Ittya breathed heavily, her body feeling the toll of the intense effort. Her muscles felt simultaneously stiff and weak. She had been channeling lightning since morning, and now the sun was directly overhead. Ittya's head throbbed, and once again, she visualized the Radiant Palace. The burning sensation seized her head.

She gazed at the tower, the Tower of Stormsong, as Gisella had mentioned during their occasional small talks. Ittya's body had already grown numb from the lightning, but she continued, discharging another surge. Her foot stopped momentarily, then started again, as if startled. She didn't let it bother her. As the lightning coursed through her body, she channeled her Luminace, envisioning thousands of threads interwoven into a net, ready to capture the lightning.

For the first time since yesterday, Ittya successfully trapped the lightning within her veins. Sparks buzzed around her body, and her eyes glowed as she released it all. The energy simmered into the ground, discharging completely.

"Your progress seems to be going smoothly," Gisella remarked. "Now, you must learn to command the lightning, to channel it through your body bit by bit. Calling upon lightning should be as easy as breathing, or else it is useless in a battle. Especially now that you don't have the luxury of immortality."

"I would rather perish in battle than go through the torment of immortality," Ittya replied firmly. "It was anything but a luxury."

Gisella continued walking, leading them from the open path to a wooded area. Though there were hardly any shadows without leaves, it still provided better cover than being out in the open.

"Have I mentioned the Soul Bond?" Gisella asked.

"No...?" Ittya tried to recall, but she couldn't remember hearing about it before.

"It is an ability that allows you to call upon your weapon, Solstice, at will," Gisella explained. "Even when you are far away and unaware of its location."

"Can we do it now?" Ittya asked skeptically, already anticipating the likely answer.

"No, you must possess the weapon in order to perform the spell," Gisella clarified. "Remind me to teach you when you come across it."

"If we ever come across it," Ittya corrected, a note of uncertainty in her voice.

"We will find it. A Ruler Key is never truly lost," Gisella reassured Ittya. "You will stumble upon it someday. Whether it's fate or the will of the Key itself, it will come to you. The Ruler Key cannot be used by anyone but its master. Wherever it is, it has to wait for you."

"I hope so too," Ittya responded, a hint of desperation in her voice. Without her weapon, she felt vulnerable. She was not the student her master desired. if she failed to perform up to her master's standards, would she be sent back to the Altar? She needed her weapon as soon as possible. Did this fear drive her teacher's older student to exile her master? Ittya could understand that sentiment to some extent, even though she felt disgusted by such thoughts.

Gisella noticed Ittya's deep contemplation and asked, "What is it that you ponder so deeply?"

"I need my weapon, and soon," Ittya confessed, regretting instantly.

"Are you afraid of your own incompetence without it?" Gisella spoke, as if she could read Ittya's thoughts perfectly.

Ittya froze in her tracks, horror filling her widened eyes. "N-no, of course not. It's just a weapon. I can accomplish the same things with this sword... I just feel sorry for Sol," she stammered, feeling that her words fell short of dispelling Gisella's thoughts.

"That is... a lie," Gisella stated bluntly. "Regardless, we should continue walking." With that, Gisella resumed her stride, and Ittya hurriedly followed behind, carrying a sack of belongings in a cloth.

They walked in complete silence, and Ittya's mind was filled with dread. Had she upset her master? What if Gisella decided to cancel the spell? Ittya swallowed hard, knowing she couldn't let something like that happen.

"M...master?" Ittya spoke uncertainly, her voice wavering. "Did I upset you?"

Gisella turned to face Ittya with genuine surprise. "Of course not. Did you do something to upset me?"

"I lied earlier," Ittya confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"A baseless lie that serves no purpose," Gisella replied calmly. "It is in our nature to lie about things that bother us. Do you think I'm so pitiful as to be offended by something so insignificant?"

"But... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that," Ittya apologized, her voice filled with remorse.

"My dear, why are you so consumed by my every word? Tell me the truth," Gisella gently encouraged.

"I... What if I upset you, and you decide to cancel the spell at the altar? I can't take any chances. I don't want to go back there," Ittya confessed, her fear evident in her voice.

"Is that why you've been so quiet? Are you going to conform to my every expectation? Doesn't that contradict what you desired? If you become subservient to such an extent, aren't you just becoming a puppet again?" Gisella questioned.

Ittya's words spilled out hurriedly and unevenly. "Then what should I do? I don't want to go back there. I would rather be a puppet here. It's not painful. I have found peace, free from worrying about something lurking in the corners, ready to kill me. I woke up this morning without fearing whether my weapon would appear or spend rest of the day swinging my glaive, not knowing if I was striking down the living or the dead. I am just walking, in peace, experimenting with magic... even if that part was a little painful."

"I will not undo my spell until we reclaim your kingdom or until we fail in doing so. Rest assured and behave like a student... Being a subservient puppet holds little interest for me," Gisella declared, her brows furrowed.

"Ittya, it was because of the suffering you endured in that place that I ventured out before thoroughly studying the circle. If an insignificant lie or a small delay in your learning is all it would take for me to send you back there, then we would not be here in the first place. I will teach, and you will learn, even slowly if you find our current pace unbearable. I am your teacher, not your owner. I expect you to behave like a human. Do you understand me?"

