✡ Nyx:
Dark elemental, the word speaks for itself. One of the hardest and most critical element of all. And thus the most hardest to train and manage.
In other words, I suck at it. My power is mildly responsive to it and doesn't do a thing for itself or any enhancing.
I'm a shadow user. In broader term, my power helps me control shadows and darkness altogether. I can twist and turn them per my will and use them as my cover or weapon if need be. I can turn a bright day into a dark oblivion if I want to. I can drain the light from an individuals eyes or view itself. To do such I call onto the shadow and darkness to help me, or to say if I can that is. When I say I suck it means, I suck at even twisting my own damn shadow, let alone do anything I just mentioned known for causing any damage.
Power training classes are the worst for me and I get detention almost every week now. It has become a routine now. Which is partly why I sharpened my martial skills more. I needed to know something to live my life. And since my memory is yet to fail me, my knowledge on spells and magic could be used too. Except for the back lashing part that my own passive skill is without a doubt useless.
Len on the other hand is amazing at his. He's a dark matter bender. His powers allow him to twist or bend any dark matter at his will. He can make weapon just from anything black. Calling him a Metal Elemental would be reasonable. But since every Elemental have a yin and yang side of things. Ours are of yang, meaning the Dark side of an elemental.
He rarely even fights, to be honest. He can terrorize someone with just bending the all and any dark materials surrounding him at his will. Pointed that literally there is no place where you wouldn't find even a peck of dark matter in them makes him very dangerous. His most powerful skill is bending dark sand. He can call that shit from anywhere and make you literally die from a dark sand storm with a twist of his finger. I've seen how cruel it can be. Except he is rarely allowed to use it, since he almost killed a kid in training once. Obviously for a reason cause. And he knows it too and so avoids it himself.
"Nyx, this is literally the 10th time, you have failed to hit the target. How are you even a shadow user if you can't even bend your own shadow?" I heard my oh so kind instructor shout.
I could hear the snickering all around me. I never understood the sheer joy these people find in tormenting me. Can't they be a little nice?
Oh, wait, they can't cause they're ' dark ' elemental. So reasonable.
"And here we go again. Are you sure that's your passive skill, Nyx minx?" I heard another student chime in my all favorite nickname, Minx. I simply blocked them off.
"It's been years and I've never seen her even work out her shadows once. Is she lying to seem powerful?" Another said in a whispering voice but loud enough for me. Typical to be honest.
Uses of shadow is different for everyone. Some bend their shadows to turn liquid matter while others turn them into solid. Some can turn them into dust and vanish while some can hide themselves into them as a cover. I never found what I can do unfortunately. We all can bend and twist that damn shadow but by now most of my fellow classmates have learned to enhance their skills while I'm still simply trying to twist my shadow into a weapon to hit the target. With no result that is.
"That's it, Nyx. Out you go. No use wasting time." My instructor shouted as I stopped trying and left. At this point saying I feel humiliated would be dumb.
I've accepted my flaw for a while now. Most kids my age learn to enhance their power very young. Our passive skill are the embodiment of who we are. But for me they are my curse. Couldn't I have been born with a easier skill. Like Len or Vanessa?
Vanessa was actually a dark nature bender. Although she is part of Dark elemental, she can also be called part of Nature elemental as well. Being part of two elemental is rare and known to be quiet unique by itself. Her power enables her to call fourth the dark natural such as the dangerous black rose, night plants etc. as per her wish. For example, normally you'd never see a night lily in daylight but if you see one, you'd know who made them. It was beautiful in a unique way and fitted her perfectly.
"And you still look like you want to kill someone." I got shoved from my back as I stumbled in surprise. I know who that is.
"And you almost killed me. We're on high grounds, Van." I said looking up as she skipped in front of me walking backwards.
"Oh, come on, if you fall, I'll catch you." She winked and I had the urge to roll my eyes at that.
"With your thorny vines? No, thanks." I said cringing.
The last time that happened, I had scars for weeks. She may be a pretty nature bender but being a dark elemental made her nature painfully dark and dangerous.
