Aenon reappeared within yet another soul space. And even though he was in the outer area, he felt suffocated. That was because he was trapped between two hard surfaces barely two feet apart. The inner soul space was still an impenetrable ten-foot sphere. But there was an additional enclosure that sealed everything in.

Thalindra suddenly appeared in the already crammed place, livid with anger. She was wearing a very different kind of armor than the one she had outside. It felt…sturdier somehow.

"How did you…," she said with fury clear in her voice.

But Aenon ignored the older woman and looked around, further infuriating her. And Aenon understood why she was angry. This was nothing short of an invasion of her privacy. But in his defense, he didn't know he would be entering her soul space. He had only wanted to try studying the chains in her soul and maybe loosen them a bit. His skill was still a mystery he was unravelling slowly.

"Hey," Thalindra screamed in frustration.

But Aenon was too engrossed in studying the outer wall closely. It wasn't like anything he had seen so far. The entire wall was made of chains tightly wrapped over each other like a yarn. He briefly touched one of the chains but pulled his hand back immediately. The contact hurt quite a lot.

"So, these are the restrictions you placed on yourself?" Aenon asked thoughtfully.

When he got no response, he turned around to find Thalindra staring daggers at him. Her arms were folded, and he could see a vein popping on her avatar's forehead. Aenon was genuinely surprised she had not attacked him already.

"Umm, sorry about that," Aenon said, actually sorry for the mistake. "I didn't know I would be entering your soul space."

Her eyebrows twitched, but her anger didn't abate in the slightest. "You speak as though you have done this before."

Aenon merely shrugged apologetically, "A couple of times. And I honestly mean you no harm."

It calmed her a teensy bit. Aenon didn't push her like usual, since he could feel that her anger was masking utter dread. She was terrified, an existential crisis level of fear. When she didn't speak up, he spoke softly to reassure her.

"How many people have you helped get over their trauma, Thalindra? So, this once, let someone else help you."

To show his sincerity he laid bare his own feelings and emotions. Only then did he sense her calm down. That's when he noticed that she was shivering. Her earlier act of folding her hands was to hide that. She was putting up a brave front to conceal the fact that she felt vulnerable.

She visibly deflated and curled up into a fetal position. But Aenon didn't approach her, nor did he try consoling her. He just let her run through the motions of what Aenon realized was a panic attack. She started hyperventilating with her eyes closed.

Aenon had absolutely no idea what to do in this situation. Seeing a full-grown woman collapse in front of him was disconcerting. He wracked his brains for something before an idea popped up. He started humming a tune his mother used to sing, the same one he had used for Talia often. He felt her look at him, but he didn't make eye contact. He instead closed his eyes and continued the soothing sound.

After a long time he felt her relax, her panic attack finally under control. Only then did Aenon open his eyes.

"My soul has always been the one refuge where none could reach me," Thalindra said in a small voice. But she didn't explain further. She didn't need to.

Aenon finally approached her with caution and floated next to her. He let the silence linger for a while before speaking up.

"Everyone deals with trauma differently. Some choose to convert all that pain into rage, while others seal themselves within a shell. In more ways than one," he said while pointing around them. "And there is no right answer for it. Neither is it an indication of strength based on what you choose. Just the fact that you are alive proves that you are capable."

Thalindra turned away from him and dusted herself off. She was back to her old self physically when she spoke next.

"I apologize for showing you such a sight," she said formally. "I assure I am fine."

Aenon saw it for what it was: Deflection. But he didn't press her further, smiling amiably instead.

"I appreciate your concern, but there nothing that you can do…," she began to say before Aenon cut her off.

"You are an Awakened," he said simply. "With two affinities like Jenny. One is life for sure. But I have never felt the other one before."

Thalindra blinked in confusion before her anger resurfaced. This time without fear.

"This is highly improper. You can't just barge into other people's souls like this. Leave, right now," she demanded.

Aenon stared at her in silence. His expressionless face unnerved her, but she kept herself in check.

"What are you afraid of?" Aenon asked. "You are more experienced with souls than me. You should have no difficulty pushing me out. And my presence here is unwelcome. Then why haven't you tried to remove me?"

Aenon saw her hesitate, her eyes wandering around. As though she wanted an escape route. Yet she didn't act. Aenon frowned, wondering what this was about. Aenon's soul was stronger than hers, but he was within her domain right now. She would have the advantage here. And yet, he sensed fear rising up again. That is when it clicked.

"You are afraid of hurting me," he said softly.

Thalindra's anger flared for a moment before she reined it in again. "This is not the time or place…"

"I too respect your privacy Thalindra," Aenon said calmly. "I am not going to ask about your past either. Like you said, some things are best left buried forever. But I want to know why you are scared."

Aenon saw her expression change multiple times as her emotions ran rampant. But Aenon waited patiently. Letting her gather her thoughts.

"Death," she finally conceded. "That is my other affinity. And do you know how much devastation a soul mage with death affinity can cause? I could lay waste to entire empires if I grow strong enough. I'll be unstoppable, a source of misery and ruin wherever I go."

