SYSTEM ASCENSION

Coco felt shivers tickling down her spine at Quil’s words. She stared at the father and son till they disappeared out of sight.

”Well,” Quil smiled. ”That’s is that.”

”That is not that!” She yelled. ”You just said he’s a disaster! I once picked a fight with him.”

Quil frowned. ”Are you actually stupid?”

”What?!”

”I’m still trying to imagine the scenario of you picking a fight with him.”

”Hey! I’m not weak!”

He dug his pinky finger into his right ear and looked away. ”But you’re still weaker than him.”

”Damn blonde!”

”It’s Quil.”

”Quill?”

”Not for writing.”

She burst into laughter. ”Such a dumb name.”

”Says the person with the name, Co co nuts.” he emphasized on it.

”...”

One minute later, they were exchanging blows and kicks.

”Damn you blonde!”

___

NEXT MORNING

The students weren’t awakened by bells this time, but by the cheering and chatter of the people.

The mark transfer apparently is a big deal. The bustling was doubled. People visited the palace with gifts and fruits. Some set up a stall beside the palace and played musical instruments.

But even with all this, none of the people lingered in the main palace. They either hurried in and back out, or just stayed outside.

The students met up with the professors, and together they ventured into the palace.

On the way, they kept getting weird looks from the maidens and guards. And when it was becoming eerie, Sienna popped up.

”Good morning students.”

”Your highness!” They bowed.

”Morning,” she beamed. ”I’m sure the atmosphere today is questionable.”

”Is there a rule against coming to the palace on a day like this?” Tyler asked.

”As expected from a crown prince. You’re observant,” she clasped her hands. ”there is no rule against coming to the palace. Just individual choice.”

She pointed towards the place where maidens were mixing some ingredients. A few unknown flowers with some beast core.

”You see, whenever the mark is being transferred, those ingredients can get so cold that a normal person’s lungs can freeze over in a minute.”

They flinched.

”Are the maidens alright?” Fayera asked.

”As long as they don’t add the final ingredient, they are fine. When they are done mixing the ingredients, the ritual would be carried out. Only those with the mark would be able to stay in the palace because it won’t affect them.”

They all glanced at Carlel.

A gryphon landed behind them, and Elias hopped down.

”Morning mother.”

She gasped. ”I’m mother today?”

”Don’t flatter yourself.” He caught her wrist and yanked her on the creature’s back.

”Where are we going?”

”Father wandered off.”

The gryphon took flight, and soared into the sky.

”Where could he be?!” Elias asked her, yelling loud before the wind.

”The field, the mountains, the cave. Your father is a random man.” she yelled back.

”Your answer is not helping!”

He whistled into the air, and a moment later, another gryphon arrived.

”Let’s split up and search.”

She jumped from his own on the new one.

”I’ll take the field and the mountain close to it!”

”Then I’ll take the cave.”

They split up.

Elias’s gryphon dived down towards the caverns and landed in a narrow spot. From here, he had to go on foot. He stepped into the cave.

”Father?”

His voice bounced off the cave walls. He continued to walk and check.

”Father!”

Minutes went by and eventually an hour. Elias got to the end of the cave, and scratched his head in frustration.

He turned around to leave, when he heard the familiar voice.

”Over here.”

He looked up.

It was a narrow hole inside the cave wall, dark and silent. The strong smell of Nyanl was coming from it.

”How did you even get up there?”

Elias climbed up and entered the hole.

Richard was sitting on the cold ground, leaning against the wall. A cloth was draped over his eyes. Blood had trailed down his eyes and dried up on his face.

”Seriously...”

Elias bent down and reached out.

”Let’s—”

As soon as he made physical contact with Richard, his eyes went dark.

Walls of darkness raised around him. And suddenly, the ground dipped.

The cave was gone, replaced by a vast sea of water.

Elias found himself standing alone in a spot, wet but not drowning, unable to tell where was the end and where was the start.

The red moon was reflected in the water, but when he looked up, there was no sky. Just an endless raging darkness.

”...”

Drip! Drip! Drip!

He turned around at the sound of water, but saw nothing. Just the reflection of a moon that didn’t exist.

Then, the voice sounded.

”Do not bind ash to memory, nor silence to a beating heart. What has crossed beyond the final door must not be summoned by longing,”

Elias squinted his eyes.

The voice was Richard’s.

”Father?”

”I stand not to awaken the dead, but to unbind the chains that tether them to the cries of the living,”

The voice echoed from every direction this time, and a startled cry of anguish followed right after.

”Bone to dust. Dust to earth. Earth to silence. Silence to nothing,”

The water bubbled, and began to heat up. Waves raised, threatening to swallow him. He began to sink.

”What?!”

Richard’s voice continued to echo.

”The place where names dissolve, where sorrow cannot follow, and where time has no dominion. The void. Nothing.”

The water had already gotten to Elias’s torso, making it hard to move a muscle.

”May every borrowed breath be returned.

May every lingering echo be stilled.

May every restless soul find the peace

that no hand may disturb. For death is not an enemy to conquer. It is the final mercy,”

The water had reached his shoulder, and he was now struggling to keep his face out.

”Without fear, nor burden, nor regret, be no whisper upon this world. Become the emptiness after the last star fades.

Become...

Nothing.”

The water engulfed him whole.

He had expected to suffocate, but instead—

Nothing.

He was breathing fine.

He opened his eyes.

It was still dark, but he didn’t find himself submerged in water anymore. This time, it was a field, painted red.

The aftermath of a fight.

The blood moon sat in the sky, illuminating the already absurd scene in eerie colour.

Bodies laid discarded in different directions. It was a clean strike to the neck, like an execution. All of them.

Elias observed the scene.

Men, women, children. There were no exceptions.

It was a massacre.

”...”

Then, footsteps sounded from behind.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of wooden slippers.

Elias turned around.

The person who had committed the act approached him, sword still smeared with blood. He wore a white robe, which was now red, and a straw hat obscuring his face.

They made no interaction whatsoever. The person walked by him.

Elias’ eyes followed the man.

The man stopped by the edge of the field, beside a body who was still alive.

A woman shivering in tears and anger.

”What ha...ve we ev...er done to you...” she cried.

He glanced at her and bent down to her height.

”I’m still new to the sword so I can’t always deliver a clean strike. I apologize.”

Her eyes widened. ”...What?”

”Tell me,” the man tilted his head. ”I have been thinking for a while. Do you think Irue is a good name to give my son?”