Lan woke with a start, adrenaline filling his veins before he registered that there was no immediate danger and he could safely look around. Through the canopy of the trees, he could see that it was morning, but that did little for him as it made little difference so far in the dark forest, nor did it tell him how long he had been sleeping.

Nevertheless, he felt better. His chest was still tight and his arm a little numb, but allowing his strength to recover made his Health Points more effective at holding him together.

Lan rose to his feet, finding that even after everything he had been through and all the energy his body had burned, he still wasn’t hungry. Maybe there was something more to those apples, he thought before the Wisp appeared and started to fly circles around his head. Stopping only to send the feeling of emergency again.

‘Yeah…’ Lan breathed, securing his mother’s hairpin in his armour before stopping and placing it in the Otherworld Chest.

[Lapis hairpin – legendary: Added]

That stopped him, and Lan opened his tome, finding it in his inventory.

[Lapis hairpin – An expertly crafted hair garment given greater purpose as a sign of love and the lengths one will go to for that love.]

Lan couldn’t think of a better description, even if it wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else. His father had poured all his skill into making it for his mother, she had given it up for him even though it meant so much to her, and now he was going to do whatever he needed to return it.

With that reminder, Lan looked to the Wisp.

‘Lead the way.’ Lan knew that he needed to get word to the city, but at this point, if there was something else that the Wisp wanted to show him, then he was willing to follow.

A feeling of understanding flashed in Lan’s mind before the Wisp took off, with Lan following behind.

Lan followed the Wisp deeper into the forest for hours, at times having to dodge groups of goblins that hadn’t been there for the attack.

But as they travelled, Lan soon found that the stray goblins were the least of his concern. As the forest itself began to change.

At first, it was just a feeling, then a smell in the air like the lingering odour left in the room after something putrid had been there. Only the scent itself was like a damp mould. The deeper they went, not only did the smell get more robust, but it was mixed with something akin to rotting flesh. Something that he knew well after someone placed a shipment of meat in the regular storage instead of the cold room, and yet it was somehow more unclean than that memory. Like it was the rot that all other rotted things spawned from.

Soon enough, whatever was making the smell seemed to infect the trees. Not the giant trees, no, not even time could change them so quickly, but the smaller trees were a different case. The deeper he went, the more Lan found vegetation that seemed like it was twisting under some unseen force to the point they were weeping a dark purple fluid that soaked into the ground staining the soil a darker black.

Lan pushed forward, and soon it felt like moving through a wall of mud as the air thickened and the forest grew darker.

Suddenly Lan heard a sound coming from behind him, and he turned, drawing his sword only to be greeted by… nothing. Lan heard another sound from his left, and he spun to face a bleeding purple ichor tree.

Only then did Lan realise that his blood was racing and the feeling that battle brought was filling him. Just going deeper into the forest was putting his body on alert. Even still, Lan pushed forward, following the Wisp, which seemed to be having just as unpleasant a time as he was, as its light grew dimmer the deeper they went.

It wasn’t long until Lan’s mind started to match the light of the Wisp as deterioration seeped from their surrounding and into his mind.

What the hell was he doing? He knew that he wasn’t cut out for this. He could just turn back and go home. Someone else would come across it eventually, so why did he have to risk his life. This wasn’t his responsibility; it wasn’t his job, and It wasn’t like anyone else would do the same for him, so why should he.

At that, Lan stopped. There was no way he would ever even think that let alone believe it for a moment. Lan heard sounds all around, only now it sounded like a mix of all the people he knew.

‘You are nothing.’ His father.

‘You’re going to die here.’ His mother

‘Leave.’ Silas

‘We hate you.’ Locke

‘No one will ever love you.’ Eliza

Now that he knew what was happening, the words had the opposite effect of what he thought was intended. Each word filled him with anger at whatever was trying to twist his mind and was now using the voices of his life to drive him away. Each word pushed him to walk faster, even if he started to make his body hurt, and yet he pushed on until suddenly the darkness, the whispers and the feelings… stopped.

