As Hina and Lina were tensed waiting for the time to come.
Afternoon arrived before they even knew–
Free sat in the dining room, taking his last bite on the steamed vegetables Hina prepared.
After that he thought of practicing his spells secretly, but when he stood up to go, his eyelids grew heavy, the world began to blur and the sound became distant.
'Again.....'
Free thought, brushing his eyes, trying to stay awake.
"Mom!"
He called.
"Yes sweetie"
Hina entered inside the room, and saw Free brushing his eyes, barely standing.
"Are you feeling sleepy?"
She asked, even though she knew.
Free gave a slightl nod, struggling to stay upright, and was about fall backward.
Hina's warm hands lifted him by the shoulder before he fell to the floor and nestled him in her arms comfortably.
Free fell asleep in her arms, and seeing him sleep so peacefully, Hina couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
She headed upstairs and entered inside her room, gently laying him on the bed and tucked a blanket on him.
"Sleep well"
She kissed his forehead and left the room.
Free slept peacefully, only for some time because a nightmare crept.
"Work hard..."
A man in coat ordered, face shadowed with a stern expression, Free's old self was bowing to him in apology.
"Our company depends on you, so I and everyone expects you to work hard"
A woman lectured his young self, and took a game from his hands, his young self pleaded for some more time only to be met with a disappointed look.
"Look! that is the boy. I Heard he is super rich~"
A girl in school uniform whispered to her friend, smiling and observing him with greed visible in her eyes.
'Those people...'
The boy thought, watching the girls talking amongst each other while glancing at him from time to time.
'T-this..... '
Free's eye widened, seeing his own previous reflection.
Him bowing for a small mistake, overworking himself just because he was asked to, not having time for his family and his daughter, getting scolded for slacking, getting dragged to learn multiple things, and many more than he could recall.
'No....NO! NO! NO!!'
He tried to run away as fast as he could, but the words followed him.
"You're not an average person"
A voice echoed in his head.
"You should learn how to work hard!"
A female voice echoed.
"Work hard"
"the company depend on you!"
"Don't let our expectations be in vain"
...
...
"Don't disappoint me as your father"
His father spoke, placing a hand on his shoulder.
'NOOOO!'
...
***
The door creaked open softly, Lina entered with the seal held between a metal clip, Hina followed a few steps behind her.
It was time...
"Are you ready, Lady Hina?"
Lina asked, her voice calm, but she could her gut tightening.
"Y-Yes"
She replied, her hands fidgeting, unsure of what she was about to do.
'I'm sorry! Free, i...i shouldn't do this, b-but it's for your own good'
she thought, her hands trembling as she undressed him, his back facing the ceiling.
When a shivering sound reached their ears—
Crack!.
Hina flinched, her hand inched away from the clip, while Lina's face lose all colour hearing that sound.
Craccckkkk!.
Cracks started to form on the surface of the seal.
Cracccccckkkk!.
...
...
A defeaning silence cling to the air, a bead of sweat trcikled down Hina's neck, Lina's calm expression was gone, replaced by an spine wrecking shiver.
"We should appl–"
BOOOOM!.
The seal in Free's back disintegrated into ash, windows violently flung open, the whole house trembled, cups and plates fell to the ground.
Lina shrieked as the pressure pushed her back.
She got thrown to the wall by the back, blood spurted from her mouth as her body collided with the wall.
"Gahhh!"
She fell to the ground, as thin line of blood dripped from her lips.
Hina too was pushed back, but she somehow stood with her legs trembling because of the effect of both her gravity spell and the immense amount of force coming out of Free.
Meanwhile outside the whole village was affected, older kids were thrown thrown to the ground, some puke while others fainted.
Adults who were sitting, standing or simply walking got yetted off the ground, even Philip and Okoto were having a match got thrown to a nearby tree.
Monsters ran away as far as they could from the village, birds flew away from their place.
In the capital.....
The king sat on his throne reading some important documents when suddenly a invinsible force contact with his body and threw him to the ground.
Thud!.
Silence...
BOOM!
