Soon, a month had passed. The days of mourning were behind them, and the rhythm of life slowly reclaimed its pace. Now, children's classes had begun, lectures and training to shape their minds and bodies in the basics of the world, its history, and the art of survival.
Inside the pavilion's learning hall, Vermas stood tall before the gathered children, his white robes pooling around him like calm waves. His voice, steady yet carrying the weight of centuries, filled the quiet room.
"Human history stretches back hundreds of thousands of years. Yet, almost nothing remains from before ten thousand years ago, a time the temples have named 'The War Without Echoes.'"
His gaze swept the class, and every child leaned in unconsciously.
"No one knows what truly transpired then," Vermas said, his voice low and steady. "All that has reached us is this: there was war between the Eastern and Western continents, a war so vast it consumed generations. Then came betrayal from the Demonic Species, forcing East and West to unite. But… what ended it all was not victory, but the awakening of the Three Deities, who cleansed the world of the Demonic Species and gave humanity a chance to survive."
Every child in the hall nodded. It was the most common story in the world, so common, in fact, that there was a saying: one learns the tale of the Three Deities before they even learn the names of their parents.
"Today," Vermas continued, "I will teach you about the said Demonic Species."
"Demonic Species?" a student whispered, half in awe, half in fear.
That single phrase ignited a spark. Wide-eyed, the children leaned forward in their seats, hearts pounding. Legends were one thing, but to hear details of the monsters that once truly roamed their world made the air feel charged, dangerous.
"Yes," Vermas said, nodding gravely. "There were and still are three major Demonic Species, although they are hidden from the world."
His voice grew colder, sharper, as if even speaking of them demanded caution.
"First were the Elves, predators draped in beauty. They were masters of poisons, brewing venoms deadlier than anything our alchemists could dream of. Just one drop could collapse a city. And before a cure for one poison was found, they had already created a dozen more. They fed on flesh, especially the brains of other species. It was said they believed consuming thoughts gave them wisdom."
Some students nodded their heads. Taking mental notes for the test.
"Then came the Mermaids. Enchanting, irresistible, their voices could snare any who heard them. Entire fleets were lured to their doom by a single song. They offered pleasure so intense it stripped men and women of their reason until their bodies withered from indulgence. Survivors, if they could be called that, were driven mad, craving only another taste of that bliss. Entirely female, they twisted their forms to meet the desires of their prey. To love them was to be destroyed by them."
A ripple of unease swept the room when they heard the description of Mermaids.
"And lastly," Vermas said, his tone hardening, "the Dwarves. Unlike Elves or Mermaids, they possessed no beauty. Short and grotesque, with bodies like stone and skin tough as iron. But they had minds sharp enough to birth horrors. They forged golems, not of clay or metal, but of stolen souls, trapping their victims for eternity in mindless servitude. They were cowards at heart but cruel, delighting in the endless torment of those weaker than them."
For a moment, silence hung heavy, only for it to be broken the next second as children returned to normal. For them all of these were things of the past with no clear clue if they even existed.
"These three plagued the Western Continent," Vermas concluded. "But in the East… matters were different. There were no 'species' as such, only three beasts. Each one is said to be stronger than even an Aethersage.
The origins of all three species of the western continent as well as the three beasts of the eastern continent are unknown, their habits unrecorded. Every attempt to study their lands has ended in failure. Even today, those places are marked as forbidden. No one below the rank of Aethersage can step there and live."
The children bent over their notes, pens scratching, their minds a bit heavy with the enormity of a forgotten age.
After checking that every child had scribbled down the essential notes, Vermas finally dismissed the class. The benches screeched faintly as the students stood, stretching and groaning after hours of cramped posture.
Caelrisu leaned back, arms reaching high over her head, her back arching as she stretched with a quiet sigh. "Finally…"
"Tired?"
Lunaris's voice drifted over as he walked up beside her, his own steps unhurried, his expression betraying fatigue he tried to mask with a faint smile.
Caelrisu glanced at him, a playful spark flickering in her crimson-flecked eyes. "I just feel like I am being watched at night. But speaking of tiredness, I think I should be asking you that, brother."
He chuckled, giving an 'as if' expression, though it sounded weary. "Fair."
He gave her his hand and helped her stand up.
"Unlike you, who can go home to train or rest, I don't have that luxury. I have to go to the Clan Head for daily lessons in languages and politics. Then, I'll study war strategies with the First Elder. After that, Vermas will grind me through combat training to sharpen my mastery over Strength. And finally… I still need to practice my Awakened Abilities if I want to reach Second Rank, Verdant Soul, as quickly as possible."
Caelrisu gave a low whistle. "Damn… that's rough. Even with your [Sovereign] ability reforging your body, it's still brutal."
Lunaris gave a wry smile. "True. I suppose I should thank this body every day for not collapsing from exhaustion."
"Thank goodness I didn't become Clan Successor," Caelrisu sighed.
"Yeah," Lunaris chuckled, "your body would've collapsed by now, Cael."
She smirked, then tilted her head curiously. "By the way, how many know about your Awakened ability being [Sovereign]?"
Lunaris lowered his voice, his gaze flicking briefly to make sure no one else was nearby. "Only Vermas, the Clan Head, Mother, Fremileo… and you. Besides them, no one."
"Good." Caelrisu's smile faded into something more serious, her crimson-flecked eyes glinting. "It's better if it stays that way. If word were to spread, the Temple of Reason or the Temple of Light would come knocking on our door…although they would provide plenty of compensation, they would take you with them no matter what."
"Yeah. For now, I'll get going for my lessons."
Waving goodbye to Lunaris, Caelrisu headed toward her manor. The moment she entered her room, she collapsed onto her bed with a heavy sigh, her body sinking into the silken sheets.
'Although I warned Lunaris… the same applies to me.'
She let her [Analyst] ability fade, and instantly the pounding headache that had been clawing at her skull eased, if only slightly. The relief was sharp enough to remind her just how much she had been straining herself.
Her Penumbral Body helped, of course. It provided a constant, passive clarity, her thoughts sharper, her senses cleaner, and her vision cutting through the dark as though it were daylight. But deep inside, Caelrisu knew this was nothing more than a fragment. Not even one percent of the body's true potential.
The problem was that she couldn't yet reach it. Not without help.
Her [Analyst] ability, one of the eight Hero Awakened Abilities, was her only help. A month of continuous use had been required just to decipher a single function of her body.
That was why her mind felt like it had been pulled thin, why her bones seemed to ache with exhaustion even after sleep.
[Analyst] causes significant strain on the mind; if a normal human were to use her as much as she does, their brain would burst open within an hour.
And finally, she deciphered the first and easiest ability of the body.
The Penumbral Body was not flesh bound to bone. It was bound to her very soul.
Which meant… even if she were trapped inside a golem, like those enslaved by the ancient Dwarves, she would not lose it. Even if she died and reincarnated, her body would follow her across lifetimes.
A body that could never be taken from her.
And as for what she received from devouring 'Her True Self,' she sighed.