...
Once Aidan had returned from a grueling day of hunting, he was treated to a delicious meal by Kharon. Enjoying one of Aidan's favourite meals, the Gilded Basilisk Steak, they savoured each bite as they spoke about the runes Kharon had founded.
Aidan noticed something was off with Kharon who seemed gloomier than usual.
"Are you ok Kharon? You seem distracted. What's on your mind?"
Kharon shook his head, a small smile playing at his lips as he regarded Aidan.
"I am just nervous for tomorrow, that's all."
Slowly reaching out, Aidan placed his hand over Kharon as he smiled reassuringly.
"It's going to be alright, ok? You will successfully ascend and become a beast hunter. I will be with you, just like how were with me during my ritual."
Aidan smiled even brighter as Kharon couldn't help but smile as well. They continued with their meal with laughter as they spoke about the future.
As Kharon cleared away the dishes, Aidan gently held his hand before thanking him for the meal.
"After your ritual is complete we should go somewhere. Maybe the Aetherbloom Conservatory, it has all types of plants. Then we could go to the zoo before having dinner. What do you think?"
"It sounds perfect."
Aidan looked at Kharon with mirth before leaving the room.
'He didn't stop me from doing the cleaning today. That's strange, but good. Maybe he finally sees me as more than just a guest. Maybe a housemate? That doesn't sound right. Regardless, I wouldn't be here tomorrow. I will miss this room, this whole house, Aidan's cooking...'
Kharon quickly wiped the tears which were forming as he finished putting back the plates where they belonged. He walked down to his room before quietly shutting the door. As he did this, he slowly slid down as he sat on the floor before curling himself into a ball.
Slowly, his tears streamed down his face as he began to sob.
'I thought I was done crying. I really am pathetic crying over such a trivial matter. This shouldn't hurt as much as it does... Why can't I just be strong? That way I wouldn't have to leave Aidan. I wish I could go down a different path. Being alone is far from ideal, why would anyone go down this cruel, twisted path?'
Kharon's grey eyes slowly turned a light shade of purple as he created a little object in his palm. He quickly crushed it before dispelling the remaining bits. As he repeated the process over and over again, he suddenly heard a knock on his door as he wiped his face and opened the door.
"Umm, do you need something Aidan?"
"Yes, I forgot to give you something."
Aidan slightly bent down and leaned in towards Kharon before kissing his forehead. As soon as he did this, he quickly returned to his room.
Kharon was left in a daze at what had just happened. He tried to process it but before he could, his vision turned black.
He was lying down on a blanket of sorts. Around him were flowers of all colours, releasing their fragrant scents. He could hear the birds chirping and the feel the moist in the air which surrounded him. Suddenly the whole meadow was overcome with great heat, but none of the flowers seemed to wilt despite this. In fact, they seemed to grow and bloom even more. Before he could do anything, he felt a warm sensation on his forehead as someone kissed him...
A single tear flowed down Kharon's face as he realised that he was still standing in front of his open door. He stepped back and closed it before thinking about his vision.
'What was that? There was someone in the past who was close to me? Who could it be? I wonder what happened to them.'
Kharon slowly made his way to the bed before collapsing on it.
'How much aether did I expend? I can't be that tired from creating such little constructs.'
As he thought about this, Kharon yawned as he dozed off.
...
Kharon woke up to a knock at his door as he slowly got up. As he opened the door, he saw Aidan wearing a simple yet elegant attire.
"Goodmorning Kharon, are you ready for today?"
Staring at him indifferently, Kharon replied, "Definitely not." As he said this he slammed the door shut as he quickly undressed before having a shower. Once he was done, he wore the outfit he had planned the previous day before going to the kitchen where Aidan was almost done cooking.
"Here are some Skyfowl Sandwiches. Have as many as you want, but not too much. I have also made some Lunaris Riceballs."
Kharon quickly ate a few of the sandwiches and rice balls before washing his plate. He then returned to his room as Aidan watched him walk away with a dejected expression as he thought about something.
Picking up his bag, Kharon placed the letters into the top layer as he looked around. He placed down the bag and began cleaning the room and folding up all the sheets. Once he was done, he looked at the room with a blank stare as he walked out and shut the door.
'This is truly the end.'
He walked down the corridor and went into the living room as he switched on the runic memory slate and watched the news. An aether storm was expected to form close to the forest of the Heartlands in a few days. As Kharon listened to this, Aidan walked into the room and took a sit next to him.
"I guess I wouldn't be hunting for a bit." As Aidan chuckled his smile slowly fell as he said, "I want to apologise about yesterday. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable; that wasn't my intention."
"It's fine."
Aidan's eyes slightly widened as he said, "You sound different. Are your emotions being suppressed by-"
"No, I just don't feel very well today."
Looking at his with visible concern Aidan said, "Maybe we should postpone the ritual. It is important that you feel well before carrying out an ascension ritual. I will call Dor-"
"You don't need to. I will be fine, ok? I think we should go."
Kharon stood up as he switched off the memory slate before picking up his bag and walking towards the door. Aidan followed suit with a worried expression as they stepped out into the quiet neighbourhood.
As they walked down the street, they quickly reached the market where Aidan hired a hover carriage which took them to Arcane Association's headquarters. As they stepped out, Kharon increased his pace as he went through the large, double doors and headed straight to the receptionists.
Aidan quickly caught up as Dorn suddenly appeared and escorted them to a room. From that room, they went through a door which took them to a dark, cold cave. On the ground, there was a large runic circle which had been carefully etched into it. It was the symbol of the path of mysteries.
Dorn patted Kharon on the back as he said, "I built this cave with Master Lodge. It took us a month to connect it to the real world. The door uses teleportation runes to transport us to the location of this cave. It's similar to the door we went through for Aidan's ritual. I hope you like it."
"It's good. Thank you, Dorn. Do you know when Master Lodge will be here?"
"He should be on his way. Wiping memories doesn't take as much time as you would think. Especially with the mind of a tier 3 wielder. Once he is done, almost no one will remember who you are and the ritual requirements will be met."
Suddenly there was a faint sound as the door to the cave opened. In came Master Lodge, wearing his usual wobes. However his hair was tied in a man bun and his face appeared to be more youthful than before.
"I am here. We can finally begin the ritual. Are you ready my student?"
"Yes sir."
As he said this, Kharon slowly walked towards the runic circle and stepped into it. He then slowly sat down and began to meditate.
Aidan who was still worried about Kharon turned towards Master Lodge as he heard a sound in his head.
"Don't be hurried Aidan. Kharon will succeed the ritual without fail."
He lightly punched Aidan on his shoulder as they continued to watch Kharon in total silence.
Kharon's mind was filled with many different things: Aidan, Dorn, Master Lodge and all the problems that would arise from him leaving. He slowly breathed in and out as he let these thoughts drift away.
'I have to focus on the here and now. I can worry about the future later, succeeding this ritual takes top priority.'
After clearing his mind of all distractions, Kharon stood up and used Silent Craft to create a dagger as he sliced his palm. His blood flowed out and fell unto the circle as the cold cave turned into colder.
Suddenly the runic circle seemed to turn darker as Kharon began to levitate. His body felt both weightless and heavy, the familiar sensation of being covered in water and burning in the sun washed over him. His bones began to shift and his mind began race as it was filled with knowledge and memories. Some came from the ritual, while others came from somewhere deep within.
Slowly the glowing purple core in his soul began to pulse with power as another core was formed within it. It was slightly smaller, but it was darker and contained more power. The core began to merge with Kharon's reinforced body as it assimilated partially with him before stopping.
After just three months, he had become a tier 4 wielder...