In an ancient kingdom named Eldoria, where magic wove through the fabric of everyday life, on a night when the stars aligned in a celestial dance, a child was born to the noble House of Everwood.
The sky was clear and the air hummed with an inexplicable energy. Lady Evelina, the beloved wife of Lord Alistair, gave birth to a son in the grand chamber of their estate.
"Lord Alistair..." The midwife's assistant called for the lord as she passed the newborn to him.
"Hah, my firstborn, the name is Aric, he who is fated for great things."
'Aric... my name... no... I remember my name... My name is Temorsth... I, ugh my head!' Though the new life was already bustling right in front of him, Temorsth wasn't yet clear-minded, it seemed like everything happened in a flash of light, and he was still unsure of everything.
"WAAH... WAAH..."
"Uh? Son do you not like my face..."
"Ah, Lord Alistair, it's just a natural reaction; I will take the young master away to rest."
"Hmh? Fine, do so..." Looking at the newborn in his arms, he passed him back to the assistant.
"My wife, you did it; a great heir was born; I already see it in his eyes..." Alistair turned to his wife but before he could finish his words.
The cloudless sky began to crackle, energy so heavy that even breathing was hard- weighted everyone down. Without notice, lighting struck the mansion followed by thunder loud enough to shake the entire building.
"What's happening!?" Came a question from the Lord but no one could answer.
*Boom* An explosion of immense energy happened right at the door.
"Kya!"
"...!?" The assistant flew black puzzling the Lord for a moment.
"Son, where is my son!?" Grasping at the young woman's shoulders the Lord shouted.
"Uh... uh..." She wasn't harmed but had a rather complex look, and without a word, her shaking hand pointed to the large door, or rather the place it should have been.
"...!?" The lord's complexion paled as he followed the finger's direction.
The newborn floated midair with clear auras of white and dark; the energy twisted and turned, trying to overwhelm the other. In the struggle putting up air pressure strong enough to push the furniture and people further back.
"Son!?" Alistair reached out only to be pushed back just like the assistant.
'Ugh... I'm burning up, it's tearing me apart... agh! I... I can't die like this...'
"The Heavens what is happening!?" Confusion weighted down the room as the two forces pushed against each other with greater and greater force.
'Agh!' And the moment the two powers were about to explode from the room, two strands, one from each of the forces, shot out and reached out to the other, twisting around it like a rope; simultaneously, both powers got suppressed.
Everything quieted down in an instant; only the newborn stayed floating for a moment, and in that same moment, strange marks manifested on his body, one on each of his limbs and even on his neck, circles of both black and white with red and golden green hues.
"Aha... ah, even... even the Heavens and Hells wished to take this child... a gifted boy... a gift indeed..." The midwife called out... her voice was somewhat shaky, it seemed to try to convince herself of the words.
"Gift..." Lord Alistair repeated, looking at the boy no longer emanating energy and slowly descending, he got up and walked to him.
"...?"
"Ahah, a gift indeed! The Heavens have gifted my family!"
"Ahah... indeed!"
"Indeed..." Following the Lord's words, the others, both those who witnessed everything and those who arrived later, followed his word; no one would oppose the lord.
"Son... with this, I'm sure our family will be the greatest!" The man looked down at the sleeping boy in his arms... not witnessing Lady Evelinas horrid look and darkened eyes.
...
With everything concluded, Aric's birth was celebrated with joy and splendor. As the firstborn son of a great noble family, he was destined for greatness. Yet, from the moment he opened his eyes, it was clear that Aric was no ordinary child. His eyes, deep and knowing, seemed to hold wisdom he shouldn't possess. Those who looked into them felt a strange sense of familiarity.
As Aric grew, his abilities began to manifest in subtle ways. At a tender age, he displayed an uncanny aptitude for magic, effortlessly performing feats that even seasoned mages found challenging. His parents marveled at his talents, attributing them to the favor of the gods.
But such thoughts couldn't be further from reality...
'What is wrong with this world...? I can't cultivate at all... it's like there is no Qi in this world... That might exactly be but... there is Mana...' One of his paths of power was completely blocked.
'Back on Anantera the two were pretty much interchangeable... is something other than that also different here?'
'But even Mana is much more scarce... there most of the magic just manifested after playing around a little with the energize... I'm dying from exhaustion just from a few spells, it consumes much more focus and energy to use something here, and most of all, many magic I learned from Mom simply doesn't work.'
'I tire myself out every day, but my magic advances much slower. Even techniques like sword styles are hard to use without mana enchanting my body.'
'And another thing, the more I train... my body is...' Looking at himself in the mirror in his grandiose room, Temorsth wondered.
His brown hair and green eyes, those that were the same as his father's, over time, the more his physique advanced and the more magic he used, both his eyes and hair slowly changed back to the blue and black he had in his previous life.
'Even when my father asked the doctors, they couldn't say much... they told him something like genetic mutation or whatever, so thankfully, our relationship didn't change much.'
