Consciousness returned as I opened my eyes with a breathy sigh. Light seeped through the closed curtains of the room in which I awoke. Blinking slowly, I sat up as I pushed the velvety soft blankets off my body. They were a pale blue and lined with white thread. The bed felt like a cloud as I laid on it.

Looking around, I took in my current residence. It was a large room, I'm guessing approximately fifteen feet from wall to wall and twelve feet tall. It was also painfully empty, save for the bed. The bed I was sitting on seemed to be Queen-sized with a black canopy attached to the frame, encompassing me in a vaguely grey-white sheet that restricted most of the light reaching me. The blanket had a soft velvety feel that trailed gently along my skin as I pushed the blanket further off me and climbed out of bed. Parting the veil, I stepped onto the cold stone floor, shivering at the contact on my bare feet. Glancing down, I realized that I was no longer wearing my clothes from earlier, but a pair of cloth pants that fell to the middle of my shins with a rope wrapped around my waist. A white linen T-shirt was all that I had as a top.

Turning my attention to my surroundings, I frowned as I saw that my room was bare, just formed from stone, with no furniture, save for my bed. There was a single window on the left side of the room. Well, it was more like a rectangular hole in the wall, that pointed out into what a vast white expanse into nothingness.

"The hell…" I murmured as I approached the window, ignoring the biting cold that dug into the soles of my feet. When I came within arm's reach, though, the stone seemed to sizzle and bubble, widening the hole where a window would rest. The sill of the window dipped downwards and downwards until it finally reached the floor, before solidifying and becoming a doorway more than accommodating for me to pass through unhindered. I regarded it with the wariness one would a rabid animal.

I stopped when the stone ceased its movements, frowning as I considered my next options. "Well…no use wasting time." I sucked in a breath and strode through the opening. As I did, white light exploded in front of me, forcing me to close my eyes in surprise. I took a step back as I raised my hand, covering my face. Seconds passed where it felt like the entire world had frozen, then…

A gentle breeze kissed the bare skin of my hand and arm, causing me to open my eyes. An endless empty field of green grass and vast clear skies, as far as the eye could see, greeted me as I stood there. The flowing blades of grass tickled the soles of my feet as I stepped forward. I turned my head and froze as I saw that the building I had exited was gone. Looking around, I took in my change in surroundings filled a sense of trepidation and…hope. "Caged…no longer."

"Truly. No such statement better exemplifies the Ruler we're meant to become." A woman's refined voice caused me to twist around surprise, my hands clenching in case I had to fight. She was on the shorter side, the top of her head barely reaching my chin, but she held herself with pride. She was svelte with tightly braided-hair as black as the night sky with blue eyes as bright as the blue sky above us. Lightly tanned skin, unmarred by time, contrasted her well-worn, but perfectly maintained armor. Her lips curled in an amused smirk, eyes sparkling with secretive mischief and conceit. She wore a gown of steel, leather, and chainmail, parted on the left side to reveal a slender leg clad in a silver greave. Fingerless, leather-gloved hands rested on her belted hips, argent vambraces glinting in the sunlight. Folded leather hung from the front of her neck, and a lowered hood rested behind her head. Upon her chest was a segmented chest plate, though only her left shoulder was covered, leaving the right just showing chainmail over black leather. She bore no weapons, though a part of me knew that she could bare steel at any moment.

"No more bars, no more walls, no more chains!" The woman's smile widened into a grin as she crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. "Ha! I'll embrace this belief; this single-minded delusion, as if it were my own." Her eyes glinted with unconditional approval. "Yes. I accept with every fiber of my being. My hopes, my dreams, my ambitions. I shall give them to you, my Deigned Proxy."

I furrowed my brow at her, unable to keep the scowl from appearing on my face. This woman's…arrogance was grating on my nerves, something fierce. "What are you talking about?"

The woman let out a proud laugh, baring her teeth impatiently. "Freedom. Self-determination. Desire. All the things that you want are finally within reach. The ultimate question is this: what are you willing to do for it?"

I didn't answer her. Instead, I just met her gaze with my own, matching my silence with her proud exuberance.

She wasn't disappointed by my lack of an answer; her smile widened as her eyes glistened with excitement. The woman moved, slowly walking to the side, gradually encircling me as she never took her eyes off me. "You stand at a precipice of choice, where a single decision can shape the very path you're meant to take. What will you do? Where will you go? Who will you discard?"

