A tale my mother always sang to me before I made a rather dangerous decision, never used to frighten me… But maybe, I should've listened.
"Do not gaze upon the unknown, for its mysteries will consume you. Beware of the dark, for the abyss will overtake you. Wary oh wary soul."
As a child, I never thought much of it. My mother is quite strange to begin with… Well living in this world will make you that way.
My name is Roy, I live in a world called Lumia, the cities here seem endless. Speaking of cities, I reside in a place named Versol, a city in the continent of Flatus. Flatus is a massive stretch of land, spanning countless miles, and is oddly close to an area dubbed "The Forgotten Sea." It's also home to the "great" Vertus kingdom, in which the capital is held. The Vertus kingdom is known for war and conquest, crushing its foes mercilessly. This has led to numerous disputes with the other nations; in which, resulted in retaliations and small scale wars. Due to this constant conflict, trade routes have been shut down, and negative propaganda spread. Now, with the rapid decline of resources, increased rates of poverty, and financial instability. So, the kingdom has resorted to advancing their militia, by using "Awakened" to their advantage.
In this world there are unique beings referred to as "Awakened." They fall into seven classes: Wanderers, Knights, Mages, Seekers, Ravagers, Mystics, and Conquerors. They wield the ability to manipulate and utilize energy particles. These particles have permeated the atmosphere since the beginning of life itself. Scientists and scholars have referred to it as "Mana," since the dawn of time. Its origins are unknown, those that have searched, lost their minds in the process.
History has shown what these "awakened" are capable of. Wanderers are known to have an insatiable desire for knowledge, they travel throughout all the ends of Lumia just to attain it. Their abilities are relatively unknown due to encounters being rare, yet we do know they're similar to mages, by casting spells and using trinkets.
Knights however reside in kingdoms or royal manors. They are regarded with respect and exude authority. Their combat style requires them to expel their spiritual energy and mix it with mana to create a visible force called aura.
Mages dwell in the kingdom as well but have a reputation for gazing into the abyss and going mad. They wield and rely on mana for spell casting and the manipulation of elements. Though some have gone beyond the use of elements.
Seekers stay far from society, little is known about them. They're infamous for exploring the dark arts and devoting themselves to spirituality. There was only one seeker in history to destroy a kingdom by himself, his name was Draken Sullivan. Scholars, professors, and historical agents named that time period the age of sovereignty.
Ravagers seek utter destruction, throughout history they either become a tyrant or a warrior demanding battle. They also utilize aura but there's a twist, they are naturally born strong, able to destroy boulders with their bare hands as children.
Mystics are similar to mages, they're hermits and shadow bound individuals in nature. The source of their strength is in the pool of spirituality they possess. Relying on it more than mana.
Finally we have the strongest class, conquerors. Most of them originate from royal families or appear out of nowhere. Their charisma is unmatched, being in their presence demands loyalty; as if an invisible force is compelling you. They utilize aura just like knights and ravagers, yet they mix it with their goals. If one is strong enough, fate itself can bend to their will.
Yet, all of this research in historical texts has led me to one question, how does one become an awakened?
Awakened are held as beings with limitless potential, some may say they are revered and treated as deities. Others say they shouldn't exist and hate the power they possess. According to the book: "Guide to the Strongest" to become awakened, you must be able to interact with mana. Mana is the source of all things, it's advanced civilization by thousands of years. Technology has seen immense growth over time due to the mana infused artifacts and those from the mages association.
'Awakened truly are fascinating, maybe I
should try interacting with mana just as the book instructed.'
I got up from an old wooden chair and glanced around my room. Various books were scattered around the old wooden tile floor, others were tucked into a bookshelf that's seen better days. The windows were smeared with dirt and grime due to the rapid changes in weather. Posters of famous awakened were plastered on the decaying wooden walls, making it resemble more of a frightening scene.
"Disgusting… I really need to leave this place.
Moving over the discarded books, I yanked on the door handle, and exited my mess of a room. Entering the living room, I saw my mother sitting at the dining table staring at a book intensely. Her name is Laura, my adopted mother. At first, we were never really close, always isolating ourselves. But as time moved on I started to recognize her as a parent.
"Hello mother, how's your day?"
