Aiden's thoughts

'There goes my rune... to the right palm... yes keep going...' sweat fell down Oisin's cheek, 'Close, close!'

The runic was near to his wrist now, he could simply feel it. No way he was about to fail after coming this far!

'Only a little further.... please go...'

His fingers suddenly staggered. 'Huh?' he was shocked.

'Hey the energy is there, why isn't it glittering?'

"Hey Aiden, uh..."

Oisin seemed to have broken Aiden's meditation. He then looked up at him. "Is it glittering already?"

"No, but the runic energy seems to there, already."

"Already!? There where?"

"Already at the palm." Oisin matched with Aiden's tone as they spoke. For no particular reason, he simply felt like it.

"Start gathering them to a singular point."

Oisin listened. 'Oh, he can answer directly at times as well.'

A lot of energy swelled at his right palm. From the fingers, alot of energy descended somehow but he carried most of them from the very rune core.

The path of the flow is rather easy to learn. The hard part is in controlling it. It's really just sheer force of will. As if the rune is sentient and the harsher command you give it, the better it will obey. Well, not entirely.

Oisin first learnt to focus on his runic energy, at the time of unlocking his rune core. Then he learnt to focus at them separately, as the energy is throughout his body. And then he learnt to carry the energy to other places... well, tried to learn.

This was his seventh try, where he is near to doing it successfully. He managed to carry the runic energy from his thorax to the heart, then shoulders, elbow and eventually at his palm. The more energy there was gathering, the harder it was getting to control it. But he had to win.

Trying his very best to gather the runic energy at the very center of his palm, the surface of its skin suddenly glimmed.

'How many hours did it take? Two?' Oisin grinned with joy. It had been a while since he gave so much effort into something. Except of course, escaping from phantoms...

It really ended up glittering. That was a relief for him.

"Alright. Done. Its glittering." Oisin called Aiden.

"Now that was quick. Although I learnt it in a minute." he smiled, as well.

'What the hell? And is he mocking me...?'

"Are you tired? Or I would like to teach you something."

"Yes I'm tired. But go on."

"You really are unusual." he leaned backwards and front. Quite the childish attitude. But then he continued, "You remember what Nahn told you about abilities?"

"I do."

"If you know someone's rune core, you can guess what their abilities might be."

"Oh? I couldn't guess with a thousand chance that Nahn's lion rune core let him create a smoke though."

"Ow. That's because he didn't mention all of it. You know, runes are just a nice looking line art representing a particular scenario. I only saw Nahn's rune core once. The lion was roaring under a black dark cloud."

Oisin raised his eyebrows as if he was dumbfounded by this reply.

"So if somebody's rune core is a man giving speech atop the ifle tower and there's a little ant barely visible somewhere down there, then he could potentially be a beast tamer, as in taming insects?"

"Yes, exactly."

'Ah... now that's ridiculous.'

"So knowing every detail of your rune core is essential. The abilities are the real deal you see, the basic rune is rather silly." Aiden finished.

"To that I agree... it seems."

A few moments of silence passed.

Indeed the ability was the real deal. The ability is shrouded in mystery, even. You need to use up every bit of your basic rune to be able to use it. And also that it breaks the logic of science far more than basic runes does. In all, it was Magic, truly.

"So what I was about to teach you is..." Aiden tried to catch Oisin's attention, "Nahn would try to enhance your basic rune capabilities for the first week. Like he himself did, of course that would make you powerful. With a balance of both sorts of rune... but I suggest something else?" Aiden was talking straight for quiet a while now.

Even his face looked serious.

"What is it?" Oisin's curiousity was successfully piqued.

"Unlock the rune ability today. Eliminate the basic runes. They never regenerate, that's a lie."

'Huh.'

"Huh." he thought aloud. "Why exactly?"

That was a rather weird suggestion. The reason Nahn asked him to get a decent understanding of the rune power first was perhaps because it was too risky to empty the core beforehand or something like that. It isn't like Oisin knew alot. But some things just appeared obvious or guessable.

