*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
'Who's knocking at this hour?'
Those were the thoughts of August Vale as he staggered from his bed to his door. He held strong suspicions as to who it might be. However, those people faded from his mind as he opened the door.
"Prince Mackenzie?"
I was covered from head to toe in dirt and leafage. Still, what caught August's eye was not my dirtied appearance. Instead, his jaw dropped at the sight of my arm.
"That... tattoo. You formed a contract?"
I nodded.
Maybe it was my body, drained from climbing. Or perhaps it was the amount of stress I experienced today, keeping my thoughts to a minimum.
For whatever reason it may be, I felt inclined to stay quiet.
"That's great! With your spirit magic and Professor Boyden's swordsmanship, we just doubled our chances of success against Lysander!"
August's elated expressions were far and few between. Ever since we first died, his face of innocence only continued to darken. It made saying these next words even harder.
"Professor Boyden won't be helping us anymore."
"...Huh? Why not?"
My conflicted expression met his concerned eyes.
How was I supposed to explain it to him?
Recalling past events, especially those I didn't want to reflect on was not my strong suit.
This person earnestly wants to save Aurelia. I'm only motivated by a desire to prove some useless point.
The more I think about it, the more pathetic I seem. However, to August, we're allies in this together. I'm not pursuing selfish desires for the sake of my own worthless ego.
I have no reason to explain myself to him.
"I won't get into it right now. Instead..."
Entering his room, I presented the tattoo to him.
"...Tell me what you know about this."
It caught his attention before, so I used it again.
"Hmm..."
His gaze focused on the four-pointed stars that painted my right arm. Both of us were already aware of August's incapable memory regarding spirits and their magic.
However, I held a slight hope. A hope that seeing the markings might jog something in the back of his mind.
'Black stars... If I remember correctly, Amara's contracted tattoo was something akin to vines along her leg. And she possessed the Flora elemental attribute as well. I wonder if these stars represent Prince Mackenzie's?'
My elemental attribute?
August's thoughts caught me by surprise. I had disregarded that when I dismissed Kayden. But now it was coming to bite me in the ass.
'What the hell am I supposed to tell him?'
'Nocturne.'
It wasn't August, rather, it was Dusk that answered. And without questioning their answer, I spoke.
"Nocturne."
"Huh?"
August looked back up in confusion.
"It's my elemental attribute. I think that's what these stars are supposed to represent."
"How did you-?"
"I could see the question across your face."
"Oh..."
Silently thanking Dusk for the help, I returned to listening to August's inner voice.
'If it's Nocturne magic, then maybe...'
With the newly found knowledge, August began brainstorming on what to do. Or what he should tell me.
Even though, I know all of it regardless.
While August paced back and forth around his room, I took it upon myself to make a cup of tea. My throat was feeling way too parched.
"Alright, Prince Mackenzie! How well do you understand magic theory? More specifically, how familiar are you with elemental attributes?"
August asked me a question as I searched his cabinets for anything that could be brewed for a drink.
"I'm about as familiar with them as anyone in our same year. By the way, do you have any tea?"
"About the same as anyone in our year... Okay, so I assume you have an understanding of each elemental attribute's embodied meaning then?"
"Yes, I do. Can you answer my question?"
August sighed.
"It's the second drawer on the left."
Heating the water with a magically engineered tea brewer, I tried thinking back on Professor Grimerose's class. Elemental attributes were introduced early on in the semester, so it wasn't easy for me to remember them just like that.
However, if I remember correctly, the embodiment for each element was as follows.
Zephyr - The embodiment of freedom.
Pyre - The embodiment of warmth.
Flora - The embodiment of interrelation.
Aqua - The embodiment of fluidity.
Fulgur - The embodiment of power.
Lumina - The embodiment of creation.
Nocturne - The embodiment of absence.
Professor Grimrose's lecturing words still idled in the back of my mind.
'Don't ever take these embodied meanings in a literal connotation. This only describes their affiliation to our world. That way of thinking will only limit the creativity of your mind. Think of them as elements and nothing more.'
And now...
"Spirits are the embodiment of their element. So think of your magic as the embodiment of absence from now on."
August's words were completely contradicting the lesson we received earlier in the semester. For a moment, I couldn't help but stare at him with a dumbfounded expression.
"Look, I know it sounds strange but you have to trust me on this!"
Well, I do. His thoughts were honest and genuine. However, it didn't stop me from questioning what he even meant.
