Lashes of light slice through the celestial expanse, while purple hues like aurora borealis scatter across the cosmic vault. Its mystic signature radiates outward as a lone figure - Alex - floats through the infinite void. Aimlessly, he drifts in the eternal expanse. Time flows like liquid starlight until space itself folds open as it did before. A triangular eye manifests high above, its ancient gaze piercing through Alex's consciousness, awakening him from this cosmic reverie.
Alex stirs from his dream, finding himself upon a bed. Rising in a daze, he surveys his surroundings through bewildered eyes. The rush of adrenaline that had coursed through him slowly ebbs as he recognizes the familiar sterility of an infirmary, reminiscent of a school nurse's domain.
Touching his head with tentative fingers, Alex reflects on the ritual, remembering the searing pain that had claimed his mind - now mercifully absent. His thoughts drift back to that vast cosmic space where he floated within the great eye's gaze. "What was that?" Alex whispers, rubbing his forehead in confusion.
"Why 'child'? Why would it call me child?" Alex muses, his voice carrying echoes of wonder and uncertainty.
However, before he can further contemplate the perilous experience, Alfred materializes before him, his ethereal form shimmering with concern.
"Sir Alex, it brings me great joy to see you awake," Alfred says, his voice rich with genuine worry. "How are you feeling, Sir?"
"I feel fine, Alfred," Alex says, his voice steady despite the lingering uncertainty. "I'm different somehow, yet the same. It's difficult to explain - I don't feel necessarily stronger, but..."
His words trail off as his gaze fixes on Alfred's holographic form. Something catches his attention - a subtle ripple in the space where Alfred stands, like heat waves distorting the air. Acting on instinct, Alex reaches out to grasp this strange phenomenon. Alfred, noticing the sudden movement, glides backward with fluid grace.
"Sir, is something wrong?" Alfred asks, concern coloring his ethereal voice.
"Oh, sorry," Alex withdraws his hand, shaking his head as if to clear it. "I thought I saw something, but... never mind." He lets the subject drop, clearly uncomfortable pursuing it further.
"Where am I exactly?" Alex asks, deliberately shifting the conversation.
"You're in the Infirmary, Sir Alex," Alfred explains. "Nurse Wendy has been treating you with specialized medicines to maintain your stability."
'Nurse Wendy that's the person that Professor Bain told Dereck to go to. She must be like the head nurse or something.'
"Can you explain what happened to me?" Alex asks.
"The reason we had to stabilize your condition, Alex, is because your body and soul experienced a severe disconnect due to the overwhelming might of your Bloodline," Professor Bain explains, his fingers still tracing patterns in the magical displays.
"My body and soul disconnected?" Alex questions, struggling to grasp the concept.
"Yes," Professor Bain continues, his eyes fixed on the glowing runes before him. "From what we can tell, your soul manifested power at an exceeding rate—far stronger than your body could handle. Our analysis indicates your spiritual energy has already reached the level of an Adept."
"Adept?" Alex furrows his brow. "What does that mean?"
"It's a classification of Bloodlines—a measure of the power they hold," Professor Bain elaborates, his tone taking on a lecturing quality. "Those who have not awakened are called Echoes. Once they awaken, they join the ranks of Initiates, which is where you should be. Above that are Fledglings, and then Adepts. Your soul has somehow already achieved that rank, far beyond what your body was prepared to handle."
Alfred's explanation echoes in Alex's mind as he scratches the top of his head, trying to piece together this information.
'So what he's saying is that my body remains at Initiate level, while my soul has somehow jumped two ranks ahead,' Alex puzzles through the situation. 'And that gap created a dangerous disconnect they had to stabilize. That makes sense, I guess...'
Having gained at least some understanding of his condition, Alex attempts to stand. The moment both feet touch the ground, his legs tremble like saplings in a storm, forcing him to clutch the bed's edge for support. Even with this anchor, his knees threaten to buckle, barely keeping him upright as his body struggles to adapt to its new power.
"Sir Alex, please wait for Nurse Wendy to return. We don't need any unfortunate accidents," Alfred cautioned.
"I'm fine, Alfred. Just let me catch my bearings," Alex insisted, desperate for answers about his transformation. That cosmic being had driven something deep into his core, and he needed to understand why.
As Alex approached his room's door and reached for the handle, it swung open of its own accord. A woman stepped through - tall and professional in her bearing, with glasses perched on her nose and her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. With her large chest on full display.
