Crumbled Soul
High in the skies of the Blackotia Kingdom, in the night when most students returned from the Change Merit Trials. Among them were Heian Ciemnosc and Elena, who not only gained an evergrowing reputation for the Academy, but Elena even gained 1st place in the 1st phase! Furthermore, it was more or less confirmed that he and Elena were an item, possibly even married! What did this mean? Strong connections! Power couple! All of the above!!
The people were excited, and they wanted to see it for themselves. After witnessing Elena return with Heian Ciemnosc, wearing such a beautiful dress and letting her image socialize with the word and meaning of beauty, Heian Ciemnosc beside her was like the little moon accompanying the vast sky. However, suddenly, they felt weird. The night was fantastic, and the lights on the streets as recapitulations from the 1st and 2nd phases passed on the screens, with engrossed viewers stopping on their walk to watch, was heartwarming.
But then… the strangest of shadows could be seen from the sky, soaring from seemingly the Kingdom’s center towards the skies above the Wrath Nihility Academy’s individual territory. A shadow! In the middle of the night, how can that ever be possible? Even the Darkness Lotus from the records are lesser or equal to space and nights. How could there be a thing such as a shadow streaking skywards, differentiated even by civilians?
“Who did that…?” - “Who knows?” - “Wahh, it’s so beautiful. So tranquil… But, what is it?” - “Is it a phenomenon?” - “Possible… but who is breaking through? It can only be a mighty figure, but no Vice deans or Deans have announced entering secluded cultivation and are still giving classes…” - “...” - “...” - “...?” - “...” - “...?!”
Many voices were raised. Most wondered what this shadow, seemingly growing thicker and longer until breaking through the Kingdom’s atmosphere and natural barriers, as it suddenly started making everyone feel uneasy. Without any particular warning or foreseeing momentum, the lights around them began turning into an obscure hue. The glow reflected on their faces, clothes, the ground, windows, walls, and vehicles passing through the streets dimmed out as if losing energy.
When one finally noticed, they exclaimed, waking up the person next to them… and then another. In under 10 seconds, the Blackotia Kingdom was eventually shrouded in darkness. “Look! Hey, your… face!” - “What? This… I can’t see!” - “My god! My affinity with the Fire element seems… gone! Why do I feel so cold?” - “Even I feel cold… but I have Water elemental affinity.” - “Me too, and I with the Wind…” - “I can’t feel my body!” - “What?!” - “Shit! Me neither!” - “What is this?! Such a powerful phenomenon… What cultivator created this?” - “I… can’t… I can barely hear anything. What’s going on?!” - “Everyone, don’t feel… med… -st me… just… … … …”
A layer of darkness covered the Blackotia Kingdom’s spatial territory immediately as if a plague that had been there since long ago was reignited. It happened a few seconds after Lady Calisneia’s strange energy went through space and laws to cover the rest of the Galaxy. At this very moment, outside the Blackotia Kingdom, a bizarre, smoky, dark sphere could be seen instead of the planet. And below that layer was the Blackotia Kingdom, now thoroughly enshrouded.
It didn’t end just then and there. As the Blackotia Kingdom darkened, and only Second Step cultivators above the Neutrality realm could still see with their Spirit Sense and Soul enhancing the former, the rest lost all capabilities to feel their bodies moving in real-time and even to believe they were thinking, the darkness wrapping the Kingdom started expanding like shapeless fog extending towards the Universe.
Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccck… Ruuuuuum-bleeeeeeeeeeeee~~...
It was low, calm, and peaceful. But, astonishingly, global sounds could be heard from time to time by the people inside and outside the Blackotia Kingdom. It was as if an ordinary thunderstorm erupted behind the back of their heads, so far away, yet clearly hearing every single rumbling and thundering. Suddenly, those within looked up, or at least they instinctively did.
Strangely, each person had the same image, same angle, and at the same time, appeared above their heads. It was far away, like in another Universe, but also right before them, fearless to show its appearance. It was a humanoid figure of the same pure darkness they had distinguished before everything darkened. It was also more like a shadow, without features and only its outlined muscles and eye sockets outlined. The rest was up to the imagination. Everything was dark.
