…the first interview the manuscript records daily calls of the young man, during which he related startling fragments of nocturnal imagery whose burden was always some terrible Cyclopean vista of dark and dripping stone, with a subterrene voice or intelligence shouting monotonously in enigmatical sense-impacts uninscribable save as gibberish. The two sounds most frequently repeated are those rendered by the letters "Cthulhu" and "R'lyeh".

Excerpt: Weird Tales/Volume 11/Issue 2/The Call of Cthulhu

By HPL

Gideon traveled to the Captain’s Quarters that were just outside the barracks. The captain had asked him to visit before going to the academy.“Okay boy, today is the day. I’ve got you registered and your sponsorship is covered, so I need you to go up there, show them what you’ve got. I know you’ll do us proud. The lower district doesn’t usually produce an Awakened with an alpha ability that peaks the academy’s interest, but you my boy have their attention. People are asking questions, they want to know about you. It’s time to strike why the iron is hot. Only a few of my guards were allowed to attend beyond the introductory training year. I know you’ll do all of us proud and you’ll go all the way. I can just feel it. You can become so much more. You’ll rise above all this.” Captain Daniels was speaking with such pride that Gideon couldn’t help but get caught up in the man’s positivity. He looked around at the best of what the lower districts had to offer. He understood.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Yes sir,” was all he managed to say. Tears were in his eyes, it was happening, he was going to the academy. The day was finally here. Gideon looked at the small bag with his bare essentials. I don’t own much that isn’t a bare essential do I? The bag was his worldly possessions, the only things that he needed to survive. Looking at it now, it seemed pitiful. He had so little, but the captain had given him an opportunity. He was going to take full advantage.

“Don’t worry son, you’ll be taken care of.” He handed Gideon a small pouch. “Here are some coins to buy a few things in the walled market of Rime. They will have many more options than the market down here in the lower district. Also, I put a void essence gem in the bag, you’re going to need it. At the academy and the walled market, some merchants only trade in void essence. I don’t run dungeons for the system anymore, but there is still a bit of essence stored in there. It’s all yours now. Listen, it is important the storage gem is bound to you, because they are very valuable. This way it can’t be taken from you unless given willingly or you are killed. It is a very helpful tool. You need one to store void essence, or it will go to waste on your runs.”

He opened the little bag and looked inside, “Oh, I never knew about void essence. What is it? Where does it come from?” Gideon asked as he pull the gem out of the bag. The gem was a darker color that he could define, a small light shifted inside the gem, pulling his attention to it.

That captain nudged him to get his attention. “First time I saw one I did the same. That is one of those need to know basis things. You would have been taught early on at the academy, but I have a gem to offer now. As for the void essence, I think that is better explained by one of the professors, but the light you are looking at is the small amount of essence the gem possesses. Now lets bind this gem to you real fast, we can’t have you being late.” The captain pulled a dagger out and sliced his thumb. He then pressed his thumb onto the gem. “Now you do the same. This will transfer the gem to you.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Really? How does that work?” Gideon asked as he placed his bleeding thumb to the gem as well. Gideon saw a red light pulse for the briefest of seconds, then he could feel that the gem was his. He just knew it at his core that this thing belonged to him. He stared at it in wonder, this was his first interaction with magic from the void. He didn’t count the magitek sweepers, anyone could use them. Not everyone had one of these gems thought, or even knew that they existed. This was a special thing the captain was sharing.

The captain broke his reverie as he spoke again. “I am surrendering life essence to the gem freely. The void recognizes this. When you surrendered essence to it, the gem recognized you as the new owner and bound itself to you. Now it can never be stolen or lost. The gem will always return to your pocket eventually.” He watched the captain closely, the man was staring at the gem with a solemn expression.

“Is something wrong sir? Gideon asked.

“Just the end of an era my boy. Surrendering the gem officially ends my dungeon delving. I’ll likely never be able to buy another, nor would I want to. But it is still sad, nostalgia and all. I had my time, now it is yours.” The captain placed a hand on Gideon shoulder and squeezed. “Now you best be going.”

“Thank you Cap…” Gideon started and cut himself off. He corrected himself and started again. “Thank you Stephan, you will always be the father I never had. Well, I guess I did have you as a father. So maybe it’s better to say it was nice to experience a father that actually wanted me?” He didn’t wait for a response, that moment in time tugged at his heart strings powerfully. He did the only thing he could manage in the moment, he turned away and left.

As he walked away, the captain stood there for some time, unable to move as he watched the boy head off to his new life. If anyone were to have asked, the captain would have told them about all the dust in his eyes, because the scamps obviously were slacking on cleaning the streets.

Gideon walked through the streets of Rime, his destination was The Academy of the Awakened. I still can’t believe it. It doesn’t seem real, he thought. He pulled out the acceptance letter and read it again.

Congratulations on your acceptance to the awakening. This letter is to cordially invite Gideon Daniels to attend the Academy of the Awakened in the city of Rime. All new students are to meet at the Train Disembarkation Platform on the morning of the third day following The Grand Awakening Ceremony. You will be greeted there and provided with further instruction. Please bring all personal possessions you wish to take to the academy. You will be given additional shopping time in the walled market sector. Again, Welcome and we hope to have a productive year.

Yours Truly, Freya Eisenberg, Rime Academy Freshman Adviser.

Gideon read the “Daniels” surname on the letter again. His eyes teared up, as they had every time he’d read the letter. He hadn’t known the captain had given him a surname until he had received the letter. Neither had mentioned it, they carried on as though it were always his name, and in some ways he supposed it always had been. All the scamps of the lower district were a Daniels, he just happen to have a paper that said so. He swore a vow to himself in that moment, he would do everything he could to make the name proud. He would rather die than bring it shame.