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A dream.. no this is different, I could hear someone or something trying to call out to me , Famiiler yet distant, back in this same room, filled with mirrors but when ever I looked in the mirror, "I wasn't me..."
Huhh….My head throbbed, lady Aris calmed gaze met mine
"What happened" I croaked
"You fell after pledging to be my disciple" she replied voice steady yet shadowed with concern
I looked at my the hand I cut and the scar still there, Relief and Sadness twisted inside me
"Gray… You said you can't use Soul energy do you know why you can't use it"
Her tone wasn't calm. It carried hesitation,fear even.
I sat up, the room spinning. "No... That was the way I was born?"
"Wrong. You were sealed..."
"Sealed?" Surprised, I asked with curiosity and
"Seven times. Whoever did it… must have done it the day you were born ."
"Seven seal…. Wait I don't understand, it's that why I couldn't use Soul Energy?"
"Yes gray.. am sure of it,That pain you felt it was a result of the first seal breaking, you should be able to use it even if a little bit….
To completely break it you will have to brake it yourself..."
I nodded digesting the weight of her words..
"First" She said "let's go to the training hall
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The hallways stretched endlessly, lit by violet sigils carved into the walls.
I could feel each one hum against my skin.
The Eclipse wasn't a base, it was a living labyrinth built on silence and power.
Gray!"
A voice cracked through the hall.
I turned. A boy with crimson hair and a beast claw pendant was waving like a madman.
"Who… are you again?"
His smile shattered. "Don't tell me you already forgot! It's Rhapel!"
"Right… Ra—Ripelll...?"
"Rhapel!" He stomped his foot.
"Unbelievable."
"Sorry. I don't remember names of people I met once." I muttered
His pout almost made me feel bad. Almost.
No he said while breathing heavily, am Rhapel, I can't believe you have already forgotten
Greetings Lady Aris..
And you are? Lady Aris asked,
Am Rhapel,disciple of Oric…he looked annoyed but amused
Ehh.. you that beast tamer diciple, haha so that bastard beat me in recruiting a disciple…
"So Gray did you decide to join the eclipse? Rhapel asked me"
"Yes I said... Lady Aris is my master also"
"Your master?" Is lady Aris is your master,his eyes widened in disbelief
"Yes" I nodded
What??? Lady Aris.....Your master!!
I tilted my head , "is something wrong?"
"You don't know how great this is!" he muttered. "The great phase of the Eclipse is your master. I wish I had a cool master like yours…"
Hahaha, lady Arislaughed softly. "I am great indeed."
◆◇◆
"Do you know what soul energy is?", or as it's commonly called "Essence"
I nodded, though I had never used it or seen it.
Father… when he moved with the wind… it was beautiful… I clenched my fists, lips pressed tight.
Aris studied me. She seemed to understand my reaction.
"Essence," she said, "is the fundamental energy of all life. It's the soul itself. It determines the weight of your existence. To use Essence, you must first awaken your core."
She raised her hands. The air shifted. I couldn't see anything, but the atmosphere changed… it hummed.
"This," she whispered, "is raw Essence. Though it usually remains invisible to the naked eyes, you can only feel the pressure."
She placed her hands on my back. "Now, Gray. Since there's a seal placed on you, this will be harder… and painful. I'm going to transfer my energy to unlock your Essence core while you try to break that seal within you. Sit, close your eyes, and focus."
I obeyed, folding my legs, closing my eyes.
Energy flowed into me. Something stirred. Alive.
"Now" she instructed, "feel it, move it around your body
He is doing it easier than I expected.. "this kid...
It was… easier than I expected. Until I saw it a transparent wall. Behind it, other walls less transparent, each larger than the last. The smallest cracked slightly.
So this is the seal…
The walls felt alive, aware. My curiosity burned.
What if I tried to break it on my own?
Aris sensed it too, and instead of stopping, she pushed more energy into me, knowing my body could withstand it.
Blood ran down my mouth. Pain lanced through me. But the more I hit the wall, the stronger I became and the more it refuses to break. The energy flowing from her amplified my will.
And then a thought came to me… what if I gathered all the energy to my hand,it was similar to when father manipulated wind in his palm, but instead of wind raw Essence, compressed, pulsating.
I tried gathering the essence energy in my palm remembering the way my father did and it worked.. a burst of energy began gathering in my palm… although it was small at first, I tried again, again, again, my understanding of this energy at my palm became clear....
I unleashed it.
The wall shattered. Pain unlike any I'd ever known tore through my chest. My vision swam. The world inside me screamed.
And then… silence.
Aris felt the shift. Essence moved freely. She tried to rouse me, but I was unconscious.
This boy… she thought. Moving Essence on the first try… impossible. Rest now. When you awaken, I will push you to the core.
Lady Aris felt it, the energy began moving freely compared to before, she tried to wake gray up but he wasn't
This kid… he surprised me, being able to move essesen around on your first try is a lot… well he should rest now..
With that body if his am going to work him to the core…
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I thought I told you not to follow me "Temra"
I wanted to see your master! And I can't just let you go alone. Why are we heading to that forest?"
The dragon snorted. That forest… I could sense his energy. My master was here.....
This place is in ruins.. what happened here...
This energy it must be the work of the flame… that bastards he knew my master was here so he Attacked him
<"I knew you will come" A voice whispered
"You..."
to think Zerakki is ahead of us, makes me wonder if he knows of the future..
*Temra I want you to run, this oponet is dangerous, I am not sure if I survive this
But I will make sure you escape, do me a favor I want you to find him if I don't make it back…
if you notice an energy similar to mine, make sure you follow that person, he might him..
*Dragon telepathy… will you be able to fight him alone let me join you..
*Just get the hell out of here
Okay okay, do me a favor and survive till I get back, I will go and get help
This bastard
Dark flames erupted. His breath tore through the forest, giving Temra a chance to escape.
After what happened Seven hundred years ago.. you went into hiding, and
The dragon attacked the divinity with his dark flames
He said while blocking the attack with his divine shield
let's see if you are going to escape today
Dragon of the dark hell… Azhurak