"I first got hold of the fragment in the second year. My investigation was slow in the beginning, until then."
Ashrik resumed, his gaze never leaving Lucille's tensed yet expectant look. His voice echoed steadily in the living room as he narrated the past events.
Even though Violet gave all the crucial information she knew about Calamity Stone, it was still insufficient. At the same time, Ashrik was still preoccupied with surviving the early days of the apocalypse.
The world was in complete pandemonium. Held back by the limited resources, he could only bide his time as he investigated traces left by Genesis, who vanished into thin air.
Whenever he caught wind of the organization, Ashrik would rush there, but still planned his moves wisely. Over time, he began to fight directly with Genesis' underlings.
To say they had bad blood was an understatement.
Ashrik loathed Genesis for turning his sister into a sacrificial lamb and for toying with humankind for the sake of their greed.
Genesis abhorred him for being the immovable stumbling block on their path to success.
"I found the first fragment in White Jade City," Ashrik lowered his voice. "Its energy triggered a link with my core when I held it. It has established a steady connection with me until now. I understood nothing until I gained more intel about the relic."
When Ashrik explained further about the day he retrieved the first fragment, Lucille was inevitably reminded of that time in the cave, of the moment she first touched the relic.
She believed their experience was similar. The relic had resonated with their ability cores.
But...
Didn't he say Calamity Stone only reacted to gravity-based espers? Why did it respond to him, an ice-wind ability user? Was there any loophole?
Seeing the slight frown on Lucille's face, Ashrik paused. He was actually relieved to know that she had caught the anomaly about the relic.
"Do you remember when I said Vivi's ability was still dormant when Genesis used her?"
Lucille nodded, albeit quite startled to hear the evident hatred and anguish in Ashrik's hoarse voice. Feeling a lump stuck in her throat, she clenched her hands together.
"How did they force her?" she asked cautiously. "Did it have something to do with the strange point about the relic?"
In which way did Genesis coerce Violet to do their bidding? Shouldn't her core still be dormant at that time? How did they bypass the restraint?
Certainly, they had more tricks up their sleeve.
Ashrik nodded stiffly. A pang of heartache washed over him. He gripped the armrest tightly with one hand, trying to ease the turbulent waves within him.
He could mask his feelings like an unyielding iron tree before his comrades, but not when facing her. Perhaps it was because of their shared affection for the one they had lost.
"They used her blood," he breathed. "They used her blood to activate the relic."
Lucille froze as if a bucket of cold water had been doused on her. She gasped out, "B-blood?"
"Yes," Ashrik nodded, his face more grim.
Lucille's complexion paled. Countless horrifying images of Violet being tortured rushed into her mind.
Blood. There was a possibility that Genesis required a huge amount of Violet's blood to force the activation. Perhaps enough to push her to the brink of death.
Just imagining one of the scenarios stirred another storm in Lucille. Her whole body shuddered in fright, and her swollen eyes glazed with tears once again.
But she didn't cry.
This time, she didn't.
"Wait..." she raised one hand, slightly pleading. "Give me a break. Just a bit. I need to think."
Ashrik said nothing, understanding that Lucille needed some time to let the cruel details sink in. Fortunately, her reaction was significantly better than before.
Lucille stood up from the chair, both hands rubbing her face. Her breathing was slightly uneven, as if a boulder had crushed into her lungs.
Ashrik let Lucille be as she circled the living room. He remained seated; no one knew what he was thinking about as his gaze lingered on her.
Then, she stopped. Without sitting down, she locked her gaze onto him. Backlit by the sun from the window behind, faint shadows dancing on her face.
"Brother Ash, you and Vivi don't have the same abilities," Lucille paused, her brows furrowing. She added cautiously, "Is it... the blood? That's the only similarity between you two."
Lucille's knowledge about Calamity Stone was close to nothing, except for the little information Ashrik had just revealed. Thus, she could only come to that conclusion.
Was it true?
Or was it something more complicated?
Ashrik blinked. Then, a flicker of admiration gleamed in his dark eyes. Without him realizing it, the right corner of his lips curved upward.
"Vivi was the primary initiator. Because we share the same blood, the fragment reacted to me. Remember, Calamity Stone was still whole when Genesis forced Violet to activate it. I believe we can call it a psychic imprint."
"...a psychic imprint?"
Ashrik shrugged. "This is just based on my understanding. The same thing happened when I got the other two fragments, including when I held the relic core yesterday."
Lucille was speechless. She didn't expect the random theory she came up with to be most likely true. Exhaling a sigh, she plopped down on the chair.
"Then, does it mean... You can control the relic? Does Genesis know?"
"They don't. To them, my goal is just revenge," Ashrik said firmly, hoping to reassure Lucille. "I guess they simply think I'd collect all fragments before I destroy it whole."
From his previous fights with Genesis, Ashrik could safely say they hadn't found this crucial information. Still, this was not definite.
Sooner or later, Genesis might learn the truth.
Upon hearing that, Lucille breathed out in relief. At least, Genesis wouldn't be more wary of Ashrik. Worse, they would capture him as their next sacrificial lamb.
"No matter what, you need to be careful," she couldn't help but remind him. "We don't know when or how they will find out."
"I know."
Despite feeling sorry for the dejected Lucille, Ashrik knew he shouldn't stop yet. He said, "Lucy, there's another thing. It's about why my energy can subdue yours when it went berserk before."
Lucille blinked. A thought flashed in her mind. "Is it... because it has resonated with me too?"
"More or less," Ashrik smiled faintly. "Also, I can help you heal your broken core because of this."
"Y-you can?" Lucille sprang up, eyes widening in disbelief. "You can help me? And I can mend my core?"
Ashrik looked away. "And this space is the perfect place for you to cultivate."
"...cultivate in this space?"
Trailing after his gaze, she saw him looking outside the window, to the majestic scenery of the lush greenery and clear blue sky.