The draconic eyes were the last thing replaying in Xerxes' mind before he had collapsed.
"Why was I seeing them? I vaguely remember when I first arrived here; I saw those eyes, but in my own reflection in the water. But why was this happening? Why now?" Xerxes wondered through the frustration of his ignorance.
The darkness that blanketed his vision was slowly starting to crack. There were sensations within his body that shouldn't have been there. His hands started feeling like they were grazing across gritty sand, and the sound of sliding columns and stone rubbing against each other became louder by the second.
Then, his vision became vivid with what was happening to him.
Spectral and aetherial rivers of mana, and something more dense and potent mixed in, were striped around Xerxes.
This was the gritty feeling, these 'streams of power'. Xerxes was overwhelmed; all that was unfolding around him was something out of a fairytale. It was unnatural.
Potentially defying all laws that he had known.
A similar trait that he observed, was that the streams of power were all flowing towards one point, through a blood-stained marble floor, etched with specific cuts that allowed the rivers of power to stream into them.
Xerxes crouched down and ran his fingers through the river of mana, rubbing them together. This was his power, yes, but something about it felt different. There was something more ancient, more powerful, akin to that of mages well beyond his level, whilst still being his.
He stood up and looked ahead, and the sight before him trapped him in a state of awe, even making him stumble backwards. There were seven pillars raised all around one object, which seemed to be his soul core.
His soul core had a mysterious purple sheat that clouded around it, with a dim amber flame that emanted from it.
The only reason Xerxes knew it was a soul core was because of the depictions he had seen in textbooks, as well as from the lives of beasts he had taken, which had given him an understanding of what they looked like.
Xerxes carried on walking forward, looking into the sky to where the pillars would end. "What even is this place?"
The circular marble platform he was on stood stable within this realm that were filled with streaks of saphire and magenta from the cosmos, droped with flickers of white and amber, which he assumed were stars.
But how could he be in space? It was impossible, nevertheless standing on some sort of platform, that only hoisted 6 pillars that eroded slightly as they rose. But then he noticed something. At the top of the pillars, it seemed as if they were bound by thick and rusted iron chains that connected to his core, which made Xerxes question their origin.
He was fully aware that people had 'epiphanies' like this when reaching new stages of power. Was it something to do with him potentially reaching tier 5?
Aemon had told him their were specific conditions that one needed to go through, but then... why didn't Aemon ever explain this? Was this by chance, or was there a reason that had been caused externally by his soul core?
In an attempt to get some sort of answer, Xerxes walked to the pillar closest to him, which seemed to have something enscribed on them. As he stared up at the ancient, dull stones. He trailed his fingers across the pillars, trying to understand what was written before him, and with each swipe of his fingers over a new rune, the more it shone with a vibrant golden light.
Unbeknownst to Xerxes, he was able to understand the runic language. Though he had never spoken it, read it, or even studied the runic language, this was odd. This whole thing was odd, and he didn't blame himself. It was natural to be spooked or on edge when in uncharted territory right?
He looked at the runes, studying them, and then the first few runes depicted:
[You have met the conditions to advance. Kill that which had killed you. Understand what binds your soul. Purify 4 soul shards]
Xerxes' hand staggered, "This is what Aemon must have meant. This is how destiny has been written, if so, would I have never changed if I stayed with Aya, Dorian and Vanessa?" The thought was bittersweet, but he didn't know how long he had within this place, so he kept on trailing his fingers across the pillar.
[Xerxes Draedon: Unknown]
[6th Pillar of power: Conquered]
[Attributes: Goblin fragment, Wolf fragment, Mana beast fragment and Orc fragment]
[Destined: Airi *********]
[Mana type: Fire (awakened), Wind (voided), Water (voided) and Earth (voided)]
[Tier: 5]
The nausea he had before he had collapsed now made sense.
This was it.
This was him going beyond his former self as a Tier 6 mage to now a Tier 5. Yet, instead of a smug grin plastered across his face, he was met with confusion.
Firstly, 'Unknown', what could it have possibly meant? Was it referring to something related to his ability, or was it something greater? Perhaps something relating to the 'truth' that Aemon had encouraged him to look into.
Would it be a source of greater power? Or something even more than that? Could it give him some insight into who he was?
