Lucian made sure to glance at every corner before leaving the motel's vicinity. He was not in the mood to run into Hector—his red-blooded landlord—in the morning.
It was the middle of October, and Lucian had already received three eviction notices for his overdue rent payments. The reason he was unable to keep up with his rent expense was that every time the Dragon's Den got damaged from his fights with the skull gang, Lady Kuro would use a significant fraction of his pay for repairs.
'Hopefully, when this is all over with, Skirk and his gang will take care of the repairs this time…'
In his heart, Lucian dreaded the day he might have to find himself sleeping out on the bitterly cold streets of Stonekeep.
It didn't take long for him to find Aurora. She was alone in a rundown park near his motel. Once again, she was in her child form—younger self to be precise. Wearing a furry coat and a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, Aurora sat on a swing deep in thought until her gaze fell on Lucian.
"Good morning," she greeted with her trademark smirk.
Lucian found the northerner peculiar at first, but was slowly buttering up to her enigmatic behaviour.
"Morning," he said in return before sitting on the vacant swing beside her. "Is there a reason you're pretending to be a kid, Miss Aurora? Also, never really thought someone could wear sunglasses over an eyepatch."
Aurora shot him a piercing look.
"I planned on using the element of surprise to catch the Rogue we're after, but after seeing how my power was interrupted last night, that card's out of the table. I got to keep a low profile for now."
Lucian grasped the swing's iron chain tightly.
Last night's fire, the mangled bodies, and even the putrid stench of scorched blood were still fresh in his mind. Aurora previously mentioned how someone was "aware" of her presence in Stonekeep.
Could that someone be the Rogue she was currently after?
How dangerous was that particular Rogue? Aurora's expressions only got serious when they were involved in the conversation, which meant they were not someone to take lightly.
'Is Stussy truly safe with someone like that around?'
Before Lucian could query about the mysterious Rogue, Aurora pushed herself back and rode the swing, taking full advantage of her child-like state.
"Alright, Luci, let's begin. We don't have much time," her joyful expression betrayed the seriousness of her words and the overall situation.
Shaking his worries away, Lucian put on a serious front and added in determination, "Alright!"
Swinging back and forth, Aurora's short, wavy black hair billowed in the wind as she asked, "First of all, before you can become an official Ascender, you must become Gifted. You understand that, right?"
Lucian nodded his head at the obvious statement.
It was common knowledge—even amongst the common folk like him. To become Gifted, a person must awaken their Desire. Once that step was completed, the Gifted is obligated to take the Trial of Ascension, a challenging exam held every four years in the Stormkith capital.
Those exceptional examinees who pass the difficult trials are formally accepted as official Ascenders and receive legal permission to challenge the Tower of Desire.
Seeing that Lucian had a good head on his shoulders, Aurora continued her lecture, and the pace of her swinging slowed.
"Quite informed. Good. Many Ascenders prioritize strength and speed, but intelligence is an equally important factor that keeps you alive in the tower. Now, to awaken your Desire, Luci, do you know what frequencies are?"
Furrowing a brow, Lucian fell silent for a moment before giving an adequate answer.
"Aren't they invisible waves that travel through the air?"
"Precisely," Aurora clapped her hand and continued in an informative tone, "Frequencies are everywhere—all around us. Vibrating in various sequences and patterns that differ every second. When the Tower of Desire descended hundreds of years ago, it created a brand new frequency. That frequency established a relationship with humanity and the tower. The act of communication with the Tower of Desire is called Resonance."
Lucian's heart swelled with excitement. He was learning a brand new concept related to the wonderful world of Ascenders—resonance: the relationship between man and the mystical Tower of Desire.
"What does Resonance have to do with the frequencies the tower makes?" asked Lucian, curiosity piquing in his heart.
"It has everything to do with frequencies," answered Aurora, gracefully landing on her feet after hopping off the swing, "For your Desire to awaken, you must create a bond with the tower and tell it your deepest desire. When that connection is formed, it'll hear you and bestow on you the power to strive for it. That power is your Desire."
Lucian watched in astonishment as Aurora lifted a stick from the ground and drew a smooth, wave-like curve on the sand. It was similar to a trigonometric graph, and after, she drew a jagged pattern over it.
"Let me demonstrate, this curved pattern is the tower's frequency, and this jagged one is currently your frequency. You'll never be able to form a connection or communicate when your frequency is in this state. That's where resonance comes in."
Aurora drew a new line on the ground, similar to the first but not identical to it.
"Control your frequency by resonating with the Tower of Desire. Once your frequencies are slightly comparable, a connection between you and the tower will be established. The closer one's frequency and relationship is to the tower, the more beneficial it will be for you in the tower's treacherous trials—ah, but you don't need to know that for now. What I want you to learn is Resonance. Heed the tower's call."
In that moment, Lucian felt enlightened. He began envisioning the tower in a whole new light. He finally grasped the reason his Desire never awakened—he was skipping vital steps, chasing ascension without ever truly forming a connection with the tower.
He couldn't wrap his head around why information this crucial was kept within wealthy circles and prominent houses. Life in Stonekeep was harsher than the biting cold of this autumn morning, and yet it's been that way for years.
Once Lucian had collected his thoughts, he posed a question.
"Miss Aurora, why is information like this gatekept amongst high class?"
Aurora's lips curved upward, and she shook her head, "Trade secret."
Lucian blinked in irritation before standing up from the swing. The enigmatic northerner was a treasure trove of information, but carried many secrets.
"Now, let's begin," child-like Aurora instructed, "Sit in meditation and block out all your senses—seriously, the world must be but an afterthought to you. Envision the tower's frequency, and then yours. Doing so will allow you to begin resonating."
The park they were in was empty, but from time to time, people would pass by. Lucian wasn't fond of the idea of mediating in public with a child mentoring him.
"Uh… Can we do this somewhere else?"
Thwack!
Aurora smacked the stick on his left calf.
"Ouch!" Lucain groaned in pain. Even though Aurora was her younger self now, she still had the terrifying strength of an Ascender.
"The world must be an afterthought," Aurora repeated, her tone was more assertive, leaving no room for arguments.
After rubbing his leg, Lucian sighed and complied with her instructions. He crossed his knees and slowed his breath before shutting his eyes tight. The world was pitch-black; he felt the morning breeze brush by him.
He concentrated hard to eliminate the feeling of "feeling".
Casting aside all his senses, along with his nervousness, worries, fears, and anxiousness. It took him twenty minutes of complete concentration to finally reach a state of clarity that abstained him from the world beyond.
He didn't feel human—no, he didn't feel anything at all. In essence, he was nothing and in an ironic sense, Lucian was everything.
And then, in that desolate void, a silent entity called out to him. Lucian heard no words, but his heart responded. Like a soundless sound, an unfeeling feeling, and something unchanging, yet forever retracting and expanding.
Lucian opened his eyes, and what he saw was not the youthful Aurora, nor the desolate park, nor even the slum houses and ravaged buildings around the park—no.
He drifted in a world of black, and in that barren space, rays of serrated white light danced. Its pattern was indescribable and unpredictable; at one moment, it retraced to small peaks, and in the next, it shot in every direction, its peak not even visible to the naked eye.
Lucian felt a strange sense of familiarity as he glanced at the majestic yet chaotic pattern.
'This… This is my frequency?!'