The Life After Death

  Chapter 6: Dawning Realizations

  The roar of the water was deafening, its relentless crash against the walls echoing through the house. The air felt thick, laden with moisture and tinged with an electric energy that prickled my skin like static.

  The sight of Helena suspended within the vortex was a surreal nightmare, her small body caught in the tempest’s heart, pale and drenched, trembling with every erratic pulse of magic. Her silver-white hair clung to her face in soaked strands, and her usually vibrant purple eyes flickered faintly, as if caught between light and shadow. The magic surrounding her seemed to twist and convulse, forming jagged currents of water that lashed out violently, leaving her tiny frame looking devastatingly fragile, yet somehow resilient in the chaos.

  “Dad! We need to get to her!” I shouted, my voice barely piercing through the chaos. My feet slipped against the sodden floor, water rushing past with a force that threatened to sweep me away. Each step felt like an impossible feat, my legs trembling under the strain of pushing forward. The cold water numbed my skin, making my limbs feel heavy, and my breaths came shallow and rapid. It felt like trying to scale a mountain in a storm with nothing but sheer will driving me onward.

  “Elara, stay back!” Raiden bellowed, his voice steady despite the panic in his eyes. His jaw clenched tightly, his fiery gaze darting between Elara and Helena.

  I could almost hear his unspoken thoughts: I need to protect them all, but how? How do I fight something like this? He stood like a wall against the current, his broad shoulders braced as he attempted to move closer to Helena. The flames flickering to life in his palms sputtered and hissed as they collided with the cascading water.

  Raiden’s gaze darted toward me for a brief moment, catching the sight of my small body struggling valiantly against the torrent. A flicker of pride and fear crossed his face as he barked to Elara, "I’ll get her! Just keep Emrys safe!”

  Elara froze for a moment, her eyes wide with shock as the chaos of the vortex seemed to paralyze her. "Emrys, get back here!" she shouted, her voice laced with panic and desperation. Her trembling hands gripped the wall for support as she turned to Raiden, her voice breaking. "Please, Raiden, save her! Please!" Her dark hair clung to her face, soaked and wild, and her usually calm, nurturing eyes brimmed with tears, reflecting the sheer terror of the moment.

  I was barely holding on, my small hands gripping the doorframe for balance as the current threatened to yank me back. The sight of Helena, ignited a fury in me I hadn’t felt since my past life.

  She’s suffering… and I can’t just stand here, the weight of desperation fuelling every shaky step forward. My legs quivered like reeds in a storm, each movement agonizingly slow, but I refused to let the current dictate my actions.

  “Helena! Hang on!” I yelled, my voice trembling but resolute. I pushed off the doorframe and waded into the torrent. The water seemed alive, resisting every movement, as if it had a mind of its own.

  My manaheart pulsed faintly, its growth over the past year granting me strength beyond my infant frame, but it came at a cost. Every step felt like fire coursing through my veins, my body screaming under the strain of channelling mana it was barely equipped to handle.

  Come on! You’ve endured worse! Gritting my teeth as I forced one foot in front of the other. Yet, deep down, I felt the toll. My breathing grew shallow, my heart thudding with alarming intensity.

  This is nothing! Just keep going! But I wasn’t fooling myself. I was two years old, and pushing this hard was dangerous.

  Pain lanced through my chest, a searing reminder of my limits. I knew that if I faltered now, I might not get back up. Yet I pressed on, determined to reach Helena no matter the cost.

  “Emrys, no!” Elara’s voice was sharp, panic laced with maternal instinct. Her words hit like a hammer, but I couldn’t stop. Each step forward felt like dragging weights, the freezing water numbing my legs and making each movement feel like a battle against my own body. Her desperation fuelled my resolve, even as my small frame threatened to buckle under the strain. I knew she wanted to protect me, but I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

  “Raiden, do something!” Elara’s voice cracked, tears streaming down her face as she clung to the wall for support. Her desperation was palpable, her eyes darting between her husband, her son, and daughter as if willing the chaos to end.

  Raiden clenched his fists, the glow of his fire dimming as the relentless magic battered against him. His broad shoulders braced against the torrent, and his expression hardened with resolve. With a deep breath, he raised his hands high, and his voice boomed over the roar of the water.

  "Fyra Venara, avis ignis, protegat et ulcisca! Phoenixflare!"

  The air around him seemed to ignite as a massive, phoenix-shaped flame erupted from his hands, its radiant wings unfurling to shield him from the relentless torrent. The fiery bird let out a piercing cry as it surged forward, slamming into the water currents with waves of intense heat. Steam hissed and billowed around them, momentarily pushing back the chaos as Raiden advanced toward Helena.

