CHAPTER 171: ENERGY (ALETHA: PART 28)

The icy grip of the sweltering dream clung tightly to Aletha.

Her breath hitched in her throat and a thin, frosty plume pushed itself in the still air.

Aletha’s eyelids parted open at an instant, revealing the ceiling and book cases scattered about the wooden floor. A palpable sweat of fear dropped on her face, receiving a weight of anguish pushing her.

"What was that?"

Afterward, the images from her dream swam in her mind– fragmented, chaotic, yet undeniably terrifying.

Her eyes reeled downward as the sound of screams drifted from her ear. A deep, bone-chilling unease settled in her chest, and a heavy weight of pain threatened to suffocate her. She could barely take the visions, nearly vomiting words in fear.

"Who are you? What’s going on!?"

A sudden tone of volume rushed to her.

"Aletha! Wake up!"

The door swung open with a crash, revealing Alai, her fiery red hair flowing vibrantly.

"Did you forget?" Alai asked as she tied up her crimson hair. "About training? Or have you had a nightmare?"

"Training?" Aletha’s eyes widened in shock, her gaze traveling the room. "Nightmare?!"

As she felt a sense of relief wash over, Aletha recollected the dream that had shattered her perception. Her thoughts turned to mumblings.

(I think I saw two powerful figures dominating the landscape and a sea of ash and flames brushed the earth. There were arrows too, flying everywhere at a rate I couldn’t catch.)

"Alai," She said with a trembling tone. "I had a nightmare. A very bad nightmare."

"Oh?" Alai stammered as she reached over to her pink skirt, burrowing her eyebrow. "Could you tell me about it?"

Aletha hesitated at first. The room fell into a quiet slumber as she recollected. But as she recounted the monsters, that was when she caught the memories of the dream like a fish, ensnaring them from a net of determination.

"I don’t know what it was," Aletha changed her tone, tilting downward "But, what I saw... was disturbing. I saw two figures, a sea of corpses, and blood shed. The whole world was covered in red, and I... saw wretched beasts. Unlike anything I have seen before."

As the poor girl tried to recollect the nightmare, Aletha’s eyes noticed something wrong.

"Huh?"

Her original attire was hung on the closet.

"ALAI!? Where are my clothes?!" Aletha screamed as her face turned red as apples.

"Hold on a minute." Alai muttered as she reached over to the closet. There were a variety of dresses all about, ranging from orange, red, green, yellow. But despite all the clothing, the ruby-haired girl chose a black dress, vividly beautiful in its own rite.

"I’m trying to find you a nice fit." She said displaying it prettily.

"Nah, I prefer to be clothed by my old dress." Aletha mumbled, grabbing her blanket, desperately trying to keep it on. "Give it back!"

"There is no way you can train effectively with that dress." Alai said as she stepped toward a desk. At an instant she opened the drawer, revealing a set of hair ties dotted about the dresser. Quickly, she grabbed a black hair tie then approached Aletha saying...

"Do you want to win the race or not?"

Aletha, hesitatingly tried to say no. But noticing how her hair could serve as an obstacle, she understood Alai’s motives and she put the new wear on, scratching her head as she sat on a chair.

"Yes, I want to win the race." She replied.

"Then..." Alai kept Aletha seated on the wooden chair touching the silky bristles of her shimmering white hair. After overlapping the tie and positioning her hairstyle, she quickly got up and clapped her hands in delight.

"There you go! Good as new!"

Aletha was hesitant on checking the mirror. She always had confidence looking at herself. But seeing herself now, with her hair tied up, her dress spanning her hip, the fit made Aletha’s eyes bulge in shock.

"Wow!" Alai said as she looked and twisted Aletha, her white ponytail wagging back and forth. "I look even better than before."

"Yeah because THIS time," Alai added while pointing her finger on Aletha’s eyebrow. "I actually tied your hair correctly."

As Aletha admired herself in the mirror, tilting back and forth, Alai raced outside, likely bringing Ubel.

"Never knew you had such style." Ubel said as he parted Aletha’s shoulder. "You look even better than before with that fit."

"That’s what I’m saying!" Alai added as her eyes flash with delirium. "Who knew you had a sense of direction? Just one step closer to securing that prize."