"I'm ok Roy, have you begun your studies?"
She had brown skin, coupled with grizzled hair. Her eyes were a striking light gray and she wore a purple dress with black floral patterns on it.
I winced internally at the question, in reality, I haven't studied in weeks. My new found obsession with awakened individuals has erased any previous passions, well there weren't many to begin with.
"Of course I have, It's the only method to gain financial stability after all."
"Great, I'll let you carry on then."
Her attention was led back to the strange book once more as I headed outside.
…
Thirty minutes earlier…
Laura rummaged through her closet, desperately searching for something. Her room before this however was tidy, trinkets were carefully propped up against her old wooden desk, books neatly tucked into newer looking bookshelf, and sunlight creeped in through the windows.
'Where did I leave it? I need that book before they come after me!'
She placed her palm on the wooden tile floor and took a deep breath. Black liquid quickly spread throughout the tiled floor, resembling that of a spiderweb.
'There you are.'
The black liquid receded back into her palm, as she picked up a tattered brown book with runes inscribed into its dust jacket.
'I should be careful on how I handle this thing, it has a mind of its own.'
Laura snapped her fingers and her room returned to normal.
"The oppressive mana this book is giving off… I should take a better look at it."
She swiftly exited the room and sat at the dining table.
'Now for this book, the runes on the cover are starting to glow, is it activating?'
"Hello mother. How's your day coming along?"
Laura's attention was divided as Roy appeared in front of her.
'Oh it's Roy, seems like he's learned something interesting today. He's a curious child, it's been around 3 years since I've first adopted him. He should be 19 now.'
Roy's features were similar to Laura's, even though they weren't related. He had brown skin coupled with dark brown eyes. His hair was shaggy and his frame was average. He wore a wrinkled brown T-shirt with black trousers, though his foot ware wasn't in the greatest condition, they were black dress shoes.
Laura gave a warm smile, greeting Roy.
"Hello Roy, I'm doing great today. How's your studies?"
Laura studied his body language, noticing his slight displeasure.
'I wonder what could've caught his attention now?'
"Of course I've been studying. It's the only way to get out of poverty."
"Great, I'm glad to hear that. I'll let you carry on with your day then."
'What a funny child.'
…
A vast forest greeted me, the air had a stench of pollution, slowly dulling my senses. The sun was bright due to it being the hottest season of the year. I took a stroll around the forest, taking in nature. Further ahead, I heard some commotion. Glancing over to a deeper part of the forest, I watched two mutated beasts fight over food.
'That's not something you see everyday. Best not to gain their attention.'
The two beasts were of a sub-species of tiger, their black eyes had a malicious glint to them. Strangely enough, they were four times larger than the average tiger. Their coat was also different, being a deep red, resembling that of blood.
'I should turn back.'
Monsters exist in this world, they're particularly territorial creatures. Living in nature dense areas or simply being isolated in the mountains. Ordinary humans don't stand a chance in combat against them, even awakened struggle. Though that struggle is primarily a human issue. There are seven races that dwell on Lumia. Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Dragconics, Lizardvel, Beastmen, and Aquatics.
Do we live in harmony? Absolutely not, a story as old as time, humans and elves hating each other. We are always at odds. Primarily due to humans invading their territory and destroying life there. This alone has led to many wars, unstable connections, and tension between the races. Dragconics and Lizardvel aren't too far off either. They share the same territory and both being territorial creatures lead to disagreements and heavy losses. Dwarfs, beastmen, and aquatics keep to themselves and are relatively indifferent.
Each race has its own speciality, humans thrive in innovation and are creative beings, elves dwell in dense forests and gain strength from nature, dwarfs excel at creation, beastmen are the most physically gifted, dragconics naturally use mana from birth, aquatics are born with the ability to breathe underwater, and lizardvel are highly intelligent creatures.
"The air feels nice even though it reeks… Now I have to focus and pinpoint the mana around me."
Hm, maybe I should do this away from the house, and from those things.
I walked about 5km away from the glorified wooden box we call a house, I sat on the soft grass inhaling and exhaling.
The book "Guide to the Strongest" stated: "To interact with mana, one must be of a clear mind and stretch out their senses."
