Eternal Elysium

Opening my eyes, I found myself lying on the ground.

"How are you feeling…?" Someone asked cautiously. I turned my head to the right and saw Elias looking at me with a frown on his face.

"Aside from the back pain… I… I feel everything is alright and complete." I answered hesitantly.

Elias' lips twitched as he heard my reply, and then his gaze turned to look at Morgana who had fallen asleep not long ago on her chair.

"How long was I out for?"

Standing up, I dusted off my clothes. And started to stretch myself letting my bones crack. My gaze moved in the room silently as I found nothing had changed.

'I had been out for quite some time… but not by much.'

I could calculate the time… but I somehow felt asking was better right now.

"Two days have passed since you fell asleep… it's the middle of the night right now." Elias paused, his gaze turned sharp as he watched me carefully before speaking.

"You look different but I can't seem to tell how?"

"I feel the same."

Another voice answered as we both turned to look at Morgana, she blinked and rubbed her eyes. Then again with a stoic face, she said.

"He… Asher looks mature, not just his face. It feels as if the childish demeanor around him has vanished in thin air."

I frowned and tilted my head softly before taking a step back and asking.

"What do you mean…?"

Morgana nodded understanding both their confusion, then in a small voice she said.

"Lord Elias has not known you for a long time… and I also don't know much about you. But Asher you look calm… that's the kind of change that radiates from you right now."

Snap!

Elias snapped his finger and smiled before speaking loudly.

"That's it! He feels calmer now."

'So loud…'

"I, I see… I will check what's wrong later… Um, you both don't look surprised I woke up so early?"

Elias fell silent for a moment, his gaze moved, looking at my heart. Then in an awkward voice, he answered back by licking his lips.

"Well, it seems like I— No, we had forgotten about the mark of stars given to you by Goddess Celestia… But that was a reasonable mistake, it's our instinct to ignore what stands above us."

He paused, as a grin framed over his thin face.

"After all survival is a must… and life will do whatever it can to fight death."

Hearing words, doubts entered my mind. I knew that the words he told were more on the abstract side rather than just guesses or polite words of wisdom by an ancient entity. His words held secrets and knowledge. Something I can't understand right now…

But I will one day. And that day was not very far away.

Meanwhile, Morgana nodded her head as if she had clearly understood what he truly meant to say.

Sigh…

With a deep sigh, I walked towards one of the empty seats under the watchful gaze of Elias. Who seems to have marked me as a spectacle.

As I sat down and leaned back finally felt relaxed. I asked.

"Why are you looking at me like this?"

"Hm, just in case you have any problems left… Your soul seemed to have fully repaired itself quite early. When your heart stops beating after taking the potion, it was quite the commotion." As Elias' words trailed off, he gave Morgana a side glance and continued on.

"So, tell us what happened?"

I thought for a moment, not in any hurry to answer back. Then taking a deep breath. I said.

"The Hollows seemed to have a stronger spirit than what you had told me. The moment I took the potion, a cold dread washed over me. The Hollows started to ravage my mind with threats of death and whatnot. I chose to ignore them. Thankfully the Goddess mark gave me the necessary tools to fight Hollows will and gain enough time to find my own as well."

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Elias and Morgana stared at me in silence. They both seem to be contemplating different matters. To my surprise, the first one to speak was Morgana, who still held a stone-like face not looking like someone who had just woken up from sleep.

"How was it… fighting the Hollows."

Hearing this my lips slowly curled up into a genuine smile, as Morgana looked back in surprise.

"Describing it in words will be hard. But I will try my best." I paused, then in a calm voice added.

"The Hollows I saw was colossal, its figure reached the sky and its length was that of a sea that continued to expand… But that was not the most dreadful thing about it. The bone-chilling killing intent it radiated and its robust will to tear my soul apart and take over me was what caused me genuine fear."

"That sounds almost like a deity… Asher, you were truly lucky to have Goddess Celestia's blessings." Morgana said with a strange face.

Elias chuckled as he heard Morgana speaking with an amazed look in her eyes. We both turned to look at him in confusion as he raised his finger and pointed it towards me.

"There were two reasons why you must have thought that the battle was tough isn't it Asher. If Morgana would have been in Asher's place she would have been able to do it way more easily."

Morgana frowned and gave Elias a stern glare before saying calmly.

"Lord Elias, that's a very rude thing to say. Asher had managed to accomplish a feat that should have not been possible for anyone else in his position."

"Lady Morgana, what Lord Elias just stated is the truth," I said, stopping her mid-sentence.

"How so…?" Morgana asked calmly, not questioning it any further.