  “Hold on, my girl!” he roared, his voice filled with both command and desperation as he used the fiery creature to carve a path through the relentless surge.

  I looked at Raiden with my eyes wide open—ever struggling to keep myself up—in shock and disbelief. My heart pounded, was that an incantation?

  The words he shouted reverberated in my ears, each syllable crackling with power. I had never heard anything like it before. Is this how magic is truly wielded?

  The room was a cacophony of sound, the roaring water, the crackling of Raiden’s fire, and the cries of desperation from Elara. Raiden’s flames surged forward, carving a path through the relentless torrent, his Phoenixflare spell momentarily holding the chaotic magic at bay.

  Just as he neared Helena, her body moved upright with unnatural precision, her head snapping back as her silver-white hair whipped around her. Her eyes were void and endless, glowing with an eerie, emotionless light that sent a chill down my spine.

  "Help!" she screamed, her voice reverberating like a thunderclap. The word carried a weight of desperation and raw power, triggering a sudden surge of mana. A massive whirlpool erupted from her, its raw power evaporating Raiden’s Phoenixflare as if it were nothing more than a flicker of light. The violent force threw Raiden backward like a leaf in a storm, his fire extinguished in an instant by the overwhelming surge of water magic.

  Elara and I were pushed back to where we had started, the sheer force slamming us into the drenched walls.

  Raiden staggered to his feet, coughing as steam and water clung to him. His expression was one of disbelief, his usual fiery confidence replaced with a haunted look. "Her magic… it’s too strong," he muttered, his voice trembling. "I can’t… I can’t control this. She’s beyond my reach."

  I lay frozen where I’d landed, my small body trembling in despair. My mind raced as I stared at Helena, her fragile form writhing at the centre of the chaos.

  Is she lost to us? Can she even be saved? The thought struck me with a hollow finality, and tears pricked at my eyes. I clenched my fists, hating the helplessness that clawed at me. "Helena!!" I screamed.

  It was at that moment I felt it—a sudden, searing heat in my chest, radiating from my manaheart. The sensation burned through me like molten fire, shocking and unfamiliar.

  My knees buckled, but before I could collapse, the air shifted. A powerful gust of wind surged from nowhere, swirling around the room. It wasn’t gentle, it was fierce and commanding, sweeping through with an authority that silenced everything. The roaring magic Helena casted disappeared as if it had never existed, leaving behind a stunned and eerie stillness.

  My vision blurred as exhaustion claimed me, but before the darkness took over, I caught sight of Helena. Her body fell from the vortex with a lifeless grace, collapsing onto the soaked floor.

  Elara’s scream pierced the silence, and I saw her rushing to Helena’s side, cradling her as tears streamed down her face. I tried to process what had just happened, my mind grasping at fragments of thought. Where did that come from? Who was that?

  The world tilted, and my small body gave in to the overwhelming strain. As I slipped into unconsciousness, one last image burned in my mind, Elara holding Helena, her cries echoing through the now-quiet room.

  "Helena, are you okay? Wake up, please!" her voice trembled, panic rising with every word. Then her tone shifted, sharp and desperate, "Raiden! Check on Emrys! Something’s wrong!"

  I could barely register the sound of their voices through the haze. My body felt like it was sinking into the floor, every muscle heavy and unresponsive. I heard Raiden shout something, his voice laced with fear, but the words were swallowed by the rushing sound in my ears.

  Elara’s cries grew fainter as the darkness pulled me under. Mom… Dad… Helena… are you okay? What… just happened?

  All I could see was darkness, the faint shimmering particles that resembled mana floating around me like tiny stars.

  Did I die? Again!? The idea sending a strange mix of fear and resignation through me. The blackness seemed endless, suffocating in its silence. My chest felt heavy, and a new fear crept in.

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  Am I blind? The absurdity of the thought made me groan internally. Great. No more gorgeous women to look forward to as I grow up. I'd rather die.

  Just as I began to spiral into more ridiculous musings, faint sounds started to filter in, muffled at first but growing clearer with each passing second. Voices. Familiar ones. Elara’s voice was the first I recognized, trembling but resolute.

  "Is he going to be okay? Tell me he’ll be okay!" she demanded, desperation thick in her tone.

  A deeper voice, unfamiliar and steady, replied calmly, "He’s fine. His body and manaheart is exhausted. He needs time to recover. Let him rest, and he’ll wake up on his own."

  Raiden’s voice cut through next, filled with a mix of frustration and worry. "I cannot believe it… he’s just a child."

  Elara’s voice wavered, her tone softening. "He’s so small… I don’t know what I’d do if…"

  The words faded again as the sounds became muffled, leaving me alone in the quiet darkness once more. Rest? I don’t have time to rest…where's Helena?