"Oh, come on. That was one time. I was surprised when you slipped. I'm good at it now. I try not to put thorns in my works now." She said blinking innocently but in a non-reassuring way, I tell you.
"Keep trying not to get someone killed in them." I mocked her which she returned with a scowl of her own.
"Did you both get thrown out of class or what?" We turned to see who spoke to us in such manner and met my idiot brother jogging toward us.
"Or maybe you got your ass kicked and that's why your bothering us?" Van's reply made me chuckle. She never lets lose on him, ever.
"I'd love to get kicked by you though." He winked at her who simply rolled her eyes.
Did I forget to mention that this idiot brother of mine have had a crush on her since we were kids. She probably had no clue seeing how he's awful at approaches. While trying to look cool, he ends up being lame. It's been years and he's still trying with such lousy skills of his.
"Len, why're you at this floor and why're you out of class?" I asked seriously this time.
Because I knew Van probably aces her class and left while I obviously got thrown out. But Len shouldn't be out right now since it's just half the class time of his period. And his being out off time means trouble to me.
"Proxy. Miss Hola is on maternity leave which I think is just an excuse knowing her and I didn't like the annoying new proxy teacher, so I left." He shrugged.
"In short, sneaked out." I replied knowing the obvious.
"And skipped class. Not bad, Osiris Zagreus." Van laughed calling his birth name.
"Please, don't. It's weird being called that." He said instantly annoyed.
Some might find it weird. Humans definitely will. But for us Deamones, our birth name is not as important as our title name which we earn as we learn of our passive skill. A name ceremony is held where we are blessed with a title name of our own which expresses who we truly are and who we are meant to be. We use it more since it is precisely bestows us our true identity.
Obviously our real name matters and all official conducts are done by them, but our tittle name is added as well and since its tradition to use them more, we introduce ourselves by our tittle name more than our real one. Or just say our family name with our title name for introduction. Like how some humans don't really use their middle name, our real name falls in the middle, so barely ever use it in everyday life.
Because whatever our name may be, our family tittle or House name is more important, since it's an expression of our founders. Just like how me and Len are Zagreus, Vanessa is a Macaria and many more. There are other branch families like Dis-Pater, Orcus, Serapis etc. Again, some are as powerful as us, like Plutus, Dionysus, Hecate, Erinyes, Thanatos etc. But none are as powerful as the three main families, Zagreus, Milinoë and Macaria. They hold the rein of this domain. Most would conclude on five families with Plutus, Erinyes included with these three. But no one dares deny these three main families and for a very good reason.
Before we can decide where we'll go, the extra loud announcement bell gonged making all our ears bleed. It's never getting old no matter how many times.
"Damn, this thing would make me deaf someday." Len cursed checking his ears.
"This means something important is happening. Official bell rarely bangs three times." Van's words made sense since the bell always bangs once for normal announcement. Twice for any official one. But three times means, it's something important and special.
'Students of Underworld, all shall meet in the ceremonial hall at the end of today's lessons. It is mandatory. Disregarding the order will result in severe punishment. '
"And they never say what for." I mumbled in annoyance.
"Important for sure though." Van shrugged.
"Do underworld people have some fetish with keeping everything a mystery or secret?" I asked with genuine curiosity.
They both just laughed at me like I've lost my mind but it's actually a concerned matter to me.
People of different realms talk, walk and work differently. It's pretty obvious. Like how Olympic folks are overly arrogant, it's annoying to a fault. The Atlantis folks are way too clever for their own good. And Underworld, well it's obvious. Mysterious and weird to the bone.
I only had potion class with Vanessa before we stepped into the Ceremonial hall. I noticed Lan in the other side but he was busy with another guy.
"Vanessa, still hanging out with the defect, I see." We turned to the all familiar voice of Kieran, from Dionysus House.
The ultra stuck up girl around here who think getting free pass to Olympus is a talent. She's famous for mostly getting laid. That's to be expected with her having Aphrodite family blood in her.
Normally marriage between two domains is very rear. But it does happen if the mutual demands of both families are fulfilled. In her case, her mother is from the Aphrodite family from Olympus giving her absolute carefree entrance, which usually for others needs permission to enter any domain.
