Eventually, Xaryus had awakened…
His body began to feel lighter and his mind clearer. Then, at some point the faint winds and sounds that surrounded the shack had receded.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at the wondrous starscape that he had been floating in.
Encapsulated by the radiant beauty of the space that surrounded him, Xaryus' eyes went wide.
After several moments in awe, he decided to explore the strange realm he had found himself in.
Not knowing how he was supposed to move without proper footing, he simply outstretched his foot in an attempt to walk forward.
Almost bending to his will, the space below his feet solidified allowing him to walk freely.
He had walked for an extremely long period of time.
Each time he got bored of strolling around he was once again enthralled by a strange collection of stars or vibrant dust that were scattered around him.
Xaryus felt at ease in the solitude he had gained, and it also gave him time to ponder.
The glee and curiosity he felt whilst stargazing was now a fleeting memory, his steps were slower and much heavier.
The calm had allowed him time to think, but that was the last thing he wanted to do.
His gaze lowered as he continued to stroll across the starscape, the visage of his hanging mother fresh in his mind.
Each step felt heavier than the last and with each passing moment his mind became foggy.
At some point, Xaryus had no longer felt lonely in the vast starscape. The feeling had reminded him of the times he strolled through the settlement with Zadius.
After paying it no mind, he suddenly felt a shiver up his spine.
It had dawned on him properly for the first time since he felt the presence behind him.
Something was watching him.
Halting his steps, he anxiously turned around to see another person standing behind him.
It seemed that the starscape also bent to the person's will, allowing them to walk just as Xaryus did.
The young boy seemed to be a few years older than Xaryus, his skin was also fairer. His hair was dark brown and he wore a plain white shirt tucked into his pants with sleeves folded up to his elbows.
The strange boy seemed full of youth and naivety but his sharp gaze belonged to that of a man that had lived and seen many things. They gave off an aura of stubbornness, pride and perseverance.
The two had locked eyes for a few moments before the strange boy flashed a soft, endearing smile on his face.
"Who are you?" Xaryus tried to question but no sound had left his mouth.
He grasped his throat tightly in confusion, he couldn't speak for some reason.
At that moment, the strange nature of where he was and what was happening to him slowly creeped up on him.
"Don't be afraid…" The young boy consoled him, seeing the fear in Xaryus' eyes.
Like a wave, his words washed away all the unease and fear that Xaryus had felt.
He then took a few steps closer to Xaryus, but his strides were much faster than they seemed. Even if Xaryus had tried to run, he would not have been able to escape.
The young boy placed his hands on Xaryus' shoulders and stared intently in his eyes as if looking for something. All Xaryus could do was stand there and wait, hoping that this boy wasn't some cosmic horror wearing human skin.
"Keep moving forward…" He said abruptly, his smile showing a hint of despondence as if he wished to say more.
Gently, he removed a hand from Xaryus' shoulder and raised it above them.
Upon reaching its apex, a bright light that dwarfed the radiance of the stars around them suddenly appeared.
Xaryus winced at the bright light but the young boy had stared directly into it.
Clenching his raised hand together, the burning star above them vanished.
Slowly, Xaryus opened his pained eyes and saw the young boy presenting something to him with a closed fist.
For an inexplicable reason, he was drawn to whatever was hidden in the strange boy's fist.
"...What is it?" He pondered for a moment.
Fighting against his instincts, he glanced back up to the young boy who now seemed much older.
He was now in his late thirties, adorned in lustrous armour that looked impenetrable. A large golden cloak was wrapped around his shoulders and flapped in the wind behind him.
Not that there was any wind in the strange realm.
His face was mature and stoic, not standing in alignment with his sharp gaze. His dark brown hair was now golden and his eyes were a vibrant blue.
Xaryus had to look up just to meet the eyes of the man.
The sudden shift in his appearance had startled him but he somehow still recognized the young boy.
Even though the colour had changed, his eyes were still the same. Only now his faint smile had broadened into a toothy grin.
He was only able to see his smile for a moment because the strange man had opened his hand and released whatever was in his grasp.
Instinctively, Xaryus looked down and saw it…
"... It's a star." He spoke out loud, not realising his voice had returned.
Then, the roiling energy within the man's palm erupted in a flash of immolating light, blinding Xaryus but not harming him.
Taken aback, he rubbed his eyes and quickly looked around.
The stoic man had vanished and so did the vast starscape with him.
He now stood in a white void, there was no direction, no up or down.
It was only him…
And something else in the distance.
Far away Xaryus could faintly see a dark blot and as he laid his eyes on it he felt whatever it was calling out to him.
His eyes stuck to the strange shape.
He wanted to get closer to it, and as if beckoning his will the distance between him and the figure vanished in an instant.
Now, in front of him was a large stone mound with a beautiful sword stuck into it.
The blade held a silver hilt with an engraving of the sun on its crossguard. The intricacy of the handle was profound and daunting, the sword's sharpness was also formidable.
Even though the blade was fully plunged into the stone, the space around it felt sharp and palpable.
Without thinking, Xaryus had stretched out his hand…
Then everything went black.
[Congratulations Xaryus! You have successfully awakened!]
[You have gained your spite, "Emissary of Light"]
[You have gained a stigma, "Last Blade of Light"]