the one who remembers

The next morning, Cale got up before sunrise as usual, went to the bathroom, and took a quick shower. Then he slipped into his uniform, fastened his sword to his hip, and smoothed his unusually short blond hair. Aaron's uniform hung right next to him, which he had left to dry overnight and now folded neatly.

As he descended the stairs, Cale expected to find Aaron already awake. High-Magicians usually needed very little sleep, and Cale secretly suspected that Aaron had stayed up all night, engrossed in one of his books.

To his surprise, however, the opposite was true. When Cale came down the stairs, Aaron was asleep on the couch and didn't move even when Cale stopped right next to him. This was very strange, because Cale knew that Aaron was a light sleeper and didn't like to stay overnight with anyone he didn't trust.

It took Cale a moment to realize that Aaron wasn't just exhausted... he was sick.

He lay there, breathing heavily, his skin damps with sweat, his face turned toward the back of the couch, while Cale stood indecisively beside him. Silently, he put the folded uniform aside, sat down carefully on the couch, and reached out to touch Aaron's forehead.

It was burning hot, as if he had been sitting in the blazing sun for hours.

It was the exact opposite of Grischa back then - he had been so cold that frost had formed on his skin. Cale involuntarily recalled his face as he watched Aaron slowly open his eyes and turn toward him with heavy movements.

"Good morning. You have caught a cold, haven't you?", Cale said quietly, switching to the back of his fingers. Aaron, on the other hand, now lay on his back and looked up at the blond-haired man with weak eyes, without saying anything. "It's okay. Just keep sleeping."

Aaron did as he was told and closed his eyes again without uttering a single sound. For a few minutes, Cale sat motionless beside him, watching the sleeping man with concerned eyes.

How in the world did that happen? Had he really been out in the rain for too long, or was he like William, not realizing how his fever had slowly set in? Had Aaron ever been in such a situation in his other lives?

<What should I do now? I have to go to training and have classes all day, but I can't leave him alone. What if something happens to him?>

He carefully withdrew his hand and remained sitting upright next to Aaron. The High-Magician must have found the situation quite uncomfortable himself, after all, he hardly knew Cale. Aaron was currently in a completely unfamiliar environment and should, at best, recover first before he could think about flying home. The fact that he had simply accepted his defeat and trusted that he could stay with Cale was a sign that he needed to trust him a little. From what he had learned about Aaron in his other lives, there was a good reason why he was dismissive of strangers. Even Grischa had taken several years before Aaron slowly opened up to him.

<Sometimes Aaron is really... stupid.>

Cale gently got up again, unbuttoned his coat, and walked up the stairs. He fetched a shallow bowl of water and a small towel from the bathroom, which he then brought downstairs, moistened, and placed on Aaron's forehead. He briefly aired out the room and pulled his blanket up to his neck before going to the kitchen and bringing back a full glass of water. Cale placed it next to the glass on the table and sighed quietly.

Aletta wasn't here, and he still hadn't learned any healing magic. So he had no choice but to let Aaron's body fight it off on its own. Cale decided to skip his voluntary training in the morning and just go to class. But if Aaron didn't feel better in the next two hours, Cale would really have a problem.

Cale sat down inconspicuously next to Aaron on the floor and leaned his arm on the couch. The longer he looked at Aaron, the greater his feelings of guilt became, and after a while, his death stuck in Cale's mind. Cale would never be able to forget the feeling of carrying his lifeless body in his arms.

At that time, Cale had felt so powerless. Although he had always known that the battle with the creatures would not be easy, he had subliminally developed a feeling of security and superiority. When Aaron faced three Thormod leaders alone, Cale felt real panic for the first time in a long time. He knew that Aaron was not a mage who would win a frontal confrontation while outnumbered. That's why he was so worried about him and ran towards him without a real plan.

Only to be forced to watch him die. Cale hated himself for that. He always wanted the best for his old colleague, which is why he couldn't cope with anyone getting hurt because of him. That's why he tended to take care of things on his own, as he had painfully realized in his last life.

Seeing Aaron in such a state triggered a similar feeling in him. Aaron had come to Bellator because of him. Because of him, Aaron was standing in the cold rain without proper clothes, and because of him, Aaron was now sick. The longer he sat next to him, the worse the memories became and the greater his feelings of guilt.

Until Fengari got up after an hour and contacted him in his thoughts.

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<"Why are you still here?">, Fengari asked irritably.

<"I'm skipping training today. Aaron isn't feeling well.">

<"Not feeling well? Is he sick?">

<"He has a fever and is sleeping right now, yes.">

<"It's a good thing you forced him to stay here tonight. Imagine what could have happened on the way home">, the dragon interjected, and Cale immediately felt a shiver run down his spine.

She was absolutely right. A High-Magician took about four hours to get to Altona, and in his current state, Aaron would probably have collapsed halfway there. Cale immediately imagined the Eldest contacting him in the middle of the night, concerned that Aaron had not yet returned, and how he and Fengari would search the entire area for him.

<"I don't even want to think about that">, Cale replied, shaking his head.

