Arthur Leywin POV
I gently placed my right hand between Lias's shoulder blades. I closed my eyes and pushed out a gentle stream of mana. It was a minuscule amount that allowed me to sense the ebb and flow of his underdeveloped mana veins. At first, everything seemed as it should have been; small specks of dormant mana floated lazily through his body like morning dust motes in sunlight.
My breath caught as my 'eyes' caught sight of the so-called spinning lights... and that Golden 'thing'... It was so magnificent that the word "Beautiful" could not be used upon it, because that word would sully it.
There was a pull on my mana.
No, it surged. It crashed against my palm, then bounced back at his 'core', then rushed back toward my hand almost as if a dam had burst within him. My vision blurred for a heartbeat, as I instinctively widened my mana perception.
The "lights" and the "Golden thing" Lias had described... weren't dormant anymore.
They were alive. Spinning and coalescing towards an apex in his chest, where the Golden Thing resided. pushing even deeper, I found its epicentre.
They spiralled around a central point in his sternum, as if being drawn into a vortex within his very heart.
I pushed deeper.
Elemental mana in its purest form was being gathered. I tried pushing past it, but something else was present too, something golden. Something that wasn't mine or even his, but related to the thing within him.
'Damn it'
"Lias," I called aloud as I felt a sharp spike of resistance. A foreign mana signature bloomed outward. His small body jerked slightly.
"It's really bright... Big Bro, it's getting loud... like really loud, and it's so brig-" He whimpered.
"Lias!"
His body suddenly fell limp, slumping backwards into my arms.
"Lias? Lias!" I shouted, my voice cracking, as I turned him around. His breath shallow. Sweat had broken out on his forehead, and golden strands of mana began to swirl around him, like fireflies drunk on light.
"What's going on?!" My mother's voice came from behind, urgent and rising with fear.
"Arthur? What happened to him?!" My Father said in kind.
"H-he's awakening, but something's wrong!" I said, tightening my arms around Lias' limp body. "His mana is surging way too fast!"
"What did you do to him?!" he demanded, voice thunderous, eyes flashing with alarm.
"I didn't do anything!" I snapped back. "He was seeing the lights like he was supposed to, and then he just collapsed!"
"His mana and core are not normal," I pressed my head to his chest.
Golden light flared around him as it grew brighter. Pressure built in the air around us as Lias' skin shimmered faintly. His body trembled.
"I needed to get him outside!" I barked. "If this kept building indoors, he could destroy the whole building!"
"Go!" Dad ordered, pushing the back door wide open.
I moved, bolting down the hall with Sylvie streaking beside me. Wind magic accelerated my steps. I burst into the garden and dropped to my knees, gently laying Lias on the grass. The moment his body touched the earth, mana burst out in another wave, bending the grass outward in concentric ripples.
"Lias!" I called again, pressing a hand to his chest. His skin was burning hot with mana, but his eyes remained shut, his breath just as shallow.
Mom was right behind me, dropping to the ground beside her son. "Baby, wake up, please!" Her hands hovered over him helplessly, shaking. "Lias, it's Mom. Look at me, sweetheart, please, wake up."
Dad knelt beside her. His jaw tight, his fists clenched. His usual calm had vanished, his face pale. "Arthur. You said it's not normal. What do you mean by that?"
"His core it's..." Another pulse of gold escaped the unconscious form of my brother, "He appears to be awakening."
"What!" my parents shouted in unison.
"No need to worry, I awakened younger than he did, and I turned out fine", I reassured as my parents stared down at Lias with a mix of horror and fear.
I met my mother's eyes.
"I'll keep him safe. I promise."
Her breath hitched, and she reached for Lias' small hand. "He was fine this morning. How could this be happening?"
Father put a hand on her shoulder, his own voice quieter now. "He's strong. He gets that from you."
'Not the time you two...'
Another pulse rippled out from Lias' chest. I was far tamer than the previous. It came almost rhythmically. The pulses grew faster and softer, with the faint ringing of church bells. His brow furrowed as a strained breath escaped him. Slowly, the glow began to fade.
My shoulders sagged slightly with relief. "He's stabilising," I breathed out as I ran a hand through his hair.
'I awakened so young because of my memories of being...'
I shook my head, letting my thoughts drift.
'He isn't like me, though...'
'He's just a child.'
'What are you, Lias?'
---
Elias Leywin POV
A groan escaped me as I pressed a hand to my head.
'What happened...?'
My thoughts felt sluggish, as if I was stuck in fog. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the soft light that seemed to filter through the air itself. I squinted and raised a hand to shield my face. My palm sank into the soft beneath me as I slowly pushed myself upright.
It was so quiet.