Ittya nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. Her master was so kind, and she couldn't help but question if she even deserved someone like her. Yet, her kindness filled her with dread. Ittya shook her head, ‘No, master is different.’ She told herself.

"We should continue our journey. This place feels more alive than it should, almost like a graveyard. Keep your eyes open for any place that appears habitable for the night," Gisella instructed.

"Yes, master," Ittya replied, her voice filled with gratitude.

They continued walking until the sky began to turn a shade of red, not encountering any Archaics along the way. Gisella found it concerning and peculiar, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Finally, they stumbled upon a small, barren hill that seemed suitable for their rest. They decided to make camp there and started climbing the hill. The climb proved to be challenging as the drought-ridden land had become brittle, forming large fissures. They had to turn back several times, which caused the moon to shine in the sky by the time they reached the summit.

"Did we really need to climb all the way to the top? We'll have to climb down in the morning," Ittya questioned, a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

"I suppose so, but we needed a vantage point to survey the landscape and gain a clear understanding of our location," Gisella explained.

"It's dark now... We can do that in the morning," Ittya replied, her stomach grumbling audibly. She felt a flush of embarrassment as the need for food became evident.

Gisella chuckled lightly. "I'm afraid there is no food, my dear. You'll have to bear with the hunger for now."

"I know," Ittya grumbled, feeling frustrated with her own clumsiness.

Gisella regarded Ittya with a thoughtful expression. "Your hunger is actually a good sign, considering everything. It shows that the ritual didn't permanently disable or affect your body.”

“Does not take away my embarrassment.” Ittya intoned.

Gisella mused “I have yet to know— when was the last day you can remember before coming here?"

Ittya paused, trying to recall her memories. "I don't remember much. My memories are hazy, as if they're behind a veil. I remember it was the beginning of the new year."

"And which moon cycle was it, Violet?" Gisella inquired.

"No, Red... Yes, it's the red moon cycle. The first red moon cycle," Ittya responded.

Gisella nodded, looking at the blue moon in the sky. "Even if we exclude the first moon cycle, you've been in the altar for five moon cycles, which is about five months."

"What?!" Ittya exclaimed, shocked to realize she had been trapped for such a long time.

"In that case, I have grown considerably weaker than I initially believed," Ittya stated, her voice tinged with concern.

"It's true, even if you don't realize it. At best, you're currently operating at one-third of your initial strength. At worst, one-fifth. And your natural talent has diminished by an equal measure," Gisella explained, "If I were to estimate, it will take you at least four years to regain your previous level of strength. However, keep in mind that this estimation can change in a single life-or-death encounter. Talents often flourish in moments of bloodshed and violence for warriors. So, try not to let this realization weigh you down."

Gisella then turned her attention to their surroundings, leaving Ittya to contemplate her weakened state.

So weak, one-fifth. One-Fifth. They took away everything from her, the only thing she ever had. Her strength. Ittya clenched her teeth, she will not to let them get away with this. Never.

“NEVER!!”

Ittya's roar echoed through the desolate landscape. Veins swelled on her forehead as anger surged within her. The rush of blood to her head, her face visibly turned red, and she clenched her jaws tightly. Why? What had she ever done to deserve this?

"I'll... they will regret letting me live," she muttered in a defeated and subdued voice. Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she could feel her heart pounding in her ears. Each breath became more difficult, her chest constricting with each inhale and exhale.

Suddenly, Ittya felt a sharp tightening in her veins, causing her to fall to her knees. She gripped her chest tightly, her breathing becoming increasingly labored. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably. Fear and confusion washed over her as she wondered what was happening. Her head throbbed with intense pain, exacerbating her distress.

A warm hand gently massaged Ittya's hair, bringing her a sense of calm. The pain slowly subsided, and she felt relief wash over her.

"Has your pain subsided?" Gisella asked, withdrawing her hand.

Ittya nodded gratefully. "Thank you, master."

"It was of little effort. It seems that you are negatively affected by stress and emotions. It is something I cannot directly help you with, unless we find a place where you can go for weeks without needing to use Luminance," Gisella explained.

"Such a place exists?" Ittya murmured, struggling to comprehend the concept.

"Indeed, your recent experiences have distorted your perception of the natural world. Most people live their lives without ever knowing about Luminance. We will find a place for you to rest. Until then, try your best not to let your emotions control you."

"I will... try," Ittya responded.

"That is good enough. Rest for the night. I will wake you if we encounter any beasts," Gisella assured her.

“Why did this happen?” Ittya asked.

“Weakness,” Gisella did not elaborate, Ittya took this hint as a sign not to question further. Where should she sleep? There was only dirt.

"On the ground...?" Ittya questioned.

"No, there are cut-off logs on the side where you can lay," Gisella clarified, as if reading her thoughts.

"Thank you again, master," Ittya expressed her gratitude. She did not insist on keeping watch; she lacked the spells and experience to do so effectively. It would be better for her to rest. Besides, her master didn't seem like the type of person who would be bothered by something as mortal as needing to rest.