ElysianState

Subsided Crests: Unending Hour 

Prologue – Between 

Mitas 

Thousands of years ago 

What defines a god? A deity more powerful than anything imaginable to our human minds, or something which bypasses the laws that mortality places upon us? If I were to take it by its first definition, I would define myself a god.  

But I’m not. Not quite yet. An idea that’s been eating out at me for years now, is one that tells me that one day, I’m going to be dead. I can’t remember anything from before I was born into this world. Is that simply the same state that I’m destined to be in for the rest of eternity once I pass on from this world?  

That thought… it scares me. My consciousness is me, and I am my consciousness. There is no world for me outside of this, and I suspect the inverse is true as well. For a mortal, a single life can mean both everything and nothing. How many have lived before its own rules, ones that deny mere mortals from becoming immortal. Perhaps my powers, my meeting with the deity, were just a trap, one to cause me to fall into insanity once I realized my own situation.  

One’s soul represents their life directly. I’ve studied long and hard on the subject. A sort of “pseudo-immortality” can be achieved by splitting up one’s soul into multiple parts, placing the other parts into one object. One is technically only mortal when their soul is complete in their physical body. However, as far as I know, a body requires a full soul to function. If a soul were to be split, the physical body would be unable to live or move.  

I have a plan in place now, one that would test the limits of a soul being split. If I was able to split my own soul while still keeping my physical body in place, I would be able to remain immortal so long as the other holders of the souls remained intact. However, on my own, I doubt such a resolution is possible. Regrettably, only time would tell.  

All I can do is wait.  

Subsided Crests: Unending Hour 

Act 1: The Book of Strength 

Part 1 

Vola 

“Again!” I huffed to myself, throwing another knife at a target I painted on the wall, a sharp noise and wooden splinters exploding out with a powerful impact as my knife hit its target. I opened my hand as the knife slowly rose into the air and hovered to my hand. Sighing, I placed it into the little pouch of knives I hung on my belt, and sat down on the ground.  

I looked outside. I had gotten here at noon but the sun was already setting. I didn’t notice it had been that long. Time seems to fly recently. It’s already been five years since the Pyre Exodus, an event where me and many others from my home nation of the Pyre Islands escaped to the Eastern Continent to escape the power of our own monarchy.  

In those five years, we had set up our own smaller town near the Kingdom of the Valley, led by king Ethan. He’s been hospitable towards us, leaving us with opportunities to rebuild and emulate how it felt back home. The climate adjustment hurt at first, but most of us slowly got used to it. It’s different, I’ll give it that.  

The events of five years ago are a sore subject for many of us. Life changed for us all when a couple of foreigners washed ashore on my home island of Concar. A lot of events occurred in the weeks after, including one of those foreigners, Vincent, finding out he was the direct heir to the throne, his mother our last queen whose disappearance left our country in a state of discord for years. Concar, an island filled with rebellious ideals wanting to run themselves, was burned to the ground by Vincent and his new government after Zach, the other foreigner, defeated him in battle, though Vincent survived.  

Zach doesn’t talk about Vincent and their friendship at all anymore. I guess it’s not unwarranted. He spends most of his time strategizing on the war with a mysterious man named Mitas who won’t tell me any of his familial ties or how he even got here. Something has always seemed off about him, as if he was smart and stupid at the same time. His ideas, his war plans, were brilliant, but he wouldn’t know how to use simple things such as throwing knives or how to “open a book”.  

I wasn’t sure what to feel about him, but I can’t deny that he’s helped us win many small skirmishes in the war. However, the fact that we have still not had a large battle worries me. What Vincent is planning, I suppose we’d never know. I got up, packed up my stuff and went to meet with Zach and Mitas for dinner, having agreed to do so yesterday. They wanted to talk to me about something.  

The sunset filled the valley. Ever since arriving, I had always appreciated how it gave the land a pink tint. This beauty only reminded me what we were fighting for. Our home, our people. One day, we’ll take it all back.   

Part 2 

Vola 

As I marched down to the palace, I ran into a familiar face.  

“Hi, David,” I waved at him. He noticed me and walked over. Over the last few years, he had become somewhat of a mentor for me. I didn’t tell anyone except him about my own struggles over the last few years.  

It had been hard. Watching everyone around you, possessing these powers that seemed like a gift from above. A gift that I had not been born with. Perhaps it was nothing but a curse upon my cursed family. My mother, long dead. My father, well…  

“Ah, Vola. How are you doing? Has training gone well?” 
 

I nodded. “Yeah, I just wrapped up. Zach and Mitas actually called me over for dinner tonight.”  

“Well, look at that. They called me over too. Let’s get going, then.”  

That’s odd. They called him over too? I was already confused enough about why I was called over, but if David was also called there could also be others. Maybe the rest of the Paladins.  

The Paladins were a group of warriors that were personal friends of King Ethan. They apparently had a long, eventful past that I hadn’t ever had time to talk to David about. It was always strictly business with him, but I could tell he cared about them. I could sense a feeling of sadness, or maybe guilt whenever I brought them up. I figured it wouldn’t be right to do so.  

After a quiet walk, we arrived at the palace. David opened the door as we walked in, a few guards watching intently over the entrance and moving out of the way once he saw us.  

“You know where to go,” he told us. David thanked him and walked towards the dining room, upstairs on the second floor. Ever since I had met him, he had seemed reserved and stoic, but according to King Ethan, from our few conversations, he wasn’t always like that. I had sympathized with him from the start, one of only two members of the Paladins that was unable to use MAGIC. His techniques, his fighting styles, they reminded me of my own. Maybe that’s why I felt I had found a kindred spirit.  

While walking through the hallway, we managed to bump into someone else we also knew. It was Aansh, another member of the Paladins. Unlike David, he was capable of using MAGIC, and according to Mitas, was very talented at it. Often when I took a glimpse into the training fields, I would notice Mitas asking Aansh to perform a technique or two. 

“Good evening,” he told us. “I guess you were also invited.” 

“I think it wasn’t just us, either,” David responded. “But we’ll see what this is all about in a moment.” He pushed open the door, holding it for us. 

“Ah,” a voice from inside said once the door opened. “We’ve been waiting. Hurry, take a seat.” 

Part 3

Vola

“Mitas,” I responded neutrally, shaking his hand. Even though we had both been here for the last five years, I had barely spoken to him at all. It was like he was a different person around those who he really cared about. 

And those he cared about were those who could use MAGIC. Similarly to me, he often brushed off David, compared to Aansh, who he often had long conversations which. It was as if he only thought those with power were worth speaking to. 

I took a seat around the table, noticing the rest of the Paladins amongst us, including King Ethan himself. 

David and Aansh, as I already saw, but a few more as well. Son and Ben, other MAGIC users. Ben was the kingdom’s main doctor while Son often assisted in the military. Athan, the only other Paladin not to use MAGIC, sat at the far end of the table. I had heard he was from a jungle far away from the kingdom. I noticed an empty seat next to Ethan. It was likely for Justin, the Paladin who had been killed in battle around six years ago. 

The Paladins were a stoic, wise group of warriors, from what I had gotten from speaking to them. They carried a similar sense of peacefulness that was crept up on by a small guilt. I tried my best not to pry into it. I had a keen sense of the emotions of those around me, but figuring out the root of those emotions was a tougher challenge. 

Zach, sitting next to Mitas, stood up. Over the last five years I had watched as the once sarcastic and melodramatic leader had grown into a determined, dedicated one. I still considered him a close friend through it all. 

He had lost his father too. Even if mine was alive, he may as well have died years ago. 

“Thank you all for being here,” Zach announced. “I have an important announcement to make.” He pulled out a piece of paper which I recognized as a map of the continent. 

He placed his finger on the right side of it. Ethan’s kingdom, the Valley Kingdom, was located in the center of the Continent, but the place Zach pointed out was near the coasts. 

“It seems Vincent has finally begun to make his move. We’ve heard reports of unidentified ships on the coasts of the continent. Likely not enough to hold an army, but we should keep our eyes peeled regardless.” 

“And what happens if they get here?” I spoke up. Zach glanced at Mitas, as if to tell him to speak on his behalf. 

“It’s simple. We leverage them as the aggressors and respond by launching an assault on the islands.” 

“You can’t do that!” I protested. “What if they’re friendly ships, here to negotiate?”

“We can’t mitigate the risk that easily. The decision has already been made.” I slumped down in my seat, panicking over the innocent people still left on the island, doomed to die if any ships landed upon our shores. 

“Sorry, Vola,” Zach reassured me. “But this is what needs to be done. Now, let’s eat. Enjoy dinner tonight.” 

Part 4

Vola

I wasn’t in the mood to do so, but the food in front of me was too tempting. After our meal, I got up and walked over to Zach. He noticed me and waved me over. 

“What’s up? Oh, yeah.” 

“You can’t be serious about that, right? There’s still innocent people over there. What if they’re trying to escape the islands? Are you gonna kill refugees running away?” 

Zach sighed, squeezing his left arm. “Well, it’s not like we have much of a choice. I know Vincent. Anyone could be a spy. If we let even one in, it’s practically an invitation for him to invade with that information.” 

“All of those innocent lives? Over the possibility of a single spy?” 

Zach’s voice grew stern. “You know how it is. The decision was already made. End of conversation.”

Realizing his tone, he backed up, looking a little sorry. “You know there’s a reason we do what we do. As a leader, you have to make difficult decisions like these all the time.”

I shook my head and walked away. Zach called over my shoulder as I left. 

“Why don’t you come to training with us tomorrow? I think it’ll cheer you up.” He wasn’t wrong, annoyingly. I did like training, though Mitas had recently split us into two groups: MAGIC users and those who couldn’t use it. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go. 

I walked out the doors of the palace and slowly made my way to my house, one that had been assigned for me as soon as we settled in here. It was odd at first, but it grew on me. I did like a cozy house. I was interrupted as I began walking down my usual street. 

“Vola!” Mari greeted me. 

Mari was the daughter of Kaiden, the chief of Char. She helped Zach and I out while we were in Cavar, where she helped lead a group of rebels. 

But five years ago, during the exodus, we were forced to abandon Char and everyone on it, including Kaiden. The monarchy got to it before we could. I still remember the screams and cries of agony as we left it behind, the only way to save the rest of us. Since then, Mari always seemed different. Less organized and professional as before. I had trouble reading her emotions. This happy feeling to her that seemed so odd to me, one that I couldn’t trace. 

“Oh. Hey.” I responded. I was really tired and wanted to get back home. I felt bad doing so, but I really didn’t have time to talk with her. 

“I have something I wanted to ask you about,” she said, bringing out a scroll to me. I gently pushed it away. 

“Not now,” I told her, my tone coming off a lot more cruel than I meant it to. She looked hurt. “Later, okay?” 

“Alright then,” she responded quickly before walking away, saying farewell. I felt a little bad. Maybe I should have heard her out. It was already dark out. I exhaled deeply. 

What am I going to do? 

Part 5

Vola

I slept better than I thought I would last night. By the time I was up and ready the sun was already out, so I figured I would head to the fields early to meet up with Zach. Recently, he’d been training individually with a few others here and there in preparation for the eventual battles with Vincent. 

I remembered when I first saw him fight, back in Char. Back at the islands, we only ever knew of two types of MAGIC, or “techniques” as they’re called over there. I’ve been told MAGIC is an acronym of some sort, one that I never really learned about. 

MAGIC involves manipulation of the elements naturally found around us, or in some cases, created by us. From what I’ve seen, there’s multiple types. 

Ice is what Zach, and in turn the people in the Northern Kingdom use. I noticed he was able to manipulate the temperature of the ice to melt it down into water, which I saw him use in Char originally. Interestingly, I found that the ice he uses doesn’t remain on the ground after its used. Zach described it as “temporary water”. It seems to vanish after he uses his techniques. 

Of course, on the other hand there’s fire, which is what Vincent uses. I’m more familiar with this, as a sign of royalty on the islands has always been one’s ability to harness fire, specifically the hotter, blue variant. I arrived too late to catch his final fight with Zach, but from what he told me there was a lot of blue fire involved. 

The most common type of MAGIC in the islands, however, is rock, or stone as I’ve heard some call it. It seems to not matter what kind of stone is used, any rock formations can be manipulated. I’ve noticed that unlike fire and ice, it can’t be created by the user. Rock type users need rocks to be present in the area, which luckily, are very common in the islands. Of course, almost all rock users were quickly scooped up and taken away by the royalty. 

The Paladins also possessed unique types of MAGIC that only they were able to use. Aansh had the ability to power his attacks with Shadow, or “Night” as Mitas called it. The dark essence was said to pinpoint weaknesses on enemies instead of dealing direct damage. His inverse was Ben, who had Light, or “Day” as Mitas called it. As our main medic, he’s more potent at healing wounds than intensifying them. From what Mitas, who was apparently some ancient spellcaster (a completely different story that I would have to eventually ask Zach about later on) said, Night and Day were the two original MAGIC elements to be created on the continent. 

Then there were the other two MAGIC using Paladins, Son, and formerly, Justin. They possessed more unorthodox techniques, Son possessing the power of lightning and Justin being reported to have a “venom-like” technique that unfortunately was never utilized too often. 

Mitas, who was Zach’s second in command at this point, had specifically taken interest in Aansh and Ben’s techniques. As someone who didn’t possess any, I usually was not here to watch it happen, until today. I took a deep breath in and out, clenching my fist. 

“Show them what you can do,” I whispered to myself. Now at the gates of the Palace, near the fields, I walked in. 

