My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 966: The Dream of the Past (Part-4)

With a deep breath, they closed their eyes, beginning the familiar ritual that they had shared since childhood. And no one taught them either. They would merge their thoughts and their memories into one shared space. Rael would see Eon’s experiences, and she would see his. This was their little secret.

Inside the shared space, Rael could feel Eon’s presence alongside him. The memories flooded him instantly.

His thoughts turned toward her memories, and images flickered before his eyes.

He saw Eon trying to talk to their eldest triplet, Raphael, but his brother ignored her completely. The scene shifted, and he saw Eon, desperate, trying to get his attention. "Rael might come back today," she said. "Maybe we can all visit him." But Raphael hadn’t even looked up from his work, muttering something about being too busy trying to master some healing technique. No time for distractions. No time for her.

Rael’s heart weighed down, seeing her so disappointed. He had always known that Raphael was distant, but this was painful to witness.

The next image shifted to another day. Eon went to her father, Aurelius, seeking a moment of connection, hoping for some understanding. "Dad, I just... I just want to make sure Rael’s okay. It’s not fair what she had done to him, in the name of training."

But Aurelius dismissed her with a cold tone. "Rael’s fate is left to his master. Neither you nor I should intervene. It’s out of our hands. You should focus on your own training."

Eon’s voice cracked as she stomped away from him, her frustration burning brightly. "It’s not fair! Rael’s just a kid! Why does he always have to suffer like this?!" She stormed out of the room, her fists clenched in anger and sorrow.

Rael opened his eyes to see Eon sitting in front of him, her expression full of concern and sadness. She didn’t need to speak. Her heart, already fragile, had been torn even more by the realization of how little they were both seen in the eyes of their family.

"Why does everyone ignore us?" Eon whispered, her voice cracked a bit, and tears welled up in her round eyes. "Why can’t they understand how hard this is? Aunt, Grandma, Eldest Brother, and even Father... Why do they always make us feel like we don’t belong? Aren’t we the same as Raphael? Why does he get everything he wants, but we always meet with restrictions? Why does he receive applause when he saves a person, but we receive punishment for doing the same thing? I just don’t understand..." *sniff*

Rael squeezed her hand tightly, fighting the lump formed in his throat at the same time. His family, elders, servants, or guards who were there for them since they were born... they had their own agendas, their own battles. They didn’t care enough to see what was truly happening to both of them and never tried to understand their perspective.

"They don’t understand, Eon." Rael let out a soft sigh. "But, we’ll prove that we’re stronger than they think. As long as we have each other, it doesn’t matter. Nothing should weigh us down." He forcefully widened his lips to give a smile and stretched his fist to her.

Eon too smiled as she fist bumped, "Yeah."

The next day, at dawn, Rael and Eon were in deep sleep, and he felt a sharp tap on his shoulder.

He groggily opened his eyes and found Selene looming over him, the black aura surrounding her more intense than ever. Rael rubbed his glowing eyes, and the aura was gone. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Time for training," Selene’s voice was firm, carrying an edge of finality that left no room for argument. Before Rael could even respond, she reached down, lifted him up effortlessly, and threw him over her shoulder like a sack of rice.

Eon shot up from her own bed, rubbing her eyes, and gasped at the sight of her brother being carried away. "Rael!" she cried, puffing up in anger, but there was nothing she could do. She could only stare at the woman.

Selene didn’t even spare a glance at Eon as she walked out of the room. Eon stood at the door, fists clenched, helpless to do anything but watch her brother disappear into the distance.

Once again, they found themselves at the North Pole. The icy winds bit at Rael’s skin, but it wasn’t as unfamiliar as the previous day. He had grown used to the biting cold. Once again, she threw Rael into the same frozen lake that had nearly claimed his life before.

The water was frigid, colder than ever. But Rael’s focus was sharp, his energy more intense than before. Soul energy rushed out of his body to form a protective layer over his skin.

But this time, as he sank deeper into the icy depths, something else caught his attention, and it wasn’t the tri-horned shark. This time, he spotted a dark shape moving swiftly beneath the surface. A massive electric eel.

Before he could react, the eel lashed out, sending powerful electric jolts through the water, sending Rael’s body into spasms. "Argh..." He screamed, but due to the protective layer, the waters didn’t invade his system.

Nevertheless, the shockwaves spread, creating an invisible barrier of electricity that surged through the lake.

Rael gritted his teeth and fought against the surge, trying to push himself away from the eel, but it was everywhere—surrounding him, shocking him with each touch and within a ten-meter radius.

Rael could feel his body growing weaker with each passing moment. His bones ached, and his muscles screamed in protest, but he endured. He lasted for two full hours before his energy finally gave out, and his body was overwhelmed by the brutal shocks.

His vision blurred once again, and he felt himself sinking into unconsciousness, his body broken and battered. Just as the darkness claimed him, the world went still.

Rael awoke with a gasp, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath. He was back in the warmth of his room, lying on his bed once again.

