The Awakened Council serves as the highest governing body for all magical affairs within the kingdom, tasked with maintaining the balance between magic and mundane law. In every sector, city, or even village, the Awakened council stands as a judicial body, with the authority to punish all those who flaunt or misuse their abilities. Their primary role is to regulate the use of magic, ensuring that power is not abused or used to threaten the kingdom’s stability as well as its weaker citizens. In essence, the Awakened council is an honest body whose decisions keep the Awakened populace in line and protect the well-being of the common people.
Councilman Sirius Blackhill
High member of the council of awakened
Sector 5, Ragnarok
SYSTEM ALERT: MENTAL FORTIFICATION DETECTED!
MENTAL FORTIFICATION FULL!
Congratulations! You have gained a forbidden mental fortification technique. Please note that this technique does not protect your mind from intrusions, only the secrets kept within it. Can only be broken by the highest of power or the niftiest of tricks.
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Aodhán dismissed the system prompt with a sigh, his wild hair waving gently in the wind and scattering tiny arcs of electricity in the air. He was standing at the top of the library with Principal Zatya, Agent Kaelith, and Professor Dubois by his side while Rahim hastily drew a teleportation circle with what seemed to be molten silver.
The silence reigned for a while until Professor Dubois ruined it with an unnecessary explanation. “The awakened court cannot be accessed by normal spatial teleportation, so this might take a while.”
Aodhán didn’t bother gracing her words with a response. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the woman, but it definitely wasn’t positive.
Pushing his hair out of his eyes, Aodhán looked up at the golden sky as small rays of actual sunlight peeked in from the horizon. It was almost dawn, and Aodhán hadn’t slept a wink in the last twenty-four hours, but he doubted he would have been able to sleep even if he’d been given the chance.
Despite the mental security of the veil, his meeting with the council had weighed heavily on his mind, and Aodhán had practically spent the rest of the night obsessing over what to say and do without making things worse.
Now, with the meeting only a few minutes away, Aodhán felt a sense of calm wash over him. His mind quieted, and his fears subsided. His gaze grew serene, but if one looked closely, they might notice a hint of sadness in his eyes, one that made all that calm seem hollow.
Principal Zatya stood to his right, her stance confident, and although they hadn’t spoken of last night’s events, Aodhán couldn’t help but wonder if this was one of those situations she had planned ahead for; after all, things had fallen in her favor once again. His transmigrant status was safe, but then his emotional ties to Earth had been severed. His love for the monastery and even his love for his own parents were gone. His fragmented memories were nothing more than a jumble of events that meant nothing to him more than the fact that they had happened.
It was sickening, but it was a price he had paid willingly. Turning his gaze to the left, his gaze connected with that of Professor Dubois, and she observed him for a moment before looking away. Aodhán turned his gaze back to Rahim and pretended to be completely enraptured by the complex runic circle Rahim was drawing.
When he turned away from Professor Dubois, she shot Principal Zatya a scathing glare and mouthed. “What have you done?”
Principal Zatya didn’t respond, but Agent Kaelith eyed Professor Dubois and moved closer to Principal Zatya. Aodhán took all these in without turning, thanks to his newly enhanced perception.
With the {Eye of the storm} passively running his emotions now, Aodhán’s natural perception had nearly doubled, and when he cranked it up to the maximum, Aodhán felt like he was working nearly at advanced speeds.
This drastic enhancement of his perception wasn’t only as a result of his new skill. There were several contributing factors, but the major contributor seemed to be the incredible resonance between the effects of {Eye of the Storm} and his core sense. The resonance had formed a sort of loop where both skill and ability empowered each other to form a greater whole.
Aodhán still couldn’t get a sense of principal Zatya’s core nor professor Dubois’, but Rahim’s core was now as clear to him as day. Rahim was exactly at the 87th tier, and although he couldn’t sense more beyond that, that little tidbit of information was enough to confirm some things he had suspected about Rahim before.
Professor Aleran, who had been in and out of Principal Zatya’s office more times than he could count in the last twenty-four hours, was at tier 97, a truly prestigious tier since he was practically on the cusp of a mythic evolution. Kaelith’s core was easiest to sense, at tier 82, but from the dim sense of his core, Aodhán doubted he would ever be evolving into the mythic class without some serious assistance.
