My status had indicated a large increase in my magic point count. I just so naturally slammed them all into increasing my strength, magical strength, speed and stamina that I couldn't count the exact amount. The sheer amount I got from a hero almost killed me instantly. Thankfully it didn't and I was far stronger now. It was like cheating the jump in power I had.
I had no idea how to use all of it and couldn't recount exactly how much I put where. I would just end up finding out when I fight something next.
Considering it was the absolute last stage of hero syndrome, Baydí was maybe one tenth of her original strength. Even with that my magic capacity was ten times last night.
I swayed forward, grabbed the food, and headed out of the restaurant. The smell of ginger and cooked food filled the streets of the capital.
Cracked stone sidewalks lined rows of scary haunted buildings. Some of the building were made with the grey blue and hot red bricks. On the inside of each were bright lights. On the outside hung bunting and colorful lights.
The city was in a better mood than yesterday. More people were out, and organizing together. A funeral was being held throughout the streets of the people who died.
I saw a photo of the girl with short bangs again. The same girl who I sold the magic potion to. My chest tightened as I saw people resembling her hold up her photo.
Sixty other people were paraded through the town. The few religious Fayhian stood still to pray for them. I also took a couple of seconds to pray to the black hole gods.
It was a bit out of the way, but I visited the fool. The most touristy spot wasn't yet filled like it was when me and Stella were here. The dark black icy water hit the stone wall protecting people from the ocean. I came upon the frozen man. He was encased in black ice. He was around six-five. Light blonde hair and dark blue eyes. His body looked corroded by a denser version of the black ice. The ice detailed his muscles, spotlighting his weird oblique muscles that bumped out. A light yellow clothing stuck out between cracks in the ice over his body. His face, though it's known to everyone, looked blissful even in death and all powerful in a fragile frozen state.
I'm starting to find out there are a lot more 'god-like' people in the world. Black hole gods Ocky, Toky, Kalmic god Kalmia, Glitch and now Ryiam. If the religions started with the awakening, could the Hero of Chaos be a god? I shook my head. There's too many religions.
I took one more look at him. I told Āpala I'd melt the ice. Hiding a small amount of fire on the tip of my finger I touched the ice. It didn't melt at all. I dispelled it and swore to myself I'd melt it one day.
…
Rex and I had talked a small amount about Baydí. I just told him that my stronger friends were able to defeat Baydí and just told him to cover for them. He was very easy to convince to take credit.
He was also going to take me and Stella back to Mila. I got to see Paukena one last time before we were on the street leading up to my house.
"Wh-" Rex locked me in a bear hug. "What's this for?"
"I'm so sorry for Stella…" A tear hit my head, freezing my attempts to pull away. "I- I thought if you fought Baydí maybe the future wouldn't come true."
"You knew?"
"Yes. It was predicted years ago."
"You didn't try and stop it yourself!" I pushed away from him, feeling my new strength for the first time. "I'll hold this against you till your death bed."
"I know." He looked down and scratched his neck, the skin under all the tallies turning red slightly. "I want you to know I tried… I truly wanted to stop it, and I could." His voice wobbled.
I breathed in loudly and sighed. I want to punch him so badly, I just know it won't work. We continued on up the road to my house.
I looked up at the two story house. It was made of brick and wood. An average looking house. I walked up and produced the key for the giant thick wood door. I slid the key in and we slipped inside. The house stretched down a hallway. On the right was a table and coat rack. Multiple pictures of the family thrown about, reminding me I would have a nightmare tonight as my stomach started to boil.
On the ride side of the hallways was a door to the bathroom, on the left a closet. At the end of the hallway a tall six-foot woman with red hair popped out. Her hair was tied behind her head. She wore heart earrings and a red apron.
"Honey!" She ran down the hallway and held me a head below her. "You pierced your ears. Oh, and you have hair clips in. They look so cute on you. Your hands… Oh and your eyes-"
"We need to see dad."
"He's home right now. In the gym. Why is Stella being carried?"
"Heo go talk to your dad and I'll let your mom know."
