CHAPTER 174: THROUGH THE DAYS (ALETHA: PART 31)

The days blurred into a whirlwind of intense training, with Alai pushing Aletha to her limit, honing their skills and demanding perfection on all parts of her body.

The crisp mountain air bit at Aletha’s cheeks, a welcome contrast to the nervous flutter in her stomach.

"Remember what I told you." Alai’s voice echoed across the valley, her crimson eyes drifting to Aletha’s foot tracks, the food sizzling next to her. "Remember the prophecy."

"O... Okay." Aletha replied, wiping the thick sweat gland off her face. "And then I can have breakfast?"

Her arms flailed left and right, smelling the enticing scents coming from the house.

"We will see." Alai said back as she flipped an egg. "We will see..."

. . .

Now that Emine, Phthonus and Pridia were there, Alai now finally has use for the extra bedrooms in her house.

They all got up relatively early, with Alai happily serving breakfast to everyone, except Aletha.

"Tsk, Breakfast is served!"

The eggs sizzled at the right degree, bacon strips steamed to crisp, and toast baked to perfection.

As Phthonus, Ubel, Pridia and Emine eat a delicious meal, quickly they sparked a conversation, hearing Aletha struggle in the background.

"So tell me... now that we can talk..." Phthonus commented with his mouth full. "Why did you choose to train Aletha? Doesn’t she have experience?"

"She does mentally, but physically she... struggles." Alai took a sip of milk straight from the can and then tossed it to the trash, boasting, " I saved her butt from these pesky thieves back in Clearstar and she chose to go under MY training."

Pridia looked over to the window, seeing Aletha struggle and scatter.

"So what is your cheeky motive?"

After taking a bite into the yolk of the egg, Alai pridefully revealed

"It’s not for the race, nor is it for the prize."

After dropping her fork on the table, she grabbed the prophecy book and turned the page precisely to the strong girl one.

"It’s to make her fulfill a prophecy."

Immediately Phthonus, Pridia, and Emine’s eyes broadened to the glowing text,

*"A powerful girl shall swoop in and land perfectly. And so shall the strong girl scale the deceased king’s peak and restore order to the nation of Happiness.")

"There’s no way she can scale that mountain. Not with her wits." Emine said carefully, her eyes flashing with worry. ’That’s too dangerous."

"Dangerous, yes. But impossible, no." Phthonus said with a sigh. "She can do it. I know she can. She’s smart enough."

"Wasn’t it all about getting money to pay for the train?" Ubel said as Aletha came racing up the stairs. "Prophecy this, prophecy that, I won’t believe it until I see it."

"What are you guys talking about?" Aletha asked as she intervened in the conversation. "Wait. All of you are eating without me?"

"Hold on, Aletha. Chill out." Pridia said as she munched on toast. "The last thing we want is some crazy girl to go insane because she didn’t get fed."

"Pridia, unnecessary!" Emine said with a pouty face. "The last thing we want is a fight with you."

As the two argued back and forth, Alai slammed her fist on the table and said,

"No fighting in my house. If you want to fight, it happens outside."

"Nah I’m not doing that." said Pridia. " Ever since the tornado touched down, I felt all my energy drained. But I don’t care, I have physical aspects that encourage me to fight."

"Wouldn’t that power come with weakness?"

. . .

A warmness breathed upon emerald grass plains, the dirt track covered in footprints. As Pridia, Ubel, Alai, and Emine came together near the benches, they all watched Aletha grievingly train.

Ubel, as knowing as he was, tried his best to tame the wolves embedded onto his chest. Phthonus watched as Aletha climbed hurdles, Emine talked with the crew, and Pridia also witnessed Aletha’s legs hitching forward.

"Way to go, Aletha!" She applauded as she observed Aletha’s sprint. "Just two more laps.

As a wind passed by, Alai acknowledged Aletha’s best efforts by clapping her hands, saying...

"Not bad!" Alai commented, "Not bad at all."

But that wasn’t the end.

The next trial was equally more strategic than the last.. Aletha leaped and tumbled across the uneven ground, the wind whipping through her hair. There were times where Aletha faltered in her position. But as she came to her knees, she was reminded why she was doing this in the first place.

"For the money..." She mumbled, "This is for the money.."

Everything came at a sudden pace as she recollected past memories. She remembered the time when she was beaten up and coughed out by the ruthless savages back in Clearstar, when she was caught in a dragon feud, when she had run across the geysers, when she saw the sky opening portal, and the ruthless tornado; She remembered it all.

Not only those thoughts, but even Alai’s prophecy flew in.

’A powerful girl shall swoop in and land perfectly.’

"That’s it!" Alai said as she sensed a sudden shift. "Remind yourself why you’re doing this."

"For... Asahi, Alai, Ubel, Emine. All of them." Aletha mumbled as she clenched her fists. "This is for Drimi"

With that sudden claim, came a powerful surge of green energy that coursed through her body like a net.

Alai was left aback by the occurrence, witnessing how much determination Aletha displayed in her practices

"The Sealed Beatific?" Alai mumbled as the green luminance expanded, "Is this what Alaunus was talking about?"

