Power of Runes

After winning the duel with Ray, Ash came into the spotlight of the academy, everyone had started to at least feel a sense of fear around him, because of how Ash behaved—cold and distant towards everyone... though deep inside, he was working on it, trying to change, trying to learn how to act with the same level of respect and warmth toward everyone, regardless of their standing.

But... even though he was making the effort, no one really knew. No one could see that side of him.

So, the videos of Ash and Ray's fight were receiving way too much attention in the Academy Forum even after more than a week has passed by.

The feed was blowing up, comments exploding faster than popcorn in a hot pan.

---

@FireSpell9000

"Ash is like a damn monster, fr. One time I saw him up close, and my whole body just… froze. I've never felt that kind of fear—not even during my first monster encounter.."

@TalonEdge

"Yeah, his aura is cold and detached, like he's just… above everything. He's the epitome of fear. I swear most students avoid eye contact just so he doesn't notice them."

@RainCheckLater

"But that's exactly what makes him cool, right? I mean—cold, untouchable, and scarily charming. Like a storm in human form."

@ZephyrVex

"No cap, bro looks like he walked outta a nightmare and decided to chill in our class."

@VoidTheory

"YO. HOLD UP. You guys saw the video, right?? ASH BEAT RAY!! I CAN'T FREAKING BELIEVE IT. Ash was a hidden monster all along, like a dark horse no one bet on. Can you even process that?"

@Celestial_Tea

"Did you all see how handsome Ash looked during the fight? I swear, I felt like my heart was going to leap right out of my mouth. Like, damn!!"

@AshFanClubOfficial

"Ash is so cool and distant and mysterious. I can't get my mind off him at all... He's like the cold winter wind that cuts but still makes you miss it after it passes."

@RaySimp_94

"Okay, okay, calm down. Ray is also cool and charming, alright? You traitors are switching sides just because Ash pulled off some crazy moves. And don't forget, Ray almost won! Did you even see how Ash was just running around like a monkey dodging left and right? Ray had the edge!"

@RaySimp_94

"Ray was ranked No.1 for a reason, and he still is! All of you are fake fans..."

@SaltMage_23

"Where the hell did these two even come from? I swear, they're ruining the whole vibe with this fake drama."

@ThreadSniper

"Yo, chill. I know why they're salty. After Ash showed off that sacred aura, the girls they had a crush on suddenly switched lanes and became full-on Ash fangirls. These guys are just jealous."

@Celestial_Tea

"LOL, it's actually so sad."

@ManaDealer

"Lol! No cap, they really are just pitiful."

@AshFanClubOfficial

"But seriously though, the fight was way too close. It was neck and neck. Honestly, anyone could have won, but Ash pulled through because I think, deep down, he was just stronger... more desperate... more willing to go that far."

@RaySimp_94

"Ray all the way!! He's the future of this continent, you clowns!"

@AshFanClubOfficial

"Ash is the strongest, you tasteless dimwits. Grow some eyes!"

@ManaDealer

"Yo, can we all calm down? Why are we fighting like this? Isn't it obvious that Ash is stronger right now? That's a fact. But let's not forget, before this, Ray used to be stronger. Which makes Ash's win even more insane! He surpassed him!"

@SaltMage_23

"I cannot believe I'm surrounded by such fools... Stop acting like Ray's some side character. Don't forget he has ALL AFFINITIES. When the real future arrives, he's going to crush everyone with overwhelming power!"

@VoidTheory

"That guy's an idiot. Ash can't even be compared to Ray's 'future self'—because Ash's future self would have already crushed it."

@Celestial_Tea

"You're the idiot! Ray's talent is so rare that people used to think it was a myth. Ash's future self will shudder in front of Ray. Just wait."

@AshFanClubOfficial

"Shut it. Your future Ray won't even be able to stand straight when Ash gets serious."

@SaltMage_23

"...Well, at least we can all agree that the person above me is definitely an idiot."

@ManaDealer

"You're the idiot, idiot!"

While some argued in the comments about who was stronger between Ray and Ash, the real chaos erupted in a different direction altogether. Especially in the girls' corner of the battlefield, where the debate took a wildly different turn...

@LunaBlush

"Hey, hey, did you all see how Ash just appeared out of nowhere and smacked Ray down? Like for real... that guy is built different. He vanished like a ghost, then boom! Ray was on the floor before we even blinked..."

@CherrySparks

"Ugh, my heart was beating like crazy that day. I'm telling you, I thought I was gonna pass out right there in the crowd. But seriously, that cold glare, the way he moved... he was just so effortlessly cool and handsome. Like, dangerously cool."

@DreamyNeko

"I think I'm in love... fi—no, it's definitely love at second sight!!"

@CrimsonThorns

"What a crazy bitch! Are you really exchanging love interests like changing outfits? You were fangirling over Ray just last week! Where's your loyalty, huh? .......Also, yes, Ash is so blindingly handsome, my poor eyes can't take it!!!"

@SaltyDuck

"Look at this hypocrite fucker, can't you see who's changing crushes like they're rotating outfits in a wardrobe sale? Cheapstake..."

@CrimsonThorns

"What, bitch? Wanna fight?!"

@SaltyDuck

"Yeah, I'll take you down in a duel, you whore!!!"

@TeaWithGlory

"Keep it down, will you two? Why are you fighting like that? Did you forget Ash fought because of Elysia?"

@VelvetDusk

"...I feel jealous of Elysia. What does she have that made the two top strongest students in the academy fight because of her?"

@FairyKiss

"For real!!!!"

@MeltingClouds

"But hey, isn't it just insanely cool that Ash fought for his love like a real prince charming... Ahh! My heart can't take it..."

