PH1RE'S P.O.V
"What if I get something useless?" Aiden muttered beside me, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. He'd been unusually quiet all morning, which for Aiden was a sign of nerves.
"Then you'll make it useful," I answered, taking a bite of the pastry I had bought from the shop we just left.
He nodded, but the crease in his brow didn't disappear. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But still… what if?"
Sister Claire had given us the morning to ourselves since the Revelation ritual wouldn't begin until the afternoon, so I had suggested we do some sightseeing before going to meet Aiden's brother. But instead of enjoying the sights and sounds of the capital, Aiden had spent the whole time worrying.
"Hey Loid, are you listening?" he asked.
"No, not really," I answered truthfully, finishing the last bite of my pastry.
"I'm trying to have a heartfelt conversation about my insecurities here."
"Then you chose the wrong person for the conversation," I replied, my tone light but honest.
"You're worse than Maya," he said with a half-hearted laugh.
"Speaking of which, where is she?"
"Hmm, I think she said something about placing bets with her money," Aiden replied.
"Of course she did," I sighed.
"Aren't you worried at all? What if you don't get something useful?" Aiden asked, his voice a little quieter this time, as if admitting the thought out loud made it more real.
"My life will still go on," I said, shrugging. "I can make do as a farmer or something. I've lived a full life."
"What full life? You're fifteen!" he exclaimed, looking at me like I had grown another head.
"Well, I feel twenty-three sometimes," I replied.
"That's still not a full life," he retorted, to which I just shrugged again.
"I guess, but worrying won't solve anything. Whatever happens, just make do with it. By the will of the gods or whatever."
"Wow, you do sound like an old man."
"Twenty-three isn't old," I shot back.
I've decided to ignore whatever grand fate or destiny might be at play. I'm not the main character in some epic tale; if I'm not destined to stop the apocalypse, I won't. I'll live a fulfilling life regardless. Of course, if I do end up with something powerful, I'll make the best of it. But if not I'll tell Aiden, he may be worried about what he's going to get but I'm not.
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We walked through the bustling streets of the capital admiring vibrant banners, the smell of meat, dances and music by street performers. The capital was alive with energy, the air buzzing with the sounds of merchants hawking their wares, the clatter of horse-drawn carriages, and the chatter of people from all walks of life. I wonder how big the difference is between now and regular days, since Revelation signified the beginning of the year it was more than just a means to activate magic. It was also a festival, which would start in full stream this night.
"Where's this place anyway?" Aiden asked, breaking the silence.
"According to Sister Claire, Cross and Swords is located in the heart of the capital. Near the central square," I replied, recalling her instructions.
"Right, where all the important people hang out," Aiden said, his tone a bit sarcastic.
'I had no idea he had an Iota of sarcasm in him?'
"Wow, this place is huge," Aiden remarked, his nerves momentarily forgotten as he gawked at the towering building in front of us.
"Yeah," I agreed, equally awestruck.
We had finally arrived at the branch guild in the capital, but honestly if the branch guild looks like this what does the headquarters in the Imperial city look like.
"Do you think Adrian will recognize me?" Aiden asked suddenly.
"Of course he will. He's your big brother," I said, trying to reassure him.
"Besides, how many other people could he possibly know that look exactly like you?"
"Yeah, you're right."
We approached the building that housed the Cross and Swords guild, but as we got closer Aiden's steps slowed.
"Maybe we sho—" Aiden began, but I cut him off, pushing him up the steps. We must have looked strange, two teenagers shoving their way into such an intimidating place, but I wasn't about to let him back out now.
The guild hall was an imposing structure, with tall columns flanking its entrance and a large crest featuring crossed swords with an actual cross in the middle encircled by a wreath of laurel leaves emblazoned above the doorway. It was the kind of place that radiated power and authority, the kind of place that made you feel small just by standing near it.
We approached the entrance, where a large set of wooden doors stood guarded by two stern-looking men in armor. As we stepped inside, the atmosphere immediately changed. The interior was just as grand as the exterior, with polished marble floors, high ceilings, and large chandeliers hanging from above. The place buzzed with activity, adventurers of all ranks moving about, discussing missions, and checking notices pinned to a large board.
We walked up to the reception area, where a stern-looking woman with sharp features and piercing eyes sat behind a polished wooden desk. She barely glanced at us as we approached.
"Excuse me," Aiden began, his voice hesitant but polite. "We're here to see Adrian. He's my brother."
The woman finally looked up from her work, her expression unimpressed. "Do you have an appointment?"
"Uh, no, but—"
"Then you'll have to leave," she interrupted, her tone final.
Aiden blinked, clearly taken aback. "But... he's expecting us. I'm his brother."
"Many people claim to be related to our members, but without proper verification or an appointment, I can't let you through," she said dismissively, already turning her attention back to her papers.
