In a spacious bedroom, a young boy lay unconscious. Drops of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and his pallid face revealed his critical condition. Beside him, four people watched with heavy hearts. Among them, the most anxious was Valentina, Vento's older sister, who paced back and forth, waiting for her brother to awaken.
The other two could only stand silently, observing Valentina's behavior that was far from cheerful. Meanwhile, Veronica, their mother, was channeling a blue aura from her palms. It flowed gently over her son's body. After a few moments, Veronica halted her actions, and the blue aura surrounding Vento gradually began to dissipate.
"Sigh~"
With a weary face from expending her energy on the blue aura, she took a deep breath and leaned back in the wooden chair next to her son's bed.
Before Veronica could catch a moment to rest, Caroline gave her a worried look and asked, "How is he?!" Unlike Caroline, Veronica appeared calmer, knowing that panic would only heighten the tension in the room.
"For now, I've stabilized his Celestia, but his Aetheria is beyond my control."
It was no wonder that Veronica was unable to manage the Aetheria in Vento's body; she was merely a human who could only use Celestia as her source of power.
"Then what are we waiting for? Quickly stabilize Vento's Aetheria!"
"That's right, Father!"
Caroline slapped her husband's shoulder firmly, urging him to act after he had been silent thus far. This exclamation was followed by Valentina, who continued to pace anxiously.
"Ri-right."
Nervously, the husband tried to replicate what Veronica had done. He opened his palms, and a strange aura began to emanate from his hands, this time a grayish-black color. Slowly, the aura crept over Vento's body like a serpent.
"!!!"
However, moments later, the snake-like aura vanished without a trace. The husband was shocked, and not just him; Valentina, Caroline, and Veronica, who had been observing intently, now wore expressions of confusion, silently conveying, 'What just happened?'
"Why does your Aetheria seem to be absorbed into Vento's body?!"
"You're right, Caroline. No matter how you look at it, the Aetheria that was just here has been siphoned into Vento," Veronica answered Caroline's question while glancing at her husband.
"Honestly, I don't know either. I was just mimicking what you did," replied the husband, scratching his head. Sensing something was amiss, Veronica instinctively nudged her husband aside and placed her right palm on Vento's chest.
"What is this...?"
As she touched her son's chest, images of what was happening inside Vento began to flash in her mind, but Veronica didn't want to speculate without clear evidence. Turning to Caroline and the others, who looked curious, she said, "This is just a theory of mine, but it seems Vento's body can convert Aetheria into Celestia."
Instantly, both of the others, aside from Valentina, who were unaware of Aetheria and Celestia, looked shocked and uncertain at Veronica's words. For them, this was something impossible, especially since Aetheria and Celestia were two entirely different existences.
"Dear, can you channel Aetheria into Vento's body again?"
Like them, Veronica also felt doubt in her heart. Thus, she asked her husband to try doing what he had done before.
"I-I understand."
The husband, still taken aback by Veronica's words, quickly channeled his Aetheria into Vento's body without further questions.
"I'm done."
As before, the Aetheria creeping over Vento's body began to be absorbed within seconds. Seeing this, Veronica placed her hand back on her son's chest. At that moment, as she sensed something unusual with Vento's Celestia, her conviction about her newly formed theory grew stronger. "I knew it, the amount of Celestia in Vento's body has increased."
Silence enveloped the entire bedroom. They were frozen, as if every word Veronica spoke confirmed prior statements. Simultaneously, they began to process the information they had received, despite the swirling questions in their minds.
Veronica understood their profound curiosity. Speaking in a calm tone, she began to explain, "As you know, while my body has a large capacity for storing Celestia, I lack the ability to regenerate it. However—" Veronica paused, gently stroking Vento's head before continuing. "Vento's body is different; he can store both Aetheria and Celestia on a large scale, and it appears that he can also regenerate the amount of Celestia in his body by using Aetheria as fuel. Perhaps the reverse can happen as well."
"Does that mean?" asked Caroline, whose understanding of Veronica's words gradually took shape, though she still felt uncertain about the answers in her mind.
"Indeed, the most likely reason Vento has lost control is that the Celestia and Aetheria in his body are consuming each other."
Grip!
Veronica's theory angered the husband, not because he was upset with Veronica, but because he felt frustrated with himself for being unable to do anything for his son. With clenched fists and a piercing gaze, he looked at Veronica and said, "I know you've known this would happen from the beginning, Veronica."
That statement wasn't without basis; he realized that with Veronica's ability to see the future, it was natural that she would be aware that this event would befall Vento. Gritting his teeth, he spoke again in a short but firm tone, "Please tell me everything."
Seeing her husband filled with anger and guilt, Veronica began to explain the prophecy she had received a few days prior. Without saying a word, the husband simply stared at Veronica intently as she explained. Once Veronica finished, the husband—still enveloped in frustration—immediately left the bedroom. Veronica and the others could only remain silent, allowing him to leave without a word.
==
Three days had passed. Valentina, who insisted on keeping a vigil over Vento day and night, was sleeping soundly at the edge of the bed where Vento lay.
"Vwento Pwease Weake Uewap."
Even in her sleep, Valentina desperately hoped her brother would wake up soon. Occasionally, she would call Vento's name in a somewhat irregular tone.
Rub~ Rub~
"Uhehehe, Vento is ticklish," mumbled Valentina, still lost in her dreams. She felt something starting to stroke her head, and this delightful sensation was too much for her to resist. As a result, drool began to flow profusely over the edge of the bed where Vento lay.
