In the grand halls of Riosa Castle in the Southern Regal, Andrei found himself awakening once more, his body drenched in cold sweat. The wheezing of his breath echoed sharply in the stillness of the air.
Once again, magic had proven futile. With each attempt, it callously discarded him on the arduous journey to reunite with the other half of his soul, leaving behind significant injuries. The persistent hacking cough lingered before gradually relenting.
Limping on one leg, Andrei navigated his way to the living room, collapsing wearily onto the sofa. How long had he sat there, his head bowed as if lifeless? With the dawn breaking beyond the curtained window, Duke Bellator, concerned for the emperor’s well-being, discovered him.
“Your Majesty, are you alright? Why can’t you sleep… Your complexion doesn’t look good.”
In a voice strained and fractured, Andrei murmured, “Has the envoy returned? Is there still no news from Barnon…?”
The envoy dispatched to his trusted ally and friend, who had ventured north, remained unresponsive. Despite anticipating immediate feedback from the magic-infused pigeon, there was still a conspicuous absence of any sensory signals.
“Perhaps the caster was feeble, and the envoy couldn’t endure… Or maybe something has befallen Barnon,” Andrei fretted.
“There’s no way. Your Grace knows Conrad is a resilient individual. Given the considerable distance to the north, please allow a few more days. Try to ease your mind. It’s unsettling to ponder the consequences if this persists,” Duke Bellator reassured.
“It’s already happening, Duke,” Andrei sighed, resigned. “Time is running out.”
“Your Majesty, why speak in such a manner!”
“I’ve said it before. Without Elise, I am nothing.”
His vacant left eye twitched.
Recently, Andrei’s entire focus had fixated on his elusive twin sister, despite exhausting various magical avenues.
The power of magic hasn’t vanished.
The initial spell that Andrei had embedded in the core of Elise’s being was a magical seal designed to separate the destinies of the twin siblings.
Over the past four generations of the Argan Imperial family, not a single magician had emerged. In a response seemingly answering the imperial family’s long-held prayers, the current generation witnessed the birth of twins, both endowed with a power surpassing any emperors chronicled in Gallian history. However, this extraordinary power came with a unique vulnerability – when separated, the twins became devoid of individual strength.
The girl possessed magical prowess comparable to the direct descendants of Sameshita but lacked the circuitry to translate the immense magical energy, existing as little more than an intangible force, into practical magic. Conversely, the boy exhibited the opposite scenario.
In analogy, it resembled a shell and a core. The outer shell, fortified through successive trials, absorbed the delicate essence but left the core vulnerable and defenseless, draining its magic to nourish the shell.
At the age of fifteen, following his sister’s attempted suicide, Andrei dedicated the next few months to finding a solution. While unable to completely sever the tightly entwined souls and destinies, his goal was to encourage some degree of independence, making them function as quasi-individual entities. At the very least, he aspired to enable Elise to exist like an ordinary person.
Leaving only a slender and extended bridge between himself and Elise, Andrei erected a dam to sever their connection. As a result, his sister, no longer depleted of life force, including magic, flourished into unprecedented health and began to blossom into womanhood. Conversely, Andrei’s magical abilities, once acclaimed as the resurgence of the great Gallian and fueled by her essence, abruptly came to a standstill. The brilliance that had once surpassed the majesty of a fading Argan and effortlessly commanded Grandel dissipated and disappeared.
Argan, surrounded by protective barriers sustained by the magical power of the aristocracy, witnessed the encroachment of barbarians as these defenses weakened one by one. Nevertheless, the conduit linking the siblings remained resilient. Even with the connection blocked, Elise remained Andrei’s sustenance and the essence of his magic. Consequently, she was the cherished treasure of Argan and the seed of blessings embraced by Grandel.
Even if the similar shell were to dissipate, the core would endure. In fact, it was only when the shell vanished that the crouched core within became more robust and resilient.
Before my breath expires, my sister must come back.
Andrei, gripping the back of Duke Bellator’s hand, spoke in a hushed tone.
“That’s the only way I can impart what I possess to Elise. So, dispatch the envoy to Barnon again…”
Unable to complete his sentence, he tensed, his body rigid. A sudden, unsettling sensation washed over him in an instant. Andrei urgently scanned the air, seemingly unable to comprehend the unexpected surge of magic.
Just now, did the magic I left for my sister…?
A peculiar feeling, as if the conduit of their souls had briefly connected and then abruptly severed, held him captive. Perhaps. Andrei’s lips, resembling his sister’s, parted in astonishment.
“Elise. Can you see me now, by any chance?”