I scowled at her. "So it's part of my destiny to push my friends aside?" I practically spat the word, showing my distaste not for the word, but also for the idea it represented.

The woman's expression darkened, quite literally so. Bright blue eyes shifted from soft sky blue to frenzied midnight, glaring off to the side; her grin transformed from one of excitement to a veneer of contained fury and disgust. Her final step ended into an earth-shaking stomp, sending vibrations through my body. Still, I did not move. "Destiny is a word for the weak-minded and soft-hearted fools who know nothing more than the chains of expectations." Her eyes turned onto me, a frantic fervent silent demand present in them. She bared her teeth and clenched her hands into a pair of fists, knuckles cracking from the force of her clench. "Stand above that, my Proxy, and show the world you are the champion of your Fate and not some trumped up poem!" She lifted her hands and punched a fist into her open palm, eliciting an echoing crash that reverberated throughout the open field. "No. Your destiny is to tear your freedom from the hands of the cold, dead fools who believe that they can control you."

I felt a rush of adrenaline as I listened to her words. Not from fear. No from anxiety. Not from dread. But…from excitement. Her words struck a chord within my chest, causing my breaths to come out quick, but silent. Such a feeling, such a sensation. "Who are you?"

Her smile shifted once more, like flowing, molten steel, to a noble mien. "I am the Dominion of all that stands before me. The Commander of all that which upon these hands touch." She lifted her hands, opening them as she grasped mine. "My hands are yours, just as yours are mine." She turned her head to the side, gazing into the distance. The air around us, the gentle breeze, began to pick up, to whip our loose clothing. "It is our ambition to stand above all, to enlighten the ignorant masses of our dominance. It is our inevitable end to sit upon the throne and guide those below us. It is our drive to uphold those who wish to strive for more than what they can hold in their hands." She looked back to me, eyes once again a bright, sky blue. The sky rumbled and shook, thunder echoing from a distance. "There are those who wish to use us. Use us to control those who would leash us." Her grip on my hands tightened. "Disavow them of that notion. Teach them our might. Our Dominion."

A weight settled upon my shoulders when she said that — a not unwelcome burden.

"Your name…it is Dominion." I did not ask but stated. The moment I said that the air froze, the sky emptying of sound and noise.

‘Dominion’ smiled in pride, looking up to me with eyes that swam with emotion I could not read. "Our hands are hands that are meant to command that which must be practiced in others. Such commands are those that are limited by the wielder's strength. Our skill is without match, without loss. Our might is driven by that which we wield. Our Dominion is held aloft by that which our hands rest upon." She looked down at our entwined hands.

I followed her gaze and froze at what I saw. She no longer wore her armor. She was no longer clad in steel, in leather, in chainmail. She wore an ankle length dress of linen and cloth, a silver corset around her slender chest. Her black hair was flowing freely behind her, falling to her waist. Her smile was proud, firm, and unmoved; a bastion of immovable will and overwhelming determination, telling me that it was her who exuded strength, not the armor she formerly donned.

In place of my cloth and linen clothing, I wore her armor. Silver and black greaves covered my legs and feet, flexible and powerful joints at the knees and ankles — a leather belt with an empty sheath and a new, white belt buckle. My arms were clad in segmented steel, held together by chainmail over a pair of leather bracers, shimmering with sterling vambraces, glistening regally in the gleaming sunlight. I wore a formfitting leather vest, with a silver chainmail cowl and a sterling chest-plate.

The weight was noticeable, but not as overbearing as I'd expect armor like this to be. I looked to ‘Dominion’ in surprise to see a gentle pride in her soft blue gaze. "How…?"

"Your resolve has captured the attention of my austere and royal self. My power is your power, as your ambitions are my ambitions. Your dreams, your hopes, your desires. I will give you the tools to reach them, but it will up to you to bring them to the light." She pulled her hands from mine and stepped back, her bare feet sliding silently along the flat plain of grass. "You are to be the Master of your Fate. The Captain of your Soul." She clenched her hand tight enough for her knuckles to crack audibly and held it aloft in front of her. "The Driving Force to bring about change to both of your Worlds." ‘Dominion’ opened her hand, revealing a floating orb of light. It illuminated her face as her eyes lifted to meet mine. "Rise and scoff at those who would shackle you, my Proxy. Show the world that you are greater than their greatest Champion." Her eyes narrowed as her smile widened, baring her teeth to the world. "Never lose yourself to fear, my Proxy. For while this may be the first, last and only time we meet, remember that I will always be standing at your side."

