The day slipped by quickly, the world unfolding around them in a blur of color and life.
Before they realized it, the sun had begun to sink.
Shadows stretched long across the ground as they rode into a forest, the path ahead stretching endlessly beneath the canopy.
"We are close," Selyndra said, taking the lead.
They rode deeper.
Then something shifted.
The air thickened.
Dark. Heavy.
A shimmer rolled through the atmosphere like a pulse.
"Do you all feel that?" Eiden said, his expression still calm.
They pulled their horses to a halt.
"Yes," Iris said, sliding off her horse. "It is aura. We are inside someone's aura field. They are releasing it on purpose."
The others dismounted.
"We do not need the horses. We are close anyway."
Selyndra raised a hand glowing with aura. The horses looked at it, then bolted down the road, disappearing into the forest.
Vaelus blinked. "What did you just do?"
"A control spell. I sent them away," Selyndra replied.
"Ohhh," Vaelus said, nodding like he understood.
"Everyone hush," Eiden said.
He unclipped his grimoire from his waist and opened it.
Vaelus leaned over his shoulder, then his eyes shot wide.
"What the fuck!"
Iris and Selyndra turned sharply as Vaelus snatched the grimoire from Eiden's hands.
"What?" Iris asked.
Vaelus flipped through the pages, confusion twisting his face.
"What the serious fuck is going on!"
"It cannot be that bad," Selyndra said, covering her mouth slightly.
Until Vaelus turned the grimoire toward them.
"Woah…" Iris whispered.
The pages were shifting, spells rewriting themselves, lines of text rearranging, symbols morphing into new ones every second.
"What did you do to your grimoire…" Selyndra said, taking it carefully.
Eiden snatched it back and clipped it to his waist.
"So you want to explain what happened? Your grimoire never did that before," Vaelus said.
Silence.
Then Eiden spoke.
"I recreated my grimoire using Creation Magic. I wanted my Infinite Grimoire to live up to its name. So I made a new version, one that contains every spell and ability to exist."
The others stared.
Eiden continued.
"I divided it. One section holds spells. The other holds all knowledge, languages, living things, non living things, everything. What you saw was the grimoire generating new spells constantly. It is designed to gather all knowledge and spells."
He placed a hand on the grimoire.
"And since my soul is bound to it, the knowledge is automatically implanted into my mind. I can use any ability. But it is still not nearly as powerful as the Grimoire of Divinark. I made this because I want to get stronger."
"Ohhh, that makes sense. But damn, you are insanely powerful right now," Vaelus said, half excited, half terrified.
"Can we not forget someone is nearby releasing their aura like this?" Selyndra said, tucking her hair behind her shoulders.
"Wherever they are, this feeling is annoying," Iris muttered.
Selyndra turned to Eiden.
"Eiden, we are all suppressing our mana right now. If we unsuppress it, we might not intimidate whoever is doing this. But you, your aura might. It is basically on Civilar's level."
"Yeah… you are right," Eiden said quietly.
He released his aura.
In an instant, the forest felt heavy, suffocating, thick with bloodlust despite the calm expression on his face. The air warped around them, the ground humming under their feet.
Then a figure stepped out from behind the trees ahead.
A grey robe.
A grey cloak.
Hood up, face hidden.
The moment they appeared, their aura died down. They suppressed it completely.
"Eiden the Divinity…" the figure said, voice smooth and familiar. "It has been a long time. But something is different about you. Your mana… it is stronger than mine."
The figure lifted their hood.
A young faced male.
Feline ears twitching.
A tail swaying lazily behind him.
Short black hair shifting with the wind.
Blue eyes locked onto Eiden.
A grey grimoire at his waist.
Lean muscle visible beneath the robe.
The four recognized him instantly.
Before any of them could speak, the figure bolted forward and slammed into Eiden with a hug, spinning him around violently.
"It has been a long time, Eiden!" he laughed, eyes closed, grin wide.
He finally let go and stepped back a few meters.
"It has been a while indeed, Dravien," Eiden said with a soft smirk, ruffling Dravien's hair.
Dravien giggled like a child.
"Dravien? Why are you here?" Iris asked.
Eiden lowered his hand back to his side.
"Oh! I have been staying out here for a few days. Morvath told me to, said I am always bored in the mansion. Come on, the mansion is this way. And Eiden, please suppress your mana. I almost thought you were Civilar even though I was looking right at you."
Dravien turned and walked off the path, humming a cheerful melody as he weaved through the trees. His eyes were wide, his smile bright, tail swaying with each step.
The others followed.
Silence lingered for a moment before Dravien spoke again.
"So, Eiden… sounds like you have gotten stronger. And you have all three blades now. But they do not radiate differently like before. Now they are equal. Same intensity. Same pressure. Probably the same level as your mana field… interesting. And that grimoire of yours, very nice. You have gotten a lot stronger."
