[ALEXIMUS'S SANCTUM CHAMBER EMERGENCE — CURRENT]
Aleximus opened his eyes and faced Hatagi's apparition again. He was done reminiscing on the past. Now, there was only the present.
"I'm not going to be beaten by you," he said, eyeing him sharply. "And we're not alike, no matter how much you think we are."
Hatagi tsked and narrowed his eyes as Aleximus continued: "I'm going to stay alive and face tomorrow because my struggle means something. I'm going to live out my dreams and get revenge, no matter who gets in the way! You're dead because you gave up your march and got in the way of my goals! You're pathetic! Just a stepping stone for me to overcome!"
He stuck out his hand and let the red moon pulsate even stronger. His bangs began to rise as a result of the wind and Sanctum Energy coursed through his veins.
"I was reminded of something when you tried to get me to give up. I'm not still fighting because Anna's gone. I'm fighting because she isn't. She's right here," he said, raising the moon. At his side, Anna's mask evaporated into black energy and was absorbed by the moon in his palm. "She's is my heart," he growled. "She's my moon — the only thing that keeps me comfortable in the darkness you forced me to step into. So, I'll take everything in my way and devour it until there's nothing left, you hear me?!"
Anna's eyes softened as she stepped closer to her brother. There was more than jay in her gaze; there was pride.
THNK!!
Hatagi stomped off the ground and drew his dagger. "You think it's that easy to get rid of the darkness in your heart, kid?!" he bellowed as he rushed them. "Don't make me laugh!!"
FHSSHHH!
Before he could even reach Aleximus, Hatagi's arm crumbled away suddenly and disintegrated into ash. It couldn't even fall to the floor before it was absorbed by the black moon in Aleximus's hands. His dagger fell to his feet, its tip sunken into the ground, just as it had in the Axis when he'd died.
"Weren't you listening?" Aleximus asked darkly. "Maybe you thought I was joking, you bastard, but… I am the darkness."
The apparition felt something akin to a heavy boulder affix itself to his nape and sent him crashing to the ground with its devastating pressure, blasting his femur splinter out of his skin as he howled in pain.
Aleximus stepped in front of him and sneered. "As long as Jace is alive, then I know my reason to live isn't wrong. And I won't let anyone ever take that from me. He is part of my dream too."
"Urgh!" Hatagi winced, "Possessive aint'cha?"
"Call it whatever you want. But I will get stronger. Stronger than you… Stronger than Uncle Matsuda… More powerful than anyone else that may be out there. Until I'm strong enough to keep my brother safe, nothing will distract me from my dreams."
Hatagi watched in horror as the corners of Aleximus's lips curved into a devilish smile surpassing even his own. The boy looked down on him and released the moon-like orb, allowing it to float forward. "You're not so scary from down there, are you, Hatagi?"
The rest of Hatagi's body decayed and swirled faster still into the moon. "Interesting!" he chuckled as he faded, "Real interesting, kid!"
The dust climbed up his neck and towards his face.
"But don't forget that you and I will always be together! I'll be watching — listening! I'll feast on your worst desires should you ever let them lose, until the day you understand what I am!"
"...And what's that?" Aleximus asked him callously.
Hatagi smirked back right before his face completely disappeared and let out a cruel laugh. "I think you know!"
After a moment, the moon stopped thumping and quieted. Aleximus dispelled the orb with a wave of his hand and faced Anna once more.
"Are you alright?" He smiled. It was his first genuinely happy smile in what felt like ages. Seeing her instilled within him the same hope that seeing him had done for her back in the Axis. And what a wonderful feeling that was.
Anna's purple eyes glimmered against the red moon behind her with a nod. In signature fashion, she cocked her head to the side and placed her hand over his chest — his heart.
The message was clear. Nothing needed to be said anymore.
"I'll be fine," Aleximus grinned. He placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair gingerly. "Don't worry about me alright? You go on ahead and keep watching us!"
Anna, too, began to fade into energy and scattered around him. However, unlike Hatagi, her particles remained and blended into the Forbidden Area.
Slowly, but surely, the landscape began to change. It was something without form, but it looked to still be developing. The overhead red moon was the only remaining piece of what had just happened.
Aleximus could feel a lightheadedness well up in him. I'm starting to wake up, he thought, …finally.