Aenon was finally starting to piece together her personality. Even though she didn't say it, he reckoned someone had tried to use her for her powers. Used her to cause harm to people despite her hating it. And that had left deep scars on her psyche. And once she Awakened and found out her death affinity, she took the drastic step of sealing herself. For deep down, she was someone who treasured life.

"I see," Aenon finally said while turning towards the wall of chains.

"So now you know why I can't be allowed to level up," Thalindra said sourly. "I am a ticking time bomb…"

"You are a smart woman, Thalindra. And boy are you good at political scheming," Aenon interrupted her. "But that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard someone say."

Thalindra's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, unable to come up with a response. So Aenon went on.

"Just because you may cause problems in the future, you shouldn't be allowed to live? By that definition, predators too should be eliminated or put on leashes. After all, they too cause death and destruction wherever they go. Same goes for anyone who has even a mild affinity for offensive spells. Why not kill all fire users like Velastra? She too can wreak havoc when she gets to level 700. How about Jenny? She is an Awakened with a dual affinity. I am sure she could summon planet spanning blizzards at some point. Should we curb her powers too?"

Stolen story; please report.

"That's not what I meant," Thalindra protested. "Soul mages are feared all over the Multiverse. Add in my death affinity, and the damage I can cause is incomparable to other combat Classers."

"So, I should chain myself too?" Aenon asked with a raised eyebrow. He didn't mention his void affinity of course.

"No…that's…I mean…"

Thalindra tried hard to come up with a retort but couldn't. Aenon truly felt sorry for her. She hadn't reached this conclusion overnight. It took decades of oppression and pain to reach this stage. Something he couldn't undo quickly, but he wanted to plant the seeds, nonetheless.

"Look," he said gently. "At the end of the day, your powers are just tools. They aren't inherently good or evil. It's how you use them that decides that."

"But that is the crux of the problem," Thalindra said morosely. "What if someone stronger controls me and uses my powers for evil."

It was Aenon's turn to be speechless. He couldn't refute the point after having come so close to being soul chained by the Overseer. He went silent for a moment before smiling.

"Then you don't let them," he said while looking into her eyes. "The answer is always power. Make sure you grow strong enough that no one can control you."

"It's not a guarantee that I can grow enough to safeguard my freedom. The world doesn't care what I want Aenon."

"And neither do you don't owe the world anything," Aenon countered. "You need to learn to live for yourself. Despite what you may think, you are not the only thing that can end all of existence. There are far more sinister powers you and I may never know."

She still looked unconvinced, so Aenon decided to use a popular moral dilemma from Earth.

"Say there is monster horde heading for Pinespire. And you are the only one who has knowledge of it. At the same time, Talia has been captured by someone who wants to kill her. Now you have the choice between saving the girl or heading back and warning the city. What would you choose? And before you ask, there is no chance of doing both. You either have to let Talia die or allow potentially thousands to be killed because they didn't prepare for the horde. And if you do nothing both scenarios will play out."

"This is not a fair comparison," Thalindra complained. "Such philosophical questions have no justification. Every life is sacred, and there is no right answer."

"You are right. There is no justification for whatever you choose. But a decision must be made, nonetheless. The only difference is what you choose to do after the choice."

"Which is what exactly?"

"Accepting that you did everything in your power based on the shitty cards life has delt."

"It…it isn't that simple," Thalindra said in a low voice.

"It always is. Blaming yourself for what others have done or potentially do is no way to live," Aenon explained. He pointed at the chains, "You are afraid of what could happen if you grew too strong? But have you thought about what you could have achieved if you had the power. How many more you could potentially save or protect."

Thalindra stayed quiet after his statement, staring at the chains with a conflicted look. Aenon felt a nudge from his skill, pointing towards one particular chain. Something about it angered him. Something familiar.

He walked up to the chain and grabbed it, despite the blinding pain. He powered through the agony and focused. Willing his Skill to activate. After what felt like hours, he managed to cause one of the links to crack. Thalindra was screaming something in the background, but he was delirious from the torment and kept pulling with all his might. But he couldn't sever it no matter how hard he tried.

He felt something from beside him but couldn't say what. The pain didn't allow him to think. He felt an additional force that was helping him, and he was glad it did since the chain finally snapped. He would have been ecstatic at the achievement, but he was in no condition to. His soul felt like it had been put through a blender.

The last thing he remembered seeing before blacking out were Thalindra's tear-filled eyes and someone else standing behind her back with a disapproving look.

* * *

Thalindra

Thalindra had never felt this vulnerable before. Having someone enter her soul space was a violation unlike anything she had experienced so far. She wasn't even sure how the boy did it. Despite being a soul mage for so long, she didn't know that it was a possibility. None of the books she was forced to read by her so-called family had mentioned such an ability.

That is why she was horrified when she felt Aenon within the confines of her soul—her last refuge. Despite knowing that he had no ill intentions, she had broken down due to her past trauma. Several bad memories resurfaced unbidden, making her relive her past. She was embarrassed, angry, and scared at the same time.

