Fates Parallel Chapter 52 - Changes

“Jia, stop clinging to me. I’m not going anywhere, relax!”

“Just a bit longer!”

Since returning from their confrontation with Yan Yue, Jia had refused to let go of Eui’s arm. After months of getting used to the casual intimacy of their shared thoughts and emotions, being without it was more disturbing than Jia had expected, and the physical contact was somewhat comforting.

It was also extremely embarrassing, at least to Eui, who kept glancing about nervously as if expecting to see people staring. Of course, at this time of night, there weren’t many people around to even notice—though Jia could practically see stars in Rika’s eyes as she kept grinning at them. She was definitely getting the wrong idea.

Once they got back to Eunae and Rika’s dorm, they caught Eui up on everything that had happened while she was unconscious.

“Ugh...and you’re sure we can’t just kill her?”

Eunae shook her head with a sad expression.

“As expedient as that would be, I’m afraid it’s not a good option. A second student death—and from the same family, no less—being associated with us would cause far more problems in the long run. It should only be a last resort, if we can help it.”

For once, Jia kind of agreed with Eui’s penchant for violence—Yue had wronged them in unforgivable ways—but Eunae had a good point, even if Jia was privately disturbed by the way her friends discussed the practicalities of murder.

Rika cast a nervous glance at Jia, her expression full of worry.

“Are you going to be alright, Jia? You promised a lot to Hayakawa, and knowing her, she’s going to take it very seriously. You’ve pretty much signed away your life—what’s so important about some trip up to the mountain?”

“It wasn’t just one trip. It’s as many as we want, whenever we want, for up to ten people as long as we don’t disrupt the training schedules of Hayakawa or the others.”

Eui and Rika both had looks of shock as Jia explained the agreement that she had come to with Hayakawa. Eunae’s expression was placid, but there was no reason for her to be surprised—it had been her idea.

“How the hell did you convince her to agree to that!?”

Jia sighed deeply as she recalled the discussion...

---

“This is a...dramatic change of heart, Miss Lee.”

Hayakawa Kaede raised an eyebrow skeptically at Lee Jia, who was trying her best not to look as intimidated as she was.

“My situation has changed. I don’t have time to haggle or play games, so I am putting everything on the table. Everything I can possibly offer in exchange for whatever you’re willing to give in exchange. You seem—honorable enough not to take advantage of me.”

Hayakawa frowned and leaned her head on one fist as she stared down at Lee Jia.

“I don’t have the patience for social games either, Miss Lee. In truth, I would likely have accepted your previous offer in time, as Miss Yan suggested. Now, you come to me in desperation, asking me not to take advantage on the basis of honor. Either you think me a fool, or you’ve been prompted on what to say—tell me, where is Yan Yue now?”

Lee Jia began to sweat nervously. Of course it had actually been Eunae who had suggested she bring that up, but it had obviously rubbed Hayakawa the wrong way, regardless.

“That is part of the reason why my situation has become so urgent. I’m afraid that it’s a private matter, and I’d ask you not to dig further into it.”

Hayakawa clicked her tongue in irritation and sat up straight.

“Tsk, very well. Fine then, an honorable exchange—I’ll pretend not to be aware of your desperation. I can give you unlimited access to the invitations of my expedition team for whoever you wish, no questions asked.”

Jia sat forward excitedly.

“Really! That’s perfect! I’ll—”

“Stop! I’m not finished. Before we agree to anything, I need you to understand exactly what it is you’re offering. You’ll have your freedom here at the academy—beyond assisting me and mine in our training—but outside of it, you are mine. Should I choose to leave, you leave with me. Should you wish to leave, it will only be with my blessing.

“No matter what kind of offers you receive from Do Hye, or Yan Yue, or anyone else, your allegiance is spoken for. This is not a game, Lee Jia. As my retainer, you will serve me in whatever capacity I deem appropriate. There may come a time when I call you to war against your own country, do you understand?”

Lee Jia nodded resolutely.

“Of course! I don’t hold any allegiance to Goryeo, anyway. I’ll do whatever you command as long as it’s nothing uh, s-se—um, inappropriate.”

Jia’s face turned beet red as she struggled to even get the words out. Hayakawa’s blush matched her own as she realized what Lee Jia was saying. She huffed indignantly.

“Obviously not! What do you take me for?”

Hayakawa sighed and shook her head ruefully.

“Miss Lee, you are still far too naive to be making this kind of decision. You obviously don’t understand, so let me make it more clear. You say you hold no allegiance to Goryeo, but what about Seong Eunae, or Hyeong Daesung? If I called you to battle, and the enemy commander was Takeda Rika, could you fight your best even if it meant the death or capture of your friend?

“This is what I mean, Lee Jia. If you want me to agree to this, then I need you to swear that you hold your allegiance to me above all others. If you must choose between me and anyone else, I need to know that it will always be me, even against the likes of Seong Eunae, Takeda Rika, or An Eui.”