"Hey, wait a minute—" Aiden started, but I stepped forward, cutting him off.
"Look, we just need to let him know we're here. Could you please just send a message to him? It'll only take a moment," I said, trying to keep my tone calm and reasonable.
The woman looked at me like I was something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of her shoe.
"Look, kid," she spoke, her voice flat. "We're very busy here. Unless you've got an appointment or a recommendation from a guild member, you're not going anywhere near the upper floors. So, unless you want to be shown the door, I suggest you move along."
It was at that moment that the guards standing at a distance started to inch closer, I was already getting ready to tell Aiden that we should come back later when a voice spoke out.
"Is there a problem here?" The voice was calm yet authoritative, and everyone within earshot seemed to pause.
We turned to see a tall figure approaching, his platinum blond hair catching the light from the chandeliers. His blue eyes were sharp, and his presence commanded respect. The woman at the reception desk immediately stood up straighter, her expression shifting to one of respect. Even my posture appeared to straighten for no reason; it was like how I felt when I met Mr. Thorne for the first time, intimidating didn't begin to describe it.
"Adrian!" Aiden exclaimed, his voice filled with relief.
Adrian's gaze softened as he looked at his younger brother. "Aiden," he said with a small smile. "It's good to see you."
"Adri, what are you doing?" said a high pitched voice.
"Whose this?" said the voice again after coming into view.
At soon as they did the entire room except for Aiden and I bowed to the ground;
'Whose she?'
A girl with fiery red hair and emerald eyes, dressed in a simple but elegant outfit, walked up to us. She looked young, maybe a year or two older than us, with a playful smile on her face.
"Aiden this is Edith, my co-worker. Edith, this is Aiden my brother"
"Huh! What do you mean we're just co-work- Wait! Brother, you have a brother" she exclaimed.
"I've told you many times, blame your godforsaken memory" he responded.
"Nice to meet you" said Aiden extending a hand which got the entire room to break out in a cold sweat.
"Nice to meet you too brother in law" she said as she grabbed his hand.
"Don't tell jokes like that" responded Aiden.
"But I'm not joking" she responded with a smirk.
'What the hell is this sexual tension'
"And whose this?" asked Adrian as he finally noticed me, unfortunately the eye contact made me stiffen up once more.
"This is Loid, he came to the orphanage a few days after you left. He's my best friend" he said slinging his arm across my shoulder.
"Nice to meet you" I said waving to both of them.
"Is that so!?" he said with another smile.
"Thank you for taking care of my little brother, I apologize for any trouble he caused you over the years" he said with a light bow.
"Hey, I'm not a little kid anymore'" said Aiden pouting causing Adrian to laugh a little.
"Your highness, Sir Adrian. We were not informed you would be visiting" stammered the receptionist still bowing.
'Wait! This girl is the princess—that explains a lot.'
"We just got off from a quest so we didn't have had enough time to make it to go to headquarters, I'm sure I still sent a letter. You should have received it" he continued speaking.
"Um! Well....." she trailed off, her nervousness palpable.
Adrian sighed, clearly accustomed to this sort of thing. "I guess after I left, the guild has begun to ignore non-official inquiries and letters again. I'll speak to the guildmaster later."
"My apologies" she responded bowing even lower.
Adrian turned his attention back to us. "Come on, let's talk somewhere more private," he said, leading us away from the reception area.
As we followed Adrian and Edith down a long hallway, I couldn't help but notice the way people moved out of their path with a mix of respect and fear. It was clear that Adrian's presence commanded authority here, and Edith's status as a princess added an extra layer of awe.
"So, my brother's awesome, isn't he?" Aiden nudged me with his elbow, grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, that's not debatable. I can see why you thought he was going to forget about you now"
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding"
We eventually arrived at a private room, spacious and furnished with comfortable chairs and a large table, looking further there also appeared to be a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom inside. Adrian gestured for us to sit as he closed the door behind us.
"This was my room here before I got promoted to the headquarters, I'm surprised it hasn't been given up yet?"
"Wake me up later" said her highness as she went into what I imagined was the bathroom, I like to imagine it was to give us some privacy.
"It's a nice place," I commented.
"It is, but enough about all that. How's everyone at the orphanage" he inquired
"Well the headmistress won't stop talking about you, Willow and Ethan both joined guilds. We get letters from them both, although it's rare with Ethan"
"Where's Maya?"
"Making or losing money" answered Aiden.
"No, Maya doesn't lose money" he interjected.
"Yeah! That's true"
The rest of our time was spent sharing stories. Adrian would tell us about the quests he went on, each more thrilling and adventurous than the last. Compared to Aiden's stories, it was like comparing Hollywood blockbusters to small indie film. At least there was the one about Elly getting injured to spice up his own stories—okay, that came out wrong.
