Chapter 234: How To De-cursify An Elf? (3)

“It’s going to be okay,” Willow whispered. “Just trust me.”

Amelia focused on the tree before her, her hand outstretched and trembling. “I. .I don’t know if-”

“It will be,” Willow said, then held Amelia’s shoulders to keep her calm. He went closer to her ears before whispering into her sensitive elven ears. “Close your eyes for me, will you? Just listen to my voice.”

Amelia did as Willow said, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, her world was maple-scented darkness. She stopped shivering. 

“Let me guide you,” Willow slowly, but gently injected a wave of chi into Amelia. “This is me. I’m inside you now.”

Amelia’s long ears turned red, but she tried to focus. Willow continued, “Now, tell me, how many spirits do you feel around us right now?”

Amelia furrowed her brows in concentration. “Um...a lot. I can't really count them.”

“That's okay. Now, I want you to use that connection to the spirits and try to conjure up a wind spell. Just imagine creating a waterball in your palms,” Willow instructed.

Amelia reached out her hands, and slowly, a small ball of water began to form. Her eyes widened in amazement.

“Now make it bigger, but remember to control it,” Willow encouraged her.

Amelia focused harder, and the waterball grew larger, until it was the size of a small grapefruit. But suddenly, it dispersed, splashing all over her hands.

“Moon’s balls! I can't do it! It's too big,” Amelia said, sounding disappointed.

Willow shook his head. “That's because you're trying too hard. Remember, it's all about control. This time, close your eyes and only listen to my voice. Block everything else out.”

“Again.”

Willow remembered a trick he had learned from a game – a solution to repairing a damaged mana pool. He focused his energy, using [Heal] on Amelia to help her restore her mana pool. He also used [Purify] to slowly remove the mental restrictions that had held her back, and he channeled his own Chi to help her relax.

Amelia felt a soothing warmth wash over her, as if her very being was being healed and restored. The waterball in her hands started to grow, gradually expanding in size. With each passing moment, she could sense the flow of energy becoming stronger and more harmonious.

As Amelia conjured up the waterball once more, Willow's healing magic intermingled with her mana, repairing the damaged pathways. The gentle flow of energy revitalized her, and she felt a newfound sense of balance and control.

Willow could also feel the change within her. The crack in her mana pool began to seamlessly close, and she found herself able to control and expand the waterball with more ease than before.

Amelia opened her eyes.

“It’s working?” Amelia gasped. She had never been able to control an element to this scale before. “Willow! It’s actually working! I-I’m doing it!”

But, Willow chastised her for being too excited. “Focus! Your control over water is slipping!”

Amelia looked at the rather large ball of water suddenly wobbling randomly as if it was about to explode before she closed her eyes and focused on her control again. “Sorry!”

As they continued to practice, Amelia's confidence grew. With Willow's guidance and support, she was soon able to conjure a fireball as well. They worked together, with Willow using his abilities to help her heal and harness her own power.

In the midst of their training, Willow noticed something perplexing. 

There was no curse to heal from – it was as if the so-called curse on Amelia had been nothing but a mental restriction she had placed on herself. He felt a surge of confusion and realization as he sensed the truth within her.

“Hey, Amelia?” 

Amelia turned back, looking at the beautiful boy with admiration in her big, green eyes. “Yes, Willow?”

Buoyed by this unexpected breakthrough, Willow felt a surge of excitement. Amelia was proving to be a powerful ally and he was determined to unlock her full potential. 'Let's try something different, Amelia,' he suggested. 'Conjure up a fireball along with the waterball, but this time, focus more on the fireball. Visualize it, feel its warmth and intensity. I'll assist you.'

Willow shook off his chi and focused his prana reserves into the skill of Purify. He sent his energy coursing through Amelia, trying to understand the source of her curse and how to break it.

Amelia nodded, her determination matching his own. She closed her eyes and concentrated, channeling her energy into summoning the elemental fire. With Willow's help, the flames grew more vibrant, mirroring Amelia's own growing connection with her abilities.

Meanwhile, Willow continued to focus on Purify, delving deeper into Amelia's past to uncover any lingering effects of the curse. As he extended his senses, he could sense the power of the spirits surrounding Amelia and how they were intertwined with her.

