Web of Aeons - Chapter 44: Advancement Part 2

The pain subsided with time, and even her burning crystal soul receded to a dull ache. Akari’s new body had healed the damage, and only the echoes remained in her mind. How much time had passed? Five minutes? An hour? She couldn’t say. But eventually, Thane and Relyn dropped their techniques and stepped back. Lena placed more devices on Akari’s chest, but her words sounded faint and distant as if they were deep underwater.

However, one word stood out above the rest, and it came like a breath of fresh air as they resurfaced.

“Success.”

She opened her eyes and stared up at the dojo’s wooden ceiling. The details were surprisingly sharp, considering she’d removed her glasses before they started. She’d spent some time training without them this year, but she hadn’t known those efforts would bear fruit.

Elend handed her the glasses a second later, and she placed them on her face. The world turned blurry at once, which meant she’d probably need a new prescription. 

Nice. Her new vision wasn’t perfect, but it was a huge improvement. It also meant she wouldn’t need to worry about ambushes at night, or opponents who tried to blind her in battle.

“How do you know it worked?” Kalden asked from his mat beside her.

Lena held up her mana watch. “This detects micro points. Both your numbers are rising as you cycle.”

Akari got to her feet, and no one told her to take it easy. Her legs practically launched her into the air, and she landed with perfect balance. Talek. She hadn’t felt this good in . . . well, ever. It was like she’d been living her life in an exhausted state, and had finally slept through the night.

All her senses came alive. She heard the breath in her nostrils, her heart beating in her chest and her hair brushing against her shoulders. She inhaled the dojo’s wooden scent, with undertones of mana from past battles. She felt the shifts in the air as everyone moved and spoke around her. 

It was almost too much. How was she supposed to focus when her brain took in everything at once?

Elend placed a hand on her shoulder. “Aye, it’s a lot for the first few days, but your brain will adapt. Then you can sharpen your senses at will.”

Akari nodded. Brains always took longer to adapt than physical bodies. It was the same reason your pain could linger for hours after you’d been healed.

Kalden got to his feet next, and Akari barely recognized him. He looked like he’d aged several years, with more prominent cheekbones, and a straighter jawline. His eyes looked more serious than before, and his beard looked like it might come in thicker if he stopped shaving. Akari’s eyes drifted downward, and all his muscles looked more defined, from his chest down to his abs. Akari wouldn’t mind doing a more thorough inspection in private.

Kalden grinned when he caught her staring. “You look good, too.”

“Really?” Akari felt at her jaw and cheekbones, but she couldn’t feel any changes with her bare hands. “Anyone have a mirror?”

That was probably a dumb question. Some dojos had mirrors, but that would ruin the whole log cabin aesthetic. And it wasn’t like anyone carried around a—

Elend snapped his fingers, and a full-length mirror appeared in front of her.

“Oh.” Akari took an instinctive step back, blinking at the dream mana Construct. “Thanks.” 

Then her eyes widened as she finally took in her reflection. Seeing herself without glasses was weird enough, but her facial structure had changed, too. Not as much as Kalden’s, but the change was there all the same. Everything looked leaner and more contoured, which was a welcome improvement. It was hard to look like a badass mana artist when you still had the face of a sixteen-year-old.

“The books never talk about this stuff,” Akari said as she touched her face. If anything, most people looked younger after their Artisan advancements.

“Aye.” Elend chuckled. “There’s a reason for that. Most people reach Artisan in their physical prime or older. No one does it in their teens.”

Huh. That would explain why Relia’s face hadn’t changed as much; she was already a few years older. Relia was also more conventionally attractive than either of them, so that probably helped.

They eventually thanked the Solidors and said their goodbyes. Akari had expected to swear a soul oath or something, but Relyn just waved that away. 

“I can tell your word is true,” she said. “We wouldn’t have done all of this if I didn’t trust you.”

That almost seemed too easy, but Relyn could apparently detect lies as well as any dream artist. And she was right, of course. Akari intended to honor their deal when the time came.

Thane nodded along with his wife. “Just don’t die before you reach the Mystic realm, and we’ll all be happy”

Akari let out a nervous laugh. “Wasn’t planning on it.”