Noticing Aletha stopping training and barging in, Alai slammed her book shut and screamed with a red face.

"H-Hey, shouldn’t you be practicing?!"

"I have been practicing for hours." Aletha replied with tough panting. "How many days have we been training?"

"For around one week." Phthonus replied with certainty. "I, Pridia, Emine and that one guy with silver hair have been witnessing you train. It even got me shocked seeing you build muscle so quickly. But anyways, I enjoy the free food."

Aletha’s eyes broadened.

"One week?!"

"Yeah." Alai said. "We have come a long way."

"You’re doing well, Aletha."

After that, they practiced yet again, day and night, under the watchful gaze of the stars, and the blazing sun.

. . .

One evening, under a blanket of stars, Aletha and Alai practiced intricate rope climbs, the last part of the training, while Ubel and the others got rest.

Aletha climbed the walls with ease, running upward in a skidding motion.

"Almost... there." With all the exercises and practices and soreness weighing her up in her, It made simply climbing a taller wall seem like the most daunting challenge ever. But Alas, as she reached the end,

"There you go!" Alai said as the crickets chirped.

Aletha reached the end, high fiving Alai as they celebrated.

"It felt tough, but I did it. It’s been awhile since I have climbed like this." Aletha mumbled with a wry smile. "But I’m glad I’M doing it with you."

Alai fixed her pony tail as she looked at Aletha. After she set her gaze on her white hair, Alai patted Aletha’s back and encouraged her.

"There you go! You’re doing good." She said with exasperated breaths. "And hey it’s no problem if you lose to me.. I just want to see you get stronger."

Alai smiled as she looked at Aletha’s skin. Sweat glands had formed everywhere on her, vividly presenting to her pure effort and determination. Hearing a roaring echo from the peak far in the distance, a recollection dawned on Alai the moment she looked at it.

The vision of a ruby-haired man with pink eyes and climbing gear.

"Now dear, take one foot in."

(Alel.) She said in her mind. (Father

As Alai pushed her past aside, she shook up the tension and gave her hand saying, "Now that’s what friends are for. Shut up and give me a five!"

Quickly, Aletha slammed her hand onto Alai’s with a wide grin of relief.

(CLAP)

After smiling and looking back, Alai scratched her head, tilted to the sky and sighed. While she witnessed Aletha cross the track, a vision of the same man flickered across her eyes.

(Don’t give up. Giving up is for the weak.) It was a soft voice, one you would hear when someone was trying to share a story. (The mountain you carry... is meant for you to climb.)

As the sight of the father figure dissipated into the void, Alai mumbled with a grieving tone in her voice.

"If only my dad was here to see me like this. He would have been so proud."

* * * * *

"Now show me what you got!"

It was now one day before the race.

Aletha, with her hair tied up and ready, forcefully kicked a wooden slab held by Alai with her bare feet. That, quickly charmed Emine, saying,

"Wow Aletha, you got stronger."

Even Pridia was impressed, saying

"Good job. I knew you got a hang of it!’

During the afternoon, Emine and Phthonus departed toward a garden, grabbing fresh vegetables from the uprooted soil. While Alai trained Aletha some more, she unleashed a calvary of wild horses to train Aletha’s stamina.

Starting from her calves to her bare feet, she ran on the bristles of grass getting chased by horses speeding twice her pace.

"Alai, I...is this even necessary?!" Aletha shrieked as she dodged a kick.

Alai nodded her head and crossed her arms

"Very necessary." She said as Phthonus, Emine and Pridia stood in shock. "One more day of training, you can do this. You’re not a wolf are you...?"

"Speaking of wolves " Aletha scratched her head and looked at the distant house, seeing Phthonus among the others sitting on chairs. "Where is Ubel?"

Alai shrugged her shoulders, tilting toward the setting sun.

"I don’t know." She said, "perhaps he’s eating all those left overs I left for him the other night."

Aletha couldn’t help but to be brought up with a chuckle. But afterward, she shook the mask off and squinted at Alai.

"No seriously, where is he?"

"I’m over here." Ubel shouted as his silver hair flew upward. "I’m just scrutinizing this book."

Alai’s ruby eyes broadened with shock.

"HEY!" She screamed with visible frustration. "You’re not supposed to touch that!"

After seven days of relentless training, it was clear to Alai that Aletha’s body had been used up greatly. The dark circles under her eyes made it obvious of her condition. And so,

"Aletha, that’s all you have to do today." Alai whispered as she washed Aletha’s clothing. "What you need is some rest."

"We have a big race ahead of us." Ubel commented, winking his eyes. "How about you get something to eat?"

"Nope." Aletha replied as she rubbed her head. "I’m going straight to bed."

And with it, she raced to the bedroom and softened her grasp, saying good night to everyone.

As she rested on the soft mattress, Aletha stared at the ceiling, stretching her sore arms and legs. She recounted the moments where she beat a villager in a race and the times where she would collapse on the course drenched in sweat.

