POV Aron Brightcloud

The novices needed time to seat themselves, the view simply too spectacular to ignore.

“Good, now focus on yourself. The formation will start soon and connect your inner-self to the spiritual planes. Be prepared!”

I knelled in my normal meditative position, hands on my upper legs, closing my eyes. At first nothing happened, but then a suction force took hold of my consciousness and brought me to a different place. It felt like when my soul had been grabbed by the chains and pulled into the void. Only this time it was much gentler, the void felt less cold and didn’t hurt.

In front of me, seven different planets rotated on an axis. They had to be the different planes. I propelled myself towards them. The energy in my body decreased the further I got, illustrating the rules of this space.

Now I felt for the first time the immense power of my golden core. Like a fusion power-plant it produced an awful lot of energy. The bluish Arkan sphere in comparison felt not a third as strong as my light core, I left it out for the time being only engaging my light core.

A second connection established itself. Foreign energy blasted into my soul, enlarging my already vast reserves. That must be the support energy from the formation the magician had talked about. Well, I already had a ton of it, but I wouldn’t say no to additional help.

Soon I had reached the first planet in the void. I let my consciousness flow over it. A myriad souls lighted up in my brain. Magic beasts of all sorts and affinities brushed against my soul. Some of them interested, some of them indifferent and others tried to immediately initiate a bond. Yet all of them were too weak for me. No, I needed to go further. I flew by the second and third plane. Slowly reaching the fourth. My core spun faster and faster, pumping out more energy to sustain my forward momentum.

The power of the beings increased with each plane. Where before the planets were populated by cute light foxes and fire salamanders. That had now changed to six tailed elemental foxes and earth dragons. This was not my end by a long shot. I felt elated. Maybe I could even reach the seventh plane where the most powerful beasts were located?

I was scanning for possible familiars on the fifth plane when a sudden power spike rushed through me. My soul spun in the void for a moment before I got control back. What the heck was that?! Luckily, I got it under control. Was my lack of control the reason for it? Did that mean I shouldn’t go further anymore? No, it felt different. I had complete control until something induced a power spike in me. I- another spike flashed through me. Damn, what was going on?!

Not wanting to endanger myself, I stopped my forward momentum. Yet the power spikes didn’t decrease, they even got worse. I concentrated completely on myself. Something was going on. At first I didn’t find the reason, everything seemed normal. I only found it when another spike appeared. Tiny particles were everywhere in my body, they reacted to my light-magic, making it unstable. This instability reached through the connection between my body and soul and spread everywhere.

With a sudden realization, I understood. I had been poisoned. How? When? I always paid much attention to what I ate. I only let Sandra prepare my food and drinks I-. Damn, that piece of… Sandra’s last action handing me the water bottle covertly flashed by. The acid like feeling of betrayal washed through my entire soul.

No, Aron. I had to focus on the now! Survival first, anger and revenge later. The power spikes came quicker and quicker. Soon I would lose the control over my abnormally powerful light core. A sudden picture of a massive explosion went through my head. In the dark past of our planet one of the nuclear power-plants had gone high-wire and an uncontrolled fusion had happened. The destruction encompassed an enormous area, killing everything in a radius of over ten miles. I had to stop this from happening to me.

At first I tried to control it with pure mental strength, but the spikes simply increased in magnitude. With a sinking feeling, I realized that there was no containing this energy through power. I would not be able to hold on. The only chance I had was to exhaust my core completely. Doing so would extinguish it and sever my connection to the light forever. A less pragmatic and will-strong man would have cowered at the prospective of giving up the very power that promised to transform his life, but I was pragmatic through and through. I didn’t hesitate and immediately accelerated.

_______

POV Talon Eagelheart

The young marques had reached the fifth spiritual plane. He was jubilant. The beasts here were unbelievable powerful. His parents would be so proud of him. Most of the other participants had not been able to reach so far. He was one of the most glorious few who had achieved such a spectacular feat.

Suddenly a light ignited close to him. One of the other novices seamed to have problems. The soul flickered for a second before it dimmed again. What-? Another flicker followed by another. They came quicker and quicker. Was that the famed loosing of control? Then the soul ignited completely. It suddenly accelerated and plowed with unbelievable speed forward. Its appearance more that of a burning comet than a person.

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It was a well-known fact that for normal people the fifth plane was their final stop. This was due to the spiritual wall that stood between the fifth and the sixth plane. A barrier that was insurmountable. It was rumored that only the strongest souls were able to pass through, using their all.

The burning soul crashed through it as if it had been made of glass, not slowing down what so ever.

