CHAPTER 257: MEANING OF TRUE LOVE

A/N: I honestly feel bad about this, everyone. I’ve been making so many mistakes lately, and I truly apologize for that. For those reading in privilege, please re-read Chapter 254: Azgorth because I’ve corrected some important details there. Thank you for sticking with me despite these errors—it really means a lot.

****

The first day was quite normal...

Elysia thought while looking at the night sky, which now carried a faint trace of brightness as the first hints of morning slowly arrived. The stars that had once burned clearly above her were beginning to fade, swallowed by the quiet light of dawn.

I am lucky I got a quite balanced team...

It was indeed true. Elysia’s team had a healer, a defender with solid endurance, a mage whose spells gave them ranged power, and a close-range fighter who was well-versed in almost every type of work. As for herself, she was a reliable damage dealer, striking directly at the souls of monsters and killing them instantly.

In reality, forming a team like this by chance was not easy at all. It was something most students could only hope for, so perhaps luck had truly played a part in her case. But whether it was really luck or not, only time would tell.

We don’t even know who our opposing team..

The Academy never revealed the opponents each team would be facing. It was done deliberately to add the element of surprise during their encounters. It was also meant to serve as a lesson, to remind them that in the real world, enemies would not always show themselves beforehand, nor would they allow time to prepare.

Their task for this new day was simple in words, yet demanding in reality. They had to find the opposing team before the opposing team found them, and once they did, they had to eliminate them.

There were many factors to consider, many things that could go wrong, yet above all else, the most important step was to locate the ones they had to fight against.

"Ash..."

Her lips unconsciously formed his name, a whisper slipping into the silence of dawn. She did not know what type of exam Ash was currently taking, and though she did not want to admit it aloud, she found herself missing him.

Being with him had changed her in ways she could not ignore. Her personality had steadied after spending so much time at his side. Her emotions were no longer as unstable as before, and she wondered if it was because of him or because she was slowly learning to live with the twisted version of herself. Most of the time, she was able to keep her thoughts hidden and her actions under control.

Yet when her desires spilled out, a single kiss was often enough to silence them. Still, deep inside, she feared that one day it would not be enough, that she might lose control entirely and allow those desires to push her into doing something extreme.

And then there were his secrets...

Sigh.....does he think he can fool me...?

Elysia shifted slightly on the makeshift chair, which was flat and clean, though still quite hard and uncomfortable. Veyric had made it for her, but his skill had not yet reached the point where he could give proper softness to the objects he created.

Her gaze drifted forward, fixed on nothing in particular, while her thoughts circled endlessly. I know...he is hiding something. After he found out that I can detect lies and read minds, he began cryptically phrasing his words. Whatever he says is true, but the details are always carefully hidden...

The secrecy unsettled her. She was upset that he chose not to share those things with her, although she never showed it outwardly.

Sometimes compromises like this were necessary in a relationship, even if they left behind a quiet ache.

People often said that in a relationship there should not be any compromises at all, that a bond built on them was nothing but a fragile structure, destined to collapse sooner or later.....

But Elysia did not think that way. She believed that a relationship without any compromise was an empty husk.

If two people in love refused to bend for each other, then what they shared was not love, but only lust. And lust was something that always faded with time, becoming weaker and weaker until finally there was nothing left at all.

A true love....is linked to the soul. You love the soul of the person, their everything, from their eyes to their smile, from their eyebrows to their fingers, from their dimples to their emotions, which can shift from anger to sadness, from jealousy to countless other feelings.

But even then, you still love them. No amount of fights can truly separate them, no amount of distance can tear them apart. It is a bond bound by soul....a soulmate.

There is a very beautiful example that shows how true love is built upon compromises. In her previous life, she had heard about it in Indian mythology and learned it with great admiration, and the memory of it often left her inspired.

In Indian religion, there is proof of eternal love between Lord Krishna and Radha ji. Radha ji compromised her wish to live alongside Krishna in worldly life, choosing instead to love him through devotion and memory, keeping him alive in her heart even though marriage was not possible.

Meanwhile, Lord Krishna compromised by suppressing his own longing, carrying Radha within his heart while still fulfilling his duties as king and divine preserver of the world.