Aodhán glanced at the system clock at the corner of his vision and cursed his heightened perception when he realized that only a couple seconds had passed since he last checked it.
He definitely loved the ability to react faster and just do everything faster, but the skill came with a pretty steep disadvantage. It was passive. This meant that he was always in a state of enhanced perception. He could, of course, reduce or enhance it, but even when he reduced the effects of {Eye of the Storm}, his perception was still much higher than he was used to or even comfortable with.
Getting used to the sudden enhancement in perception had been a great chore, but Aodhán didn’t exactly hate it. He just wished he could adapt faster and stop twisting his feet every time he took a single step.
Sometimes, Aodhán felt like whenever he was given a great skill, a disadvantage quickly followed. First, it was the Sylvael lightning, then the berserk perk, and now the {Eye for the Storm}.
Not wanting to dwell too much on the matter, Aodhán shifted his attention back to Rahim, who was placing minor finishing touches on the teleportation circle. The circle was basically a series of concentric circles inscribed around a lavishly detailed triangle whose center housed what seemed to be an activation circle.
Rahim finally gave the signal that he was done a moment later, and Principal Zatya pulled out a purple mythic core from her spatial storage. The core shone and swirled with so much energy that it was dizzying.
Rahim placed the core at the center of the teleportation circle and activated it with a burst of willpower. Energy surged upward in a brilliant cascade as the mythic core pulsed, releasing whip-like tendrils of spatial energy that twisted around like serpents. The concentric circles of the teleportation array lit up in sequence, starting from the outermost ring towards the center.
The wind howled as the circle activated with a burst of purple light and energy, creating a swirling vortex of light and spatial essence that soon collapsed, leaving behind a large portal in the circle’s center.
“It’s ready.” Rahim announced, and a moment later, he and agent Kaelith stepped through the portal, gesturing for Aodhán to do the same. Steeling himself, Aodhán took the first step and was about to take the other when Principal Zatya placed a hand on his shoulders and said, “I cannot go with you, but I think you’ll do just fine without me there to protect you this time. However, I hope you’ve realized by now that despite our differences, I really want the best for you.”
Aodhán didn’t respond, not quite sure he fully agreed with that, but this was Principal Zatya’s idea of a bonding moment, so he kept quiet and let her continue. She ruffled his hair in an awkward, yet motherly manner, and Aodhán resisted the urge to scowl. He must have failed because Zatya’s smile disappeared and she took a step back.
“You’ll understand soon enough.” Her smile returned, and she added. “I want you to know, however, that as powerful as the council is, they still need you to help them catch this changeling that’s been wreaking havoc in Conquestia.” Professor Dubois frowned, but Principal Zatya ignored her and continued. “You need them to make a fair judgment, and they need you to catch this changeling. This means you have a bargaining chip; make sure to milk it for all it’s worth.”
Aodhán nodded, having already spent the entire night thinking of ways to milk that particular chip dry. However, he had a few concerns. “I’ll be leaving straight for Conquestia after the council’s judgement. I don’t know how long the changeling mission will take, but I hope it ends before the examinations start. However, if it extends beyond that, I would rather not miss the examination or the tournament selection if I don’t have to.”
“It’s alright.” Principal Zatya dismissed his concerns. “The tournament selection can wait, and I’m sure Rahim would be more than happy to ferry you back and forth for the exams if the mission tarries.”
Aodhán nodded gratefully, and Principal Zatya’s gaze sobered as she gave out one last bit of advice. “Be safe, and whatever you do, do not trust the Council.”
Professor Dubois snorted, but Aodhán took the words to heart. With an appreciative nod, he stepped into the teleportation circle alongside Professor Dubois. The world blurred a moment later, and the portal snapped shut with a flash of purple light and ash.
Aodhán and Professor Dubois appeared at the top of an ornate tower with a similar teleportation circle glowing beneath them. They were standing on one of the spires of the Awakened Court, which was situated on such high ground that Aodhán could see the entire sector spread out before him.
Half a dozen advanced-class soldiers stood just outside the circle, along with Rahim and Kaelith. The moment they arrived, the soldiers bowed and smashed a fist against their breastplates in greeting.