Too quiet.
No birds. No wind. Not even the faint hum of insects. Just silence, like the whole world was holding its breath. The blades of grass around my fingers were cool and strangely unmoving under my touch. I rose to my feet, brushing my clothes off as I looked around.
I stood in the middle of a vast meadow. Blues, purples, whites, and golds stretched to the horizon in every direction.
'I've never seen a place like this.'
'Where... am I?'
'This place... it doesn't feel real.'
'It's too soft, too quiet, too... perfect.'
There was a stillness to it all that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I slowly turned in my place, searching for anything: trees, hills, or even a path. Anything to anchor me, to offer any sense of understanding.
A musical jumping pitch sounded behind me, nearly making me jump out of my skin.
"Shit", I murmured as I had heard father say before.
I froze, turning slowly to face the noise.
A girl stood just a few steps away, peeking at me from between tall stalks of bluebells.
She looked around my age. Her hair was white as snow, and fell in long straight sheets down her back. She was wearing a silver-blue dress that fluttered gently around her knees. Her eyes a beautiful Violet, which looked to hold a wisdom beyond her apparent age.
"...Hi?" I offered hesitantly, raising my hand.
She didn't answer immediately. She tilted her head slightly, eyes sparkling with quiet amusement. She smiled. It was a strange smile.
It was like she understood something I didn't, or knew a secret she couldn't share.
"You scare so easily," she laughed, her voice light and teasing.
I scowled, rubbing at my arm. "I do not."
"You flinched," she replied with a coy smile and a small shrug. "I saw it."
"That's not the same as being scared, it's a sign of having good reactions", I added, continuing my protest.
She giggled and spun slowly in place. The flowers around her seemed to bend with her movement, like they were leaning in to follow her.
I stepped closer, just enough so I didn't have to shout. "Do you... live here?"
"Sort of."
"What's this place?"
"Avalon."
I paused. "...Avalon?"
The name tasted strange on my tongue.
"...What's Avalon? Where's Avalon?" I asked.
She watched me for a moment and shrugged again. "It's just... here. A place between."
"That's not a real answer."
"It's not a real place," she smiled, twirling a flower between her fingers.
I narrowed my eyes. "Is this... a dream?"
She nodded, then shook her head, not able to come up with a concrete answer. "Kind of. Not really. It's more like... a breath between heartbeats."
'That didn't help at all.'
I looked at her blankly as I began to think aloud.
"I was with my brother," I recalled, trying to hold onto the memory. "He was talking to me and showing me the pretty lights, and then everything went weird. It's all kinda blurry now."
"That happens," she replied, sitting down in the flowers like she'd done it a hundred times before. "When your thoughts get too loud, you stop hearing the world."
I blinked. "That's... kind of deep for someone wearing flowers in her hair."
"Thank you." She grinned back unbothered.
I sat across from her. The grass there was soft beneath me, the scent of the flowers strong. "Why am I here?"
She shrugged again. "Sometimes people come here when they need to. Even if they don't know it."
I looked at her more carefully. "You talk like this place is yours."
She smiled again. "It's not mine. It just lets me stay."
"...That's weird," I muttered.
"You're weird," she reversed, poking my cheek.
I swatted her hand away, trying not to smile. "You still haven't explained anything."
She picked a petal from her dress. "You don't need to."
I let out an exhale.
'This girl she's so...'
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Nimue."
I wrinkled my nose. "That's not a normal name."
"It's still a name."
"Sounds made up."
"All names are made up," she said cheerfully.
I laughed a little despite myself. "You're strange."
She lifted her chin proudly. "Thank you again."
The air around us shifted. A real breeze swept across the meadow in a scene of magnificent beauty.
I turned back to her. She watched the sky.
"I think you'll wake up soon," she said, her voice quieter now.
Something inside my chest pulled tight, like a string being tugged from somewhere behind me.
"...What happens when I do?" I asked.
"You forget a little," she replied. "Most people do. But maybe you'll remember enough."
"Enough of what?"
She turned to me, her face suddenly serious in a way that made my heart beat faster.
"Enough to know it mattered. That you were here. That I was real." She added teasingly.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
She gave me a small, solemn smile. "Even if you don't remember my name. Or the flowers. Or what the sky looked like."
I nodded slowly, unsure why my chest felt heavy.
"I'll try," I whispered. "I promise."
Her smile grew. "Good."
The atmosphere turned brighter, and the colours of that world began to blur. The meadow felt like it was slipping away, like a picture left out in the sun too long.
Nimue's voice was the last thing I heard.
"Goodbye, Elias Leywin."
"Goodbye Nimue..." I smiled. "Wait! How do yo-"
I opened my eyes before I could finish my question.
