Enlightenment
Richard nodded and headed back to his room. But judging from his look of excitement, he probably wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. Elaine shook her head endearingly, and headed up to the attic with her magic lantern.
The attic was a storage for their junk, but it was well-maintained with not a speck of dust in sight. Elaine shifted a box to reveal a tiny altar of stone, a meticulous spell formation carved at its base. The only thing amiss was that the idol was missing.
Elaine took her time cleaning the altar, even getting at the difficult corners before she let her gaze fall on the thick book lying beside the box. It looked extraordinary at first sight, with at least a thousand pages. It was at least four times as large as a normal magic tome, weighing no less than a dozen kilograms. Its bronze surface shone brightly, not tainted in the least by dust or dirt of any sort, an obvious indication that it had been read often. This surprised Elaine. She hadn't been in contact with the book longer than she could remember, so Richard was obviously the one reading it. She hadn't expected the child to be reading it so actively.
She walked towards it and flipped it open. Her face didn't match up to her delicate and beautiful fingers, being a cause for numerous discussions amongst the men of the village.
The cover of the book was made of real bronze, weighty and cold as it radiated a solemness of time. Within the book were hundreds of crystal beads that would create a small altar when activated, allowing one to listen to the voice of the Moon Goddess, Alucia.
A poem in the ancient elven language decorated the title page, praising the Moon Goddess in all her glory. Elaine still vividly remembered every note of the poem, every intonation. She flipped through the book mindlessly, the pages slipping through her fingers smooth as water. They were mostly filled in the elven language with lifelike drawings, different from the catechisms of the humans in that the doctrines of the goddess only occupied a small part of the book. Instead, the book detailed the events and experiences of Alucia's time, including events outside Norland or even the plane. Richard was probably amused by it because he read it like it was a geography or history book.
It was hard to see anything special about the book outside of its weight, but this was once the most treasured gem of the Silvermoon Palace, the Code of Alucia. It recorded the seven divine spells unique to the Goddess and those she deemed worthy, and Elaine had been able to use five in the past. She was the one with the greatest comprehension of spells outside of the Great Druid, possessing power and the acknowledgement of the Goddess herself. Now, though? She could barely cast one spell, and even that required her everything as well as the support of the tome.
The 7 spells loomed about in the depths of her mind.
Alucia's Destiny: Enlightenment, Alucia's Blessing: Healing, Alucia's Wrath: Punishment, Alucia's Sword: Silvermoon Armour, Alucia's Will: Trial…
There were two other spells that Elaine remained unable to cast. One was Alucia's Mind: Prophecy, while the last, Alucia's Daze: Dark Moon, was something nobody had managed to use to date.
Elaine placed her hand on the book, bathing in the remnants of its divine aura. The bleak moonlight of the fifth moon shone down on her through the rooftop window, the divinity of the moonlight entering her body stealthily as she built up power for the ceremony the coming week. That would be Richard's present for his tenth birthday, the divine spell Enlightenment…
Richard was woken up in the middle of the night on his birthday, brought to the attic and made to kneel in front of the altar. The book had been flipped open already, prayers upon it that he'd never seen before.
This was the ancient language of the elves, an extremely difficult and enigmatic language, but one he already spoke like a native. The prayers praised the Moon Goddess, but as he recited them in his heart Richard felt like his body had oddly turned transparent. It was as if something or someone without an aim had made a discovery, charging towards him to enter his body. He felt an icy sensation in his abdomen, spreading out to his limbs and the rest of his body as well. It was a fleeting but distinct feeling, a common phenomenon during worship or ceremony. Richard knew many ceremonies even required the target to endure excruciating pain, so he kept quiet and followed his mother's instructions to clear his mind of all distractions.
"My Richard… You will be entering Goddess Alucia's halls in but a moment, there to receive enlightenment with regards to your destiny. If you're presented with some choices there, you may choose…" Elaine stopped abruptly and shook her head. "My dear, choose whatever you want, just be sure to listen closely to the voice of the Goddess and follow your heart."
Richard nodded despite his confusion. He felt his consciousness slowly blurring with his mother's soft prayers, as if he was disengaging from the world. When he woke up again he found himself in front of a magnificent shrine.