There is also the love between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Parvati ji compromised her comfort and her life of royalty, embracing harsh austerities and trials to prove her devotion and win Shiva’s heart. Shiva, in turn, compromised his path of strict ascetic detachment, choosing to accept family life and worldly bonds through his love for Parvati ji.

Though in the first example, the love between Krishna and Radha does not reach marriage, it remains an example of something eternal and pure. She knew it was only an example, yet she could not help but think deeply about what it meant for her own feelings.

She wanted her love to succeed.

But....if even gods could not always achieve their true love, then could a mortal like her truly do so? In this world, which was far more dangerous than her previous one, where countless beings more powerful than she could even imagine walked freely, could she really fulfill her wish? Could she really hope to spend a peaceful life with Ash?

I will....

I will make it succeed....

Her thoughts burned with determination as the flames of obsession inside her heart rose higher, blazing fiercely as if they could consume the very heavens themselves.

If even gods cannot make their love succeed, then I will simply have to become more powerful than gods....

Even though she did not know what lay beyond the gods, she wanted to try.

Whether she could truly reach that height, only time would tell. Only time would decide if her love would succeed or not, whether she would be granted a happy ending or left behind with nothing but despair.

-Step!!

While she was still lost in her thoughts, she heard the sharp crack of a wooden stick breaking underfoot. Turning her head slightly, she saw Corin approaching. His blue hair caught faint light and shimmered softly, while his matching eyes seemed calm as he walked toward her, stretching his body as though he had just awakened from a long rest.

And then, at the same time, a voice slipped into her mind. It felt like Corin’s voice, yet carried a subtle difference, faint and unspoken.

[Sigh, she is quite beautiful.]

Elysia heard it clearly, yet kept her expression unchanged. She was reading Corin’s mind. In fact, she could read the minds of everyone on her team. Even though most of them were of the same rank as her, they were weaker in strength, which allowed her to pierce through their thoughts.

She had discovered that as long as someone was weaker than her, she could read their mind, even though the written description of her ability had claimed otherwise.

Thus, she knew what everyone thought about her. She knew that Alina, even though she appeared shy, was somewhat jealous of her because of Ash. She knew that Veyric, even though he appeared logical and serious, was actually soft inside, with a gentleness he tried to hide.

She knew that Luthan was terrified of Ash, calling him a Devil in his thoughts, and because of that, he avoided her as well.

And she knew that Corin, even though he acted sarcastically and was friendly, carried subtle feelings for her. Yet beneath those emotions there was something else, some secret carefully hidden, so well-guarded that even she could not glimpse what it truly was.

"Good morning," Corin greeted, his lips curving into a warm smile.

"Good morning," Elysia replied with a smile of her own before continuing softly, "Why are you up so early? You should rest a little longer; there is still time."

Corin rubbed the back of his head and let out a light laugh, his eyes drifting toward the faint brightness of dawn. "...I am fine, to be honest. I rested enough."

[As if. I wanted to sleep more.....But I woke up just to see the sunrise with you, I would be quite nice if we had reached the beach, the view would have been even nicer...]

"I see," Elysia answered without the slightest change in her expression, though she had heard it all.

Corin kept watching the light of dawn, his gaze distant and heavy with thoughts.

[.....Damn, my heart is beating so loudly, I think I finally understand why both Ash and Ray fought for her....she is so beautiful and nice....I don’t stand a chance against them.....]

Elysia’s lips twitched faintly, yet she chose not to respond, continuing to look at the morning sunlight.

Time slipped by quietly like that, until eventually she grew tired of his constant stream of silent praises for her beauty. Rising to her feet, she walked away from him, letting the distance cool the weight of his thoughts.

By coincidence, she passed near the place where Alina was still resting, and her skill brushed against Alina’s unguarded thoughts.

[.....I wanted to wake up early and get fresh, but Corin is already awake. It will be too awkward if I go in front of him, damn it. I should have asked Elysia to wake me up....But I don’t like talking to her...]

There was no hint of shyness in Alina’s thoughts, only a trace of distress and hesitation that made her seem smaller than her usual self.

That is why I took the last shift to keep watch.. Elysia thought, a faint smile curving her lips. Yet even with that smile, she felt a flicker of pity for Alina, and so she stepped forward, intending to help her escape from her small plight.

***