Xyne and Elarion finally arrived at the Crimson Citadel.
Immediately after entering the house, they saw Ryvex sitting in one of the chairs. Ryvex stared at Elarion and noticed how drastically his energy level had risen. He immediately stood.
"So, he has done it," Xyne said. "We just have to stabilize his energy."
Ryvex looked at Elarion.
"Follow me."
Ryvex led them toward the backyard.
The area behind the house was actually a training ground where Zarek usually trained. Tons of weapons filled the space, each one made in a different shape and designed for a different kind of combat.
Ryvex picked up two long, hard sticks formed from demonic energy.
"I will be battling with you," he said. "And I'm also going to give you this demonic-energy stick."
Xyne was lying on the walkway with her back against the ground. She lifted her head slightly.
"Isn't that dangerous? Like, extremely dangerous?"
Ryvex folded his arms.
"Well, he has a lot of Spiritual Energy now, so he has to learn how to manipulate it."
He looked at Elarion, then threw one of the sticks toward him. It struck the ground directly in front of Elarion.
"Turn that demonic energy into Spiritual Energy," Ryvex said. "You have to manipulate your energy."
Elarion stared at the weapon. Then he bent down and reached for it. Before touching the stick, he turned his hands into physical matter.
*If I'm able to turn my hands into physical matter, then I should be able to manipulate this,* he thought.
The instant Elarion touched the stick, his hand began turning into demonic energy. He immediately pulled away, but the energy had already begun spreading across his hand.
Panic seized him.
He slammed his hand against the wall.
Again.
And again.
Ryvex stood with his arms folded.
"Be careful. Your hand could explode."
Elarion did not listen.
A crack formed across both of his hands. The parts he had transformed into physical matter began splitting apart. Xyne moved as if she were about to approach him, but Ryvex immediately caught her and held her back.
Elarion looked at them.
So I'm alone now
He stared down at his hands. Spiritual Energy began seeping from them as the demonic energy slowly faded after coming into contact with his massive amount of Spiritual Energy.
The cracks spread farther.
The energy became unstable.
Xyne and Ryvex immediately turned their faces away.
Elarion looked at his hands. They were trembling.
Then—
Boom!
His hands exploded.
Spiritual Energy flooded the entire area. Elarion immediately consumed it and drew it back into himself.
Ryvex stared at him.
"That's what I meant by an explosion."
Elarion raised his voice.
"Why did that happen?"
Xyne sighed and walked toward him.
"Well, you see, let's just say that's the consequence of trying to create physical matter with pure Spiritual Energy and then using that same physical matter to carry another matter that isn't made from Spiritual Energy."
Elarion frowned.
"I don't get it."
Ryvex immediately stepped in.
"Okay, look. To manifest a physical body using your own Spiritual Energy, it must not be as hard as the skin of a beast. It has to be soft, like our own skin—like demon skin and angel skin.
"You created part of your hand as physical matter like beast skin, but there was still Spiritual Energy beneath that physical matter. So, when you touched something that wasn't made from your energy—or something highly destructive—it destroyed your physical matter.
"The Spiritual Energy beneath it then tried to force its way out through the physical skin, and that caused the explosion. It's like packing a massive amount of energy into a small container and expecting it to be safe."
Elarion looked at him.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
Ryvex answered calmly.
"It's all part of your training. You need to get used to it, then learn to suppress your energy. What you're trying to do is something no spiritual beings have ever done. Only the spiritual Origins have achieved it."
Elarion looked at him, then at Xyne.
"And yet you told me to consume my species' energy to get stronger when you had such knowledge?"
Ryvex scoffed.
"I only gave you a suggestion. It wasn't something you had to do."
Elarion looked at him with pure hatred. Then he looked toward Xyne, who had been saying nothing.
Xyne finally spoke.
"Okay, why don't we look for Nova and beg her?"
Elarion stared at the ground and muttered to himself.
"All I wanted to do was become strong. I wanted to prove to Xyloria that I would become strong. And now she is gone, and yet I still can't…"
Ryvex leaned toward Xyne and whispered,
"What is he saying?"
Elarion lifted his head.
"I won't beg anyone. I will become strong without your help."
Then Elarion left.
As Xyne was about to follow him, Ryvex spoke.
"Nova won't help him."
Xyne turned toward Ryvex.
"My brother said a war will soon break out," Ryvex continued. "The king wants to kill the Angel Origin."
Xyne immediately turned fully toward him and shouted,
"That's suicide! Killing the Angel Origin means wiping out the entire angel species!"
Ryvex shook his head.
"It wasn't my brother's choice. It was the king's. He only told us to be careful."
Xyne stared at him.
"How is this connected to Nova?"
"Nova isn't in this nation," Ryvex said. "I think they're also trying to distract Nova or draw her away from the Angel Origin, so she won't have time to help you."
Xyne's expression tightened.
"And what did my father say?"
"My brother didn't tell me anything about your father."
Xyne immediately sat down, leaned her back against the wall, and stared up at the blue, shimmering sky. Ryvex went and sat beside her.
Silence remained between them for a long time.
Xyne tilted her head to the left and rested it on Ryvex's shoulder.
"Why?"
Ryvex looked at her.
"Why what?"
Xyne's voice became quiet.
"This world… It's so crazy. This will be the third war to break out again."
Xyne's eyes became solemn. Red vital fluid began gathering around them as she thought:
Why? I've finally found a friend, and now he's chasing power. My mom is dead. My other friend wants power too. Now a war is breaking out.
To be continued....