In less than a heartbeat, the divine warmth vanished.
Lucian stumbled slightly as his boots hit solid rock. The transition was jarring—a physical slap to the senses. The air here was different; it was damp, stale, and smelled of wet stone and ancient dust. He was back in the hallway of the lower caves, the very place he had stood three months ago before the divine space had claimed him.
After the ethereal brilliance of the sanctuary, the blue crystals embedded in the walls seemed dim, like dying embers struggling against the dark. But as Lucian's eyes adjusted, he realized he could see better than ever. The training had changed his very perception. The "cold particles" in the air were visible to him now—swirling mists of blue energy that clustered around the crystals. He could see the way the temperature shifted in real-time, a map of thermal currents only he could read.
He looked around. Nothing had changed. The moss on the walls was as thick as ever, and the steady drip-drop of water from the ceiling hit the floor with the same monotonous rhythm. It was exactly as he had left it.
"Three months for me… but how long for the world?" he whispered, his voice sounding small in the vast quiet.
He looked down at his side. A small, fist-sized ball of pure white light was bobbing in the air next to his hip. It was Snow, the manifestation of the sanctuary's mana that Ice had gifted him.
"Are you ready, Snow?"
The ball pulsed with a brilliant, rhythmic light—a silent "Yes." At Lucian's unspoken desire, Snow flew toward his right wrist. In a blur of light, the spirit condensed, forming a silver bracelet. It was elegant and simple, featuring a pendant of a tree surrounded by small, glittering crystals. It looked like a piece of high-end jewelry, a perfect disguise for a high-level magical construct.
Lucian checked the fit, satisfied. He felt the weight of his new life on his shoulders. He was Lucian now—not just the Frost Wanderer, but a disciple of a Goddess. He turned toward the roar of the waterfall that marked the exit of the cave system. Even from here, he could see the sunlight hitting the spray, creating a shimmering curtain of gold.
He raised his left hand, his mana surging through his veins like liquid nitrogen.
"Open!"
With that single command, the thundering waterfall didn't just move; it obeyed. The water split down the middle, peeling back to reveal the mirror-like surface of the river and the sprawling, ancient forests of the mountain.
Lucian stepped out of the cave. As his feet hit the air, a soft blue-white light erupted from his soles. He didn't sink. Instead of swimming or wading, he continued his walk directly onto the surface of the river. With every step, the water beneath his enchanted feet instantly crystallized into hard, jagged ice, capable of supporting his weight with ease. Behind him, the divided waterfall crashed back together, sealing the secrets of the cave behind a wall of foam.
He stopped in the middle of the river, the current swirling around the ice platforms he had created. Lucian was still amazed by the scenery. He took a deep, lung-filling breath of the mountain air and sighed with satisfaction. "Yes… I missed this."
He continued across the water, the rhythmic crunch-snap of freezing ice marking his progress until he finally stepped onto the muddy bank. He plunged back into the deep, thick forest, navigating the labyrinth of trees with a grace he hadn't possessed three months ago. He was heading for his true home—the shelter where his parents had raised him.
Since it was only a hundred steps away, he reached it in minutes.
The Wall of Ice he had built to protect the entrance was still intact, though a small gap had been cleared to act as a door. With a slow, downward swipe of his hand, Lucian commanded the ice to dissolve. As the barrier faded, the interior of the cave was revealed, and the memories came rushing back like a flood.
He stood in the center of the room and began to reminisce.
In his mind's eye, he saw his mother, Phersephonny, sitting close to a lit campfire, her fingers moving nimbly as she worked on her stitches. He saw his father, Gashauz, leaning over the flames, the smell of roasted meat filling the air. Lucian looked toward the mouth of the cave. There was the small, stunted tree—just tall enough to step on. He saw the piles of ready-to-burn wood and the heavy axe still plugged into the broken stump where his father had left it.
He walked deeper into the cave, passing the shelves he had helped his father organize. Each one was aligned perfectly, labeled for its purpose—herbs, pelts, dried meats. He remembered the pride he felt as a child, helping his father categorize the bounty of the forest.
He looked at the small, carved-stone kitchen. He could almost hear his mother's laughter as they organized the wooden utensils while his father's axe thudded rhythmically outside. He looked back at the unlit campfire and remembered laying in his mother's lap, the warmth of the fire and her heartbeat lulling him to sleep.
A sad, beautiful smile touched his lips. "Mother… Father… Although you aren't here, I still feel your presence." He closed his eyes tightly. "I miss you two so much."
As his eyes opened, they landed on something that didn't belong in his memories. Resting near the cold, unlit campfire were two envelopes and a strange object.
The first envelope was white, sealed with a heavy gold wax phoenix mark. The second was more regal—a shimmering gold envelope with black trim and a red wax seal featuring an open book. Next to them lay a device that looked almost like a child's toy.
Lucian picked up the white envelope first. He broke the phoenix seal and pulled out a single sheet of parchment.
"Hey Lucian, It's me, Tuff. It's been a week since you've gone missing. I remember that I left you at the top of the cave, and by the morning you were gone. Nowhere to be found.
I don't know where you are, but I hope you're fine and doing great. I apologize that we couldn't wait any longer; we had to leave you with this letter. I got a signal that someone was tracking us, and we had to act quickly. These children were already homesick from being stuck in the middle of the forest.
Also, I apologize for using your food stock. We needed it to get our strength back for the trek out. You lived a good life here alone, Lucian. But I must still do this.
Like we talked about that night, I am leaving you an invitation letter from myself so you can enter the academy. The Gold Envelope is your ticket. Take care of it until the next enrollment for first-year students.
Next to this letter, I've left an artifact. It will help you identify the time and date, since you mentioned you didn't have a way to track them. Use it well. To use it, just say 'Activate' and 'Deactivate.'
If the artifact makes a sound, it means it is exactly one month before the academy entrance exams. The academy is located near the Central Dominion at the heart of the continent—you will need weeks, maybe months, to reach it. So, you might want to start wandering that way soon.
That's all, Lucian. Wherever you are, stay safe.
—Tuff Dwayne"
Lucian finished reading and looked at the gold envelope. "Can I open it? I think not," he murmured. It felt too official, too heavy with the weight of his future. Instead, he turned his attention to the gold device on the floor.
It was a round, palm-sized disc of pure gold with a small white crystal embedded in its center. It was beautiful, a piece of craftsmanship from the civilized world he was about to enter.
Lucian held it up, watching the light catch the gold. With a clear, loud voice, he gave the command:
"Activate!"