1305  Accepting the Past

Back to the present, where Arthur met with Rain back in the clan. He found her ready to leave together with Sapphire, who agreed to help her find the lost pirate without reporting back to the Wis.e.m.e.n. It seems that even the Witch of Sourna does not want Deluge to obtain the Amplifier.

After failing to control his wrath earlier today, Arthur"s mood was sour. His companion leaving did not improve his sulking, and Benjamin took notice. As they were having one last meal before they left, he approached Arthur and spoke to him in private, inquiring about his training.

"I failed to control my wrath today because I remembered some nasty things," admitted Arthur with a sigh. "I believed that I had things under control until I began to remember them. It just feels... like a wound that wouldn"t stop oozing."

"The past is there; even if we want to forget, it always resurfaces," consoled Benjamin while the two of them sat by the pond. "Look at the water. It is as clear as day, and you can even see the moon and sky in its reflection. This is your mind, serene and calm. Consider this small pebble a memory, and see what it does to the water."

Benjamin flicked the pebble into the waters, and it rippled from the impact. The image in the water was distorted, and the moon swayed with the moving water. Arthur understood his a.n.a.logy but did not understand how it would help him. "But how do I stop the water from rippling?"

"You can"t do that. But the pebble is gone now, and it cannot disturb the water anymore," said Benjamin with a smile. "Your memories are the same. The things that happen to you cannot be avoided, but must be accepted. If you process each memory one at a time, they cannot hurt you anymore. Accept what happened to you and move on."

Arthur was silent, understanding his point now. The pebble was gone, buried at the bottom of the pond, becoming a part of it. If he wanted to keep a serene mind, he needed to accept the memories and allow them to affect him before he calms down.

"Thank you, Gramps," said Arthur with a smile, making Benjamin grin with happiness. He patted Arthur"s back as they returned to the two women who were prepared to leave. "Are you sure you don"t want to wait for Diana?" Arthur asked Rain.

"You will need her more than I do, and we are running out of time," said Rain with a smile as she looked at Sapphire. "We work best together. But what about Raheem? Is he still… alive?"

"Alive and kicking," said Arthur with a nod. "He is seeking forgiveness as we speak. After he is done, he will be a new man, empowered more than before, with a mind that we will need during the upcoming war."

"That is a relief," said Sapphire from behind her veil. "Although we have our differences, I understand when someone has ill intentions toward Sourna. At the current moment, that person is Deluge, not you. I apologize for the things I have done in the past."

Arthur was surprised to see her apologizing, but he nodded nonetheless. He didn"t exactly forgive her, but he didn"t want to make an enemy out of her. He had enough enemies as it was, and just wanted to train at the moment. Before the two of them embarked on their journey, Arthur gave them communication artifacts that allowed them to call him or each other.

Then, the two women left the clan, descending the mountain to find Valeria. In the meantime, Arthur would stay in the clan to sort through his problems and attain greater control over his wrath. He realized that his grandfather was right. No matter how good he was at controlling his wrath, he still had more to learn.

After the conversation with his grandfather, Arthur wanted to meet Nyx again. He found her preparing dinner for the clan, which she allowed him to help with. Except for the fishing, Arthur found the rest of the work enjoyable.

"You seem a little calmer now," said Nyx while she chopped the onions and poured them into the stew. "I thought I wouldn"t see you anymore."

"I realized that you were right," replied Arthur while carrying another box of onions to the desk and placing it. "Let me chop the onions. I can feel your tears pouring down your face."

"No matter how strong you get, the onions will defeat you," said Nyx with a smile as she handed him the knife and went to stir the stew. "The stream might have defeated you, but that"s just the first part. Once the rest of the routine becomes mundane, you will have a harder time."

"What an encouraging friend you are," said Arthur with a sigh as he began chopping the onions. Even though he could do it with a wave of his hand, it would be meaningless. The process was harder than he thought without his sight, but his senses were acute enough not to hurt his fingers.

Arthur never realized how tiring this job was until he had to keep working for hours. The clan had two hundred hungry mouths to feed, and it required constant cooking to keep them satisfied. However, once he began serving the students, who were surprised by his presence, he understood what chefs liked.

"This is delicious! Thank you for the food!"

"Thanks!"

"Can I have some more?"

This was the first time that Arthur worked in the service industry just for the fun of it. Although he didn"t mind volunteering, he never had the time for it once his father disappeared. Nyx even cleaned the kitchen afterward, which Arthur found boring but necessary to do.

The two of them returned to their pavilions, ready to end the night as such. On the way, Arthur asked Nyx a question. "You shouldn"t need to sleep every day, but you do. Is there a reason behind this?"

"We might be superhumans, but we also need to rest," said Nyx with a smile as she opened her doors. "You can sleep or meditate, but everyone needs to rest."