And with that, the immortal Aeons stepped out of the room with Rosintar, leaving this world behind until further notice. It would have been nice to get some lessons—especially when it came to time mana. Time artists were far rarer than space artists, and good teachers were hard to come by. 

Still, Akari understood their reasons for leaving. The Mystics would all be hunting them, and nowhere on this planet was safe.

She and Kalden spent the next hour getting used to their Artisan bodies. It felt even better than she’d imagined. Her techniques formed so easily, as if she’d been shaping mist all her life, and now she finally had access to solid clay.  And the physical changes were even better. They raced through the forest at full speed, and neither of them broke a sweat after three miles. Akari detonated a grenade in her hands, and the explosion didn’t break her skin. It was like someone had cataloged all her weaknesses and fixed them all in a single, glorious moment. Which was, of course, exactly what the Artisan advancement did.

As for the Aeon powers . . . she had no idea how to test those. Relia had conjured a Moonshard barrier within seconds of her own advancement, but she was a special case. She came from an Aeon bloodline, and her grandmother had supposedly given her the technique during her aspecting ritual. 

Things would be harder for Akari and Kalden. In fact, Lena had spent years trying to make Moonshard, and she’d never succeeded. Oh well . . . maybe Relia could help them once they were together again. 

And yes, they would get Relia back, even if it meant defying a Mystic and fleeing this entire continent.

~~~

The sun hung low on the horizon when they joined the others in the main house. Akari hadn’t wanted to come inside, but Arturo had insisted, claiming that Relia would be on TV any minute. 

Several of the cultists had gathered around a massive screen and Arturo took his place on the sofa next to Zukan. On the screen, Ashur Moonfire stood in front of a large crowd of people, somewhere in downtown Koreldon City. A cluster of dark-clad mana artists surrounded him, with a web of mana binding their souls.

There was a short pause, then Moonfire’s voice filled the silence. "I, Ashur Moonfire, swear to faithfully serve as the Prime Minister of Espiria. I will defend our Charter of Rights, safeguard our sovereignty, and protect our borders with all my power. I swear it on my mana, and on my soul."

The web of power broke into pale mist, and a silver-haired man stepped forward. “It is done,” he said in a deep voice. “May the Angels smile upon you, Prime Minister Moonfire.”

The crowd cheered, from the Masters and Mystics who stood around him, to thousands more in the strret below. Moonfire waved at the crowd, then he stepped back to kiss his wife on the cheek. Relia stood nearby, wearing a formal black dress. They’d obviously forced her to be there, and she didn’t smile or pretend to be happy. 

Akari’s heart ached for her friend, but at least this proved she was alright. A part of her had feared that Relia’s parents would lock her away in some dark cell and never let her go outside.

Finally, Moonfire approached a dark blue podium, adorned with the prime minister’s seal of office. The camera shifted to reveal his face, while the Espirian flag blew in the wind behind him. The rubble of broken buildings filled the background, and the sky was still gray from the storm clouds

He stood tall and dignified as he spoke into the microphones. “Today, the world’s greatest city came under attack. Aeon cultists brought Storm’s Eye here. Here, into the heart of our great republic. They turned our city into their battlefield, and our civilians paid the price.” 

Moonfire pounded the podium as he spoke these words, and he almost looked sincere. “We lost many loved ones today, including my own daughter, Elise.” His eyes fell for a moment, then they hardened with new resolve. “As your Prime Minister, I am entrusted with the solemn duty to protect our lands and ensure the safety of every Espirian.” He pounded the podium again before raising his fist into the air. “Our response must be swift. We can no longer afford complacency in the wake of these new threats. Therefore, my first act will be a comprehensive security reform to safeguard our republic from further harm.”

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

“And I pledge to you, my fellow Espirians, I will find these cultists and bring them to justice. I will empower the state in all matters of surveillance, search, and seizure. I will strengthen our borders and ensure that Storm’s Eye never comes within a hundred miles of our land again.”

More cheers and applause.

“Thank you,” Moonfire said. “and may we stand strong together.”