Traden Caelum's consciousness clawed its way back from the abyss, each breath a battle,

each heartbeat a drum of war within his chest. 

The altar, his cold cradle of rebirth, was now a slab of questions unanswered, 

a silent witness to his transformation.

traden clutches his head. "My mind!

 it's a storm of images, a clash of lives once lived!"

The chamber, vast and suffused with the scent of time immemorial, seemed to close in around him. The candles, their flames too perfect, cast shadows that played tricks on his eyes—shadows that moved of their own volition, whispering secrets in a language that skirted the edge of understanding.

Traden eyes Darting around. "These shadows...."

Traden eyes widened. "they're alive." "What kind of place is this!?" Traden asked.

As he staggered to his feet, the pain that had been a sharp lance now dulled to a persistent throb, a reminder of his mortality—or what once was. The memories of Verman Mercantile, arrogant and hungry for power, now seemed distant, as if through a veil of fog.

Muttering to himsef. "Verman..."

"he reached too far, grasped too much."

"And now, I bear the cost."

The Ethereal Lattice,a term that resonated within the chamber, beckoned him with an allure that was almost magnetic.

 It promised answers, it promised power, but at what price?

With a wary glance. "The Lattice..."

"it's the source of all this,"

He stopped mid-sentence.

 "isn't it?"

"The pain,"

"the memories,"

"the power that courses through these veins."

 Traden approached the chamber's walls, lined with ancient tomes and scrolls. He brushes his fingers against their spines, and a jolt of energy surged through him...

a connection, a communion with the knowledge they held.

Traden Voice steadying. "I will learn your truths"

"and i will find a way to restore what was lost." He said with determination and pride.

The chamber seemed to respond in every steps he took, the air pulsing. Traden Caelum, no longer Verman Mercantile, set forth on a path to seek the events and truths, That happened to him.

The chamber seemed to breathe with Traden Caelum as he delved deeper into its secrets. The tomes that surrounded him were a knowledge he couldn't understand, each one a piece of puzzle, expands with even more questions.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Tradens runs his hand to the spines of these books. "These texts..."

"they speak of words within worlds."

The pain that had once consumed him now has weaken up, a memory of the fall that had brought him here. With each step, the memories of Traden Caelum grew clearer and more insistent.

Traden Whispering to himself. "I was a seeker once"

Traden took a heavy sigh. "And now, I am both less and more"

Traden approached a tome that seemed to be giving of familiar feels and calling out to him, it's cover embossed with the image of the ethereal lattice.

 Traden leaning closer "A network that seems to connect to something" Traden said.

Traden opens up the book, the words and meanings leapt out of him.

Reads aloud. "In the beginning was the lattice....."

The chamber seems to show signs of reactions to his voice, the air vibrating filled with approval. The Shadows retreated back, revealing more of the rooms grandeur.

Traden eyes widened, as if it was alight with understanding. "The Lattice..."

As Traden continued to read, the locked memories in his mind, started opening, slowly revealing rays of Verman mercantile memories, his ambition, his deal, and his downfall, As each memory regained, The more he realized his purpose.

Traden firmly clenches his fist, and murmured to himself. "I will not be fooled, like what happened to Verman."

With a firm determination. "I am Now Traden Caelum, and my journey is mine to conquer and answer."

With newfound resolve, Traden closed the tome and looked around the chamber, It was time to explore this unknown world, to seek information and knowledge about the Ethereal lattice, and to find his place within this new reality.

Traden Set the books aside while whispering to himself. "I begin anew."

"With each step, i will find what happened to me, and the events that took place here."

Traden Caelum stood in the center of the chamber, the weight of his new reality pressing upon him while grinding his finger nails with his teeths. Even though the pain had subsided, it still left him fragile and weak, The hunger for understanding and knowledge was more important to him than his life.

Traden Takes a big sigh. "This world..." "it's probably vast, so I'll probably gonna keep searching for more clues." Traden said.

He moved through the chamber with purpose, each step an assertion of his will. The shelves of ancient tomes beckoned, filled with the wisdom of ages past and secrets that whispered of the Ethereal Lattice's true nature.

Traden running his hand along the bookshelves, he whispered to himself. "These books, they are keys!

The shadows that had once seemed menacing now appeared as guides, flickering and shifting, leading him to a particular volume that seemed to resonate with his very soul.

Traden finds another time, he pull it out from the shelf. "This also calls to me" Traden said with a soft voice.

As he opened the book, the chamber reacted. The runes on the altar glowed brighter, and a soft hum filled the air... A harmony that seemed to align with the rhythm of his heartbeat.

Traden reading from the time. "Within the Lattice lies the path to enlightenment?"

A sense of understanding washed over Traden, the power of the lattice made Traden feel amazed and terrified. It was as if something crushed his soul and also healed completely, removing all negative effects, a powerful power that ethereal lattice wields 

Traden eyes widened up. "So this is what it feels like..... to touch the divine" Traden said in a calming tone.

But with the Revelation came the last surge of memories, flashes that contains the life of Verman mercantile, and now Verman Mercantile and Traden Caelum are now on.

Traden heard a voice, a voice that can linger pain in his mind.

"Goodluck, we will meet again, Traden." then the voice laughed with a tone that is filled with pride and no regrets, and slowly fade away.

Traden Clutching and pinching his forehead. "augh, what was that, was that Verman?, it probably was, "augh" Traden said

Traden clenching his fist. "I will not let Verman's pride be my downfall. I will rise above it, learn from it."

Determined to forge a new path, Traden closed the tome and placed it back on the shelf. He knew that the journey ahead would be fraught with challenges, but he was ready. The Ethereal Lattice had chosen him, and he would not falter.

Traden resolutely. "let the past be a lesson"

 and the future my canvas. I am Traden Caelum, and my story is just beginning."