At a glance, the gate in front of Elias was extremely large, clearly it was not meant to be ordinary and except for residences of the nobility and other greater powers in the city, none could match this gate, it would be strange that such a gate was in front of an orphanage, but when the history of this place was taken into account, everything became clear.
The Stoneward Asylum was an old, decommissioned watchtower at the outskirts of the city, gifted to the Order of the Unbroken Shield, a monastic sect that had worshiped the gods that had once ruled over this land.
Perched on a windswept cliff that hugged the great mountains at the periphery of the city, Elias could not help but see this orphanage like a massive black bird whose legs had been nailed to the ground.
Almost fifteen stories tall, the Stoneward Asylum appeared to have been carved out of the mountain, and its history extended more than a hundred thousand years. It was surely older, but this was all the history available to him as a mortal.
With its sheer size, the structure could hold more than five thousand souls, but now, barely fifteen people resided within, and Elias was included in that number.
The massive gate in front of Elias was too heavy to be pushed open by a Wisp, let alone a mortal like Elias, but there was a small hidden gate by the side of the main entrance, carefully disguised by a small tree with large white leaves.
Elias looked around, and when he was sure that no one was watching him, even though he knew that the chance for such a thing was slight, he pushed past the tree and opened the gate with a key that was tied around his neck.
This key was not just a key, but the only reason he could survive in the Stoneward Asylum as a mortal, because it shielded him fromany unknown energy that was most likely prevalent in a place like this.
The metal Gate opened soundlessly on well-oiled hinges, revealing a passage that held tiny Ember orbs that lit up the area. Usually, there should be a cranky one-legged man sitting here, guarding a post that had never seen an invader for thousands of years, but today it was empty, and Elias wondered if the absence was a result of his last attempt at ascension.
Elias shook his head in amusement. Kaelen, the one-legged man, had a brash and dismissive attitude, quick of wit and of tongue, but he had a soft heart. A lot of the knowledge he could gather was due to Kaelen, who searched for resources that even a mortal like Elias could consume safely. Without him, Elias was sure he would have long been caught and most likely killed.
If there were one person who would laugh at his funeral and cry behind closed doors, it would be Kaelen.
Elias hurried down the long passageway until he got to the stairs that led upward, but he did not take them. By the side of the staircase was a door which he opened to reveal a large compound.
If he had followed the staircase, it would have led him to the upper floors of the orphanage, but Elias was forbidden from entering the orphanage proper until he became a Siphon. The key around his neck could only do so much after all.
There were specific mechanisms inside this old decommissioned watchtower that made having a mortal inside of it a dangerous affair. Elias was sensible enough not to enter a place where he could reveal his secrets by a few careless steps.
This key and the small white card that Elias uses to enter the Warg Carriage were what enabled him to work and live in areas where lesser Siphons would not dare enter. There was a name for them: Veil Keys, and for Elias, they were one of the most precious items on his body.
If he became a Siphon, even as a first-level Wisp, one of the talents he would obtain would be the ability to see Lumina. With this new sight, he would be able to navigate the Stoneward Asylum to an extent, and as he grew stronger, more of its mysteries would be open to him.
You see, one of the reasons he was not interested in the mysteries of the Old Districts was that he knew there were many mysteries in the place he called home, and he wanted to know about them more than anything.
For the majority of his life, Elias had been staying at a small building built at the side of the orphanage. It had four rooms, and over the years, Elias had made this house his home and workshop, where he had kept his mind filled with experimenting with all the knowledge he had acquired.
Reaching the door, Elias was about to open it when a layer of darkness beside it that was no bigger than a foot rippled, and a figure stepped out of it. Elias' eyes widened with shock, and he took three steps back,
"You can stop with the act, Elias. I know you are not afraid."
The figure's voice was deep, and as they stepped out of the darkness into the moon's light, they revealed a man with gray hair and a boyish face.
With his face, he could be mistaken for a youth, but his pale blue eyes spoke of experience that only age could bring. He was dressed all in black, with a brown jacket that reached his knees, with two small axes fastened to his waist. His tall yet athletic figure made him seem like a model, and his eyes, filled with sadness and the weariness of life, gave him a charm that even older women swooned over.
Elias made a half-bow towards the man and he spoke with his voice shaking a bit as if he was recovering from fright, "Damn it Rhys. How can you say I am not afraid?" patting his chest, and making a face of deep anguish, Elias lamented, "My heart is beating a thousand mile a minute and if I fail my upcoming ascension, I have you to blame."
Rhys rolled his eyes, "I can hear your heartbeat, although it is beating hard; there are many things missing. First, your pupils are not dilated, there is no sweat or goosebumps on your skin, and most importantly, your eyes are not wide enough. You have not fully mastered the act of showing fear in them…" as he pointed out all of Elias's apparent flaws, Rhys sighed, "I still have much to teach you, boy."
Elias frowned, and he pointed an accusing finger towards Rhys, "You will have no one to teach if you continue frightening me in this manner and prevent my ascension from happening. I thought you had been forbidden from overt display of your great powers to fragile mortals like me,"
Rhys laughed and clapped his hands, "Good job, Elias, always deflect any suspicion cast upon you and deny as much as you can. Most people would rather see the good in a person and would doubt their instincts. This is where your strength lies, never forget that."
"You are wasting my time, Rhys," Elias brought out his pocket watch and showed its face to Rhys. "I need to prepare for my ascension. Will you take responsibility for my failure?"
Rhys yawned, "Stop twisting your panties around your crotch Elias, you do realize you have balls right? Anyway, come with me, your ascension will not be happening in this tiny hovel of yours," the white-haired man grinned, and as if by coincidence, lightning flashed overhead and it made the eyes of Rhys seemed to glow like blue fire, "You will be making your ascension in the Asylum."