Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Alderian stared at the vaulted ceiling of his room, lying on the cold floor.
He had barely returned to Augustine’s side after taking her out of the classroom, but the double effort was taking its toll.
Every muscle in his body ached, as if a thousand splinters had been driven into him from the inside.
How had he moved her so far and with such precision?
He didn’t know. It was the first time he had attempted such a feat, and he had accomplished it solely by instinct.
It was not a common maneuver at all; he knew of only a few A’aruin capable of mastering the technique, and even they could only move their humans a few meters from harm.
Alderian felt the echo of footsteps coming up the stairs, so he was hardly surprised when Kala entered his chamber. He did not sit up, merely lifting the fingers of one hand as his gaze followed her.
“Everyone is talking about what happened, Alderian,” she said, seating herself gracefully upon the sofa. “Is Augustine okay? I heard she was very close to the Shadows. Most people who were present ended up hospitalized because of the effect.”
“Augustine is fine. I got her out in time,” Alderian replied listlessly.
“I couldn’t believe it when they told me,” Kala admitted after a few moments of silence. “They say it’s a dangerous technique; there’s a reason almost no one uses it.”
“I’d do it again if I had to. You know me.”
“You are too attached to your human, Alderian,” she said cautiously.
“You should put a limit on your duty. It isn’t right for you to put yourself at risk, even for her sake.
What would happen if you died trying to protect her?
She would be left adrift, like a ship lost in a storm.
She would inevitably die upon losing her connection to A’aru. ”
“That’s a fair point,” Alderian sat up with effort. “Then I only have one option left. I cannot die. I must protect her and continue to live. I must become stronger.”
Alderian was resolute, leaving Kala appearing abashed. “You’re a hopeless case,” she said at last, smiling.
“What other rumors have you heard?” Alderian asked, interested. “Any clue as to the reason for the attack?”
“No clues, but everyone agrees it was an extraordinarily abnormal event,” Kala answered. “Shadows rarely take the offensive… no one understands this behavior. The most striking thing is that they acted together, almost as if they had a plan.”
“That makes little sense. Shadows are inferior beings, incapable of acting with their own agency.”
“Well, what happened today says otherwise,” Kala continued.
“Some even say they had a target today, that they sought to attack deliberately—though I don’t see what business they could have with such a small group of humans.
It’s likely they’ll summon everyone involved today to give testimony, just so you’re prepared. ”
Alderian went on high alert, knowing it was impossible for it to be just a coincidence.
The only Black Thread had been Augustine’s, a fact Elarión had perceptively noted even before he had.
And then there was the matter that unsettled him: the Shadows had been stalking Augustine for some time now, though never in such an aggressive manner.
It could not be a coincidence, considering her anomaly. Precisely what he feared.
In the distance, they heard the Evening Trumpet, punctual as always, summoning them to Lethe.
“Can you stand?” Kala asked kindly.
Alderian stood up in silence as a response.
The journey felt interminable, his wings being stiff, and he internally thanked Kala for her company, as he did not entirely trust his ability to remain airborne for long.
Despite his exhaustion, they arrived without a hitch, though as soon as he set foot on the grass on the banks of Lethe, he noticed a strange silence settling around him.
The group of A’aruin present in his sector recognized him immediately, his black wings being unmistakable.
He heard poorly disguised whispers and noticed furtive glances as he made his way to the shore.
He didn’t fully understand what was happening until one of them approached, stepping into his path.
It was Alineth; he remembered him, for their paths had crossed a few times in the past.
“Is it true that you performed an alchemical transfer on your human today?” Alineth asked bluntly.
Alderian looked at him head-on and nodded, on guard, still uncertain of the other’s intentions. As soon as he admitted it, the conversations rose with excitement.
“How did you do it? Did someone instruct you?” Alineth pressed, admiration filling his voice.
“Please, let him through,” Kala intervened. “It has been an exhausting day for him and for everyone who was present.”
“No one taught me,” Alderian interrupted. “I only followed my instinct. I don’t think it’s a technique that can be taught. For me, it was more like remembering something my body already knew how to do.”
As soon as he used the word “remember,” he regretted it, knowing he shouldn’t do or say anything that might raise suspicions about an anomaly of the Oblivion. To his relief, no one seemed to notice the subtlety.
The Trumpet made the last call, inviting them to enter Lethe. Then a sacred, reverent silence fell, and all the A’aruin slowly stepped into its crystal-clear waters. Alderian felt its soothing song as he submerged; the pain gradually subsided, and his spiritual energy restored itself.
When the sacred ritual ended, several A’aruin surrounded him once more, still curious.
Although he wished to satisfy their inquisitiveness, he declined the invitation to go down to a tavern in A’aru’s most populated area, where everyone usually gathered at that hour to socialize.
Far too accustomed to his solitude, he yearned only for the silence of his palace.
As he flew back, a single thought refused to leave his consciousness: Did I truly “remember” something?
Is it possible that the anomaly is affecting me too?
