Chapter 6:
A gruff voice cut through the ragged gasps of the exhausted children. "Line up! Now!"
The instructors, their faces still devoid of emotion, directed us towards a large, open hall built from rough-hewn stone. The air inside was thick with the smell of dust and something metallic, an undercurrent that prickled my nostrils. Torches flickered on the walls, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to mock our weary state in this Kenyan stronghold.
We shuffled into the hall, a ragged line of survivors. The older children, despite their exhaustion, held a semblance of pride, a hard-won arrogance in their eyes. Joren and Lina leaned heavily on each other, their small faces pale but alight with a fragile sense of accomplishment. I myself felt drained, my mental core still humming with the residue of the earth manipulations, but a quiet satisfaction settled within me. We had overcome the mountain.
At the far end of the hall, a figure sat upon a raised dais. It was the old man we had glimpsed from the mountainside, his weathered face now illuminated by the torchlight. His eyes, sharp and intelligent, scanned our ranks, lingering for a moment on each of us. He exuded an air of quiet authority, a stark contrast to the crude brutality of the instructors.
"Welcome," his voice was surprisingly soft, yet it carried through the hall, silencing the murmurs of the exhausted children. "You have endured the first trial. Many have fallen. Only the determined stand before me."
He gestured to a table beside him, upon which lay a row of small, intricately carved wooden boxes. "Within these boxes lies the catalyst. The Awakening Pill. It will stir the latent power within you, your Veyra—fragments of the divine order itself. Each Veyra represents a Law, Concept, or Force that governs the universe."
A ripple of anticipation went through the hall. This was it. The moment we had endured so much for. The promise of power, a sliver of the universe's fundamental laws.
The old man continued, his gaze unwavering. "However, the awakening is not always… gentle. Some of you will experience discomfort. Some… more than discomfort. Your strength in the trials ahead will depend on the strength of your will now."
One by one, the instructors called our names. As each child approached the dais, they were handed a small wooden box. Their hands trembled as they opened it, revealing a smooth, opalescent pill that pulsed with a faint inner light.
Joren was called first. He swallowed the pill, and a moment later, a vibrant heat flared around him. Tendrils of bright orange flame danced on his fingertips. His eyes widened in awe. He had awakened the Veyra of Fire.
Lina was next. As the pill dissolved on her tongue, a gentle breeze seemed to swirl around her. Her hair fluttered, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as she felt the invisible currents respond to her will. She had awakened the Veyra of Wind.
Other children followed, their awakenings manifesting in various ways – a shimmer of water, a subtle pull as if gravity itself bent to their will. The air crackled with nascent power.
Finally, my name was called. "Lishen."
I walked towards the dais, my heart pounding in my chest. The old man's gaze was steady, almost piercing, as I took the wooden box from his outstretched hand. Inside, the pill shimmered with a faint sickly green light.
Taking a deep breath, I swallowed it.
A wave of energy, cold and unsettling, washed through me. It wasn't a vibrant surge like Joren's or a gentle flow like Lina's. Instead, it felt like a creeping stillness, a subtle unraveling. The very air around me seemed to dim slightly, and a faint, earthy scent, like overturned soil and something… else, something subtly putrid, filled my senses.
A new interface blazed into existence in my mind.
(Veyra Awakened: Decay)
(Veyra Level: 1)
(Available Veyra Energy: 100% + Bonus Energy Absorption)
(System Upgrade Initiated: Absorbing excess energy from Awakening Pill...)
(Enhanced Earth Manipulation: Level 1 -> Level 5)
(Enhanced Earth Sense: Level 1 -> Level 5)
(Minor Plant Growth: Level 1 -> Level 5)
(Earth Meld: Level 1 -> Level 5)
My mind reeled. Decay? The very concept felt… wrong, yet undeniably powerful. And the system! The surge of energy from the pill had been absorbed, instantly boosting all my earth-based skills to a significant level.
The old man observed my awakening, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Decay," he murmured, his voice low. "An… interesting Veyra."
Just as the initial shock subsided, the instructors began distributing small, wriggling parasites in clear vials. "Swallow these," the lean man instructed, his usual smirk firmly in place. "They will ensure your unwavering loyalty to the Demonic Sect."
A wave of unease rippled through the gathered children. These creatures looked… unnatural. But fear kept most silent. Joren and Lina hesitated, their eyes wide with apprehension.
When my turn came, I took the vial. Inside, a dark, pulsating parasite writhed. As I brought it to my lips, a wave of cold, malevolent energy emanated from it, a stark contrast to the subtle decay that now resonated within me.
Instinct screamed at me. This was wrong. But the old man's gaze was fixed on us, and defiance seemed impossible. With a gulp, I swallowed the parasite.
The moment it slid down my throat, a jolt of pure darkness surged through my veins, battling against the nascent energy of Decay. My vision swam, and a searing pain lanced through my skull.
Then, the system flared to life once more.
(Dark Veyra detected within Soul Parasite. Assimilating...)
(Skill Upgrade Initiated: Assimilating Dark Veyra...)
(Enhanced Earth Sense: Level 5 -> Level 8)
The pain subsided as quickly as it had come, replaced by an even deeper, more intricate connection to the earth. My sensory range expanded exponentially. I could feel the minute vibrations of insects crawling through the soil miles away, the subtle shifts in the mountain's rock strata, even the faint, corrupted energy emanating from the soul parasite now nestled within me.
The old man watched, his brow furrowed slightly. He hadn't anticipated any complications.
Around me, the other children were beginning to show the effects of the soul parasites, their eyes losing some of their individual spark, replaced by a dull, compliant obedience. But within me, something felt different. The darkness of the parasite hadn't subjugated me; it had… enhanced me.
The old man cleared his throat. "Now that you are all… bound," he said, his gaze sweeping over our subdued ranks, "your true training can commence. You will learn to wield your Veyra, to master its intricacies. You will become the instruments of the Demonic Sect's will."
He gestured towards the same doorway as before, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Follow the instructors. Your purpose begins now."
As we moved towards the exit, Joren and Lina's gazes met mine. Their eyes held a flicker of the fear they couldn't voice. I looked back, a cold determination settling within me. I might be bound by a parasite, wielding the Veyra of Decay, but the system within me, now empowered by a dark energy, felt like a wild card.