Part 6

Vola

I walked into the training field, where I saw Zach, Mitas, and Aansh. Even though I was early, they were still here before me. 

“Hey,” Zach said when he saw me. “I hope you’re feeling better now.” 

“It’s fine,” I replied curtly. “Let’s just get to work.” 

Zach called Mitas and Aansh over. Mitas looked a little surprised when he saw me, but didn’t say anything after glancing at Zach. 

“Let’s just have some scrimmages today. Mitas, I want you to go up against Aansh first. I’ll fight Vola after that.” Aansh nodded and walked onto the field, with MItas doing the same after a moment. 

“He’s strong, isn’t he?” I asked about Mitas, who looked both aged and young at the same time. His dark clothes paired with his usual overcoat gave him an intimidating look at all times. His constant condescending glare didn’t help that. He cracked smiles at some points, specifically when talking about the war. I knew he could use MAGIC as well in battle, though I hadn’t really seen him fight before. 

“Very. I think his own skill eclipses my own. It’s to be expected, I suppose.” 

“Why is that?” 

“Well, he’s an ancient being. A human that lived thousands of years ago. But somehow, he found a way to store his soul into an inanimate object, allowing him to live on through that for years. Only the blue flames in the Pyre Islands were able to undo the effects. While we were in the castle there, I managed to burn the scroll that he was stored in, and after we returned he seemingly reincarnated as well.” 

Ancient being? Reincarnation? Soul splitting? It was a little much to handle, but I took away that he wasn’t like the rest of us. 

“That’s all I know about his past,” Zach mentioned as Mitas and Aansh took their places on the field, beginning their battle. “He’s spent the last five years studying MAGIC intensely. I believe he’s gonna help us win this war.” 

“He uses MAGIC too, doesn’t he?” 

“Yeah, but I can’t exactly pinpoint what kind it is. I’ve seen him collapse ground or manipulate the earth often, kind of like the rock users in the islands. I will say, though. It always seems like he’s holding back. As if that’s not his full power.” 

“Odd,” I told him. Aansh blasted a shadowy beam towards Mitas, who quickly got out of the way, firing off some grayish beam of some substance I couldn’t tell towards Aansh. 

“There it is again. That unidentified MAGIC. He says that even he doesn’t know what it is. I guess MAGIC existed in different forms back then.” Zach looked intently upon the battling pair. My eyes twitched, noticing something different about Aansh. His movements? I couldn’t tell. Zach picked up on my twitch and pointed at him. 

“Here we go,” he said, smiling excitedly. “Overclock.” 

Part 7

Vola

Overclock. It’s a system in which MAGIC users surpass their limits in a state that’s similar to the “zone” we normal people feel when we’re playing sports or feel locked into any regular activity. For a MAGIC user, it’s the gateway between a normal spellcaster and the power that Mitas coined as Zenith. 

Aansh rolled out of the way of another blast of the grayish beam, his body growing darker in an aura reminiscent of his MAGIC itself. 

“That aura,” Zach mumbled to himself. “He’s getting closer to Zenith. I can tell.” 

“Not bad,” MItas yelled as he slammed his fists into the ground, earth growing from the floor and smashing Aansh in the chest. Aansh covered his fists in the shadowy substance and fired a small sphere, quickly tracing Mitas’ movements as he tried to get out of the way. Inevitably, it landed a direct hit, sending him back a few feet. 

He winced, moving slower than before. 

“There’s Aansh’s attacks for you. Shadow isn’t a directly offensive type of MAGIC. It simply amplifies your weaknesses further than they already are. It looks like he targeted his speed right there.” 

“Cadere!” Mitas shouted, Aansh’s knees suddenly buckling as he fell to the ground, quickly getting up as Mitas launched his offensive, diving in and lunging his fists forwards, apparently managing to hit Aansh with a punch from much further away than I could imagine. 

“How did he do that?” I asked. From where I was standing, it looked like Mitas’ punch landed from over five feet away. 

“His MAGIC is really unique,” Zach told me. “Like I said, its unidentified, but that didn’t stop us from making theories. I think my favorite is the idea of “Matter”. That’s why I’ve seen him use techniques that look similar to Aansh’s, Ben’s, Son’s, and for that matter a lot of sorcerers.” 

“Matter?” 

“Imagine the ability to control mass itself. Mitas seems to manipulate the material that all objects in this universe are created out of. It’s an incredible power, really. And I don’t even think we’ve seen the peak of the extent that he can use it. For example, I haven’t seen him use the Zenith State to this day.”

The Zenith State. A zone further than Overclock. A state in which MAGIC users were almost twice as strong as they were out of it. 

“It’s about to happen,” Zach noted, Aansh slowly getting up, the aura emanating around him growing stronger and stronger. I listened carefully. 

“Zenith,” Aansh yelled. “Shaded Chaos!”

Part 8

Vola

The power to destroy worlds is one that, for better or for worse, has existed in the hands of humans for thousands of years. Many refuse to look upon it that way, but deep down I’ve known that that is what MAGIC truly is. 

A weapon so deadly that, if we had not adapted to it, would wipe us out within years. Watching these powers clash reminded me of a conversation I had with an elder long ago, during the summers that felt so long back on the islands. 

“I wanna be just like them!” I had said, regarding the soldiers that occasionally showed up in the newspapers. Words of fear, resentment, anger, spreading through the communities in Concar. Maybe I was too young. Maybe I just didn’t know. They could have wiped us out, couldn’t they? What was stopping them? 

My mind drifting, I awakened back to reality by a sudden change in the lighting, darkness enveloping the field. 

“There it is. Shaded Chaos.” 

The Zenith State. The ability to push one’s abilities further than even overclock allowed. The creation of MAGIC energy so potent that it seemed to overflow from one’s physical body. I had only seen it a few times since it was discovered. Of course, Mitas and Zach being the ones to first discover it. 

I couldn’t see him, but he narrated what was going on to me through the darkness. 

“Shaded Chaos is the name of Aansh’s Zenith attack, though I’m sure you already knew that. To enter the Zenith form, of course, you need to break the overclock limit through a powerful attack known as the Zenith attack. After doing so, for approximately two minutes you’ll be able to use the power of the Zenith state.” 

Stomps and panting from the smoke continued to ring out, as Zach continued. 

“Shaded Chaos creates a barrier of darkness that makes it impossible for anyone in the area, excluding Aansh, to see. I’ve been told it also saps stamina at a higher rate. But the most interesting part, of course, happens after. Our physical bodies can only handle so much MAGIC at once. The Zenith state empowers us to the point where that MAGIC takes a physical manifestation outside of our own bodies. For Aansh, of course it’s difficult to see. But from what he’s told me, it’s a raven-like bird. These manifestations seem to share a linked mindset with the user, allowing them to assist in the battle.” 

As time passed on, of course, the strength of MAGIC did as well. Back when we had first left the islands, we had only just realized how to harness the ability of overclocking. Now, well, I didn’t even have words for powers like these. 

To a “normal” person like myself, these were feats unimaginable. I gripped my bag of throwing knives nervously. If we were to fight people like these… did I ever have a chance of winning? 

That’s what I want to fight for. The power to control your own fate. Not to have a royalty, a monarchy over you dictating your moves. Freedom. Freedom away from even those who use MAGIC, those with the power to deny your existence. I want to fight for them all. 

The smog cleared out, a figure standing victorious. Mitas, over a winded Aansh. Even through the darkness, he had found a way to win. 

A small twinge of nervousness hit me right there. I didn’t know what it was. Or maybe I did. Deep down, what I did know is that it was fear. 

Part 9

Vola

A slightly wounded Aansh hobbled over to us, limping a little bit but otherwise fine. 

“I really don’t get it,” he mumbled, a small smile on his face. “Every time.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Mitas quickly responded, his usual neutral face on as usual. “You did fine.” He glanced at Zach. 

Zach laughed and responded with something, I didn’t catch it, focusing on a single spot in the ground. Zach told me this would cheer me up, but I just felt an overwhelming sense of dread overcoming me. 

Even if we go back. Even if we manage to win this war. How many innocent people are going to die? How many soldiers, forced into a war that they may not even want to partake in. How many lives, lost because of a conflict caused by these powers? 

Power. This power, it’s the root of evil. The root of the lives being lost. 

“Vola? Vola!” Zach startled me as I returned to reality for a moment. “Vola. Our turn now.” He pointed to the battlefield, motioning me over as he walked over. 

I moved over as well, Aansh stopping me for a moment before I walked off. 

“Hey,” he told me. “It’s good that you’re here. Zach’s been wanting it for a while, that is, a change of pace. I think you’re just what he’s been waiting for. Go give it everything you have.” 

I thanked him. It did make me feel a little better. Zach stood across from me, slowly removing his sword from its holster, holding it out in front of him. I knew he wasn’t gonna go all-out, but regardless he was still a foe to be reckoned with. I had to remember that this was the same warrior that saved the continent, with six more years of experience under his belt. 

Not to mention a master of the sword now. And, of course, a user of the Zenith State. 

“Don’t hold back,” Mitas yelled. 

“You ready?” Zach asked me. I exhaled. 

“Ready.” I replied. 

I can’t let him get the first move. With a burst of speed, I dashed ahead and flicked a few knives at him, which he deflected using his swords. My enchanted knives flew back into my fist as I ducked under a blast of ice, trying to sweep my legs to land a kick on his knees. 

He jumped over, slashing his sword into the ground as I shoved it out of the way with my knife. Rolling out of the way, I slowly got up. Zach looked entertained, almost happy. 

I wasn’t about to let him down. 

Part 10

Vola

Ice is a technique that involves ambush and power, sudden strikes to an enemy. When fighting an ice-technique user, one must react to speed with speed. 

Blast for blast, strike for strike. I have to balance my actions with his own. 

Zach called out a chant which I couldn’t hear as I ran behind him, snowflakes starting to fall from the top of the indoor dome. Weather manipulation; I had seen him and other spellcasters use the technique before. 

While spellcasters had their techniques, we warriors relied on our tools instead. Of course, the knives were my main weapon, gifted to me by Mari years ago. But I had to carry more. On my  forearms, I wore light metal guards which I could use as brute force if it came down to it. 

On my left leg, a small knife as backup in case I lost any other weapons. I also had a few snares in my bag which I slung over my shoulder. It wasn’t much, but I had relied on whatever I had for the last few years. 

I continued to flick knives at Zach, one or two nicking him. It wasn’t much, but any damage would be useful in this situation. 

Zach was starting to get more creative with his techniques, beaming ice on the floor in front of me to slip me up at any moment. I wasn’t too tall, but I knew I was quick enough to get out of the way of most attacks. 

I could see him in the state. Overclock. If I wanted any chance to win this fight, I needed to end the fight now before he reached Zenith. I glanced over at him. 

There. 

It was his leg. Every time he ducked out of the way of a knife, his left leg buckled slightly, as if it was weakened from a former injury. If I could put extra pressure on that side, I might be able to make an opening if he were to lose balance. 

Quickly, I turned towards him and dashed, getting out of a way of a few icicles soaring my way. I swept one more time, aiming for his left knee, managing to strike it and knock him down to one knee on the floor. 

I swirled around, landing a spinning kick as he grunted in pain, slashing his sword wildly in the area, missing as I continued, another blow to the torso as he rolled back. 

Getting up, his face dirty, he slowly placed his sword back in his holster. 

“Zenith,” he mumbled, “Fortress of the Conqueror.” 

Part 11

Vola

The ground rumbling, I slowly backed off, Zach’s hunched stance slowly straightening. His coat began to rustle as howling winds suddenly began flooding into the dome. 

He slowly crouched down, placing his hand on the ground, the ground around him glowing a light shade of blue. I felt vibrations under my feet, as if the entire building was shaking. 

What is this? 

As the thought formed in my head, walls of ice shot up from the ground, an enclosure slowly forming in front of my eyes. Nowhere to run, I could only watch as the huge enclosure formed into a castle-like formation of ice surrounding the two of us. 

His sword. No… it was something else. 

Looking across as the flakes of ice slowly fell from the newly formed castle, I watched as a bright blue source of energy manifested in front of Zach, slowly taking shape into what resembled a blade. I heard his voice. 

“Not all manifestations of MAGIC are necessarily equal-minded, nor take the forms of living beings. In my case, I found that my excess MAGIC took the form of a projection of my own blade.” 

He slowly took out the sword, the larger projection of MAGIC following his exact movements. It was huge; about the same height as him. 

The walls of the ice were solid. I didn’t even try to break them; there was no getting through. This was the power of his Zenith: to isolate his enemies in an area in which he could drive up his own power. 

I noticed within the castle, walls that resembled the formations of rooms existed. No furniture like a regular palace would, but simple doorways still remained available. I figured I could use that as cover. A resounding slash of the sword reminded me to move, as I ducked out of the way of a slash before running through a doorway into a different room. 

Two minutes… that’s all I have to survive. 

Zach chased after in pursuit, firing shards of ice my way. While it was a powerful element, I knew that ice lacked ingenuity, the ability to be flexible in its techniques. Zach only had access to so many ways to use his techniques against me, and if I could just memorize what was coming at me, I knew that I could continue to counter whatever he brought. 

For now, my only goal was survival. 

“Spiculum!” I heard, his voice echoing through the empty hallways of the castle. Only a split second to react, I slowly watched as the ground below me started to hiss, the high pitched noise distracting me for long enough before I realized a spear of ice, rising up through the ground, directly into my arm, nearly impaling straight through. 

