From MC's Perspective:
Sub-Taboo Hall
Not long after I stepped into the grand Sub-Taboo Hall, the heavy doors closed behind , their echo resonating in the vast chamber. It wasn't long before Senior Sister Carolina and Senior Brother Gilbert followed. I could sense their presence before I even turned around.
They must have sensed sothing was wrong by my deanor. Without a word, Carolina gracefully sat beside on my right, her eyes scanning my face for answers, while Gilbert took the seat to my left, a calm yet probing expression on his face.
They both stared at in silence, waiting. The weight of their gazes didn't go unnoticed, but I steeled myself. They deserved to know.
"I'm leaving," I broke the silence with a voice that echoed through the hall, my words hanging in the air like a looming storm.
Carolina's face imdiately contorted, sadness flooding her soft features. Her eyes, usually calm, now brimd with unspoken emotion. She leaned in slightly, her voice trembling with urgency. "What happened?"
Gilbert, on the other hand, kept his composure, though I could see a flicker of doubt pass through his eyes. "Vincent, the situation at the border is still tense. How can you leave now?" His tone was firm, demanding a rational explanation.
I t his gaze, maintaining my calm exterior, though I could feel the weight of my decision bearing down on . "The Dean has already found a safe passage for . It's the only way I can leave this country without drawing unwanted attention. I can't afford to delay. There are people watching my every move." My voice was steady, but inside, I felt the tension rising.
A heavy sigh escaped Gilbert's lips. He knew once the Dean was involved, there was no turning back. His eyes softened, resignation settling in. "If the Dean has spoken, then it's done. But I wish Elder Galvin was here..." he said, almost wistfully.
I gave him a solemn look, knowing what I was about to say would deepen their shock. "Actually, Elder Galvin was the one who led the mission to secure this passage for ."
"What?" Carolina gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. Her wide eyes mirrored the disbelief I saw in Gilbert's face.
Gilbert blinked in astonishnt, his composed exterior cracking for the first ti. Elder Galvin wasn't just any elder. He was a mber of the Council and one of the revered mbers of the Sub-Taboo Hall. His absence had been felt keenly, and now they understood the reason.
I gave them a few monts to process the revelation before continuing, "Elder Galvin is currently fighting at the border. He's ensuring the path remains safe for my departure."
Gilbert's expression darkened as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. "So, Elder Galvin is on the frontlines...," he murmured, his voice carrying both admiration and concern.
"Yes," I confird, keeping my tone steady.
Carolina, still shaken, looked at with teary eyes, her lips trembling as she asked the question I had dreaded. "Vincent, are you planning on staying there forever?"
Her vulnerability tugged at my heart, but I couldn't allow emotions to sway my decision. "Senior Sister," I began, my voice softer now, "I'm only using the True Elents Society as a stepping stone. My ultimate goal is to join the Mage Union. Only there can I learn about the Gravity resources that exist across the world."
I paused, giving her ti to absorb my words. "But I've made a promise to the Dean and to our Sub-Taboo Magic Lord. As the sole successor of the late Gravity Ancestor, I will return to help the Sub-Taboo Hall when needed. I will visit from ti to ti, so there's no need to worry about our separation."
Hearing this, Carolina's expression eased, the sadness still there but now mixed with understanding. I could see the tension in her shoulders loosen, though her eyes remained misty. Gilbert, too, seed to relax, though a shadow of doubt lingered in his gaze.
Watching them both, a flicker of annoyance stirred within . I had my reasons for joining the Yellow River Academy in the first place – the ntal thod. The inheritance was just a fortunate bonus. But now, the academy and its surroundings held little for . This region, barren and isolated, was not where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
It was ti to move on.
Carolina's eyes remained clouded with confusion. She had known Vincent for so ti now, ever since he had beco a mber of the Sub-Taboo Hall, but there was one aspect of his life that remained a mystery—his parents.
He never spoke of them. As she glanced at him now, she sifted through her mories, trying to recall any ntion of his family. Yet, there was nothing. Her curiosity grew stronger, unable to be contained any longer. She turned to Vincent, her voice tentative but firm.
"Vincent, what about your parents?" she asked, her eyes searching his face for any hint of an answer.
The question struck like a sudden blow, my heart skipping a beat. It was a subject I had long buried, one that stirred emotions I wasn't prepared to confront. My chest tightened as the mories tried to surface, mories I had pushed far into the recesses of my mind.
Gilbert, always perceptive, picked up on the tension in the room. "Yes, Vincent. What about your parents?" he echoed, though his tone was more practical. "Are you planning to take them with you in the future?"
His question was logical, but beneath it, I could sense his understanding of the complexities of my situation. The academy, despite its power, could not afford to offer protection for both and my family.
Gilbert knew this. He also knew that if I ventured into the competitive arena of the Ancient Redwood Country, my family could easily beco a liability—a weakness that others might exploit. In his eyes, I must have already formulated so plan for them.
But in reality, a storm of thoughts churned inside . My brother, Brian Carey... I had no idea whether he was alive or dead. The last I heard of him, he was dead. But, I hadn't confird this personally. As for my parents...
I had cut off contact with them long ago. Their fate was unknown to , and I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I had severed that part of my life for a reason.
Should I check on them? Should I try to find out what happened? The question gnawed at , but I quickly pushed it aside. No. Now wasn't the ti.
There were already hostile organizations digging into my past, trying to gather information about my origins, my family, and anything they could use against . Seeking them out now would only invite more danger, putting them—and —at greater risk.
For a wizard, emotions are weaknesses, shackles that hold you back from reaching your true potential. Especially for . If I allowed myself to be swayed by sentintality, I would never survive in this world.
Strength was the only thing that could protect and my loved ones. Only by becoming stronger could I eliminate the threats that lurked in the shadows.
As I was lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the way Carolina and Gilbert exchanged glances. Carolina's face was creased with concern, and Gilbert's brows furrowed in understanding.
"Vincent, what happened?" Carolina's voice was soft but filled with worry, drawing back to the present. Her eyes searched mine, trying to understand the silence that had fallen over .
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I shook off the haze of my thoughts, returning to the mont. "I have so plans for them in the future," I replied, my voice steady though the turmoil inside remained. "But right now, my priority is to leave this country safely. Once I join the True Elents Society, the forces here will stop targeting ."
I could see Carolina's lips tighten into a thin line, her concern for deepening, but she didn't press further. Gilbert, too, seed to understand the weight of the decision I was making. They both knew, as I did, that the path ahead was fraught with danger. But for now, it was a path I had to walk alone.
Gilbert and Carolina both nodded, their expressions softening as they absorbed my words.
"You're right," Carolina said with a faint smile, her earlier worry easing. "I was overthinking it."
Gilbert, always pragmatic, leaned back in his seat, his tone more confident. "There's no need to worry about your parents. I'm sure the Dean has already made arrangents for their safety. After all, since you've committed to being a lifelong mber of the Sub-Taboo Hall, it only makes sense that the academy would protect them in return."
He smiled as though everything had been neatly resolved in his mind. From his perspective, it was a fair assumption. As long as the academy safeguarded his family, Vincent would have every reason to stay loyal, to remain connected.
But he couldn't have been more wrong. He didn't know that Vincent's ties to this place weren't as strong as he believed. His path was his own now, and not even the academy's protection could tether him to a life that he had left behind.
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