@ToxicRoses

"What are you, living in a fantasy tale? Expecting a prince to come riding in on a white horse...? ...AH!! Damn, now I'm getting a nosebleed just thinking about Ash riding a white horse in that black uniform..."

@RayIsMyHeart

"...What are you even saying, you all cheap background extras with no standards. Ray is the best, and he's the most handsome, I love Ray deeply. I'm gonna be the one to console him and make him fall for me!!!"

@SoftlyScreaming

"Hey, don't go telling people that, I'm already planning to find Ray and help him overcome his feelings. He hasn't even attended a single class after the duel. I'm seriously getting worried about him..."

@CherrySparks

"Yeah, if anyone finds my prince, please tell him I'm waiting for him..."

@VelvetDusk

"Me too..."

@DreamyNeko

"Me three..."

...

...

...

Looking at the comments on the video uploaded by various students, Ray sighed and put his phone down, letting it rest beside him as he continued to gaze at the empty sky, filled with clear weather...with bright sunlight gently spilling across the horizon.

Lying on the grass among wildflowers and soft blades of green, under the cool shade of a large tree, Ray was lost in thought....

After losing the duel with Ash, he came to this secret place of his—one he had discovered during his early exploration of the massive forest surrounding Starlight Academy.

It was a very inconspicuous location, buried deep within the academy's forest, so far in that one could easily lose their way. The deeper parts of this forest weren't just thick and tangled... there were also a few stronger monsters lurking around here. Yeah, it was still part of the academy's grounds, but the forest was untamed—filled with creatures that weren't too strong or too weak...

But they were strong enough to give immature kids who just joined the academy a brutal reality check... without actually killing them.

But all of this wasn't enough for Ray, who was already stronger than most of his peers.

....I feel like shit...

He wasn't attending any classes... and honestly, he was in no mood at all to show up. His mind was a chaotic mess, filled with nothing but images of Elysia... her face, her smile, her voice. Every moment he had spent trying to make her feel special, every tiny conversation they had, no matter how small—it kept replaying in his mind like a broken record.

But every time that thought bloomed inside his heart, it brought nothing but a deep, soul-wrenching frustration. His chest felt tight, his heart ached, like someone was stabbing it over and over. Nothing felt the same anymore. The world had lost its color... everything became lackluster.

They were never officially in a relationship, true, but....but... only those who have faced rejection can truly understand this pain. Only those who have gone through this kind of heartbreak can understand just how much of a confidence-breaker it is... how much of a slow, creeping mental torture that experience becomes.

It is.....so damn hard to swallow—when someone tries too hard to win over that one girl, when someone does everything in their power just to see her smile, when someone gives their all, just to...feel worthy...just to be noticed...just to matter to her.

And at the end of it all, when that one girl turns away, when she looks at someone else... when she rejects you—whether it's a soft friendzone or a brutal, cold refusal—it hits different. It crushes you. It's hard to face... anyone after that.

Should I.....die?

No, I can't.....I haven't fulfilled my revenge against the demon who killed my parents, my soul won't rest before I kill him....

Ray just wanted to disappear, to hide away from everyone and everything... to vanish from the world, never to face another soul again.

But his ambition...his burning desire to avenge his parents, to tear apart the monster that destroyed his family, that motivation was too deeply carved into his heart. It was a fire that refused to die...and so he couldn't end his life. Not yet.

I don't know....I just feel empty, my heart is aching but my tears won't stop, my throat feels dry even though I'm not speaking...my breathing becomes rough even though I'm not running....I didn't know it hurts this much....

It's different...the pain I'm feeling right now is far more confusing and unbearable than the pain I felt when my parents died...

For the past full week, Ray had done nothing but sit in misery...wailing, screaming inside, silently suffering as his emotions clawed at his insides. He felt betrayed...but deep down, he knew he couldn't blame her. He didn't expect much to begin with. He knew what he was getting himself into. He knew the ending might not be beautiful. He still went through with it. He followed what his heart whispered.

And now he had learned the hard way...

That the heart...is fragile.

Way too fragile.

There is a saying goes, that says...

If it stays, it's love...

If it ends, it's love story....

And if it never begins,

It's poetry..

"Hey, Aetheris..."

{I am listening.}

"Do you remember anything about Gods?" Looking at the sky blankly, he asked, sprawled in the grass, his eyes were unfocused, staring into nothingness.

{I don't...for now, that is....}

"I see...you know, when my mother was alive...she used to say...that everything that happens in the world is the will of the Gods. Whether it is good or bad, and that every bad thing teaches you something, and every good thing is a reward for your efforts. Is it true..?....Is it true....that everything happens with the will of Gods?"

Aetheris was silent for a long, long time. And after thinking for quite a while, he finally answered...

{No...I don't think that everything happens with the will of Gods.....}

"I see, it's good then. I was thinking....that if everything did indeed happen with the will of Gods, then doesn't that make God the greatest sinner?"

{....}

{For how long are you going to live like this, in this miserable state.....}

But in the end, even Aetheris went silent.

Being connected to Ray's soul, and feeling everything he was feeling, was not something pleasant...in fact, it was hard to endure. That kind of pain, the heavy weight of everything breaking inside, that kind of emptiness...it slowly spreads, and it doesn't let go easily.

So, in the end, he said nothing more...just staying quiet, remaining by Ray's side, keeping him company without any more words.

He knew... rather than trying to force healing with words or wisdom... it was better to let time do its work.

Because there is no magic that can heal the wounds of love, and there is no medicine that can treat the disease named...love.

Love is the only medicine that can heal the wounds caused by love...

And the sole cure of the disease named Love.

And right now...he had none.

Just then a voice called him out, "I knew you would be here..."

***