GREY LUCAS
I turned my face away from them so it didn't seem strange, like I was, you know. I won't put it as jealous, I'd rather say, surprised. Noah looked at the three who slayed the monster, with curiosity, "So the three of you possess worlds, ha?" the word sounded strange, 'the system didn't detailed any knowledge on that. 'So, whats a world?' I watched the trio holping for some form of explanation, nothing grandiose, just something. But unfortunately I got nothing. Instead Marcus raised a hand, "I don't possess a world." Milo looked in astonishment, "and you were able to execute such attacks to that monster!?" "I don't have an elemental either. What I do is simple." He smiled. "I just use my Ekrin and Aura to enhance the usage of my core artifacts. That's it." Marcus explained. Noah led questions, "So you have core artifacts. Emphasis on the 's', umh." He tried to make it out like a wisecrack of some sort, but no one was laughing. "That's good, with that you have your own way of fighting." He added. I frowned then stared at him as he walked towards the dead wolf, he was stangely rummaging with his sword, it was somewhat disturbing, well not to me. The sound of flesh didn't even make me grimace not once, unlike the weak stomach bunch- who puked their guts out.
'You see this, this right here.' I looked were the revolting sound was coming from. 'That's where lack of experiencegets you, sitting at a fancy academy, with no real battle experience under your belt.' I looked down, folded my browls together. 'And this normies, that will do anything just to get a chance to impress nobles.' I glanced at the common cadets.
'Rather than squirming under them, pave your own path, an…' Just before that thought could be completed, something unexpected happened. If we were told of it as a story, we would have never believed it, or maybe because of our predicament, stared dagers at the one who created the idea in the first place. But the case was that we had to be alert.
The walls cracked seeping in red glows, like a broken mirror, and then was vanishing, piece by piece, like a pixeled video game. The space around us deconstructed, I could feel everyones hopeless and tired gaze, there were those who even cried after all... at the end of all that, we find ourselves somewhere else, not the burst realm as far as I know, and the others could also tell, this place screamed, It screamed of vilence and an unannounced presence. A threat that drew sweat from both Noah and Milo.
'Daja Vu.' I said that without actually knowing the full extent of what lied ahead. We stood at an edging of a white cliff, white dust painted everything exept the sky, I gazed at the world that looked as though one of those gods Law talked about had bled across the heavens.
Above us stretched a sky of living crimson. The clouds churned endlessly, vast and violent, folding into themselves like the muscles of some sleeping monster. Crimson lightening crawled through the red abyss, illuminating the world in brief flashes of pale horror. Every strike revealed new shapes hidden within the storm-faces that were not actual faces, eyes that were not eyes, fleeting silhouettes that vanished before the mind could fully comprehend them.
The sight drove screams out of the other, without knowing they let out terrible noises, the thought of their demise had long became a well known fact. Besides our numbers had already changed drastically, so they were scared for their lives.
I looked down, just enough to see what was below, and not cause any more disturbance, not that the noise had already dialated, but not to draw attention to myself.
Below laid an ocean of white, it wasn't snow, or ice. An endless forest of ghostly trees stretched beyond the horizon, they were as pale as bones, each one ashen than the former, their branches stilled in silent prayers, even when it seemed windy. Countless trunks stood shoulder to shoulder, creating a sea of ivory that swallowed mountains, valleys and even rivers, not that I can imagine how they were, I didn't see any water.
Nothing moved, or disturbed, like an howl or growl. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling that millions of unseen eyes were watching us, from the depths. The silence was unbearable, not the bangs of thunder that sang, even though its wasn't going to rain, and probably hasn't in a long time. The sound I was talking about was the silence that existed before the scream. You know the type that catches you off guard, the one we think we are always prepared for, and just for it to surprise us anyway.
Far away, where the white world met the bleeding sky, a tower pierced the horizon. It stood against the crimson heavens. It looked old and mysterious, it rose from the center of the endless forest like a forgotten monument left behind by a dead clan or race. 'That thing is strange. I'm sure the others had taken note of it too, since it clearly says, I'm here, you're welcome anytime.'