This shadow’s arms were lifted to his shoulders’ level, but it raised its elbows a little higher before slowly closing its palms together. However, it never placed its hands against the other, forming an empty space surrounded by its fingers and palms. Somehow, they felt that this vacant space wasn’t so, but instead… it was their Blackotia Kingdom! And as soon as many felt this, the darkness clouding their eyes started intensifying, as if they were falling down an endless chasm of pure nothing.
But while this was happening. On the outside, the Blackotia Kingdom had long disappeared. Its circular shape was already indistinctible in a sea of darkness. It had grown to the size of a Middle Kingdom almost instantaneously. But, a few minutes later, that felt like hours for others, and it started approaching the Galaxy’s other Kingdom. This… was no longer a phenomenon akin to breaking into the Light/Dark realm… it had clearly overstepped the boundaries of a Divine Kingdom’s size!!
From the other Kingdom’s organizations or overlords, undoubted alarm and dread showed among their upper echelons, becoming intensely worried by the prospect of their Galaxy suffering an Elemental Disaster. And what’s worse, the less known and mysterious of all, whose records are only known due to extremely distant footage before the worst was spread, cutting off any connection or prying eyes into it. A Darkness Disaster!!!
“... What in the nature’s laws is this?! Send s-so- someone to investigate! We can’t let the Wrath Nihility Academy suffer like this! Not now! Our Existence needs them!”
“... There are no Elemental energy fluctuations anywhere. How can this even be happening? What are the results? Why the hell are they still analyzing this ‘thin’ nonstop?!”
“... For nature… I hope the Academy is fine. They can only depend on themselves…”
At this moment, without any noise in the absolute, the shadow figure everyone saw within the Blackotia Kingdom, even unborn children, started forming outside of it!! Its arms were slowly created by the drifting, dark smoke while its head and upper torso immediately jumped from within the dark sphere as if it had submerged its head in a sink and separated itself from it after nearly drowning.
The shadowy figure slowly formed its upper body and arms, projected from the dark sphere, but much more oversized than everything around it. Its arms folded, and its elbows were further lifted. Its hands slowly wrapped around this sphere before looking down at it as if to confirm it was indeed in its grasp. It raised its head, and when it did, the entire Galaxy suddenly seemed about to have its light consumed by the shadow.
The other Kingdom could only activate their grand array formations to protect themselves, helpless to do anything else, contacting the rest of the Universe for help and preparation. This might be one of the worst Elemental Disasters of the Universal Lands! However, just then… the dark shadow was slurped back into the dark sphere, and with it, that sphere slowly dissipated outwards as if it had self-imploded.
“What the…” - “Sir! I can’t connect to any adjacent Galaxies!” - “What should we do?” - “There’s… no need… nothing happened? Nothing… happened!”
It was as simple to describe as a long, obscure cloud passing over a typical morning. There was a sudden gloaming that seemed to have come to stay but suddenly left after some time. The other adjacent Kingdoms’ organizations and overlords couldn’t do anything as it happened. Strangely, once it was all over, the Kingdoms decided to not communicate this with the rest of the Universe since it seemed like a special someone had deliberately tried to hide it.
They didn’t want to form a new, unimaginably powerful enemy or offend a probable ally hiding within the Academy. Altogether, the event was only known to the Wrath Nihility Academy’s Galaxy… for the moment. As for the Blackotia Kingdom, they were the most astounded.
“... … … … … … … …” Nobody dared to talk, as if they had forgotten how to even breathe. Only the civilians resumed their body’s ordinary functions when they felt like choking, helping their babies wake up sooner than others. The citizens felt dizzy before recomposing themselves while the cultivators were deadly silent. Everything had happened so fast and slow at the same time. It was utterly bizarre! They didn’t even remember what they were doing before. Anyone trying to breakthrough, meditate, cultivate, or study halted.
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Fortunately, nobody was injured, and they even seemed to have attained a state of utmost calmness. However, they were like zombies without even realizing what they should be doing for half an hour. If it wasn’t due to the Second Step cultivators restoring order timely, this might’ve continued for hours. Several hours after the ‘obscure’ event, an intricately omniscient voice reached everywhere in the Galaxy, not just the Blackotia Kingdom.