Lee Jia shook her head immediately.

“No.”

Hayakawa blinked, nonplussed.

“No? That was—decisive. Well then, I suppose our conversation is finished—”

“Not An Eui. Anyone else—if I absolutely have to—fine, I’ll fight, but not An Eui. I can’t—literally cannot—abandon her. Not ever, not for anyone. I’m sorry.”

Hayakawa paused, regarding Lee Jia with a curious expression before she finally responded.

“I see. I suppose I am amenable to making an exception, then. Though—if I might be so bold—where is Miss An? I can scarcely remember a time when I’ve seen the two of you apart.”

Jia was unable to restrain her furious expression as her hands and jaw clenched. Even her ears drew back and her tail lashed aggressively behind her back.

“That too is a private matter that has to do with the urgency of my situation.”

Hayakawa’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment before her expression softened.

“I see. I won’t press further, then. Pardon me for a moment.”

Hayakawa stood and left to one of the rooms in her spacious dorm, and Lee Jia belatedly recalled that she shared the place with Sun Jaehwa. She glanced nervously at the other bedroom door, wondering if she was here and how much she had overheard.

After a few moments, Hayakawa returned with an ornate piece of white jade, covered on every surface with dense engravings inlaid with gold.

“This is an oathstone. They are rare, especially in Yamato where we have no means of producing them. It’s a kind of soul-binding contract, like those used to bind kami and lesser youkai. These ones are designed to be used by immortal practitioners.

“If you channel your ki—or any other kind of spiritual energy, I suppose—into it while you swear an oath, it will bind to your soul. Should you then intentionally break your oath, the binding will destroy your cultivation and disperse all of your spiritual energy into the air. I suppose, as a half-spirit, the effect would probably be lethal, since your body naturally requires ki to sustain itself.”

Lee Jia went pale as she stared at the innocuous little stone in Hayakawa’s hands. She hadn’t really been planning to renege on her agreement, but the oathstone was an extreme level of commitment, and it made her nervous.

“I-is this really necessary, Miss Hayakawa?”

Hayakawa leveled a cool glare towards Lee Jia, her expression neutral.

“I told you, Miss Lee, that I take this sort of agreement very seriously. I need proof that you will keep your end of the bargain, and this is the only proof that will suffice. Are you prepared to make the commitment?”

Jia stared at the stone with trepidation and took a deep breath to strengthen her resolve. She had already made the commitment to Eui, and this was for her. What was another promise on which her cultivation was leveraged? Okay, it was a lot, but she had to do it.

Lee Jia reached out for the stone, but to her surprise, Hayakawa pulled it away from her.

“Good. Then we have an agreement. I look forward to working with you, Miss Lee.”

Jia looked up, confused.

“What? But I thought that—”

“This isn’t an oathstone, Miss Lee. It’s just a regular spiritual tablet—connected to my father, actually. If anything happens to him, I’m to return home at once. I suppose we are to return home at once, now.”

Jia’s face went red as she cried out with indignation.

“What!? You tricked me!”

Hayakawa covered her mouth and giggled.

“Hahaha! I told you that you were too naive, Miss Lee. Though oathstones do exist, and I am capable of procuring them, I don’t just have one on me. They really are exceedingly rare. Your resolve was proof enough for me.”

Lee Jia crossed her arms and huffed irritably as she slouched in her seat. She didn’t appreciate being fooled like that, but she did understand Hayakawa wanting to test how serious she was. Hayakawa smiled kindly and seemed to relax quite a bit now that their business was concluded.

“Was there anything else, Miss Lee? You’re essentially my subordinate now, and I prefer to treat those under me well. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

Lee Jia hesitated as she prepared to take her leave—she was anxious to rescue Eui.

“Well—there’s one other thing, if it’s not too much to ask...”

---

Eui had a concerned expression on her face.

“Ancestors, Jia. What did you sign us up for? I don’t know if I like the sound of being some noblewoman’s lapdog.”

Jia stared down at her lap, downcast.

“Sorry, Eui, I know that was a big decision to make, but I couldn’t stand the thought of you being Yan Yue’s hostage or puppet.”

Eui gave Jia’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m not mad at you, Jia. I appreciate everything you guys did for me. I’m just—processing, I guess. I didn’t really have any plans for what to do after the academy, but I guess I do, now.”

Takeda glanced between Jia and Eui with a look of worry.

“I don’t know if either of you really understand the gravity of this. The Hayakawa clan are enemies of the ruling Ienaga shogunate, and my family lives on Ienaga’s land. When she said you might end up facing me on the battlefield, that wasn’t a random example—that’s a very real possibility.”

Jia sighed sadly, the possibility of ending up on the opposite side of a war from her friends was not something she wanted to think about at the moment. Eui just nudged her gently and fixed Rika with a wide grin.

“Don’t worry, Rika. We’ll try not to kick your ass too badly if it comes to that.”

“Oh you arrogant little bitch! That’s it, we need to have a duel later, you’re getting too full of yourself.”

