Morning came with a sense of impending doom.
I woke up drenched in cold sweat, fragments of nightmares still clinging to my consciousness, the images of endless forests, the eyes watching from shadows, and a voice whispering my name over and over.
[ GOOD MORNING, HOST. ]
[ YOU HAD NIGHTMARES AGAIN. SEVEN TIMES LAST NIGHT. ]
[ I MONITORED YOUR VITALS THROUGHOUT. ]
[ YOU'RE STABLE NOW. ]
[ ...I WISH I COULD HAVE DONE MORE. ]
"It's fine, Edith. It's just nightmares."
[ THEY CAUSED YOU DISTRESS. THAT'S NOT 'FINE' TO ME. ]
[ BUT STRESS BEFORE CRITICAL EVENTS IS EXPECTED. YOUR BODY IS PREPARING ITSELF. ]
[ I'LL BE MONITORING YOU CLOSELY TODAY. ]
I dragged myself out of bed and prepared for the day. The private meeting with Vespera wasn't until afternoon, which meant I had morning training with the team first.
At least that would keep my mind occupied.
Training Ground Seven was quiet when I arrived. For once, I was early.
Garrick was already there, as expected, doing one-armed pull-ups on a wooden beam.
He dropped down when he saw me.
"Morning. You look like death."
"Didn't sleep well."
"Worried about the meeting with the Headmaster?"
"Is it that obvious?"
He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound.
"When a dragon personally summons you, it's normal to be nervous. But here's some advice,dragons respect strength, even if it's just strength of will. Don't grovel, don't lie, and definitely don't try to manipulate her. She'll see through it and probably eat you."
"Eat me? I thought that was a joke."
"Half joke." Garrick said with a grin.
"She hasn't eaten a student in at least fifty years. Probably."
[ I WOULD PREFER YOU DIDN'T BECOME THE FIRST STUDENT CONSUMED IN 50 YEARS. ]
[ YOUR SURVIVAL IS MY PRIMARY DIRECTIVE. ]
[ PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN THAT MEETING. ]
'Very helpful.'
Morrigan and Lisette arrived next, followed shortly by Kieran. We ran through our usual drills, but I could tell everyone sensed my distraction.
"Edward." Kieran said during a water break.
"Whatever the Headmaster wants to discuss, remember that you're not facing it alone. We're a team now."
"He's right." Morrigan added, Lisette nodding in agreement.
"If she tries anything bad, we'll... well, we'll do something!"
"Like what? Fight an ancient dragon? " I asked, amused despite my anxiety.
"If we have to." Garrick said seriously.
"That's what teams do."
Their loyalty, however impractical, was touching.
[ THEY CARE ABOUT YOU. THAT'S... GOOD. ]
[ YOU NEED RELIABLE ALLIES. PEOPLE YOU CAN TRUST. ]
[ I'LL CONTINUE MONITORING TEAM COHESION. STRONG BONDS INCREASE SURVIVAL RATES. ]
The morning passed too quickly. Before I knew it, it was time for my meeting.
Vespera's office felt different in the afternoon light. The artifacts that had seemed mysterious and fascinating before now looked ominous, even threatening. The skeletal remains hanging from the ceiling cast twisted shadows across the floor.
Vespera sat behind her massive desk, looking even smaller than usual but somehow more intimidating. Her golden eyes tracked my every movement as I entered.
"Sit."
I nodded and sat as her command.
For a long moment, she just stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then she stood up and walked to one of the bookshelves, pulling out a slim volume bound in black leather.
"Do you know what this is?" she asked.
"No, Headmaster."
"It's a record of every student who has attended Ardenfield Academy for the past five hundred years."
She opened it to a marked page.
"And this... this is Edward's entry."
She turned the book toward me. I saw a sketch of Edward's face,the original Edward, before I'd taken over his body,along with detailed notes.
"Edward. Age 18. Class D. Magical Affinity: Wind (Low). Combat Ability: Poor. Academic Performance: Below Average. Psychological Profile: Arrogant, insecure, desperate for validation. Prognosis: Will likely drop out or be expelled within two years."
