The air atop Lucien's Obsidian Crest hummed faintly, the pulse of the metaphysical plane radiating around him like a heartbeat. The vast twilight stretched endlessly, stars glimmering in impossible spirals, yet Lucien's gaze was fixed somewhere far beyond the peaks. Slowly, he activated his Abyssal Eyes, letting their ethereal depth sweep across the cosmos.
He focused first on Arios, his son. Even from this distance, Lucien could see him training, the small flickers of potential and raw talent emanating from the child's aura. A smile tugged at Lucien's lips. He's growing well. Faster than expected.
His attention shifted next to Selene, lying peacefully in her chambers, her form glowing softly with the life she carried. Lucien's eyes lingered on the gentle curve of her stomach. One month. The thought caused a rare warmth to bloom within him, a feeling beyond omnipotence — a father's pride. He could sense the unborn child, a daughter, her essence already intertwined with the World Tree, a gift not from the fragments of the White but from his own creation. She was already strong, already exceptional.
"Seraphyx," he murmured, closing his eyes and sending his voice through the metaphysical threads, telepathically. How are they?
"Everything is stable, Lord," Seraphyx's calm, melodic tone responded, though he could already feel the echoes of reality herself confirming her words. "They're training, living… the army is as it should be. Everyone is aware of your presence in the Primordial Void."
Lucien allowed himself a soft chuckle. Of course they are. I just wanted to see them anyway.
His gaze returned to Hoshigami, standing on the base of her own peak, her eyes burning with determination even after her humbling encounter with Malthior. Lucien studied her, taking note of every imperfection, every spark of resilience. He could feel her potential surging, the metaphysical energy around her reacting subtly to her presence.
"Good," he muttered, stepping forward so that the ground beneath his feet seemed to respond to his weight, bending and reshaping itself in recognition of his power. "It's time you understand your path."
He gestured, and a training schedule materialized before Hoshigami: floating runes and scripts of instruction, detailing hours for physical conditioning, meditation, aura manipulation, combat drills, and mental exercises. Every section was calibrated to her current strength, designed to push her just enough to grow without breaking her.
"Your schedule will not only strengthen your body and mind," Lucien began, his voice steady and commanding, "but will also teach you how to perceive the world beyond mere sight. Here, in my plane, the metaphysical currents can be harnessed to bend reality in subtle ways. You will learn to manipulate them gradually, in your own time."
Hoshigami's eyes widened. "L-Lord… I-I'll follow… I won't fail you."
Lucien tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Good. But know this — failure isn't a punishment here. It's a guide. Every strike you miss, every spell you fail, teaches you more than success ever could. Malthior tested you to show you where you are, not to break you."
He stepped closer, the immense aura of the merged Primordial Void and Metaphysical Plane radiating around him like a living entity. "Let me tell you a little about myself, Hoshigami. I was once… nothing. A fragment of the White, lost, without purpose. But I learned. I survived. I adapted. Everything you see around you — the peaks, the metaphysical winds, even the stars themselves — is a part of my will. But do not mistake me for a being above all. I am simply… the one who chose to act when the void did not."
Hoshigami nodded slowly, the weight of his words settling into her mind. He isn't just a teacher… he's living proof of what can be achieved if one perseveres.
"And you," Lucien continued, his gaze penetrating, yet not harsh, "will not simply train to become strong. You will learn to understand the nature of reality itself. You will learn to see through the metaphysical, to anticipate and adapt. One day, you may surpass even your own expectations. But never forget — power is meaningless without direction. Control is everything."
He stepped back, letting the winds of the metaphysical plane swirl around him. "For now, your first focus will be simple: mastering your own energy, your aura, and learning to perceive beyond the ordinary. Observe the flow around you. Feel the currents of this plane. They respond to those who are aware enough to notice them."
Hoshigami's expression hardened with resolve. "I understand, Lord. I will train, and I will not disappoint you."
Lucien nodded, satisfied. He raised his hand and allowed a projection of himself as a student to appear beside her, mirroring her stance and form. "I was once like you. Observe me, not just as your teacher, but as someone who walked the path you are about to take. Learn from my movements, my focus, my perception. Even gods… even the God of Void… must learn to control themselves."
For hours, he guided her through meditative practices, spatial awareness exercises, and basic aura manipulations. Each time she stumbled or hesitated, Lucien did not scold her. Instead, he offered insight, showing her how to adjust, how to flow with the metaphysical currents, and how to recognize the subtle threads of causality even in small actions.
Finally, he stepped back, his piercing gaze softening for the first time in the session. "Rest. Absorb what you've learned. Tomorrow, we push further. Remember — the universe is not your enemy. It is a mirror. Learn to read it, and it will teach you more than any master ever could."
Then Lucien's eyes flickered, the Abyssal Eyes catching the faint stirrings in Arios' training, Selene's heartbeat, and the unborn daughter's essence. A quiet smile tugged at his lips. All is well. All is exactly as it should be.
As the metaphysical winds settled around them, the Obsidian Crest pulsed faintly — a reminder of the limitless power that hovered just beyond comprehension, a plane of existence where even the most daring minds could only glimpse shadows of reality. And now, Hoshigami's first step into that vast and unknowable power had begun.