The hues of red, black, platinum and its other deeper shades, with violent intensity, clashed against each other, as the bright mana that gave the tower its form emerged from the oval shaped relic– that was surrounded by a glass canvas for it couldn't be touched as it was powering this whole realm, and any touch could lead to the death of the being who comes close to it.
Yes.
This was the rumoured Nexus.
It once had something akin to a body, but, now the consciousness was split from its ethereal form and stored as a power source placed right inside of this grey relic and in the center was a huge ruby stone.
But for the first time in many years, the ruby had turned into a sickly amethyst shade, a powerful being was appearing that was for sure. Whose traces of mana had turned the radiant ruby completely into a structure quite different.
The headmistress of this tower, Sandra, stared at the clash of colours happening in front of her as a boy of seventeen or eighteen stood right beside her.
The expression on his bronze face was a complicated one– it showed traces of amusement, apprehension and anticipation. A wild mix.
Inspite of his age, he carried the presence of a veteran as he remained completely steady while Sandra was quite literally giddy in excitement.
His cold eyes that seemed to be metal not flesh turned to her once, before tracing his grey gaze back at the relic, which had started to spark like the embers of a great fire that would envelop everything like a hungry beast.
He was becoming impatient, why wasn't the new recruit coming out? His face married by scars seemed to have a frown as he bit the side of his cheek running his tongue over the soft flesh.
Sandra stared in anticipation and excitement, jumping on her toes from side to side almost like a high school girl who had just heard that her crush was going to be come to meet her.
After all, never had the Nexus took this much time to summon a being from the other realm, the recruit must be a powerful one.
The hues intensified and all the five element stars, started to rotate around with a fierce intensity. Space, Flame, Wind, Sea, Earth all in the form of fierce celestial bodies. And then influenced by the gravity of the cosmic colors, they clashed and a loud boom echoed.
Sandra and the one with the scars, quickly erupted a mana barrier around them, which cracked at the force. Sandra stared shocked, her doubts were confirmed, to be able to crack the barrier of a grandsage and warlock combined was a great feat indeed.
Her expression was mirrored by the scarred warlock, but he was more subtle, as showing emotions was a weakness for him.
The dust clouds that surrounded them was cleared away by just a flick of the warlock's wrist, as the wind bowed in submission in front of him, and besieged him with a breeze that swept through his hair of grey-white making him look preternatural. For the young face didn't match the aging hair.
"You okay, Lady Sandra?" The veteran asked and Sandra nodded with a smile.
"Don't worry about me, I am just excited Bryon. I suspect you are too?"
Bryon nodded as the remaining dust cleared and what was revealed to them shocked their hearts.
For what they saw wasn't a powerful recruit.
Oh no no no.
Instead they saw a boy, who was on the grounds with his eyes dazed and blood pooling underneath his face due to the trickle of blood continuously leaving from the within of his throat.
It was none other than the boy with no name, the one who helped the child with kindness, instead of scorn.
Sandra was the first one to snap out, the guise of the playful woman was gone and in place was the captain who knew when her soldiers needed aid. She rushed towards him and Bryon followed with hurried steps of shock.
They had never seen such a thing in their lives, and they were several centuries old! The Nexus was a will, that would choose only the ones in best form, for it knew that the Daemons could attack anytime. It didn't know of the peace treaty between the side of the magus and Daemons which had remained true for the past thirty years.
So why was a near dead teen summoned into this realm?
"Bryon, quickly use some of your mana and try to activate his core!" Sandra said, her eyes frenzied and she placed her right hand on his left side of the chest, where his heart was placed.
Bryon who was trying to see what had caused such a state to the poor boy, turned his eyes as wide as saucers towards Sandra.
He knew of the risk, an orb was meant to be activated by oneself naturally through meditation and such, but if a mana core was forcefully activated by someone other than yourself there was a high chance of it cracking due to there being no refinement present in first timers.
And somehow if one was lucky enough, which was highly unlikely, he could get some of the strength of the one who activated his core. And if this boy on the floor didn't break, then Bryon's immense physicality would be granted for it was the only thing that could be copied.
"But lady Sandra...." Bryon tried to speak but one glare from the headmistress was enough to shut him up. Thankfully no one else has noticed the commotion in the Nexus room, so everything was in their hands which was relieving and stressing at the same time.
As they didn't want the higher ups to interfere in the mana processing, since there was strict decree on the way, the recruits must be dealt with and even though they were saying the boy, it was against the rules.
Bryon with complaints in his movements, due to the fear of causing harm to this boy on the ground, placed his trembling hands over the chest of the boy.
The veteran with a deep breath took in the essence of the air inside, forcing the mana to rotate like a whirlpool around his cores placed near his heart, base of the spine and in the junction between his chest and stomach.
