Vyrholm was one of the Four Realms currently known, with the others being Urandal, Shal'Morrin, and Cindralis—each of them accessible through the Underworld, and yes, you can take that quite literally.
While none of the other realms were directly depicted in the novel, Lucien had overheard enough gossip and scattered details to form a picture of each.
Urandal, for instance, was a place shrouded in endless darkness, where the skies were plagued by cosmic dangers that defied logic.
Shal'Morrin, on the other hand, was a haunting domain populated by real, tangible ghosts that roamed freely, making the landscape seem perpetually draped in despair.
Cindralis is a blistering inferno, where the temperature could easily scorch the flesh off bone. There, heat wasn't the only danger; volcanic eruptions and titanic clashes between monstrous entities or warring tribes added an extra layer of calamity.
Lastly, there was Vyrholm—Lucien's own reality, a quaint little patchwork of mayhem, where the primary activities included fending off Demonic Forces, cosmic behemoths, and even the occasional brawl with your own allies.
Of everything Lucien had heard about these realms (and this was all secondhand information, so take it with a grain of salt), none seemed particularly inviting. So let's focus on Vyrholm—the domain where "Alex" had taken residence—just in short.
The land was constantly ablaze. Whether it was battles with Demonic Forces, confrontations with Cosmic Entities, or the occasional tussle with Underworld Dwellers, life in Vyrholm was not a peaceful one.
The Demonic Forces, in particular, were a special kind of nightmare.
Their leader, Lilith Azural, or the Demon Lord, was an all-around pandemonium. She clashed constantly with the Alliance of Demonic Opposition, which included the Valdaris Kingdom.
The Cosmic Entities, unlike the Demonic Forces, didn't operate in neat, organized groups. However, they were typically a scattered array of immense power—dangerous, unpredictable, and, at times, utterly incomprehensible. Meanwhile, most of the Underworld Dwellers seemed content to remain hidden in the shadows, lurking in their cryptic lairs, with no clear aim other than existing.
The double doors to the dining room swung open, and the guards made no comment as they stood by.
Alex sighed internally. 'Now, how should I inform them about the Demonic Forces' attack without looking like a lunatic?' He repeated the question. 'That's definitely going to be tricky,' he mused as he stepped inside the room.
The moment he entered, the atmosphere hit him—tight and suffocating.
'Well, great.'
His family was already seated: the imposing father, the smiling mother, a smattering of servants trying very hard to be invisible, and a few overly-armed guards standing too close for comfort. His siblings were, thankfully, absent. Big Brother was off dealing with work, and Big Sister was up to her neck in school. That left him; the disappointment.
He kept his cringed expression from showing on his face.
Before reaching his chair, Alex thought to lighten the mood—or at least test the waters. "Good morning."
—and it was a mistake.
"?!" he was almost frozen in place.
Every head in the room immediately turned toward him like they'd heard a ghost— eyes wide, mouths slightly open, forks frozen halfway to plates— the only sound was a soft creak from someone's chair. Alex was, naturally, dumbfounded. '...Did Lucien 'never' say hello to anyone?'
"Recall" answered that for him in a flash— no.
His memory projected the absolute void of past polite exchanges— at least for the past couple years.
He couldn't help but internally scowled at that. 'I should probably distance myself from these people as quickly as possible. I can't let myself act 'too out of character'— I don't want to get exorcised!'
He put on a visible scoff to cover the flash of incredulity. "What?"
His father, Kael Harberdt, coughed awkwardly, trying and failing to act like this was a normal day in their house. "Ah, nothing," he forced out a smile. "Take a seat, Lucien. Did you… have a good morning?"
Kael threw a quick, meaningful glance toward Luna. The maid—whose role was to oversee Lucien—caught his look and gave an understanding nod. Kael frowned slightly.
Alex had planned his answer on the spot.
"Yes, I do," he said, letting deliberate pride infuse his words, smiling.
Of course, keeping his cards only to himself seemed smart, but he had to ask himself: What exactly was his endgame here? What was his purpose after transmigrating into this novel world?
'First, I needed to find Aure and Felix. If they'd been dragged into this world, too, I need to know their status, at least. Summoning people from Earth is normal here, but transmigration wasn't.'
'Second, fuck Earth. There was nothing left for me back there.'
What did Earth have? Laws? Rules? Bland-ass societies? 'This place was better. It was engineered to give anyone adrenaline rushes on a silver platter!'
He internally grinned to himself. 'I'll milk this "time-warp cheat" shit dry.'
Who cared if he was a glorified extra in someone else's story? If screwing with the timeline was on the table, he'd do it.
Sure, he'd lose a few spoiler-related advantages, but who gave a damn? The fun was in the chaos. And besides—his Dominion was tied to the Future. If he broke something along the way, he'd just fix it.
"What kind of Seed is it? Lineal? Atypical?" His mother's vibrant tone snapped him from his reverie.
Anna had pretty much given up on Lucien's Seed ever showing up. Kael had dabbled him in lost history and relics since he was a kid, simply due to his apparent enthusiasm and eventually the fact that it might ignite Atypical Dominion in Lucien.
However, that was a lost cause after Lucien's "traumatic experience" in his sixteen-year-old. The possibility had nearly faded into non-existence. But now, out of nowhere, he said he had a Seed? What the fuck?
Alex grimaced inwardly. 'Yeah, about that.'
Lineal powers are inherited. Atypical powers aren't. That's basically what it was.
Lucien—or the old Lucien, anyway—had been a diehard fan of history and ancient artifacts, but the kid had outgrown that fixation a couple of years ago. In the canon story, it never came up. Or if it did, it wasn't mentioned. Still, Lucien's connection to the Dominion of Omnitemporal Convergence was making sense, in a way. Lucien's hobby—collecting and uncovering forgotten relics—fit right in with that Dominion's Aspect of the Past.
'---but not Recreating the past.'
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A/N: The next chapter will be somewhat filled with info, so I will say sorry in advance if that'll be too much to handle.
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