Not yet, not yet… 

My mind hazy, I slowly rose up. I saw a blurred figure standing in front of me, sword raised up. The ground slowly neared as I finally saw a single blue flash, a blinding light as my consciousness finally let go. 

Part 12

Vola

I woke up, alone in a room that I recognized as the doctor’s. A few pills and papers laid on the table next to my bed and a few posters encouraging precautionary measures in battle hung up on the wall. Footsteps suddenly came down the hallway, as if someone suddenly sensed me waking up. 

The door opened with a click, a short man wearing a white doctor’s coat walked in, glasses on his face. He took them off and placed them on his desk. 

“Good, you’re awake.” 

“Thanks, Ben,” I replied. “Who brought me here?” 

“Zach and Aansh. They said you almost got seriously injured. You’re lucky you got here when you did; you ended up with no major injuries.” 

Instinctively, I touched my arm, feeling a slight sting as I pulled my sleeve up and found a large scratch. I rolled my sleeve back down and sighed. 

“How long has it been?” 

“Only a day. It’s evening right now… maybe around seven.” There were no windows in the room, making it impossible to tell what was going on outside. Ben picked up a clipboard, scribbled something and ripped it off. “You’re good to go now. Try not to push yourself so hard next time.” 

If there is a next time… 

Memories of before I passed out began to flood back, reminding me of my pathetic failure in the battle. I knew it. There’s just nothing a non-MAGIC user can do to keep up with one. As if he sensed my distress, Ben handed me my bag. 

“Don’t worry about it. Zach told me you did well. He looked serious, too.” 

His flattery wasn’t gonna get him anywhere. Without another word, I took the bag and walked out, straight towards my favorite cafe in the kingdom. I figured a drink would help me clear my head. 

I walked in, greeting the barista and taking a seat, settling down before someone knocked on my table. Looking up, I noticed David, looking tired as usual but with a look in his eyes. Maybe pity. 

“Take a seat,” I told him. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked. I didn’t even question how he already knew. 

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He gave me a stern look. “Okay. Fine. Let’s talk.” 

Part 13

Vola

David sat down, calling over a waiter. 

“Coffee.” he asked. “Black.” The waiter nodded and looked towards me. 

“Just some tea,” I requested. “Whatever you guys recommend is fine.” The waiter quickly jotted down our orders and left. David glanced at my arm, as if he knew where the wound was. 

“Who told you?” 

“I get around here, you know. When you’ve known for the king for, well, long enough, you understand everything that’s happening in the kingdom.” 

“So it was Ethan?” 

“I didn’t say that.” 

King Ethan always came off to me as a man with good intentions, though he didn’t seem to understand his priorities. Ever since we had arrived, he always seemed so split, as if even light decisions became difficult to make. Maybe it was the effect of his only child becoming his nation’s newest enemy, a traitor. 

But I also knew that this man was the, at least at one point, husband of the Pyre Island’s last queen, who disappeared after giving birth to Vincent. I looked around the library, I asked around through the elders, but no one could give me a reliable source of information. It was as if her life here was as fast and quiet as her disappearance. 

Back home, she was seen as our crown gem, the most powerful user of the fire technique in generations. The nation originally opposed her leaving on a journey to explore rumors of a land westwards, but she used her authority to override it. Her final words were reassurances to our people, now around 20 years ago. I stopped counting a while back. 

“Why are you here, anyways?” I asked David, who glanced outside, looking at the sunset. 

“Just getting a drink. What about you?” 

I glared at him. 

“I’m serious. I really am not in the mood for this right now. If you have something to say, just spit it out.” 

David looked up, twirling a knife in his hands. I saw that we were getting concerned looks from around the cafe. 

“Okay, fine. It’s about what happened. I’m worried about you.” 

“There’s nothing to be worried about.” 

“Oh, yes there is. Don’t try and hide it. I know you’re angry.” 

He’s right. I didn’t like that. 

“Like there’s anything you can do about it. There’s a lot of stuff on my mind, okay?” 

He placed the knife down, holding it in his hand. I watched as it emitted a slight light red glow. 

“Maybe there is one thing. I know you want to get stronger, and I can help you.” 

Part 14

Vola

I glanced at the knife, which was slowly resonating with some sort of energy. It looked like the enchanted tools that were imbued with MAGIC by forgers, such as the sword Zach used or my throwing knives. 

“It’s mixed with the MAGIC of another person,” David told me. He placed the knife down on the table. “But strength is strength. MAGIC is what gives this the potential to be powerful, but only the user can dictate whether it can truly be strong.” 

“I’m not following.” 

“You shouldn’t envision your weapons simply as tools. Instead, to a non-MAGIC user, they are an extension of our bodies. We were not born with the powers that were gifted to others, only our physical forms are what we were given at birth. To make up for that, we were gifted with bodies that outclass those of the MAGIC side.” 

I remembered training back when we were young. I was always one of the fastest in the group of kids that would play back on Concar, especially compared to the ones who would end up being able to use MAGIC. But I had always attributed that to a lack of ability from them instead of anything else. 

“Gifted..?” 

“Imagine it this way. MAGIC is a secondary source of draining energy. We get tired from running, jumping, and other things, while a MAGIC user also loses stamina from using their abilities. This doesn’t go untolled on the human body. As such, those who have not used MAGIC often end up with faster, stronger bodies compared to those with it.” 

“And what about our tools?” 

“This is just a gift that those with MAGIC have given to us. These enchanted tools react to the user, growing in strength with a stronger one and weakening with a lesser one. I understand, I really do. It’s hard, watching your friends surpass you in every way, as it might seem. But you can’t let that dictate your own capabilities. 

While we may not have the ability to shake the planet like they do, we bear the responsibility for keeping the world in check. If we were to simply submit to a society where only those with MAGIC were able to engage in combat, our side of the population would completely lose hope in ourselves, our abilities. 

You have the potential to be great, Vola. Your own internal turmoil is holding you back from the warrior you can really be.” 

Internal turmoil? 

Maybe. But I didn’t want it to be that way. I want to be strong, to be an example. Just like David was to the Paladins. 

“Thanks,” I told him. “That actually helped a little bit.” 

“Glad I could,” David responded. “It doesn’t matter if you’re born with the ability to use MAGIC or not. In the end, strength is something that all humans share.” 

The waiter walked back with our drinks. I thanked them and took a sip, before looking away. 

“Tell them I’m gonna be out for a while,” I told David. “I’m not gonna improve just by waiting.” 

He nodded. 

“Do what you need to do.”

Part 15

Vola

When we had first arrived on the continent, I had quickly fallen in love with the beaches, especially those on the east shores, facing my old home. 

It was on those quiet, peaceful evenings that I found that even my own worries, my stress, the pressure that had slowly been building up for years, eased away, even if it was only for a few hours at a time. 

If there was anywhere I wanted to be right now, it was there. So that’s exactly what I did, packing up and deciding to camp out there for a few days. I figured I would take a little time to myself, get some well-deserved rest. 

I started carrying a notebook around, jotting down things as I saw, as well as reminiscing with my battle against Zach, even though the loss still hurt. 

It was wrong, I knew it. My resentment of MAGIC. It wasn’t fair to think upon those who used it that way just because I couldn’t. Zach never meant to exclude me from anything, I knew that. 

My bags packed, I brought along enough food for a few days and trotted down to the beach, the trip taking a little over a day. Once I got there, I stretched out, relaxed, and took a seat on the shore, setting up my tent. The weather looked good, and a calming breeze swirled through the air, my muscles relaxing as I exhaled deeply. 

I pulled out my notebook and looked at what I had written down. 

• Speed

I figured it was my best aspect, since I wasn’t too physically strong nor resilient. While I was fighting Zach, I completely lost control of my energy level once he activated his Zenith. I figured the unexpectedness of the sudden castle formation had caught me off guard. 

• Offense! 

There was one point where I managed to deal a little bit of damage to him, right before he entered the Zenith state. After he did so, I was helpless. I don’t think I managed to hurt him even once after that happened. 

But was there really a way I could do so? 

I felt… helpless at that point. As if there was nothing I could do, no further I could push my limits. 

I stood up. This is why I came here. To prove that I was gonna go past those limits. 

“Come on,” I pumped myself up. I remembered what David had told me. 

Stronger. I will be stronger. 

Part 16

Vola

Three days of meditation, training, and peacefulness. In that time I already felt at ease, the stress of normal life slowly being lifted off my shoulders. My people, my friends, everyone left out there in the islands, they were still out there, fighting. 

I was going to do the same. My wounded arm had mostly healed, my body feeling active once again. I already knew what I was going to do. I was going to go into battle. I wasn’t just fighting for the freedom of our nation. It was to prove that I too, had the strength to be feared in battle. 

“A few more days of this would be nice…” I mumbled to myself as I fumbled with a sandwich. It was late afternoon, the sun barely hanging on in the sky as an orange tint threatened to take over the light blue horizon. 

A shrill noise disrupted my peace, a faraway noise that sounded high pitched. I rolled over on my blanket, trying to ignore it before a louder one sounded. I got up quickly. That was definitely a scream; it sounded female. I grabbed my weapons and ran towards the sound. After a little bit, I found a small boat on the shore, about five hooded figures with masks on outside of it. 

A familiar face was kneeled down in the middle, tied up with ropes by the arms and legs, struggling to get free. A piece of paper laid by her feet. 

“Mari?” I yelled. 

“Help!”, she screamed, her cries muffled by one of the soldiers holding her back. I noticed an insignia on the back of their coats. They were part of the Union. Seeing it, I threw a knife right away at his head, missing by a little bit. 

Zach was right. There are scouts. They weren’t a combat team; there was only five of them and they didn’t carry many weapons, from what I saw. Looking around, I didn’t notice any other soldiers or ships either. It was only these five. 

I can take them. 

“Back away from her,” I warned them, holding a few knives in my hands. 

One of them, perhaps their leader, stepped out in front. 

“Take care of the hostage,” he growled at the rest of them. “You know what he wants. Don’t let her die.” 

Mari screamed again, yelling for help. 

“Stay calm,” I told Mari. I faced the leader, a dark red mask covering his entire face. “I’ll handle this.” 

Part 17

Vola

Peace. 

I faced off with the leader, who gave a look to his soldiers and walked towards me. 

If I had to guess… none of them use MAGIC. Would Vincent really waste any of his few MAGIC users on a scouting trip? They likely have some experience in combat, but I doubt they can use rock techniques. 

So I should look for cues on how they fight. Typically the military, from what I know, are cautious in combat. That’s perfect. If I can keep the offensive pressure on, there’s nothing they can do to stop me. 

“You made a mistake, coming here,” I warned them. “You don’t want to anger Zach. It’s out of the kindness of his heart he hasn’t already destroyed your nation.” 

He held out a small sword, one forearm’s length long, and held it at his side. His voice came out muffled, probably because of the mask. 

“You’re one of the ones that came over here, aren’t you?” He spat. “Pathetic rebel. The United Pyre Islands will fight on, crushing any traces left of you not just back home, but here as well.” 

He took a look back at Mari. 

“That’s Kaiden’s daughter, isn’t she? Vincent will be happy when we bring back a hostage as valuable as this.” 

Does that mean… Kaiden is still alive? We had all presumed him and the rest of Char imprisoned or dead after we left, a decision that Mari was understandably distraught about. 

I grunted, throwing a knife, aiming for his arm, trying to disarm him. He quickly dodged out of the way and closed in, slashing the sword, which I managed to deflect with the metal protector on my forearm. I bent back and landed a spinning kick which he blocked with his left arm. 

He is experienced in combat. This isn’t just some random scout… this is someone who knows how to fight. 

He grabbed my leg, holding me in the air as he tried to slash his sword again. Leaning backwards towards the ground, I yanked my leg back and landed a donkey kick straight to his stomach, sending him reeling back with a grunt. 

I could tell he was getting angrier. His movements, harsher, with more power on each one. I had him exactly where I wanted; frustration taking over. 

The soldier dove towards me with a wide slash of the blade, missing, and with it his entire body jerked forwards. Before I could turn around, he was already right next to me, landing a knee to my ribs, knocking the wind out of me as I managed to stay on my feet, pushing him away. 

“Do you need backup?” one of the other scouts called out. 

“No, this one’s mine. Just hand me the firestick.” 

The soldier tossed a long wooden pole with some sort of device, made of paper or something, attached to its side. A long, rope cord came out of the bottom of it. 

“How many?” 

“One shot’s all I need,” the soldier growled, holding the stick out in front of me, the device, which had a slight point at its top pointing straight at me. 

Part 18

Vola

Cautiously, I watched as the soldier pulled a small stick out of his pocket. A match. He lit it quickly and placed the flame on the rope, the small fire slowly rising up. He tossed the match away and charged at me, the stick facing right in my direction. 

I quickly dodged out of the way, trying to trip him up as he dashed. He didn’t take the bait, slamming the stick into my side, the wooden pole slamming into my arm. It didn’t look strong, but it was sturdy, and the impact hurt more on my recently healed wound. 

Pulling out my backup knife, I managed to slash a part of his coat, ripping the fabric but doing nothing else. The fire continued to move up the rope, closing in on that device. 

He grabbed ahold of me, trying to pin me to the ground while the stick continued to point at me. I didn’t know what it did, but I knew that whenever that fire finished burning up that rope, something was going to happen with that device. Something I didn’t want to be near when it occurred. 

I quickly rolled over, using all of my strength to grapple him by the shoulders and slam him into the ground. He swept under my feet, giving me just enough time to react by jumping over and landing a punch right to his mask. 

