Power of Runes

12th October, 5031

Ravencroft State – Arcanis

Arcanis was one of the most renowned cities on the human continent. It was the gathering place of magicians, the heart of magical advancement, the city blessed with the highest density of mana, and the very place where the great Magic Tower had been built.

The city itself was a marvel of magical engineering, breathtaking to behold. Its structure was carefully designed, with houses placed in harmonious patterns that made the streets pleasing to the eye. Though the houses appeared old-fashioned, lacking the sleekness of modern design, their appearances were deceptive.

Behind the white walls and blue rooftops lay technology and enchantments far beyond what most "modern" cities could dream of.

Most of Arcanis' residents were awakened individuals, wealthy merchants, or mages of varying ranks, and the homes were built to accommodate their particular needs. Between these homes stretched pathways of cobblestone, shaded by abundant greenery.

Tall trees lined the streets, and the air was clear, infused with a soft ambient glow of mana that naturally radiated from the enormous vein hidden beneath the city. That vein was said to be endless, a gift from the earth itself.

At the very center of the city stood its crowning jewel: a towering spire so tall it seemed to pierce the heavens. Its dark-blue stone exterior gleamed with power, its surface covered with countless runic arrays and enchantments invisible to ordinary eyes. This was the Magic Tower, a sacred place where the most talented magicians gathered to research, to teach, and to preserve their vast knowledge. Its library alone contained generations of magical research and countless records of discovery.

But the tower was not alone. Surrounding its peak were five colossal floating islands, each one a fortress in the sky. Waterfalls streamed continuously from their edges, cascading into the vast lake below that encircled the base of the tower.

Those islands held the true heart of the Ravencroft family. Their ancestral manor, their treasured legacies, and their most guarded relics all resided upon them.

The islands were covered in beautiful structures, gardens, and courtyards, their very existence amplifying the city's beauty. The undersides of the islands resembled inverted pyramids carved from the earth itself, though every surface was etched with ancient runes. Their meanings remained a mystery even to the mages of Arcanis, for the Ravencroft family strictly forbade study of the inscriptions. They claimed it was for safety, as tampering with the runes might cause the floating islands to collapse.

In truth, the islands and the great lake below were not creations of the Ravencroft family. They were remnants of an ancient ruin, a legacy of a forgotten age. It had been their progenitor, the King of the Crimson Skies, the last true Phoenix, who had unearthed and awakened the ruin.

By seizing control of it, he secured the foundation of their power, and only afterward were the city, the magic tower, and the other buildings raised around it.

Inside one of the grand manor's chambers upon the floating island, a young girl sat quietly by a tall arched window as she gazed at the city below.

Her face was flawless, delicate enough to seem sculpted by an artist's hand, and her long red hair, tied neatly behind her, glowed softly under the warm touch of the evening sun. Yet her eyes, deep and restless, carried a hesitation she could not easily put aside.

Should I invite them or not…?

Melissia Ravencroft, the sole heir of Lucan Ravencroft, sat quietly in thought. The Flame Festival was approaching, a grand event held in honor of her family's bloodline resurgence. Yet as she looked out over the city, her mind wavered, unsure whether she should extend an invitation to Ash and Elysia.

After she returned and used the Holy Relic of the Phoenix Clan, the Crown of Ember, every single member of her family, whether from the branch family or the main family awakened their bloodlines.

Saint Lucan Ravencroft also received a great boost in his strength. He had been born with a rather potent bloodline himself, but even his flames could not compare to those of Melissia.

Although everyone in the family awakened their flames, the extent of the power they received depended entirely on the potency of the bloodline they carried. For instance, most of the branch family members, except for a select few, only gained the ability to regenerate from any wound as long as they were still alive. Once dead, it was true death, with no hope of rebirth.

Only a handful from the branch families, and of course, the members of the main family, awakened the true Eternal Flames, the flames that carried the power of rebirth itself.

The main family was small, consisting of only three people: Melissia, her mother, and her father. The branch families were around a hundred or so, yet among them, only five awakened the Eternal Flames.

But even if most members of the branch family awakened only fragments of the flames, the fact remained that they now carried the lineage of a Mythical Beast.

Their bodies grew stronger, and even those who had devoted themselves to magic found their physical power increasing. With refined control over fire, their casting became sharper and more destructive. Yet for those who specialized in close combat, the flames were more than just a gift—they were a true boon.

Overjoyed with this resurgence of power in their bloodline, Saint Lucan decided to hold a grand celebration. A festival was to be arranged across the whole city of Arcanis, with a private gathering prepared within the Ravencroft estate for close friends, family and important people.

Even though many tense and pressing matters demanded attention, a celebration during such times could still ease some of the weight people carried, if only for a while.

....But will they come..?

Melissia sat in silence, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of the window frame as she wondered whether her invitation would even be accepted by Ash and Elysia. Even though she had healed Elysia after venting the frustration that had weighed on her heart, hesitation still lingered whenever she thought of facing Ash, and even more so when she thought of Elysia.

But did she regret what she had done?

No. She did not. She had been in complete control of herself and knew exactly what she was doing.

Melissia closed her eyes, forcing herself to think calmly, and soon her answer came clearly.

She would simply do what she wished to do.

I will just send them the invitation. If they come, it will be good, if not....that is also fine

Even after knowing that Ash and Elysia now lived together in the same house, away from the noise of crowded cities, she still held onto the hope of seeing him. What she wished for was not complicated. She wanted nothing more than to see Ash. Even though he belonged to someone else...for now, there was nothing that could stop her from quietly looking at him, nothing that could stop her from loving him in her own way.

And there is also the matter of my engagement with Ethan.....

Her situation was tangled and difficult. She was engaged to Ethan, at one point she felt something for Ray, and then she fell in love with Ash.

If she looked at it honestly, even from an outsider's point of view, it could only seem like she was unfaithful. She herself had thought the same when she had been at her lowest, blaming herself for everything. In the darkness of her depression, she had found countless reasons to degrade herself, and this became one of them.

But things changed after she awakened her bloodline, the Flames of Nirvana. With them came a new perception, one that allowed her to sense emotions with a clarity that had not been possible before. She could feel the emotions directed at her, and she could see her own feelings with far greater truth than before.

It was not the same as Amelia's ability, which let her sense every emotion, whether directed at her or not. Melissia's gift was focused only on emotions tied to her, and on what she herself carried within. This clarity was not simple, for people often struggled to understand even their own hearts. Yet she could now cut through such confusion.

When she turned that perception inward, she finally understood.

...I never loved Ethan. I only liked him because he was someone who had been with me since childhood, like a childhood friend. For Ray, it was different, a strange attraction that I mistook for love. But... for Ash, it is different. For Ash, it is truly... nothing but love....

She could tell. She could feel it. She could live it.

Although now I know that Ethan loves me, perhaps to the point of obsession... I still do not want to continue this engagement.

She did not know whether her actions were right or wrong, or what consequences they would bring. All she knew was that she was following her heart. She could not force herself into a bond for life with someone she did not love.

I can use this ability of mine as my reason against Father. Hopefully, he does not overreact....

With a soft sigh, Melissia rose from her seat by the window and walked deeper into the manor. Her steps echoed faintly against the marble floor as she went to ask someone to deliver the invitation to Ash.

***