Chapter 8: Field Trip (3)

~8.3~

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“Who are you?!” Kye wanted to know so desperately that she instinctively stepped closer and reached a hand out toward the girl. She wanted to touch her cheek. The girl simply stood in silence and allowed it. “Why are you so familiar? Why does-” As her hand touched Alpha’s cheek, her eyes widened. “Alpha… Al… FIA!”

She suddenly felt a small tinge of wetness on her thumb. Alpha had a tear in each eye. “You remember?”

Kye shook her head, “No,” and smiled. “It feels right. Some memories are so ingrained that they need only a trigger. It seems even my magic can’t keep some things locked up.”

Alfia’s expression hardened. “That’s because Origin Magic comes from the heart. Your subconscious desire to know who I am allowed a small bit of your memory through, just as it has before with others from Athas.” Her eyes briefly turned toward Liliana and Aliana, much to all three’s surprise, but Alfia didn’t elaborate. She reached out with both hands and made a gesture. Kye recognized what she wanted and allowed the white-haired girl to do what she wanted. Alfia pulled Kye close. “Elysia, I’ve missed you so much. It’s been so long.”

Kye smiled, but was still somewhat confused. “Alfia, will you still tell me? Only your name has come to me.”

“I am Alfia Athas.” Alfia continued to hold Kye closely. “Eli, my precious little sister. After so long, I can hold you again.”

“Little Sister?” Kye raised an eyebrow as Alfia finally released her.

The white-haired girl nodded. “I was there for your birth. I was there for your childhood. I was there when you were crowned. Do you want to know who you were?”

Kye smiled and shook her head. “If I used Origin Magic to seal my memories, then I trust it was for a good reason. Knowing who you are is enough for now.”

“You believe me, then?”

Kye nodded. “The overwhelming sense of familiarity transcended my sealing magic. Even though I didn’t know who you are, the moment I saw you I felt a longing. I felt safe. My heart tells me to believe you.”

Alfia smiled. “My sweet sister. You are so strong and passionate. But please, you must be more careful while you are under system management. You went much too far in the fight with that warped soul. Though I understand why you went to such lengths.”

“You do?”

Alfia’s smile grew, and she patted Kye’s head. “You’ve always been like that. You never have been able to stand back and do nothing when someone needs help. You protected that city without a moment’s hesitation.”

“How do you know?” Kye asked curiously. She suspected already, but wanted to hear it.

“I was watching from afar. I’ve been watching over you since you entered Atlantis eighteen years ago.”

“You have?”

Alfia nodded and explained. She knew why Kye was reincarnated in Atlantis, and she knew much more. She watched silently from afar as Kye grew.

“What of the little sister part? I shouldn’t have an older sibling.”

Alifa shook her head but smiled. “I’m sorry, Eli, I can’t explain that without telling you who you are. That’s a much longer conversation as well.”

Kye accepted Alfia’s answer with no complaint. “Can you tell me what Athas was?”

“Again, not without you knowing who you are.”

“Are you reincarnated here?”

Alfia shook her head and explained. She had never died and never reincarnated. Kye had significant experience in something Alfia had none, but then Alfia dropped her smile and gave Kye a stern glare. “Eli. I want you to quit this reincarnation nonsense and come home.”

Kye’s eyes widened. She felt no malice from the white-haired girl or ill intent, but she was taken aback by the sudden shift. “What do-”

“You are better than this. You don’t need to lower yourself to mortality. You can-”

“I have a mission. I cannot simply abandon it.”

Alfia wasn’t having it. “A mission given to you by Mother that you yourself ordained. This mission is your own and you can accomplish it without mortality.”

Kye was skeptical, but didn’t discount the girl’s words. She still felt nothing but love and honesty radiating, but now also anger. “What do you mean?”

“You need not be restricted by the system. Your mortal body is bound by the system because it was created under it. But you are its creator… your power transcends it.” Alfia stepped back and held her hand to the side. A mass of white mana surrounded in blackness appeared and morphed into several complex shapes. “You’ve noticed that a mortal body cannot use this magic.”

“You’re not asking, you’re stating?” The blonde princess’s eyes were glued to the magic in her supposed sister’s hand, as were her attendants’ eyes.

Alfia nodded and held the mass of origin mana forward, between her and Kye. “Being created by this power, the system cannot manage it. Thus, anytime it is used by a construct of the system, that construct is identified as a foreign entity and ejected.”

“I know that much.”

“Of course.” She dispersed the mass of mana. “You know everything about the system itself, but do you know why you created it?”

Kye shook her head and recalled the memory. It was a time long ago when she had white hair like Alfia. “I remember bits and pieces of my first life. I remember designing and creating the system, but no reasons behind it or anyone that was there with me throughout the process.”

The white-haired girl sighed. “Your magic was incredibly thorough. You kept things that were necessary to keep, but sealed everything that had to be sealed.” Kye nodded. “But you don’t know why?” Alfia grimaced, but continued. “I can’t say, same reason.”

“I see. Why do you ask if I know why?”

“The entire concept of mana transcends the system. Before the system, mortals could not wield it safely, save for the talented few, but you designed the system to allow all mortals to wield it safely at the cost of…” She shook her head. “No. I can’t say more than that. Suffice to say, mana is necessary for life. The very world requires it. Take away mana, and mortals have nowhere to live and they die, soul and all. The immortal peerage could no longer be relied upon to maintain the Mana Fonts. So what do you do? You create the system and now the mortals can wield mana without the government and survive.”

“But why would I go so far?”

“Reasons.”

Kye sighed. “I suppose I’ll just have to wait and recover my memories naturally in the future. Maybe by the time I hit 25 million li-”

“Elysia Athas,” Alfia suddenly spoke much more intently. Kye, of all people, froze. It was a familiar feeling, as though she had heard that voice in that manner many times before. “Mark my words, little sister. I have abided your decision thus far, but I will not see you go through any more of these painful mortal lives. Kye Akari will be your final life.”

“You are making that decision for me, then?”

“I am,” Alfia nodded. “My priorities and yours are different. You care about the masses. I care only about my family, even our spoiled baby brothers. Mother already knows of my plans. She is the only one who could stop me, and she agrees with my plan. We both want you to return to Athas, as our sister and daughter, not as some random mortal stand-in.”

Kye’s eyes shot back, just as intent. “And if I go right back to these mortal lives after you force me to return as Elysia?”

“I’ll stop you, of course.”

The blonde’s eyes narrowed. “Does it not matter that I would go from the hurt of mortal life to a different kind of hurt?”

“At that point, I would simply choose what I deem to be the lesser of two evils. It would-” She stopped short and gazed off into the distance. “It seems there’s trouble.”

The Venturi sisters exchanged glances, and Kye looked in the same direction as Alfia and focused her attention. She found it quickly. “A rift, here?!”

“That scum.” Alfia’s eyes hardened. Making such an attempt in front of me like that. Do they believe I’ll do nothing when I’m having a conversation with my precious little sister and her friends?

Kye gripped her blade and readied to fight, as did the sisters next to her, but Alfia stepped in front of them and held her arm out. She meant to handle it herself. A massive katana appeared in her hand.

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Revision 12-8-2023