"Huh?" Aletha wagged her fixed pony tail back and forth, staring at jealous eyes peering at her from the mirror. "Does this REALLY help?"

"Let’s see..."

. . .

Afterward, Alai guided Aletha and Ubel through hallways, then to the garden and toward an open training ground filled with contraptions. .

The grass was a vivid green with the soil complimenting the rocks and trees dotted all around. The ball of light’s glow blasted vividly among an azure sky.

She couldn’t grasp how simply tying her hair correctly... had undoubtedly helped her. Furthermore, after twiddling her hair one last time, Aletha approached one of the mechanisms.

They were purely basic, with some seen to have been used entirely and some that seem to have not been touched. Some contraptions had walls and climbing supports, while others had weights all measured in rock.

"Today, we focus on your arms," Alai stated, her tone business-like, stripping away any hint of urgency, "If we can get to use your arms, then you will get to use your legs. Then once we get to use your legs, we can then work on your full body."

As she heard Alai’s long talk, Aletha’s eyes leveled at the track behind her. It was a crooked loop with one paved hill leading toward a sandy shore and another winding out to the wilderness. The track ended with a scattered dirt pile with a wooden sign attached saying "Not to use."

Alai began running with Aletha, noticing her flaws clearly. After forty seconds of continuous running, she stopped her and voiced her disapproval.

"You’re not doing it right." She said as she touched Aletha’s right foot. "You need to enhance your posture. Straighten yourself firstly."

Aletha then listened to her, questioning what she had done wrong. What she was doing wrong was...

"You’re running on your heels," She said, "not your toes."

Aletha’s face flushed red in embarrassment and she shook the dirt off her feet. It was clear to Alai from the limpy movements, that she had more training to do.

"Enough!" She said, "Instead of working on your feet, we shall work on your arms like I initially planned."

. . .

Quickly, Alai pressed a weight on Aletha’s noodle arms.

"Now try to focus. Ease the pain and allow it to strain your body."

Slowly, her arms began to dwindle. She noticed the weight had painstakingly pushed itself to its limit. But despite that she winced in pain and felt her arm cracking.

"NO! Don’t give up now." Alai screamed at Aletha as her arms could barely fortify itself. "Keep going! Remind yourself why you’re doing this. Remember who you are competing for."

(That’s right.. This is not for the one MILLION gincoins. This is for Drimi.)

As she came to a breaking point, Aletha remembered the moments she had with Drimi in Pladtioa. She had remembered when Drimi saved her in Dreamtoe Forest, how

She managed to keep and sail her own ship and crew through the troubling waters, her great smile, and how she defeated the wicked monsters in Pladtioa,

Feeling the pressure and soreness mustered up in one specific spot, Aletha remembered how Drimi had paid for her stay in the inn, how she fought how she could, and she even tried to save herself from it.

As her right arm began to collapse, the flooding memories quickly urged her arms to jolt upward. Pressure pushed on her as Alai put yet another weight on her, feeling the intense heat build up in the room.

"You can do it!" Alai encouraged as she watched Aletha’s arms bulge in strength. "REMEMBER what we’re doing it for.

(I can... I can do this!)

And just before her arms had snapped, Aletha repositioned the weights and passed it through her head, screamed with a jubilant yell.

"RAHH!"

Alai had no words, but she clapped her hands anyway cheering.

"Great work!"

. . .

A day had passed.

Each lift was a battle, a grueling test of endurance and will. The weights, almost impossibly heavy, challenged every fiber of her being, pushing her to the very brink of collapse.

(I can do this. I can... I can.)

Sweat poured from her brow, stinging her eyes, blurring the harsh lines of the landscape. But she kept going.

Another day passed.

It slowly became easier to reposition the weights and she felt as if all her body broke down and reformed. Aletha mumbled in her mind.

(I can feel it. Every second, I can feel the weight of my arms lessen. After every hour, I can feel my entire being quake at the sheer speed I’m building my body. I feel... rejuvenated.)

As Aletha thought in her mind, she heard the rhythm of her training – the heavy thud of weights, the rasp of her breath, the rhythmic strain in her muscles – became a mantra, a hypnotic beat that helped to drown out the whispers of her dream.

