Friday, December 1st, 2045
Lumiere Tower, Magic City, Netheria
"Rebecca, I will be fine." Alana tried to persuade her blonde friend again, who insisted on coming along with her to the apartment she stayed in.
The girl pleadingly looked at Amelia, Zoey, and Marianne, but they refused to help her out as well.
"He would mind..." She fearfully said, and the blonde turned to look her right in the eyes.
"There are certain things about your brother that I can not tell you, Alana. Trust me when I say that he is no longer the brother you raised and grew up with."
Before Alana could process her words, Rebecca grabbed her hand and led her into her apartment as soon as the door of the lift opened.
And she was glad that she had earlier used a shield when speaking with Alana because the moment she stepped into the apartment, she found Yexuan Parker waiting in the lobby. She did not know why but she had a hunch that he possessed a very sharp sense of hearing.
He was standing there with his hands folded behind his back, his eyes narrowed, and she his restlessness when he saw her and Amelia.
Yexuan's eyes finally settled on Alana, but before either of them could approach the other, Rebecca stepped forward and walked up to the boy, no longer wearing her usual smile but a very serious expression.
"I would not mind killing you if it means that it would save her the unnecessary pain. Be very careful with your games, Mr. Parker." She warned him in a light voice that only he could hear, and sure enough, as she had expected, his body went stiff and his heart skipped a beat. "Apologies to her." She raised her voice this time and then turned to smile at her friend, not waiting for the boy to find an excuse to play dumb. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
Alana was still processing the words she had spoken earlier in the lift and subconsciously nodded her head.
The girl took a careful look at her adopted brother, and indeed, he seemed changed. And his changes were rather glaring.
He had grown taller, had buffed up, and then there were those golden highlights in his dark hair.
"Xuan..." She tried to call him by his nickname, but his eyes, even though they were looking at her, were a little vacant.
"Can we talk in private?" He lightly asked, and Alana hesitated.
For some reason, she really did not want to be alone with Yexuan right now. And she was now glad that Rebecca had insisted on coming with her.
However, soon her emotions riled up again, and she started feeling a little guilty, thinking that she was perhaps responsible for all his changes.
Did she really neglect him in the last few years?
She questioned herself, and felt even more guilty.
Even though Yexuan had not explicitly said it, and had profusely apologised to her on the call earlier today, she could sense that he was trying his best to not make her feel guilty.
"Yes." She nodded her head and then walked into the apartment, heading into her music room.
Rebecca did not follow them, and instead, turned to look at her sister-wife, who had walked over to her.
"What did you say to him?" Amelia curiously asked.
"I threatened to kill him." She replied and then waited for an answer.
"His heart stopped when you did it. And the Aura inside his body, quiet the dense one, started riling up. It is not the Aura of an Ashaya in the Five Mortal Realms." The emerald-eyed girl said. "However, he managed to calm down at an alarming rate." She meaningfully added.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes when she heard Amelia's words. She knew that her dear sister-wife possessed some sort of mystical ability that allowed her to look into a person's body, which was why she had taken a proactive approach earlier.
And her gut feeling had proven right.
"He knows a lot about us." She lightly said.
There was no other explanation for why there was always a trace of fear and apprehension in his eyes whenever he saw her. Though at the start there was confusion in his eyes when he looked at Amelia, now there was the same fear he held towards her.
And his fear was not the fear of the unknown but that of the known.
Yexuan knew exactly how dangerous the two of them were, and given how he had always been restless at his stay in their Manor last year, warily looking at their family, she had long had her doubts about him.
This time, she was not going to let Keith keep quiet was going to make sure that he clears things up. She was certain that he knew exactly what was up with this Yexuan Parker, and she now needed answers of her own.
"How many Aura Nodes does he have?"
"90," Amelia replied. "He's also very close to stepping into the Spirit Profound Realm. And he does possess some Aura Nodes in the positions you mentioned."
"He's no longer an Ashaya." Rebecca solemnly said, and Amelia looked at her in surprise.
