Lucien awoke with a sharp intake of breath, his body coated in a thin sheen of sweat as though he had just been dragged from the depths of some fevered nightmare. His senses were overwhelmed, disoriented, as though his mind had been torn between two realities. For a brief moment, he couldn't tell whether the weight on his chest was his own or something external. The world around him felt both familiar and foreign, as though he had been plunged into a world that didn't belong to him.
He sat up, pushing away the remnants of sleep, the figure from the dream still haunting him. The image of that being, seated high above him in the darkness, watching him with those piercing eyes, wouldn't leave his mind. The words spoken, cryptic and heavy, echoed in his ears, their meaning still unclear but undeniably important. "You will know when the time comes. For now, this is farewell. Get stronger, for both your sake and mine."
Lucien's brow furrowed as he pulled himself to his feet. The room around him, the spacious bedroom, the elegant furnishings, seemed almost dreamlike in its opulence. But it wasn't just the unfamiliarity of the world that unsettled him. It was the sense that something had shifted within him, as though a door had opened, allowing a flood of new sensations, memories, and abilities to rush in.
For the first time since arriving in this strange new world, Lucien felt the weight of the unknown pressing down on him. He could no longer deny the fact that something about him had changed. The dream, that voice, it wasn't just some hallucination. It felt like a message, an instruction. Something important, something he needed to understand.
He stood up, rubbing his eyes, and glanced toward the window. The first light of dawn was filtering through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room. The quiet calm of the morning did nothing to calm the swirling storm of thoughts in his mind. He moved toward the window, staring out at the sprawling city below, trying to regain some semblance of composure. The distant hum of life in Kniev, its bustling streets, its tall buildings, reminded him that life, for all its mystery and complexity, went on.
Lucien reached for the desk, where the small crystal orb from the night before still sat, its soft glow illuminating the darkness around it. The orb seemed to beckon him, and as his fingers brushed against its smooth surface, it flickered to life once again. The text inside glowed faintly, still intact from the night before, but now, as he read through it, something felt different, more complete.
Name: Lucien Noctis
Age: 16
Tier: 2nd
Skills:
Jump Boost,
Aerial Slash
Body Strengthening
[ERROR] :
Applicable Skill: The Fracture of Self
It was the Fracture of Self that caught his attention. It was a skill that seemed so intricately tied to him, yet completely alien. He had never heard of it before, and the description written in glowing text sent a chill through his spine.
"It warps perception, blurring the line between illusion and reality. It shapes the senses, making false visions feel real, twisting memories and emotions to its will. Fear, regret, and doubt take form, not as fleeting images, but as tangible, suffocating presences. The more one succumbs, the deeper the illusion roots, leaving them uncertain of what is true."
Lucien read the words again, trying to digest their meaning. The Fracture of Self was unlike any skill he had ever encountered. It didn't just create illusions; it made them feel real, weaving them into a person's senses so deeply that the line between reality and fantasy blurred. It spoke of fear, regret, doubt, emotions that could take shape and become more than mere thoughts. He had no idea how such a power worked, but the words sent a cold shiver down his spine.
Why was this the skill that had manifested within him? He had no training in magic, no real understanding of how mana worked in this world, and yet here he was, connected to this strange force, this strange ability. What was he meant to do with this?
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden pulse of energy barely a whisper at first, like a faint breeze but it quickly grew into a powerful hum. It came from within him, the mana stirring inside his body as though it had been dormant and now awakened. Lucien's hand shot out instinctively, and the space before him seemed to shimmer as the mana responded, swirling around his fingers like liquid light. The air around him rippled with energy, a subtle distortion that made the room seem… off. He focused on the sensation, and for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt connected to something larger than himself. His control over the mana felt natural, effortless.
A wave of unease followed. If he could control the mana so easily, if the skill he had felt so natural, then what did that mean? What else was he capable of? Could he control the Fracture of Self? Was this skill the key to understanding the vision from his dream, the figure, the cryptic words? He didn't know, but something in the pit of his stomach told him that there was a connection.
His thoughts drifted back to the dream, the being veiled in shadows, sitting high above him. He had asked him for strength. For both your sake and mine. But who was this being, really? Lucien had no answers, only riddles, cryptic clues that did little to ease his confusion.
Suddenly, he felt it, a presence, faint but undeniable. It felt like something pulling at his very being, guiding him. The sensation was eerily familiar, as though the figure from his dream was reaching out to him, connecting with him through the very mana he had just learned to manipulate.
And then, the same voice echoed in his mind, calm, detached, and distant as ever. "Get stronger, more than everyone else"
Lucien froze, his hand still outstretched as the power within him simmered beneath the surface. The words carried weight now, like a command, and he knew, without a doubt, that they were meant for him. He was no longer just a spectator in this world. He was part of it, whether he understood it or not.
The figure, that veiled being from his dreams, had chosen him for a reason. Lucien had to find out why. The only way to do that was to follow the figures advice which is to get stronger. The Casius Imperial Magic Academy, with its reputation as a prestigious institution for the gifted, seemed to be his best chance. It was there, in that place of learning and power, that he could unlock the answers he so desperately sought.
His mind began to race again, but this time, there was a new sense of purpose behind his thoughts. He had a goal now. The entrance exams were just days away, and if he was to survive in this world, he would need to be ready.
Lucien stood up, his eyes focusing on the wardrobe in the corner of the room. He moved to it, pulling open the doors to reveal the array of finely crafted outfits inside. The dark fabrics seemed to shimmer with a life of their own, as though they were designed for someone of importance, someone like him, perhaps. He pulled out a simple yet refined black coat, draping it over the chair. As he looked at himself in the mirror, the reflection staring back at him felt more like someone else's than his own. The sharp gray eyes, the tousled black hair, it was all so strange. Yet, it was now, his.