Chapter 2
Even steps graced the rocky brown tiled path, as Lucas approached the dormitory.
With each step, the sounds of birds chirping and the rustle of the nearby trees followed his movements .
The air smelled of clean earth , and the breeze tickled his skin, ruffling his multi- colored hair.
The path towards the dorms had been shaped appropriately for trekking. The stone carved cleanly into the land, showcasing the beauty of civilization and it's tools. However, with this addition it was agreed upon by the builder's that nature still needed preservation throughout the academy.
If only to add to the grandness of its appearance.
Lucas looked back at the academy's structure . The towering circular shape of the building cast an elongated shadow across the ground, as the sun dipped below it's zenith.
Evening sun rays illuminating the peach brown and white colors of the well crafted building. Shining brightly on the cream white italic words above the academy doors.
' Radiant moon Academy '
The academy builders certainly had a gift for theatrics.
Lucas neared the dorms, the warmth in the air gradually melted away the exhaustion he felt from sparring. Leaving the shadow of guilt to remain etched into his heart.
Pushing open the door, a wide wooden desk within the room's center in front of the light yellow walls, entered his vision. There were only two students in line waiting to talk to the woman behind the desk.
He walked to the right, unconcerned about their conversation. As he approached the bending corner indicating the male dorms, a voice called out to him.
"Hey, Lucas wait! ", the voice was annoyingly loud and grated at his ears. He turned to look at the figure.
"Man! You're really hard to get a hold of these days" the voice's owner remarked.
Lucas felt a vague familiarity settle in his mind towards the face. He was one of the people Lucas occasionally spoke with during spellcasting class.
The boy's cheeks dotted in freckles, a thick pair of glasses covered his eyes and the slight chubbiness of his frame indicated his poor food choices.
His name is Vance.. if I remember correctly. The thought lingered in Lucas's mind.
" Hmm, is there something you wanted from me? " he said, the flatness of his tone startling the boy.
Vance fidgeted , shaking off a nervous laugh" Oh.. well given your tone it looks like I came at a bad time.", he said, scratching his head in embarrassment.
" Well, yeah I'm not feeling exactly great." He sighed "But I'll hear you out, make it quick.'
Vance's expression quickly brightened." Ah..well..I just wanted to ask." He started, mumbling the rest out.
"Well..you see, I was wondering, maybe or maybe not, maybe we could just, I don't know-"
Lucas's brow twitched, the frown on his face stretching his flesh. Enduring enough, he finally snapped at Vance. "Spit it out!"
Vance slightly recoiled back, his eyes flickering in surprise. The woman at the desk and the girl looked over at them. Curious at the sudden outburst.
Damn it, Luke.. I have to control myself. Anger was a particular trait Lucas had in spades. His temper had a shallow depth and only worsened in times of exhaustion.
Taking in a deep breath and rubbing his forehead he quickly apologized." I'm sorry, Vance. That was unnecessary of me. But you should understand that I'm exhausted and your indirect blabbering isn't making it any better.
" ..So please, get to the point" he pleaded.
Raising his hands in defense, Vance assured him " Not at all, man. I was just trying to find the right words. You don't have to apologize. I have a habit of jumbling incoherent ideas together."
Clearing his throat ,he continued" I just wanted to see if you could help me with my spellcasting. It doesn't have to be soon. I just need a bit of advice and you're the only one I actually talk to in that class and…well, at all really."
Lucas sighed again. It seemed sighing was his body's automatic response to relieve the tension he felt.
" …Yeah, sure. We can do that some time. Don't count the days since I'm still busy with my Mana shaping assignment, alright?"
" Definitely!" the chubby boy sharply exclaimed. " Thanks man, I really, really appreciate it."
Lucas turned towards the passage, leaving Vance in his shaking elation.
"Sure, anytime."
He walked towards the stairway and stepped languidly onto the flight of stairs, straight towards his room on the second floor.
Upon reaching his door, he inserted his key. Twisting the knob and was instantly welcomed by a crisp clack of the bolt as he walked in and shut it behind him.
The room was separated into three spaces. The bed, the bathroom and the closet. Everything had a mundane, ordinary feel as expected from a dorm. Lucas's body sagged in exhaustion, his vision blurring and his eyelids drooping as the call of sleep nestled into his muscles.
Heeding the call, he dropped himself roughly on the pillows. Letting their soft, silk warmth wrap around his skin and pull him deeper into sleep.
It didn't take long for him to fully succumb to the numbing exhaustion and let darkness fill his vision.
