Monica didn't know what to say. Only a few people in the world could match her confidence in Khan and his value, but he still managed to surprise her.
"Aren't the Thilku symbols technology?" Monica questioned, focusing on Khan's seemingly lost face. "I thought you were only learning to read them."
"I'm not that useless at technology," Khan scoffed, crossing his arms while his eyes remained on the symphony. "I'm just not interested in it."
Monica frowned, completely slipping from under Khan to sit at his side. He was terrible at technology, so that explanation didn't make sense to her.
The traces of Khan's experiment left the symphony, allowing him to divert his gaze. Monica's inquisitive look immediately attracted his attention, and the confusion and curiosity conveyed by her mana made him jump out of bed.
"Alright," Khan announced, retrieving his phone to activate holograms. A Thilku rune soon appeared between Monica and him, becoming bigger enough to highlight every line.
"This symbol has no singular meaning, right?" Khan explained, moving his hand over the hologram to add details. "Trace this line, and you get a function. Trance this one, and you get another. Trace a few of them, and you can activate a complicated effect."
"This much I know," Monica nodded, adjusting her position on the bed and waving her phone at Khan. "You wrote it for me."
"Yes," Khan uttered, "But the foundation is a bit deeper. The Thilku use tubes of various materials and shapes to get each line to do what they want. The mana doesn't change on its own."
"It's normal," Monica commented. "The machine dictates the purpose, not the fuel."
"Exactly," Khan exclaimed, "But I know how to give mana purpose. The Niqols taught me that."
Understanding dawned upon Monica. She knew Khan's skillset, and that explanation allowed her to apply it to the current situation. Khan had basically replaced technology with alien arts.
"Are you trying to do what you witnessed with the Tors?" Monica wondered.
"No, the Tors are too specific," Khan shook his head, pacing alongside the bed's edge. "A human brain can't keep track of such minute details. I mean, I can't, and it doesn't sound reasonable to aim at that."
"But?" Monica voiced, knowing that Khan had more to say.
"But these runes are a good middle ground," Khan continued, stopping to point at the holograms. "Theoretically, their applications are endless since I can make them do anything I want."
Monica lost herself in Khan's excited expression. He resembled a child who had just gotten a new toy. Even Khan didn't realize how happy he was studying alien arts, but Monica clearly saw that.
Monica didn't only watch. Hunches assaulted her mind, almost transforming into proper thoughts. That achievement was extraordinary, but Khan paid it no heed, and Monica couldn't help but feel in awe.
Yet, darker thoughts also joined that feeling. Worry and fear showed their presence in Monica's mind. Khan was straying further away from humankind, and nothing could stop that process.
Monica didn't want to either, but her worries came from her unreasonable side. She feared the possibility of losing Khan, and regret appeared when she realized what was going through her mind. There was no hiding that reaction from him.
As Monica had expected, Khan's face snapped toward her. He didn't say anything, but she still wore an apologetic expression. She didn't want emotions she had no control of to worry him.
"It's nothing," Monica stated before Khan could get the wrong idea. "You are getting less human by the day. I got worried you might leave me behind."
Khan realized what had happened. He glanced at the hologram and scratched his head, but no solution appeared. He understood Monica's worries but couldn't comprehend them. Khan simply saw no difference between humans and aliens.
"Don't worry," Monica reassured, hugging a pillow to squeeze it on her chest. "I worry about a lot of stuff for no reason. There is nothing you can do about it."
"I disagree," Khan said, climbing on the bed to reach Monica's face. "I can find a way to reassure you whenever you worry."
"Won't I become too human for you?" Monica wondered, unleashing her cute tone.
"I'm the only one who can handle that temper of yours," Khan chuckled, leaning forward to kiss Monica. She lost herself in the gesture, but the following slap on her butt made her gasp and retract her head.
"And that will never be too human for me," Khan continued, happy to have taken Monica by surprise.
"Stupid," Monica complained, but traces of a smile appeared on her face. "Return to your explanation already."
