"One thing I'm certain of is that this divine voice has absolutely no humanity," sighed Phaistos.
Phaistos returned exactly to the place he had left five days ago, that beautiful clearing which offered a wide panorama of the island's life. Since he had disappeared during the night and 103 hours had passed in the white room, it was dawn when he returned. In the distance, he could see the village where he had been born and raised, filling with a living aura as the day broke. But in this sea of life, he could discern an ocean of sadness at the center of the village where his parents' house was.
"I need to hurry, Mom and Dad must be worried sick," Phaistos said, beginning a sprint.
Phaistos was immediately surprised by the speed he was capable of. He was several times faster than before; Phaistos understood right away that this must be related to the increase in his combat power.
Where it had taken him 20 minutes to reach the clearing from his grandfather's house, it now only took him 15 minutes. Just as he was about to reach civilization, he received a reminder from a voice he didn't expect to hear in this place.
[Connection to the host successful... Pending your actual authorization at the academy, your magical power and combat power will be reduced by 25%. You are also forbidden to speak of the academy to any intelligent being, unless they are already aware of the academy.]
While Phaistos could not understand the reasons why the academy imposed such restrictions on what he could say, he immediately felt the restrictions on his magical power and combat power. Suddenly, it felt as if a huge weight was pressing down on his mind and every fiber of his body. The sensation couldn't be described as pain, but it was like a veil of oppression that could not be forgotten.
This change in his physical capabilities caused him to suddenly lose his balance. Phaistos fell violently to the ground, which would certainly leave him in pain for several days. Hearing the noise so close to the village gates, some villagers glanced in Phaistos' direction. Given the village's small population, most of the villagers recognized Phaistos at first glance.
One young girl in particular ran straight to help him. "Phaistos, you're back. Your parents were so worried about you. Where did you go?" Nike was Phaistos' neighbor; they had known each other forever, so to speak. Due to their special bond, their parents had practically betrothed them last year. This had created a rather special feeling between them, which could possibly turn into love over the years, if it continued.
"I... I'm sorry, Nike," Phaistos gasped, trying to catch his breath and calm his racing mind as he slowly got to his feet. "I couldn't tell you where I was going. It was... complicated. I'll explain more thoroughly to my parents."
Nike helped him walk, her eyes full of compassion and concern. "Come, let's go to your house. Your parents need to see you, and you need to rest."
Phaistos nodded, expressing his gratitude for Nike's assistance. As they moved towards his home, he felt a slight easing of the magical restrictions, although the oppression still lingered as a constant reminder of the academy's limitations. He realized he would have to live with these constraints until he could officially join the academy and regain his full power.
Upon reaching his doorstep, Phaistos could distinctly feel a morose aura hanging over his home. This created a strong sense of guilt within him towards his parents, who had always done everything to allow him to live his life peacefully. Phaistos parted from Nike and reached out his hand to the door handle. He couldn't help but tremble, imagining the distress on his parents' faces and the explanation he would have to give them.
Despite his muddled thoughts, Phaistos gathered his courage and opened the door. As soon as he opened it, he heard the thud of a chair falling to the floor and a voice that mixed despair and hope. "Phaistos, is that you?"
Despite his desire to respond, Phaistos' throat tightened. He didn't have the strength to answer this voice he knew so well, knowing that in less than two days, he would have to leave again.
Disconcerted by the lack of response, Callista pushed aside the curtain separating the dining room from the kitchen. When she saw her son standing on the threshold, she rushed to him, tears streaming down her face, and embraced him tightly. In this moment, one could feel all the love a mother has for her child. During these five days, she had imagined all the worst scenarios, and even though she had never stopped hoping, it was becoming increasingly difficult to continue fighting against what seemed to be an inevitable conclusion. But despite all the odds, her son had returned alive.
"Where were you, son? What were you doing? Where did these scrapes come from? Are we such bad parents that you wanted to run away? Did you think about Nike or your grandfather?" Within a few seconds, he was bombarded with questions. He didn't even have time to answer one before another came.
While his mother was in a state of euphoria mixed with anger, joy, and curiosity, Phaistos decided to interrupt her. "Mom, I promise I'll answer all your questions, but I'd prefer to wait for Dad to come home so I can explain everything to you both at the same time. We should also get Grandpa. All I can tell you now is that I'm fine, Mom, and I didn't want to leave." Phaistos joined his mother in their embrace and tried to reassure her with his words.
"Your father left for the sea just before dawn; we couldn't afford to go long without an income. He's probably far out at sea by now, so we'll have to wait for him to come back for your explanations. Go get your grandfather; in the meantime, I'll prepare some food for you," said Callista as she headed towards the kitchen. Despite her seemingly carefree appearance, there was an infinite relief, but also sadness in her eyes. Phaistos had the impression that she knew he would disappear for an even longer period next time.
Phaistos decided to go fetch his grandfather, and Nike decided to accompany him. On the way, he didn't talk much. His mind was elsewhere, reflecting on his newfound ability to perceive his mother's emotions. Phaistos had never been good at this before; he thought it must be linked to the increase in his magical power, allowing him to vaguely understand elements that were previously foreign to him.
As he approached his grandfather's house, Phaistos also drew closer to the sea. While walking, he began to feel the world in a way he never had before. The world seemed to have become more alive; he felt like he could influence his surroundings more deeply, as if a connection had been formed between him and the world around him. He realized that what he felt was his spiritual affinity with water interacting with the nearby sea.
This made him aware of the sun, now high in the sky. Nevertheless, Phaistos felt no particular connection with it; he sensed that he could call upon his affinity, but no special bond existed.
"It must be related to my weak understanding of this element and the distance separating me from the sun. Unless it's simplistic to say that light is logically linked with the sun," Phaistos muttered. He was baffled by the complexity of magic, which depended solely on the magician's understanding.
"What are you saying?" Nike asked, moving closer to Phaistos.
"Nothing... I was lost in my thoughts, sorry."
As Nike brought Phaistos out of his thoughts, they arrived at his grandfather's house. Fortunately, Phaistos didn't have to endure the stress of opening the door, as his grandfather was waiting outside, as if he knew he was coming. While Phaistos was lost in his conspiracy theories, he heard his grandfather say.
"What are you thinking about? The other villagers told me you had arrived. It took you long enough to come see me. I hope you have a good excuse," his grandfather said, laughing.
"Come with me, Grandpa, so I can explain everything to everyone at once. It will likely interest you," said Phaistos, deliberately keeping the suspense. He allowed himself to speak to his grandfather this way with words he would never have used with his mother, knowing that his grandfather preferred not to take things too seriously, especially when the situation was already resolved."
"Ooh... I hope it's going to be interesting then, an old man's life needs to be brightened up and an Astraeus needs to shine after all," said his grandfather with a slight smirk at the corner of his lips.
This saying was his grandfather's favorite and was inspired by the maxim of his life: "An Astraeus must shine no matter the trials and the passage of time." Phaistos had heard this phrase a thousand times before, but this time, he didn't know why, it sounded different.