Chapter 378 - Cluster of Stars

The place was a vacuum. There was neither sound nor light – not that she could see as she had both of her eyes closed. However, she could feel it – or rather, them.

Warmth enveloped her but at the same time, a cool breeze circled her body as she sat crossed-legged on the floor. She had her hands on the ŀȧp, her mind focused on the elements that she conjured in her mind.

Talk to them, Ryuu told her.

She had no idea how that would be accomplished, but as she concentrated, instead of a distant, alien feeling she first had whenever she thought of using her borrowed power, she now could actually feel their clear presence in her soul. Warmth, a cool breeze, and an electrifying sensation, she could feel being pulled deeper into her consciousness bit by bit.

"You're doing great, Ali. Keep it up. If you….. "

Ivan's gentle coaxing first sounded so clear, but the last part suddenly became nothing but a distant echo and she felt herself floating.

PLOK….

Huh?

PLOK…

Water?

Seduced by the warmth and the sound, Alinea couldn't help but open her eyes. But the sight that welcomed her was beyond anything she was expecting.

She was floating in mid-air, suspended in the midst of a vast universe. Colors abound, radiant in their formations. In this place, she could see three groups of stars: one in various shades of purple, another blue, and another bluish-white.

"This…"

She wanted to ask where this place was. It was different from Stribog's dimension and the place where she went each time she retrieved her soul's memories. But she remembered what she had been doing prior to coming here, and she was sure that it's somehow related to her powers.

She's inside her own self!

With this realization, another idea came to mind. She lifted her head and turned to the cluster of stars once more. She didn't pay them much mind before. But now that she looked at them, she realized that the cluster of stars were seals.

"Are those…"

Her borrowed powers!

The white constellation formed the shape of a sun with twelve rays – Perun's helm, her father's seal. The dark blue constellation was the shape of a wheel – Kresnik's wheel. The bluish-white color was a reverse N with an S in the middle – Stribog's seal.

"Whoa…"

They were very beautiful. Unconsciously, she reached out a hand to try and touch one. But as soon as her finger made contact with the edge of Perun's seal the closest one, the formation exploded; it shattered into a million pieces before spiraling around her.

BANG! WHOOOSH!

Round and round, round and round, the little shards of light circled around her twice before they went to her forehead, embedding there their mystery and knowledge within her core. Several seconds after her whole body radiated light. She lifted her hand in front of her with her palm open and a ball of electricity suddenly appeared there.

ZZZZZT ZZZZT

Electricity licked and snapped in her hands. The feeling was both familiar and strange at the same time. It was familiar since she'd been using the lightning ability for a while but strange since this time around, the amount of power was different. Also…

Alinea raised her other hand and another ball of electricity appeared there. She didn't know how she knew she could do it, but she shifted her hand, and the electricity in her hand shifted its form as well. The balls of plasma connected and when she stretched her hand the electricity also elongated. She continued to widen her arms and when she did, the electricity took on the shape of a spear.

Oh…

She shifted her hand again, and the electricity changed shape – an arrow.

Alinea's eyes widened. It seemed she gained an ability she never had before. She could manipulate electricity and shape them into weapons. This was thrilling! She felt happier now than when Ivan handed her the old sword she used back in Ritz. With this, she didn't have to bring an actual weapon. One would just appear in her hand if she so wished it.

Satisfied, she looked up again to the dark blue constellation. Just as she did with her father's seal, she touched Kresnik's wheel and it shattered into tiny diamonds that spiraled around her. It then took on the shape of a dragon before it turned into a blue mist that entered her forehead.

Warmth. She was enveloped with warmth.

The dragon was not Mavara, but a small part of him. Still…

Alinea closed her eyes and willed the lightning to move. Then she opened her orbs again and coaxed the blue fire within her to come out. She held out her hand and opened up her palm. Kresnik's blue flames came out like a torch, burning, but not burning at the same time. In her past lives, there had been numerous times when she had tasted this flame and perished. But this time, the blue flame was her protection. She closed her palms and the flames vanished.

However, unlike earlier, she felt a bit full this time. It was as if the powers took up space within her, though not forcefully, yet still felt unfamiliar.

"I have time to get used to this," she murmured as she turned to the last one – the bluish-white cluster of stars that formed the Wind God's seal.

Just as she did earlier, she raised her hand to touch the edge of the formation and it shattered like a myriad of crystals. It spiraled around her like a tornado before blowing within her like a gentle breeze. It felt cool and refreshing within her body, the sensation akin to the autumn wind against her skin.

The power, however, felt a bit cramped inside her, but she willed for the others to adjust for space. Alinea smiled bitterly. She guessed three borrowed powers were her limit – at least they were all from primary gods. It wasn't so bad.

She was enjoying the breeze enveloping her body when a dark foreboding mass caught the periphery of her eye and she turned to take a look.

"What's this?"

With a frown marring her face, she saw a huge clump of dark clouds that emitted an eerie sensation. Looking at it made her tense up as malice erupted from it. She shifted her body and released her lightning seal on reflex. But as she raised her hand, ready to call forth her power, she felt two sets of hands on each of her shoulders and she stopped and turned.

Ryuu and Ivan both stood behind her.  

"Ooops, Ali, it's not time to attack that one," Ivan said as the two grabbed her arms and the world shifted into a whirlpool of color that went round and round and round that she closed her eyes.