After his first lesson, Orion felt his need to train recover.
He needed to in order to understand a little more, but he couldn''t do that like usual. As he was in the middle of recovering, he knew he couldn''t force it.
That is why, he went to Tiohr-nam and asked for her opinion.
"Do you think I can work on it without danger?"
The huge tree, who transferred its consciousness from her real body to Horizon''s Tree of Life, entered her thoughts after Orion asked his question.
"I should be the one asking you. How far do you intend to go? My answer will depend on that alone."
Groggily, the Avatar stretched its limbs as much as it could. She moved as if she had only woken up. The reason was that Tiohr-nam stayed away from Horizon for a week now.
"I don''t plan on playing too much with it. I want to test a few things that shouldn''t expend my magic energy."
With a nod, Tiohr-nam''s Avatar acknowledged his words.
"If you say so, then proceed. But carefully. I will keep an eye on you just in case."
"Thank you."
He sat on the ground and immediately focused on his soul, where he could find his elements. Only a few people were able to plunge their consciousness in their soul.
This state was similar to a coma, but not quite. Only those related to Remnants, or the angels and demons could do that.
For others, it was impossible.
...
After feeling his consciousness enter the darkness of his soul, he began to search around for the shy little sphere of void.
The moment he began to search, a bright ball of light, followed by a pure darkness approached at high speed.
Orion chose to wait and let them do their thing. The two spheres began to turn around his waist a few times, before moving to his hands.
They both sat on his hands, and settled there for good. With a nod, Orion looked at his hands, which showed two hexagram (six-pointed star) with thin arms of the colors of his elements.
With a nod, he looked in front of him, ready to continue.
Though, he didn''t had to look for long.
''Oh?''
Noticing a sphere of stars slowly coming over to him, he smiled. In the end, he was the only one who was familiar with it.
The void element was new, but extremely powerful. Only because of it, Orion managed to create a new destiny for himself. Since learning about the truth, he could only be grateful to have this companion at his side.
''Come here.''
With a gentle movement of the hand, he waited. Even though it remained incredibly shy, it listened and slowly approached.
Once close enough, it suddenly rushed and pierced Orion''s chest. At first, Orion thought that it was a strange behavior, but then, he thought.
''Are you jealous of the other two? You don''t have to, you know?''
The sphere entered his chest, and settled there definitely, leaving behind an heptagram (seven-pointed star) in the middle of his chest.
This little ritual that happened without much reason in Orion''s eyes, was in fact a very important part of his development. Now that the factions'' traits were available to him, there was only one thing he was missing.
And only his elements could give that to him. The very same thing Amelia was working on, Elemental Masteries.
He never thought about it much, and yet, he obtained the key to proceed smoothly.
Unknowing to that, he began to feel the closeness between him and the three elements. More than usual, as if they were part of him, not a strange intruder floating inside his being.
The three stars began to shine, and Orion awakened.
...
"Strange."
"What is it?"
Tiohr-nam observed as Orion clenched his fists with confusion on his face.
"Something happened that I don''t understand. It is nothing too worrisome, just... weird. I could stay longer previously, but I was forcefully awakened this time."
Orion stood up and began to walk in circle.
"You could not learn more about the void element, am I wrong?"
"I couldn''t... or maybe I was unable to. Something definitely happened, but what, I don''t know."
He observed his hands, but there was no stars on their back.
"Maybe it is something you have to think over carefully? You are a very special case for that matter. Things related to you cannot be that easy to deduce."
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"You might be right. Your advices are always spot on, so I will think about it."
Tiohr-nam nodded, and asked one last question.
"Then, what will you do next?"
"I should go and check on the Siren Sea. There are a few things that needs to-"
"!"
Suddenly, both Orion and Tiohr-nam look with terror in their eyes. Even for Orion, it was a first. A very sudden breach in Horizon made them panic, but Orion had no time to think, as he felt the space around him warp violently.
''Uh! This feels like Tetra''s space.''
He felt his whole being being pulled from every sides.
Then, he was violently ejected from the space. The breach vanished, and Orion felt calm return inside Horizon.
''That dangerous feeling disappeared. But... where am I?''
He was in midair, close to the ceiling of Horizon. Instead of falling, he was floating in place.
''I have never seen the ceiling so closely before.''
His hand grazed the white ceiling. Nothing happened.
''...''
Orion made a sour expression.
"I can''t use the void element..."
He turned his body and looked down. At that moment, his body fell to the gravity, and began its descent.
Five kilometers. That was the distance separating him to the ground. There was around thirty five seconds before he touched ground.
''Damnit! I have to think of something, and fast!''
The speed at which he began to fall accelerated, until he attained his terminal velocity. It became almost impossible to breathe without him placing his arm over his face.
''My current position is... over the Siren Sea?!''
The pieces fell in place. The breach, the warp, the Siren Sea... and the void element.
He activated ''Calm Analysis'' and gave himself more time to think about, even if it would fry his brain.
''Even if I fall in the water, this is a death sentence. Hitting water at that speed is the same as hitting the ground...''
''What can I do?!''
...
Below.
"Senia, have you felt that too?"
"I did."
All Sirens swam to the surface of the sea after feeling a gut wrenching feeling, as if something went incredibly wrong.
It was similar to when Orion almost died, as the space began to rumble uncontrollably, yet not quiet the same.