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POV Aron Brightcloud

Things were looking grim. My core was burning up in a massive chain-reaction, generating more and more energy. I did what I could to force out the energy. But the pressure on my soul soon surmounted my power. I felt it rip at the seams. I tried everything I could, but it was not enough. With a tearing noise, part of my soul separated and flew away from me. At that moment dark tentacles appeared and grabbed it, pulling it back. They sewed it back onto my soul. The hitchhiker!

A desperate tug of war began. I did everything to hold my soul together while the evil shadow-creature snagged back the separating pieces. My whole soul had become a patchwork carpet which mutated and boiled. From outside it looked like air-bubbles tried to break out of it only to be suppressed and pushed back in again.

At first I still had hope, but soon it became apparent that even the all-powerful darkness had reached its end.

The parts of my soul that were closest to the core chamber broke apart first. The beast unable to keep it together. Slowly a hole opened up in my soul, leaking pure light energy. I needed to get rid of the core now!

While I had been focused on myself I had broken through the second wall into the seventh plane. Immensely powerful auras washed over me. This plane was filled with primordial beasts! A beautiful light dragon reared its head, looking up at me with interest. I felt its question of support and acceptance in my soul. It wanted to initiate a contract. Yet I couldn’t stop!

With impotent anger I flew by, unable to do anything. Further and further away, out into the all-encompassing darkness in front of me. Would this be my end?

I had come from darkness into this world, so it was only fitting to lay myself to rest here.

No, I was unwilling! I had all my life still in front of me, I didn’t want to die! With a metaphorical roar, my soul instantly ignited the rest of the core, exploding forward into the darkness. At least I would get rid of it, and the poison that had in the meantime fully concentrated in my light core before I died.

I pressed forward and suddenly crashed into another barrier. I couldn’t see it, but my even worse hurting soul told me very compellingly that there was something in front of me. I didn’t care, energy leaked through every pore and crack of me. At first the barrier held, but soon it deformed and with a loud crack it broke. My forward momentum propelled me through into the pitch black void.

My light faded with a last sputter leaving me hanging in complete darkness. Where before had been heat and light now I only felt emptiness and a creeping cold that ate itself through the remaining parts of my matter. The arcane sphere woefully under-equipped to balance the sudden emptiness directly next to it. At least the poison had vanished with my light. Yet that didn’t bring any solace.

I felt it. I was dying. The parts of me I had lost too big to live without. Sorry mum, Sephiroth, Lea, we won’t see us again.

________

POV Amanda Brightcloud

Everything was going well. Amanda observed Aron as he knelled in the formation, searching for his bonding-partner. 20 minutes into the ceremony, the first people had already started to awaken. Some of them with broader smiles than others. Aron was still focused on his task. Amanda felt certain he would get a splendid guardian!

Envisioning the powerful creature, she at first oversaw the signs of trouble. Aron had slowly become whiter and sweat had formed on his forehead. Then he started to shake. No, this couldn’t be happening! The danger of burnout due to control-loss of one’s power had been a known fact, but it only happened in rare cases. Insufficient willpower had been identified as the root cause. Yet that made little sense! Aron had willpower in spades!

This couldn’t be happening!

Yet it did.

The shaking got worse and worse. Murmurs went through the crowd as the other spectator realized what was happening. At first it looked still like he had a chance, but then everything changed. Aron lifted his head up towards the ceiling. Accompanied by a dreadful roar, a beam of condensed light burst forth from his mouth and eyes, crashing into the ceiling. Waves of light elements shone out of every pore of his body. To the spectators it appeared as if a mini sun had appeared in the formation, an unbelievable amount of energy erupting out from him.

The magicians acted immediately. Shields spun up around the boy. Isolating him from the rest. Complete silence reigned once more. Yet the light show only increased in intensity.

Amanda couldn’t wait any longer. She jumped into formation, arriving at her son’s position in an instant. Her hands hammered against the shields that surrounded her beloved son.

“Aron! Aron! Fight against it, come on! You can do it! Please, don’t leave me! Somebody help him!!”

One of the seven magicians suddenly appeared next to her and laid a wrinkled hand on Amanda’s shoulder. He sadly shook his head. His sympathetic expression for-shadowing the message he had to give.

“Your son’s life rests in the hands of the gods now. Nobody can help him. I am sorry.”

Amanda felt the floor break away under her and she fell to her knees. She watched powerlessly has her son burned from the inside out. The very energy that should have heralded his ascension now responsible for his fall.

After a felt eternity, the light ran dry. No energies shot out of his body anymore, and the turbulences died down. His mouth and eyes closed, Aron’s head fell forward, followed by his body. Amanda observed her son as he lay dead on the ground. His countenance had changed. The skin completely white and the once luscious golden hair turned pure black.

The shields vanished, Amanda ran to Aron. She couldn’t believe the truth and immediately pushed her light energy into him. But his body rejected it.

No pulse. Her son had died.