Eventually, Xaryus had awakened…
His body had begun to feel lighter, and his mind felt clearer. Then, at some point the faint winds and sounds that surrounded the shack had receded. Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at the wondrous star scape he had been floating in.
Encapsulated by the radiant beauty of the colourful world that surrounded him, Xaryus' eyes went wide as he looked around in awe.
Eventually, he decided to explore the strange realm he had found himself in. Not knowing how he was supposed to move in such a place, he simply outstretched his foot in an attempt to walk forward.
Almost bending to his will, the vast space around him solidified beneath his feet, allowing him to walk freely.
He had walked for an extremely long period of time, each time he got bored he was once again enthralled by more vast and strange collections of stars or vibrant dust that were scattered around him.
He was at ease; in the solitude he had gained he was given time to ponder.
The glee and curiosity he felt whilst stargazing was now a fleeting memory, his steps were slower and much heavier.
The calm had allowed him time to think, but that was the last thing he wanted to do. His gaze lowered as he continued to stroll across the star scape, before the calm amongst the stars had vanished.
He suddenly felt a presence around him... no, it had been watching him all this time.
Xaryus began to feel nervous; he wasn't alone in the calm yet vast star scape.
Slowly, he turned around to see another person standing behind him. The vast space around them also bent to his will, allowing him to stand.
The young boy seemed to be a few years older than Xaryus; his skin was also fairer. His hair was dark brown, and he wore a plain white shirt tucked into his pants with sleeves folded up to his elbows.
The strange boy seemed full of youth and naivety, but his sharp gaze belonged to that of a man that had lived and seen many things. It gave off an aura of stubbornness, pride and perseverance.
The two had locked eyes for a few moments before the strange boy flashed a soft, endearing smile on his face.
"Who are you?" Xaryus tried to question but no sound had left his mouth.
He grasped his throat tightly in confusion, he couldn't speak for some reason. At that moment, the strange nature of where he was and what was happening to him slowly creeped up on him. He started to get scared…
"Don't be afraid…" The young boy consoled him, seeing the fear in Xaryus' eyes.
Like a wave, his words washed away all the unease and fear that Xaryus had felt. He then took a few steps closer to Xaryus, but his strides were much faster than they seemed. Even if Xaryus had tried to run, he would not have been able to escape.
The young boy placed his hands on Xaryus' shoulders and stared intently in his eyes as if looking for something. All Xaryus could do was stand there and wait, hoping that this boy wasn't some cosmic horror within human skin.
"Keep moving forward…" He said abruptly, his smile showing a hint of despondence as if he wished to say more.
Gently, he removed a hand from Xaryus' shoulder and raised it above them. Upon reaching its apex, a bright light that dwarfed the radiance of the stars around them suddenly appeared.
Xaryus winced as the light was too bright, but the young boy had stared directly into it.
Grasping his raised hand together, the burning star above them vanished.
Slowly, Xaryus opened his pained eyes and saw the young boy presenting something to him with a closed fist. For an inexplicable reason, he was drawn to whatever was hidden in the strange boy's fist.
"...What is it?" He pondered for a moment.
Fighting against his instincts, he glanced back up to the young boy who now seemed much older.
He was now in his late thirties, adorned in lustrous armour that looked impenetrable. A large golden cloak was wrapped around his shoulders and flapped in the wind behind him.
Not that there was any wind in the strange realm.
His face was mature and stoic, not standing in alliance with his sharp gaze. His dark brown hair was now golden, and his eyes were a vibrant blue.
Xaryus had to look up just to meet the eyes of the man. The sudden shift in his appearance had startled him but he somehow still recognized the young boy.
Even though the colour had changed, his eyes were still the same. Only now his faint smile had broadened into a toothy grin.
He was only able to see his smile for a moment because the strange man had opened his hand and released whatever was in his grasp. Instinctively, Xaryus looked down and saw it…
"... It was a star." He spoke out loud, not realizing his voice had returned.
Then, the roiling energy within the man's palm erupted in a flash of immolating light, blinding Xaryus but not harming him. Taken aback, he rubbed his eyes and looked around, the stoic man had vanished and so did the vast star scape with it.
He now stood in a white void, there was no direction, no up or down. It was only him…
And something else in the distance. Far away Xaryus could faintly see a dark blot in the distance.
The moment he laid his eyes on it, he felt whatever it was calling out to him.
His eyes stuck to the strange shape in the distance. He wanted to get closer to it, and as if understanding his will, the distance between him and the figure vanished in an instant.
Now, in front of him was a large stone mound with a beautiful Spanish Montante stuck into it.
The blade held a silver hilt with an engraving of the sun on its cross guard. The intricacy of the handle was profound and daunting; the sword's sharpness was also formidable.
Even though the blade was fully plunged into the stone, the space around it felt sharp and palpable.
Without thinking, Xaryus had stretched out his hand…
Then everything went black.
[Congratulations Xaryus! You have successfully awakened!]
[You have gained your spite, "Emissary of Light"]
[You have gained a stigma, "Last Blade of Light"]