"Got it."
I went out of the hallway, to my left were stairs and a living room, to my right a door leading outside and a kitchen counter. I walked around into the kitchen passing more photos.
Another hallway down I passed the garage on my right and turned left into the gym. Knocking, I walked in. Helio was under a bench press. He was about six-foot-three. He had the same sandy blonde hair as me and Stella. Scattered in the sand were small white hairs. He had black horns in a similar rectangular shape to what I always did. He sat up, his stoic face staring with my orange eyes.
"I thought you might forget about your parents." He walked over and hugged me. "I asked you to let me know how every day went. I only knew you were in Fayha because of your phone location and Stella."
"Stella is why we came back. She… she used the gift."
"What." Helio pulled back. "Heo Caster Estellé, don't make jokes like that."
"I'm not. We got roped up in some bad things and Stella was…"
Despite my best effort to not be close to my parents, the boiling sensation worsened and I started to cry explaining what happened.
"Shh. Don't worry right now." He hugged me again. "You can stay home for a bit, we've missed you. Even the adventurers came to see you a few times."
"Elli, Liam and Noah?" The adventurers who had found me after I was cut in half.
"Yeah. I'll call your uncle and his wife over for Stella. Elli will come and take a look at her too."
"Make sure her bed is warm, she's really cold now."
"I will. It won't be as good as a queen's bed though." He gave a small laugh.
…
Eventually everything had settled down a bit. Stella's dad and mom came. Stella's dad looked like Helio. Her mom was another fire dragon. She had light blonde hair and red eyes. She was shorter than my mom, giving Stella a reason to be around my height. Stella's mom also had two small flames around her head.
We had dinner and the adults discussed Stella. Leaving me out of it as if I wasn't an adult too, or even closer to their ages than they'd think. They held onto the sweets from KeiKei for Stella. I was trusting they didn't eat them, but when I mentioned it's helpfulness to full dragons they said they wouldn't.
My stomach boiled. I shook my head recalling how much worse the up-coming nightmare is. Calm down Heo. We can leave in the morning.
Helio examined Stella's sleeping body after dinner. His face scrunched up. Stella's mom combed her hair behind her ear, avoiding her broken horns.
"Yeah it's gone."
"Oh no." Stella's mom cried.
"It helped us keep her here. We have to thank the gift even if it's gone." Her dad hugged her mom.
"Her and Heo's eyes changed from Fayha. Why are there shapes in their eyes?" Stella's mom asked.
"Its never been an Estellé quality. This might be because of their horns' uniqueness."
"Stella's horns appear to symbolize her lord's presence." Stella's dad spoke softly.
"Heo has anything happened recently for you magically?" Cass asked.
"I'm not sure why it changed." I lied.
It has something to do with Universal Being, but I'm not sure what Universal Being is. I'm not comfortable giving out a secret I don't understand myself.
The night ended and I went up to my bed. Stella's parents were staying the night. They laid next to her in her old room at my house. The sight gave my boiling stomach an extra thousands of degrees.
I walked to my room. It was just as I left it. Directly to my left from the door was my backpack still filled with school supplies. My cap and gown were thrown next to it.
I left a weak nobody, now I have a title and so much more power. Not to mention a cool sword. Yet… it's not gonna stop it, is it?
The curtains of the room were still drawn open. I walked over them, the night sky shining a new horrific yellow color. The moon from last night hadn't reverted back to normal. The power of presence was out of this world.
A desk next to the window was messy with books and charred objects. All the books were on magic, though watching short videos on it I enjoyed way more. I had a few drawings put up from Stella. My bed was moved from the center of my room to the side ever since I was cut in half that day. It's a stretch for me to say I was reborn that day when I feel I lived the life leading up to that day too.
I yanked the curtains closed. I laid down on the familiar bed. I might be technically thirty five, but I miss this bed more than Leo's bed. I rolled over familiarly and pulled out my phone to watch magic videos. My feed was specifically tailored to them. I spent a few hours distracting myself from everyone in the house to fall asleep.