Maybe because they were dwellers of the sea, and that they were susceptible to small changes in the water, the Sirens could catch on the warping effect above their home.
They couldn''t pinpoint the exact place where it occurred, but it wasn''t far.
"What could it have been?"
"Yes, we can''t feel it anymore."
Senia shook her head at her friends.
"I''m like you, I don''t know-"
Her pointy ears suddenly picked up something.
''Something is... falling?''
Only her managed to hear it through the sound of the waves.
When she lifted her head, shock painted her head as she noticed a man she knew very well diving straight for the water. Even though he was still far away, she could see the fear in on his face, thanks to her improved vision.
"Senia?"
"W-What can I do? I can''t let him fall!"
Hearing the frantic words of their friend, the sirens looked confused.
"What are you saying now? Falling?"
The tens of sirens looked up too. Their reactions became the same as Senia.
"I don''t have time! Shit! If only I knew magic-"
She stopped the words coming from her mouth, and threw her pessimism out the window.
Gritting her teeth, she dived in the water.
''I have to do something!''
She turned around in the water and sped up toward the surface.
Under the shocked eyes of her friends, she jumped out of the water. Only ten meters.
''Not enough!''
Forcing everything out of her, she dropped her hands down, and forced every once of power she could.
A beam of water erupted from her hands, splashing weakly under her.
"More!"
Her will to save Orion forced a violent change in her. Water exploded from her hands, but her body couldn''t maintain the ascension anymore.
She began to fall down, as Orion approached the water at high speed.
"NOT ENOUGH! MORE!"
Senia''s voice boomed across the area, an unusual rage in her head.
''I just have to use magic then! Do it! Just come out!''
''Save him!''
The power she had as a siren changed. That little cascade of water suddenly transformed into a powerful jet that pushed her body higher.
"SENIA! GO!"
"YOU CAN DO IT!"
Hearing her friends cheer for her made her smile instinctively, as she ascended higher and higher.
At last, Orion seemed to notice what was happening down there. He noticed a red spot growing below him.
''Is that... that shouldn''t be!''
He carefully observed, before unbelievably confirming that it was Senia.
''That woman! She broke her limits!''
A wild smile appeared on his face.
"Oriooooon!"
The crimson haired siren flew past him. She stopped the water jet and turned around. Placing one hand behind her, she used a bit of water to fall down.
"What are you doing!"
Orion said with difficulty. His voice was drowned by the wind, but she still managed to hear him.
"I''m here to save you! Why else would I be here?!"
There was approximately ten meters between them, just enough for Senia''s plan.
"Stop your breathing for a bit! Don''t drown!"
He took a deep breath, before protecting his face with both arms just in case.
Bringing her hands above her head, a small bubble appeared between them. It grew, and grew, and grew, until she estimated it big enough.
The small bubble became a hydrosphere, that she threw toward Orion. The twenty meters of diameter hydrosphere enveloped both of them just before they crashed in the sea.
"MAKE WAY EVERYONE!"
She hurled before entering the hydrosphere. Following that, all sirens hurriedly vacated the surroundings.
*CRASH*
The sound of water crashing down on another body of water echoed inside Horizon, catching the attention of everyone who heard it.
With the hydrosphere exploding in contact, it served as a strong protection against the full blunt of the impact.
Orion and Senia both washed up on the shore, uninjured.
*Cough*
Senia managed to almost drown herself even though she was a siren, while Orion dragged his body inland.
Once out of the water, he laid down on the sand and smiled.
"You''re just as crazy as me. Thank you for saving me Senia."
"You''re... *cough* welcome."
The two bodies of water crashing on each other created a pretty big wave that moved quite far away from the sea. Luckily, Horizon''s ground drank it before it could do any damage.
"..."
Staring at the ceiling, Orion was somehow perplexed.
''I would have probably survived if I used my light enhancement, but not without breaking a lot of things in me.''
''Senia managed to not only make it as painless as possible, but to completely erase any danger possible for both of us.''
''Should I be happy that I was the catalyst for her genius and awakening, or ashamed of myself?''
Hidding his eyes with his arm, he tried to calm his mind.
*Thump*
Senia threw her body at him while he was catching his breath.
"Can you promise to not do that again?"
"..."
"Can you?"
Orion dropped his arms back next to his sides and stared inside Senia''s red eyes.
"Even for me, this was a little too much. It should not happen again."
''Or so I hope. For now, making her feel at ease is a priority.''
The emotions on her face clearly showed that she was worried beyond belief. After his answer, she exhaled a sigh of relief, and went for the kill.
"I knew giving you that scale wouldn''t be enough."
"Huh? What do you-"
*kiss*
The gentle siren couldn''t take it anymore. Her feelings were now left unchecked because of the stress, making it impossible for her to hide them.
She opened her eyes in terror when she finally noticed her own actions.
*Pwaa!*
"What have I... Oh no!"
Hurriedly, she tried to return to the sea, but as she was trying to crawl away, Orion grabbed her tail.
"HIEE! Easy on it, please!"
"Later. For now, there are other things to settle."
He turned his face on his right, making her do the same. In the distance, Amelia and Karteira were running using their magic toward them.
"I am probably in for an earful."
With a smile on his face, he let go of Senia''s tail and stood up. When they arrived, to his surprise, they didn''t reprimand him.