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"Is it okay to leave her there? She said to wake her up," I asked Adrian as we prepared to leave.
He waved it off. "No, it's fine. Waking up Edith is torture."
'I'm really trying not to think of something dirty, he's not helping'
As the night approached, we decided to head to the Revelation grounds. We were meant to leave earlier, but Adrian assured us he could get us in quicker, so there was no need to worry. As we walked out of the guild, we saw a carriage attached to two white horses. It was beautiful, and the horses looked majestic.
"Alright, let's get i—" Adrian started, but he stopped when he saw the looks on our faces.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Well, we just don't feel like entering a carriage right now," Aiden admitted.
"Or ever," I added, trying to mask my dread with humor.
"Oh! We can walk then," Adrian responded, chuckling at our reactions.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets as we made our way towards the Revelation grounds. The earlier tension in Aiden seemed to have faded, replaced with a wonderful disposition, probably due to meeting his brother again. It wasn't just him, though; everyone on the street, from pauper to merchant, seemed to be staring at Adrian. How he didn't let it bother him was impressive. However, it seemed to be bothering someone else.
"Are you sure we should be walking? Isn't Revelation super important?" Aiden asked, glancing nervously at his brother.
It was at that moment I sent him a look saying, Please shut up, I refuse to enter that vehicle of death.
Adrian smiled, his usual calm demeanor reassuring. "It is important, but it's not a race. Besides, it sounds like you both really hate carriages."
"Not hate, just spent too much time in one," I clarified.
"We would still prefer not being late, though," Aiden added.
"Well, if that's the case then," Adrian said, stopping in his tracks and placing a hand on our backs as soon as we walked past him.
"Let's hurry," he finished as we were both surrounded by an abundance of light.
I didn't know what happened, but my vision went white. When it cleared, we found ourselves standing in front of Sister Claire and everyone else from the orphanage.
"Loid, Aiden. Adrian! It's you!" Sister Claire exclaimed surprise in her voice.
"Good to see you again, Sister Claire," Adrian said, running ahead to greet her.
The temple was still closed when we got there but thanks to Adrian we were able to go through another entrance meant for the nobles, all that from just saying his name.
A man wearing white and gold clothing walked to the altar. He waited a few moments for the crowd to gather their composure, then stretched out his hand and began his speech.
'If he keeps talking, he's going to say with great power comes great responsibility,' I thought.
"Welcome to your revelation ritual. I am the Archbishop of Occidia," he announced, his voice reverberating through the cathedral.
"Today, each of you will receive a gift from the gods. It doesn't matter what it is—whether strong or weak, protective or destructive. I hope you will use it for the betterment of your fellow man and Occidia as a whole."
The congregation murmured in anticipation, eyes wide with a mix of excitement and apprehension. The Archbishop raised his hands, signaling for silence.
"Step forward, one by one, and receive the gifts intended for you," he finished, then moved towards the altar.
Immediately after, a boy with reddish-brown hair walked onto the stage; he appeared to be first in the hierarchy of nobility. Stepping into the altar, it began to light up slowly, then burst out in a flash of light.
Stepping outside, he looked to the crowd with a proud smirk and then walked off the stage. It wasn't surprising; nobles commonly didn't share with others what spell series they got because entering guilds was easy. When the nobles had been exhausted, that's when we would start to hear names for spell series.
The nobles eventually finished, and now it was our turn. "Who wants to go first?" asked Sister Claire. "Aiden," almost everyone said in unison.
Rolling his eyes, Aiden walked up to the altar, clearly distraught, and was guided by the priest into the altar. The process occurred once more and then stopped.
"What series did you get, young man?" asked the Archbishop as everyone listened intently.
Aiden looked in front of himself for a moment before he spoke.
"Dragon spell series," he said out loud as everyone broke out into murmurs.
The priest, however, applauded and seemed to be wiping a tear from his eye. "Wonderful, an incredible spell series has shown itself."
Everyone else proceeded to break into applause as well, which lasted for a while, and for good reason too—the dragon spell series was incredibly powerful depending on which dragon. But even the weakest was still extremely powerful, in other words he had nothing to be worried about.
"Whose next?" I asked but then got pushed forward by everyone else.
"Oh! Guess it's me"
I walked towards the altar, getting a smile and a high five from Aiden as I passed by. The priest guided me into the altar.
It started, and the air around me seemed to vibrate for a second before becoming extremely still the next. In an instant, goosebumps emerged over my body, and I felt something forcing its way into me and out of me at the same time.
At that moment, the light flared around me, and when it came down, there were words in front of me. Words that, as I read them, made my face grow more and more grim. Words that made me regret ever being reborn. Words that caused agony to my soul.
"Young man, what spell series did you get?" I was asked for what had to be the seventh time.
"I-I would rather not say."
SUICIDE SPELL SERIES