Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece-Chapter 111: Fragile Strength [1]

Aurelia stared at Seris, her heart pounding in her chest. Her eyes were still wide with shock, and without realizing it.

She had released a wave of mana pressure into the room. It wasn’t something she did on purpose, it just happened.

Her emotions were too strong to control.

The fear of Kyle’s secret getting out hit her all at once. He didn’t just have two affinities like most talented mages. He had four.

Four elemental affinities.

It was something no one had ever seen before in recorded history. If people found out, it would change everything.

But not in a good way.

They would come for him. Organizations, nobles, maybe even kingdoms.

They would want to use him, control him, turn him into a tool for their own goals. Kyle wasn’t ready for that.

He was still growing, still learning. He needed time... time to get stronger, time to protect himself.

Until then, his secret had to stay buried.

"Relax, Aurelia," Seris said gently. Raising a hand between them.

"And maybe pull back that mana pressure a bit. This is still a hospital, remember?"

Only then did Aurelia realize what she was doing.

The air had grown heavy, and she could see the faint shimmer of her own aura spreading through the room.

She took a deep breath, then slowly reined it in. The pressure faded. Leaving only the tense silence between them.

"Sorry," she said softly, her voice tight.

Seris gave her a small. Kind smile.

"It’s okay. I understand. And don’t worry... I’m not going to tell anyone."

Aurelia didn’t respond right away. Her body was still tense, her jaw clenched.

She didn’t look fully convinced. Trust didn’t come easy. Especially when it came to something like this.

Seris noticed the hesitation. She tilted her head, her voice softer now.

"You really care about your brother, don’t you?" she said. "I’m a little jealous of that, to be honest."

Her words hung in the air, gentle but full of something unspoken.

There was a quiet sadness in her tone. One that made Aurelia pause.

"It must be nice," Seris continued, her eyes distant for a moment. "To have someone worth protecting like that."

Aurelia’s breath caught.

She didn’t know much about Seris’s past. But hearing those words... it felt real. Genuine.

Like it came from someone who understood loneliness too well.

Then Seris looked at her again.

"Judging from your reaction," she said, her voice calm again. "No one else knows about Kyle’s affinities, do they?"

Aurelia slowly loosened her grip on the chair’s armrest.

She thought back to everything that had happened. Seris could have said something during the earlier meeting with Commander Marcus. But she didn’t.

She kept it to herself.

And Seris was no fool. She was strong. Far stronger than Aurelia. If she had wanted to expose Kyle, there was nothing stopping her.

Aurelia gave a small nod.

"...Only me," she said quietly. "I’m the only one who knows."

Seris returned the nod. "Reo was unconscious during the fight, so he didn’t see it. But Princess Eleanora..." she paused, then continued. "She saw him use his elements."

Aurelia tensed again, worry flickering across her face.

Seris raised a hand to ease her concerns.

"Don’t worry about Eleanora," she said gently. "She won’t tell anyone. I was there. I saw how hard she fought to keep him alive. Even when her mana reserves were almost gone, she didn’t stop."

"I’ve already spoken with her... the secret’s safe."

There was a pause.

Then Seris looked away. Her voice lowering just a little, almost like she was thinking back to something she couldn’t forget.

"Kyle was in bad shape when I arrived," she said softly. "I don’t know what exactly happened before I got there, but the spells he was using... they were far above his rank. Not something a Grade 1 Iron Bronze should’ve been able to handle."

She turned her eyes back to Aurelia, her face serious now.

"He pushed himself too far. Way too far. His mana core almost cracked from the strain. If I hadn’t gotten there when I did..." she didn’t finish the sentence, but the weight of her words hung in the air.

"Cracks in the core like that... they can ruin a person’s future. Even end their path completely." She paused for a moment.

"Fortunately, the cracks weren’t too severe. I was able to heal them with my ability, [Soul Heal]."

Aurelia knew of Seris’s ability — Soul Heal

A rare and potent form of restoration. She had heard tales of its power, though she had never witnessed it herself.

[Soul Heal] wasn’t just a healing spell. It was something more. A gift from the system itself.

When someone reached the peak of Silver or Diamond rank. The system presented them with a Trial.

A unique challenge made only for them. It could be anything. A battle, a choice, a test of will.

No one could advance to Gold or Radiant rank without completing it.

And if they did exceptionally well. The system sometimes rewarded them. With something rare. Something powerful.

A special ability tailored just for them.

No one really knew why the system worked that way, or where it even came from.

It was just a part of the world now. A mystery no one had solved. Every trial was different. Every reward was different.

Some people got nothing. Others, like Seris, got something incredible.

[Soul Heal] was one of those gifts. Something beyond normal magic. Something tied to her very soul.

She gave Aurelia a small smile.

"So don’t worry. He’ll recover. I made sure of it."

Aurelia looked down for a second, her hands loosening at her sides. The tension she’d been carrying slowly started to fade. Then she gave a quiet nod.

Seris reached out and tapped the artifact on the table. A soft shimmer pulsed in the air, then vanished as the sound barrier deactivated.

"I should talk to the Principal next," Seris said as she stood up.

"There’s a lot we need to go over. About the train attack, and what’s been happening at the academy while I was gone."

Aurelia stood as well and gave her a respectful nod.

"Thank you," she said quietly, her voice filled with honest gratitude.

Seris gave her a small wave in return.

Then, without another word. She turned and walked out of the room, leaving Aurelia standing there.

Alone, surrounded by silence, and deep in thought.

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