Traverse The Fog

Author's note:Hello everyone! This is last minute, but I've decided to change the schedule a bit. The chapters will still come out on Sun, Wed, and fridays, but I'll be experimenting with the time slots. And again, I thank you all for reading my novel. I ask of you that should you like it, follow, review, or rate as it goes a long way for me as not only does it show me that you enjoy it, that my writing is worth your time, but it does for others, too.

Cyrus could feel the mana surging straight into his life rune, converting it into something of his own before storing it away. Mana pool, was it? Slowly, he drank of it as much as possible. Only when he felt his pool fill to the brim did he stop.

And what came afterward? Cyrus found himself wanting domains and powers, but none to show for it.

"Figures," Cyrus sighed. "I need some 'insight,' whatever that is."

It was a shame. He wished to keep the momentum, to soar into the skies with speed and reach for his dreams. But how? Shaking his head, Cyrus paced around the room, taking in the crystals before him, recalling past conversations with the Half-Elf.

Dìlis mentioned something about 'Introspection.' Cyrus frowned, gaze tracing the sharp ends of the crystalline shards. ...Should have asked before locking myself up here.

But maybe the name itself gave it context. Introspection is the process of looking at one's inner self, and since she had mentioned that it required mana sense. What if Dílis meant it in a literal sense? If the life rune carried his laws…

With that logic in mind, Cyrus moved his mana sense, encircling it within his life rune. There it was. A small, blurry sigil in the shape of a simple green dot appeared in his mind space, radiating subtle vitality. It felt strange to him, both foreign and familiar at the same time. Now, it was time to test his theory. Pushing forward, Cyrus willed his mana sense onto it, only to abruptly stop as he felt a thin, bubble-like membrane surround his rune.

"What's this?" He pressed on the membrane once more, almost passing through it. "Should I take the plunge?"

Backing off, Cyrus hesitated. Who knew what would happen once he passed through the membrane? Moreover, he was so sure Dílis would want to follow proper procedure.

However... she wasn't here.

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Tense and excited, Cyrus took a deep breath and passed through the membrane with his mana sense. With it came a vacuum that whisked his consciousness into his life rune. And without anyone at the helm, his body dropped the camera to the side as it collapsed onto the wet ground with a squelch.

Meanwhile, there was darkness. Sight, smell, touch; Cyrus lost all his senses, yet he could clearly perceive his surroundings.

Where am I? Cyrus scrutinized his surroundings. Well, that's what he thought he was doing. It was hard to tell. Before him was an all-encompassing void with no end in sight. It seems rather barren.

Yet, strangely enough, Cyrus felt peaceful. And what was that? There was something far in the distance that called for him. Something of his. Slowly, Cyrus waded through the void. Time felt incalculable, and darkness was infinite—at least until he caught something far in the distance. Something unknowable and incomprehensible.

Some things.

Four glowing spheres materialized in the void, almost invisible due to the sheer distance between him and them. Yet, they grew larger and larger as his mana sense propelled him forward like a shooting star. At a moment's notice, these spheres became the sole wellsprings of color in the void. They were large, too large. So incomprehensibly gigantic that there was only one belief in Cyrus' mind: I am but a mote of dust before these... domains.

Domains. These were his domains. And why was he just floating there?

Without hesitation, Cyrus pushed forward, daring, hoping that they would give him the power he wished for. And yet, try as he would, Cyrus could never reach them. But why? Frowning, he stopped. There was something undefined and nebulous in that vast expanse, and it formed an insurmountable wall between him and those spheres.

"What now?" Cyrus' gaze darted around, eventually falling onto these four spheres.

The first was green and brimming with vitality. Life.

The second was a pale yellow, full of luminance and energy. Light.

Third, red hot with inexhaustible heat. Fire.

And the last? Purple, but devoid of anything like the others. Who knew what that was?

There were four domains. Such a count would have brought joy to anyone. Yet, Cyrus frowned. ...So much for hiding in the dark and moving the tides.

Such as it was. Still, better with three extra domains than just one. In any case, he still had to figure out how to use them. Shaking his head, Cyrus focused his attention on the mana floating around the aether—his mana. It floated aimlessly, confined in a limited space despite the endlessness around it.

Maybe I just perceive it as infinite…? He hummed in thought. Is there something I can do with this?

With a thought, Cyrus willed his mana into the far expanse before him toward the spheres. Onward, it stretched. Yet just as he failed before, so it too.

There's too little mana. Cyrus made another attempt. I need more.

And what better place than inside a mana chamber? With a single thought, he cut off his mana sense, throwing himself outside his life rune and back into his body as if what had happened moments before had been a dream.

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"That much better." He furrowed his brow and lifted his arm, feeling the gel-like substance cling to it and his entire backside. "Yuck."

A quick scan with his mana sense revealed that it was a form of liquid mana—denser than what floated around him, too. But something told him it wouldn't be enough to bridge the gap. Cyrus needed more.

So, quickly hopping up, he picked up his camera and wiped it with his shirt while scanning the rest of the room. There. At the far end of the corner was a towering crystal shining brighter than its luminous brothers. With quick steps, Cyrus strode toward it after placing his camera on the opposite end to avoid unnecessary damage. But wait, didn't he forget something?

"Right," Cyrus muttered. "Insights."

He was supposed to spend months training his mana sense and absorbing runic mana crystals for insights. Only then would he be able to forge his runes.

But what was the harm of trying? Ignorance was bliss, and Cyrus felt blissed out. His mind, body, and soul yearned for it. And it was too late to stop now. So, he made a decision. There and then, he willed his mana sense on the crystal and began absorbing its energies.

