I walked into my room and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, letting the weight of the day settle over me. My muscles ached. After a moment, I stood and headed into the washroom, stripping off my training suit. The cold water hit my skin like a shock, beads rolling down my body as I leaned against the wall, feeling the fatigue ebb away. When I stepped out, droplets still clinging to my skin, I slipped into a simple silver robe, its smooth fabric cool against my damp body.
The room was quiet, bathed in faint moonlight. I crossed to the towering floor-to-ceiling windows and pulled the heavy curtains aside. Moonlight spilled in, cascading across the polished floors and casting the room in a pale, silver glow. It was tranquil, serene even, as I returned to the bed. Crossing my legs, I let the silence seep into my thoughts and began refining.
I closed my eyes, drawing in the ambient essence around me. Slowly, I began to feel my spent reserves replenishing, flowing through me like a river, soothing and invigorating. I concentrated on refining deeper now, reaching inward to my organs.
Over time, I had nearly completed the refinement of all my major organs: a heart of silver that pumped pure energy through my veins, blood that was silver, half-silver veins coursing through my limbs, lungs that were pristine and white along with my liver. Now, my kidneys glowed pale and nearly white. With their refinement nearing completion, I had reached the first significant milestone on my path toward full awakening.
But there was still more to achieve. My next task would be the refinement of my bones. After the organs, my lower body would be the starting point for skeletal refinement, leading to the upper body. When that stage was complete, I would finally become fully awakened, my body no longer bound by mortal limitations. Beyond that lay the journey to the Supreme stage, and even further—to the unknown.
I was deep in thought, the possibilities swirling in my mind, when the door to my room burst open. Elara stormed in, her face pale and her eyes frantic.
"Cael! Mother—Mother, she—" Her words caught in her throat.
But she didn't need to finish her sentence. The raw essence I felt emanating from the other side of the palace was enough to tell me something was terribly wrong. Before she could say another word, my figure flickered and disappeared, leaving the room behind as I sped toward the disturbance.
The chaotic essence grew stronger the closer I got, its intensity making my head throb. By the time I reached the doors to the refinement chamber, Father and Rowena were already there, their faces grim.
"What happened?" I demanded, coming to a stop just outside the door.
Father turned to me, his massive frame tense. "It seems there was a mishap during her refinement," he said, his voice heavy. "She lost control of her essence. For a moment, it overtook her."
"I'll go in," I said immediately, stepping toward the door, but Father's arm shot out, blocking my path.
"No, Cael," he said firmly, his voice like iron. "She's unstable. She doesn't recognize anyone right now. If you go in, you won't stand a chance against her if she turns on you."
"Then what are we waiting for?" I snapped, my frustration boiling over. "We can't just leave her like this!"
He exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. ""If it comes to it, I can try to physically overpower her, but even I wouldn't come out of it unscathed. And if she doesn't recognize me completely, she could retaliate too violently." He paused, his gaze darkening. "And it could turn truly dangerous."
He stepped closer, his imposing presence towering over me. "You'd be putting yourself in unnecessary danger, and she would never forgive me if anything happened to you."
His words struck a nerve, and though I clenched my fists in protest, I couldn't argue. With a reluctant nod, I stepped back.
Father moved to stand directly in front of the sealed door, his broad shoulders squared. "Stand back," he said firmly, his voice commanding.
When he cracked the door open, even slightly, the rush of essence that exploded outward was staggering. The sheer force of it hit me like a tidal wave, nearly knocking me off my feet. I braced myself, flooding my body with essence reinforcement to stay grounded. Elara and Rowena were less fortunate, stumbling backward as they struggled to withstand the onslaught.
Father, however, was unshaken. His steps were steady, unyielding, as he pushed forward into the storm. The doors slammed shut behind him, and the muffled sound of the chaos within became deafeningly quiet.
I stayed outside, my senses hyper-focused. The only thing I could feel was the overwhelming storm raging inside the chamber, its intensity growing with every passing second. Rowena and Elara seemed concerned but not panicked, which told me they couldn't feel the essence as acutely as I could. My heightened sensitivity, a result of my connection to essence, made every collision of energy within that room like a hammer against my skull.
