Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 296: Open your eyes (2)

Even the Heaven had help him. 

Sometime he has this thought. 

Did Heaven help him? Or is it something else? For some reason, Arial believe that finding the seals in the basement of that Secret Library is not purely by chance. 

For some reason, he had this nagging suspicion that there is something else. That all that happens is not purely by chance. 

That there are some forces in this world that want him to find that seal. Of course in this second life, the seals are not recreated. 

Arial confirm it. After all the seal last time was created as a sign of the last desperation of humanity. 

A last desperate action. Even till these days Arial could not believe how lucky he was to see that seal and understand it in time to activate it. 

Is it just coincidence? Fate? Destiny? Or something else? Sometimes these thought plaque Arial mind. 

However, there is something else he also thought about. If the seal is not created how could he still be here? 

How could he still remember? Did he really travel through time? Or is it something else? A paradox? 

How could he still remember? If traveling through time is deemed impossible why did he succeed? 

What is special about him? 

Now he is special. But before? He was nothing but a coward, a normal person, living day by day, hoping to survive, and living in a world that have no mercy.

All this and more. He could not help but ask question. Arial understand something in his long years of living. 

Sometimes, just sometimes, the question is more important than the answer. Then realizing he is not paying attention to his training Arial once again focused back his attention to the task at hand.

Arial also knows that there is inner skill and martial skill. Inner skill means internal energy skill and martial skill mean external attack.

Arial know he mostly excel in inner skill instead of external. But he could not be greedy. It's not like he wanted to learn all the skill in the world. 

But to let himself be weak? No, that is unforgivable. He knows the feeling of the weak. There is no excuse for him now to become weak again. 

He has been born and raised by one of the most powerful family in the continent, even though that family rise is mostly Arial doing, but still. 

He has been given advantages he is not been given in his past life. He was weak. Now he is strong. 

And to let himself being weak again? Out of the question. But Arial also understand why he is weak. 

In a way it is his enlightenment. The reason he is weak is not because he was lazy in his past life. 

It was not because he did not come from a rich family. It is not because his parents die. It is hopelessness. 

The absence of hope in a dark and cruel world. 

Where the strong oppress the weak. If there was a sliver of hope, a light to shine the way, Arial might have the strength to fight in that last battle in Renasia. 

Maybe he would have come out from the Library, and hand the secret manuals and the weapons he found in the basement to the Human Army but he did not.

Because he had no hope. He found no hope in that world. There is nothing worth preserving anymore during that time. 

He has no one to live for. No one to fight for. No one to love. No one to make it all…. worth it. 

If he had found these in his first life, if he has even any of that, people to love, people to fight for, maybe he wouldn't have run. 

Hope makes you stronger. Arial admitted. More than fear. Hope is stronger than fear. It doesn't make you weak. 

It always makes you stronger, tempered with patience. Because hope is a possibility. A possibility where things will be better. 

And that possibility makes the dark and cold world bearable. It is for that reason Arial was weak before. 

He has lost hope.

Never again. He promised this to himself during his days making sure that the Demon Army never cross that Wall. And now the future is changed. 

Everything has changed. He has someone to love. Things to protect. People that makes all this…... worth it.

Arial keep practicing the swordplay even though he could already hear the chattering conversation outside. 

It seems the other schools have arrived. From their footsteps it seems they also searching for a cave. 

Someone stumble into Arial cave but looking at the name carved outside on the cave entrance that person quickly run along and finds another cave to inhabit. 

By now most school have been acquainted with the rules. Most of them also began training. 

Arial did not practice Imposing Presence today, only swordplay. 

When night came, Arial sit cross legged, open his knapsack, brought out a few foods he gathers in the forest and eat it.

Arial then stand up and lean on the cave entrance looking at the stars. For some reason Arial could not take his eyes off the glittering stars that is twinkling in the night sky.josei

'I miss you' he mutters under his breath. 

'Every day, I'm missing you' he said as he looked at the twinkling star.

"If I could sing you a love song, Elvenan. I still remember that eyes that looked at mine. How you hit me with laugh when I least expect it. It never gets easier, missing you. And sometimes I wonder if it ever will." 

He sighed

Arial close his eyes and he enter the scape. In the real world he is seen leaning on the cave entrance shutting his eyes. 

But in the Scape, Velamina is in front of him, sitting on the Plains, the grass dances around her feet, holding a bottle of wine on her hand, with that mischievous smile and her lively green eyes.

'I look at you several times a day enduring this pain. I want to hug you.'

Arial look at the memories, reminiscing, looking at the simulated day when he and Velamina on the Plains. 

'I miss it. Kissing you. Hugging you. But why is my tear falling today?'

The visage of her smiling brightly is burn inside his head is such a powerful image that Arial could never cast it off. 

He blames her before. Not anymore. 

'Return to me' he prays.

When someone you love leave, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time. 

Her scent fades, her touch forgotten, her quirks become blurry in the images of your mind. Day by day, weeks by weeks, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. 

Just when the day comes, when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, there comes another day, and another specifically missing part. 

And feeling this Arial is choked with a feeling of longing, seeing the stars in the skies. 

Looking at Velamina, Arial look again at this image of her, this beautiful image of her forever embedded in his mind, replayed a thousand times in his mind. 

Everything about her, no matter how hard he tries, no matter how he struggles he could not forget her.

And then he opens his eyes. Tears are in his eyes. Looking at the stars he wiped his tear and return to the cave and sleep.

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