A boy descended the sheer slopes of the Skyspires, each step deliberate on the jagged path. His body ached, his breaths were shallow, and the usual pulse of power within him was absent. He hadn't recovered yet, incapable of drawing upon the Laws or his Skills.
Yet, none of this deterred him. His determination carried him forward.
Fragments of memory flitted through his mind, vivid as the biting wind.
<"It means greed! For little Belphet keeps clearing the table!">
The playful scolding from an older sibling echoed in his thoughts, mingling with laughter. His lips twitched, almost forming a smile. Then came the quieter, solemn voice of an elderly man, pointed ears peeking from under wisps of white hair.
<"It also means kindness, little one. To share what you have, even when you feel you lack.">
The elder lay on his bed, each word a struggle against the rasp in his throat. Belphet had clung to those words, imprinted by the frailty of the man who spoke them.
It was only a few days ago—his fourth birthday. That was when he was given his name. A name meant to honor the duality of strength and compassion.
He only wanted to save him.
"I will save everything," Belphet muttered, his voice cracking against the wind. His fists clenched as he whispered again, louder this time, the words carrying more resolve. "Everything."
He continued downward, the treacherous slopes of the Skyspires reflecting the weight of his determination.
* * *
The classroom buzzed faintly with the sound of shifting chairs and hushed voices. Professor Kairen stood at the front. Her sharp eyes swept across the room, quieting the murmurs.
"Today, we'll delve into Eventuality and Causality together," she began, her tone soothing. "Two of the most fundamental aspects of the Laws that govern not just the world, but everything we do within it."
She spoke slowly, hands clasped behind her back.
"Eventuality is, at its core, the inevitability of an outcome. A force set in motion that will come to pass unless acted upon. It is the arrow loosed, the seed planted, the storm gathering on the horizon. You cannot stop eventuality, but you can shape its course—delay it, redirect it, perhaps even harness it."
Yesterday, they learned about Entropy, an extreme of Eventuality.
Kairen paused, her gaze steady. "And then there is Causality—the chain of events that leads to eventuality. It is the strike of the match before the fire. The crack in the dam before the flood. The intentions behind every action, and the ripple it sends into the world. Causality binds us to consequence."
She gestured to a burning candle on her desk. "Consider this flame. Its eventuality is to burn out. Its causality? The heat of the wick and the fuel it consumes. Should we douse it, we alter the eventuality. But remember this: for every action, there is always a cost."
The room was silent as Kairen blew out the flame, smoke curling in the air.
"Eventuality teaches us patience. Causality teaches us responsibility. Together, they teach us balance."
The lecture ended later. After a quick lunch with Leia and her friends, he was now practically bouncing as they went to Professor Hallen's lecture.
* * *
In the lush forest sprawling just outside of Kindrall, the sounds of yelling and metal clashing echoed against the trees.
"Pillar, over here!" Felix shouted, his blade gleaming with the faint aura of a Skill as he cleaved through a mass of writhing black tendrils.
"Aegis, keep it on you! Don't let it split us up!"
"I'm trying! It's fast!" Aegis yelled back, his shield barely holding up against a surge of dark fluid that slammed into him. He stumbled but planted his feet firmly, forcing the entity's relentless assault to halt.
Nearby, Pillar frantically channeled light into a glowing orb that hovered just above his staff. "Augmenter is out cold!"
Felix didn't answer, his focus locked on the creature. It didn't resemble anything he'd ever seen—shifting, amorphous, and seemingly made of shadow given form. It lashed out in all directions with jagged tendrils, each strike hitting with the force of a hammer.
"What is this thing?!" he growled, slashing through another limb as it lunged for him.
"Does it matter? Keep it down!" the Archer called from above, her voice sharp as an arrow flew past Felix and struck the creature.
It shrieked—a horrible, grating sound—and twisted its form to shield the impact.
Felix took the opening. "Aegis, on me!"
"Got it!" Aegis charged in, slamming his shield into the creature's shifting mass. For a moment, the strike disrupted its form, scattering pieces of the shadow-like substance. But it didn't stay down. The fragments coalesced, forming barbed appendages that lashed out wildly.
Felix ducked under one strike and lunged, his blade humming with energy as it severed another tendril. The creature screeched again, its body recoiling.
Above, the Archer loosed another arrow, this one striking true in the creature's center. It convulsed, but instead of falling, it seemed to grow more unstable, its form expanding and contracting erratically.
"It's not going down!" the Archer yelled. "Whatever you're doing, do it faster!"
Felix gritted his teeth. He could feel the strain of the fight already. "Pillar, can you hold it in place?!"
Pillar nodded, the orb of light above his staff pulsing brighter. "I'll try! Aegis, keep its attention for a few seconds!"
"I'm on it!" Aegis charged forward again, his shield raised high. The creature lunged at him, slamming its weight against his barrier. Aegis staggered but didn't fall, his feet digging into the forest floor.
"Now!" Pillar shouted, releasing the orb. A beam of light shot forth, striking the creature directly. For a moment, it froze, its form writhing against the energy.
"First!" Aegis called. Referring to Felix
Felix didn't hesitate. He surged forward, channeling every ounce of power he could muster into his blade. With a single, precise strike, he drove his sword into the creature's center.
The forest fell silent as the creature shrieked one last time, its form collapsing inward. Shadows dissipated like smoke, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth where it once stood.
Felix exhaled, his shoulders slumping. "Is everyone okay?"
"I've been better," Aegis muttered, lowering his shield and wincing at a deep gash on his arm.
Pillar stepped forward, his hands glowing faintly as he began to mend Aegis' wounds. "You're lucky it didn't take that arm clean off."
The Archer hopped down from her perch, brushing dirt off her gloves. "Whatever that thing was, we're bound to see more. We have to inform the higher-ups."
"Yeah. This was no Amalgam." Felix said, and smiled.
"An amalgamation for sure though." Which caused some soft chuckling.
Felix passed his exam and was now a fully fledged Ferrier, at rank F. On his first mission, he was tasked to take down a reptilian Amalgam.
He was one of the two Vanguards along with Archer. Their group was composed of the two Vanguards, a Pillar, an Aegis, and an Augmenter.
There were two types of Vanguards: frontliners and backliners—which Felix thought was ironic.
They called each other by their roles, as imposed by the rules. Perhaps to not become too close.
After killing the reptilian though, their Augmenter was caught off guard by the shadowy thing they have just killed.
"Let's go."