I was feeling alive. Every move, every time he threw something at me, I knew I could take it. This is what I want to do. I want to feel the thrill of battle, flowing through my veins at any possible moment… 

My daydreams paid a heavy tax, as he took the chance to land a surprisingly powerful blow to my shoulder, the blast knocking me down to my knees, just for a moment. 

A moment too soon, as the fire on the stick finally burned out, still in his arms. I did everything I could to wriggle free, but in desperation he tackled me, holding me down, dropping the stick in the process. 

I can’t move. 

But… neither can he? If that thing’s rigged to some sort of explosive, he’s gonna get caught in the blast too at this rate. 

Before I could even formulate a single more thought, a piercing blast numbed my ears, red, white, orange, flashes blinding my eyes as what felt like a million individual burning flakes of fire covered my body as I writhed in pain. 

“Sheath!” I heard one of the scouts yell. My mind blurring, I looked around as little glowing shards of fire stuck around on the ground, the soldier next to me, his clothes charred. It looked like somehow, he took the majority of the blast. There were a few burns on my body, but my fireproof jacket absorbed a lot of it. 

I rolled away, watching as the soldier rose up, his mask destroyed from the explosions, the few remaining fragments falling of his face, revealing a dark, cold expression underneath. The one belonging to the father I never knew. 

Part 19

Vola

My father left our family early on in my life, whisked away by the government that he wanted to join so badly from such a young age. 

It hurt… growing up with no parents. My mother died shortly after I was born. I relied on the elders in the village I grew up in to raise me, and I’m forever grateful to them for helping me to become who I am today. 

I only learned who my father was somewhat recently. But it wasn’t a sense of relief, or happiness that flooded my head when I discovered that. 

It was sadness. 

Sheath, my father, stood up, his eyes widening for a moment, as if he was adjusting to the light. Could they not see well under those masks? 

I didn’t understand why he was here. He was an important commander on the islands, one of Vincent’s most trusted generals. Why was he on a scouting mission with only a few others? 

The firestick laid on the ground, destroyed, leaving only a charred, blackened stub where it used to be. I brushed ashes off my shoulder as, still weakened, prepared for more. 

Somehow, despite his wounds, my father still got up. Charging towards me with a strength I didn’t think was possible after sustaining so many burns, he fiercely grabbed my shoulders, shoving me straight down to the ground. 

Can’t get up… 

My legs were starting to give out. 

But Mari.. I need to save her. 

My entire body stinging as my burns touched the floor, I screamed in pain. Sheath walked over, holding the blade from before by his chest, ready to strike me down in a single blow. 

“Finish her!” a soldier yelled. 

He raised the blade, but for a single moment, hesitated, his eyes staring straight into mine. I took the offer graciously, rolling out of the way despite the pain and slowly getting up. 

“What are you doing?” another soldier screamed. 

His wounds seemingly catching up to him, his movements slowed as I ran in for a punch, which he countered with a grab of my arm with still frighteningly strong strength. He continued to wrap his arms around me, as if to strangle me to death. 

A loud explosion sounded from directly behind him, the grip around me suddenly fading. The sturdy look in his eyes faded as he slowly slumped to the ground, collapsing face up. Behind him, I watched as the other scouts watched with angry satisfaction, flaming firesticks in their hands. 

“Get her!” they cried, Sheath’s, no, my father’s body falling to the ground.

My eyes, still widened in shock, slowly closed as I, too, fell to my knees, the world slowly fading. 

Part 20

Vola

I opened my eyes, but I was no longer on the beach. No, I could not even see my own arms or body. Just a long, white light. 

It was quiet. Very quiet. Until it wasn’t. 

You have done well. 

Where am I? 

There is no name, nor a way for your mind to comprehend where you are right now. But what you must know is that you’ve awakened to your true potential. 

Potential..? 

This world contains warriors of different strengths and sizes. Whether they have been blessed or not. However, you are a most interesting case. I believe you have the potential to achieve greatness. 

Who are you? What potential are you talking about? 

Vola, I am the one who watches over everything in this world. That’s all you would understand. 

Your potential is a very rare one… the ability to enter the Zenith state. 

That’s not possible. I can’t use MAGIC. 

The rules of this world do not state that the Zenith state is limited directly to MAGIC users. But you are right in some way; the Zenith state does differ when you compare it used by a MAGIC user to a non user. 

My physical body still missing, I also could not form words with my mouth. Only my thoughts seemed to be read, and the only thing I could hear was the booming voice above me. 

The body of a non-MAGIC user is much sturdier than one of it. As such, the Zenith state lasts much longer in a non-MAGIC user. In addition to this, you would obviously not have a manifestation of MAGIC around you. 

You also lack the need to enter overclock or use a Zenith attack to begin your state. Your physical state will not only enhance your body’s abilities, but will grant you a unique one of your own. 

Am I dead yet? 

Of course not. There is still life left for you to live. 

I will send you back with some final information. 

Your Zenith state is called “Acceleration Order.” All you have to do is say it out loud to activate it when your strength or emotions run high. 

Acceleration Order grants you immense physical strength and speed while it is active, which is around seven minutes. During that, you possess the ability to manipulate the speeds of any object you touch, whether it be by enhancing its speed or by doing the opposite. 

Send me back… I’m ready to fight. 

Excitement coursed through my head. This fight isn’t over. A single image flashed in my mind, the one of my father, falling down to the ground. 

Take that rage… use it. 

Part 21

Vola

I woke up, still in the position I was just in, on my knees. I got up, watching four scouts/soldiers running straight at me, each holding a firestick. It looked like those things could be fired off as well. 

“Zenith,” I yelled, feeling myself smile as I did so. “Acceleration Order.” 

A blast of wind gusted through the air as I felt all the wounds from my body healed, my body feeling stronger than ever. Dashing towards one of them at incredible speed, I landed a few kicks, punching and striking with immense force before finishing him off with a swinging arm strike straight to the neck. 

I grabbed my knife, throwing it at blinding speeds, almost too fast to even see with your eyes. A gushing red explosion in the chests of one of the soldiers told me all I needed to know, as he fell to the ground. 

I dashed in once more, the soldiers clearly afraid of my newfound power. 

“You killed him…” I mumbled, unexpected amounts of anger coursing through me as I reminded myself of who my father’s real killer was. 

With a ferocious kick, I knocked one of them to the ground, his firestick knocked away before he could even light it. 

“You killed your own commander,” I growled at him. “Why?” 

“Why.. why do you even care?” he yelled at me, fear imbued into each of his words. 

“Pathetic.” I stabbed my knife into his arm, letting him bleed out as I got up again. “You people really shouldn’t be allowed to live.” 

A loud cry from behind me reminded as I saw a projectile, firing off the firestick of the remaining soldier, who carried a smug look on his face as the firework-like object neared my face. Calming myself down in the head, I focused on the location and timing of the firework. 

Calm down… Where is it going to land? 

Cautiously, I held my hand out, touching it slightly as I could. 

Decelerate. 

As if it froze in midair, the firework stalled. Grabbing it out of midair, I flung it as hard as I could straight the the shocked soldier. 

Accelerate. 

With incredible speed, the firework landed straight in his chest, knocking him back before a loud explosion went off, the sparks creating a gory but beautiful display.

All the exhaustion from the battle suddenly kicked in at once, as I ran out of breath and fell down. I looked up into the sky for a moment before going to free Mari. 

Are you proud? 

Part 22

Vola

I walked over, cutting free the ropes around Mari with my knife. 

“That was amazing!” she cried as she hugged me, as I awkwardly stood there, a little uncomfortable. 

“Don’t worry about it,” I told her. “I just wish you would be more careful, you know. It’s still dangerous out there.” I picked up the paper she dropped and handed it towards her. It was a map of the Pyre Islands, specifically Char. 

“You already knew, didn’t you?” she mumbled, her head turned down. 

I really didn’t, but after looking at the paper a thought formulated in my head. 

“You’re going back.” 

“I don’t know if I should anymore. I couldn’t even help myself here. I just rolled over and accepted my own defeat.” 

I looked over at the bodies. It almost physically hurt to look at Sheath’s. He hated me. He never got to know me. He was never there for me. But it still hurt. I never got to tell him… 

“Don’t wait. If there’s a chance he might be alive, you should take it.” I took out my knife and placed it in her hands. “There’s that, and a few more firesticks on the ship that they took here. There should be more than enough food to last just you as well.” 

Tears welling up in her eyes, she hugged me again. 

“Thank you, Vola. I’m.. I’m going to find my father. And then I’ll come back with him. Wait for me. I swear I’ll find him.” 

I smiled, a genuine one forming as I felt pride resonating off of her. 

“I know you will.” I waved her off as she took the ship and slowly sailed off. I walked back over, taking one final look at Sheath. 

“Why did you leave us…?” I mumbled, tears dripping onto the sand as nightfall and the moon rose over the horizon. I held his cold, lifeless hand. “Did you know?” He hesitated, even just for a moment in the middle of our battle. He could have killed me easily there, but he looked at me, right into my eyes. 

I cried, cried over the father that never was, the breeze blowing through as charred wood and sand slowly flew through the air. 

“I’m gonna be strong now,” I told his body. “I think… I think there really was some good left in you. You just wanted the nation to be strong, didn’t you? I’ll never agree with what you did, but you’ll always be my father.” 

I slowly stood up, gazing off into the moon. 

I’m gonna be strong. For my parents. For my friends. For everyone else that I care about. I’m going to help change this world, no matter who I am. 

Subsided Crests: Unending Hour

Interlude – The Watcher 

The core idea behind a Zenith attack involves a release of a rush of energy. MAGIC is directly related to the strength and state of one’s emotions, and when they are heightened to an extreme point, whether it be through the death of another or through another tragedy, usually extreme grief is required to activate one’s “Zenith State”. The Zenith State is an extension of the overclock state, pushing the bypass from 120% up to 150%. The Zenith State is entered by using an incredibly powered attack known as a “Zenith”. A Zenith releases a huge amount of MAGIC at once in an attack that often can only be used once in a day, even for the strongest and most trained spellcasters. These Zeniths have effects that vary based on the caster. Whilst in the Zenith state, one’s core emotions are sacrificed for pure MAGIC output, causing even the most passive people to become cold-blooded warriors.  

Is the Zenith state simply a tool, or a boundary of emotion that should not be crossed?  

It was artificially developed by Mitas, a state that he unlocked shortly after witnessing the deaths of his closest friends. Currently no others are aware about the Zenith state.  

While in the Zenith state, spellcasters have access to heightened senses, faster and strongest movement, and a lack of fatigue so long as they hold it up, which usually lasts 1-2 minutes at maximum. A Zenith State activation can occur mid-battle for the first time through the extreme emotions, and can be reactivated later on through intensive training to control one’s self during a Zenith state, which when uncontrolled can be dangerous.  

Mitas himself discovered a way to control the incredible amount of raw power being exported at once, by giving the MAGIC itself a physical form in the shape of an object or animal. Whilst in the Zenith state, a talented spellcaster creates a physical embodiment of their MAGIC that can be used to fight alongside them, putting a limit on how much power can actually be used at once, in order to ensure safety for the user. If the limit were to be released, the power would be so great that it may harm not just the enemy, but everyone and everything in the area, causing uncontrollable destruction to all in the way.  

Recently, a warrior named Vola became the first to activate the Zenith state without an affinity in MAGIC, granting her a prolonged state that lacks both an attack and a manifestation of MAGIC.  

In human history, four individual users have managed to awaken their Zenith state.  

In chronological order:  

Mitas, over 2,000 years ago: “Inconceivable Aura”. Little is known about the specifics detailing this attack, as the battle concluded shortly after his Zenith attack was used. There was no manifestation of MAGIC noted in the short period of time after he activated his attack. Interestingly, his victims were left with no wounds after launching his attack.  

Aansh, approximately three years ago: “Shaded Chaos”. As Night is a form of MAGIC not meant to be used solely for offense, Aansh’s Zenith attack and state follow similar rules. Years ago, Aansh was tormented by anger, betrayal, and a curse bestowed upon him from above. Those complicated emotions spill out in the form of his manifestation, a raven. Shaded Chaos covers the battlefield in a thick, dark fog that only Aansh himself can see through. Remaining in the fog too long is dangerous, as stamina is quickly drained.  

Zach, approximately two years ago: “Fortress of the Conquerer”. Ice, despite being a powerful form of MAGIC, is very one dimensional. Ice MAGIC users often struggle to find new ways to develop attacks besides frontal barrages. As such, Zach’s Zenith state creates an arena which allows him to avoid having to physically be in the area to begin a barrage, increasing his range in every way. The castle, made fully of ice, can be manipulated, as Zach displayed in his battle against Vola, in which he rose a spike of ice directly under her. The frigid temperatures also pose a threat to those not expecting it. His manifestation of MAGIC comes in the form of his sword, which instead of having a hybrid mind, is fully obedient to his own motions, copying his own blade. The effectiveness of his larger blade has yet to be seen in its full potential.  

Vola, within the last month: “Acceleration Order”. The Zenith state is short as it takes such a heavy toll on one’s body. Without having to compensate for the stamina drain that MAGIC has on oneself, Vola creates a unique state that can last much longer than any Zenith state recorded before. Naturally, she lacks the use of a Zenith attack and a manifestation, replaced with extreme boosts to her physical speed and strength, as well as the manipulation of speed. While in her state, Vola can change the speeds, whether it be by increasing or decreasing it, of any object she touches. This only works on the last object she has touched, as the effect is unapplied as soon as she touches another object. This can effectively stall objects in midair by decreasing their speed to zero, as they retain the trajectory of their original movements.  

