Eveline and I landed on the ground of a road that looks to lead into the forest covered by impassable fog, the only visible structure being a large wood gateway arch at the entrance to the fog. Looking at the fog for too long enticed you to enter it, but my senses told me I would not make it out if I did so.
“What is this fog, Eveline? It’s pulling me to go in, but my body is screaming danger at it” and Eveline said, “It’s a safety magic of the Fae’s creation. We do not know much about it, except that anyone who went in without permission was not found again”. She looked at me for signs of fear, and laughed awkwardly when she didn’t get the reaction she had hoped for.
“Do we need to pass it as some kind of trial?”
“That’s one way to do it, although I don’t recommend it. The Fae do love an entertaining visitor, however”.
I need Selene and the Fae named Sylas she mentioned to figure out what to do about my core. I can not wait longer to form my core. The Fae like interesting things and people, and what’s more interesting than a five year old human child passing the fog known as their greatest defense? Surely that warrants some interest?
“I won’t stop you if that is your decision. The fog will try to find a crack in your mind to exploit against you. Do not respond, or let it break you. You are too important to fall in this place, Lucian. If you fail there, you will not return. Not even Selene can save you” Eveline said to me, wanting to verify I knew the risk of this.
“I know, thank you for everything, Eveline. Please… Do whatever you can to survive whatever comes next. Besides Selene, you are the closest I have to another family member”. I give her a hug, one of the first I have chosen to willingly give.
If they dare to lay a hand on her, I will add them to the list of people to execute.
Eveline gives me a tight hug back, and we both know this could be the last time seeing each other. “I will wait until you go into the fog, Lucian”.
“Okay, farewell for now, and may we meet again” I wave to her and walk towards the wooden arch, take one last look at Eveline and head into the fog.
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Time goes on forever here. I ignore the illusions and my senses betraying me. Focusing on each step forward, so that the direction does not play a trick on me unknowingly.
The illusions are a mixture of both lives. I see battlefields, the smoke of war and the blood filled fields, littered with the hordes of fallen enemies and allies. My resolve stays hardened throughout this walk of my past. Former comrades, teachers, civilians, leaders. One by one they approach and attempt to lure me off the path forward, and my resolve hardens with every step.
My path will not end here, not to some illusions of a life long gone. I am no longer Callum, and live as Lucian Eldritch now. Son to wonderful and loving parents, and will grow strong and seek justice for my fallen people.
The illusions seem to understand Callum’s memories are ineffective, and shift to reflect my life as Lucian’s. The many memories of my life flash before me, my father and mother carrying me around, reading me stories, and showering me in their love and warmth. I do not deserve to feel it inside, my soul is too stained with the sins of my path following a false path to embrace that joy filled path.
“Is that all we are worth to you, Lucian? Servants to cater to your every whim for nothing in return?” My illusionary parents look at me with open eyes that lack depth, and I almost stopped on the path. Step by step, keep moving on the path…
“You don’t deserve the care we gave!” Clenching my first and feeling the heat of my nails digging into my palms, I keep moving forward.
They are fakes. Just illusions. You know they would never say this to you.
The illusions fade away for a time, and just when I think perhaps I am reaching the end of the path, my mother shows up as she was last I saw her, head missing from her shoulder and a gaping hole in her chest from the Wolfman’s blow.
“Why weren’t you there to protect me?” I froze in place at its words, spoken from no mouth. Duplicates of the illusion form around me and start to circle me repeating, “Why? Why? Why? WHY, LUCIAN?!” and my mana agitated once more. It desired to rush to my chest, it demanded to start the core formation.
Fix it.
I take control of the agitated mana and slam it into my sides, just as I have done plenty of times to train. The emotional torment and rage from recent events make the control more forceful, and it pushes the mana harder than I have before. When the mana impacted my sides, I coughed up blood. The illusions faded as my mind became clear once more, and I slowly continued on the path.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I don’t know what will happen if I use magic in this place, so the damage needs to be ignored for now. The illusions are getting weaker, losing the power to speak in my mind.
I keep walking forward on the path for a time, and as the fog starts to fade as I reach what I assume is the exit, I hear a faint whisper in my ear, “You know it will always be your fault that your parents died, Callum! If they had a normal son, this would have never happened to them!” and I wanted to lash out at the illusions, but barely contained it and kept moving until I was out of the fog.
Stepping out of the fog, I appeared in the middle of a throne room, containing towering thrones of different colors, seven in total circled around me. There was an intricate stone building of white pillars surrounding the throne room that reminded me of marble from my past word, and a grand glass ceiling overhead. Outside of the glass ceiling, I could see an abnormal sky, shining rainbow flowing colors instead of the usual blue outside of here.
My head is still dazed from the fog and the illusions. I looked around, and the area looked too… Perfect. Grand architecture and rainbow sky? I can believe that in a magical world, even if it is unlike anything seen in Seastrand.. But the space around me.. Is wrong.