<"So what are you going to do now? Can you just skip your classes?">

<"I actually have to inform Mamoru, because unexcused absences are not allowed.">

<"But you don't know where he is right now.">

<"Exactly.">

<"Can't you ask Cedrik or Jarle to excuse you? They both live in that big apartment building on the main square.">

<"I could... actually do that. Fengari, you're a genius!">

<"I know">, the dragon replied arrogantly, and although Cale couldn't see her at the moment, he knew she was grinning.

After a few minutes, she came down the stairs in her school uniform and quietly crept up to Cale to take a quick look at Aaron. Then she fled to the kitchen, grabbed a prepared sandwich, and said goodbye to Cale. With a soft click, the door closed, and Cale was left alone with the High-Magician.

"Sir Adenia?", the dark-haired mage spoke up a moment later, and Cale turned his attention from the front door to Aaron in surprise.

"Did we wake you?"

"What time is it?", Aaron replied simply, slowly sitting up. Cale immediately jumped to his feet and helped him before removing the cloth from his forehead.

"Half past five."

"I should go."

"You should do one thing above all: rest", Cale admonished him, giving Aaron a cool look, so that Aaron paused and began to cough a moment later. Cale immediately grabbed the bottle of water and filled his glass before handing it to Aaron. Without a word, Aaron took the drink and took large gulps before pausing briefly and then turning to Cale. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine...", Aaron began, but at the same time, Cale shook his head. Aaron paused involuntarily and corrected his statement after a short pause. "I'm quite dizzy, my throat hurts, and I have hardly any strength in my body. I feel like I've been hit by a rock."

"Didn't you notice the fever coming on yesterday?", Cale asked with a gentle smile, resting his head on Aaron's pillow so that the High-Magician understood the instruction and lay back down.

"My throat was a little scratchy, but that's all", Aaron replied, exhaling deeply as if he had to make an effort to stay awake.

"I see. Take better care of your body in the future, will you promise me that?"

"I'll try, although I have to admit that I rarely get sick."

"You're not immortal."

"I know", Aaron replied, closing his eyes again. Cale, on the other hand, moistened the cloth again, wrung out the excess water, and placed it on Aaron's forehead without him opening his eyes.

"Get some sleep. I'll go into town and get you some fever-reducing medicine."

"You really don't have to do that, Sir Adenia. I don't want to keep you away from work..."

"Zod", Cale interrupted him in a calm voice. "You're welcome to just call me by my first name."

"Zod", Aaron repeated, after a short pause.

"You're not keeping me from anything. Don't worry."

"I really don't want to be a burden to you."

"You're not", Cale replied gently, finally standing up.

He stretched briefly and glanced around the room before turning his attention to Aaron. Now that it was slowly getting lighter outside, he could see how pale the mage's face actually was.

"I won't be gone long, I promise."

Cale also placed the bowl on the table and walked toward the entrance. He slipped into his shoes and coat as quietly as possible before hiding his sword underneath and quietly saying goodbye to Aaron.

An even quieter "thank you" was heard from the High-Magician.

Cale left the house and stepped outside. The streets were lined with puddles, and though the sky was still heavy with clouds, yesterday's rain had done the land some good - everything seemed to be bursting back to life. But Cale had no time to admire the calm after the storm. With a few agile steps he leapt upward, vaulted onto a nearby roof, and vanished across the city's skyline.

Normally, he would not allow himself to display his power so obviously, but thanks to the cloak, no one should be able to recognize who he was. Light as a feather, he hopped from building to building, heading for the soldiers' quarters, before coming to a sudden halt. He sensed Jarle and Cedrik's mana, so he made a sharp turn and landed in front of the two men on the street with an elegant movement. The two men jumped in surprise, and other residents who were also out and about were no less surprised.

"Zod?", Jarle said in surprise when he recognized his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning, you two. I need to ask for a favor."

"A favor?"

"I can't come to class today. A friend is staying with me and he has a high fever. Can you excuse me from school and tell Mamoru that I won't be coming today?"

"Of course", Cedrik said, glancing at Jarle, who also nodded.

"Make sure you don't miss too many classes. The palace doesn't like that at all."

"I know", Cale replied to the nobleman's statement. "Thank you."

"You're welcome", Jarle and Cedrik replied in unison, watching as Cale jumped onto a canopy, then pushed off from the opposite wall and disappeared.

The two young soldiers stared in amazement at the spot where Cale had disappeared. They had never seen anyone who could move so skillfully and, on top of that, appear to be weightless.

"How does he do that?", Cedrik asked enviously.

"He's a swordmaster, I guess they can just do it."

"Still, he must have learned it somehow, right? I mean, how does he not slip and how does he move as if his body were as light as a feather?"

"Mana", Jarle explained the obvious and signaled to his colleague that they should get back on their way.

But as they continued on their way, something else was gnawing at Jarle. It was less Zod's ease that preoccupied him - it was the way Zod Adenia had tracked them down. Almost as if he knew exactly where they were.

"I think I'll ask him later how he does it", Cedrik said, but Jarle wasn't really listening. Instead, Jarle wondered if Zod Adenia had an ability that allowed him to track other people over long distances.

Maybe it was a form of magic. Maybe it was a technique used by sword masters, or maybe it was just instinct. Whatever it was... Jarle wanted to learn it.