The blonde had not told her earlier why she had to look for Aura Nodes at those specific points, but now she knew why.
Ashaya were not supposed to possess Aura Nodes in those positions.
"What is he?"
"I need to know which points are active," Rebecca said, and Amelia started telling her about the points on Yexuan's body that possessed Aura Nodes. "And there are three right at the end of his vertebral columbine."
"It's hard to say." The blonde shook her head. "My guess would be a race with a tail in its True Form, but the evidence is not enough to determine it..." She suddenly stopped talking and her eyes widened in surprise.
"What happened?" Amelia asked, glancing at her left year where there was a small earphone hidden.
She knew that Rebecca and Iseul were listening to Alana and Yexuan's conversation, so she felt that, perhaps, something unexpected was heard.
"Yexuan professed his romantic feelings for her and is now using them as an excuse for his strange behaviour lately," Rebecca told her, "He's shrewd,"
A dangerous smile crossed her face.
'He has sealed his fate by playing this game.' She thought, knowing well that Keith would be killing him even if it hurt Alana.
Just when she heard her dear friend grow hysterical and panic, she quickly approached the door of the music room and knocked on it.
Rebecca only had to wait a few seconds before Alana came rushing out, and proceeded to grab her hand before dragging her behind her.
"What's wrong?" She asked, but Alana just shook her head and pressed the call button of the lift with a shaky hand.
Amelia frowned at the boy who came out of the room and met her eyes. There was something she had not told Rebecca, and it was the presence of some familiar Runes on Yexuan's body.
She did not bother asking him anything about them, even though she was very curious, and simply turned around to leave.
"He's gone mad!" Alana painfully said, shedding tears uncontrollably, and Rebecca could only sigh and stroke her back comfortingly.
"Did you ask him about his Cultivation?" The blonde asked, reminding her of the most important question she wanted to ask Yexuan.
"No." The girl shook her head, still rattled by the unexpected confession of her adopted brother.
Never in her wildest dreams had she ever considered it a possibility or entertained such a thought. And now, she truly left unsafe with the idea of being alone in a room with Yexuan.
"What happened?" When they all entered Amelia's car since it was closer, Zoey raised the question.
Alana let out some fresh tears at her question and then immediately wiped them with her hand.
"He's gone mad..." She said the same thing again. "He says he's in love with me..." She lowered her head and revealed to them, but after a few seconds, raised her head to find them unsurprised at her words. "You knew?" She guessed, and Zoey nodded her head.
"We had considered it a possibility for his hatred towards Keith." The chestnut-haired girl revealed, and Alana felt even more stupid and distraught.
"I want to go home..." She requested, and they all knew she was talking about Amelia's home.
"Okay." The emerald-eyed girl nodded her head, started up the car, and then drove out of the parking lot.
Iseul followed them in Rebecca's car, and they silently travelled back to the Mourntale Estate.
A few minutes later, when Alana had calmed down, Rebecca handed her the phone.
"It's Keith."
The girl panicked when she heard who was on the call, but Rebecca urged her to take it.
"Keith..."
"Hello, little bird." He affectionately called out to her, and her eyes immediately became misty. "We are coming over tomorrow and then we will talk. You are not allowed to cry and worry over something so silly. Understood?"
"Yes." Despite herself, she could not help but smile. And Alana now felt that a weight had been lifted off her heart. "I love you, Keith."
"I know." He playfully replied, and though she felt a little dissatisfied at his answer, she was familiar with his nature and ended up giggling. "Eat well and sleep. See you tomorrow!"
"Feel better?" Rebecca teasingly poked her with her elbow, and Alana blushed as she handed the phone to her.
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He's coming tomorrow."
"I know, but did he say anything else?"
"He asked me to eat well and sleep."
"Good. Let's turn around and go to the best restaurant in the city." She cheerfully saidband Alana just nodded her head.
After a while, her mood became depressed again, but it was no longer as bad as before.