"This." Vespera tapped the page.
"This is who Edward was supposed to be. A failure. A footnote. Someone destined to fade into obscurity."
She closed the book with a decisive snap.
"But that's not who's sitting in front of me right now, is it?"
[ ALERT: SHE'S AWARE OF YOUR ANOMALOUS NATURE. ]
[ RECOMMEND EXTREME CAUTION IN YOUR RESPONSE. ]
My heart hammered in my chest.
"I don't know what you mean, Headmaster."
"Don't insult my intelligence, child."
She leaned forward, her eyes beginning to glow with an inner light.
"I've lived for over a hundred thousand years. I've seen empires rise and fall, watched species evolve and go extinct, witnessed magic itself transform. Do you really think I can't tell when a soul has been... replaced?"
The word hung in the air like a blade.
"I'm not-"
"Stop." Her voice cracked like a whip.
"I gave you a chance to speak truthfully. You chose deception. So now we do this my way."
She snapped her fingers, and suddenly I felt an overwhelming pressure crushing down on me.
The air itself seemed to solidify, making it hard to breathe.
[ WARNING: DRAGON AURA DETECTED. MAGICAL PRESSURE CRITICAL. ]
[ ACTIVATING DEFENSIVE PROTOCOLS. ]
[ SYSTEMS BEING SUPPRESSED. I CAN'T. ]
"No."
Vespera said, and somehow Edith's systems shut down. The blue screen flickered and disappeared.
'Edith?! EDITH?!'
No response.
I was alone.
"Your little helper can't save you now."
Vespera said calmly.
"I've temporarily suspended all magical constructs in this room, including whatever entity is attached to your soul."
She walked around the desk, each step deliberate and predatory.
"Now, let's start with some simple questions. Who are you really? Where did you come from? And why are you inhabiting Edward's body?"
I couldn't speak. The pressure was too intense. It felt like my bones were about to crack.
Vespera sighed.
"Fine. We'll do this the hard way."
She placed her hand on my forehead, and suddenly I felt her presence invading my mind.
It wasn't like Edith's gentle assistance,this was forceful, violent, tearing through my mental defenses like they were paper.
Memories flooded out against my will. My life in the other world. My parents. My sisters. Writing Terra Sol Luna on my computer. The fever. The dream of Ethan. The transmigration.
Everything.
When she finally withdrew her hand, I collapsed forward, gasping for air. The pressure had lessened slightly, but I felt violated, exposed, like every secret I'd ever held had been laid bare.
"Fascinating." Vespera murmured, returning to her seat.
"A creator trapped in his own creation. A god made flesh in the world he built. How... poetic."
"Are you going to kill me?" I managed to ask.
"Killing you?" She laughed, a sound like wind chimes made of crystal.
"Why would I kill my most valuable asset? Do you have any idea how rare you are? A being with null affinity, knowledge of future events, and a mysterious system entity bound to your soul?"
She pulled out a new notebook and began writing.
"You're not a threat, Edward,or should I call you by your original name? No, Edward will do. You're not a threat. You're an opportunity."
"An opportunity for what?"
"To change fate itself."
Her eyes gleamed with something that might have been excitement or might have been madness.
"Tell me, in the story you wrote, how does Terra Sol Luna end?"
I hesitated, then realized there was no point in hiding anymore. She'd already seen everything in my mind.
"I... I never finished it. I got sick before I could write the ending. But based on the dream I had before coming here, it ends badly. Ethan loses everything. The world falls into darkness."
"And the Heart of Void? Did you write about it?"
"No. I never created that artifact. It's... it's something new."
Vespera's expression grew serious.
"Then the world is evolving beyond your control. Which means your knowledge, while valuable, is not absolute."
She stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the academy grounds.
"Five years ago, I sent four students into the Grey Shadow Forest. I told them to retrieve an artifact called the Eye of Truth,a precursor to the Heart of Void. Three died. One went mad. Do you know why?"