He shoved both hands into his pockets and his expression became serious. He had finally become able to use Sanctum Energy. It felt powerful — beyond any of his wildest dreams. But most of all, it made his aspirations tangible now. What he could only dream of in the Axis was now becoming a reality he could bring about with his own hands.
He grinned widely and walked off into the white light in the distance. I can't wait to see Jace's face when we wake up.
Then, he paused.
He withdrew a hand from his pocket and waved at the moon behind him without turning back. "Goodbye, Anna."
The moon hummed softly back as if in response and Aleximus continued off, ready to see his brother.
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[JACENDER, THE ASHFIELD MANOR]
As he and his father ascended, Jace noticed that the amount of Ashfields surrounding the staircase was beginning to lessen every few seconds.
Runnulf hadn't made note of it — possibly because it was normal — and continued forward. They had reached the end of the staircase where his father lowered him in front of a long and narrow corridor.
What is this place..? Jace asked himself, his eyes wide with wonder. At the very end of the hall, a great, red door stared back at him with incredible intensity.
Runnulf smiled. "This is the Nexus Chamber," he explained. "It's an infinite corridor that creates a shadow room for every user of the Ashfield Codex at the end of their lives. Think of it as a manor inside of the manor, with thousands of rooms."
He turned to a door on his left with the letter R carved into its burly wood. Along it ran some long faded pictures of Runnulf and some others; friends, Jace assumed. One of them wore dark purple clothes and had long hair. Runnulf had his arm around the person's neck and was holding large beer mugs.
"Is that Uncle Matsuda?" Jace asked with a point. Runnulf nodded and grabbed the handle of the door. "It was the first time we'd ever got drinks together. I couldn't hold my liquor, so Mat' decided to look over me until Malik took me home."
Before he could explain who Malik was, he realized that Jace wasn't following him. Instead, his son's eyes lingered still on the great red door at the end of the corridor. "That door at the end of the hall… Who's it belong to?"
"Hmm," Runnulf mused. "Most people aren't sure. It's been there longer than everyone's been around and no one has ever walked out. Some think it belonged to the first Ashfield — the one who created the Codex. Though they also say his soul isn't in here and exists somewhere else."
He scratched his head and yawned. "Regardless, I wouldn't be so interested. Just because everyone who's ever used the Codex was powerful doesn't mean they were all objectively moral people by your or I's standards."
A rueful smile flashed across his face before he pushed Jacender towards his door. "But ignore all of that. Let's handle the most important things first."
They both stepped into the room and Jace's furrowed his brow again. It was larger than he'd expected it to be, but it was also familiar. Running through the center of the room all the way to the ceiling, was a large dark red Ash tree trunk with sturdy branches holding what looked like small lanterns. The floor itself was lined with tiles of thin, rectangular straw-like mats woven from grass that felt comfortable to the touch. Against the walls was a weapons rack lined with broadswords, katanas, sabers, and other sorts of blades. What was most curious, however, was that there was an empty spot on the rack meant for a weapon that seemed to not be in the room at all.
It's like our room in the treehouse, Jace thought with a happy smile. Runnulf took a seat on the floor and beckoned Jace to sit with him. "Cool, right? I lived in a room just like yours when I was younger. When I made the Axis, I wanted you guys to have a little piece of my childhood."
"When you made the Axis?" Jace asked with a brow raised. Runnulf let out an irritated growl and smacked his forehead. "It's the rules of the Codex. I still can't tell you everything I'd like to. Not yet anyway."
Jace paused for a moment before shrugging. "It's alright. I don't think I care much anyway. Aleximus would be a lot more interesting than I would. As long as we're together, things in the past only exist in the past."
Runnulf's eyes widened a bit. He'd never gotten to speak to his son before today, so meeting him and finding out his perspective on things proved to be much more interesting than he'd ever thought. He has great emotional maturity for his age, Runnulf thought to himself. It reminds me of you, Kazumi.
"Listen, Jace," he started in a low voice. He kept his eyes peeled to the floor, but his smile remained. "This continent you're about to discover… It's not as simple as it may seem. It's large — larger than what you might think, and it's teeming with danger."
Jace held back a gulp and listened intently. This was something he had to hear if he wanted his brother and him to survive.
