Cultivation is Creation-Chapter 254: Can I trust you, Tomas?

For a moment, silence filled the laboratory like a physical presence, broken only by the soft twitching of the vine-like specimens on the table. Professor Thara's face cycled through expressions, shock, suspicion, and a fleeting hint of fear, before settling on stern disapproval.

"Tomas? What are you doing in my laboratory?" she repeated, her voice sharper than I'd heard before. The scrolls in her arms shifted as she straightened her posture, trying to project authority despite her disheveled appearance.

I kept my expression carefully balanced between apologetic and innocent, channeling my best "confused village boy" persona.

"Professor Thara," I said, bowing slightly. "I apologize for the intrusion. I finished establishing my Cerulean Vein, but you didn't return to the meditation pavilion. I waited for some time and left a note explaining that I'd gone looking for you."

Her eyes widened at my claim. "You... finished? Already?" The scrolls in her arms threatened to tumble as her grip loosened in surprise. "That's not possible. Establishing a Cerulean Vein takes hours, sometimes days for most initiates."

I shrugged helplessly. "I followed your instructions. The process felt... natural, somehow."

Azure's voice whispered in my mind. "She's more surprised by your success than your presence in her laboratory. Interesting priorities."

Thara hurriedly placed her scrolls on a nearby desk and approached me, her prior indignation apparently forgotten in the wake of scientific curiosity.

"Show me," she said, adjusting her spectacles. "Channel the blue sun energy in the pattern of your vein."

I closed my eyes, concentrating on the Cerulean Vein I'd created within my inner world. It responded immediately to my attention, pulsing with cool, blue light. I directed a modest stream of blue sun energy through the pattern, careful to maintain control over the flow.

A tingling sensation spread across my forehead as the Cerulean Vein manifested externally, projecting its pattern onto my skin. The cool energy flowed through the intricate branches of the Arboreal Spiral, creating what I imagined must be a glowing blue design similar to the foundational runes that Skybound practitioners displayed.

When I opened my eyes, I found Thara staring at me with undisguised amazement. The blue light from my forehead cast soft shadows across her face, illuminating her wide eyes and parted lips.

"Extraordinary," she whispered, leaning closer to examine the pattern. "The integration is complete, the energy flows seamlessly through each branch of the spiral. Even the secondary growth patterns are fully formed." She reached up as if to touch the glowing design, then caught herself and withdrew her hand. "I've never seen a novice establish a Cerulean Vein so quickly, much less with such complexity."

I allowed the energy flow to subside, and the glowing pattern faded from my skin. "Is that... unusual?" I asked, feigning ignorance while inwardly pleased at the confirmation of my success.

Thara laughed, the sound both impressed and slightly nervous. "Unusual? It's practically unheard of.” She shook her head in disbelief. "Lady Vareyn wasn't exaggerating your potential..."

She trailed off, lost in thought, then suddenly seemed to remember the situation. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she glanced around her laboratory, then back to me.

"I completely forgot about our lesson," she admitted, rubbing her temples. "It simply... slipped my mind. I was caught up in my research and lost track of time." She gestured vaguely toward the scrolls she'd been carrying. "I've been working on translating some ancient texts that reference du- erm something vital, and when I found a promising reference, I just..."

"That's alright," I assured her, seizing the opportunity to shift focus to what I'd really come to discover. I gestured to the vine specimens on the table behind me. "You seem very busy with your work. These experiments look fascinating."

Thara's demeanor changed instantly, her body language closing off as she moved quickly to position herself between me and the research table. "Those are... personal projects. Nothing to do with your training."

"Of course," I said, backing away slightly to ease her obvious discomfort. "I didn't mean to pry."

She walked over towards the door, as if checking whether anyone might be approaching. Finding the hallway empty, she seemed to make a decision, her shoulders relaxing slightly after closing the door firmly.

"How much did you see?" she asked bluntly.

"Just the specimens on the table," I replied.

Thara's hand moved to one of the vine structures, her fingers gentle as they stroked a tendril that curled reflexively toward her touch. The gesture was surprisingly affectionate, like someone petting a favorite animal.

"What are they? Some kind of plant cultivation?” I asked. “They reminded me of the moving vines I've seen in the gardens here."

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Thara bit her lower lip, studying me intently as if trying to read my thoughts. After a long moment, she sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose beneath her spectacles.

"Do you know why I have no proper candidates assigned to me?" she asked suddenly.

The abrupt change of subject caught me off guard. "I assumed it was because you're younger than the other masters," I ventured. "Or perhaps because they needed someone to instruct the... unexpected addition." I gestured to myself with a self-deprecating smile.

She shook her head. "It's because the Elders don't fully trust me. I'm given the leftovers, the afterthoughts." There was no bitterness in her voice, just matter-of-fact acknowledgment. "And now you, the mysterious village boy with extraordinary resonance."

I maintained my innocent expression despite the flicker of suspicion her words provoked. Was my assignment to her deliberate? A way to keep the suspicious newcomer under observation by someone already considered compromised?

"Why wouldn't they trust you?" I asked, keeping my tone light. "You seem knowledgeable and dedicated."

