After learning to properly read, Eldric did everything he could to find a way back to his world. He researched endlessly, day and night. Studying everything from what little science there was to be found, to meticulously learning about Vael, the official name for the Valtherrean faith.
He read through all its scriptures, even visiting the sacred temples scattered throughout Sickle alongside Miss Hargette. Yet, despite all his effort, there was nothing to be found about Migrathis—the act of prematurely abandoning one's life for another.
He had to keep his curiosity about the subject carefully hidden behind the guise of a naive, inquisitive child. The mere mention of such an idea was enough to place one under suspicion of heresy. Men and women of faith dismissed his questions, either scolding him for asking or warning him not to ponder on such dangerous thoughts.
Eldric hurried back to the inn, Elaine's hand firmly in his. He weaved through the crowded streets in silence, expression grim. His sister looked confused but stayed quiet, sensing her brother's sudden change in mood.
When the inn came into view, he released her hand. Out back, Draven could be seen practicing again, this time with a blade better suited to his size. It seemed he'd taken his younger brother's advice, though Eldric paid it little mind.
Inside, he greeted his mother and Miss Hargette, forcing a smile and doing his best to appear like a child still starstruck from the festival. His mother, however, saw through him immediately.
"Are you alright, sweetie? Did something happen?"
Eldric shook his head, trying to reassure her. "No, everything's fine. I'm just a little tired from the festival, that's all."
Before she could press further, he excused himself and headed upstairs to the room he shared with his siblings. There was no time to waste, he needed to find those writings, and the Garrison wouldn't stay in the city forever.
He sat on his bed, thinking. After a moment, the sheer absurdity of his plan hit him. When put into simple words, it was downright insane.
He had to infiltrate the most powerful military force on the continent, find out where they kept their spoils, steal from them, and get away unnoticed—all while surrounded by soldiers who could probably kill him by sneezing too hard in his general direction.
Eldric sighed and rubbed his temples. "Why does it all have to be so difficult?"
His time in Sickle had cemented a harsh truth, knowledge was power. And like all power, it had to be earned. Every scrap of insight he'd gained came only after months of tedious research and effort. And it wasn't like Eldric was a particularly studious person.
'I dropped out of middle school, for god's sake.'
But this wasn't about grades anymore. It was about going home—to his family, to Alex.
His expression softened. "Alex…"
That was right. That's what he was fighting for. So what if he had to bulldoze through a bunch of magical dweebs? He'd find a way. And if he didn't—well, death was nothing new.
"Though… I'd rather avoid that outcome," he muttered, remembering how unpleasant dying the first time around was.
He took a deep breath and refocused. 'Alright. What tools do I have at my disposal?'
His phasing ability was essential. It would let him slip into the Garrison's mansion, assuming that's where they kept their valuables, without using the front door. He could even hide within the walls themselves if needed.
His stigmata also negated the need for stairs, upon deactivation, it always placed him on top of whatever object he happened to be submerged within. If he managed find a foothold, he could phase into the ceiling and ascend to the next floor.
Then there was his passive ability to slow down whenever he fell. It didn't seem to have any immediate use, but maybe it'd come in handy somehow.
Those were his main advantages. The downside? The Sigiled were far from ordinary. Even without trying, their sheer presence distorted the air around them. Eldric could feel it himself, the quiet pressure that came from being in the same city as so many powerful beings. Their senses were also sharp, far beyond his own. But that might also work in his favor.
Every single soldier in the Garrison was at least a Bearer of the Sigil, if not even higher ranked. In a place brimming with power, his faint aura would likely be drowned out by theirs. He didn't know exactly how finely tuned their perception was compared to his, but in a force of a hundred thousand warriors, one insignificant Acolyte wouldn't stand out, hopefully.
And then there was his greatest advantage.
Eldric was a child. A poor, slum-born commoner. There was nothing more harmless, more easily dismissed, than that.
Even if he was caught, he could always feign innocence, just a curious boy drawn in by the grandeur of Valtherra's protectors.
Judging by how the soldiers mingled freely with both nobles and peasants, they didn't seem to look down on commoners much anyway. The same couldn't be said for the nobles, who'd probably execute him for breathing the same air as them.
Sitting alone in the dark room, a small grin crept across Eldric's face, hidden by the shadows. 'Okay… this seems doable.'
Still, it wasn't like he could just phase into the Garrison's base tomorrow. He'd need to stake it out first. Observe their routines, figure out how many were stationed where and when, maybe overhear a loose-lipped soldier bragging about the mansion's layout. It would take time... a day or two, maybe more.
He wasn't sure how long the Garrison planned to stay, but for now, he had some breathing room. The city's narrow streets and heavy crowds were slowing their advance, keeping them from getting too far beyond the walls.
At their current pace, they'd reach the palace in four or five days. That gave Eldric maybe three days at most to pull off his heist, before the Sigiled army moved into the noble districts. And once they reached that part of the city, there'd be no chance.
Commoners weren't even allowed near the gates, and worse yet, Eldric's phasing didn't work on the strange material that composed the nobles' walls. It resisted him completely, just like when he tried to phase through living beings.
"Come to think of it… couldn't the carriage's walls be made of the same stuff?"
It was something he'd have to test during the stakeout, among other things.
Eldric took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "Alright. I'll figure out the details tomorrow."
He was just about to lie down and turn in for the day, when a thought struck him. "Oh right… the grimoire."
Groaning softly, Eldric got up and went to light the torch in the corner of the room. The small flame flickered to life, chasing away the shadows and revealing the cramped bedroom's features. He sat back down on the thin mattress and stretched out his hand.
With a single thought, the grimoire appeared out of thin air. It was the third time he'd summoned it, yet the process was still as strange as ever.
The book settled neatly in his palm. He turned to the first page and pressed a finger to a particular word. "Let's hope this works."
He poured Ether into the text, willing it to respond, and respond it did. The pages began to flutter at a blinding pace, becoming little more than a blur of white.
Eldric grinned at the sight of his success. "Alright!"
The flurry soon ceased, revealing a page inked with the same eerie lettering as before, letters that seemed almost alive, ready to tear free from the parchment. Yet this time, they pulsed more vividly, as though the strange ink had found its natural element.
The page read:
{{ [Stigma]
[Voidborne:
Your heart has been consumed by nothingness. The void enthrones itself within your chest, where the pulse of life dares to dwell. In your wake lingers only erasure, a silence that devours matter itself.
Existence hesitates to touch you, for you are both the end and the absence that follows it. You are the being of void—an eternal hush that consumes the symphony of presence.] }}
Eldric blinked, his expression contorting between disbelief and horror. "Am I... some kind of demon? What the hell do you mean 'the void enthrones itself in your chest'?! I never agreed to that!"
He shook his head, brushing away the creeping dread that threatened to settle in. The page hadn't ended yet, and curiosity pushed him onward.
{{ [Stigmata]
[Nihilic Veil:
You deny the boundaries of the world and the weight of its matter, abandoning existence itself. Flesh, stone, and steel yield before you, parting as shadows before light.
Only those whose will rivals your own may withstand your passing. The rest dissolve in silence, their substance faltering against the sovereignty of nothingness.] }}
Eldric exhaled slowly. "Okay… that's a little less ominous."
At least now, he had a better grasp of how his powers worked. He tapped into this so-called void—and during that time, he ceased to exist. Not exactly the most comforting thought. However, he could only pass through objects that had a weaker "will" than his own", whether this referred to Ether, or something other, was beyond him.
He dismissed the grimoire with a flicker of light and lay back on his bed. Tomorrow would bring long days and longer nights.
Still feeling a little unsettled, the big bad being of void decided to keep the lights on.