"Is this what physical challenges are like?" Aletha mumbled underneath her breath. "NO! I can do this. I can..."

Visions of a certain white haired boy filled her mind suddenly. His smile, his rare smile, had an effect on her well being. It was because of his smile that pressed her to move forward.

She had always wanted to impress her older brother. And she had failed many times doing so. But it was at this moment that she wanted to show her brother how much she changed. She always wanted to show him that.

And now seeing herself build legitimate muscle in a day, it urged Aletha to remind herself who she was.

"I am... Aletha." She said, "A member of the Adtraic family. Ruler of the world of Gincad."

"That’s it!" Alai encouraged her in a blistering tone."Remind yourself who you are."

Every motion. Each repetition. Every exercise made was a small victory, a testament to Aletha’s resilience. Her determination swiftly overcame the physical and mental demands placed upon her.

But as she lifted the heaviest weight she could find something unexpected happened.

A surge of green energy coursed through her arm before displaying quickly as it came.

Another day had passed.

Instead of falling to her knees, Aletha lifted all the weights with surprising ease.

In just two days her progress was immeasurable.

She couldn’t help but stare at Aletha’s new self in stunned silence.

"I... did it." Aletha said with careful breaths, almost collapsing herself. "I... ow. My arm."

After seeing the green energy course through her again, Alai quickly put down the weights and sat on the wooden bench with Aletha, taking a break. Afterward, her efforts were acknowledged. Alai grabbed a towel and wiped Aletha sweat down, hearing Aletha mumble.

(I feel it. I feel all. )

A look of respect shone on her, applauding with rapid breaths.

"Indeed you have." Alai approached slowly, her eyes reflecting both surprise and a dawning understanding. "That was... extraordinary Aletha. Not only have you grown physically, but even the Sealed Beatific has got you too."

"The Sealed what?" Aletha asked, confused, sweat glands all over her face.

Alai finished with a sure snap on her fingers as if this whole exercise was part of her plan

"The Sealed Beatific is a magical ability. A gift from none other than the King of Linuxinia."

After taking a breather and sipping on a glass of nice refreshing water, Alai shook her head and turned to Aletha. Alai’s crimson eyes traveled toward her, seeing her chest move in and out. Her heart pulsated, carefully recollecting what Rinnea said.

Then, after a pause, Alai declared.

"When the King of Linuxinia had passed, he exerted all his energy to this one nation. Some may call it this or that, but usually we call that power," Alai commented "Happiness."

"King of Linuxinia...?" Aletha retraced Alai’s words, asking in a curious manner. "Who is the king?"

Suddenly, Ubel, the platinum-haired man, came up from his room, passing through the hallways and toward the training course. It seemed he had heard that term uttered from Alai’s lips from such a far distance. And following that, he added.

"After the War of the Wish, The King of Linuxinia made this nation HIS tomb for his remains."

Abruptly, Ubel revealed to Aletha as she panted from sweat.

"After his passing, every ability The King of Linuxinia wielded was then shared throughout everyone in Linuxinia. Many call this motivating power Happiness, but we call it its real name, which is The Sealed Beatific."

Aletha looked at her hands, reminding herself of a green luminance that had shrouded her legs. Isa, and how she wielded the green glow thoroughly, Kali and her mysterious root powers, and then Pridia, her joking ability, all of this was possible because of the Sealed Beatific.

Curious, Aletha inquired.

"The Sealed Beatific." (That may explain why everyone is so happy.)

"Precisely." Alai intervened in the conversation, noticing Aletha’s veins glowing a light green luminance."And it explains how this nation is stable. All thanks to the King."

Ubel squinted his glacial eyes at Alai, tilting up and pointing toward the gargantuan lush peak piercing through the circle of clouds.

"The tomb of the King of Happiness is situated on the peak of Linuxinia Mountain, guarded by a gargantuan dragon."

Before Ubel could finish, Aletha added with a pouty manner.

"That dragon caused our train to collapse!"

"It is currently unknown why the dragon attacked you. But I CAN say this..." Ubel gave a small glint in his cold glacial eyes.

"They are out for blood. Just like how my parents were turned to wolves," As Ubel tilted his face over to the sky, he spoke in an ominous tone. "They are seeking vengeance and nothing more."

