Chapter 175: Sylveris’ Concerns
Both Sylveris and Aelric occupied a secluded section of the cavern, their attention fixed upon the ethereal mist that hovered over the Essence Pool.
The mist was unlike ordinary vapour. It drifted lazily across the surface of the pool, its translucent tendrils constantly shifting and intertwining as they caught the multicoloured radiance of the surrounding Essence Crystals. At times, it appeared almost solid, like a veil woven from liquid light; at others, it became so thin that the figures within the pool could be seen through its shimmering folds.
As an unawakened, Sylveris lacked the physical and perceptual enhancements necessary to properly discern the seven cultivators through those reflections. Aelric, however, had no such limitation.
Despite the mystical haze that continued to sway over the pool, threatening to obscure their movements, the green-eyed youth could perceive everything with remarkable clarity. Every shift of their bodies, every fluctuation of Aether within their forms, and even the faintest disturbance in the Essence Pool’s surface was within his awareness.
It was precisely because of this that Aelric remained so composed.
His posture was relaxed, his expression almost languid, and there was barely a hint of concern upon his face. He looked less like someone supervising seven people undergoing a potentially life-threatening breakthrough and more like a bored observer watching a particularly uneventful performance.
Sylveris, however, was an entirely different matter. Despite her sister’s earlier reassurance, the young girl couldn’t stop herself from worrying.
Somehow, simply standing there without knowing exactly how Aureleah was faring was enough to keep her in a state of perpetual apprehension. She knew Aelric was watching over them; she knew he understood the process far better than any of them did and also knew he wouldn’t allow anything to happen without intervening.
Yet knowing all of that did little to suppress the uneasiness coiling within her chest. Perhaps that was simply what it meant to care about someone.
The silence between the two stretched for several minutes. Then Aelric lazily turned his head, his emerald eyes settling upon Sylveris.
At first, he thought she was merely staring at the pool. But the longer he watched, the more apparent the signs became; the rigid set of her shoulders, the faint tension around her mouth, and the unmistakable aura of concern that seemed to cling to her.
His brows furrowed slightly as he asked. "Is something wrong?"
The question snapped Sylveris out of her contemplative stupor.
She blinked before turning toward him, momentarily flustered. "No. Nothing’s wrong."
She shook her head and quickly turned her attention back toward the pool.
Aelric said nothing. Instead, he simply watched her.
The girl was terrible at hiding her emotions.
Her fingers were clenched tightly around the clothes she had been holding for the group, her knuckles slightly pale from the pressure. Her silver eyes remained fixed upon the mist as though she were trying to see through it by sheer force of will.
Aelric didn’t need much effort to understand what was bothering her. "You know, you don’t have to worry about them."
Sylveris slowly turned toward him. Her silver eyes betrayed the multitude of emotions she had been desperately attempting to conceal behind a facade of composure.
"They’re going to make it." Aelric added. "Trust me. I know they will."
There was something different about his voice. It was gentle and reassuring, yet it also carried a quiet certainty that made the words feel heavier than ordinary consolation.
In actuality, the statement had not been particularly easy for him to make.
Aelric had spent too many years surrounded by darkness and desolation to be particularly accustomed to comforting others. It wasn’t because he was cold at heart, nor because he lacked compassion.
On the contrary, he had once cared deeply; perhaps too deeply. But the Nether Lands had a way of punishing people for such things.
Here, compassion could become a weakness. Attachment could become a chain. Generosity could become an invitation for exploitation. And caring too much about another person’s survival could cause someone to make irrational decisions that endangered them both.
Aelric had learned that lesson the hard way. So he had deliberately cultivated an image of carelessness; a man who was carefree, untethered and seemingly indifferent to everything around him.
It was easier that way. If nothing mattered too much, nothing could truly be used against him.
Yet when he saw Sylveris standing there, visibly worried despite everything her sister had told her, something within him refused to remain silent.
Perhaps it was because she was young. Or perhaps it was because she reminded him of something he had long since forgotten. Or perhaps he simply couldn’t bear to see someone carrying an unnecessary burden when he could easily lighten it.
Whatever the reason, he found himself offering comfort before he could reconsider.
Sylveris nodded faintly. "I know what you mean."
She lowered her gaze for a moment before continuing. "And I don’t doubt that they’ll make it. It’s just..."
She hesitated slightly before continuing. "Simply standing here and waiting for them to come out is difficult."
Her fingers tightened around the clothes. "Don’t get me weong. I also know this is necessary if we want to survive, but I still can’t help feeling..."
"Rattled?" Aelric supplied with a small smile.
Sylveris looked into his emerald eyes. Then after a moment, she nodded. "Yes."
A faint chuckle escaped Aelric before he spoke. "Trust me. I understand where you’re coming from."
He turned his attention back toward the Essence Pool. But this time, his eyes weren’t truly focused upon the shimmering mist.
