Aenon

The room was deathly silent, its two occupants unsure of what to say. Aenon merely leaned back with his eyes closed, while Thalindra stood in front of his desk. The atmosphere was heavy, weighing on them like a tidal wave of raw emotions. Aenon was tired. But the sensation went beyond the physical, more than just exhaustion due to the night long engagement. Even with his eyes closed, the scene kept playing in his head.

The woman swaying from side to side. Face scarred, humming the tune. His tune. His words echoed back at him.

"There was no other way, Lord Fenrast," Thalindra tried interrupting the broken record replaying in his mind.

"I know," Aenon responded slowly, his eyes still closed.

"We…we needed to prepare our people," Thalindra continued her arguments. "Our fighters are not trained, not experienced. We needed every advantage we could get."

"I know."

"Fighting a disorganized army is a lot easier—"

"I know."

Thalindra seemed confused but still wanted to say more. But from what Aenon could sense, she was trying to convince herself too.

"We—," she stared hesitantly.

"I know, Thalindra," Aenon interrupted her while opening his eyes and staring at her. "I am not that big of a hypocrite that I will try to talk my way out of this. I have killed many; even brutally tortured people when the situation called for it."

Aenon's shoulders sagged as he sighed deeply. He looked at the daggers, and the gore splattered on them.

"This is why I prefer a life of solitude," Aenon said softly while staring at his blood-soaked hands. "If it's just me, at best I can simply escape. At worst, I can kill my way out of situations. This… wouldn't have happened if I was living by myself in the forest."

"You can't live in regret, Lord Fenrast," Thalindra pleaded.

"I don't," Aenon replied. "My dad always taught me to own up to one's mistakes. Whether intentional or otherwise. And this was both."

"How is this a mistake?" Thalindra countered. "Your people will have a fighting chance because of our actions. The level boost they will get due to this will help secure their lives. And like you said, you have killed and tortured before. So, what's so different this time?"

Aenon stared into her eyes deeply. The silence lingered for several minutes before he spoke.

"Taking a life," Aenon spoke slowly, "is not the same as destroying one."

Several repressed memories started to surface. His sister's desperate pleas to leave her brother alone. The silent fury he kept burying within his soul. The cold lifeless eyes—

"AENON," Thalindra's loud scream broke him out of the quagmire.

He looked around in confusion, momentarily unaware of where he was. It took him a moment to collect himself.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worry lacing her voice.

"Yeah," Aenon replied quickly.

The soul mage looked at him with a complex look. Thalindra didn't seem satisfied by the answer but obviously knew enough not to probe further. Her eyes resolved as she clenched her fists and stood straight.

"This burden," she spoke with ferocity, "isn't yours to bear alone. I was there with you. Every step of the way. The blood is on my hands too."

Aenon looked at the woman across from him. Her dual affinity soul had become unbalanced, the weight of their actions tormenting her just as much. For someone who feared their own power, watching a soul break from their tactics was not easy to bear.

Aenon stood and walked up to her. Their eyes met for a moment as the two soul mages conversed with emotions rather than mere words. Aenon's hand slowly rose to his face, before he removed his mask. The first time he had ever done so in front of someone.

Thalindra's eyebrows shot up as she was able to cast Identify on him for the very first time. Aenon smiled briefly before outstretching his hand. She took it gingerly, too stunned to speak after the gesture.

"Thank you," Aenon said softly. "For having my back."

It was not lost on Aenon that Thalindra had risked her life and limb to back him up last night. In his emotionally charged state, Aenon was effectively on autopilot. He had just wanted to erase his mistake by killing all those he tormented.

And despite deviating from the plan, she didn't question him or resist his decision. She just backed him to ensure his safety.

"I know this wasn't part of the plan," Aenon acknowledged, "and that this will make the next phase harder to implement. But I couldn't stand watching the broken souls that my power led to. And before you argue, I know I was the cause. The void affinity, it seems, is far more sinister than I anticipated."

"You are right," a female voice cut in, alarming both the humans.

The System Nurse materialized in the room, sitting comfortably on the couch. Thalindra immediately bowed in respect. Aenon on the other hand, looked confused at the intrusion. The Nurse only got involved when things were out of hand.

"Come and sit," the draugr gestured towards the empty seats. The duo obliged.

"What is this about?" Aenon asked while taking his place.

