Chapter 275 – I Will Be His Brain
There was a still silence in the room after Theophane’s words. A silence where Emrys shifted unfortably inside the bathtub, yet his control over wind, water and lightning was so high it made neither ripple nor sound.
Adam Kai sat there, blending pletely with the room itself as if he was part of it. You had to consciously decide to see him to remember he was there, watching with a smile that whispered he knew more than he should.
He always knew more than he should.
"So...it’s really him?" Emrys voiced out hesitantly, not quite believing it, yet he could see some truth behind the statements.
"That’s what I have been saying since earlier." Theophane replied sharply. She found herself lacking her usual cold patience with Emrys.
Maybe because he was far too foolish and naive for someone of his talent. Or maybe because his face looked far too much like her sister’s.
The answer was obvious, alas.
Anything of her sister’s was a bad memory. And no one liked to be reminded of them constantly.
"I think I can see him doing that." Emrys replied, nodding, "I remember the first time I saw him, he used some little trick to beat me in a game."
"Did he beat you?"
"Because of the trick."
"So he did."
"Just like I said," Emrys’s voice sharpened at the edge, staring with his blue eyes that were slowly going dark like the depth of an ocean, "because of a trick."
Theophane was not impressed. Not in the damned least. The more she learned, the more she realized how lacking her nephew was.
He was unbelievably gifted, but the gap between his talent and Cassius’s was not wide enough for him to win on strength alone.
He needed to use his mind. But Emrys only used his mind when it came to women.
That needed to change for her goal.
’Cassius probably thinks I can do nothing to him because I am weaker. Quite accurate. But did he think I would fight him alone? If my nephew is too foolish for you, I will be his brain. Can you beat us? Let’s see.’
"It doesn’t matter anyway." Emrys followed, sitting back fortably in his bathtub, raising his hand, palm facing up, "Monday will make one week. I will be able to challenge him and take my rightful place. Anesthesia is too weak, and second place doesn’t interest me."
Golden lightning sizzled out of his palm, crackling, hissing. Next, black wind picked up, rotating around the golden lightning, increasing its velocity and power. Then, finally, water entered the bination.
A strange, immaculate white water, pure and holy. It took within it both the golden lightning and black wind, creating a bone-chilling storm swirling above his palm.
The room was instantly flattened with breathless pressure, the air moaning in pain and fear at the little storm on the Chosen One’s palm.
Theophane, this time, found herself devoid of words. Even she felt a death glare somewhere around her.
Emrys had simply used his affinities, but it was enough to let her know she would die if she fought him.
Say one thing about Emrys Stormblessed, say he was ridiculously strong.
’But not enough!’ Theophane hissed inwardly, ’Strength alone is not enough. You need more to beat him! I know it! I can feel it!’
And a Seer’s intuition was not to be taken lightly. Especially...a forbidden one’s.
"You can do that, but I would advise you not to be hasty." Theophane managed to speak under the pressure, "You were stronger than Cassius in the Entrance Test, yet you still lost. Do you know why?"
Emrys turned his head towards his aunt, cocking his head, "My body was too weak to bear my full power. And I lacked the ingenuity to use my skills better."
"There was that, but not only that."
Adam Kai, just as he had since the beginning, only watched like a spectator.
"What do you mean?" Emrys inquired, clenching his fist to dispel his storm.
Theophane suppressed a sigh of relief inside her heart. "Cassius won because he has people around him. Can’t you see? He is loved by many. And that love is his greatest advantage over you. Not his strength. Not even his mind. That man is good at being liked. What about you?"
"I am the—!"
"pared to Cassius, you are more admired than loved. And even that admiration falls short in front of Cassius." The Seer followed, "Cassius has the servant groups under him because of his act during the Entrance Test. He has the Hood family with him, and his childhood friends who are all from high background or ridiculously talented. What do you have?"
"First," Emrys began, slowly being annoyed by the bitter truth, "I have Love—!"