Throughout the past seven days, Aletha beat villagers in a public race, rode horses, and even collapsed on the course tracks, drenched in sweat.

Her muscles have ached, showing rock solid effort coursing through her blood. In just a short time span, Aletha came to realize how quickly her body builded up.

"Is this really me?" She said, shaking in front of a tall mirror. "Is that prophecy true?"

As the hands of time tick toward a second, Aletha took a deep breath and tied her pony tail tighter.

"Just what does this world have to offer? Have I really grown? Have I evolved? No, I don’t feel like it." Aletha swiftly shifted her body to the right, falling to discomfort all over. "Just what is Asahi doing now? Am I going to win the race?"

Suddenly a flashback fluctuated in Aletha’s eyes, remembering the bright poster attached onto the wall.

"Right, it’s for her." Aletha added with a sigh. "Drimi. It’s for Drimi."

It was at this moment that she realized...

What she earned wasn’t just a healthier body, it was also a determination and will.

Sure she could be fed great food and have fun laughs.

But it was the friends, pain and effort to save them, that motivated her to try again.

. . .

After one hour of rest, Aletha woke up in the middle of the night, the sky a dark blue. A wooden chair was placed on the door, followed by a ruby-haired girl clenching tightly onto a book. Aletha tried to be as quiet as possible, the light shining through the doorway.

But the moment Aletha made a soft noise, Alai quickly jolted upward, pushing snot out from her nose.

"A-Aletha! You’re awake?"

"What are you doing?" Aletha asked, rubbing her eyes.

Alai fixed her red hair, adjusting her gaze to Aletha’s gray pupils.

" This... is the last thing my father left behind. It’s the book of all the prophecies he found from Alaunus." Alai turned the page.

(They shall escalate the dragon and ----)

"L-look... I’m counting on you, Aletha." Alai said, clenching both hands on her. "You are the symbol of hope. The prophesied one mentioned in the writings. I want you to win. Just like how my father believed in me."

Alai shook her head. "I’m only going hard because I want to be sure of your success."

"You’re a completely different individual now, Aletha. Your strengths, weaknesses. All I can see in you is strength. The power of the Sealed Beatific is coursing through your veins. Just as the prophecy predicted."

Alai shook her head, twiddling her hair as she brushed dirt off her skirt.

"You remind me of myself." She said, "But unlike me, you should not lose. Now Hurry up and get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.

Walking back, Alai left Aletha with one more wink.."

"Oh and about the book." She added, "You can keep a copy of it. I have several of them sealed in the shed. They won’t have all the prophecies, but few of the important ones."

After she grabbed another copy of the book of prophecies, Alai slowly shut the door and whispered.

"Good night."

* * * * * *

After slowly falling into the void of slumber, all of a sudden the bedroom got shrouded in a vision.

The air itself was thick with the weight of sorrow, a palpable grief hanging heavy in the silence between the wind’s mournful song.

The stench of decay, a relentless reminder of death and destruction, clung to everything, seeping into her clothes, her hair, her very bones.

Aletha’s body phased through everything as if she was a ghost.

Seeing this sight, this left Aletha to wonder...

(Is this The War of the Wish."?)

Abruptly, a powerful being with long dark hair and crystal blue eyes, came from an explosion that rented the land into two. The remaining factions of people retreated into the horizon, while few of the creatures challenged her.

In a last ditch effort, she quickly erected glass walls all around the scorching mountain rings, reforming and terraforming the land into grass. She hoisted her arm into the air and generated a cyan light that pierced the monsters into oblivion.

Afterward, the dark haired maiden formed a grassy space among the rock, leading refugees and poor people toward the glass sanctuary.

Then the mysterious woman terraformed the land, allowing crops to form. Furthermore, she sent rainstorms to bind the soil. Grass, flora, and trees were created in just a blink in an eye, her demonstration of power echoing across the land.

"Who would’ve known..." The strong woman mumbled beneath her deep breath. "That the King of Fear wished death on all other kings."

Amidst the chaos, the woman turned to the green-haired king levitating in the sky and protested.

"You are the last, the strongest of them all. And yet you waste it just for a single nation. The one to defy the Wish." She said, "You could have been more, Zargon."

"It’s for my people... Adeline." He replied, staring at the glass contraption. "Or shall I call you, The Protector? Were you not designed to protect the people?"

Suddenly, before the conversation could persist, golden winged beings appeared in the distance, unleashing the firmaments glow out to the goopy monsters and humans alike.

The echoes of screams reverberated across the barren plains, a silent chorus of the countless lives stolen by the War.

The sun, when it deigned to pierce the perpetual ash-filled sky, cast long, skeletal shadows, highlighting the grotesque shapes of monstrous creatures that patrolled the wasteland.

These beings, twisted mockeries of nature, were born from the War of the Wish’s chaos, their forms reflecting the terrible power of the event that had reshaped the world.

TRAITOR

The ground itself felt unstable beneath her feet; the very earth itself seemed to mourn, the landscape a testament to an unprecedented act of destruction.

Before the dream could progress further, Aletha jolted up from her slumber, screaming.

"THE PROTECTOR?!"