Chapter 34 Anomaly I

“Hear me, young one. El is an oddity, a deviation from the natural order, and your presence here is guided by my knowledge to assist you through it. Before you make a fuss, understand this: if the current state of affairs persists, both you and El are destined for a departure from this world in the not-so-distant future.”

Upon hearing this revelation, Elian found himself in a state of bewilderment, his eyes widened, fixed on Ark, unsure of how to respond. If anyone else had uttered such words, Elian might have dismissed it as nonsense. However, when articulated by Ark, it carried an undeniable weight, and the implications were far from pleasant.

After all, from what Ark just said, El is a deviation from the natural order or in other terms an anomaly and if that wasn’t enough now this anomaly if not taken care of would put both their lives in danger? So to save his life he has to..

Recognizing the perilous direction his thoughts were taking, Elian closed his eyes in an attempt to quell the storm of emotions and thoughts within him. He replayed Ark’s words in his mind, ensuring he hadn’t misunderstood the gravity of the situation.

Upon reflection, Elian realized that Ark had never explicitly suggested eliminating El; instead, he offered assistance. The manner in which Ark intended to address this “anomaly” remained unclear. Seeking clarification, Elian inquired,

“Why is El considered an anomaly?” A part of him held onto the hope that Ark’s assessment was incorrect.

“Allow me to clarify. It’s not inaccurate to say that you have Dissociative Identity Disorder,” Ark explained in his characteristic neutral tone. “However, you should view this disorder as a mere symptom of a deeper truth.” He paused briefly before continuing.

“El’s origin lies within your consciousness, and that is an undeniable fact,” Ark emphasized. “But there are numerous aspects of your experiences that extend beyond the scope of a simple DID diagnosis. Consider, for instance, the fact that El can assume control over your body while you are in charge. Even more perplexing is El’s ability to exert influence over various bodily functions-metabolism, digestion, immune system responses. Such phenomena defy conventional explanations offered by DID alone.”

Elian listened intently, fully aware that Ark’s words resonated with some of the inexplicable occurrences he had observed in his life. There were instances when El could take over the body control without Elian consent. Like for example, when in his lab an explosion occurs, El would immediately take over to dodge and make sure Elian I safe before giving back the control to Elian.

Furthermore, Lys was aware that Elian had acquired the remarkable ability to dedicate days to experimentation without the need for sustenance or sleep. However, what remained hidden from her was this astonishing truth: El possessed the remarkable capability to meticulously regulate Elian’s metabolism, enabling him to endure prolonged periods devoid of hunger or fatigue.

In this moment, Elian couldn’t help but acknowledge the validity of Ark’s statements. As the primary personality, Elian should logically possess the capacity to replicate all of El’s abilities or, at the very least, possess knowledge of when and where those skills were acquired. However, the enigma persisted-El’s control over metabolism remained a riddle that had eluded Elian’s comprehension. El himself believed it to be an innate gift, but the fundamental question arose: How could El possess an innate ability that Elian, the architect of his consciousness, did not share?

Yet, the conundrum extended beyond metabolic control. It would be comprehensible if Elian and El simply had different tastes and passions. For instance, El lacked Elian’s penchant for exotic cuisine, while Elian didn’t share El’s fervor for combat. However, an even more perplexing phenomenon defied explanation-El’s innate genius in combat. Before El’s emergence, Elian had already been a prodigy in swordsmanship and marksmanship. However, El demonstrated a mastery that transcended mere proficiency, excelling in any form of combat imaginable. And Elian meant “any” without exception whether it’s the art of hand-to-hand combat, the finesse of archery, the mastery of swordsmanship, the precision of spear-throwing, or the intricacies of tactical strategy, El seemed to possess an uncanny aptitude for them all.

“You seem to grasp the essence of my point, but all these could easily be explained.” Ark explained. “These inexplicable phenomena might find their roots in an exceedingly rare gift for metabolic control or an innate aptitude for weapons, among other possibilities. Perhaps these talents lay dormant deep within your subconscious, and El’s emergence unearthed them.”

Elian nodded in agreement, acknowledging the validity of Ark’s argument. In the realm of humanity, certain enigmatic abilities have sporadically surfaced throughout history, both before and after the cataclysm and the advent of mana. These include the likes of Synesthesia, Savant Syndrome, Eidetic Memory, Psychokinesis, and others. While the odds may be slim, it’s plausible that El’s remarkable skills could find their explanation in these extraordinary but sporadic human phenomena.

“But there’s something you or any human couldn’t explain: El’s elemental affinity and yours are different.” Ark added

Elian frowned not understanding how and why this was a problem. Ark then continued “I guess you don’t even know about it yet. Well, let me explain this first. You see, humans born in the post-cataclysm era possess inherent affinities for elemental forces. These affinities are influenced by genetic factors, birthplace, and an element of chance, making them unique to each individual. Typically, affinities with levels exceeding 10% are considered your elemental affinities. For instance, your father had a strong affinity for fire, which dominated his elemental usage, relegating others to the background. But I suspect you were already aware of this.”

Elian nodded as he possessed a thorough understanding of elemental affinities, having witnessed his father’s affinity for fire firsthand. It was a fact he couldn’t ignore, especially given the numerous training sessions where El ended up singed by the flames. While Marcus didn’t need to rely on his elemental affinity to surpass El in their sparring sessions but El had frequently requested him to employ fire magic for the sake of his own training and development.

Elian remained uncertain about his own elemental affinity since it was customary to assess such affinities at the age of twelve, when an individual’s mana veins matured. Ark acknowledged Elian’s lack of knowledge regarding his affinity and inquired, “You may not be aware of your own affinity yet, but I assume you’re familiar with El’s?”

Elian nodded in agreement. He couldn’t forget how El had displayed his prowess with lightning as soon as he appeared, showcasing an innate talent that allowed him to harness his element without the reliance on a mana circle. El had started honing his lightning abilities during his initial training sessions with Marcus, even though his mastery was still in its early stages.

“Allow me to pose a question,” Ark began, “What if I were to tell you that your elemental affinity isn’t lightning?”

Elian remained perplexed, prompting Ark to sigh before elaborating, “Let’s put it this way, have you ever tried to use lightning?”

Elian nodded saying “Of course but I couldn’t”. How could he have not tried after seeing how useful it was for El.

“Why is that in your opinion?” Ark asked

“Becau-“Ark wanted to justify but stopped because he realized the problem. Yes why couldn’t he? After all, El manipulates lightning with the exact same body. Also Elian is still waiting for his mana veins to mature before knowing his elemental affinity and yet El, with the same unmatured mana veins can already wield lightning. How?!

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