Instead, they had become distant. For a brief moment, it seemed as though he wasn’t looking at the pool at all and was looking at somewhere far beyond it; somewhere buried within the depths of his memories.
The corner of his lips lifted faintly, though the expression on his face carried a trace of melancholy and wistfulness as he began.
"I remember my first breakthrough, you know."
Sylveris didn’t interrupt. Instead, she turned toward him fully and listened.
Somehow, merely hearing someone speak seemed to ease the tension within her chest. And beyond that, she was genuinely curious about what Aelric was about to say.
The green-eyed youth had always been difficult to understand. He spoke casually about things that would have terrified ordinary people. He possessed knowledge that seemed disproportionate to his age. And whenever the subject of the Nether Lands arose, there was often a strange depth hidden beneath his carefree demeanour.
So if he was willing to speak about his own past, Sylveris had every intention of listening.
"You know, back then, everyone around me kept saying the same thing." Aelric’s smile widened slightly. "That it was going to be okay. That it would be a walk in the park. That it would be easy-peasy."
He chuckled softly at the last phrase.
"At first, I believed them. Not simply because I trusted their words. I had seen people do it before. I’d watched those who came before me undergo their breakthroughs as though it were nothing more than another ordinary day."
There was a brief pause before he continued.
"And seeing that, I developed a kind of subconscious complacency. I convinced myself that because they had done it so easily, I would naturally be able to do the same."
His smile faded slightly. "Then the day finally came."
Aelric’s voice became quieter.
"The day I had to become an Etheryean myself. And despite all the encouragement I’d received, despite all the people telling me that everything would be fine..."
His emerald eyes dimmed as he added. "I was afraid."
Sylveris noticed the subtle change in his expression. For perhaps the first time since she had met him, there was no trace of his usual amusement; only raw honesty.
"The thing is..." Aelric continued."...you can have all the support in the world. You can have people standing beside you, telling you that everything will be fine. You can even convince yourself that nothing could possibly go wrong."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"But when the moment finally arrives, when you’re standing before that monumental boundary and realize that you alone have to cross it, that’s when you understand something."
He looked toward Sylveris. "All those words of encouragement are still just words."
The young girl remained silent.
"And the thing you truly need..." Aelric’s voice softened. "...is something nobody else but yourself can give you. Courage."
The word seemed to linger in the cavern long after it was spoken.
Aelric turned his gaze back toward the Essence Pool before continuing in a wistful tone.
"It was only after I understood that that I finally realized something else. If you truly want to overcome something as tremendous as your first breakthrough, you don’t just need the motivation of those around you; you also need courage. And hope."
He smiled faintly. "And trust me, once I understood that, the breakthrough that had seemed like some gigantic blockade suddenly became nothing more than a pebble beneath my feet."
His smile widened. "Utterly insignificant."
Sylveris remained quiet for several seconds after hearing that. Then Aelric turned toward her.
"You know, I only told you all that because I want you to put your mind at ease." He gestured toward the pool. "You worry about them. I understand that."
His expression became more earnest. "But what if I told you that in all my years of scouting for potential survivors in the Nether Lands, I’ve never encountered a group quite like them?"
Sylveris blinked before looking at him with furrowed brows.
"They aren’t doing this merely because they desire power." Aelric continued. "They’re doing it because they need it."
His gaze swept across the mist.
"They’ve already seen what the Nether Lands can do to people who aren’t strong enough. They’ve already experienced the consequences of being powerless."
He looked back at Sylveris. "And I’m certain they thought about this before making their decision."
Aelric smiled as he continued. "So if I were you, I wouldn’t spend the next few minutes worrying about whether they’ll survive."
He tilted his head. "Instead, I’d start thinking about how you’re going to celebrate when they do."
For several seconds, Sylveris said nothing. Then she slowly exhaled.
It was a deep breath, one that seemed to carry far more than air but also her burdens. The invisible weight pressing against her chest suddenly felt lighter and the tension that had been threatening to constrict her thoughts gradually dissipated, leaving her feeling almost weightless.
She looked at Aelric. Her silver eyes once tinged with worry and concerns now gleamed brightly with a smile.
"You’re right." Her voice was quieter now, but considerably steadier. "I’ve heard what you said. And I won’t worry about them anymore."
She glanced toward the Essence Pool. "Instead, I’ll think about what we’re going to do when they come out."
Aelric’s lips curved into a broad smile.
"That’s better." He turned back toward the pool. "Now, let’s get back to watching them."
His emerald eyes narrowed slightly as he peered through the mystical haze. "It shouldn’t be too longer till they are done with their breakthroughs."
And with that, the two resumed their silent vigil.
The cavern once again became quiet. Only the faint hum of the Essence Pool and the distant resonance of the crystalline formations disturbed the stillness.
Beyond the veil of luminous mist, seven figures remained immersed within the pool. Seven Awakeners stood at the threshold of a realm they had spent their entire lives being told was reserved for those worthy of greatness.
And somewhere within the depths of their bodies, the first stirrings of transformation had already begun...