Chapter 203: The Mightiest Star of All (1/2)
”For there is no wish grander than life, I have been requested many a time in the past to grant it from those who had lost all hope,” a melodious, mystic-sounding voice echoed through the winds of a snowy mountain.
A man with long shimmering hair akin to diamond was standing at a cliff with a coat draped over his shoulders of which the empty sleeves flailed with the currents. His hands were firmly holding a crystal cane to the ground and the climate around him was parting ways for him.
Rakna was present in this scenery but it wasn't physical. He couldn't even see himself. He couldn't say anything or move. All he saw was the man's back.
”The day I perished was the day I understood why it was so precious. Do not get me wrong. I have always grasped its importance. I have witnessed countless tears being shed for its sake. I have in the past found myself in some predicaments. For instance, on one side…”
He lifted his left hand and gently extended it. ”I had a young woman wishing for life to me. She told me in tears that she was not ready for her end. But that wish of hers came at the cost of an innocent young man. On the other side…”
He put his hand back on the cane and extended his right one. ”I had a young man wishing for life to me. He recounted to me of how much he had yet to accomplish. But that wish of his came at the cost of an innocent young woman.”
He placed both of his hands back on the knob of his cane and paused. ”They were not necessarily malicious of each other. They merely were put on opposite sides destined to clash. Thus, a balance of which I was the master came to be. Both wished identically. The decision was mine to take.”
”I could save one. But I could not save the other. I could not break my oath and save both. If one of them had wished for their united salvation, it would have been much simpler… Do you know what I chose in the end?” He asked the wind and waited for an answer that never came.
But he knew for sure he was being listened to. He knew that an answer to his question was being formed. With a smile in his voice, he continued, ”I demanded a price. They offered me one each. I allowed anything. Their time, memories, belongings, feelings, accomplishments, bonds…”
”And I picked… the one who offered the less,” he concluded and looked at the sky. ”I figured, a life only has so much worth to it. If someone were to try and abandon everything that makes up all of it, they do not deserve it as much, do they? You do not understand life if you believe that staying alive is better than losing everything.”
He sighed and began to pace around the mountain, his back still facing Rakna's sight. ”You; I chose you as my chalice. My Chalice of Wishes. You; who has no wishes. You; who has lost all of what you had before even obtaining it. You; who understands that pain is not the end. You; who knows that life is something you own, not receive.”
”I am… the Sage of The Crystal Mountain,” the man said wistfully and turned around. His beautiful appearance, graced by a smile, bowed. ”To awaken me; wishing is not the key. Do not pretend to not understand yourself; you do not wish. Remember, you are the Chalice. Never forget, you, we are our own dreams. We are our own fantasies. And we are our own desires.”
”You will live, for that is the life you refuse to let go of. You will not let it slip through your fingers as it is not in your nature. Forever live. Never perish. Always own your wishes. We will see each other again, Rakna Xiorra Blade. That day will be the day we create… the Mightiest Star of All.”
The Sage slammed his cane on the ground and the snow swallowed the world.
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”Search the area! Go look for survivors and traces of people involved!” The chief of the enforcers shouted when they arrived at the battleground that had been hit by a black hole a minute ago. The city was getting more sunlight than it had in the past year combined because of it.
”Why did the System refuse our request for an Adjudicator?” The chief muttered. ”What do they mean by 'you don't have the authority to interfere'… At least, the one who cast that horrifying spell managed to contain it to a few buildings of damage. Thankfully, there were no casualties…”
”Boss!” A member of the team shouted as they ran back from a distance. ”We found a trail of blood that led to a far building! There's someone unconscious on the roof! We think he might have flown off to during that last attack.”
The chief scowled. ”Blood? No mana or spiritual signature? He must be one of the fighters, right?”
”Well… based on his injuries, we believe so. But even after getting close to him, there was nothing we could sense from him. At first, we thought he was dead with all the blood on him. And… we also identified him, sir.”
”What? Who is it?”
”I-it's the pupil of Obsidian and the Council's new member; Rakna Xiorra.”
The chief's eyes widened in shock. ”'Authority'… Quick! Call healers! Use your items on him! You better not let him die; at all costs!”
”Understood, sir!” The subordinate replied and flew off.