'Now that I think about it this world seems more technologically advanced than it should be. Genetics...? Hmh, maybe because they have less magic they rely on other things as well... but the world seems like Middle Ages Europe... how would they know Genetics... this world is strange, like a jumble of eras mushed together... or was Annantera the same?'
'Uhm? I don't know... Ugh, my head... what...? Why are my memories such a mess?'
'I have been here for four years, but until now, I haven't researched much of this world. Maybe it's time. If I remember correctly, there is a Grand Library in the estate. Isn't it restricted, though...? Hmh father probably will allow me in.'
...
A year later, in the Grand Library.
'Hmh, a year passed quickly, I looked through not just magic books but also some history ones.'
'As I thought before, this world is rather strange, technology is really advanced, there are no cars or even phones since there is teleport but there are holograms and virtual reality for battle training... medicine is also somewhat more advanced than it should be realistically but architecture is again didn't evolve since magic is used to enhance old buildings.'
'But I don't really understand why they created virtual reality. Shouldn't they have used illusion magic instead, wouldn't it have been easier?'
'Wait... Now that I think about it... illusion magic... I didn't see anything about it in any of the books here.'
'Hmh, I will have to test this. I might not be proficient but mom taught me some basics.' Temorsth reached out to some old vase and poured mana out of his hand.
"..." After a few moments, he tilted his head in wonder.
'Nothing? I just wanted to shift its apparent shape but... nothing?'
"Let me see... maybe if I use an actual spell... Alter Self!" While touching his chest, he called out.
"Uhm..." Magic encompassed his whole body... and after another moment.
"Again nothing... and my mana is lost again..."
'Is illusion magic in its full school not working here...? No, I'm jumping to conclusions; this happened before with other spells; if I want to make sure, I will have to test some more.'
"Alter Room..."
A few seconds later "Thought so..." After he released his order, the mana dispersed in the room quickly.
"There are some more, but no alteration-type magic worked so far, so I can say it probably won't either... let's try a different type."
"Fade..." He tried another spell...
"False Vision..." And another...
And even more...
"Sigh... uh... I'm exhausted... nothing so far... then... this should be the last. Sigh, the highest level I can cast right now; it eats much more, so I have the mana for only one of these spells; let's try some real illusion... 4th level Illusion spell, Ilussion Wall!"
A huge wall reaching up the top of the grand library formed of mana right in front of him.
'This magic works almost like Conjuration magic, but not quite since it's still under the Illusion school. This will make it clear. A real illusion is something that is both an illusion and reality at the same time; only under specific circumstances and conditions will it work like an illusion, simply put someone can walk right through it, and some will be stopped by it.'
"But as I see it now..." The moment he let his hands down, it dispersed like the others. "...this doesn't work either."
"Uhg... I'm dizzy, was it more than I thought?" He wobbled quickly leaning on a table for support.
"Young Master?" A somewhat husky voice called out.
"Hm? Ah, it's nothing. I didn't notice you, when did you arrive?" Temorsth turned to the old man in a black suit.
"I just arrived... the Lady called for you to her room..." His voice seemed somewhat hesitant but he said it anyway.
"Mother did?"
"Uhm..."
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah, nothing, Young Master, it's just the Lady said to hurry; if the Young Master is free, would it be possible?"
"Ah, yes, Mother rarely calls for me anyway, I will go right away." And just like that, he walked past the butler and left.
"Uhm, maybe... Maybe I should inform the Lord..." Seeing Temorsth leave in a hurry, the butler spoke to himself.
...
In a long and empty hallway, he walked with his thoughts alone.
'I'm somewhat surprised, now if I remember correctly... mother never called for me before, to be honest, I didn't even interact with her much through these five years, she seemed rather... sad...'
'According to the doctors, she still should be in shock... which I'm not really surprised by. Her newborn blew up the room right after he was born, who wouldn't be shaken...' Thinking back, he had a rather uncomfortable look on his face, it happened because he lost control of the surging energy... but even now the seal holds itself rather strong.
'I don't have to worry about the seal it feels rather stable again somehow... Anyway, Father said I should give her some time so I did, maybe it is finally time, maybe she... no don't be too overwhelming it might be too much. Let's just take it slow.' And with these thoughts, he stopped and turned to the right.
'This should be her room...' As he reached out to open the door, he suddenly stopped. 'I've never been here before, I should knock right?'
*Knock...* "...!" The moment he touched the door a bad premonition struck him. 'Uhm? This feeling... I don't like this...'
"Uhm, Mother it's me..." He hesitated and wasn't sure what this uncomfortable feeling was but he still didn't want to be insensitive and just burst into the room.
"..." A moment passed.
'No answer...? Ugh, I really don't like this...' But the absence of an answer made the feeling even worse.
*Knock...knock...* "Mother..."
"..."
'No answer still...' Making up his mind, the boy reached for the door handle.
"Mother I'm coming in..."