"I have been asked to fill in some gaps in your knowledge," the System Nurse replied. "While also assessing your minds. Luckily, your stubbornness is the same."

"What do you mean?" Aenon asked in confusion.

The Nurse paused for a moment before asking, "What were you thinking during your rampage last night?"

"Umm," Aenon tried to recollect. "Nothing. I was on autopilot, relying on instinct rather than thought. It seems to happen occasionally. I have noticed the other Awakened exhibit the same. Jenny's emotions…kinda freeze over. While Thalindra's simply die. I don't know how else to describe it."

Aenon recalled the first time his powers manifested, back when he faced Jenny's mother. He had felt absolutely nothing, like his emotions had been consumed by the void. The same thing had happened when he was rescuing Nocthrya. He was almost in a trance during that time too.

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"Oh good," the Nurse nodded. "At least you have figured that out. That mental state is why Awakened are so feared across the Multiverse. It essentially cuts through all useless thoughts and lets you analyze the battlefield objectively. It brings your base instincts to the forefront, allowing you to tap into your full potential."

Aenon nodded along, having come to the same conclusion.

"There is one problem though," the Nurse continued. "How's the ice mage these days? Have you noticed any changes to her personality?"

"Uh," Aenon hesitated. "I am not sure."

He looked at Thalindra, expecting some input from the experienced woman. Aenon was still not that good with people.

"She seems—colder," Thalindra said as realization struck her. And somehow Aenon felt she wasn't talking about physical temperature.

"Precisely," the Nurse said with a smile.

"Wait, what?" Aenon asked.

"An Awakening happens when a person realizes who they are," the Nurse explained. "Or rather who they are meant to be. And the act of moving towards that ideal self is why we call it a Path. You have essentially woken up for the first time and glimpsed at what you are supposed to be. And you walk towards that goal in mind."

Aenon tried to recall Jenyy's behavior recently. She had indeed seemed distant and detached from others. When compared to her old self at least. She was almost methodical in her actions, weighing tactics over emotions. Aenon had assumed it was due to Ignar's training. But now it seemed there was more to it. A worry started to creep in.

"You don't have to worry about that," the Nurse told him pointedly. "The effect does not erase your consciousness. Or the bonds you share with others. If anything, it strengthens them. From now on the girl can assess her feelings more clearly. She can no longer be duped by what you people call gaslighting. Same goes for your berserker. He is fueled by rage, yes. But it can no longer overpower him."

Aenon felt relief at that. He almost relaxed when the Nurse continued in a morbid tone.

"You two, on the other hand," she said while looking at the soul mages, "have your work cut out for you. Not because it will not have any negative influence on you. But because you are soft hearted fools who are wielding the two most domineering affinities. The terror you both induce can shatter your enemy's will to live. Something you have witnessed first-hand today."

Aenon wanted to argue that he was not soft hearted, but one stern look from the Nurse shut him up.

"And I am here to ensure you don't do something stupid." The Nurse turned to Thalindra, "Like shacking your soul even tighter."

Aenon turned to Thalindra, his eyes piercing her soul with ease. The chains were indeed getting stronger. She seemed taken aback by the sudden attention.

"I—," Thalindra tried to explain.

"Do you see this thick-headed fool shacking himself?" the Nurse said while pointing a thumb at Aenon. "If you claim to follow him, at least learn his stubbornness."

Again, Aenon couldn't argue at the obvious jab at him. At least he agreed on this part.

"I have pieced your soul back together from dust," the Nurse said, turning to Aenon. "I know what is going on in that head of yours. You feel guilty breaking someone the way your sister was broken by your family."

Aenon's breath caught in his throat. He was about to lash out when the draugr continued.

"You are a predator, boy," the System Nurse said in a softer tone. "Killing is in your nature. Cruelty, is not."

Aenon's words died the next moment. The Nurse looked at him with pity. But Aenon couldn't get angry at her, since she wasn't really a person. Her point was completely analytical. She wasn't judging him since she literally couldn't.

"The very fact that you chose to end their misery instead of using it to further your goals shows your predator instinct at work," the Nurse said sternly. "So quit your moping and go do what you do best. Consume your prey to grow in power. And when things go sideways, rely on your instincts. They haven't led you astray yet."

