Something has crossed the Final River. Go and investigate.
As you command.
On the pinnacle of the tallest spire in the sacred city of Biharaj, Mira stood cloaked in a dark green robe, a shadow against the night.
With a fearless leap, she cast herself from the height, plummeting into the fierce winds that roared in protest, fighting against her descent. Mid-fall, she invoked her Skill.
[Skill: Metamorphosis (VI)]
Her form shimmered, a silvery light rippling across her as her body shrank. Her skin softened to downy feathers; her mouth elongated, reshaping itself into a beak, while her arms unfurled into graceful wings.
Now transformed into a magnificent bird, her feathers glowed faintly, edges kissed with an ethereal blue, mirroring the glow of moonlight on the purest waters. The rest of her plumage was a pristine white, her beak gleaming like gold in its purest form. With one powerful beat of her wings, she soared into the cold, boundless skies, a spirit of the heavens bound by nothing.
Her speed was beyond ordinary; with each powerful beat of her wings, she accelerated, soon shattering the sound barrier and pushing even faster. In moments, she reached a forest thousands of kilometers away.
But it was no longer a forest—it was a wasteland, engulfed in flames. Yet, these were no ordinary fires.
'That fire… it can't be.'
Amidst the blaze, figures moved, wielding their Arts in a desperate attempt to quell the flames—but it was futile. The fire was inextinguishable.
'Aren't those ORDER's special forces?'
Mira, in her bird form, descended gracefully, landing just beyond them before shifting back to her true form.
The Awakeneds, seeing a stranger approach, raised their blades in defiance, their eyes sharp with suspicion.
"Who are you to trespass in a restricted area?" the captain demanded, his sword gleaming as he leveled it at her.
Mira, face shadowed beneath her hood, wordlessly slipped the glove from her left hand. A strange symbol glowed on her palm—a triangle enclosing three circle, an ancient emblem of creation, destruction, and all that lies between.
Seeing it the captain kneels down without delay, the other followers him.
They bowed deeply in respect.
"We pay our homage to the three-headed king," they chanted in unison.
Mira stepped forward, radiating authority.
"I am Miraya, proxy of the king who bears the Crown of Destruction. By his command, I demand every detail about this incident."
"As you wish, my lady,"
The captain responded promptly. He signaled to the Awakened officer beside him, who swiftly retrieved the gathered documents.
"My lady, this is all we've recovered. Despite our efforts, our diviner could not pierce through the darkness of this mystery—and the flames, they still refuse to die down."
Mira gazed intently at the unnaturally persistent flames. A flicker of fear sparked within her, but she quickly quelled it.
"Hahaha… oh, how far you Awakened have fallen."
A mocking voice came from the shadows. Mira didn't need to look to know who it was.
"Do the Holy Knights truly have nothing better to do?"
A group of Holy Knights, their golden armor gleaming even in the dim light, stepped into view.
"We are here to fulfill the duties you Awakened continually fail to perform."
Their leader sneered.
Mira narrowed her eyes.
"You have no place here. Go weep to your 'holy mother' or whatever deity you serve."
Her words struck a nerve. The leader of the Holy Knights bristled.
"How dare you insult our goddess?"
A surge of golden energy rippled from his body, pushing the air around him and awakening the sleeping dark night with its bright light. But it was not spiritual energy; it was different. It didn't come from his soul but from his fate—it was Holy Energy.
'Oh, great,' Miraya thought with a hint of frustration. 'Now I have to deal with that as well.'
With a sigh, she summoned her staff.
"Foolish Awakened, blaspheming our holy mother, I shall show you the miracle of despair!"
"Enough."
The captain of the ORDER's special forces interjected, stepping between them.
"Lord Adru of the Holy Knights, this mission was entrusted to us by the Elders. Under the contract between ORDER and your faith, you are forbidden to interfere. And as for you, my lady—please refrain from mocking them."
Miraya's staff dissolved back into shadow. She took the documents from the Awakened and turned to leave.
"Fine. My task here is complete."
Lord Adru clenched his teeth, a silent fury in his eyes.
"The next time we meet, you will pay for your insolence, you disgraceful Awakened."