With each passing moment, Amelia's fireball grew brighter and more intense, fueled by her inner strength and the power of the spirits. But just as things were starting to get difficult, Willow felt a breakthrough. He could sense the true nature of the curse and knew how to break it.

Amelia's brow furrowed in concentration as she attempted to maintain control over the dual elements. The fireball burned brightly in her palms, while the waterball gently swirled nearby. The task of synchronizing both elements proved to be a challenging endeavor.

The strain of wielding two elements simultaneously began to take its toll on Amelia. Her hands trembled slightly, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Frustration crept into her mind as she struggled to maintain the delicate balance required for such a feat.

Sensing Amelia's growing frustration, Willow gently placed a hand on her arm, offering reassurance. "Amelia, I know it's difficult, but you're so close. Keep going," he encouraged, his voice filled with unwavering support. "I'm almost certain I've discovered the root cause of what's been holding you back."

Amelia took a deep breath, mustering the strength to persevere. She visualized the elements once again, focusing on the harmonious dance between fire and water. Gradually, she regained her composure and pushed past the frustration that had threatened to consume her.

Meanwhile, Willow's connection to Amelia's past unfolded before him. He felt the weight of her past struggles, the pain she had endured, and the tragic events that had shaped her journey. But as he delved deeper, he couldn't find any evidence of a curse. But, he couldn't help but notice a pattern emerging, a deeply ingrained fear and self-doubt that had clouded Amelia's connection to her own abilities. Instead, he sensed a deeply ingrained self-doubt and fear that had restrained Amelia's true potential.

“Stop.”

Immediately Amelia collapsed into the grass, panting. “Wh. .What? I almost ha. .had it!”

“I know,” Willow looked down at the desperate elf. “But, I noticed something more important.”

“Which. . is?”

“I wasn’t sure at first, but I’m pretty certain now,” Willow said. “Amelia, there was no curse holding you back.”

“. . . .”

“. . . .”

“What?”

"Amelia, there was never a curse on you," Willow said, his voice filled with understanding.

"Huh?" Amelia muttered. "That can't be true. I-If that’s true, why can’t I cast my spells the way I can think to be?!"

Before Amelia could have a mental breakdown however, Willow went closer to Amelia, and secretly casted [Purify] before continuing, “Every limitation you’ve faced that you’ve attributed to the curse was false. There is no curse. No, that’s not the correct way of saying it.”

Willow tapped at the elf’s forehead. “You made the curse up.”

Amelia’s eyes almost turned into slits. “What?” 

"The limitations you believed were placed upon you were self-imposed. It seems that your guilt and fear over the incident in your past have created a mental restriction, a barrier that has held you back."

Amelia's eyes widened in realization, a whirlwind of emotions cascading within her. "So... I've been limiting myself all this time? But why?"

Willow's voice was filled with empathy as he sought to offer an explanation. "Guilt and fear can be powerful forces, Amelia. They can shape our perception of ourselves and create barriers that prevent us from fully embracing our true potential. It's understandable that you would place restrictions on yourself to protect others, but it's time to release yourself from that burden."

Amelia's gaze turned inward, reflecting on her journey and the weight she had carried. Slowly, determination flickered in her eyes, replacing the self-imposed limitations that had held her back for far too long.

"I want to let go, Willow."

"Then do it."

"It's not that eas-"

"Oh but it is," Willow said with a smile, before sitting closer to Amelia, and letting his warmth, simple human body warmth, flush over Amelia's body. With a slow breath, he overlapped his tiny hands onto Amelia's larger ones, and said, "Just. . . .let go."

And so, Amelia let go. For an hour, she wept. She moaned about how unfair the world was to her, how everything she did always came back to bite her, and how she felt so alone, how she felt so scared when she had been kicked out of her home. She hated how she was the only one in the entire world to have been betrayed one after another, and especially, cried about how she hated how weak she was even though she had been blessed with talent.

She was scared. She was so, so afraid. But, most importantly, she was tired.

All Willow could do as his comrade wept her eyes off, was to give her a shoulder to cry on, as he gently patted her quivering back. “Everything’s going to be okay now.” 

“Everything’s going to be all okay.”