Chapter 35 - Time To Wake Up

  The bonds awakened like stars igniting in darkness, one after another, each one flooding Daniel with power and recognition. Four distinct signatures, four familiar patterns of magic that he'd carried dormant for a thousand years.

  The white domain began to crack.

  Reality itself seemed to shudder as the first bond fully ignited. The air around Daniel rippled, distorting like heat waves, but wrong—like space itself was folding and unfolding in rapid succession. Layers of existence that normal eyes couldn't perceive suddenly became visible as translucent sheets of reality, stacked on top of each other like pages in a book.

  ‘Mmh… Why does it feel like I have slept for a thousand years?’

  The first voice was unbelievably clear and resonant, like quintuplets all speaking at the exact same time. It was like someone had turned the echo setting to negative ten.

  "Bartelax, it's nice to see you again." Daniel kept his voice warm despite the power flooding through him. “We have all been sleeping for a long time, and I apologize for that.”

  Bartelax, the spirit of dimensional layers. It was a Sarun magic Artorias only used in the most serious of battles, working as an amplifier of his other magic by allowing spells to exist across multiple planes of reality simultaneously.

  ‘...So you’re still my master. I should have known.’

  There was something almost fond in the spirit's multi-layered voice, a warmth that transcended the alien nature of its speech.

  “The world had a thousand years to take you from me, so don’t blame me.”

  ‘Mmh… Thank you for waking me, then. Let me know if you need me.’

  Daniel could sense Bartelax retreating, watching the dimensional distortions fading as the spirit's consciousness pulled back toward the spirit realm. He was content simply to be awakened and acknowledged.

  The layers of reality settled back into their normal, singular state.

  Then the next voice appeared, and with it, everything accelerated.

  For a fraction of a second, Daniel could see every possible movement, every potential path, all happening simultaneously in a blur of motion that collapsed back into stillness.

  ‘A thousand years? Arty-boy, what happened in that final fight?’

  This voice was strangely melodic, and every sound seemed layered with every tone of the scale, from the deepest bass to the lightest peep.

  This was Mercix, the spirit of acceleration magic. Great for mobility in combat and for stopping physical attacks. Daniel had used that magic exactly once in this new life, in his confrontation with Lyzelle, dodging her attack with speed that made him seem to teleport.

  It was an incredible skill, but weakened by the fact that the movement required an equal and opposite force on something else nearby. It also required far more mana than the energy applied. But the speed and versatility made it invaluable.

  "We were winning, as you might remember, but the corrupted one could heal any injury we inflicted." Daniel felt the old frustration resurface, remembering that impossible battle. "So I had to create a seal, cutting off her mana and preventing her from influencing the rest of the continent. And to create such a seal, to make sure it would work, it had to be made from the inside."

  ‘Ah, okay. Let me know if you need me! I’ll go back to the spirit realm for now.’

  The spirit's tone was cheerful, unbothered by the revelation. A thousand years trapped in stasis? Just another nap. The resilience of truly immortal beings.

  “Will do, Mercix.”

  The kinetic shimmer faded as the spirit traveled back home.

  Daniel sensed the two archmages had fallen to the ground during the manifestations. They were staring at each other with as much shock as one could fit onto their faces, mouths working silently as they tried to process what they were witnessing.

  And if they still had doubts, the next voice would silence them completely.

  Black flames erupted around Daniel, visible even through the whiteness. It was not consuming anything but simply existing around him, ready to obey any command.

  ‘Artorias.’

  This voice was a deep whisper, hollow and sharp at the same time. Like wind through a canyon, or the last breath of dying embers.

  Aarthax, spirit of the void flame. Artorias's second spirit, and arguably his most dangerous.

  “Aarthax. I’m sorry, old friend. If I had realized it would seal you guys as well…”

  ‘You did the right thing. We have infinity to get over it, and all our friends are still alive. You, on the other hand…’

  The concern hung in the air. Spirits were eternal, but their contractor was supposed to be dead. Sealed away for a thousand years, sacrificed to save the world. And yet here he was, somehow alive, somehow returned. And alone.

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  “...I’m handling it. And I already met Zoltran again, so it’s not all bad.”

  ‘I am glad.’ The void flames pulsed with what might have been approval. ‘I can sense that your strength has increased since our last meeting, but don’t hesitate to call upon us. We could use the exercise.’

  “I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Then Aarthax left as well, taking his black flames with him, which meant only his first spirit remained. His greatest spirit. The one who'd been with him the longest, fought beside him through countless battles, stood with him at the very end.

  The white domain didn’t collide with this spirit, instead turning stronger and more solid, as one might expect of two sister spirits.

  But even after plenty of time had passed, she remained silent.

  “...Vix?”

  The moment the nickname left his lips, golden triangles of light exploded around him, like a mess of polygons going berserk.

  ‘Don’t you DARE use friendly nicknames with me, you bastard!’

  Daniel sighed. He knew Vixani might cause a problem. It was part of the reason he had waited so long to awaken them all.

