Grey Nirmala
I stood before the colossal gates of Aetherim Academy. Lilith had said that if I wanted to grow stronger, coming here was essential. To tell the truth, I still wondered how I was even walking around in Storm City. In the eyes of the public, I was a terrorist. Still, if this academy would help me get stronger, I had no complaints. After all, gaining a better understanding of aether was one of my foremost goals.
I passed through Aetherim Academy's vast gates and began a new school term. The inside was truly magnificent. It was many times larger than the Legacy`s Academy. This place, filled with students of nearly every age, had hundreds of rooms, and this was only the entrance. I glanced back and noticed intricate patterns carved above the enormous doors. The designs were covered with the horns of the man I'd seen in the church portrait. I stared at those horns for a few seconds, then turned my gaze forward again. In the center of the atrium stood a large tree with gray leaves. It reminded me of the giant trees in the Forest of Spirits. A few benches circled it, and several students sat there chatting. I started walking. The academy's design, mixing modern and old, was a bit strange, but not in a bad way. Classrooms sprawled everywhere. They seemed to be separated by age groups. But I had no business with classes yet. Lilith had told me the first thing I had to do upon arriving was to go to the deputy headmaster's office. But why? Everyone here thought I was a foreign gutter outsider rat.
The corridors resembled those of the Legacy`s Academy, only on a much larger scale. The hall ended at a square green garden. Each side of the garden connected to a different corridor. And again there was a massive tree with grey leaves. As my attention drifted toward the garden, someone bumped my shoulder and both of us staggered back.
"Hey! Watch where you're going—"
The boy's sentence cut off. I steadied my balance and looked straight into his eyes. He looked older than me. His hair was red and short. His eyes were a weary shade of yellow.
"You're that bastard! The punk terrorist who threatened the Great Dream King."
Even though his face didn't show it, I could feel the fear inside him. I let out a sigh.
"So that's who I am to them. Haha. Funny. Just as I expected," I thought.
"Neiman, what's going on here?"
Another student's voice came from behind. I pulled my eyes off the boy in front of me and looked toward the newcomer. This one had longer, sharper brown hair. Nobility flowed from his red eyes. Neiman glanced at the boy who'd called, then scowled.
"Nothing. I just caught a terrorist strolling through our corridors."
The red-eyed boy raised a single brow at me, as if sizing me up from head to toe.
"Grey Nirmala," he said, voice thick with aristocratic weight. "What business does the Mighty Dragon King have here? I`m sure your idiot mind has a lot going on."
I didn't really understand what he meant. I mean what kind of stupid question was that to ask someone?
I opened my mouth to ask, but didn't finish, because the space around me had filled with students of different ages and strengths. Few watched me with fear. Few looked at me with anger. But most were silent to their cores of aether. Around a few of them I could feel the aether drawing toward them.
"Mighty Dragon King?" I finally asked. And yes, that was the first thing I asked.
The boy smirked and held out his hand.
"My name is Astrid William Sanguis. Heir of House Sanguis. And I hope my renown is enough to shut you up. After all, there's no place here for a outsider like you."
I gave him an irritated look. An aristocrat stood before me, one perched at the top of the political and economic pyramid. I narrowed my eyes. All the kids crowding us took a step back. Golden aetheric particles flew toward me. Astrid William Sanguis looked at me with darkened eyes.
"Are you looking for a fight, boy? After all every action has its pleasure and its price."
I ignored Astrid William Sanguis's proverb and spread the aether particles around my body. Astrid sighed, stepped back, and took a fighting stance. The drifting particles divided between us. Astrid looked down his nose at me. I wanted to fight this noble for one reason: Triumph. I wanted to bury him. I wanted to win in front of everyone. Small golden aether blades formed around me. I'd seen this trick from Gien Husk.
Astrid lifted his hand toward the air and gathered the particles there. The aether took shape as a black-hafted, red-tipped spear formed in his grip. Astrid twirled it for a few seconds, then pointed it at me. His face was serious, but his eyes held arrogance and anger.
"I'll give you one more chance, Fates Masterpiece. Either back down, or I'll shove you back into the hole you crawled out of."
I merely rolled my eyes at his threat.
"Blah blah blah… I hate types like you. Rich and noble bastards who gets whatever they want."
Astrid frowned. His anger began to seep outward.
