Side Chapter tous 1: After Five Years
Everything had seemingly been improving for the first ti in five years in lla's mind. She got her Vocation, her sister returned, Tella’s complexion improved, and her brother who had been becoming more distant finally hung out with her again.
“Can’t I do anything right?”
But her refound paradise quickly cracked apart in face of her old and new problems. She still felt her old insecurity existing after Ceella's return but chose to ignore them all.
Until “I still can’t believe I ended up passing out after using [Warm Touch].”
Currently, she spent most of her out-of-gym training on her healing capabilities. Even after she levelled up, receiving [Warm Fla], her first step into manipulated fire energies. Training [Warm Touch] was still her priority.
All in the hopes that she could fix her sister's injuries.
…if was that easy she would’ve already got it fixed…
When she woke up and realised what she did. lla imdiately went to check on her sister. To see nothing changed. The simple failure, that in anyone’s mind wouldn’t have been remotely considered a problem. Was the nail that started to shatter her rose-tinted glasses.
It had been a day after the first fight the family had with another in over four years. Last ti Chris had gotten into a heated argunt with Tyell. lla didn’t know what was said as it happen on the second basent floor.
Laying on her sister's bed as she was out and wouldn’t be back until late–not that she used it. She tried collecting her thoughts.
A self-inflicted burden was placed on lla ever since Ceella disappeared. Her mother worried every day and her brother beca increasingly more distant. The only one who stood strong was her father Chris. Then the world took him too.
Unable to support her mum, unable to get a job to support the family, all she could do was be normal. Go to school to experience different workplaces; learn history, maths and how to navigate the workforce; and have fun with her youth.
And she did her best with all three. But to her, that wasn’t enough.
lla looked over her Soul Page. She enjoyed finally being able to see after sixteen years.
Na: lla Stella | Race: [Human]
Level 1 | Awakened
Mana: 100%
Vocation: [Warm Wind Mage]
Skills:
- [Wind (I)]
- [Warm Touch]
- [Warm Fla]
[Wind (I)] – [Windy Breeze], [Wind Blast]
lla base soul size was on the upper end of the scale, a 7. And with all her current skills she still could feel she had so room left over. Skills didn’t just appear when there was space. The average person's soul was only 50% filled, but there were people Ceella where it was always stuffed full.
Manipulating the wind, making paper aeroplanes and having them fly around her room caused her more joy than she would ever emit. [Warm Wind Mage] was a Vocation lla had seen long ago and beca interested in, but she decided against picking it. Her brother already chose a Vocation that helped with work, she shouldn’t be selfish and choose sothing like this.
The thing that changed her decision was Ceella's words of wisdom, and more importantly the realisation of how devastated Ceella would’ve been if she picked sothing similar to [Package Runner].
Her thoughts keep cycling eventually reaching the events of the previous night.
“Why’d ever look up to those bastards.” lla’s mood completely flipped when regarding Dominous Hood. They were the ones who took my sister away…
To lla, her family was the most important thing in life. They gave so much love and support that anyone who hard them was her enemy. lla believed Ceella in an instant and then seeing the wound in her chest just solidified that feeling. The deep ugly scare made her soul scream in fear.
Still, she didn’t know what hurt more. Knowing her sister had to deal with all that sorrow or Tyell not imdiately trusting her. If he says sothing like that again!... I’ll punch him in the FACE!
Repeatedly rolling over, unable to keep her thoughts and feelings together. lla grabbed a pillow and stuffed her face into and scread. “ArhhhHhh….!” Quickly running out of breath she rolled back over and just stared at the ceiling.
While she was doing nothing, “*Ding*” her phone dinged. Soone sent her a ssage.
“I wonder who that was?...” Spending a couple of monts contemplating whether it was a good idea to check. Eventually, she decided to remove the phone from her watch and changed into tablet-size
Elka – ([ What’s up sisto?! ])
Elka was lla's friend from school.
([ Nothing much? Why did you ask? ]) – lla
Elka – ([ I just got back from my holidayyyy! ])
([ Already?? Man I’ve really lost track of ti ]) – lla
Elka – ([ OMG! You’ve lost track of ti I could never imagine! ])
([ Your sarcasm is duly noted ]) – lla
Elka – ([ Lighten up! ])
([ No ]) – lla
Elka – ([ …. ])
Elka – ([ …. ])
Elka – ([ …. ])
Elka – ([ …. ])
Elka – ([ I’m detecting traces amounts of sadness from ya ])
Suddenly the phone started to ring.
Ahhhh do I accept? It was Elka wanting to do a video call.
“Haaaaa… Guess it might be for the best.” So she accepted.
“Hey lly!” on the other end was a grey-haired teen with deep purple eyes.
“Hi Elka.” She flatly responded.
“Oh you look more down than I expected…” “Everything okay? Did soone die?! Did you regret choosing [Helper] already?!! Wait. Did you fight with your family!!!?”
Yep, she hasn’t changed.
“Give a sec” lla said the phrase they had agreed on if Elka spoke too much and she needed not to be interrupted when replying. “I didn’t choose [Helper] in the end, instead I’m [Warm Wind Mage]... I didn’t have a fight.”
“So your mum and brother did? Wow, a first for everything.” Elka's answer made sense considering lla hadn’t told any of her friends of Ceella’s return. Wanting Ceella to have peace and quiet, she refused to tell anyone in case soone spilt the beans. Even if it was old news, a returned PLS was always a great target for news.
“Can you keep a secret?” lla asked, knowing the result.
“A secret? Or secret secret?”
“The latter.”
Elka's face crunched up, she wasn’t the best at secrets and all her friends knew it. “No…”
lla just returned a sweet smile. “Now do you have any other questions? Cause I’m going to hang up.”
Elka bit her thumb thinking, “You want to go to the Blazers concert?”
“Not really,” lla rudely replied.
“But would be fun if you, , Sam, Mike, and Irene all went together???” Elka pushed.
“...Yeah it would,” lla replied. A friend et-up might be just what I need.
“Perfect!!!” Elka shouted
Wait a mont. “You say that, but have you even asked the others?”
“Umm…” Elka muttered.
Knew it.
“Don’t make plans withou–”
Elka yelled, “Hey! I did ask Mike and Sam, they were up for it… I just haven’t asked Irene yet… or doubled check with Mike or Sam…”
lla shook her head, “You’re useless sotis…”
“Rude. But correct.” Elka sighed.
The two laughed and continued planning. The concert went on all day so they would go when it was less busy at night. Cause it was Elka’s idea she offered to buy tickets for everyone and went with a 7 pm to 1 am, seven hours of fun (including the midnight hour due to tous’s 25h days).
“Thanks, Elka.” warmly said lla, “This helped.”
“Hehe, what can I say I’m the best!”
“No. No, you’re not.”
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