Darkness enveloped him and a soft hand gently stroked his hair. He blinked, frowning, and the darkness jerked away from him to fill the far side of the opulent bedroom. “You are growing so fast, dear one. Champion Novice and betrothed to Yuki. The rest of this year will certainly be exciting.”
Gregory shook his head, wondering if he imagined the hand on his hair, extracting himself from the overly large bed. “I’ve been reminded by Yuki—”
“That you’ve never asked my name? That’s true, but I wouldn’t have given it to you before now, anyway. I’ll answer to any name you wish to give me. It’s easier that way.”
“I’ll call you Darkness, then, for you seem at home in it. Though I wonder why you hide yourself from me.”
“Because you aren’t ready yet, dear one. When you are ready, I shall reveal myself to you. I long for that day, for you to truly know me…” The voice trailed off with a heartfelt sigh of longing.
“You hear everything I do?” Gregory asked.
“I am part of you, so yes. I can perceive much more than you, though.”
“And you knew what Yukiko had planned before, too,” Gregory said slowly, thinking.
“I have my ways. All women do, dear one.”
“I doubt there is another woman who has ways like you do.”
Delighted laughter came from Darkness, “Flatterer, but you aren’t wrong.”
“You know the other questions I have for you,” Gregory said as he looked around for a chair. One appeared behind him and he sat. “Will you answer them for me?”
“Yuki is correct— it’s not just raw belief that makes it possible to tread three paths at once. The best magi in the world can touch two, and even fewer can walk them both. Of those, a fraction can truly combine them as you and she have. There have been less than a handful of people who touched all three, only one of which is still alive.”
“The emperor.”
“Toja,” Darkness agreed.
“You say his name like you know him personally,” Gregory said.
Darkness did not respond to his statement, instead shifting the topic, “As for Yuki’s heartfelt plea to share this space with you, I have heard it and will do what I can, but it won’t be often. It is very taxing for me, especially while you are still growing in power.”
“We’ll look forward to it,” Gregory said, “thank you.”
“And the last reason for your visit; I promised you answers about your magic.”
Gregory’s happy daydreams of having Yukiko with him in his dreams chopped off and his attention snapped to Darkness.
“Good to know I can still get your attention,” Darkness chuckled. “Your magic is not like that of the others. Everyone else spins threads of aether tied to their very being. Yuki, for instance, so wanted to be ignored by the people who despised her for her heritage that her soul picked up a resonance for shadow. Shun’s soul is tied to fire, as are the souls of most of his line.”
“I just yearned to be a magi, not for any specific magic, though,” Gregory murmured when she paused.
“Yes. Magic is also passed down through bloodlines. Bloodline magic can turn a small talent into potent magic. Shun, for instance, yearned for fire and his family has used fire magic for so long that it’s tied to their blood. This is why, even as a novice, he is able to wield so much fire.”
“So my magic is tied to my blood?”
“Indeed, dear one. Your mother’s line carried a specific magic that the empire knows nothing about. This is why they haven’t been able to discover anything about it. The few instances where it was recorded have been all but erased. On top of that, your soul has been tied to something even more primal than magic types. Gin was correct about his guess that your soul might be reborn.”
Gregory’s eyes widened as he considered the possibilities of what Darkness was telling him. “What do you mean more primal? Who was I before?”
“Both are very good questions,” Darkness purred happily.
“Before we delve into those answers, let’s focus on your mother’s bloodline. She loved you so much, and it hurt her to know she wasn’t going to be here for you. Your visions of possible futures came from her. You recently saw a memory, when meditating, of her seeing the future.”
Gregory nodded slowly, recalling the memory that helped him so perfectly see her face. He had been so happy for that moment that he had not paid attention to what his mother had said, but now he did.
“That is why your father railed about your dreams and her dreams on your age day.”
That memory came back to the fore of his brain and he nodded. “That’s why he became so bitter. She told him about her dreams, of the futures she saw.”
“Yes. He knew what would happen and tried to deny it, but in the end, it came to be just as she foresaw.”
“Oh, Aether,” Gregory said, understanding just how his father had become so bitter.
“Those moments can be brought about intentionally if you can walk far enough down the spirit path, which you are doing, but to force them will drain your aether.”
“Okay. That’s also how I was able to hit Gin, right?”
“That is a passive side effect. You will get occasional glimpses of what is about to transpire. I was referring more to knowing your friends will have three children, or what would happen to Yukiko if she followed a single path, or if you had denied her proposal of a partnership.”
“I can force those moments, but it will drain me?”
“Yes, once you learn how.”
Nodding, Gregory thought about the glimpses he had had. “How and why did they happen before then?”
“You had help,” Darkness replied with a softer, more loving tone. “I’m always helping you as much as I can, dear one. Everything I’ve shown you has been to help you have a better life.”
“I would have argued with Yuki about being partners if not for that glimpse of the future,” Gregory said. “I can’t be mad at you for helping me see what would come of that. But do those snippets always come true?”
“No. They are just the most likely outcomes. The future is not set in stone. If it was, why would anyone strive?”
Snorting, Gregory had to agree with her. “Why, indeed.”
“It’s almost time for you to go.”
“You haven’t answered the other two questions,” Gregory said quickly.
“I haven’t,” Darkness said. “Your more primal side of magic, which triggered the ryuite, is to touch upon aether itself and is why you can see it being shaped. The few references of that magic have been all but erased from the empire. You’ll be catching more glimpses of it and in time, be able to touch upon the threads yourself, altering, changing, or stopping the magic from working.”
Gregory’s jaw dropped and he shook his head at the idea of being able to manipulate aether directly. “I’d be able to stop the fire from being cast?”
“That is but one of the things you’ll be able to do in time. It is also why Yuki can do what you can with the paths. You’ve wanted her with you, and because of that, your ability to touch upon all aether training has included her. She is right that it is because of you.”
“Seems the women in my life are smarter than I am.”
“That is as it should be, dear one,” Darkness said warmly. “As for who you once were… I’ve waited a long time to say this to you. Welcome home, Aether… welcome home.”
