Light,
A sudden flare of light dissolved the darkness around him; he squinted his eyes as he tried to adjust to the sudden change in light intensity. He blinked a couple of times before adjusting to the light, and what he saw was a... meadow.
It looked to be about the size of an average living room; a wall of mist seemed to indicate the boundary of the meadow. From behind the wall of mist, a sparkling stream flowed and disappeared through the other side.
The air felt fresher and neater, as if suffused with an unknown type of energy. Unable to resist, he took in a deep breath; the air rushing into his lungs rejuvenated him. It was like he could hear his cells rejoicing.
'This is so refreshing, but what is that?'
The most compelling thing in this space wasn't the strange mist nor the sparkling stream but a massive statue of what looked like the head of a serpent. Clearly not only the head was sculpted, as the statue extended all the way into the mist; only the head was visible, and it was as tall as a three-story building.
The statue was sculpted from black stone; it was clear whoever sculpted it was very meticulous; it looked lifelike from the lips to the scales to its ruby red eyes...
Wait, EYES.
They were glowing.
Adeon took an instinctive step back, his breath catching.
The statue's gaze... no, the serpent's gaze, locked with his.
And then it moved.
A slow, deliberate blink.
Statues don't blink.
The ruby eyes narrowed, and a subtle tremor rolled through the meadow like a muffled heartbeat. The mist rippled, almost recoiling, as if the boundary between reality and the illusion had just shifted.
" OH SHIT"
Adeon backpedalled immediately until his back hit the wall of mist, what he had thought to be a statue was now looking straight at him, it's ruby red eyes, like a predator just before the kill locked unto him.
"Master, you're finally here."
"GAH!" He let out a yelp, stumbling back as his head whipped from side to side. "Who... who said that?!"
Despite his best efforts, his voice faltered, thin and brittle, shaken both by the creature in front of him and the unknown voice.
" Master" the voice rang out again this time quieter as if afraid of startling him and amused as if trying to hold back laughter. A sudden realization struck him. His head snapped back toward the towering serpentine form.
The creature's massive, ruby red eyes were narrowed, perhaps from amusement...or from curiosity, he didn't know.
" Was that you," this time his voice was steadier, on the lips of the serpentine creature a subtle smirk formed, it didn't reply. Instead, a pulse of black light shimmered from its body. The light twisted, seemingly shrinking in size, then with a soft flash, it vanished, leaving behind a... girl.
Adeon was stunned.
In the Aricarr region, the people were predominantly brown-skinned, dark brown or black skinned, with few exceptions—like him and his sister—whose complexions leaned toward a healthy wheat tone.
But this girl…
She was white, so fair it looked as if her skin could be torn from a simple pinch.
GULP.
Although he hadn't ventured out much, and his experience of beauty was limited, he was certain... this had to be the most beautiful person in the world.
She looked to be around twenty.
Her hair was so pale it bordered on white, catching the light like strands of frost.
What seemed to be a slight smile hung on her otherwise cold face as her slender brows arched and her eyes curled up with quiet amusement.
It was then he noticed, her ruby red eyes remained slitted much like that of a serpent.
With a soft thud she knelt on one knee with her head bowed.
" This humble one greets the master" her voice crisp and melodious rang out.
' Master... Me.. does this mean' " You're my guardian beast" he blurted out, She nodded lightly in affirmation but remained kneeling.
" Uhm... You may rise" he said scratching his head awkwardly.
She lifted her head, eyes calm and unreadable. The motion was fluid almost like a serpent gliding over grass.
As she rose to her full height, Adeon was struck by how tall she was, she was a almost a head taller than him, her presence seemed to radiate comfort, it felt like he could lean on her and just let go of all his worries.
"May I ask the Master's name?" she said, voice melodic and softened.
He blinked. "Ah... Adeon," he said, unsure whether to offer a handshake or a bow.
Adeon," she repeated, as if tasting the name for the first time.
"Welcome, Master… to the Worldseed."
"The world… what now?"
She tilted her head slightly as she patiently explained.
"Your talent—Genesis Hollow—is not just an ability. It is an embryonic world… a seed of creation."