***
Lucas's consciousness drifted throughout a great expanse of darkness.
Where was he? Were these the depths of his mind? He could feel every inch of himself within the abyss, sensing that what he could feel wasn't his real body. Simply a vestige made within the tapestry of his mind.
Why this vestige existed, he did not know. He didn't think people regularly had the awareness to know that they were dreaming. Though, he dismissed any suspicions he held. Thinking that maybe this was one of those rare instances.
His figure floated through the void, his perception muffled by the vastness of the black depths.
At least that was so, until a sudden pull tugged at his consciousness. Something foreign that came separate from his wishes, took possession of his senses. Controlling them with a firmness that seemed to grasp at his brain.
At that moment, his body suddenly bolted forward.
The dark expanse splashed into a lighter shade of purple. Eventually opening up to become a bomb of glittering specs in his vision. He barreled through the star like dots, multiple specs blurring past his vision until he came to a jolting stop.
In that sudden instance, an enormous spherical celestial body rotated in front of him.
The massive planet was beautifully decorated in vivid shades of blue, green, brown and red. In his real body he would have marveled at the majestic scene.
Was this the planet he inhabited, or one thousands of light years away from them.
Before he could ponder further, his senses grew scrambled. Disorienting even. As if a wave of confusion assaulted their tethers.
Up became down, left became right, taste dunked into the realm of non- existence and the pivotal four became a cacophony of morphed unoriginality and an overwhelming confusion.
It pained him.
It sent him writhing around in madness, mental convulsions ripping away at his waning sanity.
Minutes seemed to last for hours and hours melded into seconds.
Who was himself? And was he really as important as what he was becoming. Did he need to fight what he was becoming.
Thoughts of such a nature unknown to him but welded into him by foreign familiarity tore at him.
What was him becoming that and what was that becoming him in a hallow grace.
No, no , no ! What is this? Am I him , am I true, am I worthy , am I ri-
In his scrambling pain he caught the sight of white in the corner of his eye.
Strangely the moment he did so , the pain halted abruptly and an otherworldly force gripped at his head. Turning it towards what he had seen.
There next to him, a figure adorned in silk white clothes stood calmly. A royal golden pattern had been inscribed along the cloth's material. Behind the figure ,flowing multi-colored hair slightly parted as he stood with his hands behind his back. A royal image branding itself into Lucas's mind.
The man stood there silently, allowing Lucas to forget of his loss of control. It seemed he laid in wait for something to happen.
And indeed something did.
The space in front of the planet ripped open, scarring the majestic constellated void. Not one but hundreds of rifts tore through reality, their shapes akin to an eye. Their surfaces rippled in a grey hue as appendages made their way through them.
The being's stepping out had peculiar appearances.
Hundred's of figures draped in blood red cloaks with abyssal patterns inscribed onto them, similar to the white-robed figure stood rooted in his direction.
Directly in front of the man, a hulking figure who seemed to be the leader confronted him. His robe had multiple exaggerated contours and dips, indicating that whatever lay underneath must have been packed in musculature.
From the gestures the beast made, raising it's arms and shaking it's head, it seemed to be communicating to the white- robed man. However, the conversation immediately died because the man refused to utter a single word in exchange.
Preparing it's men for battle the beast spread it's arms, the large veins pulsing in its green muscular arms. Most likely preparing to unleash an attack.
That was until the man in white steadily raised his hand, facing his palm towards the army and it's leader.
In an instant , a flash of white light erupted from his hand and great prismatic cube encased the entire army. Leaving none to escape it's grasp.
None of them had a single chance to react , because as soon as it materialized. It shone with radiance , masking the figures of the warriors. In only a second the cube disintegrated. Leaving the surrounding area as empty as it had been before.
Lucas watched in shock. His very being quivering in exasperation. How! An army of a hundred beings as well as a leader Lucas assumed to be formidable, eviscerated without a trace. In a mere second.
It was absurd.
What level of power existed where such a thing was possible. His mind rattled for any possible answer but the image of the cube flashed in his eyes with each question.Making it impossible to wrap his head around.
Suddenly the man slowly turned towards him. A face covered in a black void met his gaze.
What? How did he know he was there. Why was his face so…anomalous.
Lucas's senses trembled. The pain digging back into his mind , quaking uncontrollably and descending further into the depths of madness as he stared at the face.
The tug on his brain resurfaced and finally pulled him back from whence he came.
The figure of the man shrinking considerably and the stars blurring ahead of him as he barreled backwards.
Far back into the unfamiliar territory of the dreaded abyss.