That night, Niss was drenched in cold sweat, his arms bound by the familiar dark chains that reached up and away into the darkness of this horrible, cold, and lonely place. He felt like he might vomit at any moment, the stone sapping his aura to a painful degree.
'Visiting again so soon?'
'You... you changed my aura...'
'Hmm... yes, I imbued a small bit of my power in you. You are the only potential I have seen in a very long time.'
'What are you talking about? I don't even know what you want.'
'My dear, weak boy, I want you to free me. Don't you see this horrible prison? I have been here for many years, so many I do not even recall. Just waiting and waiting for someone like you, someone I could reach. I will grant you power that a normal human could never wield if you will merely take on the task of freeing me.'
'Why can you reach me and not someone else? How am I the only one that can help you when I'm just a D-Rank, and if you are imprisoned isn't there a reason for it?'
'Sigh... You mean you are second stage. It is not this D-Rank you are trying to call it. But that is beside the point. You are the only human for thousands of years without the handicap. A curse was placed on your world to inhibit you from bonding with all mana. It could not go so far as completely stopping humans from using mana, but it did limit you all to your affinities.'
'Myself and others from my world use mana much more freely than what you understand, our control over it transcending boundaries. I cannot share with you the reasons for my imprisonment as a condition placed on me makes that impossible for now. I can, however, help you become strong, strong enough to assist me and strong enough to free this world from its cursed state.'
'You could be responsible for ushering in a new era of magic, returning your kind to the power they wielded before this cursed time.'
'I... I do not know if I should fully trust you... the power you seemed to have granted me completely altered my aura, and I could feel it eating away at me while I fought that beast.'
'Yes, my power is a force your body and your aura do not recognize as I am not from this world. In time through our bond, you will adjust, and I will be able to grant you more and more. However, I am trapped here and can only do so much. I am constantly sapped of my power by this stone you see beneath you. This is my prison that you have become connected to through our bond.'
'Even with my powers being sapped away, I am strong enough to guide you and even grant you small amounts of my mana to help you break through each stage.'
'From what I can understand, you are working selfishly just to free yourself. Is that not the case? And what is your name, anyway?'
'Sigh... I am Nyx, and as for proving myself, I will send you my intent through our bond.'
Niss could feel a wave of warmth come over him, a deep sadness and longing for an end, as well as clear intentions of keeping their word and promise of a bright future.
'Fine, but why don't we normally communicate in a way that doesn't cause me searing pain in my head, like we are right now?'
'For now, we can only achieve this while you are in deep sleep. When you are third stage, you will no longer be affected by such things. Your mind will fortify significantly in the third stage.'
'Well then, I will try to reach the third stage, as you call it, as soon as I can. For now, I will tentatively accept. With our minds linked like this, I do feel your sincerity and your desire to be free.'
'Thank you for considering my proposal. I will await your breakthrough to stage three when we can discuss more freely.'
'You may not be such a weak boy after all, Niss.'
'You won't have to wait long, I'm going to improve myself for the sake of my family and for my dreams.'
.....
Shuddering awake in his bed at the inn, Niss was shocked at the recent developments. He had heard this voice, teasing him, wishing for him to gain strength, and calling him weak. Yet, she had granted him some of her power anyway. Niss knew he had an amazing opportunity to become strong. He dreamed of becoming an S-Rank and taking his lowly family name to great heights. He always wanted nothing more than to give his mother and sister an amazing life. It was his father's dream as well, but he simply could not achieve it before he passed.
'I'm still worried about this whole situation, but I do feel her intent and what she says about our world being limited by a curse makes sense to me. No wonder I was the only one she could reach.'
In this entire world, he knew there wasn't another with his affinity for all elements, he was unique. Although now he realized he was just normal, and in fact, all of humanity was being held back for some reason. This did not feel right to him, lighting a new fire in Niss's eyes.
'Lead the world into a new era of magic, huh?'
Niss's smile subconsciously spread wide on his face as he sat up in bed and began preparing himself to meet back up with the others.
Duke Erik Frost had insisted that they all gather at his manor in Mourne town for breakfast to celebrate their victory and safety. Of course, Lysandra also insisted, and Siarra was quick to agree, leaving the men not much of a choice but to accept.
Niss took some time to himself after realizing how early it was. He didn't have to go to the manor for another hour, so he sat down to focus on strengthening his aura.
'So if what Nyx says is true, then I am in the second stage, meaning D-Rank is second and F-Rank is first. So how many ranks are there in her version? If we go by this, then C-Rank is third stage, B-Rank is fourth stage, and A-Rank is fifth, with S-Rank being sixth and SSS-Rank being the seventh stage. From the way Nyx described her power, it seemed like she was stronger than even that, putting her above the seventh stage.'
'It seems I have a ways to go.'