The dense forest known as the Carboniferre had vanished. In its place was a beautifully groomed land. The air was lighter, less humid. Towering ferns had been replaced by manicured groves, neatly trimmed trees and blooming flowers in orderly rows. The palace ahead flaunted columns etched with glowing runes that pulsed like veins, paths paved with iridescent stone. My mana buzzed, pulsing as well, as if it resonated with the surrounding area. My body reacted, though not in a negative way, actually there was a positive reaction if anything. I felt like I belonged here, skin tingling as if the wind fed directly into my power. I pinched my arm then looked myself over, confirming these weren't Chiara's memories or some sort of hallucination. This feeling was strangely similar to when I had entered this world originally.
Ahead, a figure stood at the palace gates. He was tall, draped in linen garments reminiscent of Greek Mythology–silks embroidered with peculiar patterns that shimmered like liquid starlight. He nodded me over, an immense pressure radiating from him, as if the world itself was bending to his will. He vanished inside, so I followed, no hesitation. The interior was vast, ceilings soaring higher than any penthouse I had on Earth–any property I had procured at all, for that matter. It was magical, something beyond comprehension. Sculptures of ethereal figures frozen in battle poses; paintings swirling with scenes even Hollywood couldn't replicate: warriors wielding flames, skies torn by rifts, and beautiful lands. Unyielding wealth came to mind, striking my heartstrings, a fleeting comfort of Earth's luxury. But even I could tell this was far beyond. The man stood just ahead, smiling–a beautiful smile compelling and youthful, yet ancient as if he was timeless.
"Who are you? What is this place? How did I end up here?" I instantly began bombarding him with questions.
"I am a summon, just like you," he said with a cheerful expression, voice resonant, filling my mind. In an instant, he was beside me, fingers lifting my chin with a delicate intensity, eyes glinting. "This is my domain–a pocket dimension I've created. Only summons, who carry our unique powers, have the ability to detect and request entry."
I pulled my face away, heart racing. "B-but I was in the Carboniferre Forest just a moment ago."
"You requested entry," he said grinning. Warping around me as if I was some sort of specimen. "I allowed it, sensing something interesting… I haven't had a visitor in ages you see. It seemed as if the fire to change, to grow, had died in souls–until you now. What is your name?"
A deeply intrigued tone accompanied his grin. This guy was throwing me for a loop. What did he mean by "requested entry"? All I had been doing was travelling through a forest. Maybe it had something to do with that compelling feeling moments before reaching the purple wall, as if my mana was flowing towards it. "I;m Reed. Reed Grant," I said. "And you?"
"Hmm." He chimed, playfully. "Well Reed, I have many titles." taking a step back and rising his arms in the air as if he was some kind of champion. "But for now, you can call me… Aurius!" His grin widened. "Let's take a walk, as a fellow summon, I'll answer some of your questions, but you'll owe me for this in the future–understand." He said with a wink. Then began forward, and I followed.
We began walking through a vast garden where fruits glowed like lanterns, flowers bloomed in vivid tones unlike anything I'd ever seen, and above, a starry, twilight sky yet at the same time bright as a summer day shone down upon as–shattering my understanding of nature's laws. This place was so overwhelming, it didn't feel real. "So what did you mean by 'requested entry'? I don't recall requesting anything. I saw a glowing purple wall that stood out amid the dense forest, then arrived here."
"That hideous forest that was born as a byproduct of my mana flowing around here for decades…anyway." Born by his mana? So Aurius created that huge, abundant forest? "I'm sure you've realized the difference between your abilities and the others, specifically born of this world–considering the companions you're traveling with." How does he know about Elias and Aeloria? I thought. "That 'raw–chaotic mana' that is so special is what brought you here." In his hand, he produced a cube, the cube complex with patterns, glowing a vivid purple the same as the wall had been. "Upon contact with the rift to my domain–also visible only to you, because of said mana, you subconsciously requested entry, and so I obliged." He smiled.
"As a summon." He had said. Contextually meaning I wasn't alone in being an otherworldly transfer. This news shook my core. Exciting yet frightening. I wasn't alone here, there were others. "Summon? So you're from Earth as well?" I asked.
