The single word, " Malevolence," hung in the air between them, heavy and cold, like a shroud. Elias still sat on the grass, his small body trembling uncontrollably, sweat plastering strands of hair to his forehead. The terror of that unseen gaze, that profound, malevolent emptiness, lingered like a phantom chill in his very bones. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his eyes, wide and unfocused, stared at nothing, lost in the memory of a sensation too vast and evil to comprehend.
Aina remained kneeling beside him, her hand still firmly on his shoulder, though the Flow-infused touch had long since dissipated. Her face was a mask of stern composure, but her eyes, usually so devoid of emotion, held a deep, troubled glint that Elias, in his current state of terror, failed to notice. She watched him, assessing the depth of his distress, a flicker of self-reproach crossing her features. She had pushed him too far, too fast, without adequate preparation.
"Elias," she began, her voice low and grave, pulling his attention back to her.
"Listen carefully. What you experienced… it is a danger inherent in perceiving Flow. A fundamental rule you must understand."
He blinked, trying to focus on her face, but the words seemed to swim in his ears.
"When you perceive the Flow of a creature," Aina continued, her tone becoming didactic, as if delivering a lecture, despite the gravity of the situation, "they can perceive yours as well. It is a two-way street, Elias. A connection forged by the act of sensing."
She paused, allowing the words to sink in. "Think of it like this: when you look directly at someone, they feel your gaze, do they not? They know they are being watched and if course are going to stare back at you. Now they will either ignore,or they will approach. Perceiving Flow is basically thread of your very essence, reaching out. They can feel that , and they can trace it back to you. They can see you just as you can see them."
Elias shivered. The analogy clicked, chilling him further. He had not just seen something; he had alerted it. He had exposed himself, a tiny, vulnerable child, to something vast and evil.
"You were noticed, Elias," Aina stated, her voice devoid of accusation, only stark fact. "And that is a grave danger. This world is not a safe place. It is not exclusive to us Earthborn alone."
She rose to her feet, her gaze sweeping across the tranquil garden, as if seeing beyond its beauty to the hidden threats that lurked.
"Beyond our sight, beyond our perception and understanding, exist beings of immense power. The Akuma, born of Anti-Flow. The Aether, beings of pure elemental Flow, both ancient and often indifferent to mortal affairs."
Elias's mind, despite its terror, latched onto the new information.
Akuma. Aether. Names from ancient texts, whispered legends in the manor library. He had thought them mere stories since it had been thousands of years since any of the two other races where last seen,most likely the ramblings of a senile old man or stories made up to scare children into good behavior. But Aina spoke of them as fact, with a chilling certainty.
"And there are other creatures," she continued, her voice dropping, "far older, far stronger than human. Beings whose power can shatter mountains, whose will can bend reality,beings that must not be mentioned lest they hear their names being called."
The weight of her words pressed down on Elias. He had been so proud of his progress with Flow, of his Spirit-Domain. Now it all felt like a curse, a beacon drawing unseen predators. His earlier fear intensified, twisting into a sick knot in his stomach.
' Dies expects to teach me gratitude in such a dangerous world? How? Don't tell me...'
Aina turned back to him, her gaze piercing. "To prevent detection, you must learn to suppress your own Flow signature. To make yourself quiet. To make yourself invisible to others' senses. This involves internalizing your Flow more deeply, pulling it inward, muffling its presence."
She demonstrated, her own Flow, which Elias had just perceived as a cold, sharp blade, seeming to recede, becoming almost imperceptible even to his now heightened senses.
"And when you sense, you must do so with a light touch, Elias. A brief brush against another's Flow, like a whisper in the wind. Never a deep, prolonged gaze, for that reveals your presence, allows them to trace you back."
She paused, then added, "Advanced practitioners can even learn to blend their Flow with the ambient Flow of their surroundings, becoming virtually invisible. That will come later."
Elias listened, trying to absorb the information, but his mind was still reeling from the encounter. The ominous energy, the feeling of being noticed.He was still trembling, his small body shivering despite the warmth of the sun. He felt utterly drained, physically and emotionally.
Aina observed him, her eyes softening almost imperceptibly. His distress was profound.
"That's enough for the day, Elias," she said, her voice gentler than he had ever heard it, though still firm.
"You've exerted a lot of energy. Go inside and rest."
She extended a hand. Elias, still feeling weak, instinctively reached for it. Her grip on his small hand was firm, strong, and reassuring. It was a stark contrast to her usual coldness, a rare moment of physical comfort from his demanding tutor. Elias felt a subtle sense of calm spread through him, a fleeting sense of safety in her unwavering presence. He didn't fully understand why her touch felt so comforting, but he clung to it as she helped him to his feet and gently led him back towards the manor.
Aina however was troubled. She looked over her shoulder, her gaze fixed on the spot where Elias had sat before looking beyond the garden and into the distance. She wore a mask of composure but raw, unadulterated turmoil boiled within her.
Malevolence.
The word echoed in her mind, a chilling pronouncement. When that ominous being had sensed Elias, she had felt its gaze as well. It had been a fleeting touch, a brush of pure malice. It had been like a shard of ice piercing her own carefully guarded Soul, a brief, horrifying connection to something vast and profoundly evil.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, not with the familiar warmth Elias sometimes elicited, but with cold dread. The Creature's reach, its ability to perceive even a nascent Flow-user like Elias ,and herself through him, was alarming. It suggested the danger was closer, more active, more aware than she had anticipated, even within the supposed safety of their territory, protected by Lord Alaric's formidable presence.
This was not a matter to be handled alone. The implications were too vast, the threat too profound. It had seen them.
Aina left Elias Infront of his room and after a reassuring pat on his head told him to get some rest and turned, heading for the central part of the manor,her movements swift and decisive, her face once again a mask of grim determination. She would report this to Lord Alaric.
Just to be safe.
The safety of her little brother, her charge, depended on it.