating day had taken a toll on him. "That's fine."
'I just need to know the basics and maybe I'll figure it out.'
"Alright. Well, as you know, magical cores are located inside our chest, near our heart." Eirian pointed to his own chest, gesturing for Azrael to pay attention.
"Summoning your magical core is a matter of focus," Eirian began, his monotone voice cutting through the room. "Place both hands in front of your chest, forming a circle with your middle fingers and thumbs. Close your eyes and concentrate on the area near your heart. Feel the energy within you."
Azrael followed Eirian's instructions, positioning his hands and closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to focus on the spot near his heart. 'Okay, I need to focus.'
As he concentrated, he became aware of a subtle warmth emanating from within; it surprised him a bit and almost caused him to lose focus because this was the first time he ever felt any sort of magic from his body since inhabiting it.
"Now," Eirian continued, "call out to your magical core. It's an extension of your own essence. You should feel a connection with it. Let that connection guide you."
Azrael hesitated for a moment; he was a bit nervous because there might be a chance that nothing would come out, despite the fact that he could feel it. At the end of the day, he was not the real Azrael.
The soul inhabiting Azrael's body was Zak, and his magic might not respond to him. Eirian, himself, could not even access his own magical core due to the fact that he cannot even use his magical abilities.
Even in the novel, there was never a concrete answer as to why that was the case, and why his magical abilities appeared on his twenty-first birthday. How come Caelum seemed aware of it? They were the exact same age; Caelum couldn't have had that plan earlier on.
"Focus, your highness."
Azrael was surprised when he heard Eirian call him out. Was it that obvious that he's thinking of other things? It must've been considering Eirian noticed it.
Taking a deep breath, Azrael nodded as he refocused his mind, trying to let other thoughts go as he centralized his core inside his brain and called out to it.
'Azrael's Celestial core, please appear.'
As he uttered those words mentally, nothing happened, nothing changed. He still felt the strange energy; it was inside him for sure, but perhaps his fears were correct.
Perhaps, his core would not appear because it wasn't his.
His hands twitched a bit; he felt down and slightly disappointed, but there's nothing he could do. 'It was worth the shot, but this means besides my knowledge of future events, I won't be that useful to Eirian at all...'
'Hah. It's no use sulking over what was supposed to be expected, but I just really wanted to see my magical core.' Azrael was about to put his hands down and open his eyes, but suddenly, a burst of energy surged through him, and he felt a strange sensation in his chest.
"W-What?" Azrael gasped as he instinctively opened his eyes, and when he did, he was taken aback by the sight before him.
It wasn't how Professor Greenleaf mentioned; it did not cover the room with different galaxies and stars, but it was not like the typical magical cores that appeared as spheres or circles.
His Celestial core manifested in a dazzling display of different-colored lights. It was an ethereal mix of hues; lights danced and swirled around him, creating a breathtaking spectacle.
'It's like... the aurora borealis.' Azrael remembered that in the world outside of the novel, his original world, exists the northern lights in the Arctic. The aurora borealis were dynamic patterns of dazzling lights, resembling curtains, beams, or spirals.
Though he only saw them from pictures, the lights that emitted from his chest were very similar to it.
Azrael marveled at the beauty before him, his initial worries about not being able to access his abilities fading away. The fact that his Celestial core was different from the norm didn't matter; what mattered was that he had successfully summoned it.
Eirian, who maintained his stoic exterior, couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. The Celestial core was an unusual sight, even for someone like him.
"I've heard stories about the uniqueness of the Celestria family's core. I can understand why most of our citizens travel all the way to Aetherhaven just to see it."
Azrael could not help but mentally agree. It was only vaguely mentioned since Eirian was never allowed to formally attend events, especially in the empire's capital, where the imperial family and church reside. But there were certain events where the emperor would showcase his Celestial core at the top of their palace, and citizens from all over the empire would travel days just to get a glimpse.
If Azrael Celestria's, the weakest of all Celestrias, core was this magnificent. He became curious as to what Valerian's or even the emperor's looked like.
Azrael grinned, still captivated by the radiant lights surrounding him. "Thank you, Eirian. I would not have been able to see my own Celestial core if it weren't for you."