The girls fell into fits of giggling and playful banter after that, and for a little while their troubles were forgotten.

---

It was late at night when Jia and Eui finally returned to the place that they had called home for the last half a year. It had been their sanctuary, but after the intrusion of that strange foreign domain, and Yan Yue’s insinuating herself into their living space, it no longer felt quite as inviolate as it had in the past.

Jia still had her arms wrapped tightly around one of Eui’s as they relaxed on one of the couches.

“Are you going to cling like that all night, Jia? It’s going to make sleeping a challenge, and after the last few days I think I’d appreciate a proper rest.”

Jia squeezed tighter and shook her head.

“Just a bit longer.”

Eui shook her head with a wry smile.

“You said that the last three times, and I’m starting to think you don’t actually mean it.”

Jia snorted in amusement, but didn’t deny the accusation. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Jia spoke softly, in a near whisper.

“It feels wrong, doesn’t it? Like a piece of yourself is missing.”

Eui shuddered, clearly understanding exactly what Jia was referring to.

“Yeah...what—what happened, Jia? I remember a weird dream where we were Yoshika, and then something tore us apart. After that—I don’t remember. When I woke up, I was stuck in a black void, and something felt off about my domain. It wasn’t until we were reunited that I realized it wasn’t just a dream.”

Jia nodded.

“I had the same dream. I think when Yue’s technique knocked us out it forced us into some kind of dreaming state where our consciousnesses merged without her knowledge. When she tried to wake up just me she was—indelicate. The forceful separation damaged us, somehow.”

Eui growled in frustration.

“Rrgh, ancestors, I hate her. Are you sure we can’t kill her?”

“Honestly, I don’t even know if we could. She’s powerful, and we still have no way to defend ourselves from her technique. Eunae’s agreed to help train us against spiritual attacks, but neither of us know how effective that is going to be.”

“Fine. How do we fix this, then?”

Jia shrugged and frowned. She’d be agonizing over that question herself, already.

“I don’t know. The only idea I could think of was to try one of our old joint meditation techniques and see if that helped.”

Eui hummed thoughtfully.

“Hmm, alright, that sounds like as good an idea as any. Let’s do it.”

“What, right now?”

“No time like the present. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to get this fixed as soon as possible. We had already been stuck at a bottleneck, but we can’t even cultivate at this rate.”

That was true. Jia finally released Eui’s arm as the pair of them sat across from each other in the lotus position, hands linked. It had been a while since they had used such a technique, since their newfound bond made it so much simpler, but they still remembered how to do it and the breathing methods remained the same.

Jia considered for a moment which discipline to meditate on. They lacked the proper level of understanding of their domains to manipulate them in the same way they had their old auras. While its function was similar, the domain was a fundamentally different sense from a mage’s aura. As for ki meditation, establishing joint ki-meditation was difficult and painful, so she ruled that out as well.

Qi meditation it was then. It was a good place to start, and it was their soul that had been attacked in the first place, so it made sense. Eui agreed with her evaluation, so they went with that.

Their foreheads touched as they leaned in to close the distance between them—the technique required them to share breaths, and while it was more efficient to do so directly, Jia didn’t think she was ready to go that far yet, in light of Eui’s recent confession. She still needed time to sort out her own feelings.

Jia released a thread of qi through her breath and sensed Eui do the same as they meditated. As they had done in the past, Jia and Eui each maintained control over their own qi while drawing the other’s into their own dantians. After a few moments, their qi flows began to merge together and circulate. Jia braced herself for the flood of emotion that always came with—

A pulse of energy from the core in Eui’s body rippled through both of them like a shockwave, and Jia coughed up a small spray of blood as she felt it disrupting the energy in her body and soul. In a panic, Jia tried to break the link, but she felt the energy being forcefully ripped away from her.

“Aaagh! Eui, stop!”

Jia felt her vision become hazy and her consciousness began to fade. Eui’s eyes shot open, and Jia saw that she had a panicked expression as she shouted something, but it was impossible to hear over the ringing in her own ears. Then, the world went sideways as Jia passed out entirely.

---

As Jia fell unconscious, Eui caught her, a horrified expression on her face. What the fuck had just happened!? She had been expecting a flood of emotion when she felt something happen in her demonic core, and then a rush of energy that had felt amazing. Then Jia screamed and passed out.

Eui felt something wet on her face and reached up with a trembling hand to find Jia’s blood running in small rivulets down her cheeks. Looking down at Jia, she had gone horribly pale, and her breathing was heavy, as though she had a fever.

“Oh fuck! Hahaha, shit. What the fuck have I done? Oh, ancestors—”

Eui still felt the strange rush of energy flowing through her body like a shot of adrenaline. That, combined with her fear and panic had resulted in a bizarre, manic laughter that soon devolved into sobs as she clutched Jia’s unconscious body in her arms.

What the fuck was happening to her? What had she done to Jia?

...

Why did it make her feel so much stronger?