The refinement chamber was built to withstand even the most volatile surges of essence. Its soundproofed walls and essence-trapping enchantments ensured that no energy could escape. But despite this, I could still feel the raw, chaotic storm raging within. It was like a hammer pounding against my skull, each collision of energy echoing through my mind.
The doors rattled under the strain, cracks spidering across their silver-enchanted surface. I could feel the pressure building with every passing moment, and my patience was wearing thin.
I could also sense others in the vicinity. Their presence lingered just beyond the edges of perception—astral knights, their ethereal forms ready to intervene if ordered. Among them, a familiar voice echoed in my mind.
"Your Highness," Eryndor's familiar tone resonated. Calm but edged with worry.
I raised my hand, signalling for him to hold his position.
"Ten minutes," I said aloud. "If there's no signal by then, you're free to intervene."
I knew my words would reach him, though I wasn't speaking directly to anyone. My head throbbed as the chaotic essence inside the chamber grew stronger. I wasn't a passive person by nature, and the waiting gnawed at me.
Patience had never been my strong suit. As the minutes crawled by and the essence storm inside the chamber grew fiercer, I could feel my resolve slipping. My head throbbed, the pressure mounting like a serpent coiling tightly around my mind. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I stepped forward and pushed the doors open
The essence surged outward in waves, a violent force that slammed into me and threatened to send me flying. I dug my heels in, reinforcing my body as I pushed forward into the room.
"Your Highness, you cannot—" Eryndor's voice cut through the chaos, laced with alarm, but I ignored him and stepped inside.
The moment I stepped through the doors, the intensity of the essence hit me like a physical blow. The hall was a domed chamber made of crystal and glass, designed to focus and amplify essence. Now, it was in ruins. The crystal walls were shattered, jagged shards littering the ground, and the intricate enchantments that once adorned the surfaces were cracked and broken.
The air was suffocating, thick with raw energy that pressed against my skin and burned my lungs. The platform in the center of the room was barely visible, obscured by the swirling storm of essence.
I finally saw them.
Father was on the far side of the room, his form grotesquely distorted. His already massive frame had doubled in size, his head nearly brushing the dome's ceiling. His veins bulged like ropes beneath his skin, glowing with a faint silver light. Blood poured from his nose, ears, and mouth, his body battered and torn. Yet, despite his monstrous appearance, his movements were lightning fast. He charged toward the center of the room with feral intensity.
And there was Mother.
She was suspended in air at the heart of the storm, her white hair whipping around her like a halo of light. Her dress was torn, revealing flashes of her soft, pale, bloodstained skin, her curves outlined in silver blood. Her eyes were wild, glowing silver, utterly devoid of recognition.
As Father lunged, she raised a hand, and an otherworldly sound escaped her lips. It wasn't a scream but a command—a visceral, irresistible force that shattered the very air itself as it collided with the giant figure.
Father froze mid-stride, blood spraying from his ears as his veins ruptured violently.Even the remnants of that sound reached me, and the pain was excruciating. It felt as if a thousand blades were slicing through my mind, each one digging deeper as my veins burned. Silver blood poured from my eyes, ears, and nose, warm and sticky as it stained my robe as I collapsed to my knees
I could feel my blood boiling and thrashing against my veins and had they not become unusually reinforced during my awakening I knew I would have burst apart on the spot. Even still some weaker veins still ruptured as silver blood rushed out
Mother's gaze snapped toward me then, her silver eyes locking onto mine. I couldn't move. Couldn't think.
I couldn't stand chance in direct confrontation, previously I had only faced maybe ten percent of the attack while father had bore the brunt and it has nearly bursted me apart.
I could not win, never.
She slowly flew towards me the white hairs and torn dress framing her plump body perfectly but I could not see anything as my eyes locked with her silver unhinged one which seemed to almost bind me with invisible chains.
Run, my instincts screamed, but my body refused to obey.