"That woman doesn’t love you, you damned fool!" Theophane snapped, voice raising, "and you can hardly blame her for that. How could she love you when you are always trying to get other women under you without first making sure the one you are with loves you pletely?"
"You don’t know anything, Aunt."
"I certainly know more than you, fool."
"Don’t call me—!"
"I’ll call you whatever I want." Theophane hissed, cursing herself for losing her posure again with Emrys.
Emrys himself said nothing, only gritting his teeth. Theophane was the sister of his mother. That alone meant he could do nothing to her, no matter what.
And he never planned to. He loved her. He loved her like a young boy would love the maid who took care of him instead of his busy mother.
To Emrys, Theophane was just like that. A second mother.
And maybe more. But that thought was buried deep within him.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked, voice going soft.
"Just like Cassius, you need your own group of loyal people." Theophane said, inwardly pleased by his obedience, though she would never admit it, "Use your strength, your beauty and your background. Make the women fall for you. Make the men respect you. Make the teachers unable to dislike you."
She paused, then slowly, "and I will help you."
"How?"
"You have told me what Anesthesia had done for you in the past." She smiled humorlessly, "I will take her job. I will give you everything, Emrys. Everything. I just need you to do one thing."
She lifted her finger upward.
"Be the most dazzling person of this generation. Be the Sky. Everyone can see you, but they need to crane their necks up to do so." Her voice lowered dangerously, "and no one must even e close to you in glory. Not even the Last Born of the Desdemona."
Theophane’s words took hold of something deep within Emrys and snatched it out into the open. It was a kind of motivation he didn’t have before, one that suddenly blossomed inside his heart and bathed his whole body.
His mind expanded, and suddenly, as if it was a vision given by the world, he could see himself up there, in the Sky, acting as the Sky, holding the sun, moon, and thousands of stars within him, bearing the power of the Heavens, and looking down on the earth.
Oh, he could see it. He could see it so well he believed it.
And he believed it so well he felt the searing need to make it happen.
For a brief instant, Emrys’s blue eyes turned black, then white and then golden, before holding all colors at once, and finally returning to their usual blue.
His aura shifted. There was no longer uncertainty or subtle laziness.
His mind became sharp like a blade. And it was proven as his sword, leaning against the wall beside Theophane, shuddered and let out a joyful cry.
Emrys Stormblessed slowly regained himself, and looked at his aunt, feeling his emotions deepening for her.
"I am Emrys Stormblessed," he spoke, voice resonant, "I am Blessed by a whole Pantheon of gods, and hold within me more than anyone could fathom. I was born on a night no one else was born, gifted a Soulblade before awakening an Aspect, and my birth ushered in a whole new era. I am the Golden One of this Generation. I am the Sky. I am the Chosen One."
The world cried out. The sky above the Academy turned dark, and lightning began to crack down on the earth. The air turned wet, as though weeping, and the wind howled, as though frightened.
A storm was ing.
Adam Kai, for the first time in a while, smiled so wide all his teeth were visible.
Even Theophane was momentarily awed, rattled by Emrys’s heavenly presence.
But she took hold of herself rapidly, and spoke, seeing for the first time a true glimpse of her nephew’s true nature.
"Are you ready, then, Emrys?"
"I am."
"Then shall we?" Theophane grinned coldly, "We will start with Anesthesia Amaris. Let’s take back what is ours. And for that, someone has already acted."
They turned their heads towards Adam Kai, and smiled, "Isn’t that right, Teacher Kai?"
Adam Kai chuckled, "Right." He said, "You will go on a mission with Anesthesia, disciple, after the battle against the second year. Just the two of you."
"Will you fail us?" Theophane inquired.
Emrys smiled, "I won’t. I suppose I should take the the second year battle seriously."
"That’s the whole point." Theophane said, "How far are you in mastering your Second Blessing?"
"I will have it before Tuesday."
"What is its name?"
Emrys lowered his head, looking at the water, and his face cracked a smile.
It was beautiful, dangerous even.
"Poseidon."
—End of Chapter 275—
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