A shaft of light cut through the stained glass, scattering into fragments that danced across the spines of the books.
At the far end of the hall, a boy who looked about sixteen sat on a flat wooden desk. Piles of books surrounded him, stacked so high they threatened to topple. He'd been searching the manor's collection for hours when he finally stumbled upon a rather peculiar title.
"Chronicles of Shores".
Leonal stared at the cover.
"Well, that's... not what I was looking for."
The title hardly suggested anything about the continent's history. If anything, it sounded like some old literary poem.
Still, curiosity got the better of him.
He figured he might as well flip through a few pages. See if he could find something like a Romeo and Juliet kind of tragic romance. Or some tale of star-crossed lovers.
What awaited him was something else entirely.
It wasn't some poetic masterpiece by the Darwin Shakespeare. Instead, it turned out to be an old travelogue. The journey of a lone adventurer who had set out from the "Shore of Inhara" on an expedition to find the fabled "Last Cathedral of Beamus".
Darian A'Demer. A known adventurer from Inhara who deeply loved exploring the ancient remnants of Darwin history. He was also a Doctrine who followed the way of pursuit.
Apart from his journey, A'Demer wrote about the hierarchy of Doctrines. How one could grow stronger.
From what Leo understood, becoming a Doctrine wielder was only the beginning. If someone wanted more power, they couldn't just rely on what they'd awakened. They had to understand themselves. Dig deeper into their own personality. Figure out what actually made them who they were.
There were different kinds. Some wielded the power of the sun. Others commanded the elements. The possibilities seemed endless.
But then again, not everyone could be extraordinary.
Just like there were rare things in this world, there were common ones too. Some people awakened powers that weren't particularly special. Abilities shared by plenty of others. But every now and then, someone had something different about them. A peculiar trait that sets them apart.
The same went for all Doctrines. People with similar personalities could awaken similar kinds of power. But occasionally, someone possessed a quality that set them apart. Allowing them to awaken something far rarer.
But that wasn't all.
According to A'Demer, there was another factor to consider.
Talent. And talent had its own hierarchy.
Every Doctrine had five talent tiers: Adept, Superior, Exalted, Transcendent, and Absolute.
A person's talent determined how far they could go. How powerful they might eventually become.
Even someone with Adept talent could reach the Realm of the Marked. The first major step in a Doctrine wielder's journey. A stage where an individual began to discover their own purpose. Their beliefs.
And those beliefs weren't just personal convictions.
They served as the foundation for something deeper. Allowing a person to establish a connection with the spiritual essence of their core.
Beyond the Marked lay the Realm of Resonance. Then Manefistor. Authority. And finally, Dominion.
According to A'Demer, advancing through these realms wasn't as simple as accumulating power. Each realm had its own hurdles. And those who wished to advance had to undergo trials tied to their own personhood.
These trials weren't the same for everyone. Each reflected something about the individual. Testing their beliefs. Their resolve. Their understanding of their Doctrine.
But talent played a role here, too.
The higher a person climbed, the harder the trials became. Some could overcome every obstacle placed before them. Others eventually reached a point where they could go no further.
Not everyone was destined to reach the peak of their realm. Let alone advance beyond it. For some, their talent would become the very limit they could never surpass.
Leo stared at the page.
"Damn. I want that too".
The thought came naturally. Who wouldn't want supernatural powers in a world like this?
Unfortunately, there was one problem.
His body. Unlike others, he didn't have a strong physique. Even weaker than the so-called weak ones.
From what he'd read, becoming a Doctrine wielder required something called an "Anima". A source of power connected to one's soul. The foundation for the entire path of a Doctrine.
Once a person reached fourteen, they'd undergo a special ritual to form their Anima.
Leo had one. But eventually, it turned into a huge mess.
According to the family's upper echelons, his frail constitution was the reason. His body was too weak to withstand the process.
Or so that's what they claimed.
"What shitty luck".
Still, somewhere deep down, he couldn't bring himself to give up hope. He'd already died once and somehow ended up in another world. If that wasn't proof the impossible could happen, what was?
Maybe there was still a chance for him to experience the fantastical side of this world.
"Well. No harm in hoping something good".
He shook off the thought and returned to the book. He'd been searching for information about the continent, but apart from A'Demer's account, there wasn't much else.
Still, the adventure itself had caught his interest.