"While it's true what I achieved is quite a big feat for someone like me, just like you said. However, Lord Elias' words were also true. Even though the Hollows spiritual projection in my soul was vast and god-like it could have been easily eradicated through goddess support but the problem was my will and the Hollows will clash."

"Ah, I see. I understand now. Since you didn't have a will all this time, the Hollows still held the high ground over your soul." Morgana said, not needing any further clarification.

"Yes, its will while strong was not enough to withstand mine or yours will." I smiled and continued on.

"After all, the Hollows were already dead long ago."

Seeing Morgana nod her head, I sighed and looked at her and then at Elias for a few seconds before asking.

"Lady Morgana… it might be a little rude for me to ask but you and Lord Elias seem very close. Are you by chance related?"

Elias chuckled but didn't answer as Morgana sighed.

"Remember what I said previously. I had the opportunity to meet several teachers from a very young age. He was one of them… he is like an uncle who I don't want to see much."

"Pfft—"

No matter how hard I tried to keep a straight face, Morgana's words were far beyond what I could have ever imagined, especially saying all this with a deadpan face.

It was too much!

Even Elias who had been silent all this while had his face hardened as his eyes twitched.

Gritting my teeth, I lowered my head trying not to laugh as Elias still had his face red in shame. Then with a small coughing sound, Elias smiled before speaking

"Ah, Morgana's words are as spiteful as usual. I still remember something around 130 years ago when I first saw the little you. Laughing, ah no you still didn't smile much even at that time… hiding behind Undying like a small puppy." As Elias' words turned into a quiet whisper a small nostalgic smile appeared on his face as he looked at us in a daze.

"That was 120 years ago, not 130… Lord Elias old age is finally catching up with you." Morgana smirked and answered but I couldn't help but the annoyance flickering through her eyes.

'She looks… offended.' Shaking my head, I again stared at her face.

'No calling it a smirk is also wrong… her lips haven't moved up even by an inch. Rather her lips are curled down by millimeters.'

Then a thought crossed my mind.

'She is over a hundred years old!'

"What is it?" Morgana asked as saw me staring at her for quite some time now.

"Ahem… Well, we were going off-topic."

"And whose fault do you think it was?" Elias grumbled with an annoyed look.

'Am I the only mature one here…?'

I already feel like sighing a lot. What happened when I was asleep?

'No, wait they said my heart stopped!'

"Wait, didn't you two say my heart stopped? What happened after I fell?"

Hearing my panicked voice, Morgana and Elias looked at each then gave unusually calm reactions.

"You fell on the floor, the moment the potion touched your mouth after that started a series of seizures and your body trembling every few seconds as your body went pale and cold," Morgana said.

Hearing this cold sweat started to trickle down my neck as a cold chill ran down my back.

The situation was much more serious than what I had previously imagined. I thought I had so much time in my soul due to the endless regions of the white world but my body was not endless.

It still had its limits.

A limit of being human.

"After that, your heart stopped but the mark given to you by goddess blessing activated and illuminated over your heart. Even before you woke up it had been very bright and shining all the time giving you the necessary origin to keep you alive and heal your soul."

Elias continued as Morgana stopped and leaned back on her chair. Her eyes looked at mine with a soft expression and sighed deeply being tired from the stress.

"I see… Thank you for your help." I didn't say much as this was my reward. I don't need to be overly humble.

Unlike those who had the status of strength and members of Temple. My status was different— I had the blessings of the Goddess. Being too humble would also be disrespectful towards them.

I closed my eyes.

'After all, she is on my side…'

This thought unknowingly made me smile but I stopped it and looked at the window, it was dark. Unusually dark.

As if nothing existed outside this room.

'Has the room been locked from reality itself?'

It was a possible outcome after all Elias was called Saint of Paths. He should have powers related to that of controlling space.

I wasn't sure as nothing was absolute. I still had to figure out my own abilities relation to my source even after finding my path and will.

"There is still some time after all…"

"About what, Asher?"

Morgana frowned, her voice edged with suspicion.

I smiled in her direction and replied with a soft tilt of my head.

"Lady Morgana, may I ask a simple favor?"

She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, then nodded slowly.

"Yes? What is it?"

Elias watched us in silence, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"I want to borrow something," I said. "That place, to be exact—just for a few days."

Morgana's brows drew together, concern flashing across her face.

"For what?"

I grinned.

"To rob a merchant, of course! What else?"

They both stared at me, clearly wondering if they'd misheard.

Morgana's expression hardened, while Elias rubbed his temples with a sigh.

'Yeah… calm face or not, his mind's still as chaotic as ever.'