Act 2: The Book of Rage

Part 23

Vincent

One month later. 

“All in,” I glanced over at Hugo with a smug grin on my face, his usual poker face not wavering, even for a moment. 

If I counted the cards correctly, there’s no way he has anything better than this. 

I glanced at the three kings in my hand. Three of a kind. One of the best hands you can get. 

The stack of chips in the middle becoming larger by the turn, Hugo glanced over at Panna, who as usual, didn’t say a word, glaring back at him with angry secrecy. 

“Reveal.” 

I slammed my cards onto the table. 

“Three of a kind. Pay up.” Hugo glanced over me, the smallest of smiles on his face. He placed his cards on the table, revealing a pair of nines. In horror, I took another look at the river and noticed the remaining two facing up. 

“Four of a kind!” he exclaimed, jumping up. He used his arms to pull in the entirety of the chips on the table. “Appreciate it, Vince.” 

I slammed my fist into the table, shaking all the cards right off of it. Panna jumped and backed away, her usual hood falling right off. I cursed and got up, slamming my chair into the table again. 

My cabinet, or my closest advisors, were made up of a group of four people that I had met while working as King of the Pyre Islands over the last five years. They were really the only friends I had. Everyone else… they were gone now. 

Sheath… he’s been missing. He was the one who taught me who I am, who reminded me of my goal. I begged him not to go on that scouting mission, but he wouldn’t listen, as if something was forcing him to go over. Ever since he left, around a month and a half ago, he has not sent word as to where he went. 

He didn’t desert… he wouldn’t. 

Then Hugo. From what I had learned, he was actually distantly related to me, but did not possess the power to handle fire MAGIC like I did. In fact, he didn’t use MAGIC at all. The only reason I even kept him around was because of his quick thinking skills and his proficiency with the blade. We had a specially made, lighter variant of shortswords created for him to dual wield. I had recently learned that he was ambidextrous. 

Panna was the smartest one, but preferred to get her thoughts out in action instead of words. I had only heard her speak a few times since arriving. From what I cantell, she possesses a very weak form of rock MAGIC, but refuses to use it, or from what I’ve seen, refuses to engage in combat in general. I wonder why. 

Savr is the only one that couldn’t show up today. He told me he was meeting with some family. After my ascension to the throne, I was told about the stories and legends of the greatest rock technique users in history, with his name being listed as the most recent. He comes from a long line of technique users, said to have history rooted deep into the origins of the islands themselves. I had seen his power in action: it really was incredible. 

A scout burst into my room, holding a report in his hands with a worried look on his face. 

“King Vincent!” he cried. “It’s Sheath! H-he’s dead!” 

Part 24

Vincent

Dead. 

What were his final words to me? 

“Don’t worry, Vincent. I’ll be fine. I have my peace now.” 

What did he mean by that? 

I punched the table, a small splinter stuck in my fist after. 

“Dead? How do you know?”

“It’s a scout… he found a tombstone with his name on it. He didn’t dig too deep… but its convincing, from what he said. He found blood as well. Looks like his entire squad was wiped out.” 

Zach. This was you, wasn’t it? 

Panna watched me anxiously as I stormed up to the scout, grabbing the report and crumbling it into pieces. 

“That’s enough. This is but another crime committed by the continent, by that filthy Zach. My greatest commander, killed by his hand.” 

“Where are you going with this?” Hugo questioned me. 

“You know what I want. We’re getting our revenge. Get the ships ready.” 

“You aren’t thinking straight. Take a moment. We just lost our best commander. Do you really expect a successful invasion at this stage?” 

My hands burning as I grabbed my arm tightly. I tried to take a deep breath and rethink it. But every time Zach’s face burned into my mind once more, anger, rage, every way to describe my hatred flooded deeper and deeper. 

A powerful punch to my shoulder sent me into momentary shock. The scout and Panna took a step back, watching as Hugo glared at me. 

“I’m not gonna let you send our nation into a suicide mission. Vincent. Think straight. You’re king, so in the end the decision is yours. But I’m not allowing you to do it without considering alternatives first.” 

“There are no alternatives,” I growled. “They killed Sheath.” 

“How about gathering the rest of the cabinet first?” he pleaded. “Wait for Savr. Then make your decision.” 

“Fine,” I agreed. “One word out of his mouth of invasion, and we leave. End of conversation.” 

Part 25

Vincent

The rest of the afternoon was silent. Savr was set to be back by nightfall. The usually perky Hugo sat alone in the corner, reading a scroll. Panna fiddled with some needles and yarn by herself. 

I sat down at the meeting table of the cabinet, staring at Sheath’s empty seat. 

I’m gonna get revenge for you… I know how much you cared about this nation. The continent, it was my home long ago. But if it ensures our own safety, I’ll destroy it. I’ll leave nothing. 

Zach, you were a brother to me. A brother. And yet, you think that you decide what’s right and wrong. You decide how to run my own nation. And now, you kill those close to me. I gave Sheath direct orders after he left: he was not to kill anyone yet, he was just there to scout. 

He wouldn’t disobey my commands. If he’s dead now, he was killed unreasonably. 

“About Savr,” I mumbled, still looking at the table. “Where does his family live, anyways?”

Panna shrugged. Hugo glanced up from his scroll, thinking for a moment. 

“He doesn’t like to talk about them. But from what I’ve heard, they’re some ancient branch of warriors that live in some secret spot in Clanch. Religious too, from what I hear. Or maybe its more cultist. Savr wouldn’t admit it no matter what I asked.” 

“He should be here soon…” I glanced outside through a window. “Were there any more reports of the strange killings?” 

We had sent multiple scouting teams over the last few months, many of them being wiped out and discovered by the next group. The oddest part was the matter of their deaths. Often, their remains were untouched; as if there were no physical wounds to notice. Doctors couldn’t find any poisons in them, either. 

It was a mystery that we had yet to solve. How were they dying? Was it natural? Or was this the work of someone else? 

“Nah, the last group, you know, THAT group, they had normal wounds. Multiple stab wounds and explosions. It looks like Sheath specifically was killed by a firestick.” 

Firesticks were firework-like projectile launchers that exploded upon impact, harming anyone in the way. How did Sheath die to our own weapons? Had he been caught in his own blast? No, he would be too cautious to fall for something as simple as that. It was something else. Zach must have taken one of the firesticks from one of our scouts and used it against him. 

Cruel. Death by the hands of the weapons of your nation. 

Panna cleared her throat, pointing at the door. A guard stood outside, waiting when I opened it. 

“Mr. Savr is here. I’ll escort him right away.” 

Part 26

Vincent

A few minutes later, Savr walked in, the usual stoic look on his face as he placed a bag down on the floor and greeted Panna and Hugo. 

He towered over the rest of us, maybe half a foot taller than me. He was dressed in his usual dark outfit consisting of a large overshirt with baggy sleeves and a dress like pair of paints that went down to his ankles. He had told us the unusual clothing was normal for his family and that it helped in combat. 

Personally, I couldn’t see how wearing a dress could help you fight, but he’d shown it time after time again, so I didn’t say anything. 

“You wanted to see me?” he asked in his usual monotone voice. 

“Sheath is dead. Killed by the continent. We seem to be at a standstill here in negotiations,” I said before glaring at Hugo. “Even though only one of us here is the king.” 

I really wanted to make the order on my own. I did. But in a way, I still felt some loyalty towards Hugo and Panna. It would be like betraying them to go against it without at least giving it some thought. 

Over the last five years, I really got to know and care about my people. I learned about our ancient heritage, our customs, and our food. It was all such a great experience, tainted by the looming war. Even so, there was always a gap in our history. Something that the young couldn’t put their fingers on, and that even the old could barely remember. An event that nobody seemed to remember, as if it had been wiped from history itself. 

I had tried to investigate. But when nobody in the entire nation knew, there was nothing I could do. Even our libraries had nothing on the matter. I gave up after a while; some things just aren’t worth it. 

My mind shifted back to the conversation as Savr began to speak. 

“We can’t let them get away with this,” he growled. “But not yet. I feared that something was coming… my family called me over so suddenly. Their presence with techniques, or MAGIC, as you call it, is stronger than anyone else in this world. There is something happening… over the last three years. But it’s grown stronger.” 

“What are you talking about?” Hugo jumped in. “What’s going on?” 

“They called me in to let me know when we were going to go to war. They want to see us, all fi- four of us. Something they wanted to show us, especially Vincent, before we left.” 

“So we’re supposed to go to that secret base on Clanch that your family lives on?” 

“How do you even know that?” he asked, confused. Hugo snickered a little bit but managed to contain it before Savr heard. “But you’re right. We need to leave right away. And once we’re done, we go to war.” Hugo’s smile faded, but he nodded. Panna’s nervous look didn’t waver. 

“Then let’s go. We leave tonight.” 

Part 27

Vincent

My boots splashed little droplets of mud around my feet as we walked through the rainy night, a guard following us as we marched onto the royal ship. 

Decorated with white steel and a velvet interior, it was almost as fancy as the interior of the palace. Hugo, always excited to ride it, hurried in first, the rest of us following behind. He went over to chat with Panna as I told the captain to take us to Clanch. I looked over to Savr, who was sitting at one of the tables in the main deck. 

“So where exactly is this family?” I asked him. “I’ve been to Clanch multiple times. I feel like if there was an elite family of rock MAGIC users, I would have seen their house, at least once.” 

“It’s not exactly ON Clanch. It’s just… near it.” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“I’ll show you when we get there. We’ll have to travel by ourselves once we get there. There’s a strict rule against military and government. I’m shocked they even allowed you to go.” 

“Of course they would,” I scoffed. “I’m the king. Who would dare ban me from going to their homes?” 

“I would!” Hugo chirped in. I threw a cup of water that was on the table at him. 

“You haven’t met my family,” Savr said darkly. “I don’t know much. They don’t tell me anything. But what I do know is that they are of the first to ever discover the use of rock MAGIC. Maybe even THE first.” 

Huh. I never really considered how MAGIC came to be. Was it just born with humanity? 

On the islands, only two forms existed, while many more existed on the continent. One could assume that would mean that it originated on the continent and branched out to the islands. Or was it the inverse? 

“You know, there’s other forms of MAGIC too. I told you this before. Back on the continent, there were way more types. Even a kingdom filled with users of one.” 

“And what of that? Of course they do. We have fire, and rock. It’s natural to assume far lands would have more.” 

“But where did it originate first? Here, or there?” 

“I don’t see why that matters. We have it, they have it. It’s that simple.” 

“Because of some of the mysteries that aren’t adding up. The woundless bodies, the surge in strength of the continent. Something’s happening… something that could only be a result of locked knowledge recently uncovered.” 

Part 28

Vincent

We docked onto Clanch, the city relatively quiet as we walked around in the early morning. Birds chirped and hovered in the dark air above us as we slowly trotted through the streets, puddles forming from the gathering rain. 

I ordered the escort to stop at the dock. Savr would not let them pass any further. He led the way, marching us towards the north coast of Clanch as the rest of us followed close behind. Strong breezes howled as my hair and coat were blown backwards. I clutched the dark red coat with both hands, trying to stay as warm as possible. 

I hadn’t been to Clanch in months. There was really nothing here. Not anymore. I had met Sheath here first, all those years ago. This is where I discovered my identity, who I am. A mix of pride and sadness enveloped me as I reminisced upon days gone by. 

“What do I do?” I had asked him, troubled. I felt that the nation was turning against me. The situation in Char, horrible. The islands of Concar and Cinis abandoned. Our own people were gone. Their neighbors. 

“You’re the king. I can’t speak for everyone, of course, but no matter what happens I will be loyal to you.” 

“I appreciate that, especially all the hours you put in. Isn’t there a family you need to go home to?” 

He had looked conflicted. Anger, no, frustration in his face as he hesitated. 

“Not anymore. This nation, this cabinet is my family now. I’m ready to give up my life for the cause. I want nothing for the best for my homeland.” 

“W-where are we going?” Hugo asked, shivering in the rain. “This is taking too long.” 

Without ever turning back, Savr waved him off. 

“Don’t be weak. We still have ways to go.” 

The walk through the rain continued as we finally arrived at the northern shore, completely devoid of people at all. A long, wooden fence stood on the rightmost part of the beach, a warning not to trespass noted on it. Savr walked up to it and placed his hands on one of the planks of wood, flipping it over to reveal a passage, just large enough for us to fit in it. One by one, we climbed through to the other side, revealing the rest of the beach, filled with trees and rocks, seemingly untouched by humanity. 

A small boat sat on the side of a dock, rocking up and down on the rough waves. 

“There it is,” Savr told us. “That’s our ticket to Curipata Island.” 

Part 29 

Vincent

The tiny ship had no roof, and chugged slowly through the stormy waters as we sat, shivering, approaching a small island in the distance. 

“Curipata Island,” I mumbled. It wasn’t as if I had never heard the term before. It was a volcanic island, off-limits to everyone for safety reasons. It was said to be located on a still active volcano. 

“Everything you’ve heard about it is a lie.” Savr looked off towards the island. “Thousands of years ago, my ancestors forged a pact with the first members of the royal family, to seclude us from the public eye for all of time.” 

“But why?” 

“The knowledge that my elders carry. The knowledge that I, too, will one day be bestowed upon. And when that day comes, I will return to the island, never to leave again.” I could see some anger in his face as he said that last part. 

“You don’t want that, do you?” 

“It doesn’t matter what I want. I’ve been chosen for this.” Before I could respond to that, Hugo quickly butted in. 