Then with a push, he sent the enriched mana through his spirit veins and onto the body of the boy with no name, hoping to whichever deity merciful enough to give the boy in front protection.
As the mana entered the body, Sandra worked on stabilizing it, using her techniques to block the pathways not letting any mana to go out of the body.
And after a few minutes, the boy coughed out black blood which had a foreign scent, a scent of poison.
Then the body of the boy started to flutter, as a bright dark energy left him with a burst.
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The boy with no name floated around the expanse of the void, with a mind that was dreaming yet leaving. He had no body, no sense yet he could feel everything.
A peaceful aura waved like a tide, as he floated around the dark expanse with no intentions behind his action.
"Peace, this must be what it feels like. Death....it's not so bad" He thought and if he had a body right now, a smile of peace would be present.
He who had suffered from turbulent winds, felt at peace in stillness.
The one with no name, suddenly felt a wave of fresh air that wafted through the columns of his body, causing his attention to widen like a grand scope.
Stars of brilliance, rotated around him, one having a fierce orange glow and the other azure in nature. It all floated around a reddish dark star with glowing outline– that was bigger than anything he has ever seen and it dwarfed the others, like a giant or a Titan dwarfing the gods themselves.
But in response to the surrounding stars, the fierce res hue increased like a struck matchstick, and released a violent boom that pulled all of the stars in and then he felt it.
The star approached him like a servant, and bowed seemingly. He could feel the anticipation and the journey it promised him. The boy with no name accepted.
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-Beep-
-Beep-
-Beep-
[Activating Consciousness]
The dark eyes of the boy opened up, as his gaze drifted around the white walls, decorated with healthcare machines and glowing amulets seemingly placed to ward off evil.
"I don't belong here."
That was his first thought, it was a place for those who had an existence and power. He had none. He only had a body that was lanky and weak in nature.
"But, why am I here? I am alive, why?" Furthermore he thought, as his eyes gazed at his body, there was no grey fog covering his vision anyone so he could see everything even the door just a meters away, for it was a spacious medical room.
Did the cop rescue him?
He had no idea, as he with a soft grunt, lifted his torso up. The boy with no name gazed at his body covered by a thin silk robe that stretched till his knees, someone had changed him, so he was sure that someone had indeed helped him survive.
But something in his guts told him, that this was not someone kind of hospital, it was something different. A foreign sense of energy permeated through him.
The boy with no name, gazed at his body, which once had a sickly pale glow but now? He had a healthy porcelain skin.
He didn't feel weak, no, instead he felt a strength that he hadn't experienced since he was a child. He clenched his fist a tad, and stood up on the floor away from the bed.
The boy stood tall surprising even himself, there was a noticeable difference in his perception, everything seemed more arranged and clear. No longer was he slouched nor did he see blurred fog.
He was healed from the sickly disease that had accompanied him since he was eight years old.
A smile of true happiness erupted, as tears threatened to escape, but it was held back like always. He sniffed once at the loss of weakness, and at the fact that his good deed was seemingly rewarded.
God was not so mean, after all. Karma was not a bitch after all.
Suddenly he felt as if someone was approaching the entrance door of his room, yet, he didn't hear footsteps. It was just a feeling of an intuition and he listened to it, walking over to the white mattress and plopped over it.
He settled his head down, and rubbed his round face some more. Having some trouble still to get used to the soft full skin.
"Does the doctor have some kind of healing power?" He thought with an amused smile, since he had never seen such a miracle, that could heal the skin and provide lost strength in an instant.
True to his inner feelings, the door opened just a second later once he settled down, and a beautiful woman that could attract anyone like flies entered causing him to flush slightly.
But the only trace of slight attraction, was his red cheeks other than that his face was impassive with a serenity unmatched.
"I trust you are feeling, ok?" The woman asked as she sat on a stool placed near him and he nodded softly in an appreciative gesture, for something told him she had some kind of role in helping him yet he remained silent.
First he will observe, then do something. For caution led to his survival along with doing a good deed without expecting anything.
"Good, I am Sandra and you are?" The boy with no name flinched at the question, and just as he was about to tell her, he had no identity, something happened.
Something supernatural in nature.
A panel of shadows opened right beside his face, that couldn't be seen by none except for himself.
[The Will Of Nexus, has bestowed upon you a name, one that is ancient and powerful.]
[The One Distanced From Love]
[The One Disgraced By Fate]
[The Beastly One Of Great Might]
[The Idol Of Truth and Honesty]
[The One With Good Will]
[The Magus Of Destiny]
[Daynes The Lion, from now on, this will be your name]
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Author's note: Give support, please 🥺