Eirian inclined his head slightly, acknowledging Azrael's gratitude. "It is nothing. As you said, we are in collaboration, your highness."
"Yes, but I insisted on our collaboration. I don't expect you to do anything in return because just agreeing is helping me a lot."
"That is true..." The black-haired prince seemed to think for a moment and then added, "But I do not like owing anyone, so I prefer to return any favor, and if you end up successful with your plan, I believe teaching you how to summon your Celestial core is barely payment enough."
Azrael could not help but let out a soft chuckle. 'That is typical of Eirian. He likes repaying any type of kindness given to him, another reason why I like him as a character so much.'
"You are a kind person, Eirian."
Eirian's eyes widened a bit after Azrael said that; his expressionless face showed some sort of emotion but he was quick to fix it as soon as he realized. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "You are truly odd, your highness. No one but you would ever call me kind."
"Because of the prophecy?"
"....yes."
Azrael put down his hands, and when he did, the light that emitted from his chest dissipated into thin air. "Like I told you a few days ago, I highly believe that the prophecy is wrong. Even if it were true, I would never let some prophecy decide whether or not I see someone as kind. I mean, look at Caelum." He said, his face scrunching a bit in irritation as he thought of the white-haired snake.
"You really dislike Caelum Eversly, your highness."
'You dislike him as well.' But Eirian would never openly admit that because he knew everyone adored Caelum, and the moment he says anything bad, it would only backfire against him. "Of course I do! As I've said, he is suspicious, and I hate the fact that he hangs around my brother all the time."
Azrael does not know why, but as soon as he mentioned his brother, Eirian's expression visibly changed yet again, but he did not think much of it because there was no reason for him to dislike Valerian whatsoever.
Valerian.
Now that Azrael's worries about his magical core were solved, his thoughts now went to the problems he tried his best to push back.
'At this point, he really just pisses me off. I don't understand him at all, no matter how hard I try...and that crap he kept spouting about playing my game? I swear, I don't get him at all.' Azrael let out a frustrated sigh; his head was starting to ache again just by the thought of the crown prince with an unpleasant attitude.
Eirian seemed to notice the change in Azrael's demeanor, his eyes narrowing a bit as he tilted his head to the side. "Your highness?"
"Yeah?" Azrael asked, his mind a bit dazed.
"You don't seem...happy."
"What do you mean?"
Eirian hesitated, bowing his head slightly as if carefully choosing his words. "Just now, you were happy because you were able to summon your Celestial core, but now you don't seem happy."
Azrael, caught off guard by Eirian's observation, tried to quickly think of an excuse. He didn't want to burden Eirian with his problems. "I'm fine," he said, attempting to force out a smile. "I mentioned earlier how I requested to leave the academy next Loreday earlier, and I was just thinking about that."
Eirian regarded him with a peculiar look, as if he didn't entirely believe Azrael's explanation but decided not to press further. "I see," Eirian responded, though a hint of skepticism lingered in his eyes.
"Speaking of the sword, your highness. How will you obtain it? I am curious since I had no information about that until you mentioned it. It would be great if you could explain it to me further."
Azrael hums, then nods his head, recalling the information he knew from the novel. When Eirian got his spiritual sword, it was when he was finally able to use his light magic, and everyone knew that Caelum had lied.
Valerian advised Eirian to get a weapon similar to Caelum since ordinary magical weapons did not work for both of them.
Caelum's sword 'Sacrumbellum' was a spiritual weapon. A type of weapon created and typically used by spirits living inside enchanted forests. Spiritual weapons are rare because spirits are known to dislike humans, and one needs to make an offering or pass a test for a spirit to even consider giving them a weapon.
'When Eirian met a spirit, the spirit instantly just took interest in him because of his light magic and gave him a weapon without asking for anything in return, so it might be a bit difficult for me to get him one myself.'
Azrael absentmindedly played with his hair as he took deep breaths. "According to what I heard, I have to go deep inside the aurora glade and look for a spirit that will be willing to forge a spiritual sword."
"Is it not dangerous? Communicating with spirits, I mean..."
