Kharon's soft gaze met Philip's worried eyes. As they looked at each other, Kharon smiled reassuringly which seemed to calm Philip.
'He seems to be genuinely worried about me. But we have only known each other for a week... This is becoming a recurring pattern. I meet someone, we spend a short amount of time together and they become somewhat attached to me... Could it be an effect of me being unsealed? Does my existence change people's personalities to be more caring towards me...?'
Kharon broke into a cold sweat as Philip set a breakfast tray in front of him. He smiled at Kharon who was quickly broken out of his daze. As Philip began filling his plate with food, Kharon asked, "Philip. Why are you so caring towards me? We haven't known each other for very long."
Philip slowly turned around with the plate of food, he looked at Kharon strangely as he answered, "We are members of the same organisation. And we are friends who share a common interest in arcana. Of course I will take care of you when you are in need. I am sure you would do the same."
Nodding softly Kharon muttered, "Yes... I would..."
'Would I be willing to care for someone else? I don't know what I would actually do. I definitely feel a strong sense of camaraderie towards Zack, Freya and Philip. But when it comes down to it, I would probably put myself first. Does that make me a bad person...? And as for what the winged me said. I will remember things over time.'
Kharon's body slightly slumped as he stared at the bowl of aethergrain porridge. The golden, shimmering texture seemed to call Kharon as he took a bite of it. Its sweet, rich flavour brought his taste buds to life as he realised how hungry he actually was. He quickly finished the bowl and took more food as he ate some Basilisk Steak and Lunaris Rice. A burst of energy made its way through Kharon's body as he stood up.
Philip, who was busy tinkering with his ring, looked at Kharon in surprise.
"You should rest some more Raven. If you strain yourself, then you might faint again. It's better to stay in bed until tomorrow."
"But there is something important I have to do. I saw a vision of myself. If I don't do it now, then it may be too late later on. The answer to finding my tier 3 ritual lies in the mausoleum I came from. And to find that mausoleum, I need to return to a specific location. I wouldn't go now, but I have to identify the location."
Kharon looked at Philip with a firm gaze as Philip sighed. He quickly stood up as he said, "I will help you. With someone like me helping you, you will be done in no time. I know most of the maps of Cael'ruhn. You said you were found by someone in the Heartlands Forest right?"
Kharon nodded as Philip led him to his room. As they entered, Kharon looked at the neat, orderly room which was covered in books. He chuckled as he thought, 'I can't believe he moved all these books. Why would anyone need so many in the first place...? He could just move all of these books into the library I created.'
As they entered, Philip immediately walked up to one of the bookshelves and took out a thick book. He quickly sat at his study and began flipping through the pages like a madman. Kharon watched from behind as Philip analysed each page before dismissing it. As he reached a page about the Heartlands Forest, he suddenly paused as his fingers flew around the page.
Feeling useless, Kharon walked closer as he pointed at a spot on the map. His eyes slightly squinted as he looked closely at the map. Suddenly, the page seemed to enlarge as the spot he touched zoomed in. Kharon was slightly surprised as he said, "You have one of these...? But they are really expensive."
'The only person I know who has this book is Master Lodge. Well Dorn probably has a copy as well. But to think Philip would have one. This book model costs 2500 Aethermarks... Why waste so much money as a hunter?'
Philip looked at Kharon as he shook his head. He smiled as he said, "I got this as a gift from someone. It was quite a while ago. It's one of my favourite books. I have always wanted to travel the world and make new discoveries. But life had different plans for me. To be able to travel and visit new places, you need money. A lot of it."
Kharon frowned as he continued, "And the class hierarchy creates a rich-poor divide which can't easily be bridged. I find it unfair that people can have more opportunities just because of their birthright. Everyone should have the opportunity to follow their dreams. If they are willing to work for it."
Philip sighed as he smiled melancholically at Kharon.
"This book was a gift from my sister... She was the most hardworking person I knew and she always did what she could to provide for me. But her talent for arcana failed to protect her from her greedy bosses. They exploited her talent and worked her to the bone, until an accident occurred..."
Tears started to stream down Philip's face as he quickly wiped them.
"Sorry. I am getting off topic. We should find the location of the-"
Philip was suddenly spun around as Kharon hugged him tightly. He hugged him back as more tears began to fall. Kharon's eyes turned purple as he looked fiercely at empty space.
'The second trial. So it was his sister's bosses that he was angry at. Seeing their faces must have been truly infuriating for him... I don't think I would have had such self control. For the Room of Trials to test him like that. He really is a strong individual. I will make sure he can get justice for his sister. The Null Order's job is to fight for what is truly right. And we will do just that...'
They stayed in silence for a few minutes as Kharon tried his best to console Philip. After a while, Philip gently pushed Kharon back as he muttered, "I am ok..." He smiled softly as he wiped his tears. Kharon looked at him as he felt a tingle in his heart.
'What is this feeling...? My heart hurts. But why? I am not the one who is grieving. So why do I feel so sad...?'
A tear flowed down Kharon's face as his vision turned dark.
...
He was standing in a dark cemetery. The sky was pitch black and there was a light drizzle. Beside him were some unfamiliar faces which he couldn't make out. He was wearing a dark suit and in his hands was a bouquet of pure white flowers. He felt their soft texture, their faint but pleasant smell, the little pitter of the rain falling onto the ground.
In front of him, was a large stone tablet with names. He tried reading it but was unable to fully make out its contents as he felt his knees bend. He slowly placed the bouquet next to the stone tablet and stood up. He could feel a faint stinging sensation coming from his eyes. But he couldn't tell if his face was wet from tears or the drizzle.
He began talking, but the words that came out of his mouth sounded like muffled whispering. His eyes began to get heavy as they slowly fell down and closed.
...
When he opened his eyes, Kharon saw Philip who was looking at him. He had a concerned expression as Kharon muttered an indecipherable phrase.
"Could you please repeat that? I couldn't hear what you just said."
Looking confused Kharon asked, "Did I say something...? I don't remember. My head hurts a bit. Let's quickly find the location of the mausoleum's entrance and go to sleep. I need to wake up early tomorrow and make preparations. Today has been far too chaotic."
Philip nodded as he helped Kharon onto his feet. They spent a few minutes analysing the map of the Heartlands Forest before they finally settled on a location. Kharon made a mental note of the location as he returned to his room. As he walked in, he looked at the dark desk, the dark curtains, the dark bedsheets.
'Why is everything so dark...? Am I truly in control of my life, or does my path dictate what I do and how I act? What does it mean to go down a path? Does it mean that I follow a predetermined route with a matching set of abilities. Or does it mean that I choose how my life goes and the abilities I receive are an extension of my will? Not everyone would use their path's ability in the exact same way. So the path I take in life doesn't have to match the path someone else takes...'
Kharon sighed as he whispered, "I may partially still be the person from before, but I am also a completely new person now. What I do doesn't have to match what my path dictates or who I was before. Maybe that is the truth of the Arcane Paths. Or maybe straying from your predetermined course will just lead to ruin..."