"I will tell you. You are my brother afterall. Promise me that you wouldn't tell Cap though." Aiden's face darkened even further.

'Hey, so are things about to get serious now...?'

"Fine, I don't break my promises." said Oisin, wondering what he might reveal.

"I can't prove to you, of course. But what I believe is that Nahn's phantom totally tricked him. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the flaws in his story?"

That didn't come as a surprise, for whatever the reason. Oisin too, felt as though something was missing from that story. "Parts like why the phantom taught only those four and for what better reasoning could he have left... they do appear suspicious."

"I know right! Oisin, my brother, you need to trust me. Why do you think we spent a whole two years inside this stupid camp? Are we really that weak against phantoms? Even after two whole years of preparation?"

That was an intriguing thought. Perhaps the phantoms were always adapt to runic powers, so even two might not have been enough. Or there could be another theory that was even more scary.

"... I thought about that. Nahn just explained a few minutes ago phantoms can't enter this camp because of this rune tower. Wouldn't that imply how phantoms are resistant to rune? What about the phantom Nahn met then? It totally debunks my theory. "

"You get me! There could only be one reasons. There really are two different types of phantoms. One can access runes and other can't. And of course, that's believing that Nahn's story was true afterall."

Under the crimson sky, two young survivors thus started doubting on Nahn. Oisin, not shocked much. But Aiden was visibly gleaming in both excitement, fright and joy that he was getting to share his thoughts to somebody else.

Oisin looked at Aiden, as though, he somehow reminded him of himself. On top of that, what he said really did make sense.

"Let me ask you now. What reasons did Nahn show for not escaping the camp yet?"

"That phantoms may attack. It's dangerous. But Oisin! I don't believe that we are still weak. Nahn often boasts of having killed a phantom himself as well. We have abilities, and enough power to crush a mere phantom. If Nahn.... and Aster's story was in fact true, then wasn't it more reason to move out? Find something else? Move towards the apparent 'East' where the Dawn is supposed to be? It even starts to feel like prison to me at times."

Oisin fell in deep thought. Aiden made real sense. And Oisin was amused. He did suspect things a few times since entering here, but never expected them to turn out like this. Either Nahn was apparently hiding something. Or they were the one underestimating the horrible prowess of the phantoms.

"So... nobody in two years ever tried to leave the camp?" he asked.

"Five or six people did. None of them returned, though."

Oisin nodded, staring down.

"So do you want to leave this camp as well?"

"I can't leave alone."

"You want me to come with you?" Oisin asked, his eyes beaming with genuine sincerity.

Of course, he knew Aiden for only a hour or even less. But yet, he was ready to trust him.

He already survived two years outside, even without runes. Now that he knew stuff, he would survive much longer. Or so he hoped.

"Yes." Aiden replied. His eyes searching for a reply from Oisin as well. So Oisin smiled.

"I will come with you."

'How bizarre. Will I never get peace? Am I going oit of character by partying with him?'

"Something is wrong with the two.... Nahn and Aster. We could really just escape anytime. But... the problem is Esya. She wouldn't trust me."

"So we either convince her, or force her out, or... beat the information out of Nahn?"

"Yes, actually. She is my cousin by the way." replied Aiden, as his facial expression was returning to its usual carefree one. "We should resume your training. Its gleaming already. You are fast passing the first phase in just two hours or so. Now let it gleam. Support the light by bringing in more energy from the rune core. Empty it!"

'So they are cousins.' Oisin thought, as if his mind blanked out for a second.

"Uh... was it that easy? Empty the core, unlock the ability?"

"Easy? Esya had bled eyes out, as far as I remember..."

'What the hell?'

"Oh..."

"But I know you can do it! You are my brother afterall," he smiled.

Not that Oisin was missing his smile, but it was refreshing. As though all the serious talks in the last minute never even happened.

'Is this what they call charisma...?'

"Fine, fine I'll try."

"Try your cores out, Oisin!"

And then he talked no more.

And Oisin, focused on his task.

'Have your flashlight on until the battery runs out. Sounds fun...'