"You and Aleximus are strong; There's no doubt that you'll find your place in this new world and make your mark. I expect you'll both be like this Ash tree: confident and ever-growing, touching the lives of all the people you'll meet whether directly or indirectly. You'll make friends, too, that's for sure. But you will definitely make enemies. And one day… you… may find yourself standing against an enemy who was once a friend. When that time comes, you'll be faced with the choice of giving up what you cherish to protect something even more important, or abandoning the relationships you've created to protect what you cherish."
He finally looked up and placed his hand on his son's head. "There are no wrong answers, no matter what others may think. That's because you have sometimes that many don't know they possess."
Runnulf moved Jacender's forehead closer and pushed it against his own. "...A choice. And as a human being, it is the greatest power any of us will ever have."
Strangely, Jacender could feel Runnulf's emotions. Despite not being there for his father's life, he could tell within seconds what sort of life his father must have lived and the choices he'd been forced to make. This man was a good man. He made decisions out of assurity and stood by all of his choices, whether they were right or wrong in the moment. Runulf was the personification of freedom for him. For Jace… he was proud to have him as a father.
He pulled back and rose to his feet. "Dad," he said with an air of seriousness. It was the first time he'd called him that. It caught Runnulf by surprise too.
"I don't really like when things change… I prefer stuff to stay safe and good, like back in the Axis. Aleximus is the one who wants to explore and find new places. And even though it's not my style, I still want to help him do that, you know?"
"Yeah," Runnulf nodded.
"Well… I want to get strong. Strong enough to make sure that Aleximus can chase his dreams without having to worry about me. I want to be so strong that I can create a place where things don't have to change — where I can help stop bad things from ever happening again. It's stupid and not really a dream, but… I'd like to explore the outside world too. I think it's the only place…"
He clenched both his fists and shouted as loud as he could:
"...WHERE I CAN FIND MY OWN DREAM!!"
For a split second, Runnulf saw a flash of himself in Jacender's eyes. But there was something else there too; a growing flame not yet realized. He knew then that Jace could do it; That his path would change the world in ways he'd have never thought possible. For Runnulf… he was proud to have Jace as a son.
They've grown so much, haven't they, Kazumi? He grinned to himself. Our boys are becoming men.
Runnulf lifted himself off the floor and stood in front of Jace. "I think you're ready to face the Codex now, Jace."
He pointed at the weapon's rack. "You can choose any weapon you'd like to confront the tornado outside."
Jace grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Thanks, but I won't need 'em." he said, facing the door, "...I already have one, and it's super strong!"
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
[THE ASHFIELD MANOR, FRONT DOOR]
Jace faced the front door of the manor, his expression resolute and defiant. He would not fail this test — he refused to.
Standing behind him were his father, Vincent, Zena, and the other users of the Ashfield Codex. They were all eager to see what his answer to this problem would be.
"So, Runnulf," Vincent whispered, "Has the boy figured it out yet?"
Runnulf smiled and glanced at Jace. The boy was calming himself down with rhythmic counts. "Who knows?" he responded. "We'll just have to see."
Zena, who sipped from a glass of red wine, watched intently as Jacender put his hand on the doorknob. The look on his face has changed. It's more focused now.
CLU~MP
Jacender flung the door open without a second thought and dashed outside.
"C-Crap, he's running for it already?!" someone murmured. "The tornado will slash him to ribbons!"
They all scrambled to the doors and nearby windows to see what Jace would do. Vincent was frozen in shock at Jace's boldness. Runnulf continued smiling.
Outside the manor, the tornado — which had lost all track of Jacender when he'd first entered the manor — sensed him again and roared with its crazed winds. Jace picked up his arms and covered his face as he ran forward. "Come on!" he growled, egging it on. "I'm not dying here!!"
He rushed past the broken gate from before and stopped just outside of the manor's limits. Jace could feel the whirlwind tug at him. If he didn't do something soon, the weapons it had collected when he had first arrived would rain down on him and hack him to pieces.
He thought back to what his father had said to Vincent before.
"He has the power to change his fate. He'll survive. I know it."
"We are here to oversee the transfer of power of the Codex to you!" Vincent had said to him.
Looking back now, these were all hints, weren't they? Jace smirked to himself. He planted his feet firmly into the ground and slowly began to lower his arms.