Adeon stared at her, completely lost.
"Wait—so you're saying this… place"—he gestured around vaguely—"is my talent and it's a world?"
She gave a single nod.
"It is gifted by the CREATOR, but will be shaped by you, and bound is to your will. In time, it will grow. And when it does…"
Her voice trailed off.
"It will become a realm worthy of a sovereign."
" Hahaha... " A dry chuckle escaped his lips.
" A sovereign…? I don't think so. I just want to find my parents... By the way don't you think all this is too fast... just a minute ago I was scared stiff by you and now you're telling me I'll be a sovereign" he paused " I'm sorry but I think you've got the wrong person" letting out a deep sigh he gazed upwards and was surprised to see a sun high up.
" I just want to find my parents and not to be a disappointment"
Feeling the turmoil of emotions coming from him through their bond her expression softened lightly. Bowing slightly she said " I'm sorry if I've dredged up unwanted memories."
" No.. no it's not your fault... And you don't have to keep bowing"
"By the way, what's your name?"
She lowered her gaze and gently shook her head.
"This lowly one humbly requests that the Master bestow upon her a name."
Without warning, she dropped to her knee again. Adeon flinched.
"Hey, come on, you don't have to keep kneeling!" he said, stepping forward.
He reached for her shoulder and tried to lift her, but she didn't budge, not because she resisted, but because she was simply too strong.
He sighed.
"Seriously… you're going to give me a complex."
Still no response.
He scratched the back of his neck, glancing away.
"Alright… fine. As for a name…"
He paused, thinking. Something about her present form, elegant, and the serpent statue. Regal and coiled with power.
"How about... Ysira?"
Her eyes lit up, radiant with gratitude.
"Ysira…" she whispered, savoring the name like a precious gift. She bowed her head once more.
"Thank you, Master."
Adeon rubbed his neck awkwardly, still not used to being called Master.
"Oh... So, since you said this place is bound to my will, does that mean my contracted beasts can come here too?"
Ysira nodded, her voice calm and instructive.
"Yes. The Worldseed is tethered to your grimoire. Think of it less as an innate talent… and more as a guardian beast of its own, one without intelligence or form, for now."
She stepped closer, her gaze sharpening slightly as she pointed at his face at his eyes.
"Although it hasn't yet reached the stage where it can influence reality, you should already be feeling its effects."
Adeon blinked.
"My eyes?" A look of realization flickered across Adeon's face. ' So that's why I see those information anytime I look at beasts' he thought.
" Let me summon the Thornling"
Adeon closed his eyes and focused inward, reaching for the link between him and the Thornling
Come, he whispered in his mind.
The ground in front of suddenly him pulsed. The earth parted without force, and vines slithered upward, curling gently as they formed the figure of the Thornling, this time it was without the pot. Immediately it was summoned, its roots twisted to form little legs, it bounded to the banks of the stream and rooted itself there.A sudden wave of emotion surged through Adeon's bond with it... contentment, relief, euphoria.
"Why is it so satisfied?" he asked, curiosity rising with the Thornling's reaction.
Ysira stepped beside him, watching the little beast.
"There are many forms of energy," she explained. "But all of them mana, spirit, elemental force... stem from one origin: Aether."
Her eyes turned toward the stream, its shimmering current dancing with soft light.
"The CREATOR blessed the Worldseed with Aether as its foundation. That stream…" she nodded toward it, "...is a concentrated Spirit Spring, purest in form. To your Thornling, it's a paradise."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a soft green light flared across the Thornling's body.
Its thorns lengthened, sharpening slightly. The vines and stems darkened into a deeper, richer green, pulsing faintly with new strength. Its wide, toothy mouth stretched a little larger—still cute, but now undeniably carnivorous.
"Is it… evolving?" Adeon murmured.
"No," Ysira corrected gently. "It's growing. Bathed in pure Aether, your beasts can thrive here—heal faster, strengthen, and even awaken traits dormant within them."
Adeon stared in awe as the Thornling gave a soft, satisfied trill, dipping its roots deeper into the water's edge.
" Sovereign huh...?"