"Wake up!" screamed Gregor Levis.
"What?" Kaelis Dain blinked, momentarily dazed as the classroom erupted in laughter.
"Seems like Ser Kaelis doesn't need to learn what's in class today," the teacher said with a sarcastic smile.
Kaelis stretched, unfazed. "I know all I need to know. This is pointless. I'm going to graduate and study at the Obsidian Crucible."
The room fell silent. Eyes widened. Even the teacher hesitated before speaking.
"Why would you want to go there, Ser Kaelis?" he asked, confused.
Kaelis smirked. "It suits someone of my skill and background, don't you think?"
Gregor frowned. "The Crucible is... different. Why do you want to go there?"
"To establish my strength, to gain merit as the next Lord of my house. The Obsidian Crucible is a place that values power above all else. That is the path of House Dain."
The teacher leaned forward. "Interesting. And what Pillar will you walk?"
"Arcanum," Kaelis answered with pride.
The school bells rang, signaling the end of class.
The teacher nodded thoughtfully. "An unusual choice for one of your status. I'll be intrigued to hear your reasoning tomorrow. Class dismissed."
As the students gathered their belongings, whispers spread like wildfire.
Gregor walked beside Kaelis as they exited the lecture hall, his expression tense. "You know what kind of place the Crucible is, right? People don't just study there. They fight, they kill. They forge themselves into weapons."
Kaelis adjusted the sigil of House Dain pinned to his robe. "And that's why I must be there. My family doesn't need another noble playing politics. We need warriors and conquerors."
Gregor shook his head. "The Pillar of Arcanum... The path of magick and occult mastery. Every wielder who walks that path either ascends to terrifying heights or loses themselves to madness."
Kaelis smirked. "Then I have no choice but to succeed. I refuse to be bound by the fears of common men. My fate is mine to carve."
They walked through the grand corridors of Xalrath Academy, one of the continent's most prestigious institutions. Unlike the Crucible, Xalrath Academy still followed rules. It was where noble houses refined their heirs before releasing them into the brutal landscapes of Xalrath.
Other students whispered as Kaelis passed.
"The Obsidian Crucible? He's mad."
"House Dain has only produced crazed heirs. Their influence has shaken the entire continent."
Kaelis ignored them. He had already decided.
"One day, I might even unify all the kingdoms of Xalrath," he said, half-joking.
Gregor snorted. "First, you have to survive the Crucible."
Kaelis smirked and clapped Gregor's shoulder. "We'll see."
He left Gregor behind, walking through the streets of Dain in the Kingdom of Dain. Obsidian ruins floated in the air, thick magick saturating the city. Endless voids yawned in the alleys, black landscapes shifting under a twilight sky. Mist curled through the streets like living tendrils.
As he walked, Kaelis noticed an old, dilapidated structure. Above its entrance, an ancient sigil was carved into stone. The design featured a veil-like structure, flowing like fabric or mist, partially obscuring an ominous, all-seeing eye. Celestial runes circled it like a protective ward.
Kaelis paused, transfixed. A whisper of recognition stirred in the back of his mind.
A presence stirred in the shadows. Someone was watching.
Ignoring the feeling, Kaelis continued walking. The mist swallowed his form, and the hidden figure in the alley remained still, watching.
House Dain's Estate - Kingdom of Dain
Kaelis approached the massive gates of House Dain's estate. The obsidian spires loomed against the twilight sky, their edges glowing faintly with residual magick. As he neared, the gates swung open silently, sensing the sigil on his robes.
The air thickened with arcane energy, raising the hairs on his arms.
He strode into the courtyard, past twisted statues of former Dain lords, their faces frozen in expressions of power and madness. The main doors creaked open, revealing the dimly lit entrance hall.
"You're late," a stern voice echoed from the shadows.
Kaelis turned as his father, Lord Vaelis Dain, stepped forward, his piercing gaze heavy with scrutiny.
Kaelis inclined his head. "I had matters to attend."
Vaelis studied him. "I heard what you said in the academy. The Obsidian Crucible? The Pillar of Arcanum?"
Kaelis nodded. "It is the only path worthy of our house. Strength. Power. Dominion. The Crucible will forge me into what I must become."
Vaelis was silent for a moment, then turned. "Come. If you truly intend to walk this path, there is something you must see."
Kaelis followed his father through darkened corridors lined with relics—twisted artifacts, ancient tomes, weapons humming with latent power. They descended a hidden staircase, deeper into the heart of the estate.
At the end of the path, a vast chamber pulsed with magick. An ancient monolith stood at its center, covered in shifting eldritch runes. Its surface rippled like liquid obsidian.
"This is the core of our House's power. The artifact that has guided the Dain bloodline for centuries. If you wish to walk the Pillar of Arcanum, you must withstand its judgment."
Kaelis stepped forward. "Then let it judge me."
He placed his hands against the monolith. A surge of raw power crashed into him. Visions consumed his mind—whispers of forgotten truths, glimpses of the past and future.
He saw a throne of hollowed bones.
A blackened crown resting upon a faceless ruler.
The rise and fall of the Hollow King.
The veil shuddering, thinning, breaking.
A prophecy of the Hollow King's return.
Kaelis' body trembled, but he refused to break. He met the abyss and did not look away.
When he finally pulled away, his eyes had changed. Dark glyphs shimmered within them, etched into his very being.
Vaelis watched in silence before nodding. "You are ready. But beware, Kaelis... Those who seek the veil's secrets often become what they fear the most."
Kaelis smiled, a slow, knowing grin. "Then I will ensure that fear belongs to others, Father. Not to me."
The monolith pulsed once more, and the air seemed to shudder with something unseen.