"I can't make up for all the time I lost with you and your brother, and I understand that. But I am proud of the boy you have started to become and have absolute faith in the man you'll eventually grow into, son. I swear to always be by your side from now on, no matter what happens. And when you develop your powers, all you need to do is call on me, alright?"
Runnulf would always be there to help him, he realized. To become strong, he needed to understand that. Nothing could be gained by tackling insurmountable odds by oneself.
"But my hand isn't going anywhere this time. I'll always be here, Jace. The decision to take it is yours."
Jace closed his eyes and sucked in as much air as he could muster. The tornado was no more than a few inches away now.
"You can choose any weapon you'd like to confront the tornado outside."
"I CHOOSE," he shouted with a sharp yell. "I CHOOSE TO TRUST YOU! ALL OF YOU!!!"
Inside the manor, Runnulf's eyes sparkled with elation. A great smile formed on his face as he sunk into a runner's position. "I ACCEPT YOUR ANSWER!" he bellowed. Something large and sharp materialized alongside his waist in a blaze of red flames:
A hulking wonder of a sword.
VRMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!
A boom erupted from the manor behind Jacender and let loose a cylinder of crimson flames that shot straight from the manor's door with immeasurable speed. Before the tornado could even touch Jace, the light clashed against the tempest and dispersed the winds into nothingness as the blast of energy was eaten by the raging flames and basked the green field with sunlight.
"..!" Jace murmured. He slowly unloosened his eyes and looked at what was in front of him. It was his father's back. He stood straight with a sword in hand, and his outfit had mysteriously changed. Instead of his tight black compression shirt and shorts, he sported a two-tone red and black vintage jacket with the letter R etched on his back, a white undershirt, and loose, dark black cargo pants.
Somehow, his beard had been shaven and he looked five years younger, but Jace could tell who it was with just a single look.
"Dad…" he breathed with shock. Runnulf spun around to reveal a large grin and raised the peace sign with his free hand. "You did great!"
Jace let go of all his questions and released an excited sigh. "A–" he jumped and hugged Runnulf, "ALRIGHT!!"
Runnulf dropped his blade and let it dematerialize as he hugged him back.
It wasn't just him who had appeared. Vincent, Zena, and all the others stood around Runnulf and his son, their weapons in hand, and their energies bared with different shades of red flame.
"Honestly," Zena scoffed and crossed her arms, "You father and son are too alike. One more reckless than the other."
Everyone joined together in laughter and dispelled their weapons. Jace let go of his father and smiled at them all.
"I am curious, though!" Vincent cut in. He bent over as low as he could and stared at Jace upside-down. "How did you know what to do?"
Jace scratched his head just like his father and shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. I had a feeling of what to do based off some things you all said, but it was really just a leap of faith."
"What?!" Vincent's body twisted. He couldn't handle the sudden movement and comically collapsed at the boy's feet. "You mean you based your father's survival off a hunch?!"
Jace gave a bashful laugh and lowered his head. "Well, Dad was the one who told Zena earlier, right? He said 'I won't tell him anything else. He's already gotten all the help he needs before he took me upstairs. That was the biggest hint I think."
Runnulf raised his head to the sky and laughed heartily. "That's my boy! Anything you do, make sure you do it a hundred percent, I say!"
"Quiet, you bumbling idiot!" Vincent jumped. "You nearly cheated!"
"Shut the hell up," Runnulf sneered. "You're just jealous 'cuz you're not as cool as my son!"
"That's not the poin—"
"—I'm glad Dad helped me." Jace cut in. In the sky above, the clouds were clearing and the Codex's sun was returning. "I know he wasn't supposed to, but he made a choice to help me anyway. He broke the rules whenever it meant protecting me and Aleximus, and never second-guessed it because to him… it was the right thing to do. I just thought… I'd like to be able to make choices like that too."
Runnulf turned red at the sudden compliment and coughed into his hand. "W-Well, it was nothing."
A soft smile played on Zena's lips. Like I said… They're too alike.
Everyone took a step back from Jace and raised an arm in front of them. Runnulf and Vincent retreated and joined in. "Huh? What's happening?" Jace asked.