Mana censors inside the palace exploded one by one.
"Your majesty! Some unknowm force just blew off the whole capital's mana censors!!"
A guard screamed as he entered the throne room barely standing.
The king stood up abruptly hearing the news.
"W-WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODDESS!!"
He King gasped, covering his mouth.
In the palace, Princes and Princesses were pushed or yetted to walls, babies cried loudly feeling the pressure.
Meanwhile far away from the capital, a boy between the age of 7 to 8 almost fell off a cliff when the pressure hit.
"WOAOAH....WAAHAHAHAHAH,W-WHAT THE FUCK"
The boy screamed, both laughing and terrified as he was about fall off the cliff, his hand tightly held a hound shaped badge.
"JAKE! WATCH OUT, YOU'RE GONNA FALL"
Another boy, around 17 yelled, covering his mouth.
"What is this pressure?..."
Far off a the big mountains, past kingdoms and seas, a red dragon deep on slumber, opened it's crimson eyes, it looked furious, but sweat poured down it's face, revealing it's terror.
"Is this pressure for real? "
It mumbled the words nobody except the monster could hear.
Inside a dungeon pointed long ear twitched, the girl furrowed her purple eyes looking at the direction the Mana was coming from, her skin was pale, she tilted her head I'm deep focus only to be disturbed by terrified growl of the beasts she was battling. They trembled and ran away from the pressure.
"Hmmm... This pressure....is very dangerous...and amazing...."
Back at the capital a guard stormed into the throne room.
"Your majesty!!! All ground bombs have exploded near the border!!"
he informed and his knees buckled.
"Goddes, please forgive our sins"
The King prayed sweat dripping from his long white beard, the documents still in his hands.
Some Mages build a anti-mana barrier but—
Crack.
booom!!.
"The barrier aren't working!!"
A young royal mage shouted, as his barrier was cracked by the raw mana.
"Is the goddess celestine descending to our world...?"
A priest asked, hands clasped together and praying desperately.
"She isn't descending, she is giving judgement"
Another priest said, joining the priest's prayer.
On the other hand—
Far away, on top of a mountain sitting still, deep in meditation, an old man's eyes opened, sensing the approaching force.
"Huh?"
he tilt his head as a high wave passed through, but it didn't yeeted him like others asan invisible force tanked the mana.
"Grandpa?"
A little girl glanced at her grandfather.
"What happen? You never open your eye mid meditation"
She questioned, the man responded with a pat on her head.
The old man grinned, his eyes reflecting the scenery of the horizon.
"Nothing. Focus on your training, Tai"
He ordered, while chuckling alone by himself.
Back at the village—
Hina who could barely stand, took the seal from the floor and slowly approach Free, and placed the seal in the back of his neck.
SHIIIIINNNNNEEEEE!.
A blinding white light shone in the room, painting the whole room white before slowly fading away.
The pressure slowly settled down, the world felt like it was moving again, Hina dropped to her knees, exhaustion washing over her.
"I did it"
She muttered, before tears start to overflow her eyes.
"S-sorry...i'm sorry, Free.... I'm sorry!..."
Tear continuously fell from her cheeks, grief and guilt crept her hand.
"Lady Hina, are you okay?"
Lina stood up, blood dripping out of her lips.
"Ow"
Free, on the other hand slept through all that commotion. Hina remained silent, tear poured out of her eyes, he stared, not moving nor saying anything.
"lady Hina"
Lina called, grabbing Hina's by the shoulder gently.
"Lady....Hina?"
She repeated, Just then–
"HINA! LINA! FREEEEE!!"
Philip's loud desperate voice came from outside, he sprinted toward the house while injured, Okoto a few steps behind him, and hearing him approaching, Hina quickly stood up and wiped her tears.
She peeked out through the window and callled.
"Honey!!"
Philip stopped after hearing her voice.
"Hina are you okay!!" Philip shouted fron the garden.
"Also is Free, unharmed!"
He asked.
"I'm okay! Free is alright too!"
She shouted from the second floor.