As she said that, the world around me began to dissolve, to dim, to break apart before my eyes. It was like a string being pulled from fabric, unraveling rapidly, uncontrollably. The vast plains vanished into the white expanse of nothingness until it came to an unnoticeable crawl at a five-foot radius around us. Despite that, ‘Dominion's’ tone remained firm and unmoving, an immovable object amid unstoppable progress. "No matter the paths you take, the goals you strive for, the choices you make, I, Dominion, shall always embrace you as my own, my Proxy." Her intense gaze softened as she looked to me.

"Because, Joseph Blaine, you are the man I chose to carry my will as your own. The man I chose to embody our victory." Her smile turned soft, gentle. Almost motherly. "I eagerly await to hear how your story unfolds." The unraveling finally reached her, starting at her feet and echoed upwards. Like leaves, ‘Dominion's’ body began to break apart and fall into nothingness.

The last thing I heard before everything went white, and I lost consciousness once more was. "I wish you a happy, eventful life, my Beloved Proxy, Joseph Blaine."

----------------------------------------

I sat up quickly, gasping almost frantically as I tried to catch my breath. Looking around, I took in my simple room. It was relatively small, with a small bedside table next to my bed's headboard. There rested a wooden dresser that stood at waist height for me a little desk across from it and a chair in front of it. The bed I sat upon was small, twin-size, with a red blanket and white sheets. Turning to the side, I stepped onto the soft carpet next to my bed. Standing, I realized that I was still in my clothes from before.

Brushing the honest confusion aside, I walked over to the window next to my bed. Squinting at the light that peeked through the black curtains, I reached forward and pushed them aside. Bright sunlight peered into my room, illuminating it.

"How long was I out?" I murmured to myself as I grimaced, rubbing my face. I couldn't fight the feeling that I had a dream but couldn’t recall it. Shaking my head, I stepped away from the window and allowed the curtains to fall back. I walked over to where I saw my shoes and pulled them on and went above to the door. Opening it, I walked into a narrow marble hallway and shut the door behind me. Looking around, I took in the long hall and the various entryways that held them.

The sound of voices and clanging steel in the distance caught my attention. A part of me wondered if that meant something terrible was happening, but then I remembered that I had fallen unconscious while within the DeVere Castle Keep. With that thought in mind, I began to head in the direction of the sounds. As I walked down the hall, though, a young woman dressed in a long black skirt, a white long sleeve shirt and dark brown vest with a white bonnet atop her head stepped from around the corner, carrying a wooden bucket. Upon seeing me, her green eyes widened in surprise. "Sir Blaine, you've finally awakened?" Before I answered, she smiled happily. "That's great. I assume the potion worked for you then?"

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"Yeah…" I looked down at my hand, feeling something had changed about it. "I suppose so." I murmured, more to myself than to her. Then, shaking my head, I looked to the woman. "Where is everyone?"

"They have joined Her Highness's chosen knights to begin training." She explained, motioning for me to follow. I did, and she continued to explain it to me as we walked towards an exit at the end of the hall. "After your unfortunate collapse, Her Highness located temporary rooms for you and the rest of the Heroes. You've been resting for an entire day, and the rest of them have begun training with Knights specially chosen by Her Highness." She paused and studied me. "Are you hungry, Sir Blaine? You've slept for such a long time, and they said you did not eat much beforehand."

I hummed as I considered her words. Then I nodded. "Yeah. I'll get something to eat first. Would you be willing to show me the way?" I paused, then added, "What is your name, by the way?"

The woman smiled kindly. "Beatrice. And I would gladly do so, Sir Blaine."

After having eaten, fruits and a few strips of jerky, since the cooks weren't preparing anything, and I didn't want to raise a fuss, I followed Beatrice towards a wide-open field. In the distance, I could see people milling about, some holding weapons, some talking with one another, and others trading arms. As we reached them, Beatrice inclined her head to me. "I believe you can go the rest of the way on your own, Sir Blaine. I still have the rest of my daily duties to fulfill."