“Fellow cultivators. What you’ve witnessed was my daughter’s succeeding breakthrough. She is still in seclusion and hasn’t finished breaking through. Do not spread this matter erroneously. The Wrath Nihility Academy, my home, is not in danger.” Lady Calisneia’s voice was unknown to everyone. But the other Kingdoms could quickly resolve their doubts. Only someone such as Her Excellency could hide something from anyone’s prying eyes within a Galaxy this quickly.
Although the neighbors relaxed, they still felt apprehensive. When have they ever heard of a breakthrough with more than one phenomenon? They were even more stunned as they could make an oath that nobody in the world had ever known about that. This simply made them believe Her Excellency’s successor could only be more astounding than her mother. And that the Blackotia Kingdom looked like a mighty ally now more than ever. They are open to any marriage, right?
With that, the Galaxy quickly relaxed, letting this unique phenomenon dissipate from their worried thoughts and set their minds on starting new and better relations with the Blackotia Kingdom. Who knew if the Wrath Nihility Academy would extend its hands in the future. Other Minor and Middle Kingdoms were fairly pondering about becoming the Academy’s vassals if they really proved themselves with their hands. But some Third Step organizations, even if brand new, were also considering this fact.
They could even form friendships before the Academy surpassed them in knowledge and power. For any other organization, this was extremely rare, but to the Wrath Nihility Academy, it was befitting of its Archeons-long status.
. . .
Within the Blackotia Kingdom. 20 hours after Heian Ciemnosc broke into the Second Step, and his All-Devouring Force Chronicles innate Supreme Art. Still within Lady Calisneia’s cultivation room.
Heian Ciemnosc lay face down on the empty black floor with his body in a slightly fetal position. His lower back was relatively bent, and his elbows against his abdomen as his face seemed to have fallen first on the floor. However, his pale skin was untouched, looking more delicate and smooth. Nevertheless, his body gained muscle. It wasn’t much, but he had now started looking somewhat ripped.
His abdomen had some definition, but his biceps, shoulders, and upper sides of his back were the most attractive parts of his body. He also grew taller and undoubtedly became the tallest among all his women and people. Hong Mei was still a biggie woman. His hair had been cut down until he appeared to have semi-shaved it. However, his eyebrows were somehow more devilishly charming, gaining instead much more attractiveness.
He was bare. His muscles exploded, veins disintegrated, hair fell off, and even his bones had been changed inside out. Of course, his clothes couldn’t resist the force behind all of this, which came from no other but Heian Ciemnosc himself.
“...” Abruptly, his eyelids fluttered, shook, and trembled. Heian Ciemnosc opened his eyes, revealing a white sclera as his eyeballs rotated to reveal his darkest eyes. They were as purely dark as always. At this moment, he heard a ‘whoosh’ sound that was noiseless to begin with but still managed to do so somehow. As he looked at the world again, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t see shit. Only blurriness and a figure moving towards him.
Step… … swish- rustle, tap tap.
“Heian Ciemnosc… Heian Ciemnosc!” Lady Calisneia watched her disciple for some seconds before waking up and rushing towards him. She placed her hands on his back and half-knelt before his abdomen. As his darkest eyes moved around and fixed on her, she felt weird, but she ignored it and moved his body so he could rest the back of his head on her right arm. Meanwhile, Heian Ciemnosc spoke to her, leaving her helpless as she forced herself to remain silent.
“Master…? Why is… you… That… your Soul is… so many cracks… broken… breaking… it’s all crumbled…” Heian Ciemnosc’s tone was grieving. He wasn’t a kid anymore. He had just evolved in his All-Devouring Force Chronicles innate Supreme Art and attained the Second Step. Not only did he see his Master’s Soul as it was, her body showing cracks everywhere like a land passing through the harshest droughts.
As he talked, his words trailed off delicately, weakly. His eyebrows frowned, but he could only see a completely blurred face despite being right in front of it. There was some gold to the left and right, he was sure. But it was really dimmed out… so dimmed out it made him think they were stained with darkness…
“Enough. Feel your cultivation base, your foundation, my disciple. Heian Ciemnosc,” Lady Calisneia voiced out. Her right arm became his pillow as she held him off the floor while sitting on the black emptiness. Her left hand caressed the right side of his face as the other warmly rested on her arm. Heian Ciemnosc felt a delicate and smooth touch. Those were slightly cold, long fingers but were actually from a small hand.