"Jacender Lucien Ashfield," Zena declared loudly. "To pass ownership of the Ashfield Codex to you, we, the Axis Sealers had to ensure that you could be trusted with its power. This test was held to not only prove you were worthy of holding it, but that you were capable of trusting in it as your father has trusted in you."
A golden-red orb appeared in each person's palm. They reminded Jacender of the ball of flames in the Axis. It's a sun, he finally realized, Just like the one in the sky here…
No one person had the same shaped sun, and each one burned with a different intensity, color, and size, but their radiance was unmistakably regal. It was the same as the star he'd so often find himself captivated with whenever it would rise in the Axis and the outside world.
Like always, he couldn't help but become dazzled by its heat.
"Accepting the responsibility and power that comes with this Codex was all that you needed to pass," Vincent announced to him. "Unshakable trust and devotion to this book have qualified you to be its next holder. It has also told us everything we need to know regarding your character. You are an outstandingly bright talent, Jace."
Runnulf crossed his other arm over his chest and formed a salute. The others followed suit.
"We, the past users of the Ashfield Codex, the Axis Sealers," they sounded in unison, "Hereby acknowledge Jacender Lucien Ashfield, son of Runnulf Ashfield and Kazumi Onix, as the sanctioned host and primary user of the Ashfield Codex. For as long as it is in his possession, we swear to be at his side as his powers and mentor him in his times of need!"
Each person's orb levitated and dispelled the shadows beneath the area where they all stood. The light cast by the suns colored the grass below red, like the grass of the Axis Jacender hailed from.
The energy rose until they each touched the great star above — the sun of Codex itself.
Jacender watched in awe as the orbs of sunlight fused together and created a huge burst of light. The surroundings around them began to shift and change, transforming into something new altogether.
Rivers appeared and ran through the ground; Swords and other blades with Codex's resting against their hilts sprang up just as they did when he had first arrived and created a path towards the manor.
The gates of the manor warped and twisted before rising upward and expanding. Jace gasped as the metal poles quickly became dark red Ash tree wood and enveloped the manor, developing a trunk at its base and shooting up to become a giant Ash tree. The same Ash tree where Jace's treehouse home once stood.
"Whenever a new owner is chosen," Zena explained, "The land changes to the place or time that had the greatest impact on its user. For you, that's the Axis."
Vincent cocked his head to the side. "You should be able to use Sanctum Energy now, but it won't be possible for you to tap into the powers of the Codex. At least, not until you start developing the red streaks in your hair. You must become strong enough to be able to handle our abilities, boy."
Jace felt his heartbeat flutter. The power he and his brother had been searching for for months now had finally become attainable. He could at least, begin to call himself strong.
Runnulf moved to his side and placed his hand on his back. "Jace," he smiled sadly. "It's time. You have to go."
He motioned to Jace's body so he'd look. The boy was beginning to turn translucent. Runnulf himself had reverted back to his older form, his beard, shirt, and shorts returning.
Jace nodded and gave one look back at the Ash tree. Its leaves looked like they were touching the sun above and rising ever still. The others began to make their way back towards the manor, leaving Runnulf with his son.
"Jace…" Runnulf said before pausing. He struggled to find the right words to say. "I—"
"—I know, Dad," Jace responded with a smile. He raised his fist and rapped it against his father's chest. "You'll have to talk to him yourself though. Aleximus can be super hard-headed."
Runnulf let his raised brow fall with a smile and hugged his son one last time. "I won't tell you to be safe, because I know you won't, but… I want you to have as much fun as possible, alright? Live and figure out your dream!"
"...Yeah!" Jace grinned before he completely vanished. He and his father locked eyes, their blue iris burning with respect for the other. And then, he was gone — like a flame in the wind.
Runnulf remained silent for a moment before looking up at the sun in the sky. Zena and Vincent were the only ones still around.
"It's almost comical, isn't it?" Zena said as she stared at it. "Have you ever seen a Sun Core of that size before, Vincent?"
"I'm afraid not. It's ridiculously large and powerful." Vincent replied. "That boy is just full of surprises, isn't he?"
"Yeah," Runnulf said in agreement. "He's better than I could've ever imagined."
My sons, huh? He smiled and thought back to holding his newborns; How Jacender and Aleximus slept so peacefully as they held each other's hands.
I can't wait to see how your path unfolds.
[SANCTUM CHAMBER EMERGENCE [IV] ]