Chương 38: Baby Fingers

Vivid electric blue eyes were the first thing Anadis saw as he groggily woke up. They were a pair he knew all too well—the eyes of his twin brother.

"Funny…" The word came out cracked, barely a breath. Anadis swallowed, his tongue parched as a desert, and tried again.

"Funny… how we're twins, but have different eyes. Different hair." He paused as a cough escaped him.

"You know… so different." He wasn't sure if what he'd said made any sense. Probably not. Albus smiled.

"Good, you seem to be fine." A gasp echoed through the room, followed by a thud as a basket full of garments dropped to the floor. Anadis looked up and saw a different pair of eyes—this time, grey. They belonged to the woman who had cared for him his entire life, one of the most important people to him. She was the only one he'd call his mother in this life, perhaps in both, but the hollow, dark circles shadowing her eyes and the swollenness of her cheeks marked how exhausted and unlike herself she looked.

"Mom?" Anadis breathed. Mother's hands flew to her face as tears welled in her eyes.

"M-my… son." Her voice was rough. Her hair was messy and greasy, nothing like the woman who never let herself be seen undone. Even her beauty couldn't hide how exhausted she looked.

"I'm awake, Mom," he said to her with a hint of a smile.

"Anadis," she sniffled, hurrying over and throwing her arms around him, cradling his hair.

"My son," she cried, "you're finally awake." He hugged her tightly, as if he hadn't seen her in years, and in a way, he hadn't. Tears ran down his cheeks as he held her, and her motherly scent filled his nose, making him feel like a kid again.

"Mom," he said, sniffling.

"I'm sorry, I lie—""It's not time for that right now," she said, her cheeks puffy and flushed. She cupped his cheeks. Her palms were warm and shaky. Then she shook her head.

"Let me just savor that you're awake and alive. That's all that matters." Anadis held her tightly, locking her in place, afraid she'd vanish. She did the same. A moment passed before she pulled back, wiping her runny nose with the back of her hand. Then she pressed a kiss to his forehead, flooding him with motherly warmth.

"I thought I'd lost you," she whispered.

"The state your father brought you in…"

"Dad brought me in?" he muttered. The last thing Anadis remembered was Aelia facing the Unhallowed, desperately trying to protect him and that boy.

"Aelia?"

"She's fine. And yes, your father found you both before it was too late and killed that Grull."

"How long was I asleep for?"

"For almost three days," Albus answered this time.

"We gave you shard potions, but you were more energy-depleted than injured." Three full days… Suddenly, he heard small paws tapping across the floor, and before he could even react, an apricot-colored fox jumped, landing right next to him.

"Huh? What are you doing here?" The little fox nipped at his earlobe.

"Ouch!" Anadis flinched back with a hiss. Undeterred, the fox flicked its raspy blue tongue against Anadis's cheek. It was still as dry and rough as sandpaper and just as awful.

"Why is this fox here?"

"Oh, that's—" The door slammed open.

"Little brother!" Nora cried dramatically as she threw herself on top of him. Her bear hug was so tight it felt like she was strangling him. Not that she really could, with his body being that of a Blessen, she'd need way more strength, but it was still uncomfortable and annoying.

"I was so worried! Why would you go to the forest alone?"

"Give him some space," Mother said, prying Nora off him.

"I'm so glad you're awake, Anadis. I was so worried," Aelia said softly as she walked through the door, offering a gentle smile. Anadis smiled, relieved his sister had come out unhurt from that debacle. He was about to respond kindly when he saw who walked behind her. He almost shot out of his bed, were it not for the fact that Nora was still on top of him.

"You!" he pointed at the grey-skinned boy who had just walked in with Aelia.

"Why is he here? He's bad news!" Mother frowned.

"How could you say that, Anadis? He's a guest, and we'll treat him with due respect."

"A guest?!" Anadis looked at Mother, puzzled, then shifted his eyes to Nora. She would back him up.

"Listen, he's a shameless womanizer who sweet-talked Aelia into fighting Grulls alongside him."

"What? Is that how it was, Aelia?" Nora turned her head toward her sister, a cunning smile on her face.

"Come to think of it, you never told me the details of how you two met." Aelia blushed.

"It's not like that!" she declared, then fixed Anadis with a sharp look.