Ten minutes passed as Cyrus attempted to build a bridge between himself and his domains. Even when nothing occurred, he persisted. Still nothing.

"Maybe I should give up for now..." Cyrus muttered...

Yet his life rune said otherwise, drinking more and more, growing brighter and brighter until it forced his mana sense to latch onto the enormous mana crystal.

"Damn it, let go!" He grunted, trying to pry himself from the crystal.

Yet his new limb remained glued to the crystal, even pulling with such intensity that he face-planted into the towering mass. And it was instant. Cyrus found himself back before the four monumental spheres as more and more mana shot towards them.

Then, it came. Cyrus felt flashes of blurry and indistinguishable thoughts filled with radiance flash past his very mind before somehow splitting off and melding with the excess mana. Then, without so much as an indication why, they shot off toward those incandescent spheres. In an instant, the infusion of radiance, memory, and magic appeared before the light domain and entered it.

And what a sight it was. Not a moment later, aking to a tiny leaf splitting off from a redwood, an incredibly minute pale yellow rune split off from the sphere. Dazed and confused, Cyrus did not react when it disappeared and materialized beside his life rune outside.

"A light rune!"

Yet it did not stop there. Another cascade of mana surged into his body. And another process began with the fire domain. And just like that, a fire rune escaped his life rune.

And still, the mana poured unabated. Consequently, the large crystal began to dim and shrink while Cyrus' life rune within his heart radiated unending light until it exploded with energy. As a result, there was no new rune, but his life rune became more tangible—more 'real.'

Finally, it was over. As if satisfied, a dazed Cyrus' mana sense let go of its vice-like grip on the crystal, flinging him back onto the ground. Yet, Cyrus cared not as he willed his mana sense to study the three life runes.

"Life, light, and fire," he muttered, voice tingling in excitement.

"I'm a mage now."

But what about that other domain? Was it inactive due to a lack of insights? But then, how did he make his runes—Questions later, magic now!

Cyrus jumped back to his feet and used his mana sense to encircle his runes to cast spells. And Nothing. So, he tried again. Still nothing. Confused, Cyrus reviewed more conversations with Dílis.

"Mana is the fuel that lets these runes use their abilities."

With that thought, it revealed his path. Slowly, he closed his eyes and used his mana sense to guide mana out of his heart and into the light rune. And there it was. A small burst of yellow light shone from his chest, right where his light rune nestled.

"That's it?!" Cyrus repeated his casting. "That's it..." He bitterly laughed. "Well, I'm a walking lightbulb now."

A disapointment, to be sure, but one that Cyrus hoped was a matter of limited understanding of his powers.

Now, the fire rune. Yet, when Cyrus activated it, something he should have expected, well, happened. A small but fiery plume flared painlessly from his chest. But what wasn't painless was the ensuing fire that sprang from Cyrus' shirt. That was painful, very painful.

"Holy shit!" Despite his attempts to stamp it out, it began spreading quickly, forcing him to remove the fiery piece onto the floor. It was pure luck that he remained with only a few minor burns.

Cyrus sighed in defeat. "At least the liquid mana isn't flammable."

After wincing from the stinging pain, Cyrus examined himself. There he was—a shirtless man transformed into a walking lightbulb and cigarette lighter. Moreover, the darkness and water domains remained forever out of reach. Regardless, Cyrus was happy.

"I'm a mage." A genuine smile tugged his lips. "I'll be able to explore soon."

A step in the right direction to anchor his feet to this world and begin again. However, a sudden dizziness struck Cyrus. His mana pool ached from the lack of mana, forcing him to absorb the energies from the air. One minute. Two. Once that stuffy feeling welled in his chest again, Cyrus scanned his surroundings, lost in thought.

"How long have I been in here?" He shrugged. "I might as well keep using my abilities."

And he did just that. Magic. Real magic.

***

Outside, Dílis leaned on the wall to the side, playing with a sapling she had grown from a seed. On her palm, the sprout was wiggling and dancing throughout this time.

"Lilie!"

She turned to the side and caught sight of O'Kane returning, stretching and yawning from a good rest.

"Come on. Let's get him outta there, " she said, speaking as if she were doing herself a favor. "But just for your information, we'll need to set up a schedule. Úrán, help me; I don't want you walking during my nap time."

"Cyrus is a potential Wayfarer," Dìlis replied, breaking from the wall. "You should be glad that we're adding a new member to our department."

O'Kane huffed, shrugging. "It'll take at least a month for Cyrus to develop mana sense and even longer to craft his first rune." Slowly, deliberately, she took her time unlocking the vault. "And one rune is not enough. How long until become an apprentice after half a year of training? An extra two to three months?"

Dílis' frustration grew evident, not bothering to mince her words at the veteran Wayfarer, crossing her arms. "It's better than having no one, O'Kane. How many left last year? How many joined this year? At least Cyrus is willing to risk his own life, unlike everyone else."

O'Kane scoffed, but her expression softened as the image of an older and handsome man crossed her thoughts.

"Alright, alright. Yes, Cyrus is a good man. But, he will take years to catch up to your standard." O'Kane sighed, lowering her voice. "Only as an adept will he be considered useful. Even then, not by much."

The two remained quiet, lost in their separate but equally depressing thoughts, as O'Kane activated the wall. Their moods bled into their expectations. There was no doubt in their minds that a disappointed Cyrus waited on the other side.

And yet... Lo and behold, their gobsmacked faces when they witnessed an athletic, shirtless man flexing in front of a smoldering shirt as plumes of flames and lights burst from his chest.