"Eh? I don't think so; aren't spirits generally kind?"
Eirian shook his head. "Animal spirits are the ones who are generally kind, your highness. We don't really have much accessible information regarding ordinary spirits, nor have I even seen one."
"Ordinary spirits do not like humans. I don't know the reason but they just don't, but I believe that if I offer them something that's valuable to them or pass a test that they will provide, they'll consider."
"You're not sure?" Azrael awkwardly smiled then shook his head. Eirian pressed his lips together into a thin line, his brows furrowing a bit. "Then...since Caelum Eversly owns one, have you not heard of anything from your brother or anyone about how he got it?"
For Azrael, that is a good question. A question he asked as well when he learned about Caelum's infamous sword, but the answer he could give Eirian was the same answer the novel gave him.
"Caelum Eversly doesn't openly tell people that his sword is a spiritual sword; hence, there's also no information whatsoever how he got it, but if he managed to get one I'm sure I can too."
'Wow, that's some unearned confidence.' Azrael said to himself internally. He tried his best to act like he knew what he was doing.
In reality, he did not have a solid plan at all, but he had to at least try. As mentioned, Eirian got his spiritual sword because of his light magic. By theory, it would be possible that Caelum also got his due to a spirit gaining interest in his dark magic, or perhaps he threatened a spirit into forging him one.
Either way, Azrael was a Celestria, and though that has never had any meaning with other students in Luminara considering most of them still mistreated Azrael, it might be a different case for spirits.
"Is it not dangerous, your highness?"
'I'm not sure. That's why I wanted to confirm if I could summon Azrael's core because I would like to try using his abilities, no matter how weak it is, to protect me.'
But he could not say that.
Despite the fact that Eirian did not like meddling with other people's affairs and tried his best to steer out from it, above all that, he hated putting others or seeing others in danger, which gained him allies and people who believed he was as bad as the church or Caelum painted him out to be.
Azrael knew for a fact that even when Eirian does not fully trust him or his intentions, he would not let Azrael risk doing something dangerous on his behalf, and honestly, if Eirian told him to not go, he might not go.
So, as usual, he lies. "It's perfectly safe. If it wasn't, then it would have been taught in the academy or even in general to stay away from spirits, right?"
With a keen eye that cut right through any attempt at deceit, Eirian studied Azrael, making the young prince squirm within. He could not help but wonder why Eirian was looking at him that way, but he did not say anything.
'He wants to say something.'
As the silence lingered, Azrael couldn't help but feel a growing uncertainty in the air. 'It's always so awkward when we're both quiet.' He couldn't blame Eirian for it though. Canonically, Eirian had poor conversational skills because people barely spoke to him. He was a person who was forced to be an introvert by society.
'He still looks like he wants to say something though. I should wait.'
Minutes passed, each one intensifying the unspoken tension in the room. Azrael began to fidget, contemplating whether he should leave and not risk overstaying. He was starting to think that Eirian was trying to find a way to get Azrael to leave considering it was already an ungodly hour.
That made sense.
But at the same time, it didn't make sense because despite Eirian's poor conversational skills, he was quite honest. Proof enough, their first encounter he literally rejected Azrael's offer of friendship.
Well, even if Eirian was not thinking about making Azrael go, he still had to. Azrael finally knew how to summon his core, and as much as he enjoyed being in the presence of his favorite character, he had to go back to his room and think.
Specifically, about his most recent vision and of course, the subject of that vision: Thaddeus. 'I wasn't able to process everything earlier because I had so many thoughts, but thanks to Eirian I have one less problem to think of.'
'Right. Time to thank Eirian and go.'
Just as Azrael was about to vocalize his intention to leave, Eirian suddenly broke the silence before he could.
"Your highness, what if..."
'What if?'
Azrael looked at Eirian with genuine curiosity, wondering what could be going through the usually composed prince's mind. There was a subtle hesitation in Eirian's expression, a rare moment of uncertainty that caught Azrael off guard.
"...I come with you?"
Azrael blinked in surprise. The unexpected proposition hung in the air, and for a moment, he wasn't sure if he had heard correctly.
"What?"