I switched to a meditative position and cleared my mind. Slowly I expanded my senses, searching for the foreign energy.
'According to statistics it usually takes up to a month for one to interact with mana. Well that also depends on your level of growth, such as talent. Most geniuses are able to interact with mana within a few weeks, some even days.'
The harder I concentrated the more strain was put on my mind, as if an invisible force was suppressing me. Little by little images of fragments blurred, the world itself felt as if it was spiraling.
'My head is spinning, this must be a side effect of trying to sense mana.'
The images became more apparent, fragmented memories flashed, as wailing blared, dark whispers were heard, and danger bells rang.
"What… Is… Happening?!"
My breath was haggard and my throat horse. Slowly the wailing ceased, and the whispers
Vanished, then rain began to pour.
I open my eyes in bewilderment, with cold sweat running down my back. I frantically glanced around, realizing it's become dusk.
'What was that?!'
My mind swam with questions.
'Why was someone or something wailing? Did my sense of hearing pick up on that? Those whispers too, how strange. Was this a by-product of seeking mana? And what were those fragments? They resembled shattered emerald pieces. Too many questions with zero answers.'
Dark clouds covered the sky as thunder boomed.
'I should probably head back inside, this storm definitely isn't going to let up anytime soon.'
Slowly I got up making the trek back home.
"I wonder why those events occurred, those whispers terrified me, they have to be related to the incident a couple years ago. Scientists that were a part of the esteemed mages association apparently went mad after being exposed to something in their research of mana. The project was shut down and the three hundred that participated all took their lives.'
I reached the house, its exterior was nothing special, just a simple cozy cabin on the outskirts of Versol.
'Now that I think about it, we're in the middle of nowhere, it's a three hour trip just to get to the city, let alone anywhere else.'
I slowly opened the door to see my mother, cooking stew.
"Is that rabbit stew?"
Her vacant expression brightened, as she glanced over.
"Oh your back, what took you so long? And yes, this is my famous rabbit stew."
"The reason I took so long… I tried to interact with mana…"
What followed was a deafening silence, only after a few seconds she spoke.
"What was your experience?"
Long gone was the warm atmosphere, it was tense, unsettling. I sat down at the dining table before responding, mulling over my words.
"It was odd, at first I felt some strange force repelling my efforts, then I heard something wailing and after that… I heard Whispers."
My mother's eyebrows rose in morbid curiosity.
"What did you hear?"
A chill ran down my spine as I tried to recall what was said, unknowingly my hands curled into fists, and my breathing became unsteady.
"I… Don't know… It was just incessant chatter. I couldn't make out a word, yet it felt like I was going insane."
My mother grabbed two bowls, filled them with her famous rabbit stew, and placed them on the table.
"Thank you for the food"
"You're welcome, as for those whispers… Don't try to make out what they say, refrain from uncovering the unknown."
This is why I call my mother strange, she seemingly knows everything. And always comes up with bone chilling quotes.
"I'll make sure I avoid that."
After that we ate in silence and retreated to our respective rooms.
…
"Is it worth becoming an awakened?"
I found myself asking this question to my mother first thing in the morning.
'I couldn't sleep at all last night, I'm already dreading this process.'
My mother sipped her tea and pondered.
"What does strength mean to you?"
"Huh?"
In reality the question stumped me. I never had a desire to be strong, it was simply the cool thing to do. Becoming an awakened gave one purpose, legacy, and confidence. Things I'm severely lacking.
"Yes, what does strength mean to you, Roy? Awakened go through unimaginable struggles to become mediocre. Do you have the will to continue once everything is lost?"
Her words hit like a ton of bricks, I ignored the mental gymnastics one has to go through to reach the most basic of levels, let alone anything higher. I was too narrow minded.
"That's why I asked, what does strength mean to you?"
"What strength is to me… I don't know…"
She smiled before letting out a small sigh.
"Understanding that is only the beginning. Though, I do wish you the best of luck, my dear child."
"Thank you mother."
I headed outside, ignoring the discomfort of sitting on soaked grass.
'What does strength mean to me? Perseverance? Power? Control? For now, it doesn't matter.'
I took a deep breath preparing myself.
'All that matters is my continuous effort!'