"Well, you can't judge knowing you still keep annoying us ever after so many years. Don't you get bored?" Van replied smirking.
"She's famous for being a defect. Its well known. A dark elemental with no strong power of her own is bound to fail in Hades's domain." She scowled at me who was still ignoring her then turned to Van who was getting pissed off.
And that is not a good sign so I decided to step in.
"Be careful, Kieran. Even if my passive skill isn't the sharpest. I still excel in other arts. Don't provoke me to use them on you. We both know your not the sharpest regarding using book or guideline magic. And I'm sure your already aware your brilliant charms don't work on me. " I let out in a calm voice, enough to get her attention but not to provoke her.
Nobody wants a fight in the Ceremonial hall to watch a suspension or worse expulsion.
"Dear students, those of who have turned 16 or going to this year, we shall hold a Ranking Ceremony today. Each will find their definite rank and based on them the Oath Ceremony will take place to find your true lineage." The announcement roared throughout the hall.
I looked up to see dad was standing there boldly talking to Vanessa's mother. There were other leaders of all great families too. Each one powerful enough to stand against one another. Underworld is no place to be rules alone. If allowed, it'd only result is havoc. And so it's ruled under a joined council.
Those of us around the described age move to a line, Len moved closer to us with his friends, Blake Erinyes, Matt Plutus and Dorin Macaria. Another one of my friend Lyla Erinyes who's also Blake's cousin walk up to us too.
"Nyx, your scowling again." She said smirking while led to everyone laugh.
"Well, she does hate this ranking system." Matt replied putting hand over her shoulder.
"I only hate why they judge one only by power and nothing else." I let out without looking at them, only paying attention to the display floor.
"She did get thrown out of Umbrakinesis class today as usual. It's normal to get pissed off." Len said only to get hit by Vanessa.
My insensitive brother is still just as stupid. I don't mind, but he'll never charm Vanessa at this rate.
"Guys, stop teasing her. She can still overpower us in other magic. No one can stand her spells." Blake said setting in.
He's always been the calm one among us. Being the mature one of all. Sometimes I question how Len even became his friend.
"Guys, it's time." Dorin said quietly. I barely even hear him speak. He's so quiet that it's creepy. But then he looks so innocent, you can't but approach him.
One by one they all stepped into the floor where the Void space is formed to check our levels. The sphere in the middle showed the amount of power one holds from the portrayal. I know I'd fall into like a C or D rank at most knowing how bad my passive skill is, my brains won't matter here. No matter how good I am at spells and martial, at the end our power defines us. I sometime wonder who the hell named me after the great Titaness of Night elements. I'm nothing like her.
The space looks small from the outside but inside it's much larger in dimension. Everyone showed their most power tricks, big or small, all resulted in showing their esteemed level of enhancement.
When Len stepped in, at first I thought he'd go all full power and blow up something but he surprised me by simple demonstrating his ability and nothing else. Called in his dark materials and put the dark sand in place like It's nothing. Normally it will be nothing compared to others but everyone knows only few can actually bend dark matter as him at his age with such precise control. And so, his level was high as you'd expect.
Then Matt stepped in and show cast his blue flames overthrowing everywhere shaking things up. As usual the arrogant one is always acting up. He just needs to show off, always. A perfect Fire elemental at his finest though. But I never understood why he had green hair when he uses blue flames, normally looks are followed by powers here. I never understood his choices but I'd admit he looked phenomenal in anything with how he was build and his green eyes on pale skin, with so many piercings too.
Then Dorin stepped in and let his smoke consume him turning himself into a shadow of oblivion. It was kind of scary to watch how his normally tanned skin burns into a paler shade before it happens. Slowly the whole atmosphere changed before souls from another dimension kept shifting as he wished. Being a Necromancer has its perks of scaring people, I guess. But hearing the girls shirking behind, I can guess fear is not all he portrayed here. I can't judge, despite how quiet and oblivious he is to his surrounding, his dark blue hair and eyes stands out in the crowd just as any other good looking guys.
