—Her Weakness—

There was a mark on the windowpane. A deep groove, shadows nestled inside of it even as the afternoon light poured through the window. Narina had been observing it for some time, her profile displaying a pallet of emotions for anyone who might look. Silverus had left to carry out his duties, and Aurus came and went. Only the priestess was in the room now, waiting for the young man she had wanted to see for so long to open his eyes. His wounds had nearly healed, and now it was only weariness that kept Gashuu asleep. Narina could feel her head nodding without her consent as she fought to keep herself from giving into such weariness herself, having used up all her magical energy yet again. Mental exhaustion was starting to whittle at her strength as well, the overbearing worry directed at her unconscious companion making her head throb.

The young woman was beginning to think of stepping out of the room for a moment, perhaps to bath and relieve herself from the consistent waiting. The pendulum clock on the bedside table clicked faintly, mixing in with the rustle of cloth and a faint sigh as she got to her feet. Narina froze, her silver eyes flicking towards the bed. Afraid to make any movements to interrupt, Narina could only stare at Gashuu as he slowly pulled a hand out from under the blanket she had placed over him and rubbed his eyes. In a stiff fashion she turned her body towards him, reluctant to move even as her heart began to race. The white haired man stopped what he was doing and looked at her through parted fingers, his blue eyes laden with sleep. Narina's lips parted, a soft breath of air passing through them as she attempted to speak.

"…Gashuu-san…" the water caster finally began, her eyes already glistening. "How are you feeling…?"

"Like shit" he grumbled immediately, his head sinking back against the pillows.

Narina put a hand to her lips when hearing the reply. It was so like him to say such things. Despite the crudeness of his words, she was glad hear them again. Without noticing the woman let out a small giggle, mirth showing through her tears.

Gashuu looked at her sourly in response. "What're you laughing at?"

With sudden awareness the lavender haired priestess stopped her laughter, lowering her hand to her heart. "I'm sorry…it's just been so long since we last spoke" she smiled. "I'm happy"

The man wore a face of exasperation. "Happy?" he repeated. "You've got tears in your eyes- any idiot can tell you're not happy"

The young woman felt the stinging in her eyes double at his words. Hastily she looked to the floor, salty droplets falling from her lashes. "I am happy" Narina murmured. "B-but…I'm also very sad…so even though I'm glad to see you, I can't help but want to cry"

With her sentence finished, Narina's lips pursed and silence overtook the room once more. Several swings of the pendulum clock occurred before Gashuu's voice interrupted it.

"Well, anyways," he started rather gruffly, folding his arms over his chest in a way that made him seem defensive. "You seem to be doing well, huh?"

The short haired woman laced her fingers together at her front, staring at the intertwined digits pensively. "…Yes. I was recently chosen as the next candidate for Protection Sage. Although, I don't feel Charly-sama will wish to resign quite so soon…"

It seemed impossible for her to keep herself from going silent. A heavy, painful question rested on the water caster's tongue which implored her to speak even though it was what kept her from doing just that. The priestess squeezed her hands together tighter and lifted her head slightly, casting her silver eyes towards the windowpane she had been studying so intensively earlier. Her eyelids fluttered hesitantly, and then she shifted her gaze to her white haired company, her lips parting as they met eyes again.

"And you, Gashuu-san?" Narina finally tried. "Where have you been…these seven years?"

As though he had been dreading the question Gashuu looked away from her, drawing in a breath of air. He held it in his lungs stubbornly, exhaling only as he started to answer her. "Pretty much everywhere, I guess" the man breathed. "I did a lot of traveling…" he paused briefly as Narina took a seat beside his bed. "I…stopped by Eludina. The villagers are doing well"

The lavender haired woman offered him a faint smile. "I'm glad to hear that"

"Yeah? I figured!" he remarked, almost grinning. But then the upwards curve of his lips disappeared and he averted his eyes again. "…But you don't care about where I've been, do you?" Gashuu sighed. "That's not what you really want to talk about"

She was shocked for a moment, but the feeling soon faded and Narina nodded. "I would love to hear about your travels, Gashuu-san. But even more so, I want to know why-" again, she faltered. Her eyes welled as she finished. "Why did you leave?"

For the first time since he had woken up Gashuu took a good look at the woman at his bedside, his blue eyes trailing over her weary figure before meeting with her wet silver ones. Narina blinked quickly, a few stray tears slipping down her cheeks before she wiped them away delicately with her sleeve.

"I loved my sister" he said suddenly. The water caster looked up from where she was trying to collect herself, some confusion showing through her tears. "She was really the only thing I took pride in" the man continued, letting his gaze float around the room aimlessly as he spoke of what had long since come to pass. "So when she died, I was outraged. I thought she'd been killed by the Luciffis. I spent nearly five years of my life seeking revenge when in the end, revenge was the farthest from what she wanted"

As she dried her eyes, Narina could think of nothing to say to this. Instead she merely sat where she was and waited for him to speak again. After a moment of staring guiltily up at the ceiling he did so, using a strained voice she hadn't heard from him before.