From his position in this arena, the shrine that was thousands of metres around made him feel as insignificant as an ant. The surroundings were made mostly of silvery-grey stone that glowed faintly, and when he scanned his surroundings he was shocked to see stars upon stars in the sky, seemingly so close that he thought he'd be able to pick some if he just stretched his hand. Both the arena and the shrine itself were floating in the starry sky.
The huge area put immense stress on him, causing his heart to beat uncontrollably as he didn't dare look around even once more. He made a beeline for the shrine, crossing the entire arena and scaling thousands of stone steps to arrive at the entrance. Were it not for his stamina and endurance that he'd trained just like any other child in the mountains, he'd long since have collapsed. He didn't stop for a moment since he started running, feeling like the arena filled his horizon and his surroundings moved in tandem with him. It was like the entire area would crumble the moment he stopped, falling into an endless abyss.
By the time Richard arrived at the shrine's entrance, his breaths had grown ragged. His heart was threatening to jump out of his chest, and it took a while for him to calm down before reminding himself of Elaine's words as he raised his head and looked into the shrine.
The shrine wasn't a dome, instead surrounded by a circle of pristine, jade-like white stone pillars. At the middle was an altar with three goddesses atop it, all in different postures and positions.
There were supposed to be six statues on the altar, each representing different abilities. The more Richard could see, the more abilities he would be able to evoke with his enlightenment. With his extraordinary memory Richard could make out the three he had now:
Extraordinary Divinity, bestowing epic strength.
Currents of Life, giving him the power to heal.
Wind's Swiftness, increasing his speed and agility.
This rendered Richard slightly disappointed. He'd already wished for the blessing of wisdom in his heart, believing real men needed to be intellectuals. Still, it was good enough that he had these three choices, since his mother had wanted him to have more than one. Elaine hadn't told the clueless boy that more than half of those who went through this ceremony only saw an empty shrine.
The boy walked towards the altar, trying his best with wide eyes to find the blessing of wisdom, but this shrine and everything that accompanied it wasn't real. What would be the result of his efforts? The only effect was that the three statues he could see were starting to blur in his hesitation.
"You want more abilities, don't you?" A voice suddenly sounded in Richard's ears. It caused him to jump and look around frantically, but he saw nothing. The voice had come abruptly, its cold robotic tone evoking a chilling fear within the boy.
"Who- Who are you?" He plucked up his courage, shouting in a trembling voice. His words resonated within the shrine, the strong echo shocking him once more.
"It doesn't matter, I won't appear again. Strictly speaking, I'm your other half, hidden within you," the voice answered.
"Impossible!" Richard denied with resolution. His mother once told him his soul was extremely pure, and there was nothing that would taint him. His fear dissipated in a couple of words, the initial confusion and surprise fading as the courage of a mountain youth set in.
The voice ignored his comment, continuing, "Now go, choose whatever you want."
The altar before Richard lit up once more, revealing three more statues. Apart from the blessing of wisdom were elemental compatibility and nature's advocate. The former was pivotal in a magician's training, allowing them to communicate with the elements outside their body and reducing the exhaustion of their powers. It let them cast a couple more spells than other magicians of a similar grade, strengthening one's advancement. The latter allowed humans to know more about nature, increasing their stealth and speed in complicated terrain as well as strengthening nature spells. It also gave one poison immunity. Enlightenment had given Richard all six abilities.
"This… This is-" Richard was rendered speechless, his little head in a mess of confusion. The only logical explanation for everything was that everything was an illusion; how else could everything be so different from what his mother and the book said?
Still, despite everything, the boy didn't forget his own purpose. He walked towards the statue of wisdom, reaching forward to touch the feet of the Goddess. This was the significance of the ceremony, having the worshipper bow before their Goddess with humility.
The moment Richard's hand touched the statue, a sharp crack resonated within his mind. It was like the entire world became lucid and clear to him, giving new meaning to the words he'd read in the holy book, "Wisdom allows people to see the world more clearly…"
All the other statues disappeared the moment he touched the statue of wisdom. The ceremony should have ended here by right, but the shrine didn't disappear yet. Richard glanced around nervously, seeing a new statue emerge on the altar.
The statue had its arms crossed in front of its chest, the head tilted to the side looking sullen but focused. What made her different from the other statues was that she didn't seem tangible, instead made up of shadow.
'Could this be another ability?' Richard tried his best to recall, but couldn't think of what this statue represented. Even the holy book had no records of this statue, but he could still recognise it as one belonging to Alucia.
