Chapter 19: Chapter 18: Is that mother ?
"So that's what happened."
Michael seemed to be deep in thought along with Enzo, who was delving deeper into his mind the moment he heard about the new swordmaster.
Kai observed the whole thing silently.
'They are probably wondering about the future course of actions and preparing countermeasures in case of a shift in the power balance.'
Kai thought wryly.
Michael and Enzo crossed their gazes.
Leaders of two factions.
An imperial, who was also a swordmaster and a 7th class mage, who was also the mage tower master.
They were at the center of their own faction. It was inevitable there would exist a competitive rivalry between them.
But Kai had no intention to get involved with them than he already had.
As the discussion continued, Michael and Kai agreed on co-operation until they reach and investigate the source of the fluctuation of the energy. The next day, the ship sailed through the deep waters of the valley of the wailing and reached a crack in the space.
While the nucleus containing the power of the god opened a portal between two realms, the one who maintained the shape of the dungeon and balanced out the god's power was the nucleus or stone containing chaos power.
After the annihilation of the sea imugi, there was no base of power to maintain the dungeon.
So the portal they reached was already crumbling like it was made of dust by the time they reached it.
But an unexpected incident occurred during the time they investigated the portal. A surge of lavender energy burst out of the dungeon and slammed into Kai who was on the deck.
Though Sasha tried to shield him, it was a partial success.
Unfortunately Kai who was in the middle of the situation collapsed right then and there and hadn't opened his eyes since then. Though they checked, the only result was that his body was fine.
Other than that, they were unable to determine what happened to Kai.
It was concluded that the only reason that he hadn't woken up yet was due to his body being shocked because of the enormous amount of energy that crashed into his body.
Michael could only sigh and bring Kai back with them and treat him when they reached the land if he still hasn't opened his eyes even then.
After that, they set off towards the port of Gareth.
*****
The rocking of the ship as it sailed through the ocean lulled the occupants of the ship into tranquility.
Paat. Paat. Paat.
Along the long wooden corridor that stretched to accommodate many rooms, black luxurious shoes tapped on it as a man walked towards the end of the corridor.
He soon stopped in front of the door at the furthest end of the corridor.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
He knocked three times on the door and entered it when a voice reached his ears telling him to come in.
He twisted the knob and swung open the door. What illuminated his eyes as his beautiful violet eyes were pale skin, so white that it looked like snow.
On the bed lay a beauty that one wouldn't be able to tell whether it was a man or a woman.
Sun that shone down on the figure on the bed from the opened window created an ambiguous atmosphere.
The person on the bed seemed to be merely sleeping, that person's breathing was deep and peaceful.
Another figure, like the body of a young beast was curled up next to the figure on the bed.
Michael observed how the little creature placed his head on Kai's chest, his ear so close to his heart, to hear his heartbeat.
It was a heartbreaking sight as it was an adorable sight.
The mage who remained in the room bowed to Michael and left him alone with the figure on the bed.
Michael's lips straightened into a thick line. Anyone who saw him could tell he was troubled.
'If only I was a little faster.'
'If only I paid more attention.'
Those thoughts went round and round in his mind. Like he was trapped in a self-deprecating pit that had no end in sight.
It was a familiar place but it had been a while since his mind fell into such a negative train of thoughts.
Michael was startled at his won thoughts and quickly composed himself.
He was on the deck of the ship with Kai examining the closing crack in the space, when it happened. From the split space came rushing an energy so different from mana.
It was the last of the energy remained in the dungeon that surged out of it and rushed towards Michael, who was unprepared.
By reflex he managed to dodge the devastating amount of energy but he underestimated the range of the energy.
By the time he realized it, it was already too late.
He reinforced his body with his mana heart as he instinctively recognized colliding with that energy had the possibility of erasing his existence without even leaving ashes behind.
When the energy was about to hit, in a split second he was pushed out from there.
He watched with bewildered eyes as Kai crumbled to the ground. At that time, that was the only thing he could do.