Taken by surprise, Lan tripped before noticing the return of the sweet sounds of the tranquil forest. After what he had gone through, it took a moment before Lan noticed that wasn’t the only change. Everything was normal, and as if defending this last patch of true forest, the trees were a tight line of sentries, forming a path that Lan followed until he came across a small clearing and was made to question his eyes.

For at the heart of the clearing, hanging over a small pool of water and watched by the trees protecting it, was a Tear of Creation.

Lan could do nothing but stare in amazement at the Large orb. Everything he had seen up until this point paled in comparison to seeing a Tear of Creation, for how could anything match up to what allowed it to exist

‘A Tear of Creation.’ Lan whispered. Although the ruling deities were the Lords of Light, they were not the ones that created the realms. That was the hand of The Mother, and in her role as the giver of life, the mother of all things would shed tears of joy for her children, tears that would rejuvenate and replenish the realms.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Often, one could see the tears fall from the greater heavens on clear nights, but once they reached the ground, you were not supposed to be able to see them. People would often try to find these places as they were seen as points of great power for as long as the Tear was there, but seeing them was impossible. One only knew they had found the site of a tear from the all-encompassing feeling of acceptance and love the site gave off.

Feelings that he could not feel. As Lan stepped close enough to be bathed in the blue light of the Tear. Lan noticed that something was fundamentally wrong. On the surface of the Tear, Lan could see the forest around him reflected in it, but not himself. There was a figure, but it was not Lan. Standing at the heart of the Tear was a figure garbed in black robes that hid their face while dark energy flowed from them, filling the Tear with a discordant, chaotic power.

Moreover, the energy seemed to be trying to fill more of the Tear., but something was stopping its progress.

Lan stepped closer. He could feel something from the Tear, but it was like there was a wall in his way. Even before he reached it, something that had been shouting at him from the back of his mind broke through.

With the exception of the one that had brought him here, there were no other Wisps around. Aside from the feelings the site brought on, the other indicator of a Tear of Creation was that they were always surrounded by wisps, for there were no greater sources of mana.

For there to be none meant that the Tear was not radiating mana as it should. Suddenly the fact that he had seen so many Wisps and that so many of them had gathered around him and the Silk Flower glade made sense. Not only was the Tear not replenishing the area, but all other sites of power had already been drained.

Lan could only think of one thing that could be doing this, but what did it mean if it was not only going after those that lived in the forest but its power too.

Getting closer, Lan reached out and tried to touch the Tear before feeling an unseen force push against his hand. Lan fought against it for a moment, not knowing why he thought it was a good idea to touch something that he wasn’t even supposed to be able to see. But something told him it was the right thing to do. Like he had done so countless times before, like how one could not remember their first time greeting someone but always remember how to do so.

Just when Lan was about to stop and step back, he heard something in his mind.

It felt like someone locked in a struggle, but the moment he realised as much, the presence seemed to take notice of him.

‘Wait!’ a female voice cried out in Lan’s mind before he could pull away. ‘So you are the one the Royal Wisp has chosen.’

As if to confirm the point, the Wisp landed on Lan’s shoulder.

‘I did not expect to find kin amongst the mortal world, let alone two of my kind… and a messenger. Such serendipity.’ It said, going on before Lan could process what the Voice was talking about. ‘No, not precisely kin, your true origins have been diluted by generations of human blood, and yet it is still there.’ the Voice trailed on before seeming to find itself again. ‘There isn’t much time!’ the Voice strained as the corruption in the Tear pulsed.

‘Something has cut me off from The Mother and is trying to infect me. I have tried to reach out to anyone for weeks, and now you are here. I will try to hold off this force for as long as possible. I beseech you, Messenger of the First Son. You must find a way to bring an end to this. To ensure this, I will spare a fraction of my remaining power to remind you of what you are and seal it with a pact.

[New Quest acquired: A Pact bound in Light.]

‘Wait, this is all moving too fast. I don’t know…’ Lan's mind flashed white, in which he saw a golden light that seemed surprised at him and then pleased before the light faded.

When Lan woke, he was lying on the ground. The Tear of Creation was gone, and the forest had become corrupted like the rest.

[Landrin Cross – Ascended to Light Marked Human.]