"Don't you want another ability?" The voice sounded again.
"What is it?" Richard paused, announcing, "I don't want to give up wisdom."
"You can call it truth. It allows you to look at the world from another perspective, and at the end of the path you might see other things."
"Other things? What are they?" He asked out of curiosity. Silence was his only answer.
Richard wanted to leave. He knew that he could leave this place and go back to the real world at any time, leaving this world made from the power of the enlightenment ceremony. The shrine had fulfilled its purpose to allow someone with talent to grow clear about their abilities and carve their future paths.
On the other hand, this place wasn't completely virtual. The floating shrine was filled with the divine power of the Goddess, and all six abilities were blessings granted by the Goddess herself. The voice and the unknown seventh statue overthrew everything Richard knew, making him feel a devilish temptation.
'But how could the power of a devil appear in the Moon Goddess' ceremony?' He truly hesitated as he looked at the seventh statue. Too voices fought in his head for dominance, but to no avail. 'Take it, or no?'
Despite his internal struggle, Richard's body was honest as it walked towards the statue. "The world is balanced, everything comes at a price." Balance was one of the core teachings of Alucia's doctrine, so what would he have to pay for this second ability?
This was the first time Richard had ever fallen into a confused struggle, but he ended up sticking his hand out anyway. His mother had told him to choose as he pleased, and he didn't want to give up on the opportunity despite the price. Little Richard was a brave boy, willing to fight for unexpected yields. He was also smart, knowing that his mother truly hoped for him to he a hero, a really great and important person.
A greater person than Baron Tucker.
Truth
As Richard's little hand touched the seventh statue, it scattered into shadows that bore into his body. For a moment he felt like he was on fire, his whole body burning with soul-rending pain that kept him awake but drove him insane. An icy sensation shot forth from his body to collide with the flames, making him feel like he was about to be torn apart.
He ground his teeth, exercising his tenacity and resolution to persist till the entirety of the shadow entered his body. Only after the last bit of it was absorbed did he relax, the shrine in front of him starting to dade.
His vision blurred, he saw the beautiful worried face of his mother just before he lost consciousness. "I got two abilities, Mother will be so proud of me!" he exclaimed within the darkness.
A large crack appeared on the altar in the attic, the very fact that such a rare altar could be damaged being appalling. Elaine didn't look good at all, blood dripping from the corners of her lips, but she could care less as she searched Richard's body, only calming down when she saw no harm was done to him.
However, she then saw a shadow looming between her son's brows, something neither the lamp nor the moonlight could cast from their position. It was like a fog that moved across his forehead, not in a hurry to leave. Ordinary eyes would not be able to see it, but under the power of the fifth moon Elaine trembled as she reached out for it. She felt cold twinge of pain upon contact, the result of a collision between dark energy and Alucia's divinity.
"SHADOW CREATURE?" Elaine screamed. She clenched her teeth and jabbed her fingers right into Richard's temple, starting to chant the spell for prophecy from distant memories. It was a spell that she'd never been able to grasp, but right now it was her best shot at freeing Richard from the menacing creature.
Ever since she lost her position as a divine official Elaine had foregone all her blessings and the spells of her Goddess. Still, her desperate actions proved fruitful as a picture scroll flashed before her eyes. It showed a never-ending void of darkness, with no moon, no stars, only a chaotic energy pervading the universe. A large shadow loomed within the chaos, the originally messy trajectories of the energy ultimately being aimed at one position, her son.
The scroll flashed across her sight, the brief vision exhausting all her energy until she couldn't even lift a finger if she tried. Still, even if she was full of vigour the image wouldn't have left her in a different position.
Shadows were different from the darkness, their energy not a part of nature. Many species of shadow creatures wandered aimlessly between the planes, feeding on the chaos of different worlds. They were cunning, dangerous, and powerful— making them loved and hated alike by various mages.
Shadow summoning was an ancient, mature art— ranging from level 6 to level 9 spells that could grant control of a shadow creature to the caster. The chance of failure was minute, but once out of control a shadow creature would devour its summoner like it was the most delicious food they'd ever seen. Every year there was news in the mainland about accidents where mages were devoured by shades.