I nodded. "I can. Thank you, Beatrice." She gave me a small smile and turned around. Continuing my way towards my class, I couldn't help the feeling of déjà vu as I walked through this open field. Even the high walls of the keep in the distance made me feel a little trapped, but I was able to ignore it.

Upon getting closer, one of the people there caught sight of me. Kacee's dark brown eyes widened, and I could see the relief flow freely from her. A small smile came from her before her expression darkened. She began to stalk towards me, catching the attention of the others. "Joseph Blaine, you have some damn nerve to come here after what you did yesterday." Her tone was deceptively kind and only slightly murderous.

I only offered her a shrug, smiling ever so lightly. "You have to admit; you feel somewhat the same, don't you?"

That caused her to pause, her expression becoming pensive before she steeled herself. "That still doesn't excuse what you did." She finally reached me, crossing her arms with a frown. I didn't answer her immediately, causing her to sigh. "Come on then. Do you have any idea what your Affinity is now?"

I furrowed my brow at her words. "I don't…" Lifting my hands, I stared at them as they clenched loosely. "Maybe… I should try to test something out."

Kacee frowned but nodded nonetheless. "Well then, let's get you introduced to those training us. Perhaps they have an idea." She turned and motioned for me to follow. We approached the group, who had stopped what they were doing to watch us.

As we did, Luke jogged over to me. He still looked the same, but there was a leather sheath attached to the waist of his pants. He gave me a playfully sarcastic look. "I see you're still alive, Joey."

"Sorry to disappoint," I said dryly, smiling despite myself.

The three of us watched a bear of a man with a short, trimmed beard approach us. He wore primarily loosely worn leather, with a giant sword resting on his back. He wore a pair of gloves, but bandages were sticking out the wrist of the left. He grinned down at me, crossing his thick arms with a laugh. "So, this is the ‘pigheaded idiot' that was left behind. How was your Awakening, Sir Hero?"

I gave Kacee and Luke a look at the words the man said to me, shaking my head at their even stares. "I don't…remember anything. Did it even work?"

The man snorted, giving me an amused look. "Oh, it worked. There is weight about you, unlike your fellow Heroes. You feel more like a resident of Verum than your fellows do." His mouth widened into a grin. "Even amongst the people of Veritas's Royal Guard, the amount of power you exude is extraordinary. Whatever your Affinity, it must be powerful." Waving a hand forward, he motioned for me to follow. "Come. I can at least use your new appearance to help with a new lesson for the rest of the Heroes."

Our group finally reached everyone else, and the rest of my class swiftly crowded me. But before anyone could begin the inevitable onslaught of questions, Mr. Lethe strode forward. His very presence was enough to silence everyone before they could start. He studied me, his expression masked. A breath escaped him as he exhaled. "How do you feel?"

I paused, opening my mouth to reply but unable to find the words. Then I closed my mouth and closed my eyes.

…caged, no longer…

"Finally, free," I said with a small smile, even as a hauntingly familiar weight pressed down on my shoulders.

His gaze turned flinty, but he nodded nonetheless. "Can I trust you not to do something like that again?"

"Hopefully." I offered him, my gut telling me not to promise him fully.

Exhaustion settled on his features as he rested a hand on his face. "You were nowhere near this difficult earlier." He murmured to himself. Then he set his shoulders. "I suppose I shouldn't expect too much, considering how far from home we are." He looked around the rest of the class. "Save the questions for later. Right now, we're still getting into the swing of practice." He looked back over to me. "Are you up for it?"

"Yeah." I wasn't tired, despite just getting up. I felt tensed and ready, wanting to jump right into doing something. "I want to do it."

"Ha! That's what I like to hear." The knight slapped me on the back, and I took a step forward to keep on my feet. Something was forced into my hands as everyone began to step back and clear up room for the man and me. "You may call me Geoffrey, and I was asked to get all of you into shape and ready for whatever comes your way." He pointed to the object in my hands. "I've given you a sword, now let's see if we get you up to snuff, boy."