Thara hesitated, her fingers drumming nervously on the edge of the research table. The vine specimens nearest her hand twitched in response to her proximity, as if sensing her presence. I watched their movement with fascination, they seemed more responsive than ordinary plants but less autonomous than Yggy.

"What I'm about to tell you is... complicated," she finally said, her voice dropping to just above a whisper. "And potentially dangerous, for both of us."

I nodded, projecting attentiveness and trustworthiness.

She drew a deep breath. "I'm trying to create a hybrid being," she confessed, gesturing toward the vine specimens. "A fusion of red sun and blue sun energies in perfect balance."

My eyes widened slightly, not in feigned surprise, but genuine interest. What she was describing was exactly what Yggy had become: a hybrid entity synthesizing both cultivation systems. The fact that Professor Thara was independently pursuing the same research as Elder Molric was fascinating... and unlikely to be coincidental.

"Is that... allowed?" I asked carefully, though I already knew the answer. The militantly dogmatic faction that dominated both academies would never approve of such work.

Thara laughed, a short, humorless sound. "Absolutely not. If word got out, I'd be facing charges of heresy at minimum, possibly worse." She adjusted her spectacles nervously. "The orthodox view holds that the two suns are fundamentally opposed: light versus darkness, purity versus corruption. Attempting to merge them is considered both foolish and dangerous."

"You should probably do a better job of hiding it, then," I suggested with a small smile. "Leaving your door unlocked while conducting forbidden experiments isn't exactly discreet."

To my surprise, she returned the smile, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "You're taking this rather well. I expected moral outrage, especially given your background. Didn't Skybound raiders destroyed your village?"

"They did," I confirmed, allowing a shadow to cross my face as befitted the trauma Tomas would have experienced. "But I've come to realize that not everyone who channels red sun energy is evil, just as not everyone blessed by the blue sun is necessarily good."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "That's... an unusually nuanced perspective for someone raised in the outer villages."

I shrugged. "My journey with Lady Laelyn has been educational. I've seen the politics at play, even within the Blue Sun faction. Some hate the Skybound with religious fervor, some advocate for cautious peace, and others..." I paused, watching her reaction carefully, "others whisper of reunification, of returning to what once was."

Thara's expression transformed with a mix of surprise and relief. She took a step closer, lowering her voice further.

"You've been paying attention," she said, appraising me with newfound respect. "Yes, there are factions within the Academy, as within all institutions. The Purifiers, the Diplomats, and the Reunificationists. Most outsiders only ever see the Purifiers, as they're the loudest and most politically dominant."

"And you're with the Reunificationists," I guessed, though it wasn't really a guess. Her experiments made her alignment clear.

She nodded slowly. "The pro-peace faction, yes. Though that label oversimplifies a complex philosophy." She gestured toward her experimental specimens. "We believe that the division of the suns was a historical mistake, a desperate measure taken during a crisis that's been perpetuated through dogma and fear. The evidence suggests that harmony, not opposition, is our true heritage."

"How would you even create such a hybrid? You'd need access to both energies, wouldn't you? And I'm assuming the Academy doesn't keep reserves of red sun energy for experimentation."

Thara blushed suddenly, a rosy tint spreading across her cheeks. Her hand moved to adjust her spectacles again, a nervous habit, I'd noticed, and she seemed to be battling with herself over how much to reveal.

"I've... completed most of the preparatory work," she admitted after a lengthy pause. "The framework, the cultivation base, the spiritual pathways are all in place. What remains is the final integration, the infusion of red sun energy to complete the balance."

"And how do you plan to accomplish that?" I pressed gently. "Surely you're not planning to kidnap a Skybound practitioner?"

The question, intended as a joke, caused her to laugh.

"Heavens, no! Nothing so dramatic." Her expression softened, a fond smile playing at her lips. "I... know someone. From the Red Sun Academy."

The only logical conclusion was that she was referring to Elder Molric, but I needed to hear her confirm it.

"You have a contact at the Red Sun Academy?" I asked, infusing my voice with appropriate astonishment. "Who?"

Her expression became guarded again. "What I'm about to tell you is known in fragments by the Academy Elders, but even they don't know the complete story." She studied my face intently. "Can I trust you, Tomas? This isn't just my secret to protect."

I found myself genuinely surprised by her willingness to confide in me. We'd known each other for mere hours, and already she was contemplating sharing what sounded like dangerous secrets.

"Why would she trust you so readily?" Azure's voice echoed in my mind, equally puzzled.

"I suspect it has something to do with Tomas' face," I replied silently. "Look at it sometime, the original owner had the most guileless, innocent expression imaginable. It practically screams 'trustworthy.'"

"Or perhaps she's desperate for someone to confide in," Azure suggested. "Isolated by her unorthodox research, with no one to share her true passions with."

Both were plausible explanations, and neither negated the opportunity this presented. Whatever her reasons, Thara's trust could provide valuable insights I wouldn't otherwise access.

"You have my word," I told her, maintaining eye contact to reinforce my sincerity. "I won't share anything you tell me."