Khan snickered but complied, leaving the bed to return before the holograms. He recalled where his explanation had stopped, so he resumed from that point.
"I still don't have a use for them," Khan revealed, nodding at the holograms. "I'm not good enough to do much with them either, so I don't know."
"You could create some protection," Monica pointed out. "We both know you need that."
"That could work," Khan agreed. "I could write a rune on my abdomen or something at some point."
"Anything that stops you from getting hurt," Monica voiced.
"I get it," Khan gave up. "I'll think about that. I still need months of study and practice to get close to something like that."
"As if you won't spend months studying and practicing," Monica scoffed. "I know my noble Captain through and through."
"That you do," Khan confirmed, sighing to sit at the bed's edge. He moved the phone slightly away to adjust the holograms to his new position, and Monica quickly crawled behind him to hug his back.
"What is it?" Monica whispered in Khan's ear, her arms clinging to his torso.
"I'm just thinking," Khan revealed. "I know far more than the Thilku runes, but it's hard to use everything I learned."
"Why is that?" Monica wondered.
"Well," Khan said, lifting both hands to show them to Monica. "The Nele arts work through requests. I must be as gentle and respectful as the first time I kissed you to talk to the mana."
Synthetic mana flowed toward Khan's right palm, creating a soft gust of wind that blew in Monica's face. Her curls moved a bit, making her experience the kindness of those arts.
"Our first kiss was far from gentle," Monica pointed out, "Or respectful."
"That," Khan exclaimed, suddenly recalling what had happened on Milia 222. "I used a bad example, but you get my point."
"I do," Monica confirmed.
"Instead," Khan continued, releasing mana from his left hand, "The Niqols arts are about asserting control through emotions. They have a domineering stance toward the environment, and their spells rely on that."
The mana in Khan's left hand accumulated in his palm, creating a small dark sphere that spun slowly. Even Monica could see the high amount of energy contained in the glowing item, stating its stark difference from the previous demonstration.
"They have opposite theories," Khan added. "I've wanted to fuse them for some time already, but I don't know how."
The glowing sphere spun for a few more seconds before dispersing. Khan lost himself in his thoughts, and Monica pulled him on her abdomen, spreading her legs to make room for him.
"I'm not sure I can use the Niqols spells either," Khan admitted. "Getting started with the Nele arts was easier now that I think about it."
"How do the Niqols' spells work?" Monica asked.
"You influence your surroundings," Khan explained, "Altering the mana until it works as part of your spell. You basically gain more range."
"Isn't that the same with the Nele arts?" Monica wondered. "You just ask instead of taking."
"I guess that's the issue," Khan sighed. "The outcome is similar, but the theory is conflicting. Besides, influencing the environment to that level is hard."
"Don't you do that on a daily basis?" Monica laughed.
"What do you mean?" Khan asked, lifting his eyes to look at the smiling face above him.
"Everyone understands when you are angry," Monica revealed. "You make the temperature drop with a look."
"That only generates a subconscious reaction," Khan disregarded the statement. "Only a few people can understand what is happening to them."
"I think everyone understands that," Monica insisted. "Many do, even when you aren't trying to scare them."
"How can you be sure of that?" Khan asked.
"Because you are at your sexiest when you get all bossy," Monica giggled, slightly lowering her head toward Khan. "I could picture you leading the Solodrey family since the issue with Francis."
Khan knew that something had changed inside Monica after that event. He was also aware of the effects his firm stances spread through the environment. Khan could see the symphony in the end. He couldn't possibly miss that.
However, except when Khan did that on purpose, he had always connected his ability to affect the environment to his element. In his mind, his mana was so intense and violent that the symphony backed off in its presence.
'Maybe I should give the Niqols spells another try,' Khan considered. 'I might be good enough now.'
"Also," Monica added when she saw that thoughts had stolen Khan's attention. "You can simultaneously be the kindest and most domineering with me. Mana can't be more complicated than my temper."