Hearing that, relieve spread over Philip's face,
"Ahh....I'm relieved, and also tired....and hurt"
He looked at the sky, and seeing the clouds drift across the sky, he felt peace.
Okoto fell on the grass beside him.
"Everything is fine and okay....but I might need a healing spelll from Hina"
He joked, his left hand clutchihg his right shoulder, trying to ease the pain.
"I think my shoulder and leg dislocated"
He chuckled even though the pain was intense.
Philip chuckled alongside him.
"I think, i too need it a spell or two"
He stated.
Meanwhile inside Hina's room...
Lina sat on the bed, gasping for air.
"We did it, the pressure is gone..."
Lina spoke, it was supposed to be a happy moment, yet, she couldn't help but feel the guilt of sealing her Young master's mana.
"It indded is"
Hina nodded, sitting down and observed Free, Hina bit her lower lip, seeing je was sweating, as if he was suffocated and scared. She warmly placed a hand on his forehead, and his breathing stabled a bit.
"My dear son..."
Shhe whisper, a chuckle escaping even though she was still feeling guilty.
"HINA! I THINK, WE NEED HEALING HERE"
Philip shouted outside, layong flat on the garden while groaning painfully.
"Coming!"
She responded, and stood up, Lina too stood up from the bed and walk to the door.
1 minute later.....
"You're an idiot!"
Hina scolded, her hands glow green as she channeled healing on Philip's body, he laid flat in the ground groaning like in pain.
"Honey! It was to protect you, i ran without paying attention to the injury, atleast praise me"
He pleaded for a praise, to which Hina replied with a slap on the skin beside the swollen bruise, avoiding the injured area.
"Ouch!!.. "
"Praise for what, for running like a madman and crashing into a tree?"
Lina said, as she placed a paper on Okoto back.
"ahhh~ yes"
Okoto let out a relieved voice, as the paper glowed, attaching his dislocated shoulder back to place and healing the bleeding leg.
"By the way, there is no need to blame us. It is all the fault of that sudden force"
He hissed, the injury fullly healed, he stood up wore his shirt.
" That wave felt like mana or something?"
He speculatef, stretching his arms and waist.
"It was"
Lina answered, picking the paper from the ground.
Hina gave a faint chuckle, and after she finished healing Philip, she stood up.
"I'm going to make lunch now"
She informed, walking back to the house.
"Me too"
Lina said, standing up and following right behind Hina.
"it was really hard..."
Hina mumbled, as she entered inside the house.
"It sure was"
Lina agreed, she was about to go to the kitchen, when Hina headed upstairs.
"lady Hina, weren't you going to cook lunch?" she questioned.
"Ah! I was going to check on Free"
"Look like he had a nightmare"
"If that's the case. I'm coming too"
She replied, walking upstairs with Hina.
Back in the room....
Hina patted Free's head again, he was sleeping peacefully now.
"He is very cute, when asleep"
she commented, smiling as she placed a hand on his cheeks.
"Young master indded is"
Lina agreed poking Free's left cheek.
"Also, Lina won't that much mana... y'know put burden on his body"
Hina asked, with worry clinging her face.
"No it won't, the seal of eternity doesn't just lock the mana, but it channels that mana to the ground. it is a good growth for crops and Young master won't be burdened by that mana"
She explained, examining Free's face
"And it isn't removable"
Hina curiosly asked, relive spread on her face.
"Yes. it isn't removable, once the seal is applied, removing is impossible"
Lina added, sadness creeping her face.
"Don't be sad Lina, i know you did it for Free's future"
Hina reassured her, Lina gave a faint smile hearing it.
"Thank you..."
She muttered, grateful and happy, she stood up from her place.
"Let's go and cook lunch, lady Hina"
She calmly said, back to her usual self.
"Yes, let's go"
Hina replied, she stood up and marched towardthe door with a faint smile.
Crack!.
Both stopped in their tracks hearing that familiar sound.
Crackkk!!.
Lina shuddered from fear, she glanced back, Hina's eyes widened as she quievered, not daring to look back.
KRAKKK!!!.
"oh no....."
To be continued.....