Friday, December 1st, 2045
Lumiere Tower, Magic City, Netheria
"Rebecca, I will be fine." Alana tried to persuade her blonde friend again, who insisted on coming along with her to the apartment she stayed in.
The girl pleadingly looked at Amelia, Zoey, and Marianne, but they refused to help her out as well.
"He would mind..." She fearfully said, and the blonde turned to look her right in the eyes.
"There are certain things about your brother that I can not tell you, Alana. Trust me when I say that he is no longer the brother you raised and grew up with."
Before Alana could process her words, Rebecca grabbed her hand and led her into her apartment as soon as the door of the lift opened.
And she was glad that she had earlier used a shield when speaking with Alana because the moment she stepped into the apartment, she found Yexuan Parker waiting in the lobby. She did not know why but she had a hunch that he possessed a very sharp sense of hearing.
He was standing there with his hands folded behind his back, his eyes narrowed, and she his restlessness when he saw her and Amelia.
Yexuan's eyes finally settled on Alana, but before either of them could approach the other, Rebecca stepped forward and walked up to the boy, no longer wearing her usual smile but a very serious expression.
"I would not mind killing you if it means that it would save her the unnecessary pain. Be very careful with your games, Mr. Parker." She warned him in a light voice that only he could hear, and sure enough, as she had expected, his body went stiff and his heart skipped a beat. "Apologies to her." She raised her voice this time and then turned to smile at her friend, not waiting for the boy to find an excuse to play dumb. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
Alana was still processing the words she had spoken earlier in the lift and subconsciously nodded her head.
The girl took a careful look at her adopted brother, and indeed, he seemed changed. And his changes were rather glaring.
He had grown taller, had buffed up, and then there were those golden highlights in his dark hair.
"Xuan..." She tried to call him by his nickname, but his eyes, even though they were looking at her, were a little vacant.
"Can we talk in private?" He lightly asked, and Alana hesitated.
For some reason, she really did not want to be alone with Yexuan right now. And she was now glad that Rebecca had insisted on coming with her.
However, soon her emotions riled up again, and she started feeling a little guilty, thinking that she was perhaps responsible for all his changes.
Did she really neglect him in the last few years?
She questioned herself, and felt even more guilty.
Even though Yexuan had not explicitly said it, and had profusely apologised to her on the call earlier today, she could sense that he was trying his best to not make her feel guilty.
"Yes." She nodded her head and then walked into the apartment, heading into her music room.
Rebecca did not follow them, and instead, turned to look at her sister-wife, who had walked over to her.
"What did you say to him?" Amelia curiously asked.
"I threatened to kill him." She replied and then waited for an answer.
"His heart stopped when you did it. And the Aura inside his body, quiet the dense one, started riling up. It is not the Aura of an Ashaya in the Five Mortal Realms." The emerald-eyed girl said. "However, he managed to calm down at an alarming rate." She meaningfully added.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes when she heard Amelia's words. She knew that her dear sister-wife possessed some sort of mystical ability that allowed her to look into a person's body, which was why she had taken a proactive approach earlier.
And her gut feeling had proven right.
"He knows a lot about us." She lightly said.
There was no other explanation for why there was always a trace of fear and apprehension in his eyes whenever he saw her. Though at the start there was confusion in his eyes when he looked at Amelia, now there was the same fear he held towards her.
And his fear was not the fear of the unknown but that of the known.
Yexuan knew exactly how dangerous the two of them were, and given how he had always been restless at his stay in their Manor last year, warily looking at their family, she had long had her doubts about him.
This time, she was not going to let Keith keep quiet was going to make sure that he clears things up. She was certain that he knew exactly what was up with this Yexuan Parker, and she now needed answers of her own.
"How many Aura Nodes does he have?"
"90," Amelia replied. "He's also very close to stepping into the Spirit Profound Realm. And he does possess some Aura Nodes in the positions you mentioned."
"He's no longer an Ashaya." Rebecca solemnly said, and Amelia looked at her in surprise.