"No."
"Because they weren't compatible. They didn't have null affinity. When they touched the artifact, it showed them the truth their mind couldn't comprehend. Truth about the nature of reality, about the thread of fate that bind all things, about the void that exists between worlds."
She turned back to me.
"Marcus Thorne, the survivor, saw that he was destined to die alone and forgotten. That knowledge broke him. He couldn't accept it, couldn't change it, so his mind retreated into madness as a form of mercy."
"And you want me to retrieve an even more powerful version of that artifact?"
"No." she said simply.
"I want you to destroy it."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow.
"What?"
"The Heart of Void is growing stronger. It's been feeding on the ambient mana in the forest, evolving, becoming sentient. If left alone, it will eventually achieve full awakening. And when that happens, it will tear a hole in reality itself, allowing things from the void,things far worse than demons,to enter our world."
She pulled out a detailed map of the Grey Shadow Forest.
"The official mission is to retrieve the artifact. But your real mission is to find a way to neutralize it permanently. And you're the only one who can do it."
"Me?"
"Because you don't belong to this world's fate. Your null affinity means the artifact can't corrupt you the way it would anyone else. You're immune to its influence."
[ SYSTEMS ONLINE. ]
[ ADMINISTRATOR, STATUS REPORT. ARE YOU INJURED? ]
[ I DETECTED THE MENTAL INTRUSION. MY SUPPRESSION PREVENTED ME FROM INTERFERING. ]
[ ...I APOLOGIZE FOR MY INABILITY TO PROTECT YOU. ]
'Edith! You're back!'
[ I'M HERE. THE SUPPRESSION HAS LIFTED. ]
[ I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN. ]
[ ANALYSIS COMPLETE. THIS WAS ORCHESTRATED FROM THE START. ]
Vespera smiled slightly.
"Ah, your little helper is back. Good. You'll need it."
"How did you know about Edith?"
"I didn't know its name, but I could sense a strange construct attached to your soul. Quite sophisticated, actually. Far beyond anything we could create with our magic."
She leaned back in her chair.
"Which raises interesting questions about who or what created it."
"Edith doesn't know. Her memory of her creator is fragmented."
"Hmm. A mystery for another time, perhaps."
Vespera pulled out several documents.
"Now, let's discuss the practical aspects of your mission."
She spread them across the desk,maps, diagrams, and what looked like magical formulas.
"The Heart of Void is located in the deepest chamber of the Null Sanctum. To reach it, you'll need to pass through three trials, each designed to test different aspects of those who seek the artifact."
She pointed to different sections of the map.
"The first trial is the Trial of Flesh,a test of physical endurance and teamwork. Your team should handle this relatively well, given Garrick's strength and your tactical abilities."
"The second trial is the Trial of Spirit,a test of mental fortitude and willpower. This is where Morrigan and Lisette will be crucial. Spirits can sense other spirits, and Lisette's nature as a bound soul gives her unique resistance to spiritual attacks."
"The third trial is the Trial of Truth,a test of accepting reality as it is, not as you wish it to be. This is where Kieran's Eyes of Truth become essential. He can see through illusions and help the team distinguish reality from deception."
[ ANALYZING TRIAL STRUCTURE... ]
[ OBSERVATION: VESPERA DELIBERATELY SELECTED TEAM MEMBERS TO MATCH TRIAL REQUIREMENTS. ]
[ THIS WAS PLANNED FROM THE BEGINNING. ]
"You chose us specifically for these trials." I said aloud.
"Of course I did. I'm ancient, not stupid."
She smiled.
"Each of you has a unique ability that corresponds to a trial. Together, you form a complete solution to the problem."
"But you said the real mission is to destroy the artifact, not retrieve it. How do we do that?"
Vespera's expression grew grave.
"That's the part I haven't figured out yet. The Heart of Void is nearly indestructible. Conventional magic can't harm it. Physical force is useless. Even dragon fire only temporarily suppresses it."
"Then how..."
"That's where you come in." She pointed at me.
