Elegy: Lost Shadow

Anemone placed his arm over her shoulder. First things first…I need to move him away from this place before the flames scatter. The grass might be damp but the flames will still keep burning. She began running as the four bracelets pieces that fell to ground began flying and formed a part of her bracelet around her right wrist. The remaining fifteen blades kept the bystier's attention. Slashing wildly at it. The blades were stopped by its aura which was solidifying to counter them.

  As she was running, she saw a stream that come from the coiling of roots. I see, so that must be the distributary that brings water to the hot spring. I mean, we are in Redstar Forest. Every water body that exists gets its water from the same source. She sensed magic heading her way as she was running. It was a volley of flaming arrows. "Wind Art: Rampaging Blades; Independent Zephyr."

  Two blades came rushing to her side from the fifteen that were attacking the lion. The blades released gusts of wind that scattered the flames that formed the arrows. She felt her head ache as she had never had to undergo such stress before.

   Using Remnant Chaos always places such a heavy strain on my mind because it is more refined than my usual sensory ability. I mean, it does grant me advanced sight. But still, using moving blades to enhance my vision over the field while simultaneously using them to instigate attacks is far worse burden than I expected. I can understand why I always relax it when attacking.

    Almost there. She reached by the stream. She put him on the ground. She touched the water only to realize that it was still cool. So that means that the hot spring forms between here and the main hot spring body. Two Blade Alignment, Wind Art: Volley Of Zephyr. The blades began releasing gusts of wind that generated a sphere of wind. It lifted some water which she splashed on him. She lifted some more which she splashed on him.

   Her eyes rolled to her left before she saw a volley of flaming arrows heading her way. The two blades that formed the sphere separated as the sphere of wind dispelled. They aligned themselves in front of her and projected gusts of wind which scattered the flaming arrows. Now, I need to move away from where he is lying. And take its attention with me.

  Something different has become my area of concern though. Why is bystier targeting me directly? The little boy should still be the target but it hasn't yet tried to chase after him. It only shot arrows his way that one time before we split up. This way is much more convenient, I won't have to worry about protecting him. I have to stay away from Kano for the time being seeing that he won't be of any help. I hope that water I splashed him with helps him.

  When she got close to the lion, she stopped before raising her right arm. The blades returned to her and begun revolving around her. One out of the fifteen blades transformed back to a bracelet piece and joined the others around her wrist. Her aura thickened in turn. Her bright green as she begun releasing a lot of wind. "Temporal Overdrive." My whole body aches. My blades must have absorbed a lot of magic. It's a good thing I only absorbed magic from one of them.

    The bystier roared before it dashed towards her. It raised its Paw which began releasing flames, aiming to crash her. She exhaled before jumping upwards. The lion's paw crushed into the ground as the flames scattered. One of her blades closed in and sliced one of its front toes. Blood dripped from it as she looked down. I was able to cut it. Why didn't the aura solidify to defend it like before? The cut became engulfed in flames before the bleeding stopped. It shifted its gaze towards her before it roared. She looked down at it as she stood on a layer of wind that her blades were generating.

      Arrows of flames were released from its mane as it projected them towards her. She easily evaded them by moving left and then right before two of her blades aligned themselves in front of her. They released gusts of wind which scattered the flames from the arrows. Her eyes rolled to her right as she saw a paw descending. It was covered by flames as it was attempting to strike her. The two blades whose wind she stood on released another gust under them and propelled her out of the way.

     As the paw was descending, three blades aligned themselves behind her forming a circular mass of revolving blades. "Three Blade Alignment, Wind Art: Rampaging Blades; Spiraling Zephyr." She projected them straight at the bystier's paw. They sliced off its toes as she thought, I see, so that is how it works.

   I was so caught up on trying to shatter the aura that I forgot about the one important rule that we operate by. Projection magic is merely an extension of one's aura. That's why techniques like condensed fields even exist, to extend one's aura to cover a greater space. Granted, I only use mine to extend my vision and gain higher sight in Remnant Zephyr but that's just how I apply it.

