Capítulo 65: Light, Shadow and Darkness
His head turned around.
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Shadows and light.
Their battle had come to a close. It seemed as though Sunny had grasped victory by the skin of his teeth. However, his intuition was too strong to allow him to be manipulated like that.
Confronting Nephis regarding her reasoning for throwing the battle, she revealed her motivations. Her desires to not compromise on her goals while also not willing to become something that she would not recognise.
It made no sense to Sunny. Why could they not stay in the dream realm together? Try to find another gateway and return home together.
It was surprising. That Sunny would offer a choice like this and not just leave her.
The usually conniving and shrewd Sunny let his true feelings take control this time. Showcasing just how deep his feelings for the girl truly were. Even if he or she did not recognise it.
His feelings of not wanting to be separated from Nephis changed the moment she uttered his name.
His true name.
"Lost From Light."
With that, what could have been or what might have been was completely shattered. To never be repaired again.
To never be equals again.
With that, she had ordered the shadow, her shadow, to return to the waking world and leave her.
Approaching the gateway like a marionette. His body exploded in a shower of light.
With that, he was gone.
Lifting up her broken body, she now focused the entirety of her aspect on healing herself. With the lack of needing to trick Sunny, she could now repair herself. Albeit extremely slowly, with her diminished reserves.
Making her way down the spire, she avoided most of the destroyed rubble threatening to crush her. Having reached the ground floor of the obelisk. It was time to find the answer to her lingering thought.
When the dreamer army had left Aldric to battle a creature of an unknown rank and class by himself, they had been immediately attacked by the soul beams of the Crimson Terror.
With Nephis splitting from the group, taking away its attention, she had battled the fallen as it was in the midst of evolving into a titan.
Between that and her final duel with Sunny, the condition of Aldric had slipped her mind.
It was unknown whether he had left for the waking world or perished in battle.
With a subconscious hope that she was not the only human in this corner of the dream realm, she walked across the hall for any sign of life.
Nephis noticed where a battle must have taken place. With massive craters embedded into the ground, as if there were scars littering the earth. She could not imagine how this battle concluded.
After observing the area, there was not a single sign of life. While she knew that he would not perish here, she was unsure if Aldric was in the condition to escape.
What she would do if she found his unconscious or injured body, she did not know.
However, that was a possibility that did not need to be considered. As the ground floor was devoid of any sign of life.
With that, the small ember of hope fizzled out of her heart.
Cementing her resolve, a pale fire burned in her eyes.
Leaving through the main gate, the battered and broken body of Changing Star faded into the now starless Forgotten Shore.
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Earlier
'Should I interfere?'
Aldric thought.
His face screwed into a look of deep thought before he relaxed.
He relaxed and began to laugh.
From a snort to a chuckle.
"HAHA"
It seemed that he would not stop. With his chuckle turning into full-blown laughter, he clutched his stomach.
"HAHAHAHAHA"
It was as if someone had told him the funniest joke ever. The kind of hysterical laughter that would come from an inside joke. However, this one seemed to be hidden from the world itself.
It was not evil or coming from a place of hatred.
It was similar to when you laugh at a stranger falling on the ground. Laughing without thinking about how they feel or their pain. All as a detached observer.
That's what he felt like.
The sound of laughter echoed through the entire hall, reverberating against its walls.
But Aldirc didn't care.
Wiping the small tears around his eyes, he calmed himself.
Since the gateway was situated on a balcony by a wall, small sections of the wall had collapsed since the defeat of the Crimson Terror. Allowing a view of the entire Forgotten Shore facing in the direction of the Dark City. The ever-encompassing sea of darkness had been completely sealed, brightening the landscape with the iridescent rays of the artificial sun.
Taking in the view one last time, he entered the rings of runes surrounding the dais.
Touching the gateway with his left hand. A feeling of coldness spread through his body.
His body shimmered into a formation of light before disappearing.
All without ever turning back.
Leaving nothing but an empty and cold room behind.
[End Of Volume 1: Beyond]
**********
Thank you for reading.
That is the first volume done. Might as well pay homage to G3 and follow his volume sequence at least this time.
So how was it? Did what you think or what you hope to have happened, happened? Let me know.
Was looking forward to writing this chapter for a while now, feels good to resolve an arc.
Game_pit_offline: Appreciate the comment: I'm trying to expand on the lore and give it my own spin rather than take it as gospel.
The next volume will be up in regular timing. No break. Onto the next one.
Capítulo 66: Awakened
A familiar sight focused in Aldric's view.