"Now now, sweetie, you shouldn't be up yet. You still need your rest," she chided, her voice carrying the gentle but firm authority of motherly concern.
Alex, assuming this must be Nurse Wendy, acknowledged her words with a slight nod. "I know I need rest, but I need to talk to Professor Bain. He needs to explain what happened to me."
"Well, young man," the nurse responded with stern kindness, "Professor Bain can come here while you continue resting. How about that?"
"Fine, then I'll wait for Professor Bain." Alex reluctantly agreed, making his way back to his bed with measured steps.
"Now that wasn't so hard, was it, sweetie?" The nurse's eyes crinkled with a knowing smile, her expression radiating gentle triumph.
Alex settled onto the bed, deliberately ignoring her self-satisfied look. "Alfred, can you contact Professor Bain for me?"
"Of course, Sir Alex, I will do that immediately." The OSAI's form shimmered before dissolving into nothingness, leaving only empty air where its ethereal presence had been.
Alex turned to the nurse, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "How do I know it actually contacts him?"
"The emblem will beep when he's notified," the nurse explained, adjusting her glasses. "You don't have voice call capabilities yet with your OSAI - that's covered in one of your classes where you'll learn to upgrade its functions."
Rubbing his temples, Alex resigned himself to the reality of how much he still needed to learn. The next couple weeks before classes began would be crucial - he'd need to study everything he could about this new world and its systems.
Meanwhile in his office, Professor Bain hunched over ancient texts scattered across his desk, his weathered fingers tracing lines of arcane knowledge. The sudden chiming of his emblem interrupted his research, its tone echoing through the archive's hushed atmosphere. Recognizing Alex's OSAI signature, he quickly gathered his thoughts and rose from his chair, robes rustling as he strode purposefully toward the infirmary.
While waiting for Professor Bain, Alex observed Nurse Wendy as she methodically gathered supplies from the room's white cabinets. With practiced movements, she retrieved what appeared to be an exotic fruit, its skin shimmering with an otherworldly gleam.
At her workstation, she ground the mysterious fruit in a mortar and pestle, transforming it into a smooth paste. The strawberry-red mixture gradually softened to a delicate pink hue, with luminescent seeds collecting around the bowl's edges like tiny stars.
"Hey miss, what's your name?" Alex asked, mesmerized by her deft hands at work.
"Why, I'm Wendy, Alex. Head nurse for years one through four." She smiled apologetically. "Sorry for not introducing myself properly earlier - I was a bit rattled from a meeting we just had." As she spoke, she skillfully rolled the paste into a perfect marble-sized sphere.
"What was the meeting about, Miss Wendy?" Alex inquired, suspecting it might relate to his dramatic awakening.
"Just the usual preparations," she explained, her tone light. "With students arriving for the new year, we need to ensure our supplies are well-stocked for inevitable accidents. Especially since we've already had to tend to certain... incidents." Her knowing smile made her meaning clear.
Alex turned away, scratching his head sheepishly as he recalled their confrontation with Derek and the resulting injuries.
"Oh, it's quite alright. We're well-equipped to handle a few scrapes before term begins. It's why they keep me around," she assured him. "Now, be a good patient and take this medicine." She extended her palm, offering the small sphere that gleamed pink and red under the infirmary's lights.
"What exactly does it do?" Alex asked, eyeing the marble-sized remedy with cautious curiosity.
"This little sphere helps with your soul's natural recovery," Wendy explained. "Your consciousness returning means your soul has stabilized to an acceptable level, but we need to continue treatment to prevent any lasting complications."
"Alright then, I guess I'll take it," Alex said, carefully picking up the glowing marble from her palm.
"So do I swallow it whole? Chew it? How exactly should I take it?"
"Just chew it," Nurse Wendy instructed, then added thoughtfully, "Would you like some water to help wash it down?"
"Yes please, thank you," Alex nodded gratefully.
Returning to the cabinet, Nurse Wendy retrieved a glass. She held her hand above it, summoning a delicate stream of water that filled the cup halfway with crystalline clarity. "Here you go."
Alex accepted both the marble and the water. Popping the medicine into his mouth, he found himself chewing it like a piece of particularly resilient gum before washing it down with welcome sips of cool water.
'This is surprisingly good,' Alex mused as he finished the medicine. 'Like strawberries and watermelon blended together. Nothing like the bitter medicines I'm used to.'
"Wow, that tastes really good. What is it?" Alex asked, pleasantly surprised.
"It's called a Nullthorn Fruit, harvested from the forests of Hazraf," Wendy explained, tidying her workstation.
