Some days had passed since my fight with my aunt. I spent that time devising a plan to seize the position of Primarch from the other Houses. The problems before me were obvious. I had no allies or backing, having been isolated for most of my life. I lacked influence, having been deliberately kept away from any position of power within my family. And most crucially, I lacked knowledge.
There had never been much in my life that interested me beyond my Arcanum Vitae Path: Passio Suffering. A Path never before seen in this world. Because of it, I had been deemed a Pontifex, a creator of Paths. Such beings were unique, for the laws governing a Path were, to a certain extent, shaped by the will of the Pontifex themselves.
I closed my eyes and focused on the Arcanum Vitae surrounding me. It was the fundamental energy from which all things were made, whether organic or immaterial. As I concentrated, I guided the energy through my body, slowly healing the wounds left behind by the fight.
This crude method of manipulating Arcanum Vitae was known as "Authority". In this form, the power was primitive, its use limited heavily by the skill of the wielder.
The second method was "Path", the most refined and efficient way of wielding Arcanum Vitae. Those capable of manipulating the energy were known as "Philomaths", but those able to wield a true Path were exceedingly rare, usually geniuses or descendants of the Great Houses.After healing my body enough to move, I walked onto my balcony and took in a long breath. The weather was perfect. The view was perfect. Even the beautiful hum coming from my garden was perfect.
But I... felt nothing.
All of it was meaningless to me. The only thing I cared about was taking the next step. They said I was born blessed, but so what? If I could not ascend further, if I could not take another step forward, then I would die, crushed beneath my own power.
I would be no different from a dog rotting on the sidewalk, while the Great Houses stood above my corpse like drunkards pissing on the dead.Valerius entered, interrupting my train of thought. As always, he carried my tea brewed from Blue Moon Grass, serving it precisely when the six moons reached their apex the traditional mark of midday.
I took the cup without a word and drank.
The warmth spread through me slowly, grounding my thoughts.
After finishing the tea, I began preparing my plan again.
Unlike my enemies, I had something far greater than allies, influence, or knowledge.
I had the will to live.
And in a world like this, that alone was either salvation…
or a curse.
The air in the room shifted.
Then I would need to re-evaluate my first target an ally in name only. Marcus Lucrentius Fronto, also known as one of the Lords of the Underworld.