***********
"Are you certain that what you saw was crimson flames?"
Albedo asked, his gaze fixed on Mira as he sat comfortably in his chair.
In front of him, his desk was filled to the last inch with documents and strange artifacts. The room, shrouded in shadow, had no electric light. Only a single candle burned, casting flickering shadows along the walls.
One wall was almost entirely covered by a map of the Empire. It showed every corner of its vast expanse, from the eighteen great cities surrounded by endless wilderness to the thousand suns desert at the eastern edge, and the boundless black sea at the western edge. The map even detailed the seven Calamity Zones, marked in ominous red—the S-rank areas.
"Yes, I'm certain," Mira replied confidently. "It was the same flame that burned my soul that day."
Albedo crossed his hands, elbows propped on the table.
"Then, I fear, a Corrupt has breached the human realm."
"Can't you foresee what brought it here?"
"No," he replied gravely.
"I cannot see events tied to Abnormalities."
Mira didn't press him further, though her gaze lingered on something behind him. It was a sword, though plain in shape. Bound in chains that had long since grown rusty, it seemed as though it had been sealed away for ages.
"My lord… what is that sword?"
Albedo glanced over his shoulder at the object she indicated.
"Sword… what sword?"
"The one right behind you," she said, perplexed.
"Ah, this, I see this is your first time in my study. It appears as a sword to you?"
"Yes," Mira nodded, still puzzled.
"I see."
Albedo paused, a faint smile crossing his face.
"How to explain… that 'sword' is my name, or rather, my true identity—the part of me I've sealed away."
***********
I was floating in what felt like an endless abyss.
It was dark-darker than anything I'd ever known, a darkness that seemed to swallow the very concept of light. My eyes were closed, yet I could see everything.
Then, from the depths, an even greater darkness emerged, taking the shape of a colossal hand. It moved toward me, dividing as it advanced. One hand became two, then ten, then a hundred, then thousands-until countless hands of endless shadow reached out, wrapping around me. They enfolded every fragment of my shattered body, as though trying to keep it from falling apart.
I cried, but no tears came.
I screamed, but my mouth wouldn't open.
I was scared, but felt no fear.
Slowly, the countless hands receded, revealing a path before me-illuminated by pure darkness. On either side, shadowed figures bowed deeply as I passed.
My body was dull, ashen, and pale. My blood... it was rotting in my veins. I had no eyes, yet I saw everything.
A path paved with corpses stretched before me, leading to an iron throne shrouded in mist and mystery.
With each step, my mind grew sharper. With each step, my understanding of this place deepened.
But suddenly, the world around me trembled, shattered, and dissolved into nothingness.
Once again, I had failed to reach the throne.
But now, I understood.
I am the nightmare.
"Jay, hey! How long are you going to sleep?"
Luke shook him, trying to wake him up.
Jay jolted awake and fell backward from his seat, landing on the ground with a thud.
"Boom!"
"Ouch…" Jay groaned, rubbing his back. "What happened?"
"You fell asleep in the middle of my explanation!"
"What explanation?" Jay asked, still disoriented.
Annoyed, Luke slammed a book on Jay's head. "About the Paths."
"Oh, right… I was supposed to test my Paths," Jay mumbled, suddenly remembering.
"Umm… sorry, but could you explain that again?"
Luke sighed and set a stone tablet on the table.
"Listen carefully. I'm not explaining it a third time."
Luke began explaining the stone tablet again, going into long-winded detail. He started with its origins, covering everything down to its precise applications.
'This is so long… but I think I get the gist of it.'
In summary, Luke's explanation boiled down to this: toward the end of the last era, the number of Awakened with the skill 'Appraisal' began to decline. Now, those with Appraisal charged steep prices for their services. Without an easy alternative, the stone tablet was created. By channeling one's spiritual energy into it, the stone tablet would reveal the Paths possessed by the Awakened.
"Alright, go ahead and try it."
Luke passed the stone tablet to Jay.
Swallowing hard, Jay sent his spiritual energy into the stone tablet. As he did, the tablet began to shake. Soon, three lines appeared, dividing the tablet into four equal parts.