The blonde had not told her earlier why she had to look for Aura Nodes at those specific points, but now she knew why.
Ashaya were not supposed to possess Aura Nodes in those positions.
"What is he?"
"I need to know which points are active," Rebecca said, and Amelia started telling her about the points on Yexuan's body that possessed Aura Nodes. "And there are three right at the end of his vertebral columbine."
"It's hard to say." The blonde shook her head. "My guess would be a race with a tail in its True Form, but the evidence is not enough to determine it..." She suddenly stopped talking and her eyes widened in surprise.
"What happened?" Amelia asked, glancing at her left year where there was a small earphone hidden.
She knew that Rebecca and Iseul were listening to Alana and Yexuan's conversation, so she felt that, perhaps, something unexpected was heard.
"Yexuan professed his romantic feelings for her and is now using them as an excuse for his strange behaviour lately," Rebecca told her, "He's shrewd,"
A dangerous smile crossed her face.
'He has sealed his fate by playing this game.' She thought, knowing well that Keith would be killing him even if it hurt Alana.
Just when she heard her dear friend grow hysterical and panic, she quickly approached the door of the music room and knocked on it.
Rebecca only had to wait a few seconds before Alana came rushing out, and proceeded to grab her hand before dragging her behind her.
"What's wrong?" She asked, but Alana just shook her head and pressed the call button of the lift with a shaky hand.
Amelia frowned at the boy who came out of the room and met her eyes. There was something she had not told Rebecca, and it was the presence of some familiar Runes on Yexuan's body.
She did not bother asking him anything about them, even though she was very curious, and simply turned around to leave.
"He's gone mad!" Alana painfully said, shedding tears uncontrollably, and Rebecca could only sigh and stroke her back comfortingly.
"Did you ask him about his Cultivation?" The blonde asked, reminding her of the most important question she wanted to ask Yexuan.
"No." The girl shook her head, still rattled by the unexpected confession of her adopted brother.
Never in her wildest dreams had she ever considered it a possibility or entertained such a thought. And now, she truly left unsafe with the idea of being alone in a room with Yexuan.
"What happened?" When they all entered Amelia's car since it was closer, Zoey raised the question.
Alana let out some fresh tears at her question and then immediately wiped them with her hand.
"He's gone mad..." She said the same thing again. "He says he's in love with me..." She lowered her head and revealed to them, but after a few seconds, raised her head to find them unsurprised at her words. "You knew?" She guessed, and Zoey nodded her head.
"We had considered it a possibility for his hatred towards Keith." The chestnut-haired girl revealed, and Alana felt even more stupid and distraught.
"I want to go home..." She requested, and they all knew she was talking about Amelia's home.
"Okay." The emerald-eyed girl nodded her head, started up the car, and then drove out of the parking lot.
Iseul followed them in Rebecca's car, and they silently travelled back to the Mourntale Estate.
A few minutes later, when Alana had calmed down, Rebecca handed her the phone.
"It's Keith."
The girl panicked when she heard who was on the call, but Rebecca urged her to take it.
"Keith..."
"Hello, little bird." He affectionately called out to her, and her eyes immediately became misty. "We are coming over tomorrow and then we will talk. You are not allowed to cry and worry over something so silly. Understood?"
"Yes." Despite herself, she could not help but smile. And Alana now felt that a weight had been lifted off her heart. "I love you, Keith."
"I know." He playfully replied, and though she felt a little dissatisfied at his answer, she was familiar with his nature and ended up giggling. "Eat well and sleep. See you tomorrow!"
"Feel better?" Rebecca teasingly poked her with her elbow, and Alana blushed as she handed the phone to her.
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He's coming tomorrow."
"I know, but did he say anything else?"
"He asked me to eat well and sleep."
"Good. Let's turn around and go to the best restaurant in the city." She cheerfully saidband Alana just nodded her head.
After a while, her mood became depressed again, but it was no longer as bad as before.