"How can a power be related to the absence of something?"
"Think about it. We've already fought Lysander, a wielder of Nocturne magic as well. What type of spells does he use?"
"...Oh!"
It was the conjuration and manipulation of shadows. The absence of light.
Another moment later my brain quickly concluded that this was an incredible power. If used correctly, our chances against Lysander skyrocketed.
However...
"What if I was to use my magic in some crazy way, for instance, the absence of oxygen or mana?"
Since the possibilities for this power seemed nearly endless, it felt like there was a catch. Hence, why I asked August the strange question.
"Hmm, you can try, but the amount of mana required might take a toll on you."
"Why do you say that?"
"The greater the impact on the world, the greater the mana consumption. Don't you remember that fairytale, The Wish of Eternal Love?"
"Right."
The greater the "wishes", the greater the young girl in the story was affected. It was the price to pay for enormous power.
For another 30 minutes, August went on to explain more traits of the elemental attributes while I drank my tea.
However, as he spoke, I couldn't help but keep one idea locked in the back of my mind. It gave me even more hope for this selfish choice of mine.
And on the next morning, as the sun was rising for our sixth day, we met in the school's training grounds. At my suggestion, we arrived early.
My eyes laid upon a set of armor. Its worn appearance laid bare up a training dummy.
'Was this what he's struggled against for so long?'
The difficulty of the challenge confused me. However, I couldn't be swayed by its appearance.
After all, this was a relic. They're the remnants of blessings received from the gods.
The Vambraces of Self Torture.
That was what he called it.
The name alone made me turn away from it. Wearing such a thing would leave me with nothing but embarrassment.
But August held no such feelings... I think. Either way, he'll be the one to wear it.
My physical abilities were greatly outmatched by his. So it was August's role to play the frontline against Lysander.
And hopefully, with the help of the relic, he'll be able to do it.
"Are you ready?", I asked the nervous August.
"Y-yeah, are you sure this will work?"
In his hands held a weapon unknowing of the touch of a swordsman.
A maul.
"Just as I did you, trust me."
I had very little practice last night with spirit magic. However, that didn't stop me from being able to use it.
With only a single test run on a wooden chair in August's room, we were able to confirm its power.
And it indeed was worth the effort.
'Dusk, are you ready?'
'Yes.'
Just as we were taught in class, I focused on the mana flowing through me. Redirecting as much of it as I could to my palm, I placed it against the armor of the dummy.
'Ooh! Is this the feeling of another against my chest? Such slender and soft hands. I wish my eyes could still see the beauty of this tender woman! Ah, but alas, the hands of this beauty alone are enough to raise my nerves! Ah!'
I almost lost my focus for a moment there. As the thoughts of the armor raided my earspace.
Once its words reached my ears, I thought about punching it right then and there. But I couldn't let my anger get the better of me.
I sighed.
Sometimes I wished I could turn telepathy off.
Trying to ignore the annoying thoughts of the perverted dummy, I activated the magic of Dusk.
The absence of resilience.
"Fragility."
A violet hue left my hands and overtook the worn armor. Enveloping and changing its properties.
'Ah! I feel weaker in your presence madam. What is this constriction? Is this your doing, woman? If so, what a wonderful warm embrace it is!'
At the same time, an unstoppable wave of mana drained from my body. It felt as though my soul was sucked away.
I fell to the ground in a breathing fit.
"Prince Mackenzie, are you alright?!"
August was about to run over to me, but I stopped him with my hand. The voice of Dusk echoed in my head.
'Five seconds remaining...'
The duration was much less than what it was last night. And the mana cost was over 5 times as much.
It could've been the change in material or the fact that it was a relic. Whatever the case, I wasn't going to waste the time given.
"Hit... it!"
My croaked voice reached August. He brought the head of the hammer back, as he reeled for a single swing.
*CLANG!*
The maul then slammed into the armor, caving in the chest plate and completely smashing the dummy.
The weight behind his swing even brought it to the floor as it snapped the dummy's stand.
Dropping the heavy maul to the floor, the two of us held our breath in anticipation.
'Ah!'
And on the first try, we succeeded.
'What bliss! My soul quivers for such a woman to cause me this pain! To deal... such a mighty blow... to my heart... has left me feeling weak... Don't leave me alone... in these times... I need you... to punish me...'
The voice of the relic began to fade. Its words sounded remorseful.
August's eyes reflected that, knowing a deepness to this world I did not.