Vanessa stepped it casually like its nothing to her. Her normal rose gold hair turned paler into a bright pink shade while made lots of guys whistle. She looked stunning as always. Smiling she twisted her hand to form burning flames turn into beautiful butterflies. They all fluttered around before turning into sparks of fire and smoke. While Anima is supposed to be all nice and sweet, her being part of Dark Elemental has made it seem beautifully sinister.
Then it was Lyla's turn. She entered as her brown braided hair swirled around her before forming green spirits to form shape of flowing wind surrounding her. Her normal forest green eyes glowed like two bright gems over her dark as night skin. She has the ability to summon spirits and anything in form of spirits. It was incredible to watch before she obliterated them before they can take any form.
As my turn came but I pushed Blake. He didn't argue knowing I was already very uncomfortable. So he smiled at me and stepped into the floor. Blake was the calm and collected one of us all. I used to have a crush on him when I was much younger, and why wouldn't I. His killer jade eyes over his dark skin made head turn everywhere. His beast summoning ability is incredible too. As such he called in one of the most silent but dangerous one known to all. The dark Wolf with was almost like his spirit animal.
Finally I stepped inside. Since I'm a shadow bender, my surrounding filled with light to cast shadow I can use. At first, it seemed simple. Calling shadow is something normal and swirling them is nothing but ordinary. I called in the shadows casted around me to form in a whirlpool of smoke. That's the only trick I'm capable of. In the end I accumulated all the light in a glass sphere to simply show my control, which isn't much. It didn't even as much as shake or show a reaction.
That's shows how low my power is. Looking out, I notice many others including my instructors sigh while dad just let out an encouraging nod. And I'm a disappointment as usual. If only I could push out a little. Thinking, I let go of all the power I had and just closed whatever light I felt into the sphere creating darkness and left the floor.
But then the moment I stepped out of the floor and let go of my control, I noticed an unusual spark. I turned around to see what was happening only to see the sphere glowing. But how's that possible. I filled it with surrounding light to turn into all shadows. It's supposed to turn dark, not light up. If I mess this up again, I might just get an E-rank this time. I decided to just leave knowing my life's pretty much over with that test. Joke of the millennia, shadow bender turned shadow sphere into light. I can already hear the laughter.
"Hold on." One of the senior instructor stopped me suddenly. I turned to look at her. Her evenly cut short hair made her feature stand out. She was someone who'd stand out in a crowd anything and would made's turn.
"Zagreus, correct?" She asked as I simply nodded quietly. Better not embarrass myself more than I already am.
"What did you do just now? Explain." She let out in a calm but powerful voice. I expected mock in them, but I only felt amusement.
"I um, I over shadowed light to turn the surrounding into darkness and collected them in the sphere." Or so I tried, that is. Failed miserably though.
"Did you ever do this in front if your instructors before?" She asked looking back at the sphere that was glowing even brighter.
"No, not in class yet. I've failed to control them before." I truthfully replied despite noticing how people were snickering.
"Can you repeat what you just did but in full force, no holding back?" She asked surprising me. Is she mocking me? I already couldn't do it right. Why'd she ask me to do it again?
But reluctant or not, I nodded anyway. No use pissing a senior instructor off. I've never seen her but her emblem speaks for herself. She's probably an A-rank and might even be a dual elemental.
So I stepped back inside avoiding all the laughing and giggling surrounding me. I noticed my friends looking at me with pity. But Lan was more amused. So was Blake. Vanessa was looking pissed as expected. Dorin was oblivious as always.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. She said to let everything go and let out whatever I have left in me into the sphere. No turning back now. Might as well go full power.
So I gorged up all the shadows I felt around me and called it. While doing so, I felt the light around me too. Despite trying to concentrate on the shadow, I felt the light surround me too. I was getting frustrated in dividing shadow and light and decided to fill the magic sphere with everything. Shadow or light, if you take everything, there's only darkness right? Isn't that a logical fact? I've already gone and ruined my life, can't get worse than this. So I called light and shadow both and blocked everything from coming into the space. Opening my eyes, I forcefully filled the sphere of both light and shadow before letting go completely.