I narrowed my eyes at him, catching the slight condescension in his tone. My lips pursed as I undid the wrap on the sword. Dropping the cloth to the ground, I studied the weapon. It was a simple looking weapon with a one-handed grip and blade that was around sixteen inches long. The hilt was well-worn, and the guard was short. It was weighty, though it didn't feel overwhelming. Grabbing the grip with my right hand, I grasped the sheath and pulled them apart. A faint hiss of steel greeted me as I unsheathed the sword.

When the sword came out entirely, I felt a tingle race up my arm. My eyes widened as I stared at my reflection in the steel. Closing my eyes, I released a calming breath and lowered the sword in my hand. Then I opened my eyes and looked towards the amused looking Geoffrey. "Well, boy, are you just going to stand there? We can't stay here the whole day-"

I was right in front of him, the edge of my sword singing towards his side. The man's eyes widened in surprise as he swiftly countered, pushing my sword away with a grunt. My body moved on its own, retaliating immediately. I pulled the sword back and aimed at his other side. Geoffrey deflected that attack too. He brushed my lunge aside, but I followed up by twisting my body and swinging my sword to matching the motion. He grunted beneath the force of my attack as he blocked it.

I narrowed my eyes at him, just as his own widened. Leaning forward ever so lightly, I pushed myself to go farther, faster. My sword cried for victory as I began to attack in earnest. A skill I had no clue I held was present as I attacked with my longsword. Strikes moved as fast as my body allowed, aiming at many different openings I found in my opponent's stance. I spun and lashed out time and time again, steel clashing with steel in a macabre melody. My feet slid and stepped along the flat terrain, practically dancing around the larger man.

I continued to probe his defenses with my blade; my attention focused on finding an opening as I allowed my body to act on its own. The knowledge I had no clue I held flowed through my conscious thoughts, feeding me the information I needed to perform correctly. My muscles burned as I steadily moved, my thoughts racing as I tried to think my way through the battle. It was a pleasant burn, one that told me that I was making progress, yet still nowhere near my limit.

Geoffrey's expression was intense as he continued to hold me back, yet neither of us gave or took ground. We were stationary, slowly maneuvering around one another. He the immovable object and me the unstoppable force assaulting his form nigh unendingly. Our swords sang the song of battle, cutting through the air without remorse. I couldn't fight the smile that appeared on my face, the exhilarating freedom I felt from this duel sending chills down my spine.

Continuous motions, swords diverted with every swing, no direct clashes of steel. Nigh perfect footing allowed me to practically dance around the knight's stable form as I continued to search for an opening in his guard. Seeing a hitch in a step, I caught sight of him taking action back and was about to capitalize, but-

I leaped back, inhaling and exhaling as I felt a sharp pinch deep in my chest. My lungs constricted as I slid along the ground. Dropping to my knees, I allowed the sword to fall freely from my hand as I reached into the pockets of my pants. Finding what I was looking for, I pulled out my inhaler and shaking it frantically, I put the inhaler between my lips and took a shot of it. Chilled air flew into my airways and opened them as I allowed my body to relax. Tenseness settled into my body as my actions caught up with me. Disbelief ran through me.

How in the hell was I able to do that?!

A childish giddiness quickly replaced disbelief as I tried to fight back the excited smile that threatened to grow on my face.

Breathing deeply, I slid my inhaler back into my pocket and looked around to see my class and Geoffrey staring at me in disbelief. Then he threw his head back and let out a deep belly laugh, lowering his sword arm. I blinked owlishly at him, thrown off by his sudden exuberance.

At the same time, off to the side, I couldn't help but notice that the rest of my class were just as shocked as I was, though there were reacting quite differently from the knight across from me.

A shock was ever-present amongst all of them, though there was an inquisitiveness within it.

Amongst them, though, there were a few different reactions, beyond the apparent shock and awe.

Luke was the first to gather himself; his expression becoming masked as a deep regard came over him. Was that jealousy I saw for a moment? At least before he shook his head? His gaze honed in on me with an unusual attentiveness, calculated as he looked to Geoffrey, then back to me.

Kacee was next. Her eyes were narrowing as she studied me, then the sword at my feet. Then her eyes widened, as if in realization.

Rudy's lethargy vanished as he straightened his posture and lasered his focus directly onto me, his fingers twitching as if reaching for something.

Amber showed shock; her mouth fell open for a second before she shut it and grinned excitedly.

