Codex Fragment Omega - "First Sin"
Recovered from the ruined spires of Anspur. Ink was identified as crystallized black blood. No mana resonance. Scholars suspect it predates the Concept of Magic itself.
Recitation past the hour of Dusk is punishable by erasure.
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"Gods who choked on fear
Ye who unsheathed thy swords
Committed thine first sin
O architects of the Veil,
Whose crime stains Existence
Hear what you have wrought.
For the Veil will open once more
Its horrors unbounded
It's Truth no longer silenced."
The blind man yelled defiantly in the Valley of Death.
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"So much to talk about, yet so little time." Her tone was filled with melancholy as she moved towards me. She placed the tip of her finger on my forehead, her nail painfully tearing apart my skin.
My scream soon resonated throughout the world, causing it to tremble, as I felt the different forms of Knowledge fill my head. Some were visions, some were forbidden, but most were about Aether. My mind went blank, my face was in pain, and blood was seeping down from my eyes.
I swiped my hands across my face, my face slowly contorted into one filled with horror as I saw something no living being should have: my blood. It was not red, nor did it possess the smell of blood. Of something that is 'alive'.
No, it was entirely black, and it bore no scent. My arms tried to move her hands away, but the pain was unbearable, and soon I fell onto my knees, the world trembling as I noticed the silver storm closing in. I forced my face to turn towards Nyth, only realizing that she was slowly fading out of existence.
"I am sorry, Aly, you are our youngest brother, yet this is all we can do for you. Bear with the pain and survive to see us," her final words finally reached me as she faded out of existence.
The world around me by then had started to crumble, the silver storm itself slowly turning hazy yet still moving towards me. Eventually, it swallowed me, and for the first time, I felt truly at peace, as if I was untouchable within the storm.
Before I knew it, I had woken up, the light of the sun beaming through the windows of my small room. My sheets were covered in sweat, and there was a nasty scent lingering in the air, making my face scrunch up in disgust.
I slowly made my way to the windows and opened them, letting the fresh morning air drift into my room. I lazily glanced outside, my mind unable to focus on the scenery. My mind was still reeling from the pain and shock I had received from the gift. But even with that, my mind felt clear, as if reborn. If previously I had doubted my sister's word, then by now I had no choice but to accept reality.
My family was real. They were alive. And I will find them at all costs, but for now, I am too weak. I needed to prepare for my first trial and get into Stormveil, for that was the only way I could grow strong reliably.
I had so much to do. But I felt confident, and for the first time in my life, I was not alone. I will blossom and morph into something beautiful, just like a Silver Monarch.
"My family will guide me to them," I whispered.
"And I shall become strong enough to meet them"
No matter what.
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Back in the orphanage, the atmosphere had changed drastically after the Ceremony.
The kids seemed to have segregated themselves into different groups. Their vastly different powers had forced them into various groups. It was quite a tragic sight. They had once coexisted peacefully, but now numerous groups fought and bickered daily, and the poor nuns had been overwhelmed.
'Thank god the saintess herself is here,' Torren thought to himself as he made his way towards a group of three.
He sat down beside Alyssia, who had caught the attention of the church itself. He had managed to confess his feelings to her and was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to date him; however, it was still a pretty awkward affair between the two.
Torren, the blessed one of Viridis, had been absorbed in his training and spent most of his time studying the blade, and Alyssia was practically the same. The saint had decided to take it upon herself to teach Alyssia the ways of the light. It was fair to say her training had been harsh, but Alyssia had been doing her best, for she knew it was a rare opportunity.
"Whenever you two are together, the atmosphere is always quite awkward," Oscar sneered.
Mark, who was quietly reading a book on mana, finally spoke.
"Why are you still here, Oscar? Weren't you supposed to leave by now?" he said, half annoyed.
"That's none of your business. My father is just late…" Oscar replied calmly.
The orphanage had been tirelessly preparing for the Count's arrival, and the flag of his fiefdom decorated the orphanage. One that depicted a snake being killed by a sword.
Alyssia found it quite funny that the soon-to-be child of Count Ravenheart, a man famed for his bravery and loyalty, had turned out to be a snake. One that the god of deceit had even blessed.
"How ironic…" she giggled aloud.
Torren opened his mouth slowly and was about to say something when suddenly he was interrupted by the noise of thundering hooves. The gates of the academy opened, and slowly a carriage bearing the mark of a serpent revealed itself, surrounded by mounted knights.
Count Ravenheart had finally reached the orphanage.
"Ah, finally, I can leave this stupid place. I hope you three commoners won't miss me too much…" Oscar joked.
Torren hid his surprise quickly and sneered back at Oscar, a smile filled with annoyance visible on his face.
"Why would we miss you? We are all going to the academy after all, have you forgotten?"
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Aly was utterly oblivious to the scene in the orphanage, and he was currently making his way to the sewers of the city. He had long left the house of Aunt Grace, leaving only a short note explaining that he would be gone for a week or two.
He had thought long and hard about where he should conduct his trial, and he soon realized he did not have a single place where he could feel safe enough to cast the spell. Eventually, he concluded that the only safe space was the city's sewers.
He knew, thanks to the knowledge gifted by Nyth, that time flowed differently inside the trials and that he had to find a safe place, for if he died under the trial, his energy would grow rampant until eventually exploding, damaging his surroundings.
He did not want to hurt Grace, and she must not know that he was no longer human.