Requiem for an Aberrant Chapter 12: Chapter 12- Bloom

Read chapter 12 of Requiem for an Aberrant by TheJestersGambit on NovelPedia.

Cole woke up first, shocked to see that Ariana had fallen asleep. The girl who was supposed to keep watch. The sunlight that shone through the windows painted the room in dawn. He sat up, the blanket slipping from his shoulders. Beside him, Ariana’s hair was a loose brown mess spread over the straw mat. Meanwhile, Aegis lay on his back, one arm flung over his eyes, breathing deeply like someone who hadn’t slept properly in years. Cole removed the rusty mask, thumbs brushing the inside rim where sweat and breath had moistened it. Wiping it, he debated putting it back on. There wasn’t a word to describe his loath towards the mask. Its shape, design, and creation were better off gone. But in the end, he submitted, his lack of trust winning over. When he looked outside, the villagers were preparing for something. He reached for his pack. None of that concerned him. “You’re up early.” Aegis pushed himself onto his elbows, squinting at the sunlight. Cole shrugged, pulling the straps tighter on his pack. “Are you ready—” “Wait.” Aegis’s voice was gentle in a way that made Cole’s chest tighten. “One more night. That’s all. It seemed safe here. I think—” he yawned. “I think it’s all right to take it, rather than sending ourselves back out there right away.” Ariana sat up fully, rubbing the side of her neck. Her fingers brushed over the medium-sized scrape near her collarbone. “This cloak is irritating me,” she muttered, letting the fabric fall behind her. “Are you sure about this Aegis? Not that I would mind another night of rest…” Aegis watched them both with calm eyes, like he was remembering something distant. “One more night. They haven’t given us a reason to run yet.” Cole didn’t answer at first. In truth, Ariana had dozed off, yet they still woke up fine. “I agree with Aegis,” Ariana smiled at Cole. “There’s no harm.” Still, he contested. “Stop messing around, we said we would leave after one night.” “Who knows when we will be able to rest like this again?” Ariana’s nails reached for his arm. Cole instinctively edged back. He realised, and pretended to adjust the straps on his belt. Even if they were right, something inside him wouldn’t rest. The slightest feeling of disappointment. He thought Aegis was the type to push forward no matter what. He respected that about him. Maybe even envied it. He met Aegis’s stare, trying to see into the depths of his heart, only to find nothing. “Fine, one more night,” Cole sighed. “But whilst waiting, we aren’t going to twiddle our thumbs and sit idly. Ariana, you’re a Bloodcraft user, correct?” Ariana blinked. “A little?” “A little?” Cole repeated. “You nearly tore yourself apart fighting that White Handra.” “She survived, didn’t she?” Aegis muttered, trying to brush past the issue. Cole ignored him. “Bloodcraft isn’t supposed to feel like your body is about to explode every time you use it.” Ariana rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t really know much about it.” That caught both of them off guard. “You don’t?” Aegis frowned. “What about your lineage? Didn’t they teach you?” “Not really…” Ariana looked down. “My parents never thought I was suited for combat.” Bloodcraft was usually refined through families. Even smaller lineages understood the basics of controlling inherited will and emotions. But Ariana spoke about it like someone who had been forced to figure everything out alone. “So your Bloodcraft wasn’t properly trained,” Cole muttered. “What normally happens when you use it?” She winced slightly. “At first, my body feels lighter. Stronger too.” Her fingers curled around her sleeve. “But after a while it starts feeling like something inside me is pushing back. Like emotions that don’t belong to me.” “Your ancestors’ will?” Aegis asked. Ariana shook her head. “Not exactly. It still feels like me. Just… another version of me.” She continued quietly, trying to explain it properly. "It feels like there’s another self buried somewhere inside me. And whenever I force my Bloodcraft too hard, p