Despite the fact that Xerxes had a loving family, two, in fact: Vanessa's and now Aemon's, there was still something he craved. He wished to know where he came from and why his body had been close tothe Fallen Kingdom, the place where it all started and ended.
When Vanessa found Xerxes, the events of the story were the same. He was discovered in a brown box with a sheet of paper.
The name on that paper was 'Xerxes Draedon'. The name he stated so proudly was nothing more than an enigma with him not really having any pride in the name 'Draedon'. There wasn't any reason to was there?
Xerxes felt that the only way to understand this was through advancing with even more power. He had begun to grow frustrated. All this time, there had never been an inkling, a drive such as what he had now, to grow strong.
This made him realise that with strength came far more benefits than merely being a 'renowned adventurer'. There was more to the world, more to himself. In an attempt to mask the frustration with something else, he gazed at the next piece of information.
"6th pillar conquered? Does it mean that each of the pillars here represent the tiers of mana?" As he questioned himself, he realised something didn't add up. It was like there was a myriad of uncertainties and defiance within his soul core.
He looked around, counting the pillars erected from the ground, and it made him question their nature even more.
To the knowledge of mankind, the maximum limit of mana potency anyone had ever achieved was the 1st Tier, which only came through advancing from the 6th to the 1st. So why was there a 7th Pillar?
He looked around, and unlike the other dull pillars, this pillar was different. The purple, crystalline core pulsed with a deep violet. It was hovering in the air and unlike the others that were bound to the ground, with chains that connected to his soul core, this one didn't.
Dark, vein-like tendrils coiled around the structure as if it were sentient. Wisps of arcane energy drifted around it, making it seem foreign and unique. It served as something greater, and Xerxes was sure of it—but that begged the question:
What was it serving as? Why was there another pillar? Was this normal amongst mages? Pursuing this matter right now would only leave him discouraged, thus, he decided to revisit the mystery later. With a quick thought, he attempted to process the next piece of the puzzle.
What followed were the soul fragments, which didn't strike him as odd, so he quickly skipped over that. But the next thing was 'Destined', with Airi's name and other runes that he couldn't recognise due to some deliberate carvings in the stone.
Destiny? Had destiny brought Airi and himself together? It didn't feel unnatural to him. Xerxes had a feeling that Airi was serving some greater purpose—she was the voice that had echoed in the hall of darkness when he first arrived here, and now she was the light that would assist and guide him.
Her last name had been carved out, which saddened Xerxes. He had hoped that he might be able to help her, but that would be fruitless without her surname. Yet, what he could discern was that, for some reason, her last name had been deliberately obscured. But by whom?
The fact that this could even occur within him made Xerxes fear the worst. He didn't know whether this was natural, but he suspected that perhaps some things could have been altered upon his 'death' before arriving here - or could it be someone from Airi's time that may have been an enemy of her?
This was definitely a matter he would mention to Aemon. If anyone could help, it would be him.
As for mana, it did show all of his mana types. It displayed Fire as 'Awakened' but the rest as 'Voided'. Blake had mentioned to him previously, as well as Aemon in training sessions, that when a mage reached Tier 4, they unlocked another mana type, then at Tier 2, and finally Tier 1.
Perhaps this was what it meant; if so, would this be the order in which he gained them? This was something that at least put a smile on his face, as opposed to confusion. He had always loved the swiftness and underlying vitality that Wind yielded. Combining that with his, or even Airi's, flame would definitely forge him into a force to be reckoned with.
Concluding his brief research, he was endowed with more confusion than happiness. Xerxes decided to look around. Not knowing how long he would remain here, he began walking over to the unique pillar—the one that had not been 'conquered. '
Each step left a resounding splash as he waded through the rivers of mana.
He eventually arrived at the crystal, which was right next to his soul core, and looked up at the large structure. Placing a gentle hand upon it, he tried to understand what it was, but as soon as he touched it, a searing and terrifying pain clashed in his head, making him drop to one knee.
"What in the six great kingdoms?!" he shouted, clutching his head. The pain made his vision blur and his head pound, yet he pushed through it, understanding that time was of the essence.
"So, this is what is haunting my soul core?" he questioned aloud, despite no one being able to answer him.
How mistaken he was. His eyes widened, and his jaw was practically on the cold marble floor.
"In a sense, yes, I am haunting your soul core, Xerxes Draedon."
As two draconic eyes, with ferocity and authority, weighed down on Xerxes.