"I don't know what kind of person you think Sevran is, but he hasn't done any of the things you've claimed, all right?" Aelia continued.

"And while I appreciate your concern, I would like to think I'm capable of judging a person's character for myself." Sevran… haven't I heard that name before? He shook his head.

"Aelia, this guy is trying to worm his way in."

"No, he isn't. Besides…" Aelia eyed the boy a pointed look.

"He called me homely."

"Homely!" Anadis finally shoved Nora aside and would have shot up from his bed and punched the bastard, were it not for how lightheaded he immediately felt after trying to stand up.

"Are you blind? Look at Aelia—she is one of the most desired girls in the whole Learning Hall! You should be glad she's even talking to you at all. And Nora too. Both my sisters are beauties unmatched in all of Aura Cay, courtesy of my mom." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"Stop," Aelia said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't mind that he called me that. It was the first honest thing anyone had said to me in years," she added.

"He also saved me during the Blessed Trial."

"You happy he called you ugly? No, wait, you said he saved you?" Anadis looked at the grey-skinned boy, Sevran or whatever, and regarded him for a moment. Perhaps he'd judged a book by its cover. The one thing any reader shouldn't do. The tall boy scratched his cheek, gaze downcast as if shy of receiving such attention. He opened his mouth to say something, but Nora beat him to it as she rolled off the bed and said something changing the topic.

"Anadis, this boy's Blessing is kind of great, you know?"

"Huh? How so?" he asked, curious.

"It lets him do incredible things, for example…" She paused with the same naughty smile playing on her face.

"Take a look at your arm." Anadis froze as the image of the wolf Grull mauling his left arm flashed across his mind. Hesitating, he looked down slowly, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"W-what in the world?!" he screamed, nearly tumbling off the bed. He was no longer missing an arm, which was great, but his new one, if he could even call it that, wasn't exactly normal either. It was a monstrosity. That was the first word that came to mind. Tiny, pale fingers sprouted from his forearm, stubby and icky, twitching like little worms emerging from the dirt.

"What is this?! Why is it so… small?! It looks like—like—like I have baby fingers!" Nora snorted, then chortled, unable to hold her laughter.

"Oh, I was waiting for that reaction. Pure gold." Anadis wriggled the repulsive little fingers of his new hand, a wave of despair crashing over him. The one thought that worried him most was whether any girl would ever want to hold a hand like this. The fox at his side let out a rasping hiss that sounded suspiciously like a mocking laugh. He was getting fed up with the little orange vermin.

"Cheer up, Anadis," Mother said, stroking his hair.

"It's better than having no arm."

"I think it makes you look tougher," Albus declared after being quiet for quite some time. Everyone turned to look at him.

"It makes you look like someone who walked through a battlefield and emerged with just that injury after defeating a legion of Grulls." The room fell silent as everyone stared at the unusually expressive white-haired twin. Then Nora broke the silence.

"That's right, Albus! He looks so much tougher now," she said, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye.

"No! It doesn't make me look tough at all," Anadis protested, forcing down the bile that threatened to come up as he glanced at the fleshy, raw skin that looked pink, tender, and slightly translucent, like it had just come out of an incubator.

"This… this isn't normal. You have to fix it."

"Of course it isn't normal. You were nearly mauled to pieces by a Grull. You'd better shut up and be grateful for this boy's Blessing," Nora said, pointing at Sevran.

"Grateful? It looks ridiculous. How are people supposed to take me seriously with this thing?" His gnarly fingers wiggled disgustingly.

"It'll heal." Everyone turned as Sevran spoke for the first time since entering.

"It'll just take time, maybe another day or two, but it will grow to look normal again."

"See, honey? Your arm will be back to normal." Mother reassured.

"You should be thankful. Without him, you would have stayed with just one arm." Anadis exhaled and looked up, meeting Sevran's eyes.

"T… thank you." The words were hard to say, but he knew that without this boy he would have had to wait until he became an Emanant, if it was even possible for someone with a Black Core to ascend that far.

"Also… thank you for protecting my sister, both during the trial and in the forest."

"You don't have to say anything," Sevran replied.

"You protected her more than I did against those wolves and she—""Protected us from that Unhallowed," Anadis finished the sentence, and Sevran nodded.

"Yes. It seems to me we owe her our lives."

