Chapter 29 Kind spirit
With a disconcerting tone, Julia inquired, her arms folded and her eyes fixated on the now-invisible Sylv, "So, care to explain?" Her aura returned to its natural state after she requested El to retire to rest. Sylv was genuinely terrified, and had she been human, perspiration would have been pouring from her. She was rendered speechless, her voice seemingly paralyzed by fear. Her intentions weren't malicious; there was no plan to harm El. So, why was her reaction so intense? However, she knew she had to respond.
"I-I just w-wanted to study his eyes," Sylv stammered.
"That's already clear; that's not the issue," Julia retorted, her voice raised.
Julia understood her friend well enough to realize that she couldn't simply dismiss the transformation in El's eyes. In fact, Sylv was probably willing to go to great lengths, even postponing her prior commitments, to delve into this mysterious phenomenon. It's important to stress that altering her schedule wasn't a trivial matter. Sylv was a devoted healer, dedicating most of her time to the practice and to improving her healing skills. Given her advanced level of expertise, her schedule was consistently booked well into the future-by as much as a century. Moreover, all her patients were individuals of significant influence and power, surpassing typical Earthly standards. Thus, altering her plans essentially meant reneging on commitments with these influential figures, which carried substantial weight and consequences. This was no small matter!
However Julia could understand why Sylv was ready to go that far. After all, Sylv was ancient, having existed for hundreds of times longer than Julia. It had been millennia since her inquisitive spirit was rekindled. But, considering Lys' unique situation, the discovery of El's eyes was nothing short of extraordinary. Throughout her long existence, Sylv had never encountered something like this, and it defied the natural order of things. To draw a comparison, it was akin to stumbling upon an object with the ability to defy gravity's pull. While many could fly using various means, they all operated within the bounds of gravitational forces, just like a rocket leaving the orbit of a planet. El's eyes, however, seemed to defy the inherent invisibility of spirits, a feat considered impossible by spirit standards. Yet, he had achieved it. Thus, Sylv couldn't resist the temptation to delve further into the subject, even at the risk of canceling her longstanding arrangements.
Sylv's insatiable curiosity left her no choice but to seek further understanding of the situation. She was fully aware that El remained cautious and guarded against her. She anticipated that direct inquiries about his eyes would be met with resistance, possibly even hostility. Therefore, Sylv made a strategic decision to employ his emotions as a way to unravel the enigma. However,
"Do you even think about the consequences of your actions?" Julia questioned Sylv, her tone rising.
Sylv frowned in confusion, failing to grasp what was wrong with her approach. From her perspective, it made sense to leverage El's indebtedness to her and request the study of his unusual eyes as a form of exchange. n--OveLbIn
Julia couldn't help but shake her head, realizing that she had overlooked a critical aspect of the situation. It was easy to forget that Sylv was not just any ordinary being-she was a spirit, and a remarkably ancient one at that. Sylv's mentality and ethical standards differed greatly from those of humans. While Sylv generally displayed kindness as a spirit, her commitment to scientific pursuits was unwavering, and she was willing to go to great lengths in the name of research. Sylv didn't see her actions as morally wrong; instead, she viewed them through the lens of her spirit standards, which were distinctly different from human ones.
For Sylv, the concept of right and wrong was not anchored in the same framework as it was for humans. To her, certain actions that appeared harsh by human standards were justified, given her unique perspective. She often held the belief that those she experimented on or made use of for her research were, in some sense, already destined to meet their end. In her view, it was merely a matter of repurposing their existence. She could easily justify her actions, such as, "They were going to die anyway" or "Don't worry, I only took his penis, he will survive."
In Sylv's eyes, kindness wasn't synonymous with sparing lives; it meant making the most of every resource available, especially when it came to matters of science. She believed that as long as death served a purpose, be it for sustenance, self-defense, revenge, or research, it was justifiable. To Sylv, death was an integral part of life, especially for long-lived spirits, and the moral boundaries that constrained humans did not apply in the same way to her.
This situation mirrored her typical approach. In Sylv's perspective, there was nothing inherently wrong in attempting to sway El with guilt, especially given that he already had a debt to her, which she could call in whenever she pleased. While she hadn't healed him with this specific intent in mind, she recognized its usefulness at the moment and decided to utilize it. Her decision not to directly say, "Come with me," before she whisked him away was her way of showing kindness or consideration, as she saw it. Therefore, she found herself baffled by Julia's anger, unable to fully comprehend why it had triggered such a reaction.
Julia, on the other hand realized her error. As an old woman herself, she understood that you can't force your standards on someone else. So she can't blame Sylv for this as from her point of vue she was completely right. However she also then realized how her mother role changed her. In the past, Julia was the ultimate loner and she didn't care about anyone and what Sylv just did wouldn't have faze her at all.
But now, she couldn't help but worry about El. The boy seemed mature and in control of everything but Marcus and her knew how wrong he was. El was young and insanely talented, making him think he was able to take anything on. But Julia knew that it was just he hadn't lived long enough. Yes, his natural distrust towards anyone was okay but will he able to live his life like that. No way! Even her, the ultimate loner had to make some connections or friendships to survive. He is still thinking like that because he has not seen enough. This was just proven by Sylv now. In a few words, she managed to destabilize him. However she had to stop it as she couldn't see her son being manipulated in front of her.
"I understand your motivations but you did it the wrong way. You could have ask me and I would have talked with him." Julia said after relaxing and calming down.
"Did you have prior knowledge of this?" Sylv inquired, under the impression that, as El's mother, Julia might have been aware.
Julia's response was casual as she shook her head, "No, I didn't."
Julia's response was nonchalant; she merely shrugged her shoulders, displaying neither disappointment nor surprise. Her knowledge of her son's unique eye skill led her to understand why he had concealed it, resulting in her indifference to the revelation. With a sense of purpose, she then declared, "Now that I'm aware, I'll have to discuss this with him."
Impatience colored Sylv's voice as she inquired, "When can we talk to him, then?"
Recognizing that involving Elian was the best approach, Julia responded, "We'll need to wait for Elian to wake up. He's more approachable and holds a prominent role in their relationship."
Sylv nodded in agreement, demonstrating her willingness to exercise patience, even given her age-old perspective. Her voice took on a solemn tone as she redirected the conversation, stating, "Now, let's shift our focus to the case of the young girl."