"I can see more than others—you're not wrong about that," Cassandra said quietly."But…"
Her gaze sharpened.
And then—
Her vision shifted.
Not outward—
But inward.
Into him.
Into the depths of Aaron's being.
Into the space where his soul resided.
Darkness greeted her.
Vast.
Endless.
And at its center—
Something stirred.
An oracle-like presence, faint yet profound, wrapped around his existence like a veil.
Cassandra pushed further.
Her consciousness pressing deeper, peeling back layer after layer—
Almost there…
Then—
A sound.
Low.
Primordial.
A roar.
It didn't echo.
It shook.
The darkness trembled violently as something within it awakened.
Cassandra's eyes widened—
What is—
A flash.
Blinding.
A golden blade tore through the void.
Massive.
Ancient.
Absolute.
Before she could react—
It cut.
Not her body—
But her presence.
Severed her connection completely.
—
Snap…
—
Cassandra's eyes flew open.
Her breath came out uneven.
Ragged.
For the first time since Aaron had met her—
She looked… shaken.
Truly shaken.
A hand rose slightly to her chest as she steadied herself.
"…Interesting…"
Then her gaze locked onto him.
Sharper than before.
Deeper.
"Tell me, Aaron…"
A brief pause.
"What exactly is in your Soul Space?"
Her voice lowered slightly.
Because this—
This was no longer casual curiosity.
"For something to cut me off like that…"
A faint exhale.
"…while I am at Legend Tier…"
A small, almost incredulous smile appeared.
"…is quite surprising."
Her eyes didn't leave his.
"That," she added quietly,"is as far as my sight goes… I'm afraid."
"…Hmm… I understand."
Aaron responded nodding thoughts
What lies within…
A pause he locked his eyes with her.
Then—
If you would allow it… I'll take a look myself.
Cassandra gave an approving nod.
—
The moment those words echoed—
Something shifted.
Aaron's eyes faintly lit up.
And suddenly—
He felt it.
A pull.
Not outward—
But inward.
Deep into himself.
Into the depths of his thoughts.
His mind.
No—
Further.
Darkness swallowed everything.
For a brief moment, there was nothing.
No sound.
No sensation.
Only an endless void.
Then—
The veil parted.
Aaron stood before a door.
A large, wooden door.
Ancient.
Its surface was etched with intricate markings, veins of light blue and indigo running through it like living currents. Small leaves curled along its edges, as if the door itself had grown rather than been crafted.
At its center—
A symbol.
A crescent moon, intertwined with a dagger.
Aaron stared at it.
A strange familiarity tugged at him.
"…What is this…?"
No answer came.
Slowly—
He reached out.
And pushed.
—
The doors opened.
—
Light spilled outward.
And beyond it—
A room
Large
Structured
Real
To the left—
Shelves.
Endless rows of them.
Packed tightly with books—old, worn, some bound in strange materials, others faintly pulsing with energy.
Beside them, potion stands lined the wall.
Glass vials of varying sizes and shapes rested upon them—some bubbling softly, others glowing lightly.
The air carried a faint, sharp scent reminiscent of a forest.
Alchemy
Precision
Control
To the right—
A throne-like chair.
Carved from what looked like ancient wood, dark and refined, its surface engraved with symbols that pulsed faintly with a quiet, steady rhythm.
It wasn't just a seat.
It was a place of authority.
And someone sat upon it.
—
The figure.
—
The same one.
His summon.
Seated calmly, one leg crossed over the other.
Composed.
Unbothered.
Alive.
In one hand, he held a small glass vial filled with a softly bubbling liquid.
With slow, deliberate precision, he tilted it—
Letting the substance coat the edge of a dagger held in his other hand.
He rotated the blade slightly, watching the liquid settle along its surface before giving a small, satisfied motion.
Then—
He reached to the side.
Hooking the dagger onto a rack.
Not empty.
Far from it.
Multiple daggers hung there, each distinct, each treated with the same careful attention.
Behind, Above the throne—
Mounted neatly against the wall—
Hung two double-barreled hand shotguns.
Dark gold.
Intricately designed.
Silent.
Waiting.
—
The figure finally moved.
Not abruptly.
Not surprised.
As if he had known all along.
Slowly—
He lifted his head.
From beneath the shadow of his hood—
Two faint golden eyes burned to life.
And locked onto Aaron.
Who gave a sheepish smile of approval and turned…
towards… the far end of the room.
Another door stood there.
Unlike the first—
This one was different.
It was made entirely of white marble-like stone.
Pristine.
Unmarked.
Like a blank slate.
Untouched.
It felt… out of place.
And yet—
Important.
A question stirred deep within him.
What lies beyond that door…?
For a moment, he simply stared.
But suddenly as if on instinct—
He pulled back.
Instinctively.
Like something told him—
Not yet.
Aaron exhaled softly.
And willed himself out.
—
The world shifted.
—
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the room with Cassandra.
Her gaze was already on him.
Waiting.
Aaron explained what he had seen—
The door.
The room.
The books.
The potions.
The figure.
He spoke of most of it.
But not everything.
The white door—
He kept to himself.
Some things…
Were better left unsaid.
At least for now.
Cassandra listened quietly, her expression unreadable.
"…Interesting," she murmured at last.
Then, without hesitation—
"We're leaving."
Aaron blinked.
"Leaving?"
She stood.
"For the Flickering Land."
Pausing to gauge his reaction.
"There, I'll give you your first taste of the Minor Planes."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"And then… training."
Aaron nodded.
There was no reason to refuse.
Golden flames erupted around them once more—
Controlled.
Silent.
And in the next instant—
They vanished.
—
When Aaron regained his senses—
The ground beneath him was different.
Rough.
Earthen.
Alive.
He looked up.
A vast forest stretched endlessly before them.
Tall trees.
Dense.
Shadows weaving between their trunks like something waiting to move.
Then—
He turned.
Behind them stood a wall.
Massive.
Iron.
Towering so high it seemed to pierce the sky itself.
Its length—
Endless.
Like a boundary drawn by something that did not want what lay beyond, in front of them….to escape.
Cassandra stepped forward slightly.
"This," she said calmly, "is the Flickering Land."
"One of the many remnant zones left behind after the Divine War."
Her voice remained steady.
But there was a weight to her words.
"It's also known as a Kill Zone."
Aaron's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why?"
She glanced toward the forest.
"Because the boundaries here are unstable."
"Minor Planes… Lesser Planes… even, on rare occasions, fragments of Great Planes—"
Her gaze hardened.
"They rupture."
"Break open."
"Bleed into this Land"
She sighed heavily her hand rested on her face
"And every time, that they do....this place expands."
Aaron felt a chill run down his spine.
"…So it keeps getting bigger?"
"Yes."
Her answer was immediate.
"And the deeper you go…"
She looked directly at him.
"…the worse it gets."
A faint silence lingered.
She laughed in dreaded exhaustion..
"You might even encounter an ughh...Entityic Devourer."
That defintion alone carried weight.
Danger
perhaps even…
Death?!
Cassandra turned away slightly, already moving forward.
"Call your summon" she said casually.
Then, with a faint glance over her shoulder—
"And try to keep up."