“Good morrow, high councilwoman.” One of them, presumably the leader of this squad, greeted Professor Dubois and gestured downwards. “The council awaits your arrival.”
“Then we shall not keep them waiting.” Professor Dubois, or rather, High Councilwoman Dubois, responded, and with a wave of her hand, she created a smaller portal that led directly to the entrance of the Awakened Court.
The Awakened Court was a massive dome-shaped fortress, surrounded by dozens of tall towers like the one they had appeared on. The building was crafted from reinforced stone and ragnar steel, which gleamed brightly in the soft light of dawn. Tall, imposing pillars line the entrance, each inscribed with so many runes that the towers practically shone like beacons to his senses.
Above the entrance waved a large flag displaying the image of a roaring Ragnar—the symbol of the Awakened council—in bright gold. The building was several times the size of the one they’d seen back at sector 3, and it wasn’t until they stepped into the court that Aodhán realized why the council had needed so much free space.
Standing at the front of the vast chamber were seven towering chairs, almost thrones, that shone so brightly with power and runes that they banished any hint of darkness from the entire space. On these seven thrones sat 7 individuals whose aura blanketed the entire court, which was already filled to the brim with so many people that Aodhán’s perception was struggling to keep up.
However, as awe-inspiring and grandiose as the whole scene felt, it was the array of familiars who stood behind each throne that took Aodhán’s breath away. Creatures so large that Varéc would be the size of an ant before them.
On the right, behind a woman, dressed fully in a crimson gown that covered every inch of her body save for her eyes, stood a blood-red hawk more than 10 meters in height and with a wingspan that Aodhán couldn’t fathom. Beside her was a man dressed in flowing white robes that also covered every inch of his body save his eyes. Behind him, though, was a two-headed snake seemingly made out of water, their serpentine gazes fixed on each other as if they were both having a conversation.
Behind the third judge stood a translucent golem of ice with glittering blue gems for eyes and sharp icicles of teeth. The golem was even larger than the blood hawk; however, all the familiars were dwarfed by the creature who stood behind the fourth throne, a stone golem whose head nearly scraped against the dome roof. The creature stared down at Aodhán with an intelligence that seemed far above his own, but more surprising was the tenderness and gentleness it radiated, a contrast to what Aodhán would have expected from the evil-looking creature.
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Aodhán gawked, completely awestruck, and it was until Rahim jabbed him gently in the ribs that he regained his composure and began making his way to the circular platform at the center of the hall just like Kaelith had explained to him that morning.
Despite the hundreds of people in the chamber, the court was completely silent, and despite the calming effect of {Eye of the Storm}, Aodhán couldn’t help the shiver of nerves that raced down his spine. He was standing before some of the most powerful people in Ragnarok, and he couldn’t afford to falter.
Aodhán knew little about the Awakened Council, but what he did know gave him a rough understanding of the situation. The council was a judicial body composed of seven supreme members known as the Judges. Below them were the High Councilmen, who served as potential candidates for a judge’s position. The largest group consisted of advanced-class councilmen and councilwomen, whom Aodhán assumed were representatives from their districts in Sector 5—or perhaps even other sectors. These individuals likely came not only to witness his judgment firsthand but also to avoid relying on secondhand news reports.
When Aodhán reached the center stage, he took in a deep breath, sunk his mind deeply into the calm that {Eye of The Storm} provided, and bowed deeply. “This young one greets the judges of the Awakened council.”
He stayed that way for nearly a minute before a voice thundered. “Rise, Aodhán Ashoka, son of Unrid and Synové Brystion. We have much to discuss.”
Aodhán raised his head and looked to his left, where the voice had thundered from. His gaze landed on the 7th judge, a man dressed fully in black with a gigantic bear standing behind him. The man waved a hand, and a stack of documents appeared before each judge.
There was a brief moment of silence as the judges looked through the documents, but it was broken when the 4th judge spoke. “I may be a fool, but I am one of those who religiously believe that Inheritors are children of fate. However, being an Inheritor does not give you a license to break established laws without reason.”
The second judge, the man with the two-headed snake, nodded and said, “Aodhán Ashoka-Brystion, you stand before this council to answer for your recent actions in using your abilities, whether intentionally or not, to disrupt the lives of common citizens. Are you prepared to defend yourself?