From the way his name appeared in other books, A'Demer seemed to be a legendary figure. Known far beyond the shores of Inhara. His journey wasn't some obscure tale buried in an old travelogue. Other records mentioned him too.
But what caught Leo's attention most was one detail.
A'Demer had ventured into the Wyrdlands.
The same Wyrdlands. Also known as the Land of Outcasts.
Where the Anomalies dwelled in infinite.
What happened to him afterward was a tale of unknown and friction. Some claimed he died in those cursed lands. Others insisted he survived and ventured beyond. Disappeared into territories where no ordinary person would dare approach.
Leo leaned back. Stared at the open book.
Now that's interesting.
This guy must've been a lot more powerful than people give him credit for. No sane person would willingly step into a place crawling with Anomalies without a damn good reason.
He paused for few seconds and Shrugged. "Well. Not my problem".
He yawned and stretched his arms above his head. His body felt stiff from sitting so long. His eyes ached from reading.
He glanced towards the stained-glass windows.
The scattered beams of sunlight had faded. Outside, the sky had taken on a faint reddish hue. The setting sun brushed its colours across the horizon.
"Huh. Already evening?"
He looked down at the books scattered across the desk.
Well. At least the trip wasn't a complete waste of time.
Leo called for Elira. Together, they made their way back to his room.
By then, he was completely exhausted.
He'd expected to spend a couple of hours in the library at most. Somehow, what was supposed to be a quick visit had turned into nearly half a day of reading.
Well. Not a complete waste of time. At least he'd learned a few useful things about this world.
He was still thinking about what he'd read when something strange happened.
Just as he approached his room, the surroundings before him seemed to glitch.
Leo stopped in his tracks.
Kzzzt… krrr…
A strange tearing sound rang in his ears. Like something invisible had ripped through the space around him. For a brief moment, the world itself seemed to distort. The edges of everything blurred. Shifted out of place.
What the hell was that?
He stood still. Tried to make sense of what he'd just witnessed.
Behind him, Elira noticed his sudden halt. She stopped too. Looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Is everything all right, young master?"
Leo turned to face her. Studied her expression for any sign that she'd noticed something unusual.
She looked just as confused as anyone would be when their young master suddenly stopped walking for no apparent reason.
So she didn't see it?
Leo glanced back at the corridor. Everything appeared perfectly normal now.
He forced himself to relax.
"It's nothing. I'm just feeling a little tired."
Without waiting for a reply, he continued towards his room. Once inside, he turned to Elira.
"I'd like to rest for a while. Please don't disturb me unless it's important."
"As you wish, young master."
Elira bowed. Quietly left the room.
The moment the door closed, Leo's expression changed.
The surroundings around Leo began to distort again.
"Kzzzt… crackle… hiss…"
He stood frozen. Unable to focus on anything as a piercing screech tore through his ears. It sounded like a frequency being ripped apart. Growing louder with every passing second.
"Ah....!"
He clenched his teeth and grabbed his head. Dug his fingers into his hair. Fought the urge to scream. Whatever was happening to him, he didn't want anyone rushing into the room to find him like this.
Just... hold it together Leo just once.
Fuck... He cursed due to his desperate situation
Gritting his teeth, Leo forced himself to move forward. Each step towards the bed felt like a huge struggle. His vision wavered with the Screech of distortion Continued.
"Just a little further..." he muttered under his breath.
Somehow, he managed to reach the bed and collapsed onto it.
He writhed against the sheets. Pressed his hands over his ears. But it made no difference. The unbearable frequency continued to claw at his senses.
Then, gradually, the sound changed.
The piercing screech dissolved into a steady hiss of static. Like a radio tuned to the wrong frequency. It swallowed every other sound around him until he could hear nothing else.
Leo's eyes widened.
"Wait what Am I going deaf?"
Shit... shit! Why is this happening again? It's been good so many days!
When suddenly....
A strange sound echoed through the static.
God who rules the skies
Shall come to fear my eyes,
---
When Heaven's swept by blood-red sky,
The ancient stars hear they shall die.
---
The Apostle of Sin reaps with his blade,
Where the gods pay for the sins they played.
Soon, the voice reciting those incomprehensible verses fell silent.
For a moment, leo felt peace.
Then it resounded once more. Its eerie voice cutting through the static.
"You shall reap the sinners as the harbinger of the Devil."