“But why are you here with us then? You said your family wanted to be separate from the general public. They’re okay with you dealing with the king?” 

“I… I don’t know, actually. I had always wanted to leave the island, but up until about seven years ago, I had been forbidden from doing so. It was on my fifteenth birthday, I remember. The elders changed. As if something had happened. Since that day, I’ve been allowed to roam the public as I see fit. I never asked why. Not as if they would tell me, anyways.” 

The trip was a short one, as we quickly docked onto the island as Savr led us through a small forest and into a large stone temple, sitting quietly. A faint glow could be seen inside as bugs chirped, still somehow going about their daily business through the torrent. 

Savr knocked on the temple door, to no response. He eventually opened the door himself and led us into a dimly lit room. 

“It’s me,” he called out. “I’ve brought my friends, too.” Despite a lack of a response again, he led us through a tunnel to a huge glass dome, rain pattering down with thunderous cracks as the dark sky illuminated the area inside. Unlit torches sat around the perimeter of the area as Savr walked to the middle, sitting down. One by one, the torches lit up, revealing a group of figures in attire similar to Savr, though dark hoods covered their face. 

“You’ve returned,” one mumbled. 

“And your friends as well,” the one next to him added. The rest of us watched nervously as one of the figures walked up to Savr. 

“The time has come for our hiding to end. The cursed one has returned.” 

Part 30

Vincent

Savr looked as confused as the rest of us, clearly not knowing who this “cursed one” was. The figures continued to stare at us, the lack of eye contact making it even more uncomfortable. 

“Sit,” one of them said, the rest of us sitting down in an instant. I could feel a dangerous aura around us. Not one that told me that these people would hurt us, but one that felt a danger in the world, as if I could feel the fear of everyone in the world at that single moment. 

The rustling sound of a scroll opening disrupted us as another figure stepped forwards, clearing their throat. 

“We are the Guardians, keepers of the truth and the only ones left who understand the danger the world is currently in. 

For thousands of years, we have existed as a family, the understanding of the techniques bestowed upon us solely in our possession. The rock techniques, the royal fire technique, as well as the techniques of the land far east… it all originated here.” He walked over to a wall in the dome, pulling back a curtain to reveal a mural on the wall, a glowing white figure painted on it. 

“Thousands of years ago, our family was chosen by a being above us, one that we cannot truly comprehend. The one that watches over us all, that dictates what happens in this world. It is because of its existence that our ability to use our powers exists. 

We call this being the Guanyin. It bestowed these powers upon us, splitting our family in half between fire users and rock users. The fire users split off shortly after, their abilities overpowering the rest of our family. The royal family was formed, leaving the rest of us. In a desperate effort to retain power amongst the people, we slowly branched out, genetically spreading the rock techniques across the islands. Despite this, the royal family still took control of the nation. 

Generations later, with the struggles of the past forgotten, we retreated to our island home and made an agreement to remain secret.” 

“I don’t get it,” Hugo ejected. “You had these powers, for all these years. You even gave it to the rest of us. Why hide yourselves? You gave us everything you had.” 

“We did not give you everything. 

Around two thousand years ago, a group of men arrived on Concar. The royal family and a few soldiers quickly dispelled them. However, one of them awoke to a power, a power that only the Guanyin itself could have gifted. 

We cannot comprehend the actions of the Guanyin. We do not worship it, nor do we renounce it. It is a being above us, its actions also above ours. 

That man, a man whose name we wish never to know, awoke to a ferocious ability that massacred every soldier on the island but one. The one remaining fled, the only source of knowledge on what happened that fateful day.” 

An ancient power, one that could kill an army of soldiers. All on one’s own. 

“What is this power?” I demanded. “You need to tell us this. We are still at war. The continent still threatens us. If there’s anything you know, I command you to tell us.” 

“We understand the threat,” one of them told us. “But the continent is not what strikes fear into our hearts. The reports… the ones of the bodies, untouched but dead. Only once in our existence had such a case existed.” 

I noticed Panna’s eyes widen, her realizing what they meant a moment before I did. 

No… 

“It was on that day. The awakening of the power.” 

Part 31

Vincent

“Impossible!” Savr jumped up to his feet, a shaken look on his face. 

“Wait!” I yelled. “Explain to us first what this power even was. Was it a technique, a skill, what was it?” 

“It was an empowered state. A state in which a technique user bypasses their own limits and becomes nearly unstoppable. It is a gift from Guanyin itself. It is known as the Zenith state.” 

“How do we do it?” 

“We have felt the presence… we feel the use of the Zenith state across the ocean. But it’s an eerily familiar one; not one that could be replicated. We don’t know how. There is only one possibility, adding up from the bodies. 

That man lives. The cursed one… they are on the continent right now.” 

Zach… what are you up to now? 

“You,” I said, grabbing the arms of one of the guardians. “Teach us how to enter the Zenith state. Now.” 

“Get off of her!” Savr yelled. 

“No,” the woman in the hood replied. “He is right. That man is a threat to this world, holding within himself a technique that can destroy the world. So long as he lives, all of humanity is in danger. We understand how to unlock the Zenith state. We prayed and had little communication with Guanyin over that time. We kept this knowledge from the public to prevent this nation from destroying itself. 

But now, there is a danger far worse than that on the planet. If it means destroying humanity’s original enemy, the risk we plant is worth the potential that we shall sow.” 

Hugo and Panna watched as the woman led Savr and I towards the middle of the dome, slowly leading the other hooded figures towards us. 

“We shall teach you how to enter the Zenith state. We only ask one thing of you: That you seek out and kill the cursed one. “ 

This conflict is more than just our nation, then. I’m not just fighting against Zach for the glory, or protection of our nation. 

This is for humanity now. That MAGIC user poses a threat to everyone, not just us. 

I hate to admit it, but I don’t want to just let everyone on the continent die. There are still people there. Even my father… I don’t want him to die like that. 

“I swear I will. I’ll find him. And when I do, I will not let him live.” 

Part 32

Vincent

Days passed by, intense mental training going through our heads. Early on, Panna and Hugo tapped out, knowing that Panna did not possess the MAGIC talent to continue and that Hugo could not use it as all. They went off and trained separately in their own right and Savr and I continued our work to master the Zenith State. 

I was the first to activate it, though only for a moment. The rush of power flowing through me as I entered it for the first time, it was something like I’d never experienced before. 

The motivation of my people, of all of humanity, fueled me as I unleashed everything I had, putting all my energy into the last few days to cram as much training in as I could. 

Savr himself had become a beast in strength in his own right. Over the last few days, I had learned a fair amount about the Zenith state: 

1. It lasted around two minutes at full strength. I had not been able to make mine last that long but Savr had come close to about 100 seconds. 
2. During it, my entire body was empowered. All my flames were blue for the duration of the state. In addition, the weak techniques in darkness and lightning MAGIC I had learned from Aansh and Son years ago were able to be used again, originally having disappeared after I mastered blue fire. 
3. My MAGIC manifested into a physical form, a lion forming whenever I did. It moved on its own, attacking in sync with my assaults. 
4. I couldn’t quite figure out what my Zenith attack, which initiated my form, did. I also lacked a name for the attack. I had been able to enter the state without using the attack, through pure MAGIC energy overflowing through me. The guardians called me an oddity, claiming it was impossible to enter the state without the use of an attack. I figured I would learn it as I went. 

Savr had honed his skills to a much further rate, already having a name for his attack and knowledge on what it did. “Crystallize,” he called the attack. From what I had seen, it had a few effects. 

First, his MAGIC manifested into what looked like a lynx or a mountain lion, similar in size to my lion. His large scythe, his signature weapon, seemingly became light in his hands as he used it. Crystallization created an incredibly sturdy crystal cage that trapped up to three enemies at once, weakening them while trapped inside. 

He tested it out, being able to hold the cages shut for about thirty seconds. As expected, his usual rock MAGIC was empowered during the state as well. 

After another day of training, I settled down next to Hugo and Panna. Savr walked over to us, breathing heavily. 

“Are we done here yet?” Hugo asked. “Even Panna’s bored.” 

“What have you guys even been doing?” I asked him. 

“Not much. Just training my regular sword skills. Panna here’s the real deal, though. She developed a new technique for herself.” he turned to her. “Go on, show them.” he grabbed one of his blades and sliced his own hand, blood trickling down his arm as he held it up to us. 

Panna slowly raised her hands over a small rock next to her, the rock glowing as particles begun to extract themselves from the rock itself, a glowing cloud of matter appearing in her hands as she placed them onto Hugo’s wound. Within moments, the wound was gone. 

“What was that?” Savr asked, sounding impressed. 

“They’re healing minerals,” Hugo explained as Panna looked on, embarrassed. “Her technique was said to be extremely weak due to her not controlling the large forms of rock that warriors use to fight, but her control over the miniscule particles in rocks is extremely powerful. She was able to pinpoint the minerals in rocks with healing properties and can use them to heal wounds.” 

“That’s really amazing,” I told her. “Those healing powers could be useful in the war.” An awkward silence fell amongst us as the topic that we had been trying to avoid. 

“The war,” Savr growled to himself. 

“You’re right, Vince.” Hugo spoke up, a surprisingly serious look on his face. “I doubted you at first, but I heard what the guardians said. It’s more than just the continent now. It’s humanity.” 

Savr interjected. “Not just that. I remember when you first came to power. It was the first time I’d ever felt proud of our nation. As if there was now something worth fighting for. A leader that we lacked for years.” 

Panna placed her hand on my shoulder, a nod of encouragement telling me everything I needed to know. 

“Are you all okay with this then?” I asked. 

“Go on.” 

“Let’s go thank the guardians, then.” I got up, stretching. “We’re going to end this war. Begin preparations to invade the east.” 

Part 34

Vincent

Weeks of preparation… It all led up to this. Hundreds of warships littered the coasts of the now deserted Concar as I walked around the barren wasteland, final preparations for the invasion incoming. I had appointed Savr to lead the military in my presence. 

The plan was relatively straightforward: Crush the continent right away. We were far outnumbered, but I knew our military was superior. No matter what the continent had done in the last five years, I was well aware that there wasn’t a high number of spellcasters. Perhaps they would bring some from the north, but no other large group of users existed. 

“The Paladins might pose a threat,” I mumbled to myself. Athan and David were of no worry. They had no experience fighting a rock MAGIC user. Ben shouldn’t have been a problem, either. His combat was far too weak to handle a military. As for Son and Aansh, I was unaware whether they would be involved in the fight. 

I was just as much a disciple to them as Zach was. Would they choose Zach over me? I guess without hearing my side of the story there was a clear answer. 

Then, of course, there was my father. I had barely seen him in combat. I knew not what his MAGIC abilities even enticed. I had assumed for a long time that the fire MAGIC I had was carried down from his side. I remembered hearing he was capable of using it. I wonder how. 

The quickest and easiest way to deal with this problem would be to strike at their strongest points. If I got into a fight with Zach straight away, I could get rid of the morale of all the soldiers right away. 

That would isolate the cursed one… 

The wild card, the secret weapon, whatever you’d like to call it. I had experience with almost every notable warrior on the continent except for him, the mysterious spellcaster from thousands of years ago. 

How were we going to handle a foe who can kill without leaving a single trace behind? 

I got up and walked over to Hugo, who would be leading his own regiment in battle. The idea was for the bulk of the army to single handedly distract forces in the valley while I would flank the enemy from a pathway that I knew from my days living in the palace. I was placing a bet on Zach still remaining in the valley. We wouldn’t have much time before scouts inevitably spotted us after docking. 

Hugo greeted me. 

“It’s finally time,” he told me. 

“I’m surprised you’re so on board with this. You seemed to be so cautious not too long ago.” 

“What choice do we have? We lose this war, and humanity is at immediate risk. We’re doing everyone, even the enemy, a favor by attacking.” 

“You’re right,” I told him. “I’m going to settle the score for what happened before.” The blaring horn of a warship sounded as some of the ships ahead of us began to move ahead of time. 

“It’s showtime,” Hugo told me. 

Part 35

Vincent

We docked on a cold autumn morning, the ships gently bobbing up and down as the first waves of soldiers carefully got into position. We had split up the brigade into two main sectors, the larger of which had gone south, closer to the empty shadow plains. There would be space where they could set up temporary camp in the barren area, with food rations being plentiful for now. 

I made sure I brought my friends with me. If no one else in the kingdom I had, at least I had them. No matter what, though, I was going to fight for my people. We had parked north near Thunder Valley, the mountainous terrain proving difficult to navigate for everyone but me. I led the way for a small squadron made up of a few hundred soldiers. 

I was planning to break off alone and have them charge to the kingdom as a flank attack, led by Hugo. I would bring Savr and Panna along with me to the palace where I would hopefully confront Zach. 

After Zach was defeated, I’d direct my focus to the cursed one. And after that, well, I figured there would be no more morale in the armies at all. We could march in and take the kingdom if we wanted. Not that I did, though. I guess my father can have that at the very least. 

We slowly trotted through, the soldiers behind us mimicking my every movement. I gave them the signal to start leading off. I realized I hadn’t told Hugo of my plans. 

“Hugo,” I whispered to him. 

“What’s up?” 

“I’m putting you in charge of the flank unit. I’m going to regroup with you at the kingdom.” 

“You want me in charge of all these people? Why?” 

“Remember when I first met you?” 

It was a few years ago. I had still been getting used to the islands, and during that time I had visited a few. It was on the visit to Cander that I met him. A boy, younger than me by a few years. Sitting alone at a table at a small comedy club, a deck of cards sitting in front of him. He glanced up at me with a dark look on his face when I first noticed him. 