The shadow creature looming between Richard's brows seemed to have some indication of life, but it wasn't complete. The dark energy it possessed wasn't significant, able to be cleansed by a common shaman, but Elaine saw in her prophecy that it was a beacon for various dark beings, summoning them to this particular plane. Even if the shadow was cleansed it would be too late; the various dark beings had already set out, and Richard would be the anchor they used to infiltrate this plane.
Once a large number of creatures attacked this plane, Richard would only be met with two outcomes. He would either be killed in the violent collision of energy, or become possessed by the strongest of them and lose control of his body forever, becoming a vessel for the creatures of the dark. Nobody could comprehend the laws of the planes; these creatures could take a few centuries to arrive, or they could come here next month.
"How did this happen…" Elaine mumbled as she closed her arms around Richard, her tears wetting both herself and her son. She lifted at head and looked at the crescent moon in the sky, and the mark like a dried bloodstain that hadn't been there before. So the change in the moon had resulted in the change in the ceremony. This probably would not have happened if she was still a shaman of Alucia.
'Is this Her punishment?' Elaine thought bitterly, having lost all strength to complain about destiny or wallow in self-pity. She carried her son downstairs, tucking him carefully into bed. His brows were slightly furrowed, but his constant smiles made it seem like he was having good dreams.
Richard was a pretty boy. He'd already begun to lose his childlike features, looking more handsome and dashing by the day. Elaine looked at her own son endearingly, the center of her life for the past ten years. A decade was but a moment in her long life, but now it had seemed like forever. Richard had grown up rather slowly, looking more childlike than others of his age, but this was to be expected with his silvermoon elf blood giving him five hundred years of life. However, the reason for the brusqueness being added to his exquisite appearance was something only Elaine herself knew.
The shadow continued looming over Richard's face, causing Elaine to sigh softly as she left a goodnight kiss on her son's forehead before leaving the room. She sat alone in the living room and stared at the night sky, events of the past playing in her mind like they'd just occurred yesterday. Those nights were the essence of all the passion, hatred, and love in her entire life, and she couldn't help but think of them once more. The fifth moon had just given way to the sixth; when the seventh peeked on the horizon, it would be a new day.
……
The radiance of the seventh moon spilled through the window. Elaine looked more worn than ever, but also more attractive than before. The mirror on the wall now reflected a beautiful figure, Elaine's original appearance that she'd almost forgotten over these ten years. It was a beauty only silvermoon elves possessed.
She stood up, taking out a piece of magical parchment decorated with stars and spreading it on the table. She then took out a well-sealed magic pen made from a griffin feather, checking the unique unicorn blood ink to see whether it was still working. There was little ink left, but she wasn't writing a long letter either so it would suffice.
The light feather quill felt oh so heavy in her arms, and she couldn't bring herself to write anything for a long while. It took the first ray of sunlight shining through the window for her to laugh and mumble, "Someone who destroyed the Silvermoon Palace will be able to defeat dark beings, won't he? What's more, it's been ten years…"
She finally convinced herself to draft a meticulous spell formation on the paper before penning down a long name:
Cordon Isaiah Satanistoria Archeron.
The magic pen shook the moment she finished writing the name, its tip shining with red light like the burning flames of a fire. All that was left when the fire extinguished was a faint, almost invisible mark. Nonetheless, the mark could only be eliminated only if the precious paper was destroyed. As an ex-shaman, she was aware of the secret of bloodlines. The burning flames signified that this name written down with demonic power had already triggered the power of law, being felt by the owner of the name. Everything she wrote down next would be delivered to the person in question, across the boundaries of space and time.
The pen stopped again, the hand that held it trembling. This had proven another thing— Cordon really had given her his real name. Though she hadn't once suspected him, it had been proven true for the first time. With the advantage of knowing his real name, she could cast the most malicious curse on him with just a little demonic power. Even as a legendary being he wouldn't be able to escape the damage, truenames being the most significant secrets of certain bloodlines.
'That idiot actually revealed his real name,' she couldn't help but think. But these thoughts were easily replaced by memories of the large and decadent forest. Her hands grew cold, but they no longer shivered. She jotted down her thoughts with short yet precise words, only hesitating again when it came time for her to sign off. She hesitated, but proceed to pen her name down with exquisite and elegant writing:
Elena. Song of the moon.
The paper burned intensely and turned to ashes within the blink of an eye. The information within was being delivered. Elena put down her worries and troubles with that pen, looking quiet and beautiful.