  “Oh, great spirit of gold light, Vixani. Could you find it in your heart to forgive this insolent soul?”

  The golden light flared brighter, hot enough now that Daniel could feel it against his skin. Not burning—she'd never actually hurt him—but angry. So, so angry.

  ‘Don’t patronize me! I was there until the end, unlike these others, remember? You cared more about that girl than you did about us!’

  …What?

  Daniel's mind scrambled, trying to understand. What girl was she talking about? Elania? That didn't make sense; she was as betrayed by his actions as anyone. He'd left her behind, sealed himself away, chosen duty over love. If anything, Elania should have been the one Vixani sympathized with.

  Or is it…

  “The healer girl?”

  ‘You know damn well it’s the healer girl. For a supposed genius, you sure are blindingly dumb.’

  However much he tried to remember Artorias’s final moments, nothing about the healer girl stood out to him. Had some memories been erased after the seal froze everything?

  “I… honestly don’t remember doing anything for her. But I do apologize for what happened. Really.”

  ‘...You really don’t know, do you? Even when she’s…’

  The golden light dimmed suddenly, bleeding into something else. Something that felt almost like... pity?

  “...What?”

  ‘No, it’s not important. You don’t need me for a while.’

  That was a clear command, from spirit to master.

  Daniel really wanted to press for answers, but he didn’t dare make her angrier than she already was. Whatever she was talking about, she wasn't ready to explain.

  “Just… tell me when you’re ready.”

  ‘Perhaps.' The word was soft, almost sad. Then her tone shifted, becoming more gentle than it had been with him. 'Come, Luna. We have much to catch up on.’

  ‘It really was you, sister! Oh, I’ll be right there!’

  The joy in Lunarex’s voice was unmistakable. She’d been searching for her sister for a thousand years.

  Daniel could feel both spirits vanish, and the white domain shook, eventually vanishing entirely. The scene that remained was almost the exact same as it had been before the domain manifested—same room, same furniture, same people.

  The only change was the two archmages, who were kneeling so deeply in front of Daniel that their foreheads were staining the floor with sweat. Their bodies were trembling, whether from fear or awe or the sheer magical pressure they'd been subjected to, Daniel couldn't tell.

  Felicia sat frozen on the couch, with her jaw wide open. Her mana-sight tendrils were trembling as they extended toward him. She'd been in the presence of five ancient spirits at once—something most mages never experienced in a lifetime.

  The Grifantes men had been outside the domain, but even they stood frozen now, staring at the scene with dawning horror, wondering what could have caused the two powerful mages to kneel.

  “What the hell am I paying you two for?!” Erodin's voice was hysterical. “You’re kneeling to him?!”

  The two archmages remained silent, only shaking their heads. Despite all the blood that should be rushing to their heads, their faces were pale, almost sickly.

  “I just told them to stay out of it, since this is family business.”

  Daniel walked forward, approaching Erodin with unhurried steps. Each footfall seemed unnaturally loud in the silence, echoing off the walls.

  The barrier that protected the patriarch was removed the instant he got close, by the bearded archmage's command. He had picked his side in this fight, and picked wisely.

  Without the protection, Erodin fell backwards and scrambled away on the floor in panic. All pretense of dignity had abandoned him.

  "Wait! What do you think you're doing?!" His voice was like the sound of a cornered animal, desperate and dangerous.

  "Removing an infection from this family. Surely something better will grow in your place."

  Erodin's face suddenly dulled, as if a thought had struck all the senses from his mind. The fear drained away, replaced by a strange smile that caused Daniel to pause mid-step.

  What now?

  “Hah! You’re… You’re threatening the family?! Fantastic!”

  An amulet hanging on Erodin’s chest suddenly shattered, releasing a blast of mana far greater than the cane had managed. A signal, sent somewhere much further away than the formations in the tower. A call for help.

  Ah, so Elania is your final defense? Only called when the family is in danger?

  Daniel smiled, knowing full well that she was days away from the city.

  “Whatever you are, you should run,” Erodin said, more excited than worried now. “But I do hope you stay, so I can see your face when you realize how dead you are.”

  “You should stop speaking.”

  Golden shackles of light suddenly appeared from nothing, chaining Erodin’s limbs to the floor and pulling him to a kneeling position. A final binding sealed his mouth, making it impossible for him to speak.

  He resisted with all his power, but even if his level hadn’t been pathetic for his position, he wouldn’t have had a chance of breaking it.

  Daniel turned to Lucian, who was as pale as the two archmages, watching in shock as his father was humiliated.

  “Lucian, you seem like a decent man. Who should lead this family?”

  “...I… I don’t—”

  Then the world froze.

  Felicia froze, Erodin froze, Lucian froze, and even the archmages froze. Endless mana, sharp and heavy, hanging over everyone like a promise of death.

  Only Daniel could still move, but he was frozen for a different reason. His eyes shot to the doorway, where the most beautiful being in the world had appeared.

  “Who dares attack the family of—”

  Then she froze as well, staring into Daniel’s eyes.