...
It had been three months since Aidan had returned to his job as a beast hunter. Kharon had accepted Master Lodge's offer and had begun learning Arcana. His growth was explosive as he absorbed runic knowledge at terrifying speeds. He could understand the workings of almost every runic invention and had began helping Aidan with the structure of his runic array. Furthermore, his assimilation with his tier 5 essence was complete. He had began interacting with more people while remaining mysterious which accelerated his growth. Now he was getting ready to become a beast hunter himself.
'I just need to make preparations for my ascension now. Aidan's assimilation is a quarter finished and he isn't slowing down. Acting not only as a source of warmth and light but a beacon of hope who people flock to for warmth... I don't know how he does it, but he is amazing for it.'
Kharon sighed as his eyes swept over the complex symbols which were carefully drawn on a large, red parchment made from an arcane creature. The parchment faintly shimmered as the runes began to glow and rose from the page. As they ascended up into the air, a faint vibration could be felt coming from them as the air buzzed with a faint sound. Kharon gently guided the runes onto a dark cloak next to the parchment.
'I am so close... Just a few seconds and it should merge.'
The runes were slowly absorbed into the cloak as it seemed to turn darker than before. Kharon stabilised the aether flowing through the cloak as drops of sweat rolled down his face. He had finally managed to create a storage space into the Stalker's Cloth. It was far from being as large as a room, but it would do the job.
"Yes! I actually succeeded... Now, all I need to do is to study the Solar Ring and Tombkeeper's Ring. Once I do, I will finally know what they can truly do."
As he said that, he suddenly heard a faint knock on the door. He stood up and opened the door before he was suddenly moved to the side by a man of average stature.
"You finally did it... Well done my pupil, you have exceeded my expectations as always. It took me six months of constant practice and training before I was able to expand the space in a bag. But it has only taken you a few weeks. If I didn't know any better I would say you already knew Arcana long before we met."
Kharon slightly turned his head as he accepted his teacher's praise. He then walked back towards his work desk as he picked up his cloak and put it on. Picking up a half finished sandwich from his desk, he placed it into his cloak before retracting his arm. After a few seconds he retrieved from his cloak without any issues.
"I guess it works. I was expecting the sandwich to vanish or worse..."
Master Lodge chuckled as he patted Kharon's back.
"Have more trust in yourself. You are the second most talented student I have taught. That is already a big achievement. If you had managed to integrate the runes a week faster then you and Aidan would be tied."
Shaking his head Master Lodge said, "You kids today are something else. In the past, what I did was considered truly impressive. But now it can barely be considered average. I am glad that the future generation are such fast learners, at this rate arcana users will make major discoveries before turning old and grey like me."
"You don't have any grey hair Master Lodge, you don't look a day over forty..."
"It doesn't change the fact that I am nearing ninety."
Kharon rolled his eyes as he guided Master Lodge out of his workspace. He then slammed the door shut before returning to his cloak. The storage space had successfully been added, but that wasn't the only thing he wanted to add.
'I know Master Lodge is against me doing this... But I have to try and add a concealment rune. It would greatly increase the effects of the cloak and make me nearly invisible. It would be perfect for when I become a tier 4.'
Taking a deep breath in and exhaling, Kharon began to draw runes on a new parchment. The parchment was even bigger than before and was emitting a brighter glow than the last one. Kharon tirelessly drew the runes as he became engrossed in his work. Hours felt like seconds as he drew every rune with great precision and finesse. After a while, he began to slow down as the complex web of runes was finally completed.
'Time to see if it works.'
As Kharon released his aether into the parchment, the runes began to float out of it just like before as he carefully guided them into his cloak. The runes were slowly absorbed as they went in one after the other. Kharon finalised his work by carefully drawing a symbol on his cloak purely with aether. Once he was done, he put on his cloak before walking out of his workspace.
Slowly walking down the spacious corridor, Kharon walked through the halls of Arcana Academy as he admired the statues of various researchers who had made great discoveries and breakthroughs in runic magic. As he walked down the quiet corridor, he suddenly heard faint laughter as some students walked down the hall.
Holding his breath, Kharon waited for them to notice him. But instead, they walked right past him without noticing his presence.
'I guess the test is a success? But I should experiment on Master Lodge first. He will probably notice me considering his tier, but still.'
Kharon made his way to a large, double door before knocking. After a few seconds he heard someone say, "Come in." Before he walked through. As he did, Master Lodge asked, "What do you wa-"
He abruptly stopped his sentence as he said, "Kharon, is that you?"
Slowly pulling off his cloak, Kharon answered back as he took a sit opposite to Master Lodge's desk. Before he could say anything, Master Lodge began talking in a stern voice.
"You added a concealment rune to your cloak?! I said you weren't allowed didn't I?"
Lowering his head Kharon replied, "Yes, I did. I just wanted to see if I was capable enough, that's all."
Shaking his head, Master Lodge's stern voice softened as he said, "You know that it could have ended badly for you if you hadn't succeeded right?"
Kharon slowly nodded as Master Lodge continued.
"I am annoyed that you didn't obey my instructions. But I must commend you for your success. You truly are a runic genius... I was caught off guard by how effective the cloak was, I could see you but your presence was very faint and almost unnoticeable. I am sure this cloak will aid you in your profession as a beast hunter."
"Thank you, Master Lodge. I promise I will inform you if I want to try something like this again."
Master Lodge gave him a long look before sighing.
"I am just glad you didn't end up vanishing from reality. That would be far from ideal... You may leave."
As Kharon slowly stood up and made his way to the door, Master Lodge suddenly called him.
"Wait. I have something for you."
Standing up, Master Lodge handed him a journal of sorts. Kharon accepted it as he looked at Master Lodge.
"This is my personal runic journal. It contains a lot of information about my research throughout the years and the mistakes I have made. I want you and Aidan to learn from its contents. Make sure you don't repeat the mistakes I did or else."
"Thank you..."
After exchanging a few more words, Kharon left the office as he went out of the building. He walked towards a bronze carriage in the yard and showed the driver a card before handing a few coins to him. He then stated his destination before getting into the carriage.
As the carriage floated through the road at astonishing speeds, Kharon pondered over a few things.
'The place of the ritual is soon going to be ready. My records will soon be destroyed and I will be unregistered again. I will need to leave Aidan after my ritual...'
Kharon could feel a salty taste on his lips as tears slowly rolled down his face. He looked out of the window as the enormous rift in the sky stood still and unchanging. There was a giant, multi-coloured eye which seemed to encompass the whole world.
'I almost forgot today is a Rift Bloom Day. Aidan will probably go to the festival if he isn't too tired from working today. I wonder how many beasts he defeated today. I should surprise him with a little feast to celebrate...'
Staring at his watch Kharon noted the time as he continued to think about his eventual ascension. A lot had changed between him and Aidan. Their friendship had become stronger, and they had learnt a lot about each other. Aidan had not only taught Kharon how to cook, but also how to draw runes without a physical medium. Kharon had also taught Aidan a few things, such as some historical facts and events which he had remembered.
Chuckling, Kharon taught about all the memories he had regained. He knew that he was born before Lunaris Haven had been built, in fact he was older by a few decades. He had even remembered something about the eye in the rift; it was a powerful tier 2 beast which was connected to three paths simultaneously...