Aodhán lifted his chin, his voice steady. “Yes, I am.”
“Very well.” The fourth judge took over the conversation once more. “Let the record state that this interrogation pertains to the events that happened a day ago concerning the mystical rain that fell over the 5th academy and its environs. A rain that temporarily granted sleepers a state of enhanced perception, in violation of section 18, subsection V, of the Awakened Accountability and Public Safety Act (AAPSA).”
“Noted.” The sixth judge, a fat woman dressed completely in green robes with a large deer-like familiar standing behind her, responded.
“Before we begin, however,” she gestured towards a side of the chamber where another robed figure stood, dressed fully in a cascade of translucent clothes, “I would like to remind the defendant that we have a truth seeker who will detect any falsehood that you utter. So, for your own good, be honest.”
Aodhán nodded again, and when the 4th judge gestured for him to begin, Aodhán took a deep breath to steady himself and launched into an explanation of what had happened and how it had happened. He told them about his seal and how he had been too excited to test out the effects of his new skill.
“I had absolutely no idea what effect the skill would have on the rain,” he finished. “In retrospect, I should have thought things through, and for that I am sincerely sorry. It was foolish, but it wasn’t intentional.”
A murmur rose from the audience, but the sound died the moment the first judge, the woman in the blood-red robe, loudly cleared her throat. She glanced at the truth seeker and asked. “Is that true?”
“So far.” The truth seeker replied, and another chorus of murmurs rose from the crowd.
It didn’t last long, though, as the second judge with the two-headed snakes spoke. “You’re an intelligent young awakened, Mr. Brystion. Should you not have been aware of the ramifications of such large-area experiments? We are not just discussing your actions alone, but the consequences of that action and the chaos it has caused all over the kingdom and even Lutia at large.
Just in case you do not understand, let me cite an example of what is currently going on. Over the past few hours, there has been a drastic spike in the sale of water as scammers peddle ordinary water to the citizens of Ragnarok, claiming it to be miracle water. This has not only increased the price of water everywhere but also the degree of criminal activities in the kingdom.”
“Yes,” the first judge agreed, her crimson robes flowing like blood. “Also, you performed these actions without any spiritual boost or artifacts. The ramifications of that are concerning. What would have happened if you had employed your seal, willpower, or opening?”
“I do not know as I have restrained myself from testing out the skill any further, but my principal has enlightened me on the potential ramifications of my actions. I truly am sorry for all the problems I might have caused, but like I said earlier, my actions were not intentional, and I do not intend to repeat them.”
The crowd erupted with another chorus of murmurs while the judges deliberated, and Aodhán wondered what action they would take next. He still had his bargaining chip, but hopefully he wouldn’t have to use it.
After a short moment of discussion, the fourth judge cleared his throat and spoke. “We have heard your words and know that you are telling the truth…as you know it. But the truth is layered, isn’t it?”
“This one isn’t.” Aodhán responded calmly even as a spike of caution lanced through him.
“That is for us to decide.” The fourth judge responded, his voice taking on a dangerous edge as he turned towards the fifth judge, a small woman dressed in overflowing purplish-blue robes, and gestured for her to speak.
Aodhán observed the woman for a moment before turning his gaze to the gigantic predator behind her. It looked so much like a Jaguar and was only a couple feet shorter than the gargoyle, but its eyes shone with a host of colors that reminded Aodhán of an affinity he had only read about in books: Infinity.
The small woman picked out a file from the stack of documents on her table and spoke, her voice almost ethereal. “Your words may be true, but your actions have already disrupted the social order of things in the kingdom. The question we must now ask is... what else do you hide, Aodhán? You speak of your actions as an accident, yet we wonder if perhaps there was someone or something deeper at play. After all, you’re a child of fate…
Her words hung heavily in the air, and Aodhán’s breath hitched as he struggled to keep his calm. “I have told you the truth about what happened that day. I had no ulterior motives, and my actions were wholly mine.”
“Just like your familiar was?” The sixth judge asked, and the chamber suddenly plunged into silence. When Aodhán failed to respond, she continued. “We have cause to believe that considering your affiliations to Ascendant candidate Lightus, there might be more to these ‘accidents’ than you claim.”
