"You're sleeping with me." , Marek.
"Huh? Excuse me?"
Ignis was completely caught off guard.
"You stupid old man. I mean that you'll stay in the same room as me," Marek replied, completely dumbfounded.
As night fell and everyone went to rest, they all went to their separate rooms. Ignis, meanwhile, went to Marek's room.
"How long do you think Cairon will stay like that?" Marek asked.
"Honestly, I don't know. But this kid has been kind of a prodigy until now. I guess he'll be up and running pretty soon," Ignis said.
"You know, the more I think about it, the less it makes sense to me," Marek continued. "You've probably only awakened recently, but it seems to me as though you're a veteran with a vast amount of knowledge on this matter. Why is that?"
Marek stared at him.
"Well, dear Marek, it has been my job for a long time. I've been an alchemist all my life, dedicated to researching and studying the arcana and anything related to it. So it's really normal for me to have so much knowledge regarding Aether and how to handle it," Ignis replied flatly, as if he had rehearsed the answer a couple of times in his head.
Marek said nothing.
He simply gazed at the old man, his thoughts impossible to read.
"Alright," he finally replied.
After Ignis fell asleep, Marek closed his eyes as well, drowning into a deep sleep.
The whole base was silent.
Everything was quiet, as if no one was there.
Not even a snore could be heard.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.
"Come out, Haelis."
Ignis spoke into the emptiness of the base.
His voice seemed to disappear into the darkness, as if the quietness itself had swallowed it.
Then, suddenly, a man appeared half a step in front of him.
He was tall, with unusually long arms and legs, dressed entirely in black leather.
His face was hidden behind a mask with no eyes and no mouth. Only a single hole remained in the center, shaped almost like an eye.
When he spoke, his voice was husky, as if he were using every ounce of strength he possessed just to force the words out.
"Interesting. You're not affected."
He tilted his head.
"And you know my true name."
He sounded surprised, but there was no amusement, fear, or excitement in his voice.
"I was expecting you ever since your master's keepsake turned to dust," Ignis replied seriously.
If Vynn, Marek, or any of the gang had been there, they wouldn't have recognized this version of him.
"Who are you, human? How are you aware of his keepsake?"
Haelis' voice carried a threatening tone, as if he were holding back the rage of a thousand beasts.
Ignis only smirked.
"Use that brain of yours for something other than obeying orders, will you? Saelith deserves better than that."
Haelis froze.
Taken by surprise that this stranger knew his master's name, he tilted his head awkwardly, as though contemplating something he could barely comprehend.
"No living creature should know of his true name. The clues have been long gone with the passing of eons."
Suddenly, the temperature in the air rose.
The moisture seemed to vanish from the room.
The air became chaotic, creating waves of heat that distorted the space around them.
Haelis feeling the tension rise extended his hand , getting ready to engage in combat ;
But before he could do anything, he paused.
Then realization struck him.
If Haelis' eyes could have been seen through the mask, Ignis would have noticed his pupils contracting.
Shaking.
"How…?"
Haelis immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head toward the ground.
It was extremely unlikely.
But only Heralds and those above them could contend with or override his authority.
And the person standing before him had not only called his master by his true name ….
He had spoken it with familiarity.
"Excuse my rudeness, Lord. I have been rude toward thee."
Haelis' voice shook.
"Hoh. Finally using your head, I see."
Ignis smiled.
"Don't worry about it. You never were one to overanalyze things."
Haelis remained kneeling.
"Forgive my insolence , Lord but how are you here ? "
His voice was shaking.
Whether from joy or fear was impossible to tell.
"Fate has once again dealt its hand."
Ignis looked down at his own hands.
"I woke up inside this mortal's body through arrangements I have not yet uncovered."
He flexed his fingers slowly.
"I was waiting for you. I knew you would come after seeing Saelith's Stone."
Ignis looked toward the infirmary.
"It seems today your master has been awakened too, although his location cannot be found at the moment."
Haelis' head lifted slightly.
"Thank you for telling me, Lord. I felt the fluctuations and rushed here as fast as I could, but I did not know this joyous news."
He lowered his head again.
"For now, I am at your service. Please use me as you see fit."
"First, go to the next room. Inside the infirmary, there's a boy lying down."
Ignis pointed toward the door.
"Give him all the Aether Essence you have inside your body."
"As you see fit."
Haelis hesitated slightly.
"No need to worry. Doing this is crucial to finding your master. He is the only connection we have to Saelith at the moment."
Ignis stood from his bed.
"Before passing out, it seemed as though he felt his presence. He should be able to lead us there."
He began walking toward the infirmary.
"Follow me. Let's go."
Inside the infirmary, Cairon lay on the bed, his chest calmly rising and falling as though he were in a deep sleep.
Haelis entered behind Ignis.
"Who is this boy?"
His curiosity seemed to have been piqued the moment he saw Cairon.
He stepped closer.
"I can feel the authority of my Lord from him."
Haelis' voice became quieter.
"How strange…"
He stared at Cairon.
"How can he possess his authority to such a degree?"
"He absorbed your master's stone, so it's understandable."
Ignis gestured toward Cairon.
"Now go. Inject your Aether Essence. He shouldn't have a problem absorbing it."
Haelis stepped forward.
His thin, bony hand rested against Cairon's forehead.
He closed his eyes.
Then he began to chant.
A spell?
Or perhaps a prayer.
His voice was quiet at first.
Then the words began to fill the room.
"Oh, Esteemed Saelith, Holder of the Endless Flow,
Seed of Life,
He Who Adapts,
Overseer of the Waves.
That which flows within me was never mine.
I am but its vessel,
its bearer,
its passing current.
By the authority you have entrusted to me,
let my essence leave my flesh
and enter his.
Let my Aether become his Aether.
Let my strength become his strength.
Let what flows through me
continue its journey through him.
Take what is mine to give,
and give what he needs to endure.
By your Flow.
By your Will.
By the authority you have entrusted to me as your Herald -
Let it flow through me.
Flow into him.
And let life persist."
Haelis took a sharp, deep breath, clawing for whatever air he could pull into his lungs.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then ;
Cairon opened his eyes.
But they were not the eyes of someone waking from sleep.
A faint blue light flickered within his pupils.
Haelis froze.
Ignis looking calmly .
Cairon stared upward, completely still.
Then his lips slowly parted.
"Uhgh , what happened?"