"Agreed." Anadis thought for a moment that perhaps this boy was not all that bad after all.

"I only did what I could," Aelia said.

"The truth is, if Father had arrived even a second later, we wouldn't be here right now."

"There's nothing to gain from dwelling in the past, dear. We are all here and alive. That's all that matters," Mother said as she poured Anadis some water into a cup from a jar that had been sitting on his nightstand. He took it gratefully, not even realizing how thirsty he had been.

"Actually, I've been meaning to discuss a matter with you, Anadis, if that's okay," Sevran said, with his hands clasped behind his back, his right foot tapping nervously against the floor.

"With me? What could we possibly have to discuss?"

"Anadis," Aelia cut in, her tone unusually careful.

"Please listen to him."

"Alright, Albus, Nora, follow me. Let's give them some privacy. Also, I need help preparing food—we're having a feast tonight," Mother said. Nora reluctantly followed, and Albus stood up from his chair beside Anadis.

"For the next forest outing, don't go alone. Please take me with you," Albus said.

"Sure, I guess…" Anadis replied distractedly.

"Oh, that reminds me." Mother turned from the door, her tone cooling.

"You both went to the forest without your father, without permission, and worse, you both lied. So both of you are indefinitely grounded. Aelia, after Learning Hall, straight home. Same goes for you, Anadis, once your arm fully heals." Aelia nodded understandably. Anadis opened his mouth to riposte, but his new fingers chose that moment to wave on their own. He groaned, burying his face in his good hand.

"I… understand." With a satisfied nod, Mother stepped out, Albus and Nora right behind her, her final words lingering in the air.

"Alright, what is this really about?" Anadis asked as Sevran sat in the chair where Albus had just been. Aelia, on the other hand, perched on the edge of the bed.

"Don't be so guarded," Aelia told Anadis, then gestured to Sevran.

"Go ahead."

"Well… back in the forest you summoned," the boy hesitated, as if searching for the right word, "a sculpture? Statue? Carving? I don't know what to call it, but the thing that was protecting Aelia. I don't know if it's part of your Blessing, but would it be possible to see it again?" At that moment, Hel coalesced from motes of violet and golden light. Anadis squinted, looking at the goddess in surprise. Across from him, both Sevran and Aelia furrowed their brows at him.

"Don't worry about me. I just grew tired of being inside your Divine Core. Continue your talk with them," Hel said as she drifted lazily through the air, her wings barely flapping.

"Anadis?" Aelia snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, yes. Well…" he wavered, not sure how to explain it.

"I think there should be no problem with summoning it, but… why do you want me to?"

"I need to be sure." Still confused, Anadis glanced at Aelia. Her face told him to trust the guy. And so he did. Focusing on the imprint's name, light gathered from his chest, scattered outward, and clumped together between them. Not even two seconds later, the Imprint Aldor the Breathless stood there. His wooden effigy was impeccable, as though it hadn't been destroyed by that Grull days prior. The grey skin boy got up from the chair and walked in front of the imprint.

Removing the tattered hood, he stroked the face, tracing his fingers softly through the carvings that defined its features, analyzing every line. Anadis couldn't see his face, but he heard the harsh sniffles.

"Aelia, is he… like a sculpture or a wood-carving aficionado, or just weird?" he asked his sister, who answered with a pointed look.

"This is him," the boy whispered.

"Are you sure, Sevran?" Aelia asked. Sevran… Again, Anadis couldn't help how oddly the name sounded to him, as though it belonged to someone else. He rested his good hand under his chin and mused. When did I hear that name? I know I have.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not imagining things," Sevran said, then turned toward Anadis.

"How did you recreate him? And why my father of all people?"

"Father?" Anadis looked at the boy, frowning. Then it clicked. The vision, the father running through the trees with his child in his arms. The vision hadn't revealed the man's name until he received the imprint, but it had revealed the child's name. And that kid's name was… Sevran. He lifted his gaze slowly to meet Sevran's eyes. The boy was watching him, grey eyes fixed on Anandis's face, brow creased with wary curiosity.

"It was you," Anadis blurted, then shrank in on himself.

"In a vision…" he muttered, his voice unsteady.

"You were younger, running away from the Grull with a man." Anadis paused, seeing the deep frown on Sevran's face.

"You're the son of that man."