Chapter 10.5: The Aftermath

Amalie massaged her temples as she sat in her home. Her eyes flicked to Jun who rested on the bed. His contorted face confused her. He shouldn’t be in pain. She had summoned the best healers at the school and kept his condition quiet from even the Jinshari. Thinking of them, she reached for her artifact and changed it into the whip. Arnold’s voice was silent as she drew a rune on his handle. Suddenly she felt the heat rise as he did the rest. 

This rune created mirages. It was powerful but very hard to control. Few knew of it because it could expend your faith too far, but Arnold was uniquely adept at it. The mirage was to make the Jinshari believe Jun was resting in the garden home instead of here. Only the Jinshari would fall for it, at least that was what Arnold explained to her. Convenient indeed.

After supplying the needed faith, Amalie rested back. Even as a white, nearly silver, flame it was draining on her.

‘Amalie dearest…’ Arnold’s voice hummed near her ear. She swatted at it, expecting him to chortle at her reaction. However he remained somber.

“What is it?” she rose from her chair and walked to the window, pulling closed the drapes and leaning against the wall so she could survey the area. One couldn’t be too cautious. Right? She shook her head, calming her nerves. She was being paranoid, but so many things had happened that were making her so. The accident in the field trip for instance, it clearly had human hands involved. So far it seemed Jun’s suspicions were correct and his clan had instigated it. Now to find the reason. Then there was the clash outside. The incident that left Jun bedridden before her. The fact he sustained injuries bothered her. She had heard and seen his fighting prowess during the accident, and despite being injured, it was all superficial. This time however, when the Red Silver Saint had struck him, he had taken massive damage. Even after healing, he stayed unresponsive for two days.

‘It seems we have two more Alinta at our school.’

Arnold’s words made her pause her train of thought.

“The Red Silver Saint is clearly one, but who is the other?” She had her suspicions surrounding the fabled Saint. Her power made sense if she was an Alinta.

‘The boy at her side.’

Amalie’s tongue clicked. This year was turning into a strange one. She had her hands full with just two Alinta, and now the number had doubled. Her hand clenched and she closed her eyes, grasping the growing dread and stuffing it away. Her mind still continued on. The Silver Flame wouldn’t send so many Alinta at once unless some world shattering event was unfolding. The fact that she had remained unaware of it for so long brought perspiration to her head. She wiped it away and let her gaze linger on Jun. They needed him to wake. They would need every single one of them well and alive.

That also brought her to her next quandary. Why were the two so hostile. She shook her head. Jun wasn’t hostile, it was the Saint. She flicked her hand and one of her shadows appeared. She relayed her question and ordered them to learn more about the situation. After making sure her information network was working, she moved to Jun’s bedside. His contorted face had relaxed a bit and she let out a sigh.

‘He isn’t doing well.’

“I know that.”

Arnold remained quiet for a time before he repeated the phrase.

‘He isn’t doing well.’

Amalie slowly released a breath, her eyes turning to the whip at her side. This was so uncharacteristic of him that even she felt the urge to rub at her arms to ward off the chill.

“You’re being awfully somber today.” Where were his adulations and chipper voice? Where was his persistance?

‘Amalie, my shining star-‘ his added phrase lacked his usual vim. ‘No… perhaps it is better for you to confirm this instead.’

Amalie forced a laugh as she straightened. “Now you’re making me worry.” Loathe as she was to admit it, she wanted regular Arnold instead. His next words did not help the growing pit in her stomach.

‘I do not wish to watch another Alinta turn black.’

Amalie froze—her eyes slowly widening. Her gaze returned to see Jun’s contorting face. Grateful that the Jinshari were otherwise occupied, she opened her mouth.

“Alright. Make a silver ember.” She needed to confirm this. Arnold wasn’t accurate all the time, but his accuracy warranted strict investigation when he voiced his concerns.

‘With pleasure, darling.’ She felt the growing warmth at her hip and reached down in time to collect a cool ember. Its silver white glow faded to white in her palm and she sighed, not wanting to learn the truth but needing it regardless. With shaking hands, she placed the ember in Jun’s palm. His fingers remained opened and the color changed. She closed here eyes as she saw the yellow mixed with red. Her hand clenched again. Where had his faith gone?

‘Troublesome.’ Arnold hummed. A simple knock at the door signaled an arrival. Amalie snatched the ember and returned it to Arnold in a smooth motion.