  As my eyes began to open, the darkness around me gave way to a dim, blurry haze. Sounds, no longer muffled, came into sharp clarity.

  "Emrys!" Raiden’s voice boomed with relief. "Elara, he’s awake!"

  Through the fog of my vision, I saw her, Elara, with tears streaming down her face, rushing toward me. Her usually composed demeanor had crumbled, replaced with a raw, trembling joy. "My little Emrys," she sobbed, cradling my face gently, "you scared me!"

  I blinked at her, my vision slowly sharpening, taking in the room. The warmth of her hands against my cheeks brought a small flicker of comfort, but fear still gnawed at the edges of my mind. Something was missing.

  "Helena…" I croaked, my voice barely a whisper. My heart clenched as I realized I hadn’t heard her voice amidst the chaos of my awakening.

  Just as despair threatened to consume me, a faint sound broke through—soft, yet unmistakable. "Thank you… thank you for saving me, Em!"

  The voice came from my left, and I turned my head sluggishly to see her. Helena, her small frame leaning against the bedpost, her purple eyes shimmering with a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude. The sight of her sent a flood of relief coursing through me, and I couldn’t help the weak smile that spread across my face.

  She’s okay, the tension in my chest easing for the first time. Hel!...We’re both okay.

  "Aah, you are awake. Have you rested well?" an unfamiliar voice said as an old man entered the room, his steps measured and calm.

  He had a stooped posture, his frail frame wrapped in a long, tattered robe that brushed the floor with every step. A silver beard flowed down to his chest, and deep wrinkles etched his face, hinting at a lifetime of wisdom and toil. His eyes, however, gleamed with an unexpected sharpness.

  Who the hell are you? My face motionless but filled with silent indignation. Way to spoil the mood, old guy. Can’t you see this is a happy moment?

  The man approached with an air of calm authority, his voice steady as he introduced himself. "I am Hevalis Greindare, a healer and mage. Your parents called me here to ensure your recovery."

  His gaze turned analytical as he continued, "I specialize in water magic, which allows me to detect illnesses and heal injuries. That’s why I was summoned." Before I could formulate a response, Hevalis added, "You’ve been unconscious for a week. Your sister woke up five days ago."

  A week? My mind reeled at the revelation. No wonder my body feels like it’s been through a battlefield.

  Hevalis continued, his tone now carrying a note of concern. "Your manaheart is quite strained. It’s remarkable for someone your age to have refined it so much, but it’s also deeply unnatural. Whatever training you’ve undergone has pushed you far beyond what’s typical for a child your age."

  His eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to unravel the mystery of my existence. "You must not engage in any training or strenuous activity for at least the next month so your body can heal," Hevalis said, his voice firm yet kind. "Your manaheart is uneasy—unusually so. I cannot say how or why, but it is as though it has been pushed to its absolute limits. Rest easy boy."

  The room fell silent for a moment, his words sinking in. I could feel Elara’s presence beside me, her hand warm against mine. She leaned closer, her voice gentle but firm. "Emrys… Helena has awakened her magic. And… so have you."

  Her words sent a ripple of realization through me. Awakened?

  My gaze flickered to Helena, who managed a faint smile from her spot by the bedpost, "Mama is telling the truth Em," her eyes still glowing faintly with an unspoken power.

  “Mom, what happened that night?” I croaked, my voice still hoarse. My eyes flicked between Elara and Raiden, the weight of confusion pressing down on me. “Why did it feel… like everything was about to end?”

  Elara opened her mouth to answer, but Raiden raised his hand onto Elara's shoulder, his expression sombre but determined. “Let me explain,” he said, stepping closer to my bedside. His fiery red hair was damp with sweat, and his eyes carried the exhaustion of a man who had been on edge for far too long.

  “It all started when Helena’s magic began to awaken. Her manaheart surged, releasing an uncontrollable flood of water magic. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” He paused, his jaw tightening as if he were replaying the chaos in his mind. “I tried to reach her, Emrys. I used every ounce of my strength, but her magic was too strong—wild, uncontrollable. It… threw me back like I was nothing.”

  Elara’s voice trembled as she added, “We thought we were going to lose her… both of you.” Her dark eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she gripped my hand tightly. “But then something happened, Emrys. Something exceptionally rare and out of the ordinary. The magic… it stopped. And it wasn’t because of Raiden or me.”

  Raiden nodded, his gaze locked onto mine. “It was you, son. You stopped it," his voice heavy with both pride and concern. "After I was thrown to the back, I don’t know what happened, but you screamed for Helena and just started floating in the air. It was like the room itself shifted around you. We tried calling to you, but there was no response. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind erupted from you, as if it had drawn every particle of air in the room to silence Helena’s vortex. The water magic collapsed instantly, and everything went still. It was incredible, and terrifying.”