[Lost Ability - Re-awoken: Radiance Binding]

[Attributes]

[Strength: 19 > 24]

Body: 13 > 18

Will: 7 > 12

Dexterity: 25 > 30

Mind: 7 > 12

[Charisma: 7 > 12]

Reflexively Lan opened his tome. The first thing he noticed was the fact that another one of his hidden Abilities had been replaced with one called Radiance Binding. But more pressing at that moment was the first thing the Voice had said.

Even after seeing it, Lan ran his finger along the Runica. Light Marked…

Lan knew of the Light Marked, mortals born with the Lords of Light’s favour granting them proficiency in one of many skills, but being born Light Marked was a major part of being one. He had never heard of someone becoming Light Marked, not to mention a human ascending to anything.

‘How is it possible that I have become Light Marked.’ Lan asked the Voice, it was the first time asking it anything after the hollow, but at this point, he needed answers.

[The attributes of a Light Marked have been locked within your bloodline, becoming dormant after countless generations. The mind within the Tear of Creation rekindled the embers of the links in your blood before it disappeared.]

‘Why would it do that?’

[It would seem that as you were, you could not fully unlock the Ability Radiance Binding even if its influence was enough to lead you this far.]

The Voice said as Lan looked over to the Wisp. Was that why he could feel emotions from the little ball of light. More patient than it had been since meeting it, the Wisp floated, acknowledging him while also waiting for him.

With another look to the Wisp, Lan turned back to the tome.

[Radiance Binding – An Ability of the Messengers to bind other Radiance to them, sharing both their lives and powers.]

‘Bind Radiance…’ Lan frowned, ‘and Messengers.’ He didn’t know what they were, but he knew that a Radiant was a Celestial, the first children, the greatest of which would rise to become the Lords of Light.’ That he could have a power tied to them was unsettling.

‘What are the Messengers?’

[Messengers are the servants of the Firstborn, Lord of Light Alarin, the lord of Order. Messengers were those sent to this world to right wrongs when the new Order was still being established. When the Lords of Light chose to allow mortals greater rule over themselves. The Messengers were given the choice to either return or live out finite life in the realm of men. Those that chose to stay continued to protect mortals before eventually sharing their lives with them as Alarin wanted. As with each passing generation, the blood of the Messengers weakened along with the chances of passing on their powers. The fact that your blood is still strong enough to awaken is truly a remarkable anomaly. Which explains why your unique eye colour is possible.]

Although that seemed like more than one question worked with information, he was happy to finally know where his eye colour came from, even if the source was still hard to believe.

‘So does that mean Silas does not have this ability?’

[Correct.]

‘But that would mean that my mother does?’ Lan asked, not getting an answer. ‘Oh, come on.’ He sighed.

Not sure what to ask, Lan looked at the Wisp, still floating around him. To think that he had been flippant with a Celestial did not spell well for his future. No wonder he seemed to fall into deeper and deeper muck. He was being punished.

[Just as you are a remnant of a Messenger, this little Royal Wisp is a remnant of a Celestial Seraphim.]

‘Is that so?’ Lan asked, ignoring the fact that he hadn’t asked the Voice a question and looked at the Wisp as it floated before him. ‘What a pair we make.’

[Ability activated: Radiance Binding – the Royal Wisp Tierrnadora Raga is willing to form a bond with you. Do you wish to form a bond with the Royal Wisp Tierrnadora Raga?]

Lan blinked. The Wisp wanted to form a bond with him? He wasn’t against it, but after delivering him to the Tear, he would have thought it would be ready to get out of there.

Seeming to know his thoughts, the Wisp sent him a mental imprint of impatience. Noting that their communication seemed clearer, Lan pushed aside the thoughts that things were moving far too fast and just went with his feelings.

‘I wish to form a bond with Tierrnadora Raga.’ Lan said as a thread of light shot from his chest and raced to meet one from the Wisp before wrapping the two in a cocoon of light.

[You have formed a bond with the Wisp Tierrnadora Raga]

[New Title Gained: Wisp Walker]

[New Ability Gained: Wisp Walk]