He tilted his head in an interesting manner, muttering, "So you're born of that powerless world?" In a playful manner. He continued. "I know of your world, but I was summoned from elsewhere, as many others have been. Summons come from many worlds, not limited by a singular one."
My mind reeled. Not the only one? From other worlds? The palace walls shimmered around us, murals portraying figures wielding mythical powers: reshaping mountains, carving the land, destruction, creation. "We are viewed as historic deities now," Aurius continued, leading me past a fountain pulsing with mana flow. "We are the folklore of this world, but as summons appeared less, we who remain retreated. Too different from the average." His tone revealed a slight shift to serious. I just continued to listen, trying my best to absorb this new information.
"You see Reed, this world summons souls of the dead," his dominating presence had returned at this point. "Though not at random." He looked up, the stars in the sky began forming together, creating a show for us in conjunction with his words. "Only those with a burning desire, a genuine desire to live on and change while facing death. A passionate, unbridled will, good or bad. Come here, yours brought you here; mine did the same." This was all so sudden. So I was brought here to fulfill a change? I couldn't remember asking for anything so grand in my last bits of consciousness on Earth. "The world will plant you in a form most suitable to fulfill your goal. Oh–and it grants a skill or skills that will help reach this goal, though honing them takes quite a bit of time, if you can even reach that level." He was dropping nukes on me, I couldn't even keep up with all of this. "Can you slow down a bit, this is a load of information." I exclaimed. "This might explain my age regression but a special ability? I don't recall anythi-." Then it hit me. "Would mana absorption fall into that category?" His smile was now reaching the edges of his face. Almost mischievous. "What a fine ability Reed Grant, I can imagine just what wills you onward now. Have you named this ability yet?" He asked. "No. I haven't given it any thought." I said. "Perfect" Aurius exclaimed. "Then allow me." his playful demeanor instantly turning serious. He began slowly raising his arms and began. "Your raw and powerful mana, unbound by anything but your very own mind! Your mana, which can take anything, but also strip you bare!" His smile reminiscent of 'The Grinch' now as he began floating upward. "Learn this ability! Hone this ability! And don't forget your debt to me! Reed Grant, I grant you and your ability the name– LEECH!" At that moment, Aurius snapped his fingers. With the next blink, I found myself back in the dense forest. Huge ferns, a soaking humidity and Aeloria and Elias beside me. I looked around, feeling as if I had returned from a dream. But something inside me felt different, I felt stable.
"Hey Reed, everything okay? Why did you stop?" Aeloria asked. Why did I stop? I just had a full on meeting, what could she mean by that? "How long was I out?" I panted out, at the same time fatigue hit, as well as a powerful headache.
Elias frowned. His arm still wounded. "What do you mean Reed? It's been only moments. You made an abrupt stop after saying something about a wall."
Moments? Had all of that with Aurius been a hallucination? How would explaining that make me look right now, probably insane. "Never mind, it's just my headache acting up," I lied.
"Alright, let's move–we're nearly beyond danger." Elias said while carving a rune.
We trudged on, my head aching, the wounds both of them had seemed to be recovering slightly now. As night fell, we opted to stop, avoiding nocturnal perils. Aeloria carved a humongous tree trunk for shelter, somewhat reminding me of the "Bright Tree Village" from Star Wars… What? Who hasn't seen Star Wars, rich or poor? After lying down I backtracked on all of the new information I had received, I came to the conclusion that my meeting with Aurius–though sudden, could not have been a delusion. It simply felt too real. So apparently I was brought to this world for some unyielding desire of mine and given these abilities as well as regressed to the age of sixteen, all for the fulfillment of this goal. I wish Aurius had given me more time to grasp everything. But anyway, there were more people like me, and these people were strong. Strong enough to claim their own domains. That sounded good to me, I will learn about these people and these powers to grow, myself.
With that, I dozed off. The next day, feeling unusually energized, we pushed through thinning ferns. Sunlight broke ahead–the forest's edge. We'd made it. Next step: a nearby town, something neutral to Dracovenia.I'm sure Elias or Aeloria had an idea. A change of clothes, proper food and respite was needed. The vast world awaited us, and now was the time to begin fulfilling my goal.