Enlightenment
Richard nodded and headed back to his room. But judging from his look of excitement, he probably wouldn't be getting any sleep that night. Elaine shook her head endearingly, and headed up to the attic with her magic lantern.
The attic was a storage for their junk, but it was well-maintained with not a speck of dust in sight. Elaine shifted a box to reveal a tiny altar of stone, a meticulous spell formation carved at its base. The only thing amiss was that the idol was missing.
Elaine took her time cleaning the altar, even getting at the difficult corners before she let her gaze fall on the thick book lying beside the box. It looked extraordinary at first sight, with at least a thousand pages. It was at least four times as large as a normal magic tome, weighing no less than a dozen kilograms. Its bronze surface shone brightly, not tainted in the least by dust or dirt of any sort, an obvious indication that it had been read often. This surprised Elaine. She hadn't been in contact with the book longer than she could remember, so Richard was obviously the one reading it. She hadn't expected the child to be reading it so actively.
She walked towards it and flipped it open. Her face didn't match up to her delicate and beautiful fingers, being a cause for numerous discussions amongst the men of the village.
The cover of the book was made of real bronze, weighty and cold as it radiated a solemness of time. Within the book were hundreds of crystal beads that would create a small altar when activated, allowing one to listen to the voice of the Moon Goddess, Alucia.
A poem in the ancient elven language decorated the title page, praising the Moon Goddess in all her glory. Elaine still vividly remembered every note of the poem, every intonation. She flipped through the book mindlessly, the pages slipping through her fingers smooth as water. They were mostly filled in the elven language with lifelike drawings, different from the catechisms of the humans in that the doctrines of the goddess only occupied a small part of the book. Instead, the book detailed the events and experiences of Alucia's time, including events outside Norland or even the plane. Richard was probably amused by it because he read it like it was a geography or history book.
It was hard to see anything special about the book outside of its weight, but this was once the most treasured gem of the Silvermoon Palace, the Code of Alucia. It recorded the seven divine spells unique to the Goddess and those she deemed worthy, and Elaine had been able to use five in the past. She was the one with the greatest comprehension of spells outside of the Great Druid, possessing power and the acknowledgement of the Goddess herself. Now, though? She could barely cast one spell, and even that required her everything as well as the support of the tome.
The 7 spells loomed about in the depths of her mind.
Alucia's Destiny: Enlightenment, Alucia's Blessing: Healing, Alucia's Wrath: Punishment, Alucia's Sword: Silvermoon Armour, Alucia's Will: Trial…
There were two other spells that Elaine remained unable to cast. One was Alucia's Mind: Prophecy, while the last, Alucia's Daze: Dark Moon, was something nobody had managed to use to date.
Elaine placed her hand on the book, bathing in the remnants of its divine aura. The bleak moonlight of the fifth moon shone down on her through the rooftop window, the divinity of the moonlight entering her body stealthily as she built up power for the ceremony the coming week. That would be Richard's present for his tenth birthday, the divine spell Enlightenment…
Richard was woken up in the middle of the night on his birthday, brought to the attic and made to kneel in front of the altar. The book had been flipped open already, prayers upon it that he'd never seen before.
This was the ancient language of the elves, an extremely difficult and enigmatic language, but one he already spoke like a native. The prayers praised the Moon Goddess, but as he recited them in his heart Richard felt like his body had oddly turned transparent. It was as if something or someone without an aim had made a discovery, charging towards him to enter his body. He felt an icy sensation in his abdomen, spreading out to his limbs and the rest of his body as well. It was a fleeting but distinct feeling, a common phenomenon during worship or ceremony. Richard knew many ceremonies even required the target to endure excruciating pain, so he kept quiet and followed his mother's instructions to clear his mind of all distractions.
"My Richard… You will be entering Goddess Alucia's halls in but a moment, there to receive enlightenment with regards to your destiny. If you're presented with some choices there, you may choose…" Elaine stopped abruptly and shook her head. "My dear, choose whatever you want, just be sure to listen closely to the voice of the Goddess and follow your heart."
Richard nodded despite his confusion. He felt his consciousness slowly blurring with his mother's soft prayers, as if he was disengaging from the world. When he woke up again he found himself in front of a magnificent shrine.
