The darkness around me distorted violently, rippling like a shattered mirror. The orbs that once floated serenely began to tremble before flickering out of existence. One by one, they shattered like fragile glass, the fragments disappearing into the void.
The sound of their destruction was deafening—an overwhelming cacophony that made me clutch at my ears, desperate to block it out. My spiritual body trembled, its once-stable form beginning to waver and crack.
"What's happening?!" I shouted, though my voice felt feeble in the chaos.
In the midst of the turmoil, I forced my eyes open to assess my surroundings. That was when I saw it.
Through the largest crack in the space, something appeared—a single, monstrous eye that defied all logic. Its size was incomprehensible, large enough to dwarf everything around it.
The sclera was an unnatural shade of gray, veiny and pulsating like a living thing. Its iris glowed a sickly, molten gold, swirling as though it contained liquid fire. The pupil was a sharp, vertical slit, as black as the void itself, radiating an aura of ancient malice. Around the eye, tendrils of dark mist coiled and writhed, giving it an otherworldly, almost predatory appearance.
The moment our gazes locked, my spiritual body froze. A paralyzing wave of terror crashed over me, robbing me of control. My form trembled violently, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface as the eye bore into me.
"What… is that?" I thought, my mind overwhelmed with a primal fear I couldn't comprehend.
Before I could react further, something dark and fast shot toward me—a flash of blackness that pierced through my body like a spear.
Pain was fleeting, overtaken by a numbing void. My consciousness began to slip away as my form unraveled.
The last thing I saw was the monstrous eye, unblinking, staring into the very depths of my being as darkness consumed me.
——
I clutched my chest as I gasped for air, my heart pounding against my ribs like a war drum. Sweat dripped from my forehead, soaking my clothes, as I tried to steady my erratic breathing. 'What was that... thing?' The question spun in my mind, refusing to settle.
Still sitting cross-legged in the room, I stayed completely still, unable to shake the vivid image of that colossal eye. Just thinking about it made my body shiver involuntarily. Slowly, I forced myself to calm down and and replay the encounter in my mind.
That monstrous eye, the overwhelming pressure... 'Why did it appear? Why did it interrupt my enlightenment?'
After a moment of reflection, a fleeting thought crosses my mind. The only entity with hostility toward me in this world, as Laquila had warned, was the Will of the World. Could that thing have been it? Was it trying to disrupt me?
I consider opening my status panel for answers—it should display the results of my ceremony—but I hold back. This isn't the right place. 'Let's wait until I'm back in my room'. For now, I need to focus on leaving without drawing attention to myself.
I don't know how long I've been inside, but if too much time has passed, it might raise questions. Taking a moment to compose myself, I stand and head for the door.
As I exited the room, Mikari, the shrine maiden, greeted me with a serene expression. "You've completed the ceremony, I see," she said warmly.
I offered a polite nod. "Yes. Thank you."
She turned and gestured for me to follow. "Allow me to escort you back to the shrine's entrance."
As we walked, I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Mikari, how long was I inside?"
She glanced back at me, amber eyes thoughtful. "Not very long. However... it was longer than the other children, by quite a margin."
I gave a slight nod in response, keeping my expression neutral. 'So, it was noticeable. I hope it's nothing too unusual'.
Finally, we reach the shrine's entrance. The moment I step outside, my mother, Rosalind, rushes toward me, her violet eyes sparkling with excitement. "Frynn! How was it? How did it go? What did you awaken?" Her questions come one after another, her enthusiasm almost overwhelming.
I plaster on a smile, the kind I've mastered over the past five years. "It went... well," I reply vaguely, trying to sound cheerful.
From behind, my eldest brother, Faust, slaps my back with a hearty laugh. "Seeing that smile, it must've been something good!"
I suppress a grimace at the sudden impact and think to myself, 'I haven't even seen the results yet. How could I know if it's good or bad?'
Thankfully, no one pressed for details. The atmosphere was celebratory, and we returned to the royal palace without incident.
Once we arrive at the palace, I make my way toward my room. Just as I'm about to enter, my father's familiar, firm hand lands on my shoulder. "Frynn, I'll need to see you tomorrow," he says, his tone steady and deliberate.
'Its probably about what i've awaken'. I nod silently, relieved that he's giving me a day to recover.
My mother, surprisingly, doesn't press me for answers either, likely assuming I'll share everything tomorrow.