"I've killed a lot of people…" Gashuu unfolded his arms and pushed himself up more, resting his back against the headboard. "Because they were Luciffis"

Narina felt a pang inside her chest with these words, pressing a hand to her heart as she continued to hold her silence.

"After the final battle with the Luciffis seven years ago, I saw the Shihou Reijukai in a new light. I always knew they were corrupt with spies and traitors, but even the ones supposedly on our side were sick, you know?" he said it like a question, but both of them knew it wasn't one. It was a statement- one that was regretfully truthful. "They were so eager to kill off anyone who opposed them. I hated it, most of all because it reminded me of myself. I was one of them- killing people left and right for the sake of my own personal justice-"

"That's-" the lavender haired woman started in hast, interrupting him at last. "That's…not true…!" she murmured.

Gashuu smiled bitterly. "Aren't you just saying what you want to believe? Even you had a pretty bad impression of me when we first met" he reminded her.

Narina shook her head. "N-no! While I might have been a bit insecure with your presence in the beginning- that is, I thought you were going to attack Rudius, so I couldn't help but be worried! But- but after getting to know all of you, I never felt that you were an ill-hearted person! For these seven years, I…" the priestess' lucidity seemed to waver for a moment, a warm glow on her cheeks. "With all of my heart, I've continued to feel this way"

The man stared at her with wide eyes, doubting his sense of hearing despite its keenness. "N…Narina-"

She got to her feet abruptly, the chair sliding backwards as the water caster clenched both hands against her chest. "Is that why you hadn't mentioned your injury yesterday…?" she questioned as all her thoughts began to pour out at once. "Because you thought I might hate you? Because you thought I might turn you away?!"

Narina's voice got louder with every word she spoke. Gashuu started to sink back down under the blankets, unused to this demanding side of her. She had her moments of authority in the past when treating particularly uncooperative patients, and during their first meeting she had been notably firm with him, but even so, this was completely different. Her voice was raised. She wasn't asking for an answer.

Seven years…changes a person, I guess…? The fire caster concluded, a nervous grin on his face while he tried to interrupt her. "T-that's not it-"

"Then why!" Gashuu winced at the woman's cry, closing his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, all the nervousness and discomfort disappeared instantly. Narina's expression was sorrowful and her voice quite once more. "Why are you here now, like this? How did you get hurt, and by whom? " her silver eyes were glimmering with hurt as she finished. "Why didn't you say anything about it?"

For a long time neither of them said anything, Gashuu's face showing a myriad of emotions before settling on seriousness. "You might want to sit down before hearing the answer" he advised grimly.

After a moment of hesitance Narina pulled her chair back to its original place and did as told, her brown knit with concern.

"I told you I did a lot of traveling over the years, right?" the man started in a seemingly off-topic manner.

"Y…yes. You did say that" the woman confirmed.

"And I also mentioned I went to Eludina"

"Yes…"

"A little to the south, there's a small mountain with temple built within it. The villagers told me it was just a pile of ruins these days, but I decided to go and check it out, just for something to do..." he sighed a little, which told the water caster he regretted this decision. "…Did you know, Narina? That temple was one used by the Luciffis"

As though she had suddenly been drenched in ice water, Narina felt her body go numb. The man's words repeated in her mind a thousand times over in the time it took her to blink. "I don't understand" she breathed.

"I'd be willing to bet that the villagers really did think it was just useless ruins" Gashuu explained further. "It probably had been not too long ago, but what I saw there was a temple almost completely intact. There were markings all over the walls pertaining to Luciffis spells. Most of them were old…some of them were new…" the white haired man glanced at the woman, his narrowed eyes locking with her widened ones. "The six of us witnessed the end of the Luciffis when Mattie sealed her and Rudius' physical bodies up, didn't we? So I just had to know who the hell had written those spell patterns"

The priestess felt her throat squeeze tight as a sense of dread filled her. She knew the ruins that he spoke of- as children, she and Rasferus had often played there. Narina could vaguely recall seeing markings similar to those used in spells, but they had meant nothing to her back then, because those markings were scattered on countless pieces of broken stone and corroding pillars. They were just old ruins. Only ruins.

"In the deepest room of the temple, spell casters were performing magic" the man mumbled, rubbing his abdomen lightly. The wound had closed up, and inside was the still tender flesh that had been spilling blood not long ago at all. "They hadn't been expecting me, but their identities really caught me off guard. Because of that, I ended up getting wounded like this while making my escape"

"Caught…off guard…" Narina repeated tensely, her voice no more than a whisper. "By who…?"

All the color drained from the master water caster's face as Gashuu answered her.