She recalled the stern looks of her family's patriarch, the greedy demands of her elders, and the scared glances of her peers. Every moment of her life after coming into her powers was a carefully controlled hellscape of deception. Worst of all, she knew it all for what it truly was. Her soul powers not allowing her to miss any hidden motive.

When she first saw the boy, she had no clue on how formidable he truly was. Watching a budding soul mage emerge from the ant dungeon with not a scratch on him was commendable. But everything he accomplished since then kept shattering her long-standing beliefs on what was possible. His calm persona, his power, and even his swift decisions set him apart from the regular. But it was his remarkable self confidence that made him truly extraordinary. His unwavering beliefs in his decisions and regret free way of living.

These were the things that made her curious about him. Her initial reservations of him misusing his powers were dispelled the day she saw him go out of the way to help a little girl he knew nothing about. And the more she interacted with him, the harder it got to not believe in him coming out on top, no matter what the odds. But his latest stunt was so outside the pale, she didn't dare believe it.

The shackles she had burdened herself with were a part of who she was. She had learned to live with it, accept them even. She had reached a very delicate balance of contentment and acceptance. A balance he had upset by openly using powers she feared all her life. She had always been careful to leash her Aura, using it sparingly to gently divert the conversations the way she wanted. Aenon was different. He flaunted his Aura openly, even unleashing it in front of the whole city. There was no remorse, no fear of the possible consequences.

At first, she thought he didn't know the possible repercussions of his actions. She thought he was a clueless soul mage who didn't know what those in power would do when they learned of his abilities. But after learning the people he pissed off on the regular, that idea went up in smoke. She started longing for the same, to cut lose and use her abilities freely. Her apparent tranquility disturbed forever.

But her chains were built over a long time. She knew it was impossible for her to break free even if she wanted to. So, she resigned herself to her fate, not daring to dream of what could be. That is until the boy went and did what he did best—showing that impossible was just a mere suggestion to him.

When she saw him grab the chain, she was aghast. She knew the raw pain he was experiencing. She had felt it once before, when she attempted to break her own chains. The memory still made her shudder. And yet, the stubborn fool refused to let go.

"STOP," she shrieked.

But the boy wasn't in a condition to register her words. His entire being was focused on destroying the chain. She had rarely seen such single-minded concentration. Like nothing existed between him and what he had chosen to eliminate.

She attempted to help him, but the second her hand touched him or the chain, her body doubled over from the inconceivable pain. She looked on helplessly while fidgeting, trying to think of a solution.

"Tch, even stubbornness has to have a limit," a raspy voice spoke from behind, making Thalindra jump back in alarm.

A female draugr stood before her, dressed in a weird pink dress. The appearance of another entity in her soul space didn't even register in Thalindra's mind as she cast Identify.

<System Nurse | Level ???>

Thalindra saw the scary woman approach Aenon from behind and place a hand on his back. She felt the raw power as she stabilized his soul, allowing him to direct more power towards breaking the chain. And eventually, he did the impossible, again.

The chain shattered as pieces flew all over before dissipating into nothingness. She felt an electric current run through her soul, along with a ton of System notifications. But she ignored it all and ran to hold the boy. His soul was wrecked, cut and torn all over. But he was alive and safe. Her vision blurred from the tears as he took one last look at her and lost consciousness.

Snap

Thalindra heard the strange woman snap her fingers. And soon after Aenon's soul started to heal rapidly. The cuts and tears stitched themselves, and he regained some of the lost color on his face. Only when she felt he was in no immediate danger did she turn to face her new uninvited guest.

"You do not need to know. Best leave it at that," the Nurse said tersely, preemptively dismissing any questions. "And I don't think I need to remind you to keep this between us. The consequences will be…"

The unspoken threat lingered in the air. Even though Thalindra knew nothing of the situation, she at least knew where not to poke her nose.

"Thank you," Thalindra eventually said with a formal bow.

The draugr regarded her for a moment, before turning away dismissively, "Just take care of the brat. I'd appreciate the help in keeping the fool alive."

Thalindra merely nodded, not daring to question further. But the Nurse stopped at the wall of chains with a contemplative look. There were still dozens of them, but the biggest one was gone.

"He maybe a clueless idiot, but at least he knows what he is doing. Sometimes," the Nurse commented. "He removed the sealing chain, the one piece you couldn't have broken yourself. The rest is up to you."

"You mean…" Thalindra trailed off as hope began to rise in her throat.

"Yep. With some effort, you should be able to clean up this sorry mess," the Nurse replied while facing her again. "Even though it isn't my job, let me give you a word of advice. The boy is right. Power is power. Nothing more, nothing less. If the System felt death affinity was such a huge threat to life, it wouldn't have allowed it to exist. Do with it as you please. And don't worry about becoming an unstoppable threat. There will always be someone strong enough to stop you."

The Nurse glanced at the unconscious boy briefly. As did Thalindra, a firm resolve rising from within. She finally understood who Aenon was, and couldn't agree more with what the Nurse said next.

"That is what predators are for. To maintain balance within their domain."

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