He raised his gaze after dismissing the memory and looked towards Kai.
His gaze was complicated, his mind a mess, a mix of emotions that rained down on Michael nonstop.
He was mentally exhausted because no matter what he did, he couldn't get the vivid memory of Kai pushing him away and getting injured.
This wasn't the first time someone had saved him. But it was the first of many that ingrained in his mind.
Because people who saved or attempted to do so, only did it out of a sense of duty or to impress him and get benefits.
This was the first time someone did out of their own volition.
Because in Michael's impression Kai wasn't someone who bound himself to people easily.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to survive with his gentle disposition.
Though the facts Michael used to determine his character was wrong, surprisingly he came to the kind of right conclusion about him.
He sat on the chair placed beside the bed and gazed at the face of the youth.
His heart seemed to ache and twist at the same time.
He slowly reached out his hand towards Kai's face and brushed aside the strand of hair laid on his eyes.
As Michael continued to stare at him, his eyes became unfathomable.
A force so strong that it could wipe out a swordmaster in a single strike.
'I don't know what you did or how you survived. But please wake up using whatever method you used.'
It was the desperate thought of Michael who tightly clasped one of Kai's hands with his own.
Meanwhile Kai was immersed deep into his mind.
A vision after vision, dream after dream flashed through his mind.
No, they were memories to be precise.
An endless stream of memories.
One after another, they dragged Kai into an abyss full of such darkness that it would have driven someone insane.
A blurry vision entered his mind.
As his vision gradually cleared a scenery of a lush forest appeared before him.
As he checked his phantom like body that was transparent, a green meadow stretched out in front of him.
But what caught his eyes wasn't the meadow.
The liquid that dyed the lush green, red that it looked as if it was red in the first place, the corpses scattered around the meadow last of their life force draining from them.
The bodies were charred black by fire.
No. It wasn't fire.
The bodies were burned at a temperature so high and heat so intense, they were collapsing into ashes and dissipating into air.
The bodies at the edge of death reeked of hatred and menace.
At the center of all this mess, stood two figures.
A familiar man with a younger face was bathed in the blood of so many.
A whirlwind of mana that encircled his being was a true enough example to showcase his heightened emotions.
Mana sang and danced in vengeance and anger. The meadow shuddered and the space around the figure distorted.
Confronting that person stood another man, who was trembling pitifully.
That man wore black clothes and aimed a dagger at the bundle in his arms.
No. Not a bundle.
Uwaaaah…
It was a baby.
Kai instinctively recognized the infant form of the original Kai.
The infant Kai was in the arms of an assailant who was aiming to kill him.
'What is going on ? Is this a kidnapping attempt gone wrong ?'
It crossed his mind as the phantom form of Kai surveyed the surrounding.
The eyes that swept across the meadow landed on someone Kai didn't pay much attention to before.
It was the woman in the arms of the other man.
The unconscious figure laid lifelessly in young Ruwel Hart's arms.
Her pretty pastel pink dress drenched in blood and golden hair that should have been luscious, lost its luster.
Kai had never seen her. But strangely enough it was a face he was familiar with.
It was the same face he saw reflected back at him when he was in front of a mirror.
That dead woman that young Ruwel Hart embraced so gently.
Kai knew instinctively.
It was his mother.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ocean_d
Ocean_d MINI THEATER :-
Michael : You saved my life. ( Stares in astonishment. )
Kai : You are welcome I guess.
Michael : But why did you save me ? ( Grabs Kai's shoulders tightly. )
Kai : ...
Michael : ... Don't say I am suicidal. Really I am not.
Kai : I didn't say anything.
*****
Hi guys,
Here's another update.
Please enjoy this chapter while you leave a comment and a vote.
I also wanted to express my gratitude to DAN1864 and maidsangwoo for donating powerstones.
Thank you to all the readers who joined in to read my story.
Regards,
Ocean_d.
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