"Where's that?" Alex's voice carried a slight slur, his curiosity fighting against an encroaching drowsiness.
"Oh, just south of here, then east a ways," she replied, watching him carefully.
"South and east... right..." Alex mumbled, his eyelids growing inexplicably heavy. The world began to blur at its edges, his thoughts turning soft and clouded like morning mist. "Hey... I feel strange. Like I can't..." He pressed his palms against his eyes, failing to stifle a massive yawn. "...can't stay awake."
"That's just the exhaustion from your awakening catching up with you," Wendy soothed, moving to his side with practiced grace. "Here, sweetie, let me help you lie down." Her gentle hands guided him onto the bed's comfortable surface.
"Just... just need to wait for Professor Bain," Alex protested weakly, struggling against the overwhelming tide of sleep. "Only need to close my eyes for a minute..."
"Don't worry, dear. I'll wake you when he arrives," Wendy assured him, her voice becoming distant and dream-like. "Just rest now. Everything will be fine when you wake."
The moment Alex succumbed to sleep, Wendy's motherly warmth vanished like morning mist before harsh sun. In its place emerged something harder - the calculated precision of a professional who had spent years perfecting the art of concealing her true nature behind a carefully constructed mask.
"You can come in now," she called, her voice crisp and businesslike. Professor Bain stepped through the doorway, his robes whispering against the stone floor.
"Did he give you any trouble?" he inquired, studying Alex's sleeping form.
Wendy scoffed, gesturing dismissively at their unconscious charge. "You think a mere child could challenge me? Professor, you seem to be losing your edge."
Professor Bain pulled a chair beside Alex's bed, his movements deliberate and grave. "If you knew what I know, you wouldn't dismiss my concern so lightly."
"Oh? Then enlighten me, Professor." Wendy's voice carried a dangerous edge as she crossed her arms. "Why should I fear a child, even one with an unusually powerful soul? Yes, he's a Daywalker, but surely Merlin wouldn't..." Her eyes narrowed to razor-sharp focus, pinning Professor Bain with their intensity. Though she had agreed to help sedate Alex, she'd done so only after extracting a promise of explanation.
"I believe it's time you honored our agreement, Professor," she continued, her professional demeanor giving way to something colder, more militant. A seasoned warrior's aura radiated from her slight frame as she demanded, "Why did we need to incapacitate him? What aren't you telling me about this boy?"
"Relax, Wendy," Professor Bain sighed, adjusting his position. "The situation is far more complex than it appears. We noticed the other two boys manifested bloodlines far stronger than typical nobles - suggesting their origin realm somehow enhances dormant bloodlines before awakening. Alex's case, however, proves the most remarkable. A standard elemental bloodline would be manageable, but his..." He trailed off meaningfully.
Professor Bain donned a pair of specialized goggles, their lenses shifting through prismatic colors as he examined Alex's sleeping form. "He's awakened a spatial element."
Wendy's professional composure cracked, her eyes widening in shock. "The spatial element? But that bloodline vanished with the heroes during the great ritual two thousand years ago. Are you suggesting he's their descendant?"
"Precisely." Professor Bain's voice carried the weight of ancient secrets. "And I trust you understand why this must remain confidential."
Wendy pulled up a chair beside him, her earlier hostility melting into grave concern. "What's Merlin's position on this?"
"Merlin advocates our traditional approach - nurturing their abilities to their fullest potential." Professor Bain's fingers drummed anxiously against his knee. "But I fear what might happen if the other families discover his heritage. Their reaction could prove... devastating."
"What's our plan to conceal his bloodline?" Wendy asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Professor Bain leaned back, steepling his fingers in thought. "For now, we'll classify it as a gravity-based bloodline. There's an established family with that affinity, and their abilities often mirror spatial manipulation closely enough to provide convincing cover."
He gestured to Alex's sleeping form. "Historical records indicate that true spatial abilities don't manifest until the adept stage anyway. Until then, we can maintain the gravity element fiction without arousing suspicion."
"Seems straightforward enough," Wendy mused, though uncertainty tinged her voice. "Let's hope Merlin knows what he's doing."
"Indeed," Professor Bain murmured, turning back to his examination. His enchanted goggles whirred softly as he meticulously reviewed his notes, searching for any telltale signs that might betray their carefully constructed deception. The weight of responsibility pressed down on him like a physical force as he worked to protect this remarkable young man from those who would exploit - or destroy - his inheritance.