* * *
Augustine had barely slept a wink that night after spotting the stranger outside her house. She was uncertain of his identity, and she did not wish to unjustly accuse anyone, yet she could not shake the sense of a looming threat. That night, she had deeply missed Alderian.
She had early classes that Tuesday, so she was met with the hustle and bustle of rush-hour traffic.
Standing on the bus among humans and A’aruin, Augustine listened to the fragmented conversations around her.
She was surprised when she heard Alderian’s name mentioned, listening intently and worried.
“I’m telling you it’s true, he achieved a transfer of kilometers. He is a phenom,” a youthful-looking A’aruin was saying to two others who listened with astonished expressions.
One of them noticed her staring and started, but Augustine barely hid it, acting as if she were looking past him. Alderian had done something unprecedented even for those of his kind, for her sake, and she felt a warm glow in her chest.
As soon as she got off the bus at the university, she ran straight into Milán, who seemed delighted to see her.
“Augustine!” he said cheerfully. “What a coincidence seeing you here. How was your weekend? You never called me to do anything.”
“Fine, thanks,” she replied curtly, forcing a smile. Her lifelong habit of always being polite led her to ignore the contradictory feelings Milán stirred in her at that moment.
As they headed to the classroom, Augustine glanced at him sideways, trying to discern what part of his presence triggered such a visceral rejection, but other than his walking far too close to her, nothing about him appeared threatening.
Augustine felt immediate relief when, in the distance, she spotted Amanda.
Her friend greeted her enthusiastically and came over to chat, and the three of them walked to the room and sat together, Augustine in the middle.
At that moment, Alderian appeared in front of her with an expression of disgust that took her by surprise.
“I see who it was that had you so unsettled,” he said.
“I’m sorry I’m late; I’m still a bit slow.
Listen to me, Augustine. This kind of man deserves no consideration from you.
You must be firm, just reject him without fear. ”
Augustine merely took out her book, saying nothing, mindful that other A’aruin were nearby.
As soon as the lecture ended, Augustine excused herself, claiming she had urgent matters to attend to.
Amanda tried to hold her back so they could all go for coffee, but she would hear none of it, not wanting to spend another minute near Milán.
“Let’s go somewhere where we can be alone,” Alderian requested.
Augustine nodded imperceptibly, visible only to him.
She walked through the old vaulted corridors, leaving behind rooms, courtyards, and common areas, heading for a wooden door that led to a small internal garden behind an old chapel.
It was a charming, forgotten space with very little traffic, being far from the classrooms, and at that moment, they were entirely alone.
She sat on a bench next to the statue of an angel, finding the coincidence somewhat ironic.
“Are you okay?” she said. “I’ve heard all sorts of things about what you did yesterday. How do you feel?”
He stood beside her, watching her in silence.
“What?” she asked when he remained quiet.
“It feels good that you worry about me. I’m not used to it,” Alderian said simply.
Augustine bit her lip, feeling a tingling sensation run through her belly. “You are so contradictory, Alderian,” she reproached him with a held-back sigh.
“Why do you say that?”
“Your way of acting confuses me. You move closer and then pull away as if you were an ocean wave. You are unpredictable, turbulent, dangerous sometimes, but calm and refreshing afterward. Decide what you will be to me. I don’t like your indecision.”
“What do you want me to be to you?” Alderian asked, and she didn’t like his distressed look, not wanting his worry.
“Don’t answer me with a question.”
“Augustine, I am in no position to want anything from you. Whatever you think you feel for me is just the effect of the forced proximity we’ve had lately. It’s normal for you to be confused. But we will not risk your entire existence for one human life in which you experience this abnormality.”
“You don’t understand, Alderian. Precisely because my life as Augustine is not infinite, I don’t want to waste time.”
Alderian closed his eyes for a moment before answering. “Don’t say that to me, Augustine. My capacity for logic has its limits. If you keep pushing me, I won’t hold back anymore.”
Yes. That was the look she wanted from him—a look charged with passion and longing, so intense it seemed it might burn her alive. “Perhaps that’s exactly what I want... for you to stop holding back.”
“You do not know what you are saying. You have no idea what I might become if I let go of my restraint.”
Augustine felt a surge of excitement at that very prospect. “It bothers me I can’t touch you,” she said in a barely audible whisper.
Alderian was silent for a moment before responding as softly as she had. “And what would you do if you could touch me?”
He looked at her expectantly, and Augustine’s skin prickled with desire.
“What would I do?” she repeated, biting her lips.
Alderian watched her every gesture with a fascination he did not hide. He leaned in until he was only inches from her, barely breathing. “What would you want to do with me?” he insisted, no longer trying to hide the desire in his gaze or his voice.
Augustine’s lips were parted, only centimeters from his. “Knowing that I cannot touch you at this moment, you ask me that... For an angel, you can be very cruel,” she noted.
“Cruel? You should take that as a warning. You shouldn’t play with fire, Augustine. I don’t want to burn you,” Alderian said as he slowly pulled away.
Augustine unexpectedly grabbed him by his Silver Thread and pulled him close to her. “Then burn me. Let’s burn together and leave nothing standing.”