"How disrespectful," he said, and in an instant, the boy appeared before my eyes. This wasn't zero; it was his natural speed. My reaction was too slow. Even though I pulled back, the spear's sweep grazed my cheek. I unleashed the aether blades, all of them flying at Astrid. With one sweep of his spear, he cleaved them apart. Gritting my teeth, I quickly formed new blades and sent them again. Astrid leapt back, raised his spear, and hurled it. The spear split the blades as it tore through them. I tucked into a forward roll and the spear crashed behind me, only a few centimeters away. Cursing, I glanced back. The spear vanished, and a new one formed in Astrid's hand. I pushed myself upright at once and sprang into the air. I didn't want to use Destruction's power yet, it was dangerous for me, and unnecessary.
Astrid looked up at me. I flashed the noble a grin, snapped my feet together, and used Creation to forge a drill on the soles of my feet. I dropped, plunging toward Astrid at speed. His eyes widened, but he was quick. He rolled backward and evaded the drill. It chewed into the floor, leaving a deep fracture. I wiped the drill away and instead formed powerful gauntlets over my hands. Astrid regarded me with haughty eyes, then lunged. He swept the spear, but I caught the tip in my right hand and gripped the haft with my left. Astrid tried to yank it free with both hands, but I didn't let him. I waited for the right moment; when he tried to yank it once more, I let it go. Astrid lurched. I made my right hand a fist and threw it straight at his face. Or it should have. The instant I punched, Astrid vanished, and reappeared at my side. He no longer held his spear, but it didn't matter. He clenched his fists and drove his left toward me. I shoved it aside with my right and hammered my left into his lungs. His right fist was late. My blow crashed into his chest, and Astrid stumbled back, breath knocked out. I looked down at Astrid William Sanguis from above. But when I met his gaze, I didn't find the feeling I wanted. Pride and power glinted there. I knew something was wrong; I just didn't know what. Wasting no time, I swung my right fist , but just before it landed, a red-tipped spear streaked down from above, shredded my hand, and was pinned to the floor. My hand was utterly torn apart. Blood sprayed madly from what remained of my wrist. I threw myself backward in pain.
"What the hell? When?"
I tried not to lose focus, but as I struggled to recover, Astrid surged forward and in a blink stood before me. I couldn't react. He slammed a fist into my lungs, then followed with dozens more. My chest, stomach, my whole body screamed with pain, trapped between his blows. He finally stopped, and I folded forward. I couldn't breathe, and my vision blurred. I stared at Astrid through the haze.
"Fuck you…" I spat, and he obliged, planting one last punch in my face. I collapsed onto the ground. I tried to use Creation to heal, but nothing happened. There I was, in front of everyone, in a pitiful state. Not that I cared what most of them thought, at least, not for most... But being floored by someone like Astrid didn't sit well with me. I peered around as best I could. Neiman, standing a little behind Astrid, watched with satisfied eyes. From all sides, students shouted, "Astrid! Astrid!" They were celebrating the heir of some bullshit house in the Storm City. I frowned at my situation. Astrid bent over me, eyes still serious.
"Have you ever had a proper fight before? And if you have, did you ever won it?"
His words grated on me.
"Come on! Unleash that damn Destruction!" Hachiko shouted inside my head. Maybe I should. Maybe. But I didn't want to. What was the point of winning a fight I couldn't control?
"Do you know why I called you the Dragon King?" Astrid asked, an amused tilt in his voice. "Because you threatened the Great Dream King while riding a divine dragon. Because of that, the students here, myself included, address you with that title."
Astrid glanced briefly at the ceiling, then back at me.
"My sister… Rika Sanguis. She's one of Storm City's four marshals. We call her the Marshal of Fear. Though she's among the strongest now, she wasn't always that way. She used to be weak and hopeless. But she never gave up. She kept working and finally reaped the reward, she became the Marshal of Fear. I want to follow in her footsteps. To work tirelessly, without yielding, and become a marshal in the end. I want to show my power to the entire Dream Realm."
My golden eyes met his crimson ones.
"Right before I kill Orinn, I'll kill you too. I swear it."
Astrid didn't bristle at my words. In fact he smiled, a genuine smile. And that irritated me more than anything.
"I'm at the Ascension Stage of Awakenery. Soon I'll even unlock a myth. So I truly am looking forward to our next battle, Grey Nirmala."