The pain in his body was still there, but it was dulled now. His skin was cold to the touch, but there was a new sensation—a shift, a subtle but undeniable change.

He felt his energy reserves grew significantly. When he thought about it, on the previous day too, his energy reserves grew slightly, although, at the moment, they grew enough to the point that he had reached the intermediate stage of the 2-star realm.

While his progress cannot be compared to Raphael, who is already in a 3-star realm even though they were yet to awaken their Arcana spirits, it is still considered monstrous by average standards.

On the third day, Rael woke up once again to find the presence of Selene looming above him, her aura darker than before. She barely acknowledged him as he slowly sat up in bed, stretching. "It’s today, isn’t it?" Rael muttered lazily, not bothering to hide his exhaustion. He wasn’t sure if it was from the training or just sheer frustration with the constant cycle, but he was starting to get used to it.

Without a word, Selene hoisted him up once again, her strength practically effortless as she carried him away to the North Pole once more. Rael knew the drill now.

During the past two days, he stayed silent all the time. But, this time, on the way, he couldn’t help but ask, "Why did my energy reserves increase after yesterday?"

Selene’s expression was unreadable, but she explained, nonetheless, her tone as cold and detached as ever. "I’ve been tempering your body. It’s a process. The energy reserves you feel growing are a result of the absorption of natural energy from the cold waters. Your body adapts. It becomes more resilient and more powerful. The more your body is tempered, the stronger you will have the command over your Arcana spirit."

Rael nodded slowly, taking in the information. He didn’t fully understand it, but he could feel the difference.

Seeing the look of confusion in his eyes, Selene stopped momentarily and ordered, "Throw a punch."

"Huh?"

"I said, throw a punch."

"Okay..." Rael obeyed without question and swung his arm. The results were immediate. His punch looked faster. Stronger, too. "Oh!" He exclaimed, not being able to hide his excitement.

Rael couldn’t help but gaze at his teacher. A sense of acknowledgment is there in his mind.

But then, for a brief moment, a wave of pity washed over him instead. He considered telling Selene about the dark aura he saw on her. But he hesitated. Maybe it wasn’t his place. Maybe it was better left unsaid, as he knew that it could not be fought against. Moreover, he didn’t have great memories regarding the use of that ocular power.

Instead, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand.

Once again, he gets thrown into the water despite voluntarily asking her to step inside by himself.

This time, instead of an eel, Rael faced an octopus. The creature’s massive, bulbous body moved with an eerie grace, its tentacles reaching out toward him. Rael didn’t run. He didn’t fear it the way he had feared the eel. Instead, he met its gaze, focused, and prepared himself as he knew that these beasts never try to kill. They always try to test his strength and play with him until he reaches his limit.

The octopus lunged, wrapping its tentacles around him with shocking strength. Rael struggled against its grip, but it was relentless. Every time he tried to break free, it tightened its hold, and he felt his bones crack under the immense pressure. He fought back, using his death energy in an attempt to push it off, but it was of no use. The octopus swung him through the water; its strength was quite overwhelming.

Rael was battered and broken by the time the creature finally released him. His body ached, his bones cracked in multiple places, but he wasn’t done. He didn’t give up, trying to go past his limits.

Almost five hours later, Selene watched from above, seated in a chair on the icy cliffs overlooking the lake. She observed as Rael continued to struggle, the faintest flicker of approval crossing her cold, emotionless face. "Hmm... that’s a new record. His progress is quite fast, even though this is only the third day. However, all he was doing was trying to endure. Nothing more. He wasn’t growing stronger, not yet. Hmm?"

All of a sudden, she furrowed her brows, sensing the changes in her surroundings. "A domain?" An invisible force appeared out of nowhere and locked the frozen lake region.

Meanwhile, an unfamiliar presence suddenly appeared in the distance. A figure approached—a man who was both imposing and commanding. His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light.

As she rose to her feet, the figure spoke, his voice deep and resonant. "I see you’ve found a new disciple, Selene. Too bad that you couldn’t see him grow."

Selene’s eyes narrowed as the man drew closer, his silhouette becoming more defined in the frigid air. He was taller than most men, his broad shoulders exuding a sense of ancient power. He had the air of an otherworldly being. His features were angular, almost sculptural, his skin tinged with the blue of ice.

"Ymir," She said, her tone contained extreme chillness. Her eyes emitted killing intent as if she were looking at an enemy she must kill.

He was Ymir, the founder of the Jotunn, the giant race of Jotunheimr.

"I see that you’ve achieved godhood, but as per the world’s laws, your strength is still compressed to demigod level," She further said, unfurling the angelic wings from her back. "Do you want to take your chances to kill me? Your one wrong move will start a full-blown war in the region. Moreover, if you fail to kill me, when you go back to the immortal plane, your race will face the risk of annihilation."

Ymir responded with a chuckle, "That depends on where we are fighting, Selene."

Selene’s face grew grim.