From his position in this arena, the shrine that was thousands of metres around made him feel as insignificant as an ant. The surroundings were made mostly of silvery-grey stone that glowed faintly, and when he scanned his surroundings he was shocked to see stars upon stars in the sky, seemingly so close that he thought he'd be able to pick some if he just stretched his hand. Both the arena and the shrine itself were floating in the starry sky.
The huge area put immense stress on him, causing his heart to beat uncontrollably as he didn't dare look around even once more. He made a beeline for the shrine, crossing the entire arena and scaling thousands of stone steps to arrive at the entrance. Were it not for his stamina and endurance that he'd trained just like any other child in the mountains, he'd long since have collapsed. He didn't stop for a moment since he started running, feeling like the arena filled his horizon and his surroundings moved in tandem with him. It was like the entire area would crumble the moment he stopped, falling into an endless abyss.
By the time Richard arrived at the shrine's entrance, his breaths had grown ragged. His heart was threatening to jump out of his chest, and it took a while for him to calm down before reminding himself of Elaine's words as he raised his head and looked into the shrine.
The shrine wasn't a dome, instead surrounded by a circle of pristine, jade-like white stone pillars. At the middle was an altar with three goddesses atop it, all in different postures and positions.
There were supposed to be six statues on the altar, each representing different abilities. The more Richard could see, the more abilities he would be able to evoke with his enlightenment. With his extraordinary memory Richard could make out the three he had now:
Extraordinary Divinity, bestowing epic strength.
Currents of Life, giving him the power to heal.
Wind's Swiftness, increasing his speed and agility.
This rendered Richard slightly disappointed. He'd already wished for the blessing of wisdom in his heart, believing real men needed to be intellectuals. Still, it was good enough that he had these three choices, since his mother had wanted him to have more than one. Elaine hadn't told the clueless boy that more than half of those who went through this ceremony only saw an empty shrine.
The boy walked towards the altar, trying his best with wide eyes to find the blessing of wisdom, but this shrine and everything that accompanied it wasn't real. What would be the result of his efforts? The only effect was that the three statues he could see were starting to blur in his hesitation.
"You want more abilities, don't you?" A voice suddenly sounded in Richard's ears. It caused him to jump and look around frantically, but he saw nothing. The voice had come abruptly, its cold robotic tone evoking a chilling fear within the boy.
"Who- Who are you?" He plucked up his courage, shouting in a trembling voice. His words resonated within the shrine, the strong echo shocking him once more.
"It doesn't matter, I won't appear again. Strictly speaking, I'm your other half, hidden within you," the voice answered.
"Impossible!" Richard denied with resolution. His mother once told him his soul was extremely pure, and there was nothing that would taint him. His fear dissipated in a couple of words, the initial confusion and surprise fading as the courage of a mountain youth set in.
The voice ignored his comment, continuing, "Now go, choose whatever you want."
The altar before Richard lit up once more, revealing three more statues. Apart from the blessing of wisdom were elemental compatibility and nature's advocate. The former was pivotal in a magician's training, allowing them to communicate with the elements outside their body and reducing the exhaustion of their powers. It let them cast a couple more spells than other magicians of a similar grade, strengthening one's advancement. The latter allowed humans to know more about nature, increasing their stealth and speed in complicated terrain as well as strengthening nature spells. It also gave one poison immunity. Enlightenment had given Richard all six abilities.
"This… This is-" Richard was rendered speechless, his little head in a mess of confusion. The only logical explanation for everything was that everything was an illusion; how else could everything be so different from what his mother and the book said?
Still, despite everything, the boy didn't forget his own purpose. He walked towards the statue of wisdom, reaching forward to touch the feet of the Goddess. This was the significance of the ceremony, having the worshipper bow before their Goddess with humility.
The moment Richard's hand touched the statue, a sharp crack resonated within his mind. It was like the entire world became lucid and clear to him, giving new meaning to the words he'd read in the holy book, "Wisdom allows people to see the world more clearly…"
All the other statues disappeared the moment he touched the statue of wisdom. The ceremony should have ended here by right, but the shrine didn't disappear yet. Richard glanced around nervously, seeing a new statue emerge on the altar.
The statue had its arms crossed in front of its chest, the head tilted to the side looking sullen but focused. What made her different from the other statues was that she didn't seem tangible, instead made up of shadow.
'Could this be another ability?' Richard tried his best to recall, but couldn't think of what this statue represented. Even the holy book had no records of this statue, but he could still recognise it as one belonging to Alucia.