It’s like a painted picture of the area around me.. A barrier? I reflect back to my training with Owen and spread my mana sense to check the area for anything abnormal. The ambient is.. A giant symbol of magic! It’s written in a different type of language than I’ve seen with magic so far, but I could still identify points of weakness in such a large symbol. Focus on the points of weakness, and find the critical one…
THERE! I harness my rage built up in the fog, and use it to control the mana to flow to my fist and burn.. Burn with the ferocity of a raging inferno… Burn this illusion before me, and scorch the world that seeks to prevent me from going forward.
I swing my fist at the point of weakness in the symbol, and the dome around me shattered like broken glass around me, and the mana forming the barrier begins to fade out of visibility like it was never there.
“HAHAHAHAHA! I like this boy! He burns with the flame of Wrath at such a young age!!” I look to the source of the voice, and now see this throne room is filled with people that.. Look like humans, but have different features. Some have wings, horns, long ears, and various differences from normal humans from small to large. The six thrones were covered in a similar fog I was just in, except for the one the voice came from.
The voice that seemed to like my… Self-made spell? I’m not sure what to call it as of right now, and will have to decide later… The voice belonged to a tall, adult male likely around lower 20s in appearance, with long hair that seemed to mimic the tongues of flames, and a fiery color to match. He was shirtless, with a metal pauldron on his left shoulder holding a vibrant red cloth that half-covered his muscular torso, with his arms and legs encased in a brass colored armor that looked like a Knight’s set in my previous world.
Great, I’m in another kind of trial? I’m so tired of obstacles in my way…
“Please forgive my bluntness, my lord. I am young, and do not know your ways to properly understand how to conduct myself, so I will be forward with you.” The fiery haired man looked at the child in front of him and said, “The others may not appreciate the lack of decorum, but luckily for you, I couldn't care less, for I see the fire in your eyes. Speak, child. What is it you seek by coming here?”
“I was told that my companion, Selene was here, and I have come to find her after my city of Seastrand in Elarion was invaded by the Wolfman clan of mana beasts, and frankly my lord, I need to meet with Selene to discuss what is necessary for me to grow stronger”.
“Why do you seek power, child?”
“I made a promise to my father before he died to not rush my revenge. I made a vow to myself to not let a single person involved with the destruction of my city not receive justice for their sins”.
“How did he die?”
“My parents were at our home when a Wolfman rushed and engaged in combat with my father. He eventually died from the wounds from the fight after I got there.”
“And your mother?” Why does he keep fucking asking questions?
“... My mother was headless and had a hole in her chest before I got there. My father said she tried to support him in the battle, and the Wolfman rushed her and killed her on impact.”
“What happened to the Wolfman?”
I reached into my pouch, and grabbed the jewelry adorned ear I cut off the Wolfman. I threw it to the man on the throne and he caught and looked over it.
“Your father killed him?” Keep it under control. Lashing out here will only cause major problems.
“No, but he assisted me while I got the information I needed from him, the ear was cut off to get him to speak, and once he did I killed him. I planned to sell the ear for money since I am alone now”. I answered, gradually getting more annoyed at the questioning.
The man looked over the ear once again, and looked at the other thrones and nodded, throwing the ear back to me. I felt angry looking at the damn thing, and put it back into my pouch.
“Why did you go through the fog when Selene could have invited you in? Surely the Tier 6 Mage of your race could have notified her to do so?”
“The Fae are known as an immortal race. Eternity is a long time, and I’m sure you start to run out of interesting things after so long”.
The man on the throne laughed at this, and so did the Fae not on the thrones. I could make out the silhouettes of the Fae in the fog covered thrones laughing to this as well.
I continued, “What is more interesting than a five year old human attempting the challenge and succeeding where so many have failed prior?” The crowd went silent, and then a loud noise of clapping and cheering started. Eventually the fiery haired man raised his hand high and the crowd quieted down.
“What is your name, child?” He asked.
I remembered a story about the Fae from my parents, and it was a legend about the dangers of revealing your true name to them, as it grants them power over you. I can not tell them my full name.
“My name is Luce, my lord”. A bitter feeling grew in me using the nickname my father gave me.
The man smiled, amused at my cunning response.
“It is very rare for us to get a visitor through the Fog Wall, much less one so interesting and ferocious as you. If we’re both being blunt as you were, you look like shit, Luce. I acknowledge your presence because of the fire I see in your soul, but you need the acknowledgement of the rest of my fellow Fae Lords to be accepted into our nation officially as a Friend of the Fae”.
Before I could ask any questions, he continued, “Due to the uniqueness of your situation, we will grant you temporary leave to cleanse yourself and rest for a time before returning here to complete the ceremony. We have servants who will assist you and accompany you, but do not fall out of line and follow their instructions. Understood?”
“Yes, my lord. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity, I am truthfully so fucking tired and have not rested since before the attack. I will return promptly to complete the ceremony and will not forget this kindness”.
“Oh, and Luce?”
“Yes, my lord?” I asked in response.
“I appreciate the humor you have brought, but do remember to be on your best behavior in official capacity when you return. My fellows will not find it as amusing as I do. That’s my advice for you” and he pointed behind me to two servants waiting beside a door.
“Thank you, my lord.”
I followed the two servants beside the door, and when we were down the hall, a familiar black cat was waiting at the end of the hall, looking worried and happy to see me safe.
“Hello, little monster”.