It's been a few days since Cristhine severed her connection with Gregory; a difficult decision for both her and the other two women in the cabin. But that doesn't mean she left her friends; in fact, they continued to stick together, whether out of companionship or lack of options.
Regardless of her decision, things went from bad to worse. Hopes dwindled, and their patience wore thin. Gregory no longer seemed like a worthy Statera; he revealed himself as weak in both spirit and body, further confirming Cristhine's decision.
To her, a Statera should be someone like Lord Akachi, who proved multiple times that he would risk everything to save his bonds. But she knew that was asking too much from an ordinary Statera, so she never sought something so grand.
Before choosing someone, she always looked for Stateras who were motivated, capable, hardworking, and knew what they needed to do. These were not complicated or difficult requirements to meet; most candidates displayed them quite commonly.
But the last requirement was always a trap, for her and many other aspirants. She heard stories of Stateras abandoning their bonds or being useless when they needed them the most.
She never thought it would be her case, but unfortunately, her vanity and arrogance were her downfall. She ended up suffering the same fate she always found shameful—abandoned by a Statera when she needed him the most.
Her mentor, Lady Tatiana, was always a strong, independent, astute, and cautious woman. She always said to Cristhine: "If you don't want to be betrayed, don't trust anyone. But if you want to be lonely, don't trust anyone."
It was a simple phrase, one that Cristhine always thought meant she should know whom to trust. But now she realized that wasn't what her mentor meant. Too bad she realized it too late.
The last few days were mentally and physically exhausting for the three aspirants. The side effects of Blood Frenzy were beginning to show, and their minds were becoming foggy.
Their anger was escalating, and now they had even stopped talking to each other to avoid arguing or something more violent. They were also beginning to feel the aura in their veins becoming chaotic and uncontrollable.
These were typical symptoms when they spent too much time in an Aura Zone or absorbed an amount beyond their body's aura capacity. In extreme cases, these symptoms also appeared after experiencing Blood Frenzy.
Blood Frenzy is a semi-permanent condition if not treated with proper care. Even if it ends after a certain time, it will return some time later if not treated.
It's not a common condition, but it's not rare either. Whenever Aura Veins get overloaded, they begin the process of trying to forcefully release the aura, increasing body stimulation in the process.
Usually, meditation-focused training aims to reach this specific overload point, where it's possible to maintain overload in a controlled manner. However, it's not an easy process, especially when one doesn't have the support of a Statera.
If the veins surpass a certain overload level, they can't circulate or release the Aura through the veins, leading to a complete disruption and extremely harmful effects on the mind and body.
At this point, they must rely on a Statera to drain the excess aura from their veins and regulate the entire system, returning to a manageable overload level. If this doesn't happen, Blood Frenzy is always the most common outcome, but Aura Vein rupture and Death also occur.
For a Dragon, caution when exploring and training in Aura Zones is an unyielding law precisely for this reason. After all, they are the only creatures allowed within a Non-Pacified Aura Zone.
One should not overestimate, no matter how calm it may seem; a Non-Pacified Aura Zone is a natural place of death and chaos. Nothing living can stay there for long without suffering the consequences.
This is precisely why Non-Pacified Aura Zones are strictly prohibited for any non-Dragon being. Depending on the Aura Zone level, only a few Dragons are allowed.
A Level 4 Zone, for example, is enough to cause Blood Frenzy for any non-aspiring dragon under 300 years without a Statera. Only Dragon Ladies are allowed exploration without a Statera.
A Level 5 Zone is prohibited for any Dragon that is not a Great Dragon Lady or a Dragon Lady with a Statera.
In the case of a Forbidden Zone, any Dragon below the title of Supreme Dragon Lady is strictly prohibited from entering unless a Great Dragon Lady is ready to initiate rebirth.
But Cristhine regrets to this day even thinking about going to that Aura Zone. Even though they passed the tests and were qualified to enter, she should have thought a little more, prepared better...
All because of a bit of training to hasten her ascension. And why didn't she notice those signs of wear on Gregory? Why didn't she notice his incapacity?
"Why did you... NOT SAY ANYTHING?"
She can't stand sitting in silence in a corner of this place they took as a hideout. It's depressing; she's a talented Aspiring Dragon, with many chances of being recognized as an Ingenious.
She can't stand hiding, fearing that someone will recognize them and report them as soon as they pass through a village. She has never felt so humiliated and disgusted with herself in all her years of life.
Anger and resentment have taken hold of her, directing her toward the one she thinks is the main culprit of all this—the one who betrayed and abandoned them when they were relying on him.
They trusted him, thinking he would be capable and not a coward when they needed him the most.
Why should they suffer so much for something he was totally responsible for? Why should they run when he was the coward?
Until now, they are suffering from the effects of Blood Frenzy, from persistent feelings, nightmares, psychological trauma... It's not enough that they are being hunted; they can't even trust him to alleviate the negative effects.
She gets up from her chair, looks with hatred at Gregory, who is sitting in front of the wood stove, and moves toward him, shouting and ranting:
"This isn't fair... IT'S NOT FAIR, GREGORY. You abandoned us when we needed you the most, scoundrel. You should have at least warned us that you couldn't handle it anymore. By your..."
Before they could get closer to Gregory, who had no reaction other than shrinking further into his chair, Nendula stopped her.
Standing in front of her friend and ex-soror, Nendula had a sad expression but was still firm in her place. Nendula spoke:
"Cris... Control yourself; don't let this control you. I know you're suffering, I am too, and Feli as well... We're in this together, but that doesn't mean we can blame Greg. He didn't want to abandon us, Cris, we forced him beyond the limit... It wasn't his fault."
"Don't say that, Dula, stop defending that coward. The whole basis of our relationship was established on dialogue. There was nothing we couldn't share with each other, but he... HE SAID NOTHING. He let us take risks that he knew we couldn't control."
"It was our fault, Cris; we didn't realize he wasn't well... His mental health is critical... We didn't notice he was on the brink of a collapse... We were negligent, so it was our fault."
"That's not what happened, Dula, NOT AT ALL."
While Cristhine was stressed and angry, Nendula was much calmer. However, both were unhappy about discussing the matter.
And Cristhine couldn't calm her anger. With a scream, she released a large wave of Aura that made the entire cabin tremble. Even so, Nendula, Felicia, and Gregory didn't react.
"Our agreement has always been to tell everything. Even if it was something ugly, we told each other to improve our relationship and build trust. Trust is the foundation of every participatur matrimonium; it's the law that governs this commitment."
She wasn't looking at Nendula or Gregory anymore; she lowered her head and turned to go back to the chair in the corner where she was sitting. As she sat in the chair, she looked dejected and sad, not wanting to talk anymore. But she spoke:
"What he did was the purest act of betrayal."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I hope you can help me correct any spelling errors in the chapters.
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