Chapter 9 – my Void
Modern Era, Third Era, Aven Era
Mis, 19 Jes 910 AC.
1:30PM
Before Aliss stands a tall man with an angular face, dressed in an old but impeccable butler's outfit.
He slowly stands up. A new smile stretches across his face, and he extends his hand. Shadows wrap around it, condense, knot together, and end up giving shape to a ring that he slips on his finger.
Aliss – What do you mean…
Caesar —
You have a lot to learn, little one. Really a lot.
And if you want to know everything: the pilot you came to look for... he's been dead for a long time. I simply used his identity to lure you here quietly.
Aliss —
Well found, old man.
But I'm leaving: you're weird.
Caesar —
Disrespectful... but you're not leaving.
She turns around.
Aliss —
In fact, yes, I'm leaving.
Caesar —
I have what you need to grow.
She stops.
Aliss —
What ?
Caesar —
It's going to overflow soon.
Aliss —
Still talking.
Caesar —
Who are you again?
She sighs.
Aliss —
Okay, please… speak, Grandpa, and I'll stay.
Caesar —
Good girl.
He approaches, hands crossed behind his back, his presence filling the dark hall as if the darkness is holding its breath.
Caesar —
You know the Savior and Sun families are special, right?
Aliss —
Of course yes.
Caesar —
Do you know what their element is? Their real specificity?
Aliss —
Of course not. It's classified secret.
Caesar —
Their element... is Black and White.
And these two forces make it possible to control not only themselves, but also most of the other elements.
…
Once they become teenagers, they become impossible to train with conventional magic. Do you know the reason?
She listens attentively.
Caesar —
The overflow of white and black energy.
With them, it saturates everything, and if it comes into conflict with other energies... we lose everything.
This is why they are trained from childhood only with this type of energy, to absorb its nature, to harmonize with it.
But you...
Aliss —
…I understand.
When do we start?
Caesar —
NOW.
Aliss —
Really ?
Caesar —
Of course.
But first, you will have to empty your reserves of all other energies.
He gestures to follow him. They walk in total silence, their footsteps muffled on the red carpet, as if the entire mansion is holding its breath. After multiple corridors, Caesar stops in front of a surprisingly new wooden door.
He opens it. The creaking fills the air, the light from the hallway shatters and dissolves into the darkness of the room.
Calm. Imperturbable.
His voice falls like a verdict.
Caesar —
Are you ready, little one?
Same calm. Same resolution.
Aliss' voice answers him.
Aliss —
Of course.
They enter the closed, isolated room. Inside, the darkness no longer seems immense but compact, pressing. No furniture. No windows. No visible door. A room forgotten for generations, saturated with a heavy and almost living atmosphere.
Even Aliss shivers.
Caesar —
Get into position. Quickly.
She sits in lotus position, breathing slowly.
Aliss —
And now ?
Caesar —
I'm going to cast a simple spell.
A total void.
Nothing will exist anymore: no air, no sound, no light.
But the spell automatically cancels at the slightest disturbance.
Aliss —
So…let's see…that's 19 minutes and 35 seconds.
(This is the most I can hold my breath in such conditions.)
Caesar —
Perfect.
He raises his hand.
Caesar —
< Vacuum leads to vacuum — Absolute vacuum >
Reality changes.
Aliss finds herself locked in a black sphere, cut off from the world.
There is nothing left.
More bodies, more senses, more references.
Just her…and her mind.
Aliss (thought)
It's annoying. Me who finally had an initial mastery of all the elements…
And now I have to give up everything.
Energy slowly leaves his body, like a gentle wave of light, dissolving into nothingness.
17 minutes and 45 seconds later
Aliss (thought)
It's too slow.
And I'm still reabsorbing the energy…
How to do… how to do…
An idea strikes. Brutal. Perfect.
Aliss (thought)
I know.
I will merge ALL energies.
Merge until you get White.
And with the void left… get the Black one.
She stops the process. Suck it all up.
Condensed.
Merged.
Compressing its elements until hitting an invisible wall.
She insists.
Again.
Again.
Until a light shines —
Pure white energy is born.
Then the void it leaves contracts, becomes denser —
And becomes a primordial black energy.
Aliss (thought)
NOW…
The most difficult: harmonizing two opposing forces.