[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 129 - 26: The Stirring Shadows [8]

Chapter 129: Chapter 26: The Stirring Shadows [8]

Leon watched Ardyn close his eyes for a few minutes. His forehead was slightly furrowed, and he seemed to be concentrating too hard.

Leon blinked. This didn’t seem to be the face of someone in deep meditation.

"You should take a deep breath and relax," he said. "You look too tense."

Ardyn’s lips stretched into a thin line. He seemed a bit frustrated. "I’m not good at things like this," he admitted.

Leon looked pensive for a moment. "Okay then. Imagine a warm light in your chest, something that represents your magic. It may be faint, but it’s there. Concentrate on that light and feel it grow stronger."

Ardyn concentrated hard for about one minute.

"...I can’t feel anything."

"Don’t force it," Leon said. "Just let your mind be still. Sometimes magic can be subtle. Kinda like a whisper, you know? You have to listen to it carefully."

Ardyn was getting more frustrated. After one more minute, he shook his head. "I’m trying, but it’s not working. Does it usually take a long time?"

He wasn’t the type of person who could sit still for long periods of time. That kind of thing wasn’t his forte. He wasn’t into sports either, but he usually preferred to either sit at his desk and play games all day or go out in the city and hang out with friends and discover some new hotspots in town.

He was always amazed that his sister did yoga every day without fail. She had suggested that he join her, but he had refused, saying that it wasn’t the kind of exercise he liked.

Not that he did any exercise in the first place.

"It does," Leon admitted.

Ardyn groaned, opening his eyes in defeat. "Why does this magic stuff have to be so complicated?"

"It’s because you’re trying too hard. It has to be natural and instinctive," Leon pointed out. "Okay, now close your eyes again. This time, instead of looking for a light, just focus on your heartbeat and feel its rhythm."

Ardyn sighed and closed his eyes again. "Okay... I can feel it," he reported.

"Okay. Now imagine each heartbeat sending out a pulse of energy. Feel how it spreads through your body. Can you feel anything different?"

Ardyn was silent for a few minutes. It took him quite a while this time. It seemed that he was really trying his hardest.

"I... don’t feel anything different," he finally said.

Leon felt a trickle of disappointment. "It’s all right. It takes time. I’m just helping you find your starting point."

Ardyn continued to concentrate and follow Leon’s instructions. Meanwhile, Leon glanced over at Luke. The latter was still fast asleep.

Then he glanced at the window to see if there was anything unusual going on.

There was nothing.

It should have been good news since none of them wanted a wave of attacks tonight, but Leon couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.

Ardyn opened his eyes and sighed. He looked a little tired.

"Okay, let’s stop for now," Leon said quickly. "You’re trying too hard, and that can block the flow. Magic comes naturally, not when you think too much."

Ardyn sighed a second time. "I know. I just don’t think I’m cut out for this."

"You’ve done it before. Your body knows how to do it again even if your mind doesn’t. Keep practicing and in time, it’ll come to you," Leon said encouragingly.

Ardyn nodded slowly. "Thanks, by the way. For trying to help me."

Leon smiled sunnily. "It’s no problem!"

Ardyn couldn’t help but smile in response. Sometimes this boy’s smile was infectious.

"Everything’s still clear, right?" Ardyn asked, glancing out the window to make sure.

Leon nodded. "Yes. I checked."

Ardyn seemed relieved. "That’s good. It’s better that nothing happens."

"I agree." Leon looked at Ardyn inquisitively.

Ardyn noticed his gaze, puzzled. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"I’m curious. Can I ask something?"

"Uh, sure. Go ahead."

"Can you tell me about your world?" Leon’s eyes were wide and full of curiosity, and he seemed almost childlike at this moment. "I’d like to know more about you!"

"Oh. Well..." Ardyn rubbed the back of his head, not sure what to say or where to begin. "It’s a very different world from this one. For starters, we didn’t have magic there, but the technology was advanced, so that was good enough."