With the tension of the training room hanging high, Alai clapped her hands and cheerfully expressed, pushing the thoughts aside.

"Okay! So that wraps things up!" She said. After speaking and clapping her hands,

Alai held three fingers in front of her face with a wink.

"That concludes this training session. One out of three.’

"Three?!" Aletha expressed, exasperated.

Alai jokingly laughed, "DID YOU really think that training would be simple?"

. . .

Sooner than she had known it, the hazy sun set down on the horizon, leaving with it a beautiful purple veil hanging across the sky. With so many questions and information getting shared across, one is set to wonder.

Just what happened before?

Afterward, Alai rushed to sleep. Then Ubel, who looked like he had drunk too much. And finally, Aletha who felt as though every limb in her body had been torn and reformed. The desperate urge to sleep climbed onto her brain and just before she knew it, after hearing the crickets for a time, Aletha nestled on a comfy bed.

* * * * * * *

Suddenly, Aletha picked up an uneasy chill.

A howling wind carried the scent of ash and decay across the ravaged landscape.

The sun was pitch black, clouds flashed with a darkened cyan, and three floating volcanos anchored onto the hills.

Lightning bolts scattered everywhere, renting the land asunder and war cries sounded across the mountains. Desperate people pillaged the remaining villages, towns scorched to a crisp, and dragons had dominated the sky.

.

Then, from atop a fortress made of twisted metal, came an illusive man with long lime green hair and purple eyes. His bristles draped on his cloak and his eyes beamed as purple as the night.

A dazzling crown of gold was adorned on his head, and his face was etched with lines of weariness and grim determination. The man’s violet eyes surveyed the valley of devastation, not seeming to even flinch at the mess.

(Who is he?) Aletha mumbled, seeing the chaos unfold, her body unphased.

Many people rushed to him, smiling with a sense of security from the ravaged chaos from below. But all they received from him was a hazy glare and maybe a weak smile, saying, "Leave no trace of ruin among this place, I will handle the rest."

Following his demand, one came out from the crowd, a teenager with gray eyes and golden hair. He quivered at the imposing man, saying... "B-But your majesty, you shall surely die if you form a mountain in–

"I got a pet and a sister. So be it." The King replied. "If it’s for the future of this land, and it’s for everyone to get this miracle-growing power, I shall sacrifice it all."

Another girl, peach hair with green eyes, added as she slew ten goopy beasts.

"But Mr. Selig, the world needs you."

The King clicked his tongue and pointed to the circle of thunderstorms. He shook his head and pushed his hair and he clenched his shaky fists, answering with a question.

"Ever seen the prophecies from Alaunus? For it is written, The Adtraic shall return to this world and all life will be sustained."

"But Selig," Another green haired man replied "it’s a prophecy..."

"Prophecies don’t lie." Selig said with a stomp. "Now be gone. Or I shall move thee thyself."

Deep in his cold violet amethyst eyes, a flicker of defiance and pure hatred remained. The remnants of his people huddled below, their faces grim with fear.

As they followed Selig up a torn cliff, they noticed the pile of corpses scattered across the horizon.

He clenched his fists tightly, trying to mask his face with a fake smile. But after seeing the corpses of hundreds dotted about the field, Selig looked to the heavens and mumbled.

"Shall I believe that His wish shall be ungranted?" He said softly, "So that this curse I bear can spread to everyone besides myself?"

Suddenly a circle of thunderstorms encircled the king as his hands illuminated with green and violet. His figure enveloped together in frigid winds as he looked up to the skies and below.

"Kali Leila, I shall put all my trust in you."

"...And I shall look forward to the reawakening of my favorite dragon."

At an instant, ribbons of sunlight breached through the clouds as a mountain rose and pierced the earth. The molten color of the sky

froze still before repelling greatly into an azure blue. While the mountain continued to scale over the entirety of the wasteland, a vivid burst of color enveloped the land, pushing the dragons back and forming grass, flora, and trees in an instant.

What was left on the peak was a flickering glow and giant roots extending around the peak, following...

"Such a tragedy... but none of my tears were wasted."

After seeing the new sky shimmer and the newly formed mountain pierce high through the sky, the king perched up a defeated smile and whispered two final words.

"My Linuxinia."