He straightened, turned his back, and walked toward Neiman. The students began to disperse, and Astrid melted into the crowd of students. I heard a few of them whispering about me as they went:
"Did this kid really threaten King Orinn? He's so weak."
"I expected a better performance, but whatever, Astrid was as handsome as ever."
Or, "I heard this boy is only at the Second Awakening. How can someone at Second Awakening be this strong?"
I didn't know whether to be pleased or offended. But whatever I thought, Astrid had walked away, and I was left crumpled on the ground.
"Damn it."
I forced the Creation rune to activate, and its healing power spread through my body. Broken bones, bleeding wounds, lost flesh, everything slowly knit back together. Once I was fully healed, I pushed myself up on my hands, stood, and looked around. Teachers and students drifted by, as if none of them even sensed my existence. What truly caught my attention wasn't that, though. On the great tree in the center, I noticed a plaque I hadn't realized that it was there before. The title read: "Stages of Awakenery." Its contents were packed with entries.
[Non-Awakened]
[First Awakening]
[Second Awakening]
[Third Awakening]
These four stages were categorized as the first section. Beyond that were two more sections.
[Beckoning Awakening]
[Ascension Awakening]
[Conversion Awakening]
[Infusion Awakening]
[Transension Awakening]
[Sovereignty Awakening]
[Supreme Awakening]
[Apotheosis Awakening]
That was the second section. The third and final section held different names. Names that I did recognize and didn't.
[Destruction Awakening]
[Creation Awakening]
[Space Awakening]
[Time Awakening]
[Death Awakening]
[Life Awakening]
[Chaos Awakening]
[Eclipse Awakening]
[Oracle Awakening]
[Fate Awakening]
[Legacy Awakening]
[Aether Awakening]
So many ranks made my head spin. I glanced around again. Students threw me mocking looks as they passed. Teachers regarded me with hatred.
"Hachiko. Got any new info in that head of yours?" I asked my companion. No answer. I could feel Hachiko thinking.
"You were supposed to win that fight," my companion finally said. I let out a breath at his answer, and sat cross-legged facing the tree's trunk.
"If I'd unleashed Destruction and lost control, I'd probably be dead already."
"You don't know that," Hachiko argued back. "Everyone sees you as an enemy. They hate you."
I looked around once more. At the people around me. Hachiko was right. But in the end, why did it matter? I didn't even live in this realm. And to say the truth, I was an enemy. I was the enemy. Yet a part of me was still inside the Forest Of Spirits. A place that has reckoned me with its surroundings. I was not sure. I was scared.
"Hey, come on! What, are you falling into depression?"
"No. I just… don't know. I don't even know what I want to do. My fight with Astrid ended in a fiasco. How am I supposed to fight Orinn in four weeks?"
Hachiko fell silent for a moment. We were both adrift in dark thoughts. That never-ending darkness.
"I… don't know either. But still… you can't let him humiliate you like that."
My eyes slid to the plaque carved into the tree's trunk.
[Second Awakening]
I was still there. At the beginning of the road.
"Ugh, come on! Screw this life!" I roared at the ground. Tears nearly welled in my eyes. I clenched my hand into a fist and slammed it down with rage. The floor didn't crack, of course, but I still wanted to hit something.
"I want to go home. I don't want to stay in this shithole any longer."
I waited for Hachiko to answer, but the reply never came.
"Why am I so weak and abnormal? It's ridiculous. I thought Destruction and Creation would make things easier, but I was wrong. I've been wrong about everything. How could I lose to Astrid? Why couldn`t I just live a normal, simple life? Why did I lost?"
"Don't be so harsh on yourself."
A small, soothing voice came from behind me. Surprised and confused, I turned, and saw a small girl gazing at me with a huge, cheerful smile. Her short blue hair and blue eyes were striking. She walked up and set her tiny hand on my slumped shoulder.
"Your name was Grey Nirmala, right?"
The girl asked in a sweet voice. My head moved beyond my control. I nodded. Her smile, already big enough, grew even bigger.
"My name is Maya Akane. Nice to meet you, big brother Grey."
"W… What?"
The girl standing before me was named Maya. She was Maya, Cinder's niece. The niece of the uncle that died because of me.
Maya giggled.
"Hehe… your face looks so funny. Actually, I think…"
Before Maya could finish her sentence, I had wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. I hugged her so tightly I felt locked in place.