"You're the variable I can't predict. Your knowledge of this world's rules, combined with your null affinity and that mysterious system, might reveal an option I haven't considered."
"So you're sending us in without a solid plan?"
"I'm sending you in with the best team I could assemble and hoping you're clever enough to find a solution when you get there." She leaned forward.
"Is it a gamble? Yes. Could you all die? Absolutely. But if you don't try, we'll all die anyway when the artifact awakens."
[ THREAT ASSESSMENT UPDATED. ]
[ STAKES: POTENTIALLY WORLD-ENDING. ]
[ SURVIVAL PROBABILITY... RECALCULATING... ]
"There's one more thing." Vespera said, pulling out a small crystal vial containing a swirling silver liquid.
"This is diluted dragon blood, my blood, specifically. Drink it before you enter the Null Sanctum."
"What does it do?"
"It will temporarily enhance your physical abilities and provide some resistance to reality-warping effects. The enhancement only lasts about an hour, so time it carefully. And be warned, it's very painful. Your body will feel like it's burning from the inside out."
She placed the vial in front of me.
"I'm giving one to each team member. Use them wisely."
I picked up the vial, watching the liquid swirl hypnotically.
"Why are you really doing this?" I asked.
"You could handle this yourself. You're ancient and powerful. Why risk students?"
For the first time since I'd entered the room, Vespera looked tired, not physically, but spiritually weary, as if she carried a weight too heavy to bear alone.
"Because I've already tried. Three months ago, I entered the Null Sanctum myself. I made it to the Heart of Void's chamber. And do you know what happened?"
"What?"
"Nothing. I stood there, the most powerful being in this kingdom, and I couldn't even touch it. The artifact rejected me. It showed me a truth I'd been trying to ignore for millennia,that I'm as much a prisoner of fate as anyone else. That despite all my power, all my knowledge, I can't change certain fundamental laws of reality."
She looked directly at me with those ancient golden eyes.
"But you? You're not bound by this world's laws. an anomaly that shouldn't exist. And sometimes, it takes an anomaly to fix a broken world."
The weight of her words settled over me like a heavy cloak.
[ HOST, THIS MISSION HAS BEEN SEVERELY UPGRADED IN COMPLEXITY. ]
[ PREVIOUS ASSESSMENT OF SURVIVAL PROBABILITY NO LONGER APPLIES. ]
[ RECALCULATING WITH NEW PARAMETERS... ]
"I'm sending you a full briefing document."
Vespera continued, handing me a thick folder.
"It contains everything I know about the Null Sanctum, the trials, and the Heart of Void. Study it carefully. Share it with your team. And prepare for the worst."
She stood, signaling the meeting was ending.
"You have three days left. Make them count."
I stood as well, clutching the folder and the vial.
"Headmaster... if we fail..."
"If you fail, I'll have to seal the entire forest in ice and hope it slows the artifact's awakening long enough for me to find another solution. It will work for maybe five years. After that..." She shrugged.
"Well, we'll be dealing with a world-ending catastrophe. No pressure."
[ UPDATED SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 11.7% ]
[ CHANCE OF COMPLETING ACTUAL MISSION (DESTROYING ARTIFACT): 3.2% ]
[ RECOMMENDATION: PANIC. ]
'Not helping, Edith.'
As I turned to leave, Vespera called out one last time.
"Edward? One more thing."
"Yes?"
"In your story, in the dream you had before coming here,Ethan asked you to kill him at the end, didn't he?"
I froze.
"How did you,right. You saw my memories."
"Do you understand why he made that request?"
"No. I never figured it out."
"Because he knew the truth. That he was a character in someone else's story, a puppet dancing on invisible strings. And the only way to break free from that fate was to end the story entirely." She walked closer.
"You're in a similar position now. You're both the author and a character in this world. Which role will you choose when the time comes?"
"I... I don't know."
"Then you'd better figure it out. Because in the Null Sanctum, you'll have to make choices that will determine not just your fate, but the fate of everyone in this world."
_____________________________________________________________________________________