'Is it a structure? or perhaps a grave marker, either way if something's in there it can't be good.' A monument erected over something buried beneath the world. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the tower. For the briefest moment, I thought I saw countless dark shapes circling around it.
Then the darkness swallowed them again. Thunder rolled across the skies, the sound was wrong. It did not resemble the voice of a storm. It sounded like chains dragging across stone. Like colossal gates grinding open somewhere beyond us. The crimson clouds trembled under the awakening sound. The forest itself trembled. Even the mountains in the distance seemed to bow beneath an invisible pressure. My heart felt tighten. This world was strange, to me it felt beautiful, terrifyingly beautiful.
The kind of beauty found in the last sunset before an apocalypse. The kind of beauty that should never be witness, or perhaps had already been by a civilization, moments before they vanished into history. Crimson lightning split the skys open, revealing the endless expanse once more.
And in that fleeting moment, I saw something move, something enormous moved beneath the sea of white trees. Then darkness reclaimed the world, and red sky continued to rumble with the laughter of distant unimaginable terrors. 'This place!' I suddenly understood a dreadful truth. When the other cadets apart from Darrin, Marcus and beasty, that's what I called her since I don't know her name. When the other cadets started shouting at the end of their lungs more... and more so. It felt like controled or rather out of control, their voice became strange, like laughter, scarlet black substance started forming, and covering their eyes, as it bled out a strange light. Noah and Milo realized this and shielded them with their aura. Making them recover. They bled from their eyes as if they had held a meeting with something behind the black eyes. It was as though something was taken over their bodies, most looked sick and soon became nauseous. 'Come to think of it these guys were really fed weren't they, well fed indeed.' The thought of having only ate a slice got to Grey at a brisk pace. "I think it's a mind spell," Milo grunted. Noah replied, "they were being taken over by something, its some form of monster's ability." Although it didn't have any effect on me, somehow they still covered me.
I looked at the strange blue aura around me, probably Milo's. 'This is strange, really strange.' 'To envelope someone with your own aura and protect them, it must be the next plane of aura, the one above Mental plane.'
I licked my lips, wondering if it could be used in reverse.' Milo started leading us down, through the back of the cliff. We climbed slowly; it was dangerous to stay in one place for too long, Noah followed from behind. We walked steadily on precarious foothold, it was clumsy but it was either this or jumping into the white sea of thickets. And facing off against what ever greeted you first, that is to say if you even survived the fall. As we climbed down, scarlets flashed by, revealing the more crimson skies, and glowing on our clothes, we had to find away out of this mess. I could see that we had lost an effective amount of people.
The moment we touched solid grounds, Noah and Milo drifted from the group a bit, not so much that they couldn't be seen, but far enough not to be heard. Their exchange lasted several minutes, both having something to add. It was a conversation between two trusted fellows, so I worried less, but then observed more, looking at the nightmarish landscape, 'They should really hurry up, leaving everyone exposed like this in this hellscape is unnatural, and creepy.' Its been a minute but the two adults returned, Milo cleared his throat. "Umh! Weve arrived at a conclusion, that will involve you all. you'll be trained in the basics of swordmanship, as well as the ways of survival. This place is another realm, and the only way out is to find the gate mark."
"Those with elemental abilities-with the hopes of becoming mages- you fancy yourself a mage right? Then move to my left." He grinned as he puffed out smoke. "And those who possess no battle prowess, neither elemental nor aura abilities whatsoever, stay in the middle." We all followed his voice
Noah stepped forward. His voice cut through the tension like steel. "These three who managed to kill the dire wolf will train with me directly. The rest will train under Milo." He paused briefly, looking at the trio. His face unchanging, before continuing. "You'll need to learn quickly. He'll give you the basics before he leaves to train the mages." He looked at Milo then back at the Middle group, showing that he was really referring to them. "You will spar amongst yourselves and practice the sword drills he assigns while we are occupied."
Fear settled heavily over the cadets. Most of us in the middle group looked visibly shaken. I had no elemental ability, and I barely understood what this world even was. I cursed inwardly, but it was the harsh truth.
"So let's focus on what we have to do now," Milo continued. "We still have time to get you all admitted into the academy. So for the next week, you will have to survive here until we find the gate mark."