"Big sis! Big sis!"
Faintly, Vento's voice echoed in her ears, yet Valentina still didn't open her eyes, thinking it was just a figment of her imagination.
"Big sis! Your drool is soaking my bed!"
But this time, Vento's voice sounded very clear. Curious about the sound, Valentina struggled to open her eyes, even though they felt heavy. Just as she fully opened them, she saw her brother awake and sitting on the edge of his bed.
"Owh, Vento! Is that you?!"
Startled, Valentina's half-open eyes widened completely as she faced her adorable little brother, who was smiling gently at her.
"Good morning, Big sis!"
For her, seeing her brother say good morning with such enthusiasm was priceless. Without hesitation, she jumped toward him and hugged him tightly while her tentacles wrapped around Vento, who had just awakened.
"Vento!"
Tears began to stream down her face as she recalled the times she thought, 'What if my brother doesn't wake up again?' Just thinking about it made her chest feel incredibly tight.
"*Sobbing* Thank goodness you're finally awake!"
"Ughh! Big sis, I can't breathe!"
Valentina's embrace was so tight that Vento, fresh from his long slumber, struggled to breathe. Even when he tried to tap his sister's shoulder, Valentina wouldn't loosen her grip at all.
"Big sis… please… let go…"
With all his strength, Vento moved one of his arms, and finally, his effort paid off; one of his wrists was freed from his sister's tight grasp.
Taking advantage of the moment, Vento, now freed, began to tickle one suction cup at a time on his sister's tentacle.
Tickle! Tickle! Tickle!
"Aahahaha, Vento is ticklish!"
Vento's struggle was finally rewarded; his sister's tight hold gradually loosened, allowing him to escape her suffocating embrace.
Once free, Vento started to fix his disheveled clothing and hair from the earlier encounter. As soon as he looked neat again, he turned to his sister and asked,
"By the way, Big sis, why am I suddenly in my room? Weren't we just playing in the backyard with Father?" he asked innocently, looking at his sister, who was still wiping her tears.
"Eh? You don't remember anything?"
Tilting his head slightly, Vento tried to recall what had happened, but the only memory he had was playing with his family in the backyard of the castle.
"Sorry, Big Sis. I think I don't remember what happened before."
"Oh, really? In that case, let me—
Creak!
Valentina, who was trying to explain what had happened to her brother, abruptly stopped when she heard the sound of the door mechanism opening. There stood Caroline, Veronica and their father, urgently looking into Vento's room.
"Vento!"
Like mother, like daughter, Caroline's face lit up with relief upon seeing Vento awake. Without a moment's hesitation, she jumped toward him and quickly embraced him tightly.
Hug!
"I can't breathe!"
Unlike Valentina, who had coiled her brother in her tentacles, Caroline embraced him normally. However, her large chest pressed down on Vento, causing him to struggle for breath. Unaware of Vento's distress, Caroline continued to hold him tightly, making Vento's face turn more and more blue.
"Madam Caroline, I think my son is having trouble breathing."
"Is that so?"
"Just look at him; his face is turning blue."
"Whoa! It's true!"
Fortunately, Veronica managed to awaken Caroline from her stupor, prompting her to release her grip, or else Vento would have fallen unconscious once more.
"Cough! I'm back to life!"
After breaking free from Caroline's grip, Vento immediately took a deep breath, inhaling as much fresh air as he could.
"I'm so sorry, Vento. I didn't realize you were having trouble breathing!" With a guilty look, Madam Caroline began apologizing to the boy in front of her.
"It's okay, Madam Caroline~" Vento responded to her apology with a gentle smile still on his face.
With a soft smile still lingering, Vento turned his gaze to his mother and said, "Good morning, Mother."
Without replying, his mother didn't acknowledge his greeting but returned it with a gentle embrace. Vento felt the warmth of her hug and could only reciprocate it.
Not long after, Veronica finally spoke up, "I'm so glad you are okay." and at that moment, tears began to fall from her eyes, making her crying face a rare sight. Because in their family, Veronica was always the one who remained calm and rational.
But in the midst of her embrace, Vento realized that his question remained unanswered. Curious, he opened his mouth to ask his mother again, "By the way, Mother, what exactly happened to me?"
"!!!"
Stunned by Vento's question, Veronica struggled to find a suitable answer in her mind. Yet, not a single response could escape her lips. As a mother, she didn't want her child to hear the harsh realities of his current condition. Moreover, his young age made Veronica all the more hesitant to address his question.
"Actually…"
Noticing that his wife was at a loss for words, the husband then took over and answered Vento's question. He knew that Vento was still young and perhaps not ready to hear what he was about to say. Nevertheless, Vento needed to know the truth about his body, for if not, something worse could happen in the future. Thus, without omitting the smallest detail, he began to recount the nature of Celestia and Aetheria within Vento's body and how he began to lose control over himself due to these two existences.
"But don't worry, my son, I have a solution."
Seeing his son's distressed expression after his earlier words, the father tried to comfort him. He glanced at Veronica and Caroline. As they exchanged glances, Caroline and Veronica gave small nods of confirmation to their husband. The father then, with a serious expression, looked directly at Vento and said, "Vento, listen carefully," he stated, holding Vento's shoulder firmly.
"Y-yes?" Vento replied awkwardly.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll train you so you can be ready to challenge the Realm of the Forgotten."
. . . . .
"Huh?"