Disrupting the Firia Flow

The cicadas’ song, the sound of the wind blowing through the cave, the hooting of wingless owls – those were the only sounds around them. But Iwao couldn’t hear any of it, too stunned by what he had just heard.

“Is she having a nightmare? If that’s the case, then I can help her – though I’ve never tried it on her. Maybe I’ll see something I’m not supposed to… But it’s worth the try.” Iwao thought.

He stood up and walked quietly to Celi’s sleeping spot. She was curled in her sleeping bag like a ball, only her head sticking out to breathe. He looked around her, searching, but no rope was in sight. He looked again, panicked. And then he came to one conclusion.

“She isn’t sleeping.”

He moved closer and crouched down in front of her. Her eyes were closed, but Iwao was now sure that she wasn’t asleep. Even with him right there, Celi didn’t open her eyes, too focused on repeating the same words over and over again.

Iwao placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

“AHHH-!” She screamed.

“Quiet! Lo and Saya are sleeping! Don’t be scared – it’s just me.” Iwao reassured her.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know you were back. You surprised me a little… haha.” She laughed awkwardly, embarrassed.

Iwao looked firmly into her eyes. He could see her trying to avoid his gaze, looking anywhere but at him.

“Are you scared of something? What happened? I heard you talking in your supposed sleep.”

She froze, shocked that he had heard her. She buried her head in her hands, trying to avoid his questions. But Iwao wouldn’t let it go.

“Tell me. Aren’t you the one who told me to share everything, because we’re a team and we’re building trust between each other? Then tell me – why did you say I was going to die?” He asked gently, careful not to push her too hard.

She lowered her hands and sighed deeply, trapped by her own words. After a long silence, gathering her thoughts, she finally stood and headed outside the cave.

“Come with me!” She muttered.

Iwao followed her beneath the cloudy sky.

“Why does it always seem like the sky reflects the situation we’re in? Strange coincidence...” He thought.

She gazed upward, and Iwao saw himself in her gestures. The wind played with her hair, making it twirl beautifully.

“I think I need to explain what Lo and I found – and mainly what I didn’t explain to you after the Greyford Valley events. You never asked, so I thought you didn’t care how your hand grew back. And above all, you didn’t seem shocked at all to see your new hand.” She spoke calmly.

“I thought it was a subject to avoid until everything was settled. Given the state you were in afterwards, I didn't want to bring it up. And I wasn’t shocked because I’m not afraid. I've been through worse, so I don't mind seeing it disappear or grow back.” He explained.

“Then let me tell you everything we’ve discovered so far, and why I said those words back in the cave.”

She sat down on one side of the entrance, and Iwao mirrored her on the other.

“With Lo’s help, we discovered that the pendant can modify essence – but not only that. It can also enhance the use of Firia and amplify spells. When activated, its power touches the bearer directly, modifying their essence to allow all this. But we also found out that it requires a strong bearer to work. It could be a priceless artifact, but it has many downsides. I can’t explain all the methods we used – it’s complicated magic analysis – but Lo helped me a lot. It’s really talented with these things and guided me whenever I didn’t know what to do.”

“I’m glad she recognizes Lo’s value, just as I did when we first met it.” Iwao thought.

“The main problem with the pendant is that once you use it, we don’t know to what extent it modifies your essence… Maybe, if you use it, your monster essence could completely take over your human one. If that happens, I’ll blame myself for the rest of my life. It could change you entirely – even your personality.”

She rushed forward and grabbed his hand, panic in her eyes.

“Please… don’t use it. It’s not worth the risk of losing you… It’s not worth the risk of seeing the Iwao I know die. We’ll find another way, okay?” She said desperately, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Iwao gave her a sad smile, as if to show that his decision had already been made.

“Sorry, Celi, but I can’t wait any longer. Each day, I feel less like myself, as if I’ll disappear soon. I have to try the pendant – and fight not to let it consume me. It’s a risk worth taking. Don’t worry, Saya trained me well, and I have a strong mind. I’m not easy to defeat.” He said, patting her head to comfort her.

She let her emotions out.

“It’s something rare – she usually hides everything she feels deep inside.” Iwao thought.

When she calmed down, she stood in front of Iwao and cast a flame in her hand.

“Oh! It’s like what she did back in Taranios! She’s about to explain something important.” He thought, his expression serious and attentive.

“You see, this is the flow of Firia in me when I cast a spell. No matter the spell, this flow doesn’t usually change – or so I thought. But when I healed your hand, I realized it was because of my emotions – sad, horrible emotions. I was terrified you would die. I was crying, blaming myself for being useless. I didn’t want to lose you. All of that, mixing inside me, disrupted my Firia and pushed it beyond its limits, allowing me to regenerate a limb. But the conditions for that are complex and rare. It takes a shock that truly shakes the heart. That’s what I believe after analyzing what I did.” The flame in her hand flickered and grew as she spoke, illustrating her words.

“So, you mean your emotions gave you a power that transcended possibility and let you grow back a limb? Does it apply to other spells? If we understand the process, maybe we could replicate it – without needing that shock – to become stronger. Do you think it’s possible?” He asked, astonished by the revelation.

“Well, you saw what happened after I used it – it knocked me out. It’s dangerous to wield power not meant for normal people. And I don’t truly understand how it works – I lack the knowledge. Lo doesn’t understand human emotions, so it can’t help either. Firia is mysterious – sometimes, in certain situations, I think, it feel almost alive, like an invisible entity. But nothing guarantees that by repeating the process, Firia will let us transcend its limits again.”

Iwao looked disappointed, but then something sparked in his mind.

“That’ll be complicated, but we could try. After all, we need to grow stronger. Let’s try disrupting the Firia flow, see if we can improve what we can do.” He said, lost in thought – speaking to the wind, to himself, and to Celi.

“It could work… but I don’t want him to overuse it. He doesn’t really realize that the Firia around him is constantly disrupted. If he ever finds himself in the same situation I was in and casts an amplified spell… I can’t imagine the backlash.” Celi thought, saddened by his determination.

She extinguished the flame that had served as their light. The moons bathed them in their glow. Trying to shift the mood, she spoke again.

“Yes, maybe... but let’s not worry about that now. It’s not what matters most. Just try not to lose another limb so suddenly next time!” She teased, winking.

As she returned inside the cave, her face betrayed sadness and stress.

“I’m glad he didn’t ask me how to activate the pendant. I can’t tell him that Lo is the key. Maybe, if he never figures it out, he’ll abandon this means to access his humanity.”

Iwao fell asleep at the entrance, his head full of new information, new thoughts, and new choices to make.

When they all woke in the morning, it was time to prepare for the continuation of their adventure.

An adventure from which they would not return unharmed.

ARC 3: Training | Finished