“Are you accusing Calamity Lightus of something?” Aodhán asked and was pleased to see the seven judges suddenly tense up. The chamber plunged into a silence, but it was broken a moment later when the fourth judge responded.
“No. We are not accusing the Calamity of anything. We merely wish to know if something else was at play when your actions took place.”
“There wasn’t.” Aodhán responded, but it was obvious the council wouldn’t be letting him go without getting what they wanted. From what Kaelith had explained, this lawsuit was a last-ditch effort to get him here, alone and away from principal Zatya’s influence. The council wouldn’t rest until they searched through his mind and gained all the knowledge they wanted, regardless of the truth seekers words.
Aodhán had known this moment would come, but he had hoped to avoid it even with the veil in place. Sighing, he prepared to use his bargaining chip and asked. “What do I have to do to convince the council that this was an innocent accident?”
The judges exchanged glances, and the fourth judge spoke up. “To ensure the integrity of your testimony, we must verify the truth through your memories.”
Chaos rose within the court, and Aodhán shook his head. If he hadn’t been certain before, now he was sure. The awakened council didn’t care about the public safety act or the price of water in the kingdom. He was here for one thing alone, and that was so they could unearth every single piece of useful information about him.
Aodhán was prepared for this, though. His secrets were safe behind the veil. Nevertheless, he couldn’t seem too eager to have his mind read, so he shook his head and responded. “I’m afraid I’m not okay with that.”
The first judge responded snidely. “If it's pain you're afraid of, I can assure you that the search will be seamless. I advise you to cooperate with us to avoid unnecessary problems because we will reach the conclusion of this matter regardless of how you feel about it.”
Aodhán nodded and decided it was time to bargain. “What happens to me if I refuse? Will the council forcefully breach my mind?”
“The unconsented breach of a person’s mind is a crime.” The sixth judge blurted out in a tone laced with anger. “The Awakened council upholds the law, not break it, so therefore, we will not forcefully breach your mind. However, if you remain uncooperative, we will have to judge you without full certainty of your innocence. The results of that may not end too well for you.”
“What if you search my mind and find nothing? What will happen then?”
“Then we will give you a fair judgment with full certainty of your innocence.” The fourth judge responded.
Aodhán frowned and pretended to contemplate the matter for a while before responding. “Okay, I consent to having my memories concerning the rain incident and only the rain incident searched. Anything other than that will be a violation, and now, I’m not trying to threaten this esteemed council, but the less violated I feel, the more inclined I’ll be to assist in the mission you gave me.”
Noise erupted from the entire audience as the judges glared daggers at him. Even the familiars who had remained quiet this entire time moved, causing Varéc’s emotions to flare as he urged Aodhán to let him out. What Varéc intended to do against creatures ten times his size, Aodhán had no idea, but he figured it was better to keep him in check.
While the crowd argued his statement, and the judges silently debated, Aodhán spoke up again, genuinely hoping to appease the judges. “I understand how it sounds, but it truly isn’t a threat. I’m just saying. You need my help, but I’ll be less inclined to offer it if I feel violated.”
Perhaps he should have simply kept quiet, because his statement only seemed to aggravate the council further. Murmurs and shouts of outrage filled the chamber for a few minutes until the 4th judge spoke once more. “I think we understand you perfectly, Mr. Brystion.” He gestured to the truth seeker to come forward and said, “Search his memories for anything connected to the rain incident. Anything at all, no matter how far-fetched, but make sure you do not exceed it.”
Aodhán frowned, cursing himself for not being more specific with his consent, but it didn’t matter anyway. He had nothing to hide about the rain incident, and if the truth seeker dug too deep and then encountered the veil, then so be it. They couldn’t breach it anyway.
The truth seeker floated down from his corner of the chamber, his translucent robes flowing almost as if underwater, and when he reached Aodhán, he pulled off his gloves to reveal wizened hands that glowed with youthful energy despite the wrinkles and marks on them.
The truth seeker reached forward and placed his hands on either side of Aodhán’s head. “Don’t resist.” He muttered in a hoarse voice and added. “Resistance only brings pain.”