Her palm was simply enjoyable, and Heian Ciemnosc would even dare to say they were like his mother’s breasts. It was to the point that he instinctively puckered his lips and tried suckling on her palm, but Lady Calisneia seemed to sense it and forced his head to look at her face. She then added after feeling Heian Ciemnosc’s energy fluctuations within him confirm her reminders.
“You do not need to further work on those things, so just rest. Rest, my disciple…” Lady Calisneia said, slightly pressing on his right cheek to induce some sleep into him. However, Heian Ciemnosc remained persistent. He stretched his neck twice before giving up, yet his lips moved. “But, Master… if I can’t even save you, how am I supposed to protect you in the future? I just can’t do anything well? Just killing and eating, but what ab-”
“Rest,” Lady Calisneia spoke again, gently… Heian Ciemnosc seemed to have been dealt a blow as he wanted to say more, but his consciousness faded. The last thing he discerned beforehand was the touch of a caring palm on his face. Lady Calisneia became silent as she saw him finally resting and paralyzed her body for the next several minutes.
If anyone were to know that someone like her became paralyzed because of emotions, it would ripple shocking waves through the world. There had been many Changes without such situations, not even by the most beloved and respected tragic stories from yore. Not even the ‘firsts’ tales of the world or its legends. But all Lady Calisneia cared for was to pick up this little kid and bring him to his bed.
No matter how abusively astonishing his performance while breaking through was or could be, he was still a long way before reaching her shoes. She could press his head in place despite her Soul being virtually broken, irreparable. Only a few besides her could see Heian Ciemnosc as a little baby boy, not a growing monster.
. . .
‘Um, where am I? Heian Ciemnosc felt his consciousness again. He immediately woke up. The moment he did, he opened his ‘eyesight’ to observe a vast, endless space that did not belong to his purely dark inner self. He was lying on his back in the middle of nowhere, in some kind of Universe, but he was not in the real world, a Dimension, or Space. That much he could quickly understand as his darkest eyes opened.
Trying to move his body, Heian Ciemnosc could only lift his head and neck. He employed great effort to just do that as he looked around some more. His body slowly started spinning to the left as he continued twisting his neck and changing his head’s position. He was bare in this place and knew this wasn’t his authentic body. In other words, his consciousness was brought here just as he was recuperating it.
“Pviuuum! You - are- somethinnnng- siiiiirrrr~!” A young girl’s voice thundered inside Heian Ciemnosc’s head but also before him as his body slowly came to a stop. There, just 1.5 meters above his body, was a young-looking girl, sitting cross-legged with her left leg on top, wearing colorful, childish yet long thighs and small shoes. She wore a dark skirt with white stripes at its hem, a jacket matching its design, and a colorful sweater-like shirt similar to her thighs.
She was definitely an immense beauty. She could compare to Alyona and Hong Mei, but her presence was much different, and coming closer to his Master yet more. This unquestionably astounded Heian Ciemnosc, but he couldn’t move except for his head and neck, but that was hardly any helpful. She looked about 14 years old and reminded Heian Ciemnosc of his old self, but he also felt instinctive apprehension from her… caution.
“Hello,” the young girl slowly descended from her sitting position, setting her tiny feet beside Heian Ciemnosc’s instep as his feet were sprawled, floating. Her legs were negligibly opened, and she looked down at Heian Ciemnosc after only giving his ginormous prickle, more prominent than before the Second Step and his All-Devouring Force Chronicles reached the 4th level, a glance before focusing her marvelous eyes onto his damnably handsome face.
“Sorry for introducing myself like this. I am someone with a mission. We can talk about that later. You see, I was close to dissipating away, but I can’t let that happen. I’ve observed you these past few days, and you, uh… I like it! I like you, I mean. I come from a distant… place… much different to this world as you know it. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What I want to propose to you is a beneficial agreement. One that will take a long time before you can even know things about me and my… hometown.”
“I can be just a passenger to you; or I can become your ally. It’s your choice, really,” the young girl said, placing her backhands on her hips. She was really small… In fact, she was Elena-sized in proportions and was damn… unique-looking. Heian Ciemnosc slowly escaped his groggy state as he gulped down to speak. His red lips opened, and the young girl’s eyes shone with ambition… with hope.
…
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Let It Rain's Note: So, once again with the disclaimer. I do not condone, support, or encourage these things.