“You want to play?” he had asked. 

“Play what?” 

“Cards. We can put some money on it.” He placed a pile of coins on the table. I smiled, there was nothing I had to lose. I took a seat and looked him right in the eyes.

“You deal.” 

Over the next few hours, I suffered defeat after defeat at this kid’s hand. I couldn’t figure it out: What was I doing wrong? Every game, he found another way to shift the tide in his own favor. 

I had lost more than twenty times what I had originally went in with by the time I walked out. The very next day, I came back, looking for that kid. After a while, I was going there on a daily basis. 

I learned his name. Hugo. An orphan. Sickly. Alone. 

But what I did know for sure was that he was a genius. 

Hugo looked at me, confused. 

“Turn the tide in your favor again,” I told him, placing my hand on his shoulder. “Go make me proud.” 

A gleaming look in his eyes as a grin took over his face, he shook my hand.

“I won’t let you down.” 

Part 36

Vincent

I purposely had Hugo go ahead with the army, waiting for about half a day. I needed them to arrive there before we did in order for the diversion to be successful. 

I felt a little chill down my spine, the diversion tactic eerily similar to the one that Glacion, the former king of the North, had used to infiltrate the kingdom. Unfortunately for him, he never made it into the kingdom. 

Zach had been the one to kill him. He refused to talk about it after that. His closest friend died in that very same battle. I had heard he had been living a double life in the kingdom for a while in order to obtain a powerful scroll holding knowledge that could empower MAGIC to an incredible degree. I didn’t know what it was… but the power of the Zenith state felt like it had to be related. 

“I need to get it down,” I grumbled to myself. 

“Get what?” Savr asked. 

“The Zenith state. You made it look too effortless.” 

“You remember what they told us, Vincent. MAGIC is heavily based on one’s emotional state. I’m different from you… I find that I feel very few emotions at all recently. Maybe that’s why I found it so easy to activate. 

You’re holding something back. As if you’re suppressing something deep within you. Once you break down that barrier, I know you’ll be able to tap into that power.” 

The heavy air of the valley made the journey exhausting. Panna had tried something new again; using salts this time to heal any wounds. It did sting, but the applied salt on wounds made it heal noticeably faster. I found she often reminded me of Ben. A quiet, calm spirit that really did have good intentions at heart. I had only heard her speak on select occasions, but I could tell she wanted the best for all of us. 

She was from a relatively wealthy family that had moved to Clanch after Cinis was destroyed in the early stages of the civil attacks. It was actually Hugo that had asked me to let her join the cabinet. Apparently she had managed to draw a single game of cards against him. I wouldn’t deny that I was skeptical at first, but she always possessed the same look in her eyes, a soft, tranquil one. Maybe that’s why Hugo liked her so much. 

She had generally held the title of medic for a while now, as her knowledge of anatomy and wounds was second to none in the islands. Even before she began using her MAGIC to her advantage, her use of medicine was far above regular standards.

I glanced back at her and Savr as we continued moving on. We had finally climbed down the small mountain, into a familiar clearance. The clouds above us created a gloomy dark shadow across the open area. 

I took another step forwards, before Savr grabbed my arm and tugged me back. Panna froze and quickly glanced around, crows squawking in the air. 

“What is it?” I demanded. 

“Quiet!” he whispered in my ear. “We’re not alone.” 

Part 37

Vincent

Winds howled as I glanced around the valley wildly, looking for any signs of scouts, spies, whatever. Savr slowly took out his large scythe, walking around quietly. 

As quiet as a feather, the noise of what sounded like an arrow sounded right next to my shoulder. Behind me, what seemed like a dart laid stuck in the mountainside. A green ooze dripped down from its point as Panna observed it carefully. 

She nodded. It was poison. Someone was trying to attack us. 

“North,” Savr mumbled. I looked up and noticed a pair of figures standing on one of the mountains, too far away to recognize. 

“Get ready,” I warned the two of them. “We might have trouble here.” I didn’t want to waste too much energy, but I figured just two would be fine to handle. I slowly took off my coat and inched towards the mountain they were standing on. They continued to oddly stare right at us, not moving. 

Were they hesitating? Or trying to figure out who we were? 

Are they with Zach? How could they already have known we were here?

I prayed that Hugo was still undiscovered. We needed to make it there fast, or the diversion would be useless. A loud, crackling noise came from the mountain, one of the figures raising their hand, before thrusting a bright yellow bolt of lightning, striking a few yards from me. 

“Son!” I yelled. The two figures jumped down, scaling down the mountain before standing on even ground with us. I recognized them now, two of the Paladins. Son and Athan, who had a dart gun on his belt, explaining what had been fired at us. He carried a large spear in his hand, wearing heavy leather clothes. Son wore a lighter black outfit, with metal bangles on his arms. 

“It’s been quite some time, Vincent,” Son called out, the slightest of smiles on his face. 

“You’d think he’d give us at least a warm welcome,” Athan joked, elbowing Son. “After all we did for him, too.” 

Savr stepped upl holding the scythe out in front of him. 

“I don’t know who you two are, but if you plan on interfering with us, I’m going to have to stop you right away.” 

“Don’t underestimate them,” I warned Savr. “They’re strong.” I prepared for battle, Panna returning to her medic position behind us. 

“You aren’t going to introduce us?” Son asked. “It’s a shame, Vincent. You were so bright, like a star.” 

Athan stepped up, staring Savr right in the eyes. 

“You look strong. Show me what a real Pyre Island warrior can do.” 

“Vincent, take Panna and run,” Savr didn’t turn back. 

“I can’t just leave you here. I’m going to help.” 

“No. You can’t be late. Just go.” 

“Savr, I can’t just-” 

“Go! I told you. I can handle this.” 

I looked back at Panna desperately. Son fired a bolt of lightning straight at us, exploding into a cloud of dust under us. 

“Don’t die,” I warned Savr. I grabbed Panna’s arm and used the cloud of dust to shield us as I ran as fast as I could. 

Part 38

Vincent

It had been a few days since we left Savr behind to deal with Son and Athan. I trusted Savr with every bone in my body, but it was an extreme challenge in the first place. We had been lucky, not too many casualties outside of the scouts. If I lost someone else close to me, I wouldn’t trust myself to go on. 

I hope Sheath is still watching. Wherever he is now. This is what he would’ve wanted. 

“We’re almost there,” I grunted. We had a nice overlook of the valley from here, the rising sun illuminating the lush land as a light mist covered the area. 

I had always imagined this was what paradise really was. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else growing up, but exploring the continent along with Zach had really been a life changing experience for me. Even if it led to all of this… I guess I don’t regret anything. I wouldn’t be reunited with my people if I didn’t go through everything back then. 

Far in the distance, I could see the peak of the massive mountain, Galactica. Looking at it from all the way here, it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the generally flat terrain. Something about it really was odd. 

Panna quickly followed behind as we finally found a place to rest for the rest of the day. I took out a pair of binoculars and peered south of the kingdom, where Hugo should have been leading the army. His job was to conceal them until the eighth day since arrival, which was tomorrow.

“Here’s the plan,” I told Panna. “We’re going to wait for Hugo to charge in with the army. I don’t expect them to win right away, but they’ll buy enough time for us to target the palace. Zach should be there. They wouldn’t risk one of their strongest warriors in the middle of battle. If not, we search around the kingdom quietly. There shouldn’t be any soldiers in the street during the battle. The moment we do find him, our goal is to kill him immediately. If we succeed, we join in with Hugo and continue the assault.” 

Panna nodded, stretching and sitting down under a tree. The mist had faded away to reveal nice weather, the sun shining down with a slight breeze in the area. It was a serene day in the valley. 

But not for long. If Son and Athan had been dispatched already, they likely knew of possible invaders. I doubt they would have returned with reports yet since they were occupied by Savr. In addition, they only saw the three of us. Would three people be worth an emergency alert for? 

I rethought things. No, it would be. Zach knew my position in the islands. He’s smarter than that. The sudden stop in scout trips likely told him enough. It was a mistake on my end. He would have known that we were plotting a large scale invasion. I had stopped sending scouts, knowing we were preparing to move. 

Times like these… I wish Sheath were still here to guide me. What would he say? 

“Why did you have to go and die like that?” I spat, ripping out some grass from the ground angrily. “We still needed you.” 

One final day of peace… I wasn’t going to take it lightly. 

Part 39

Vincent

Panna tapped me awake early that next morning. I got up and glanced down, the dark morning making humans look almost invisible, especially when wearing the dark steel armor of the Pyre Island’s army, one resistant to attacks from brute force, designed to prevent an uprising from stopping the military in any scenario. 

Her waking me up could only mean one thing: the signal had come in, Hugo had successfully hidden the army during that night, preparing for an assault within the next couple of hours. I nodded to Panna and grabbed my belongings, making sure to wear my gauntlets ahead of time. 

I hadn’t really fought personally since taking over the throne. The gauntlets I held symbolized a lot to me, throughout everything I had been through since the first day I had put them on. I felt almost excited, no matter how dumb that sounded. Almost enough to rival the hatred that had streamed through my blood, a sense of pride in an enemy that I knew had already defeated me once had overtaken me. 

Of course, this time I wouldn’t lose. I gripped my fist tightly as we made our way down to the backside of the kingdom. Little camps littered the outskirts of the area, unlighted. I could see, though, that people were living there actively. 

The location of the palace itself was closest to the back wall of the kingdom, which had tunnels running through it, used to transport messengers throughout the palace. If I remembered correctly, the walls would be thinner in that part. One good strike should be able to bash right through, but avoiding being detected was another monster. We needed to be sure that Hugo had distracted the army by then. 

Within a few more minutes, we reached that exact part of the wall. I placed my hand on the rough stone surface, knocking a little bit on it. Unlike wood, you couldn’t really tell how hollow it was from the outside. I took a deep breath and trusted my instincts. I glanced up at the sky, the sun slowly peeking out from the horizon. That should have been the signal. 

… 

Within a few moments, commotion exploded from within the kingdom, the sound of running and screaming making my footsteps hard to hear. I slowly placed the gauntlet on my right hand and punched as hard as I could, a small cavity forming in the wall, the tunnel clearly visible. I led Panna in and punched the next wall in front of us, leading straight to the backdoor of the palace. 

I kicked the door down, praying nobody was inside to notice. When we walked in, an eerie silence fell over the large banquet hall, the long dining table empty. 

Only a single pair of footsteps could be heard, approaching our location at a slow, stressful pace. 

I signaled Panna, who prepared as the door in front of us opened, a face I recognized very well standing right in front of me. 

Just not the one I wanted. 

Part 40

Vincent

“Get out of my way,” I quietly spoke, unable to stare the man that had raised me in the eyes. Even so, somehow, I could tell he did the same. 

“It’s been a long time, Vincent.” 

“Didn’t you hear me?” I warned, my voice raising. 

“I should’ve known,” he mumbled, a deflated aura in the room. “This was all part of your plan.” 

Lighting my hand aflame, I slowly raised it up to his neck, his face not flinching once. I didn’t need any words to convey what I meant to say. Whether I could even mutter the words at all, I didn’t know either. 

“I’m not gonna stop you, Vincent. I don’t know what you want here… but my people matter more. Handle your business.” 

He raised his arm, grabbing my wrist with a strong yet sincere grip. He slowly pushed it down and released it, walking away at a hauntingly slow pace. By the time his footsteps had stopped, I found I remained in the same position, a lack of thoughts flowing through my head.

“Let’s go,” I told Panna. We continued down the hall. I did feel a little regret. The first time I’d seen my father in years, and that’s all I could say. But what he said was just as true for me. My people matter more. 

We reached a room I recognized as the entrance to the palace, a large, usually empty room that guards usually gathered in. Of course, right now there are none. If my father had gone out and warned the others, guards would arrive here shortly. But I knew that wasn’t going to be the case. 

As if they had teleported, the door creaked, the lack of accompanying footsteps startling me. A pair of men walked into the room. 

“Of course,” Zach whispered, looking straight at me with a gaze that I couldn’t return. The man next to him, an older one in a dark coat, looked at me, his eyes lacking emotion. 

“You’re Vincent, then. I’ve wanted to meet you personally for quite some time.” Even his words, they felt empty. But no matter how little emotion I could perceive off this man, the sense of fear continued to creep up on me the longer I looked at him. I took an instinctive step back. 

“You.. you’re the cursed one.” 

“That’s what they call me? You don’t think that’s a little rude? I’m the one that was attacked, after all.” 

“No more games!” I yelled. “You’ve harmed our nation enough. And you, I’m gonna settle things with you first.” 

The cursed one took a step forwards, taking off his coat. 

“Stop!” Zach growled. “Don’t, Mitas. He’s mine.” 

“You had your chance to kill me,” I warned Zach. “Your foolishness is the reason this kingdom will crumble.” 

He stared at me in silence, stepping forwards and taking out his blade. I motioned Panna back, pouches on her belt filled with healing stones. 

“You weren’t always like this. I’ll shove that cockiness right back down where it came from.” I sensed the intent to kill, bracing myself as fast as possible as he charged towards me. My fists ablaze, I prepared for one more fight to even my score permanently. 

Part 41

Vincent

I still knew the way Zach fought. He was never overly offensive in combat, but that didn’t mean I could let my guard down at any point. I used my gauntlet to block his sword slash, roundhousing a kick from my left leg straight into his ribs. 