"Big brother Grey?"
Maya's voice, filled with surprise, asked. But I didn't answer; I only kept hugging her. She was still startled, but after a while she hugged me back. Maya laughed and put her arms around me.
"I'm sorry. Really. It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Maya pulled herself away and looked at me with a small smile.
"You didn't do anything to me. You don't need to apologize."
I shook my head.
"But Cinder—"
"If Uncle Cinder was going to die for a child, I'm sure he had an important reason. After all, he's a hero."
Maya's words made sense. Even so, they felt strange coming from such a young girl. She spoke more maturely than her age. I got up and looked around. I felt stupid. But in a much better shape then before.
"Are you finally going to tell me why you fell into this weird depression?" Hachiko asked. My companion was curious, but also worried. I was confused and tired. I looked at Maya.
"I still don't understand. Aren't you connected to me? Why can't you understand what I'm feeling?"
I asked Hachiko, but the answer I got was a bit different from what I expected.
"Because I also have my own feelings, thoughts, and purposes. That's why a barrier sometimes forms between us. And stop trying to change the subject."
I frowned at Hachiko. A stupid reaction I know, but frowning was one of my quirks, I guess.
"I'm not depressed, I just… I just miss them."
"Miss what?"
I took a deep breath and looked into Maya's azure eyes.
"Them. The ones I love. The ones I value. I miss them all."
Hachiko rolled his eyes.
"You know you can never go home while Orinn lives. That's why you have to unleash Destruction. Let Destruction wipe everything out for you."
Hachiko had the voice of a determined ruler. A tyrant.
"Why do you want me to unleash Destruction so much?" I asked Hachiko. He replied in a flash.
"My life exists because of wisdom and chaos in the first place." Hachiko's emotions sharpened. "In a life without Destruction… if I won't live in a life without you, then why do I exist? Why would I turn my back on the one who created me? When I should be protecting him."
I sighed and shifted my attention from Hachiko to Maya. I smiled at the little girl.
"I'll take that as a good thing," I said aloud to Hachiko. Maya raised one eyebrow, not understanding what was going on, but I ignored her reaction and placed my hand on her head.
"I'm going to corner Orinn, and when that moment comes, there will be nothing he can do but send me home."
"That peaceful, soothing world you want to create…"
"What about it?"
Hachiko went quiet for a moment. He seemed to be thinking about what he needed to ask. My companion thought and thought. Meanwhile, I chatted a bit with Maya. I learned a few things about her life. When Maya was just a newborn, her mother and father were martyred in the Great Purple Awakening War, and then dying in a strike attack, leaving her utterly alone, or at least to a point. That's why Maya awakened at such a young age, so young they were almost going to experiment on the poor girl. But Cinder stopped them and always supported Maya. The bond between Maya and Cinder went beyond blood; they completed what the other lacked. Maya was the children Cinder had lost, and Cinder was the parental figure Maya never had. It was both very sad and very heartwarming. The two of them had fought for each other, but then I appeared, a flaw in their sweet relationship. Cinder died because of me. That's why I didn't want the same thing to happen to Maya. I would protect her. I knew Maya's fate would be fulfilled this year. But I didn't care. I wanted to protect this girl until the final moment. I wanted, with my last breath, to atone, if only a little, for the mistakes I'd made in my life. For once, I wanted to crawl out of the shell I'd shut myself in. For once, I didn't want to be loved, I wanted to love. I wanted to honor this legacy Maya Melody left me. I would protect Maya and return home. Then I would destroy the Organizer and create a new world for myself. I would build the world I wanted. A world where I could live in peace. And then I can finally go on to that date with Raya.
"Will there be sexy women in that world, too?" After a long contemplation, Hachiko finally asked his mystic question.
"Huh? W... What? Why would you ask me something like that?"
I felt Hachiko shrug.
"Just asking."
I mentally send a slap at Hachiko. My companion winced in pain. I turned my back to Maya and looked up at the top of the colossal tree. I took a deep breath in and out. My eyes scanned the entire academy. The Aetherim Academy. A place where gods can born. Yet they were just kids who played with fire. I will make them see what true power was.
"If they don't care about me, then I'll force them to care. First this academy, and then the entire Dream Realm. I will shred every bone and flesh off my body if that's necessary for to make them understand."