The room went silent as the two soul mages had deep introspective looks. The Nurse was right of course. Her analytical breakdown of their psyche was scarily accurate. As was her timely intervention. The Nurse didn't want to leave any festering wounds that could hinder them on their Paths. As her name suggested, she had methodically patched up the hidden wounds. Not fully healed yet, but the action would prevent future problems.

"We understand," Aenon said with a grateful bow.

The Nurse smiled in response.

"Good," she got up with a loud clap. "Continue doing what you are doing. But take some time to rest and recover. Your bodies need it. Your people can handle the rest of the siege."

Aenon and Thalindra got up too. They focused their soul powers to assess the battle outside, and like the Nurse said, it was all under control. Which meant—

"You have an important decision to make pretty soon," the Nurse told Aenon.

She was obviously talking about his upcoming Class selection. It was only now that Aenon noticed the pending System Notifications. It was blinking angrily in his vision at being ignored for so long.

Evolution Quest Objectives | Kill 10000 enemies of equal or greater level (10000/10000) | Protect your settlement from the coming horde (Ongoing)

Level Up | Void Stalker | Level 89 → Level 99 | +40 INT | +100 WIL | +40 PER

Level Up | Abyssal Warden | Level 92 → Level 99 | +56 INT | +70 WIL

Title Upgraded: Planetary Forerunner → Planetary Forerunner 2 | +50 all stats | The first to kill more… do numbers really matter at this point?

Title Upgraded: Lone Wolf → Solo Wolf | +10% Title stats | At least you had someone watching your back this time during your solo rampage.

In one fell swoop, Aenon had completed all the objectives he needed to in the short term. The city defense was in capable hands and couldn't require his assistance. And with him finally at level 99, he had caught up to the others. He wanted to ask something, but the Nurse had directed her attention at Thalindra.

"Good job making that ball submit. But master it, before that thing comes back to try claiming it again."

Aenon didn't know what that was about, but Thalindra seemed to have understood its meaning. He was curious about it, but decided it could wait.

"Our evolutions," Aenon asked the more pressing issue. "I believe most of us have reached the final threshold. Is there any advantage to delaying it further?"

"Not really," the Nurse responded after some thought. "Yes, you may be able to gain a few more Titles due to the spike in difficulty, but it is not worth it anymore. But I'd follow you second in command's advice about how to proceed."

Thalindra was stunned at being addressed as Aenon's second in command, barely managing to hide her smile. But she recovered quickly as she addressed Aenon formally. But he could sense the pride in her tone anyway.

"The first evolution is a memorable event for most people," Thalindra said. "Especially when someone has a such a high grade. It is not uncommon for families and organizations to throw a feast in honor of the achievement. It is also a show of force. Having so many of us evolve with an S grade will deter many future enemies from blatantly opposing us. Not to mention the potential allies who will want to forge good relations."

"Wait, you don't mean—," Aenon asked with dread.

"Yes," Thalindra replied with a smile. "We need a grand ceremony for this."

Aenon's shoulders slumped in defeat. These public dramas were getting tedious.

"Have fun at your coronation," the Nurse said with a casual wave before disappearing.

"It is not a coronation," Aenon objected vehemently to thin air.

"Oh yes it's not," Thalindra replied instead. "But we will need a coronation ceremony at some point, Lord Fenrast."

Aenon's eye twitched, trying to come up with an excuse. But once again, he was forced to go with the flow. Thalindra's point was completely logical after all. As if to tease him further, a System Notification popped up. And Aenon was certain it was due to the meddling of a blonde-haired woman.

Quest

Birth of a Sovereign

You have earned the loyalty of others. Not based on strength alone, but through your compassion and empathy. It's time to announce it to the world.

Objective: Assign a hierarchical structure for your budding kingdom (0/1) | Put on the crown, a symbol of the burden you bear (0/1)

Aenon sighed as he looked out window. The clear skies had never seemed so distant. The direction his life had turned towards was quickly getting out of his control. And yet, he couldn't help but smile. For it seemed like a small price to pay for it could achieve.

A safe sanctuary for people like Talia and Nocthrya. A place where everyone could breathe easily without fear. Besides, it wasn't like his way towards his personal freedom was cut off. He could still achieve it. Albeit with greater difficulty.

He now had to achieve that goal with everyone on his shoulders. Just like he had inadvertently promised himself after saving the souls of the World Tree seeds.

He had not deviated from his Path. He had taken a detour instead.

A detour that had saddled him with a burden he accepted wholeheartedly.

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