---
My eyes fluttered open slowly.
For a long moment, I didn't move. I stared up at the wooden beams above, watching as pale shafts of golden morning light stretched across them in soft, flickering lines. My chest rose and fell with slow, heavy breaths, my heart beating with an odd weight to it. The pale blue curtains gently swayed in the breeze. The faint scent of lavender soaked into the old wooden walls. A small dent on the far side where I'd once swung a stick like a sword and cracked the plaster.
This was my room.
So why did it feel so... strange?
It was like I had taken a step onto a stair that wasn't there. Like something in the world had shifted without telling me.
My body ached, as if I'd been asleep for days. Perhaps I had.
A field flashed into my mind, and a face of someone faded just as fast.
The very memory itself felt as if it were already slipping away.
Warmth radiated from beside me, its weight offering a familiar maternal reassurance.
I turned my heavy head with great effort to face her.
"Mum...?" My voice came out as a hoarse whisper.
She stirred at the sound, her breath catching. Her head jerked up from where it had been resting against the bed. Her hands shot towards my face, tears welled up in her bloodshot eyes.
"Lias," she gasped.
Her hands trembled around my cheeks. A second later, I was crushed into a tight embrace, her arms wrapped around me like she never wanted to let go.
"Oh God. sweetheart, you're awake," she breathed into my hair. "You're really awake. We were so scared."
I blinked against her shoulder, confused. "Mama... what happened?"
She pulled back just enough to look at me, her fingers brushing my hair from my face. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks streaked with dried tears. "You collapsed, baby. Out of nowhere. You just... fell, and then you wouldn't wake up."
"I... don't remember..."
"You scared us so badly," she whispered, her voice cracking. "We didn't know if you were ever going to open your eyes again."
I frowned, trying to push through the fog in my head. "I remember a field. It was warm. Full of flowers. And... There was a girl. She knew my name."
She froze, looking at me as if I were insane.
"She had white hair," I added slowly, "And purple eyes. Like... like amethysts. I think she said her name was..." I paused. "Actually, I don't think she told me."
The bedroom door creaked open.
"Honey, how is he-?" Dad's voice caught mid-sentence.
I turned my head just as he stepped into the room. His eyes went wide. He looked exhausted, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, his beard even more unkept than usual. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. But when our eyes met, everything in his expression softened.
"Lias," he said, almost in disbelief. He moved in two long strides to the side of the bed and knelt down beside us.
He reached out, placing a hand firmly on my back as his hand trembled.
"I thought we'd lost you," he said quietly, "Just like when..." he added, trembling slightly.
His other hand rested gently on my shoulder. "Don't do that again. You scared the hell out of us."
"I didn't mean to," I murmured.
"I know," he said with a rough chuckle. "Of course you didn't."
He pulled me into a careful hug, strong arms wrapping around both Mum and me. The three of us held together in silence.
I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing them in their worry, their warmth, their love. It was almost overwhelming.
"Wasn't I just... asleep?" I asked after a moment.
Dad exhaled slowly. "You stopped breathing."
"What?" My breath hitched slightly.
"It was only for a second, but your mana burst out of you like a storm. It nearly knocked us off our feet. We had no idea what was happening. You wouldn't wake up, and we couldn't get anywhere near you."
"Mana?" I murmured slightly, confused by what they meant.
Mum's voice was softer, but no less shaken as she continued to recount the events of my unconsciousness. "Your brother had to carry you outside. Into the garden. The house
was... it wasn't safe. The walls were shaking."
I stared at them, heart thumping audibly against my ribs. "I did that?"
"You didn't mean to," Father said quickly. "Your body was overwhelmed." He added, offering further insight
My breath caught. "I... I don't remember any of that."
"What do you remember?" Mama asked gently.
"I don't... I just remember her." I hesitated.
"Who?" Dad asked, looking between Mum and me.
Noticing his confusion, Mum spoke up. "He had a dream about a girl and a field whilst he was unconscious."
"It wasn't a dream!" I interjected. "I don't think it was a dream. It felt real."
"Of course it was Lias."
"Do dreams ever feel like they're real?" I asked, looking up at him.
He smiled faintly. "When I met your mother, I thought it was a dream. Sometimes I still do, now that your brother is home."
Mother rolled her eyes, but smiled, brushing her hand across my cheek.
"Can you stay here a little longer?" I asked, looking between the two.
"Of course, sweetie," Mum said instantly.
"We're not going anywhere," Dad added.
---
Hello everyone, Rius here,
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you tomorrow for Chapter 5.
Thank you to Lancelot Dragonroad for beta-reading and editing.
Rius Out.