Leon looked astonished. "What kind of technology? Is it as good as that of the Emerald Kingdom?"

"I’m not sure, I’ve never been to the Emerald Kingdom. But we had computers and cell phones."

"Computers? Cellphones?"

"Computers, they’re..." Ardyn paused, trying to think of an explanation that Leon would understand better. "They’re like a really smart box that can store information and do calculations much faster than any person. We used them for all sorts of things, like looking up information, writing documents, creating art or music, and even communicating with people all over the world."

Leon’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "You can do all that with one box? How?"

"I can’t explain the technical details, but yeah, they’re really useful to have around. As for cell phones, they’re like portable versions of computers, but they’re mainly used for communication."

"You mean they’re like commcrystals?"

"Yes, but they can do a lot more. You can make voice calls and send written messages. They also have other functions like taking pictures, playing music, and using various apps for different tasks."

"So they’re like advanced versions of commcrystals!" Leon’s mind raced. "I really want to see if the Emerald Kingdom has a device like that."

"I’m a little confused," Ardyn said. "If the Emerald Kingdom has such good technology, why don’t you have access to it? I remember Mathias mentioning something about it, but he never elaborated."

At the mention of Mathias’ name, Leon perked up a bit. But he still stayed on topic. "About that..." He lowered his tone to a whisper. "The thing is, the leader of the Emerald Kingdom is quite paranoid. He keeps the kingdom’s technology under lock and key. And to guarantee that, he makes sure that the technology never works outside the borders of the Emerald Kingdom."

Ardyn was confused. "Why would the leader do that? Is it to attract more people? Like tourists?"

"I suppose that’s one of the reasons. But in history, it was said that the technology of the Emerald Kingdom had been exploited many times. Their devices had also been stolen once and then used against them." Leon sighed. "So that’s the reason why the leader doesn’t want to share their advancements with other kingdoms anymore. Not that the Silver Kingdom cares, because we’re usually traditional people. If we had to rely on something, we could only use magic crystals and nothing else. It’s a little different for the Sapphire Kingdom and the Scarlet Kingdom, though. In short, each kingdom has different values and customs that they uphold."

"I see..."

The two fell silent the next moment. Leon looked out the window again while Ardyn closed his eyes. He wasn’t sleepy, but he did feel a bit tired after all that meditation stuff.

At this rate, he wondered if he would ever be able to activate his magic again. Maybe if there was a life or death situation the next time, it was possible.

But Ardyn would rather it not come to that. He had been in a lot of near-death situations since he arrived in this world, and he was not eager to add more to those experiences.

"I’m a little scared," Leon suddenly said in a low voice.

Ardyn looked at him, startled. "Of what?"

Leon hesitated for a moment. "My... father."

Ardyn’s features softened in sympathy. "Is he really that scary?"

Leon’s eyes were downcast. "He is. I... think so. It’s just that I don’t understand him sometimes. It makes me wonder if he really cares for me," he whispered.

That’s really sad, Ardyn thought, feeling another pang of pity for the boy. No child should ever feel this way about a parent. A parent was supposed to make their child feel loved and protected.

Not like this.

He opened his mouth to say something encouraging, but then he suddenly froze in place.

They both felt it at the same time.

A tingling sensation at the back of their necks, like an icy hand was gripping their spines. The atmosphere of the room changed in an instant, growing heavier by the second.

Leon felt his breathing getting labored. Normal humans didn’t have such heightened senses. Only Guardians and Summoners could feel the dark energy of the Calamity so clearly, and that same dark energy was usually associated with the beastspawns, albeit lesser in intensity.

Which meant that something was coming.

"Do you feel that?" Ardyn said with wide eyes, looking alarmed. He was almost afraid to look.

Leon didn’t hesitate. He immediately looked out the window and peered outside.

The night was dark and silent, but he could still feel that distant, ominous presence growing stronger by the second.

As his vision focused, a shadowy figure became visible in the distance.

It moved with an unsettling grace, its red eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

And Leon knew.

"It’s here," he breathed out.

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