"Yes, you are right," Eiden said. "I have gained many things… but I still do not have the Grimoire of Divinark."
"Oh? So you do want to be a literal god," Dravien said, surprised.
"That is what I have been thinking too," Selyndra added, raising an eyebrow. "How much stronger do you need to be when you already have the potential to kill Civilar and the other three with a single spell?"
"Well, it is not like he would do that," Dravien said. "Eiden would never overpower his enemies. He would fight them at their level so the fight is fair."
He stopped at the edge of a large hill.
Below them stretched a vast open field of grass.
"And here we are!" he said cheerfully.
"This is not where the mansion used to be, nor where it is!" Selyndra snapped, smacking the back of Dravien's head.
"Owwww!" he whined, rubbing the spot. After a moment, he lowered his hand. "Eiden, do you have an ability to see through barriers?"
Eiden unclipped his grimoire.
The pages stopped shifting. The words stabilized.
He closed it and clipped it back to his waist.
"I now have a major amount of visual technique, why?"
"Nice. Use the one that sees through barriers," Dravien said.
Eiden focused.
His eyes did not change, but something in the air did.
His eyes widened.
"Hm? What is it?" Iris asked.
Eiden stepped forward, past Dravien.
"Hey! Hey!" Vaelus bolted toward him.
"HEY!" Iris yelled. Selyndra's eyes widened.
They expected Eiden to fall off the cliff.
Instead, he vanished.
Vaelus skidded to a halt at the edge.
"What the…"
He leaned forward.
And saw it.
A massive white mansion.
Birds perched on berry bushes.
Deer resting in patches of soft grass.
A peaceful hidden world.
Iris and Selyndra stepped forward and passed through the invisible barrier.
Vaelus stumbled after them.
They now stood inside a beautiful concealed domain.
The mansion towered ahead.
Dravien slipped through the barrier last, humming as he walked toward the mansion.
"Follow meeee!!" he sang cheerfully, skipping the last few steps as he approached the towering white doors.
The others followed behind him.
Eiden's eyes wandered, taking in the hidden world around them. Birds perched on berry bushes, deer rested in soft grass, and the air felt impossibly calm, untouched by the outside world.
Dravien pushed the doors open with both hands.
"They're here!!!!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the massive halls.
A shrill, excited screech erupted from above.
"EEE!"
Rapid footsteps thundered down the stairs, followed by slower, heavier ones.
Seraphaine appeared first.
She stopped at the top of the staircase, breath catching in her throat. Her long curly brown hair bounced with the sudden halt, her yellow robe and black cloak swaying around her. Her hand clutched the golden necklace on her chest. Her hazel eyes shimmered, almost overflowing.
Then she bolted.
She sprinted down the stairs and crashed into Eiden, hugging him tightly, her head pressed against his chest.
"You're back!" she said, voice trembling with joy.
She stepped back, lifting her gaze to meet his.
Eiden gave a soft smile. "It's nice to see you again, Seraphaine."
Seraphaine giggled quietly, wiping at her eyes.
"I am so glad you are back…"
Then her gaze drifted, landing on the unfamiliar woman beside Eiden.
She pointed, confused.
"Who is that?"
Iris answered before anyone else could.
"Who? Selyndra? Yeah, that is her."
Seraphaine's eyes lit up instantly.
"Oh!"
She rushed forward and wrapped Selyndra in a tight hug. Selyndra blinked, then smiled and hugged her back, patting her gently between the shoulders.
"It is nice to see you too," Selyndra said warmly.
They stepped apart, and Seraphaine spun in place, hands clasped together, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Oh gosh, I have not seen most of you in a while! Eeee, this is so exciting!!"
Her voice echoed through the hall like sunlight.
The slow footsteps finally reached the bottom of the stairs.
All of them turned.
Morvath stood there.
Tall.
Muscular.
Shirtless, wearing only black pants and boots.
Two black fang shaped swords hung at his waist.
His long black hair was tied into a bun, a few strands falling loose as he descended with a calm predatory confidence that made the air feel heavier.
"Well well well…" Morvath said, smirking. "If it is not Eiden the First Divinity. Man, come here!"
He crossed the room in a few strides and pulled Eiden into a high crushing hug, lifting him slightly off the ground before setting him down and stepping back to look him over.
"You have got a new… everything on you," Morvath said with a grin. "Come on, let us go to my living room and talk."
He turned and walked deeper into the mansion.
They followed him into a massive room.
A colossal white couch sat in the center, shaped like a crescent moon. Tall windows let in beams of soft warm light. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tomes and artifacts. A chandelier of crystal branches hung above, glowing faintly with magic.
The group of six entered.
And for the first time in nineteen years, the Seven Great Sages were reunited.