  He paused, his gaze distant as if reliving the moment. "We were so confused. That amount of magic, at your age, must have drained you completely and left you where you were."

  The room grew quiet as his words settled over us. I blinked, my mind racing to process everything. Floating? A gust of wind?

  The weight of what Raiden described felt almost unreal, like a tale from one of his old stories.

  Did I really do all that? I clenched the sheets beneath me, my fingers trembling.

  Hevalis interjected, his voice calm yet firm. "Both you and your sister have awakened your magic prematurely," he began, his analytical gaze sweeping over the room. "This is a very rare occurrence and does not always happen. More so for you Emrys—at only two years old, halfway to the common awakening age—it’s nearly unheard of. To awaken a magic affinity this early, and for it to diverge from your father’s fire affinity, is nothing short of being remarkable."

  The room fell into stunned silence again as his words hung in the air. Elara’s grip on my hand tightened, her dark eyes wide with concern. Raiden’s expression shifted as Hevalis spoke, his usually confident demeanor wavered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of disbelief. His hands clenched into fists, his gaze dropping to the floor as if grappling with the reality that my magic affinity is different to his own.

  Hevalis continued, "Helena’s awakening is remarkable in its own right, but Emrys… your manaheart is strained in ways I’ve rarely seen before. Whatever you’ve been doing has pushed it far beyond natural limits." He paused, his tone shifting to one of caution. "This level of strain can be dangerous. Both of you must take care, especially you, Emrys."

  I blinked, trying to absorb what I had just heard.

  Premature awakening? So it’s true, then, recalling the passages I’d read in the ‘Guide To Magic’.

  The book had spoken of rare instances of premature awakenings and the dangers that come with it, but reading about it was one thing, experiencing it was another.

  I can’t believe it actually happened to me and Helena. The pieces of the puzzle were aligning, but the sheer rarity of the situation left me stunned.

  "What does this mean for us?" I asked, my voice hoarse but steady.

  Helena’s voice chimed in from her spot by the bedpost, "Em, we’re special! That’s what it means," she said with a small, triumphant grin. Her words brought a faint smile to my lips, but my thoughts were far from light-hearted.

  Special, huh? My gaze drifted to Hevalis. If this is what special feels like, I’m not sure I’m a fan.

  Hevalis responded, "This means that you and your sister must continue to be children for now, boy. When you reach the proper age, you can resume your training. But until then, enjoy what you have. Perhaps you and your sister are destined for greater things, but for now, rest and recover."

  He turned to Elara and Raiden with a respectful nod. "Mr. and Mrs. Valenhart, I need to take my leave. I will return in a few months, perhaps just before or after Helena's birthday."

  As Hevalis stepped toward the door, Elara and Raiden both rose to see him off. "Thank you for everything, Hevalis," Elara said, her voice full of gratitude. "We are indebted to you."

  Raiden clasped Hevalis’s shoulder firmly. "Your wisdom and skills are invaluable. We can’t thank you enough."

  Hevalis waved them off with a faint smile. "Take care of yourselves and these remarkable children. I’ll see myself out."

  As the door clicked shut behind him, I lay in silence, my mind racing. My heart skipped a beat as one word lingered in my thoughts.

  Valenhart? The name echoed in my mind like a foreign melody.

  I had never given much thought to a family name before. In my previous life, names were titles, tools of power or infamy, not something you cherished. But here… it felt different.

  Valenhart. The word carried weight, a sense of identity I hadn’t realized I was missing. A smirk tugged at my lips despite the lingering exhaustion. It's better than some of the ridiculous titles I gave myself in my last life.

  As I lay there, exhaustion creeping back over me, the events of the past few days swirled in my mind.

  Helena's awakening… mine… our family name. This time it does not just feel like a name, it’s a promise, a responsibility. The thought filled me with a strange warmth, but also an unshakable determination.

  The thought of Helena lingered, her purple eyes shimmering with that unspoken power, her strength far beyond what I could have imagined.

  We’ve both changed overnight, the weight of her awakening settling in alongside my own.

  What does this mean for us? For our future? The questions swirled, but one thing remained clear, Helena had fought her own battle, and now it was my turn to be strong for her.

  Closing my eyes fully this time, I let out a slow breath. I have so much to learn, so much to do. But for now, I need to rest. I’ll grow stronger, protect those I love, and never again feel the despair of almost losing them.

  We are not just a family, I thought, as my body began to succumb to the pull of rest. We are bound by something deeper.

  The warmth of Elara’s touch and the proud, fierce determination in Raiden’s eyes were the last things I remembered as sleep finally claimed me, with one final thought.

  Tomorrow is a new dawn.