Chapter 2: The Awakening Begins
Ariel awoke to the scent of incense and the distant murmur of voices. His body ached, his limbs heavy as if he had been buried beneath stone. His head throbbed, and for a moment, he wasn't sure if he was still dreaming.
His vision blurred as he opened his eyes, adjusting to the dimly lit chamber around him. The ceiling stretched high, its vaulted surface adorned with intricate carvings of celestial bodies and symbols he didn't recognize. Silver and gold banners lined the walls, swaying gently from an unseen draft, their fabric illuminated by ethereal lanterns suspended in midair. A faint hum of energy pulsed around him, subtle yet ever-present.
Everything felt foreign.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain lanced through his ribs, forcing him to inhale sharply. His body was battered, every muscle stiff as though he had been fighting for days. He barely managed to shift before an unfamiliar voice broke the silence.
"He's awake."
The rustling of robes followed, and soon figures surrounded him. Ariel's vision focused on the nearest one—a man with a stern, weathered face and piercing gray eyes. His long robes were adorned with the insignia of the Lightbound Order. Behind him, several armored knights stood at attention, their expressions ranging from curiosity to caution.
Ariel parted his lips to speak, but his throat was dry, his voice nonexistent. The elder studied him for a moment before offering him a small silver cup filled with water.
"Drink."
He hesitated but took the cup, sipping cautiously. The cool liquid soothed his throat, though it did little to ease the turmoil rising inside him.
"Where…?" His voice cracked, barely more than a whisper.
"The Lightbound Citadel," the elder answered. "You were found among the ruins of Eldrin. You were the only survivor."
The words struck him harder than he expected. A dull ringing filled his ears as the memories surged forth—his family, the Rift, the creatures, the moment everything had vanished in a flood of silver light. His grip on the cup tightened, his breath quickening. He struggled to process it. How could he be the only one left?
The elder's gaze softened, but his voice remained steady. "What do you remember?"
Ariel wanted to ask about his mother. His father. His brother. He wanted to believe that there had been some mistake, that they were safe somewhere.
But deep down, he already knew the truth. He had seen them fall. He had felt their warmth leave this world.
His breath hitched. "The Rift… the creatures…" His voice wavered. "I tried to stop them. I… I couldn't. And then…"
The room seemed to shrink around him. He could still feel the moonlight tearing free from his body, the deafening silence that followed. He swallowed hard, his throat tight. "Then everything disappeared."
A silence followed his words, one that felt heavier than it should.
One of the knights shifted uneasily. Another exchanged glances with the elder, though neither spoke.
Finally, the elder exhaled. "You were found at the center of the destruction. The Rift had collapsed. The town was gone. And yet, you remained. Unscathed, but unconscious."
Ariel's stomach twisted. "I don't understand."
"Neither do we," the elder admitted. "The energy that lingers around you is unlike anything we have encountered. It does not resemble abyssal corruption, nor does it align with any divine blessings" A slight pause came in between "Atleast that we know of" He paused. "You are… an anomaly."
Ariel clenched the blanket draped over him. The word felt strange—anomaly—as if he were something unnatural. Something that shouldn't exist.
His head lowered. "What happens now?"
The elder did not answer immediately. His gaze was unreadable, weighing something unseen. Then, at last, he spoke.
"That depends on you."
The tension in the room thickened. Then, the elder turned, gesturing to the knights. "Leave us."
They hesitated, but eventually, they filed out of the room one by one, their armored steps echoing against the stone floor. Once the doors shut, the elder shifted his focus back to Ariel, his voice softer this time.
"Do you feel it? The energy within you?"
Ariel hesitated. He did. It was faint now, like a whisper at the edge of his consciousness, but it was there—something foreign yet familiar, waiting to be acknowledged.
He nodded slowly.
"Good." The elder folded his hands behind his back. "Then it is time you learned to control it."
Ariel's heart pounded. "You mean…?"
"You are not ready to train. Not yet. But the Lightbound Order will ensure you are properly guided. We do not know what you are, but we will make certain you do not become a danger to yourself or others."
Ariel swallowed hard. The weight of those words pressed down on him. A danger.
He had already been a danger once.
He had destroyed everything. Including his beloved little brother...
But if he had the power to do that, then… perhaps he could have saved them.
A shuddering breath escaped him. He had lost his home. His family. His past. But most of all he had lost himself.
Days of Silence
Ariel was confined to the citadel's lower halls for weeks. His body was weak, though it healed steadily. The nights, however, were harder.
He woke often, gasping for breath, his skin damp with sweat. The dreams came in waves—his mother's voice, his brother's laughter, the warmth of their home, only for the Rift to rip it away again and again. And always, he saw the silver light. He felt it explode from him. He felt the emptiness that followed.
Each morning, the elder—Master Isolde—visited him, asking the same questions. Had he remembered anything more? Did he feel any changes? Did the power respond to him?
Ariel had no answers.
The power did not come when he called for it. It did not move when he willed it to. It had erupted from him once, untamed and destructive, but now it was silent. He could feel it, but it refused to obey him.
He did not know whether to feel relief or frustration.
The days stretched on, blurring together. He had never been so alone.
Then, one evening, Master Isolde said something different.
"Tomorrow, you will be allowed outside."
Ariels face remained. "Outside?"
"You cannot remain locked in this room forever," the elder said simply. "You need air. Movement. Perhaps it will help you clear your mind."
The next day, Ariel was led into the Citadel's grand courtyard. It was enormous, filled with open spaces where warriors trained, where scholars studied beneath stone archways. The scent of grass and steel lingered in the air. Yet, as he stepped into the light, he realized something.
The moment he left his room, he was no longer just a survivor. He was an unknown. A mystery.
Eyes followed him as he walked. Whispers trailed behind him.
That's him…
The boy from Eldrin…
The one who—
He forced himself to keep walking, his gaze fixed ahead.
Master Isolde remained by his side, unmoving. "You are watched because you are different. Accept it. Do not let it define you."
Ariel clenched his fists. He did not know how to do that.
And as he stood beneath the bright sky, his heart twisted with the same question that had haunted him since that night.
Was he meant to survive? Or was he just a mistake waiting to happen??