“Ardeat!” I yelled, blasts of fire exploding in front of me as Zach dodged, swinging his sword back at me. Naturally, MAGIC would be at its strongest when you were able to yell a verbal casting word. However, having to remember casting words in split seconds could result in unfortunate situations for yourself. Often, most spellcasters I had fought with used mental incantations or instinct to guide their MAGIC instead. 

“Spike,” Zach responded, icicles forming around his blade as he swung, flinging them towards me at fast speeds. I raised up my gauntlets to shield myself, unable to shield from most of the damage as a few punctured through my arms. I exhaled sharply and got back up as quick as I could. 

Lighting my fists ablaze, I rolled out of the way of a few more icicles and dashed straight at him, swinging wildly. All I could manage to do was nick his jacket, but after glancing at it, I knew that’s all I needed to do. Concentrating, I focused on the spot I had touched and lit it ablaze, Zach’s entire jacket catching fire in moments. Screaming, he threw it off, noticeable burn scars forming on his arms as he fired ice from his arms straight into the burns. 

Taking my chance, I moved forwards and with a sprinting kick, knocked him to the ground. 

He threw his arms up, blasting large streams of ice at me as I tried to punch through them, steam erupting from the collision, clouding my vision. I could feel the vapor around me as I glanced around, looking for any sign of him. 

At first, it felt like a single prick upon my back. Then, it was like a million needles colliding with me at once, the vapor rising as Zach stood there, his fist clenched. 

“It’s still my water,” he mumbled. “I control each one.” He had turned each particle of water into a little icicle, turning them into a barrage of needles attacking me from every angle thanks to the vapor cloud. If I hadn’t thrown my gauntlets up towards my face, I would have been impaled hundreds of times. 

“You never did disappoint in battle,” I yelled, confidence still flowing through me. “But I’m a king of a nation now, like you. A leader cannot die so easily.” 

I covered my entire body in flames, remaining icicles melting as soon as they touched me. I used a new technique I had been training for a while, inhaling and exhaling a huge burst of fire straight out of my mouth, blue flames encircling the entire room. 

Before I could hear the footsteps behind me, the splatter of blood from my shoulder reminded me of Zach’s presence, his flank working perfectly as a large gash formed in my shoulder. I yelled, Panna hearing my cry and quickly healing the wound with some salt that stung at first. 

I caught a glimpse of the cursed one again, his dark stare seeming almost pleased at what was going on. 

Surprised at my fast recovery, Zach wasn’t able to react in time as I swung my left arm backwards, nailing him straight in the head with my gauntlets. 

“Spiculum Oriri!” Zach yelled, the chant vaguely familiar to me as I noticed the ground slowly glowing blue, spikes of ice arising from underneath me as I rolled forwards to dodge them, turning my momentum into a chance to attack, my fist ablaze as I punched Zach. 

Zach jumped back, creating a sphere of ice around him to block my punch. But before I could think another thought, the ice seemed to thaw immediately, Zach’s confused expression signifying that it wasn’t by his doing. I noticed crystals of salt on the ground, glancing back to notice Panna hovering bags of salt in the air. 

She used the salt to melt his ice. 

This is my chance! 

Not willing to let the opportunity bypass me, I moved forwards, fist reeled back for another finishing strike, straight to the face. My blue flames lit up the room, blazing spirit ready to light the entire palace ablaze. 

Part 42

Vincent

“So, what do you wanna end up doing when you get older?” 

“I don’t know. I guess it’s easy when you’re the king’s son.” 

“I’m gonna be king someday soon, too. Just like my dad.” 

“…” 

“I wonder what I should do.” 

“I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you this, but I think you would be good as a leader, too.” 

“What makes you say that?” 

“I don’t know exactly what it is, but I get that sense coming off you. Regal, maybe, if I had to put it into words.” 

“Regal?” 

“I mean, like, I just get that feeling when I’m hanging out with you. Like you’re ready for anything.” 

“I’m ready for anything you throw at me when we fight, you know. You should work on some new moves.” 

“I told you! I’ve been trying. Just wait. I’ll show you.” 

…

Zach glanced back at the cursed one, who nodded, as if he was giving him a signal. He placed another wall of ice, Panna’s salts quickly melting it down. Before it was fully gone, Zach had already recovered enough stamina to raise his blade again. 

“Zenith: Fortress of the Conquerer.” 

The ground began to shake, walls of ice erupted from the ground, creating a palace made of solid ice, towering in the room to the point where the ceiling was beginning to crumble, the top of the mini palace threatening to impale it. I dove out of the way, but something seemed off right away. The palace wasn’t placed directly under me. I heard laughter. 

The cursed one stood above me, kicking me in the ribs, flipping me over to watch the palace of ice, Zach and Panna trapped inside. 

“You shouldn’t have revealed your little healing trick,” he sneered. “Of course we’d target the support-type spellcaster first. Zach’s never been defeated while inside of his palace. And all you can do now is wait, while you watch your comrade meet their end in front of your eyes.” 

Desperately, I ran over, the cursed one not resisting me at all, slamming my fists against the walls of ice, translucent enough as to where I could slightly see the silhouettes inside, loud explosions heard from inside. No matter how hard I tried, the walls would not break. 

I fell to my knees, watching for minutes before the walls fell down on their own, Zach slowly turning around, uninjured. Panna’s body laid on the ground, barely moving. 

“Finish the job,” the cursed one growled.

Zach slowly drew his blade, facing me. I don’t know if it was the slightly smug look on his face, Panna’s motionless body, or the jeers of the cursed one from afar, but everything seemed to be slowly fading away, blue flames erupting from my arms as I got up slowly, flames igniting the entire room. 

I could feel it. A presence. 

“Zenith: Phloginize.” 

Interlude: The Watcher

The power of spellcasters has fluctuated as a mass since the inception of MAGIC in the world. The Pyre Islands represent an anomaly to this situation, as their strict use of MAGIC caused the skill of the rock technique users and fire technique users to remain generally constant. 

Of course, being raised on the continent, Vincent does not follow this rule. As a spellcaster, his MAGIC output is noticeably weaker than most, as his long ranged attacks are lackluster. This is likely due to his father’s weak MAGIC output mixed with the powerful MAGIC output of his mother, a powerful fire type user. 

The blue flames he uses are only possible thanks to his royal lineage, whereas branch family members (who likely exist, but have either gone into hiding on the islands or were killed by rebels) would only be able to harness the standard orange flames. 

Fire, in the end, is a descendant from the original sources of MAGIC, light, and dark, otherwise known as night and day. Each element of MAGIC, even those that have gone extinct over time or have appeared in recent years, derives from the two original forms. Fire leans more towards day, naturally being stronger in the day. It’s inverse, ice, comes from the night, instead. 

Today’s Shadow and Light MAGIC are the closest relatives to the two original forms of MAGIC, which were considerably more powerful than their counterparts today. Whilst Mitas was assumed to be the first to harness MAGIC on the continent, it’s likely that a united mass of land, one in which the islands and the continent, as well as other masses of land, were combined, once existed. The possibility of spellcasters existing on land that is today known as the continent is very likely. 

Night once represented the element of revenge, and Day the element of power. These two elements had presumably existed since the beginning of time as we know it, and with it came a conflict that lasted millennia. The climax to this conflict finished with two important developments: 

1. The wiping out of both families, thus extinguishing the original forms of MAGIC from each. A weaker form was reincarnated into two spellcasters many years later. 
2. The reincarnation of a godly being, the conflict awakening it from its deep slumber.  

The power of spellcasters was much weaker during the period after this great war. However, it is the natural will of MAGIC to return to human hands on its own, thus the reincarnations of those born with the ability to use it. This phenomenon only occurs when there have been no living users of a form of MAGIC for multiple centuries. 

A few notable forms of MAGIC have appeared since the early days of its use. 

-Fire, the descendant of light. 

-Ice, the descendant of night. 

-Lightning, descending from light. 

-Venom, descending from night. 

Many other forms have gone extinct over the many years that it has existing, raising the possibility of a reincarnation in coming years. Elements such as wind, star, and wood have disappeared completely, their last users having lived centuries ago. 

Perhaps, though, the most interesting case is of Mitas’ MAGIC, one that differs from anything else that has ever existed due to the nature that it was granted to him. His MAGIC, representing the element of matter, is the only one to ever use that element. While its use is generally unknown, the ability to rearrange particles of almost anything has been shown on multiple occasions, allowing him to create or destroy objects at seeming will. 

Mitas’ Zenith state was first activated when he awoke to his power, even that enough for him to fully grasp its concept and its use. As if purposely attempting not to use it, in his rare moments of combat he has scarcely activated it at all. 

Act 3: The Book of Life

Part 43

Mitas

I glared intently at the piece of parchment in front of me, my pen lying alone on my desk. No matter how much I willed, my arm would not agree to write. I had noticed that recently; I had a premonition it was guilt for my loss of my older journals. 

I got up, shutting my window and rolling up the scroll neatly, placing it back in my desk along with the other new pieces of parchment Zach had brought me. I had requested them a while ago, telling him that I was gonna try to recount everything I had seen while possessing the scroll. 

It wasn’t fully a lie, but in reality I was attempting to recreate a technique that I had hypothetically created while in the scroll. 

One would assume it would be painful, but whilst in the scroll I was not fully conscious at all moments. By focusing my energy on a single user, I would only be active while the chosen user of the scroll was also active. My original goal with the scroll was to use it as a vessel to keep my physical form alive as long as possible. 

Through my research, I realized that a mortal life is made up of not one, but two cores: The physical and the internal, something you could call a “soul”. The technique used to implant myself in the scroll involved extracting that soul from myself, placing it inside an inanimate object. 

The human soul is delicate, and thus is not able to adapt to anything it’s placed in. The scroll was an easy vessel that the soul was able to adapt to. If I were to try something advanced, such as an animal, it’s possible that its body would reject the soul, causing it to be expelled without an entity to survive in. 

Without something to reside in, the soul extinguishes almost immediately. Even while placing my soul into the scroll, I needed to work with utmost caution to ensure that the transfer went as fast as possible. If I hesitated for even a moment longer, I would have died instantly. 

Years of planning had gone into that decision. For, at the time, I was the only one to use MAGIC on the continent. My mind alone would not be capable of developing it to the point where a longer source of immortality would be possible. 

Through the years, I’ve watched countless fall victim to the power I offered them, going mad or falling to their own greed. My final user, Zach, was an odd one, avoiding using my power outside of select situations. Within him, and multiple others, though, I saw the potential to awaken something that had previously only existed inside myself: The Zenith state. 

I took that as a signal that enough time had passed. Now that I’ve returned to my mortal self, my timer, one that asks me to find the answer to immortality, has restarted. I represent the link between man and god on this world. The entity that gave me my powers, the deity above, has watched over us all, analyzing every move humanity has made. Only through I, can mortals stand up to that being not as a human, but as an equal. 

Until that day arrives, I cannot perish. As the savior of humanity… I have vowed to myself to cross the borders into the next plain of life. 

Part 44

Mitas

I have lost track of time over the many generations I have lived through. Little to nothing remains of the civilization that I once lived in, my nomadic lifestyle carrying me across the continent throughout my life. 

Yet, there was still a single constant, the looming mountain in the center of the land. The obelisk that still gave off the same essence of truthfulness that it had when I had visited it for the first time, admiring the peak, still so far away at the time. 

The peak was thought to be impossible to scale. No one had dared attempt the hike up to that point. Me and my friends had visited there once. 

… 

“It’s incredible.” 

“Isn’t it? I wonder what sort of treasure is waiting up there for us.” 

“None, obviously. Someone would have to be even dumber than you to climb all the way up there just to leave a treasure.”

“I was just asking, geez.” 

“Both of you shut up. Let’s focus on the real task here: Climbing that mountain.” 

“With the resources we have? Not possible. I doubt that thing could even possibly be attempted for centuries.” 

“Too bad… we’ll never get to see that treasure.” 

“Yeah. Maybe in another universe.’ 

“But there is no other universe. This is all we have.” 

“Well, you’re right about that. I suppose we were just born too early.” 

“We’ll see that peak one day, I promise. This is all we have, isn’t it?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Life, you know? It’s just like imagining living before your own birth. It’s just emptiness, is it not? I don’t know if I believe in reincarnation or rebirth, and if that doesn’t exist, there really is nothing left for us after we die.” 

“…” 

“You’re right, but that could be the beauty of it. We get to live.” 

“In the end, maybe this is heaven, after all.” 

… 

Harmin, Leto… 

A light drizzle outside began to fall as I grabbed my coat. It wasn’t too long after that conversation we had set out on the journey that resulted in my awakening. The power given to me by a god. 

MAGIC represents the control that mortal beings have over their surroundings, but also the control that they have over their own emotions. One that is not fully in touch with themselves will never truly be strong. 

I struggled to grasp this concept for years. Only once I found myself face to face with my best friends again, on those dark days that reminded me so much of my childhood, did I really understand what that meant. The power that I have is unlike anyone else’s. I was chosen, spared, for some reason. 

My element of MAGIC is matter. With any physical contact, I can disassemble and reassemble particles in an object. This effectively means I can create and destroy whatever I want to. The only limitation on my power is its range, which limits me to a certain number of objects I can control at once and to a certain distance, and the inability to create or destroy living beings. Naturally, it wouldn’t be as convenient as being able to revive myself after death using my MAGIC somehow. 

I grabbed my hat and stepped outside into the rain, which was quickly picking up. Even in the cloudy morning, it was still bright enough to illuminate the muddy path outside my home. I walked off once more, like I had every day for the last five years. 

This is the only universe that exists. What I can accomplish is limited only to this world.