Mitsuki frowned in concentration, her dark eyes flickering amongst me, the sword and Geoffrey, before a subtle realization settled on her face.

Before I could see how the others reacted, the sound of clapping caught my attention. Turning the source, I saw that it was the princess and her two guards from before. She was wearing a more casual form of her dress, which fell to a little below her knees, revealing her black raised-heel boots. Emelina's expression was excited and proud, bearing her perfect white teeth in a triumphant grin. Her knights were still in their armor. They were studying me with an intensity that made me want to pick up the sword at my feet once more.

"Such skill. Such talent. Never in all years have I seen anyone use a sword with such ability after picking it up for the first time." Emelina gushed, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "This was the first time, yes?"

I nodded to her, picking up the sword as I stood up straight. "Never held one before in my life." I looked down at it, my hand clasped loosely, but firmly, on the hilt.

"A martial Affinity, then, Your Highness?" Valeri said, both to Emelina and to me, indirectly.

"I wouldn't make that claim, yet, Valeri." Kara demurred, looking over to Geoffrey. "Hey, oaf, enough guffawing and let us know your thoughts." Though her words were coarse, her tone was light and kind.

The man snorted at the end of his laughter, giving Kara a dry look. "His skill was unparalleled." He stated as if saying that water was wet. His gaze fell to me, brow raising when I didn't react to his praise. "However, they were light. Far too light than they should have been for someone of that skill level." He frowned, sheathing his sword before crossing his arms and resting his chin on a hand. "Regular drills won't work for you, Sir Blaine. Oh no…" His expression turned playfully anticipatory. "What you need is physical conditioning, Sir Blaine. Stamina, strength, and agility. If you can get those anywhere close to the level of an average knight of Veritas, then you very may well take the rank of the greatest knight from the King's guard."

That caused a frustrated hiss to escape Emelina; her look narrowing onto a playfully amused Geoffrey. Even Valeri and Kara stiffened, though they weren't focused on the knight, on me instead. The princess huffed at him, squinting at the man before she shook her head. "We're not getting into this here, Earl­ Geoffrey." She turned from him with a jerk of her head, before looking to me, her regard softening. "Sir Joseph, how…do you feel about this?"

I took in her question and looked down at the sword I held. It fits in my grasp awkwardly, I just realized. It felt off-center and…incomplete. As I shifted my grip, I couldn't help but frown at the light chafe against my palm. Shaking my head, I looked over to Emelina's concerned and curious expression and wondered my answer. A part of me wanted to make a quip and play off just how out-of-my-depth I felt, but another part…

"I need to get better," I stated, causing her to nod in understanding. As she was about to answer, though, I spoke again. "But I need to know why." She looked to me in confusion. "Summon us. Why?"

Emelina and the three knights stilled, their expressions turning blank. I tensed as I noticed, my heartbeat beginning to pick up as I tightened the grip on my sword. I was still reeling from my earlier exertion, the adrenaline that I felt earlier came roaring back, but I would keep fighting if necessary, regardless of my weakness. I kept my eyes on the princess but made sure that Geoffrey was still in my periphery.

"There is…" Emelina began in a subdued voice. "An inevitability that will come to pass." She said, eyes closing with a grimace. "Thankfully, Veritas has been in an era of peace. War has been almost nonexistent, though there has been the occasional skirmish along the borders." As she spoke, Valeri's masked gaze was locked onto me, as if waiting. In my periphery, I noticed that Geoffrey was the same. Kara’s was staring at me; head cocked to the side and hand resting on her sheathed sword. At that moment, I realized that I had not relaxed from my ready stand. "With my birth, however, there have been rumors that this peace may soon come to an end."

I forced myself to relax, despite my instincts demanding otherwise for some reason. "How so?" As I did, the two knights did as well, though they never looked away from me.

"For generations, the DeVere Royal Family has only given birth to male heirs. However, when I came into the world, a shift was felt within the world. It was as if the ambient energy of the world was being siphoned away by some unknown force as if preparing." Her eyes focused on me, and her next words sent a rush of disgust rushing through my chest. "It is prophesized that the next Demon Lord will be reborn in our world. We summoned from your world in the hopes of calling upon the next Hero King to combat him."

…Are you fucking kidding me?