Months continued to add up well past another year, and Elias, sat hunched over yet another ancient tome in the grand library, a flickering candle casting dancing shadows across the intricate illustrations. He hadn't been able to come up the library as readily as the first time but he was taught basic reading and language by his mother. He was able to figure the rest out and decided to continue his journey through the labyrinthine theories of Flow, sneaking into the library once more.
His research had led him to a fascinating, and deeply relevant, chapter: "The Great Tapestry of Races and Their Affinity to Flow."
The book detailed the diverse sentient beings that populated this world, categorizing them by their inherent connection to life force.
First, there were the 'Earthborn', the humans. This category encompassed a vast array of mortals. They were the most numerous and widespread across this Earth.
Next came the 'Akuma', or demon races, a formidable and second most numerous group. This classification was that of True Demons.They were often feared and reviled, their existence intertwined with darker energies.
Finally, the text introduced the 'Aether', the Angels. This was rare and often reclusive group that could go for millenia without a single sighting of them ever being recorded. They were beings of pure light and ethereal grace, seldom seen but revered in ancient lore.
The book clarified that some of the races mentioned where half-bloods, individuals with mixed heritage but were still categorized by the dominant bloodline within them, determining their 'race' and innate connection to Flow though it was a bit uncommon,they existed.
The relevance of these classifications struck Elias with the force of a revelation. Each grand race, the book explained, possessed an exclusive affinity to a particular kind of Flow, and to a varying extent.
The Akuma, for instance, could only manipulate Anti-Flow. Their very essence resonated with the anti-clockwise circulation, empowering their destructive and corrosive abilities.
Conversely, the Aether could only wield Flow, their powers manifesting as acts of creation, healing, and light, embodying the clockwise circulation. Both of these races could do it to a vastly higher degree than the 'Earthborn'.
The Earthborn, however, were unique.Humans alone possessed the rare and coveted ability to use both Flow and Anti-Flow equally. They possessed the remarkable ability to alternate between both Flow and Anti-Flow, making them adaptable and unpredictable. Yet, this versatility came with its own limitations. Most Earthborn had a natural inclination, using one type of Flow significantly better than the other. It was either "more Flow and a little bit of Anti-Flow" or "more Anti-Flow and a little bit of Flow."This peculiarity was more pronounced in the halfbloods who ,in extreme cases felt discomfort or pain when using the opposite of thier natural flow.
This perfect balance made humans uniquely powerful, capable of wielding the full spectrum of life force. Though the only downside was that their bodies were too weak to handle this gift so like the other races,they had to stick to one or the other exclusively. This could only be solved by ascending to a higher level.
Elias slowly closed the heavy book, the ancient leather sighing softly. He sat in silence for a long moment, the implications of what he had just read washing over him.
"Ascension huh?"
He was a human, reborn. He could use both.
The key.
The absolute, undeniable key to defying Deus, to finding a way out of this forced existence, lay within his very being. He didn't need to struggle against his own inherent nature; he could harness its unique balance. A cold, determined glint entered his eyes. He had observed enough.
It was time.
It was time to awaken his own Flow and if he died while doing it,the better.