The once empty sphere that was glowing like a bulb light was now shaking with a whirlpool of both light and shadow. It was getting hard to control but somehow it felt just right doing it. Like the combination of light and shadow together gave it balance. I felt peace in controlling it despite how hard it was.
But then I heard a small whisper asking me to let go. Fogs surrounded me as I tried to understand what was going on. I saw no one. Not my friends or instructors. No laughter or a shout. Not a single sound except for the slow whispering of a beautiful familiar voice. Like how I felt when I found the necklace. Looking down I saw it glow inside me. I had forgotten I was still wearing it. The whispers were drowning my senses till I actually listened and let it all go.
The glowing sphere blasted apart into shards of light until everything turned dark as night. The pieces of the sphere were glowing like starts in the darkness that surrounded me. I was at peace. I've never been this much at peace before.
I left like it was minutes before I heard shouting surround me. Someone pulled me out of the space as I jerked back into another body. Looking up I saw my dad and Lan holding me, both looking worried. I turned back as the space which was now filled with ultimate darkness. You could see noting inside except the dark oblivion with millions of shredded pieces of sphere like starts swirling inside like a storm. It was beautiful in a terrifying way.
Was I inside that?
"What the hell happened?" I heard dad shout bringing all my senses back as I realized what just happened.
I was inside that oblivion moments before. Completely surrounded in darkness. Even Hades's domain does not contain pure darkness like this. Except, for one place, the domain of the Titaness of Night and Darkness, Nyx. No one has ever even seen it. Even talking about it it a taboo here. Says calling her brings utter darkness on their lands both as a blessing and a curse.
But how did I just do this? What did I just do?
"You're no shadow bender."
Everybody turned to the senior instructor who looked more amused than shaken like everyone else. She slowly approached me. I could see her eyes were not a bit worried or even disturbed like the other. Her pale gold eyes were that of curiosity.
"What do you mean Noir? Her passive skill is shadow bending. You saw it yourself. Before whatever happened afterwards." Dad let out confused as did many others approving. My power instructors all came who agreed.
"True, she can bend shadow. But that is not all she can. She has a habit of holding herself back which causes her to not even realize her real powers. She's much more than just a shadow bender." She explained which only got more confusing.
"Noir, stop shuffling words and speak in logic." Our head instructor spoke loudly catching all out attention.
"Very well, others may fail to understand. But I'm sure you already did caught on what I mean. Did you not? Drake?" Her words earned a gasp from everyone with how she called our head instructor.
I've never heard anyone call our Head Instructor in his actual name. She turned to him who looked completely calm but was now starting to frown.
"Noir. She's just a child. What is going on Noir?" My dad finally let out while my mind was all but blank.
"Aiden, have you truly forgotten your sister? This is her child, is she not?" She asked which took me by shock.
His sister? He doesn't have any sister of his own. Only sister he was close to that was his cousin who have been with him is my mother. How is that even possible? How does she know about my mother?
"E..Eirian? But how? She..was .. Is that even possible?" None of my dad's words made sense and I got more confused altogether.
I didn't even know what is happening anymore. And worst I didn't know what I am anymore.
"The proof is before you." She smiled as me and then turned to everyone else. "As for those who have yet to clarify what just happened, I'd advice you not to skip through the ancient books. They hold knowledge that are both required and important." Her words echoed so loud it probably followed throughout the campus.
"Now, you look just as confused too. Let me clarify for you. You are not only a shadow bender. You can bend light at will as well. That itself is very unique. Being a dual elemental is quiet rare. But you my dear, is not just a dual elemental. You just combined light and shadow into one like Yin and Yang and turn into Void which is impossible naturally. They are opposite element of our world. But your power allows you to bend that rule and break it. And thus, you are an unique and ultimate bender. " She explained as I took in the information in bewilderment. I have no clue what that is.
She smiled as if reading me. "You're a Thaumaturgy. Or more commonly known as Holy Black Mage. An Obsidian. There's only ever been recorded once in the last millennia."
Now that gave me a shock of the millennia.