He collapsed to the floor of his consciousness, paralyzed by a cold that had nothing to do with ice—the freezing, hollow void of the Pure Darkness.
...
But in a mere second, everything turned back to normal.
In reality, Lucian was on the floor, coughing and trembling as he fought to catch his breath. When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself beneath the magnificent tree once more. He forced himself up; his body was weak, but he could handle the strain. He noticed the entire area was submerged in water—but before he could process the sight, exhaustion took over, and he fell into a deep sleep.
…
When Lucian finally woke, he tried to stand. Though his limbs felt like lead, he managed to stay upright. Massaging his temples, he whispered— "Uhh… what happened?"
The Dragon noticed him immediately. She rushed over, wrapping her body around him so he could lean against her for support. "Lucian! You're finally awake!" she cried excitedly.
Awake? When did I fall asleep? he thought. He looked at her— "How long was I out?"
"For about a week," she replied.
Lucian's head snapped toward her in shock, though the rest of his body refused to move. "A week!? I've been asleep that long? What happened?" He glanced past the dragon's wing and saw the goddess still standing there.
Oh damn… He quickly bowed his head. "G-Greetings, my Goddess!"
Ice laughed softly. "Greetings!"
"M-May I ask what happened inside my mind?" Lucian asked nervously. With a nod, Ice began to explain.
…
After the explanation, Ice looked at Lucian intently. "Do you have a connection to someone who controls the dark?"
"Yes," Lucian answered honestly. "It was my father. Although he was a dark mage, I inherited my mother's magic."
Ice looked at the Dragon. "Still."
Knowing exactly what was needed, the dragon—Still—flew toward a frozen shelf at the northeast end of the cave and retrieved a book.
Still? Lucian thought, a giggle bubbling up in his chest. Pfft… HAHAHA… that's her name? What a cute name. Why didn't she tell me?
When the dragon returned, her scales seemed to flush a deep red with embarrassment. She shoved the book toward Lucian, who was still giggling.
"May I ask what this is?" Lucian managed to ask.
"That is my gift," Ice replied. "You'll need it later. Now… let us open the letter. It is yours, I suppose."
Lucian blinked. Oh, I totally forgot about that.
Still handed the frozen parchment to Lucian. "You already know how to melt it, right? Feel the coldness within the ice—then absorb it."
Lucian nodded and closed his eyes. He touched the frozen letter, falling into a focused silence. Imagine the cold particles. Absorb them.
Under his touch, the ice vanished, turning into a thin layer of water. He had absorbed the cold from within.
"I did it," Lucian whispered, his voice rising with excitement. "I did it! Yes!"
"Congrats!" Still cheered. "Now open it. I'm curious!"
Lucian frowned. "Wait, this is my letter. Why are you the curious one?"
"Not just me," Still countered. "Look at her."
Lucian looked at Ice and saw a strange spark in her eyes. Is that… excitement? Never mind. He carefully unfolded the parchment. Inside was a single piece of paper, completely blank.
"What!?" Still shouted. "It's just a blank page? What is wrong with her?!"
Tears began to flow from Lucian's right eye. "No," he whispered. "It has a passcode."
He remembered what his mother always said whenever they shared a secret.
"Shh. Do not tell your father, okay?" "Do not worry, Mom. I will not tell Father."
Lucian took a breath and spoke the words aloud— "Do not worry, Mom. I will not tell Father."
The moment the words left his lips, the parchment dissolved into white ashes. They rose into the air, swirling and rearranging themselves into glowing words. It was Phersephonny Eureka's final message.
"My child. If you are reading this, I am already dead. It also means you found the heirloom I mentioned. Congratulations.
Thank you. Even though your father and I were not there to support you, you still chose to search for it. I am sorry we had to leave you alone so young, in such a dangerous place. I'm sorry I had to lie about the heirloom being a physical object—it was only to give you motivation.
Forgive us. Being the children of criminals, we had to hide you. I am sorry we could not spoil you, or teach you the depths of our magic. Your father and I argued often—if you inherited his magic, society would hate you. If you inherited mine, they would experiment on you. We thought, at times, that having no child would be better… that any inheritance would only be a burden.
But our desire for you was stronger. You were born—our handsome, clever Lucian. I was overjoyed when I saw your talent for Ice magic. You were so smart, learning to read at four. But our time was short. Our elements backfired sooner than expected, and we lacked the guidance to stop it.
I cried the moment you cast your first spell.
We love you, my child. You were our greatest treasure. You walk alone now, and the path you choose is yours. We will not judge. Stay healthy. Eat on time. Take care of yourself—if you fail, I will haunt you in your sleep.
If you enter society, be cautious. You carry the name of a great and cruel family. An alias would protect you. Make friends—trust matters more than numbers. Remember, we are watching from above.
We love you."
—Phersephonny Eureka
Lucian's tears would not stop. "Y-Yes, Mom. I'll take care of myself. I'll find friends. I'll do everything… I love you too."
Nearby, Still and Ice read along, their own eyes shimmering. Still whispered, "Mom… sniff… this feels so warm." The two of them clung to each other, moved by the human's love.
Then, the silence was broken by a thunderous sound.
Grumbleeeeeeeee…
Still panicked. "What was that!? An earthquake? An intruder?!"
"Calm down, Still," Ice said, pointing. "It's just Lucian. Look at him."
Lucian looked up sheepishly. "I haven't eaten in days… can I have some food?"
Still frowned. "Right… you're still a human. Wait here, I'll fetch—"
Ice interrupted with a snap of her fingers. Instantly, a massive feast appeared, covering the ground beneath the tree. "Eat," she commanded with a smile.
Lucian didn't wait. He began to eat ravenously, forgetting his manners entirely.
Still watched him, then tilted her head. "You're really hungry, huh? But Lucian… why didn't your left eye shed any tears? Is my creation not perfect?"
"Let me recreate it," Ice offered.
Lucian paused, shaking his head. "No need. It's fine. No creation is perfect, right? Flaws are what make things complete." He let out a quiet breath. "Besides, I think I've run out of tears. I cried too much when I was a child. Thank you for everything. I am truly grateful."
Still smiled smugly. "Don't be, Lucian. We aren't done yet."
Lucian blinked. "What do you mean?"
Ice grinned—a wicked, playful look. "You aren't leaving this space until you've learned everything there is to know about Ice magic!"
Lucian's eyes widened. "So you're just going to confine me here until I learn it all?!"
Ice and Still shared a laugh. "Of course not! Hahaha!"
Lucian sighed deeply, accepting his fate.
…
A few hours later, after they had settled down to talk, Lucian looked around the cave. "Am I tripping, or does this place look completely different?"
The two looked at him, confused. "Do you not remember?" Still asked.
"Remember what?"
Ice explained— "Before you passed out, while you were trying to understand the Authority of Coldness, you accidentally absorbed every cold particle in the vicinity—including the cave itself. I had to rebuild this divine place from scratch."
Lucian was stunned. "What? I thought I was only absorbing the particles in my mind. How could I take in that much?"
"I will let you discover that for yourself," Ice replied. "Are you done eating? We're starting right now."
Lucian took a deep breath and stood up. He looked at them—a dragon and a god. With a new confidence in his gaze, he nodded.
"I'm ready!"
—End of Arc 1. Discovery.