An explosion of colour as far as the eye could see. A myriad of stars surrounded by countless others. Each with a string of light combining them to their neighbour. It was as if the entire observable universe was on display and concentrated within a single frame. The further in that you looked, the more that you saw.
And Aldric was floating in that endless expanse.
Between dream and reality.
It was just as beautiful as the first time that he had seen it. It garnered the feeling of appreciation. Appreciating the design of such a compelling sight.
A voice echoed in the empty expanse.
[The Second Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers...]
A feeling of freedom enveloped him.
Coursing through his veins was pure distilled energy. Unleashed from the unshackled dark cores.
Aldric could feel it in its entirety now.
Before, he could feel the weight of something in his soul. Increasing as he got stronger as well as when he received his second core. However, it had always felt hidden and elusive. In his soul sea, he could see it but not feel it.
But now, it was as if he had gained a new organ. An organ that was pumping out essence throughout his entire body. Enhancing his strength and physicality by orders of magnitude. It was exhilarating.
While a typical sleeper did have a physique that was much more durable than even the strongest of humans, this was just a secondary effect of having a soul core. Enhanced by the lingering presence of a core. However, Awakened ranked humans could actively manipulate the essence in their bodies. Limited only by their imagination or skill.
An analogy to represent this would be in heating a home. As a sleeper, imagine having a fireplace as your main heating source. Sure, it would heat the room; however, the rest of the house would be just as cold if not for a small change in the ambient temperature. Increasing by a small margin. The flame itself would be out of your control. You, as a bystander, hoping to catch some warmth from it.
This would be much better than sleeping outside in the cold.
Compare this to having a central heating system. With pipes carrying hot air to warm up each and every room. From the bathroom to even the hallways. With the ability to control the heating in every room through switches or valves. With this, you could control the temperature of your room to the error of a single degree or less. The difference would be unfathomable. This is the equivalent of an Awakened human's ability to manipulate soul essence.
Aldric entered his soul sea and could immediately see the effects. The once dim and spaced-out starry void was now bright and full. Lightening the dark clouds around him.
Looking down at the chamber of darkness hidden beneath the clouds, he could now compare it to the seal of the dark sea.
Hidden in that chamber was a familiar red orb, taking refuge in the deepest pits of his soul.
Looking back up, his dark cores themselves were now completely different.
Before they took the form of a black hole, with an even horizon around it. But that changed.
As if it were unleashed, the black hole had exploded into a supernova. Leaving behind a miniature galaxy in its place. Roughly taking the same amount of space as its previous form, the thing that separated it from the surrounding area and that stopped it from bleeding outwards was a boundary of darkness. Covering the supernova in a circle.
Looking in his peculiar soul core, he could see a set amount of stars shining brightly. All a vivid white colour.
'Can I use that to keep track of how much essence I would have left?'
The idea came to his mind. Of course, he would be able to feel it; however, a visual representation wouldn't work against him.
Moving on, he looked behind him and noticed a similar sight. His second core had changed forms. However, there was a slight difference. The stars that made it up were not white in colour but black. Not completely black in that they would not be noticeable but a more pale black light. Similar to how Sunny's core was described. Countless black suns came together.
Aldric had an idea of what the difference in his dark cores represented. However, there was something else on his mind.
This boon was amazing to have and feel; however, he was waiting to hear something else. Something that was unknown to him.
[Awakening Aspect Ability...]
His mind was entirely silent. Awaiting the direction that his abilities would take after this revelation.
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Dire Ordinance.]
The name did not make sense to Aldric. He knew what they meant, but together, they did not help him speculate on his new ability.
Focusing on his runes, he read its description.
Aspect Ability: [Dire Ordinance.]
Ability Description: [You can imbue your will onto the darkness inside of you.]
The extreme vagueness of his ability did not hamper his excitement. He was sure that whatever this ability did would be extremely powerful. After all, it was tied to his will, right?
A smile formed on his face.
It seemed that the spell would not stop giving today.
With all the memories he had received from the siege as well as the memory from the Dark Sea's Firstborn. Added to the change that Bael had undergone.
It was a good day.
With that thought in the forefront of his mind, the spell spoke out one last time.
[Wake up, First Class Singularity!]
And instantly, the expanse of stars had disappeared.
From dream to reality.
**********
Thank you for reading.
Chapter 1 of the new volume is now out.
Indra_: The gate required one person to stay behind. To act as a medium to fuel the spire.
Till the next one.
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