Finally, I closed the door to my room, the tension in my chest easing slightly. Alone at last, I sat on my bed and let out a deep sigh. The first thing I needed to do was open my status panel. 'Let's see what I've pulled...'
Sitting on my bed, I took a deep breath, my father's words echoing in my mind as I prepared myself. "Speak 'status' in your thoughts, and the panel will appear."
Hesitating only for a moment, I focused and repeated the word silently in my head.
As if responding to a command, a translucent screen materialized in front of me. It looked almost ethereal, a mixture of substance and thought. Its form reminded me of a game interface. 'A status panel... just like in stories.'
But then I noticed something odd.
The panel wasn't the silvery-transparent color I had read about or been told to expect. Instead, it was a deep, ominous black.
'...Is this normal?'
My brows furrowed as I scanned the screen. At the very top, above my name, bold words were inscribed:
[Stigma of the Anathema].
The phrase caught my attention immediately, my gaze locking onto it. 'Stigma of the Anathema?' My brows knitted tighter. 'What does that mean?'
Deciding not to linger on it too much. Slowly, I began scanning the rest of the status panel.
[Status]
Name: Frynn Arathion
Age: 5
Race: Ghoul (Dominant) / Fox Spirit (Lesser)
Seeing my race listed like that didn't surprise me, but I couldn't help but pause for a moment.
My father is a Ghoul, which explains why it's dominant in my bloodline. My mother, Rosalind, is a Nine-Tailed Fox. The lesser fox spirit traits must have come from her.
Moving down the panel, I saw the unique traits and abilities associated with my bloodline:
Ghoul Traits:
-Enhanced physical abilities.
-Regeneration.
-Blood armament
Fox Spirit Traits:
-Enhanced senses.
-Charm.
'Blood armament?' My brows furrowed. 'What is that?...Well i ask my old man tomorrow.'
[Affinity]: Matter
This made me pause.
'Matter?' The word looked so out of place compared to the elemental affinities like fire, water, or wind I'd seen in books. What exactly could "matter" entail? Manipulating raw material? Transforming objects? I didn't know for sure, but it was certainly... unusual.
[Gift]: Mirage Lab
'A gift? Well, that's a stroke of luck.' Curious, I read its description:
[Creating a personal simulated lab space, which the user can access anytime. The lab is a completely controlled environment, where the user can practice freely without affecting the outside world. The lab records every attempt and progress, offering suggestions for improvement. The amount of time spent in the lab depends on the user's mental strength.]
I exhaled slowly. 'This... could be incredibly useful.' A controlled environment for practice meant I could test anything—magic, combat, or whatever my abilities might entail—without fear of failure or causing unintended harm.
Below the gifts, I found a section for Innate Skills:
[Innate Skills]
[Acting]: Skillfully mask true feelings and intentions.
[Observation]: Vividly recall details of anything observed.
[Lesser Multitasking]: Slight ability to focus on multiple tasks simultaneously.
I almost chuckled. 'So my years of pretending and watching have turned into skills.'
Finally, my eyes landed on the Blessing section, and I smiled faintly. Laquila had fulfilled her promise.
[Blessing of the Hidden Veil]
[Obscure Presence]: The power to mask one's presence entirely, including thoughts, emotions, or magical signatures, making it impossible for others to perceive or track them. The effect slightly reduce against someone who are highly perceptive.
[Aura of Enigma]: Anyone who interacts with the user's finds it hard to discern their true intentions, making them highly persuasive or unsettling, subtly influence others' decisions. The effect decreased with someone intelligent or stronger.
'A blessing fit for staying unnoticed... or manipulating when necessary.' My musings ended abruptly when my gaze caught the section I had been avoiding.
[Curse of the Damned]
I swallowed hard and forced myself to read its description:
•[Disrupts the flow of magic around the user, causing spells and magical circles to malfunction or backfire unpredictably.]
• [Random occurrences of bad luck or environmental hostility. Creatures of low intelligence will instinctively target the user.]
•[Passively disrupts the world's natural laws, causing the user brief moments of intense pain or disorientation. This disruption weakens the user's connection to the world, making them vulnerable in combat or study.]
'The world really hates me, huh?' I let out a bitter laugh, leaning back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. This curse was clearly the result of that dark flash and the Will of the World's interference during the ceremony.
'Of course, it wouldn't just let me exist peacefully.' The Will of the World had ensured this curse would be a constant reminder of my uninvited presence.
"This bitch world.."
"Ah... I'm fucked," A soft laugh escaped me, though it lacked any trace of humor.