“Come in.” She commanded. The door cracked and Mei’s head poked in. Amalie offered a smile, glad it was her instead of someone else. She indicated with a flick of her fingers for Mei to come in and the girl bowed her head before coming in and closing the door behind her. Her soulless eyes fixated on Jun and she walked to his side.

Amalie noted the light limp in her step and frowned. So, in the end she had refused the healing. Her heroism in bringing Jun out of danger during that incident had spared them more injury, possibly death.

Frankly, she hardly understood what Mei’s explanation was. Something about seeing the gaps in the attacks, seeing the faith manifest in the air before the attack and using that to get through. It did make Amalie a bit jealous of her gift from the Silver Flame. She had been fighting through with brute force to reach Jun while the Saint had encased him in ice. Yet this girl had found the weak spot and shattered the prayer, bringing Jun to safety while Amalie had kept the Saint in check.

Mei’s hand brushed against Jun’s, taking it and closing her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Amalie offered, knowing the two were close, yet still not romantically inclined to one another. Mei shook her head.

“Don’t apologize. You were a big help.”

Amalie inwardly scoffed. Was a child trying to console her? She relaxed back for a brief moment until Jun’s fingers twitched. Mei jerked, looking at his face as his brows furrowed—a single tear slipping out. As much as it pained Amalie to see this, she also was relieved to see some movement beyond the steady rhythm of his breaths.

As his eyes flickered, squinting in the dim room, his gaze found Mei first and then Amalie’s.

“Welcome to the land of the living,” Amalie greeted.

Jun’s lips deepened into a dark frown. Amalie chose to ignore it. She had many questions and needed them to talk. “How do you feel?” she started. Jun shifted, trying to sit. Amalie pulled on his right arm, supporting him into a sitting position. Jun let out a half cough before leaning against the headboard.

“Could be better…” his words trailed off.

‘What happened between you and the Red Silver Saint?’ Arnold spoke up and Amalie refused to ask that. Jun however answered swiftly, reminding her that he could hear the artifact. She bit her tongue. How very untactful of Arnold.

“Ha. She thinks I killed him?” Jun spat out his answer, facial features darkening. That answered a lot. He was from the same world as the red silver saint. Amalie wondered if the two before her understood that as well. They seemed rather reluctant to reveal anything outside of the Jinshari. It was no secret what the Alinta were, and where they came from, but it seemed these two didn’t know that. She had waited all year to pry into that. Now seemed as good a time as any.

“Figures.” Amalie hummed, working to break Jun’s guard. Her heart still worried about his diminishing faith.

“What?”

‘Oh! Is the saint tied to your previous life? Did she come from your world too?’ Arnold chimed in, more zeal appearing in his tone and soothing Amalie’s heart. Jun’s lips became a thin line. He was back to this again? Amalie kept up her smile, refusing to back down.

“Old Man,” Mei growled, catching Amalie off guard. She thought Jun was old? Was this why the two had no interest in marriage?

“Mei-“ Jun growled but she refused his warning.

“It’s obvious they know of it. Why do we have to keep these secrets? It would help to have more allies.”

Amalie frowned. She had tried to be an ally to them. Not just because they were Alinta, but because she could see they desperately need it. Had her actions not been enough?

“Mei. It has nothing to do with them or this world.”

‘Oh contraire, Alinta Jun. Everything about an Alinta affects this world. Thus, your issues do affect us.’

Jun seemed to wrestle with this, eyes flicking from Mei to some place next to her. Amalie had to refrain from looking where he did. Instead, she focused her mind. He had called the Saint by another name. And hearing Arnolds words made everything fall into place.

“Ellen,” she hummed, noting Jun’s shoulder’s flinch. Mei’s eyes flew at her while Jun closed his as he became downcast.

“How do you know that name?” Mei bristled.

“Because…” Jun’s voice was quiet. His left hand clenched at the covers. “I found her.” While Mei clasped at Jun’s hands, Amalie chose her next words with care.

“Elain, the Red Silver Saint, was the one you called Ellen.” At those words, Mei froze, eyes slowly shifting to meet her own.

“Her?”

Amalie could sense the underlying issue, yet felt like she was stumbling in the dark. It was clear, they knew the Saint’s identity in their previous life. Arnold’s cheery voice interjected into the silence.

‘So who is Ellen to you two?’

The two glanced next to Amalie and she found her eyes shifting to the empty space beside her, wondering what they saw.