"Don't you want another ability?" The voice sounded again.
"What is it?" Richard paused, announcing, "I don't want to give up wisdom."
"You can call it truth. It allows you to look at the world from another perspective, and at the end of the path you might see other things."
"Other things? What are they?" He asked out of curiosity. Silence was his only answer.
Richard wanted to leave. He knew that he could leave this place and go back to the real world at any time, leaving this world made from the power of the enlightenment ceremony. The shrine had fulfilled its purpose to allow someone with talent to grow clear about their abilities and carve their future paths.
On the other hand, this place wasn't completely virtual. The floating shrine was filled with the divine power of the Goddess, and all six abilities were blessings granted by the Goddess herself. The voice and the unknown seventh statue overthrew everything Richard knew, making him feel a devilish temptation.
'But how could the power of a devil appear in the Moon Goddess' ceremony?' He truly hesitated as he looked at the seventh statue. Too voices fought in his head for dominance, but to no avail. 'Take it, or no?'
Despite his internal struggle, Richard's body was honest as it walked towards the statue. "The world is balanced, everything comes at a price." Balance was one of the core teachings of Alucia's doctrine, so what would he have to pay for this second ability?
This was the first time Richard had ever fallen into a confused struggle, but he ended up sticking his hand out anyway. His mother had told him to choose as he pleased, and he didn't want to give up on the opportunity despite the price. Little Richard was a brave boy, willing to fight for unexpected yields. He was also smart, knowing that his mother truly hoped for him to he a hero, a really great and important person.
A greater person than Baron Tucker.
Truth
As Richard's little hand touched the seventh statue, it scattered into shadows that bore into his body. For a moment he felt like he was on fire, his whole body burning with soul-rending pain that kept him awake but drove him insane. An icy sensation shot forth from his body to collide with the flames, making him feel like he was about to be torn apart.
He ground his teeth, exercising his tenacity and resolution to persist till the entirety of the shadow entered his body. Only after the last bit of it was absorbed did he relax, the shrine in front of him starting to dade.
His vision blurred, he saw the beautiful worried face of his mother just before he lost consciousness. "I got two abilities, Mother will be so proud of me!" he exclaimed within the darkness.
A large crack appeared on the altar in the attic, the very fact that such a rare altar could be damaged being appalling. Elaine didn't look good at all, blood dripping from the corners of her lips, but she could care less as she searched Richard's body, only calming down when she saw no harm was done to him.
However, she then saw a shadow looming between her son's brows, something neither the lamp nor the moonlight could cast from their position. It was like a fog that moved across his forehead, not in a hurry to leave. Ordinary eyes would not be able to see it, but under the power of the fifth moon Elaine trembled as she reached out for it. She felt cold twinge of pain upon contact, the result of a collision between dark energy and Alucia's divinity.
"SHADOW CREATURE?" Elaine screamed. She clenched her teeth and jabbed her fingers right into Richard's temple, starting to chant the spell for prophecy from distant memories. It was a spell that she'd never been able to grasp, but right now it was her best shot at freeing Richard from the menacing creature.
Ever since she lost her position as a divine official Elaine had foregone all her blessings and the spells of her Goddess. Still, her desperate actions proved fruitful as a picture scroll flashed before her eyes. It showed a never-ending void of darkness, with no moon, no stars, only a chaotic energy pervading the universe. A large shadow loomed within the chaos, the originally messy trajectories of the energy ultimately being aimed at one position, her son.
The scroll flashed across her sight, the brief vision exhausting all her energy until she couldn't even lift a finger if she tried. Still, even if she was full of vigour the image wouldn't have left her in a different position.
Shadows were different from the darkness, their energy not a part of nature. Many species of shadow creatures wandered aimlessly between the planes, feeding on the chaos of different worlds. They were cunning, dangerous, and powerful— making them loved and hated alike by various mages.
Shadow summoning was an ancient, mature art— ranging from level 6 to level 9 spells that could grant control of a shadow creature to the caster. The chance of failure was minute, but once out of control a shadow creature would devour its summoner like it was the most delicious food they'd ever seen. Every year there was news in the mainland about accidents where mages were devoured by shades.