  Our projections are just our aura's alternative form. When it releases flames, its aura becomes flames but when it tries to defend itself, its flames turn to aura before solidifying. That's why I can cut it when its attacking. I guess, it doesn't know how to layer two arts in one. That's fortunate.

   It crashed into the ground while its toes fell into the hot spring dyeing the water red. Its paw ignited in flames as the bleeding stopped. I am honestly starting to hate its healing factor. The blades stopped releasing gusts of wind before she started falling. When she was about to hit the ground, she released a gust of wind to slow her down before landing safely. "Huh." She looked back to where she had left Kano before she muttered, "What the hell? Why are his spiritual vibrations suddenly fluctuating? What could be happening to him while he is unconscious?"

    She jumped back to avoid an arrow. When she shifted her gaze back to the bystier, she saw a volley of arrows heading her way. Two of her blades flew toward her attempting to align themselves in front of her to defend her. Before they could release gusts of wind, a single arrow made it past them before burying itself in her left shoulder. She clenched her teeth desperately trying to stop herself from screaming as blood begun dripping from the wound. She held it tightly as she began running towards the trees passed the hot spring in hope of finding some cover.

    Meanwhile;

When Kano opened his eyes, he was in the dark void once more. He was submerged in water before he sat up. When he sat up, his head was slightly above the water level. He was feeling a strange ache in his chest. When he looked up, he saw a cloud of blue and black fog-like aura. It was flying above him.

    "It seems you still wish to help her." A voice could be heard. It was as though the fog could talk. "I have to wake up and help her," he replied as he got back to his feet.

    "Why though?"

Why?. Why are you even asking me that? The ache in his chest grew much worse.

    "Your soul really is disfigured. You can't even remember why. She isn't the one you wish to save." He felt a strong headache as he began hearing the sound of drizzle. A black fog begun being released by his heart. The ache got much worse as he recalled himself walking in the rain.

   "You need to awaken to yourself. Realize that your desire isn't real." He saw a child waking amongst the corpse. In her, all he could see was Anemone. He clenched his chest tightly as he saw it become devoured by a black fog-like aura. Every trace of her was devoured. He began tearing up as he began sobbing. "It can never be taken back."

   "No…No! That's not true. That never happened." As soon as he said those words, two blue stripes came rushing down from the fog-like aura and pierced his shoulders before forcing him back into the water. The fog gained the form of a child before falling on him. "Unravel the confusion. All you did was transplant those feelings on her." The stripes dug deeper into him as they hooked into his ribcage. Another then emerged from the back of child before it pierced a hole straight through his forehead. He stopped struggling as he closed his eyes.

  "Asim.....Asim…..Asim,"

I could hear a call as all I could see was never-ending darkness. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was Calida's crying face. As soon as I sat up, she embraced me. Nothing made sense to me as my mind was a complete blank. I was in a house I couldn't recognize. When I looked passed her, I could see a corpse lying in a pool of blood. I couldn't see its face as there was a cloud of black fog over it. "Who's that?" I muttered.

   She turned to look at it before she smiled. Her words, "You really can't remember, can you?" she let me go before she asked, "Who am I? Who am I to you?" I wondered what she could have meant by that. "You are Calida. You are my twin sister, right?" I saw the tips of her hair begin to change from black to red. Her eyes too were getting dyed to a bright crimson.

   "I am glad you still remember me. Please, don't forget me okay, I will be back, okay." Right in front of my eyes, her body was engulfed in flames. Every trace of her disappeared as the flames that consumed her left the room. I got back to my feet and was about to chase her when I slipped and fell. Slipped on a pool of blood. My shirt was dyed in it as it was cut. I lifted to check underneath only to see a scar on my torso. That was supposed to be my blood because I was skewered.

   That was the first thing I recall, where all my memories began. The day that Calida disappeared.