Not bothering to analyze the seeker’s statement too closely, Aodhán nodded and prepared himself to be mind fucked. This wasn’t his first time; after all, the origin plane did this all the time. However, the fact that it was another human doing this to him made it a completely different scenario, and despite having nothing to hide concerning the event, Aodhán was still a little nervous about what they might find.
When the truth seeker closed his eyes, Aodhán did the same and cleared his thoughts, wanting to remove any clutter that might implicate him. The truth seeker wasn’t exactly a telepath or a mentally awakened person; instead, he was something between an empath and a lie detector. He couldn’t sense emotions, but he could detect lies and detect the meaning of certain inflections in a person’s voice. He couldn’t read minds from a distance either, like a telepath could, and had to have physical contact with a person in order to read their minds. In essence, the truth seeker affinity was a useless sub-concept of the mind affinity and not even a particularly lucrative one at that. The concept was so bad that it was easily replaced by the truth seeker talisman, and the only reason they weren’t using that now was because the talisman couldn’t exactly search minds or scour people’s—
“Nothing.” The truth seeker spoke, his voice slicing through Aodhán’s thoughts like a knife—thoughts that he shouldn’t have been thinking in the first place.
Aodhán blinked in confusion. He had expected to sense the truth seeker’s intrusion of his mind, but he hadn’t felt a thing, and truth be told, he wouldn’t even have known that the man had scoured his mind at all had his words not confirmed it.
And all those terrible thoughts about truth seekers, where the hell had they come from???
While Aodhán battled with his confusion, the truth seeker turned his gaze to the judges and spoke. “The boy speaks the truth. I have scoured all available memories on the matter, and I’ve found nothing incriminating.”
Aodhán wasn’t exactly sure whether to feel violated or not, because how could he even determine whether he had been violated or not if he hadn’t even felt a single thing?
The crowd erupted with murmurs, a mixture of shock and incredulity rippling through the audience. After a brief pause, the 4th judge raised his hand, silencing the whispers. He adjusted his brown robes and announced in a firm voice, “In light of the circumstances, Aodhán Ashoka-Brystion, you are hereby ordered to pay restitution for your actions. A fine of five hundred platinum coins will suffice as compensation for the damages caused and is to be paid in full within the next six months.”
“In addition, you are henceforth prohibited from using your miracle rain as a source of income for the next two years. Any violation of this decree, whether intentional or accidental, will be met with immediate punishment.” He leaned forward slightly, his mythic eyes narrowing. “Do not take this warning lightly. Should you fail to comply. You will terribly hate what comes next.”
Aodhán bowed in gratitude and replied. “I understand the terms and accept the judge’s decision. I will pay the fine and adhere to the restrictions placed upon me. You have my word.”
It took a while for the chamber to clear out, but an hour later, after the last councilman stepped out of the chamber, the judges sealed themselves in, took off their masks, and turned towards the truth seeker with eager expressions.
“What else did you find?” The fourth judge asked urgently, his dark brown mask clutched tightly in his fingers. “Surely, you were able to circumvent whatever restrictions Zatya and Lightus have implemented.”
“Sadly, no.” The truth seeker responded with a shake of his head. “The boy had a shrouded veil over his mind, and I couldn’t see through it. However, I did find something interesting.”
“What is it?” The sixth judge snapped, her green robes crackling as she squeezed it.
“I found a memory fragment buried so deep within the boy's memories I doubt even he is aware of its existence.” The truth seeker smiled and stretched his hands to display the copied memory, which began with a massive explosion of lightning, accompanied by a river of blood and the cold-killer gaze of a well-known figure.
Gasps echoed all through the room as the judges watched the memory play in shock, too stunned to speak. The memory played in a loop for almost five minutes before the 2nd judge spoke, his white robes rippling like water. “I guess this is it then. Despite the council’s best efforts, the slaughterer managed to leave a legacy here on ÆFLYM.”
The first judge cradled her red mask and sighed. “And so it begins. History will repeat itself.”
“Not if we stop it first.” The 4th judge said firmly and turned to look at the others. “Zatya and Lightus must know of this, but we can’t have them alone pulling his strings. We need to sink our claws into him now that he’s still malleable, and the Black Forest would be a perfect opportunity. We need a weakness that we can exploit, and we need it fast.”