The shadow creature looming between Richard's brows seemed to have some indication of life, but it wasn't complete. The dark energy it possessed wasn't significant, able to be cleansed by a common shaman, but Elaine saw in her prophecy that it was a beacon for various dark beings, summoning them to this particular plane. Even if the shadow was cleansed it would be too late; the various dark beings had already set out, and Richard would be the anchor they used to infiltrate this plane.
Once a large number of creatures attacked this plane, Richard would only be met with two outcomes. He would either be killed in the violent collision of energy, or become possessed by the strongest of them and lose control of his body forever, becoming a vessel for the creatures of the dark. Nobody could comprehend the laws of the planes; these creatures could take a few centuries to arrive, or they could come here next month.
"How did this happen…" Elaine mumbled as she closed her arms around Richard, her tears wetting both herself and her son. She lifted at head and looked at the crescent moon in the sky, and the mark like a dried bloodstain that hadn't been there before. So the change in the moon had resulted in the change in the ceremony. This probably would not have happened if she was still a shaman of Alucia.
'Is this Her punishment?' Elaine thought bitterly, having lost all strength to complain about destiny or wallow in self-pity. She carried her son downstairs, tucking him carefully into bed. His brows were slightly furrowed, but his constant smiles made it seem like he was having good dreams.
Richard was a pretty boy. He'd already begun to lose his childlike features, looking more handsome and dashing by the day. Elaine looked at her own son endearingly, the center of her life for the past ten years. A decade was but a moment in her long life, but now it had seemed like forever. Richard had grown up rather slowly, looking more childlike than others of his age, but this was to be expected with his silvermoon elf blood giving him five hundred years of life. However, the reason for the brusqueness being added to his exquisite appearance was something only Elaine herself knew.
The shadow continued looming over Richard's face, causing Elaine to sigh softly as she left a goodnight kiss on her son's forehead before leaving the room. She sat alone in the living room and stared at the night sky, events of the past playing in her mind like they'd just occurred yesterday. Those nights were the essence of all the passion, hatred, and love in her entire life, and she couldn't help but think of them once more. The fifth moon had just given way to the sixth; when the seventh peeked on the horizon, it would be a new day.
……
The radiance of the seventh moon spilled through the window. Elaine looked more worn than ever, but also more attractive than before. The mirror on the wall now reflected a beautiful figure, Elaine's original appearance that she'd almost forgotten over these ten years. It was a beauty only silvermoon elves possessed.
She stood up, taking out a piece of magical parchment decorated with stars and spreading it on the table. She then took out a well-sealed magic pen made from a griffin feather, checking the unique unicorn blood ink to see whether it was still working. There was little ink left, but she wasn't writing a long letter either so it would suffice.
The light feather quill felt oh so heavy in her arms, and she couldn't bring herself to write anything for a long while. It took the first ray of sunlight shining through the window for her to laugh and mumble, "Someone who destroyed the Silvermoon Palace will be able to defeat dark beings, won't he? What's more, it's been ten years…"
She finally convinced herself to draft a meticulous spell formation on the paper before penning down a long name:
Cordon Isaiah Satanistoria Archeron.
The magic pen shook the moment she finished writing the name, its tip shining with red light like the burning flames of a fire. All that was left when the fire extinguished was a faint, almost invisible mark. Nonetheless, the mark could only be eliminated only if the precious paper was destroyed. As an ex-shaman, she was aware of the secret of bloodlines. The burning flames signified that this name written down with demonic power had already triggered the power of law, being felt by the owner of the name. Everything she wrote down next would be delivered to the person in question, across the boundaries of space and time.
The pen stopped again, the hand that held it trembling. This had proven another thing— Cordon really had given her his real name. Though she hadn't once suspected him, it had been proven true for the first time. With the advantage of knowing his real name, she could cast the most malicious curse on him with just a little demonic power. Even as a legendary being he wouldn't be able to escape the damage, truenames being the most significant secrets of certain bloodlines.
'That idiot actually revealed his real name,' she couldn't help but think. But these thoughts were easily replaced by memories of the large and decadent forest. Her hands grew cold, but they no longer shivered. She jotted down her thoughts with short yet precise words, only hesitating again when it came time for her to sign off. She hesitated, but proceed to pen her name down with exquisite and elegant writing:
Elena. Song of the moon.
The paper burned intensely and turned to ashes within the blink of an eye. The information within was being delivered. Elena put down her worries and troubles with that pen, looking quiet and beautiful.