Aquas…

Since long over an hour, the four leaders of the Shihou Reijukai had been in council. It had been arranged quickly after the news of a certain fire-bearing agent's return became known. Their topic of discussion was on how to deal with Gashuu Noun's behavior seven years prior, which was seen by many as his unofficial resignation from the guild, and also how to react to his reappearance.

The Head Water Maiden listened to the words of her three equals as they debated with one another, wearing the same calm expression that she had since the start of the meeting. She trusted her fellow water casters immeasurably- Protection Sage candidate Narina and High Priest Silverus both had a strong bond with this young man. Narina in particular was neglecting her duties in the temple in favor of ensuring the injured fire caster's well-being. This brought Shisei no anger- only complete faith.

"It cannot be overlooked that his bloodline has proven be drawn to traitorous notions!" the leader of the Kazetsukai argued. "It was his sister who had set the village of Agnes aflame in the past! Gien-dono, surely you don't plan to overlook this trend!"

The reigning fire caster folded his hands together calmly before resting them beneath his chin. "Ishlia Noun's actions have long since been deemed manipulation by the Luciffis" he retorted. Although his argument was an old one, it was far from stale. "As for Gashuu's seven year absence…he might need to review the teachings, but I don't see reason to detain him. When he was with the Reijukai he performed his duties aptly"

"Aptly, you say?" master stone caster Kisei shot the other man a demanding glare. "What of his failure to capture the former Protection Sage Galeus? That slip-up had lead to major casualties during the attack on the Kalun Summons Temple! Who's to say that wasn't intentional?"

"Ridiculous" Gien scoffed. "Anyone who would take as much as a glance at his mission records would see that he despised the Luciffis"

"A curious statement, considering he was one of the few who were against the decision to exterminate those black blooded twins" the Kazetsukai head prompted. "He and another that was in your ranks…Jeene, wasn't it? Yet another fire caster from Agnes"

"Jeene has resigned from the Shihou Reijukai- years ago in fact" the fire caster countered. "She has a family and is leading a peaceful life…I hardly think betrayal was on her mind"

"In regards to the group of spell casters who sought to protect the Luciffis' trump card," Kisei started while looking at the childlike figure on the other side of the room, "two others amongst them were from your faction, were they not, Shisei-dono?"

"And the final two were from yours, Kisei-sama" Protection Sage Charly quipped. "Both of which who have disappeared- Kishiru had gone as far as to break a grave law before her memories were taken from her. I daresay you and your Ryuuin siblings are in the darkest light of us all"

The man grit his teeth while taking a step closer to the edge of his plateau. He looked ready to release a spell on the woman before a soft voice belonging to the Head Water Maiden flowed through the air and made him freeze.

"Regardless of the light that falls upon us all…I see no fault in the actions of these six" she announced, a gripping tone emitting from her small throat. "Indeed…I think it is a happy thing for the elements to cooperate in such a manner. All they wished for was the safety of their dear friends. The twins…no…Rudius and Mattie had not become the Luciffis' tools by choice. You all remember the forceful manner in which they were recruited, is that not so?"

"What I would like to know is why you would assume those twins to be dear friends to the fire caster of discussion, Shisei-dono. His hate for the Luciffis was brought up moments ago by Gien-dono himself" the wind caster amongst them pointed out.

Shisei glanced back at him, unfazed. "Surely that young man has the freedom to change his opinions of others"

"Change his opinions!" Kisei barked, his voice echoing off the walls. "Only you would be so faithful of others…one of your very own Protection Sages was a traitor, and two of you higher ranking members fought for the wellbeing of those cursed twins. Now your newest candidate for Protection Sage is wasting her talents to act as caretaker for another possible traitor!"

The Head Water Maiden's eyes showed less than a ripple of concern for the stone caster's words as she looked out across the large room they had gathered in, her next question directed to all who occupied it.

"Is believing in the good hearts of others truly such a treacherous thing?"

I present chapter two of To The Hereafter. Narina has just learnt something shocking- meanwhile, the Shihou Reijukai discuss how to treat Gashuu's actions. Next chapter will include more familiar characters and changes in scenery, so I hope any readers I might have gained are looking forward to that along with further development of the plot.

Now that I know there's at least a one-percent chance of getting reviews, I'll go ahead and talk like I'm expecting responses- if Phantom Wizard was an anime, what voice actors would you like to have for the main cast? For me, I'd have Megumi Hayashibara as Kishiru, Kappei Yamaguchi as Gashuu, Kumi Sakuma as Narina, Yuji Ueda as Ryuuin, and Kaya Matsutani as Jeene. For Rudius and Mattie I'd like someone fresh and new who can do both young and adult sounding voices (since they kind of go from kids to teenagers over the course of the manga).

I'll do my best to update frequently. Until then, I humbly recommend having a look at my Phantom Wizard fansite, .com- just remove the brackets, of course! You can also find the link on my profile page.