Side Story - Ros, Ch. 1

Chapter 1 – The Future Past

The fifteen-year-old boy looked at the clerk strangely. “Are you sure I have a message? I just arrived here.”

The clerk gave the boy a blank look. Having just registered the newly awakened youth at the Training Tower, he was well aware the boy had just arrived. “Yes. I am quite sure. The instructions were very clear. If you do not wish to accept the message from one of the most prominent Time Sects in the Alliance,” he said, emphasizing each word, “I can keep it for another ‘Ros’ with no affinity that may or may not show up for the session beginning in four days, but considering no other person with that description besides you has registered in the two years the message has been waiting…”

The boy, Ros, felt a slight indignation rise within him, but the sense was summarily squashed as the reality of his situation once again rushed to the forefront of his mind. He looked to the side where his cousin and best friend was registering and sighed.

“I’m grateful for your assistance. Thank you,” Ros said, placing his tablet on the scanner and accepting the message. He could have accepted it directly to his interface, but he’d only just received it, and he still wasn’t used to using it.

He was lucky that he knew about the upgrade already. Had his brothers and sisters not joyously bragged about how superior their interfaces were to the commoners, Ros likely would never have learned about the upgrade since he’d been ejected from the family tree like a cursed dryad. He was sure most of them hoped he’d forgotten.

But he hadn’t.

He might not know how to upgrade his interface, but he knew the option was there. He wouldn’t be cheated out of another birthright just because he hadn’t manifested an affinity.

The thought brought a pang to his chest.

His entire life had changed so quickly. Had it really been only hours?

With four days until his cohort began training, Ros and his cousin Jonas opted to share a rented room within the tower. They weren’t able to use any of the training facilities until after orientation, but they were graciously allowed to rent a room until their free accommodations became available.

He accessed the ring his mother had shoved into his hand moments before he’d been shuffled through the portal and exiled to a lower-tier planet. It wasn’t true exile, he knew. But it might as well have been.

It looked like she’d given him all the funds she had on her at the time. It was more than he’d had in his personal ring, but he knew it wouldn’t last very long unless he was careful.

Aside from the coinage and mana cores, there was a pile of brand-new supplies that he suspected his mother had purchased for him by one of the attendants who regularly followed his parents around. He couldn’t imagine his mother carrying such items in a spare ring otherwise.

There was a food-making device that he recognized as the newest brand of high-end food transmuters on the market. They’d come out a couple of years earlier and had only grown in popularity since then. From what he’d heard, they were a better version of the more expensive devices that were only common on higher-tier worlds. This new device was available throughout the Alliance for a fraction of the price.

It would have been an odd gift had he not just effectively become homeless.

He skimmed over the other items, only noting one other worth noting – a modifiable transportation device. Seeing it was a surprise. He’d asked for one as his graduation present but felt certain his father would have objected to him receiving such an expensive gift after proving himself such a disappointment. His mother would almost certainly get into trouble for giving it to him anyway.

Ros smiled sadly. It was very much something she would do anyway, consequences be damned.

“Would you like to eat before settling in for the evening?” Jonas asked. “The third floor is open to the public, and I’m sure we’ll find something we both like there.”

The dark-haired boy looked at his cousin and best friend as he followed him to the culinary floor. In many ways, they looked like opposites. Where Ros had dark hair, dark eyes, and pale skin, Jonas had blonde hair, golden eyes, and golden brown skin. They were related on his mother’s side, though his mother’s affinity for Space hadn’t manifested physically like Jonas’s. She looked similar to Ros, aside from hints of purple in her dark hair.

Space and Force should have created something strong. They were related affinities, after all.

His older sister had gotten a strong Space affinity and had decided to specialize in Gravity magic. He’d always thought it was just her way of seeking Father’s approval… and it had worked, for the most part.

But Ros…

“I’m going to grab us some food. Why don’t you have a seat?” Jonas said, motioning toward an empty table. “Don’t worry. I know what you like.”

“Thanks,” he said quietly. His mind returned to the unread message he’d been given upon registering. The clerk said it had been there for two years.

Ros pulled up the message file and eyed it curiously. It was marked as coming from someone in the Epikairos Sect. He didn’t know anyone from that sect, though the sect itself was quite famous. They were actually the producers of the meal fabricator his mother had given him.

He idly wondered if it was somehow related, but dismissed the thought. There was no way someone had sent him a message two years agothat was related to a purchase made today. Even if they were a Time and Fate-based sect, there were limits.

Seeing no reason not to read the message, he opened it.

Dear Ros (formerly Rosmund ZedKinevis,

We met in the future of another timeline, and you helped me achieve something thought impossible. You asked for one thing in return: for me to do what I could to keep your cousin from dying in the freak accident that would awaken an Arcane affinity in you.

I know there’s a lot to unpack there, and I’m sorry I’m not there to explain it all to you in person. As you can see from the date of this message, the timing didn’t work out. Even for a Time Mage… things don’t always work as planned.

I hope this letter is enough. I really do.

From what you told me in the other timeline, you recently awakened without an affinity, and your family immediately disowned you. You didn’t even leave the campus grounds before they stripped you of your name. Then they ‘escorted’ you and your cousin – who refused to abandon you – to the closest portal, where your father chose your destination. Since I sent this letter to the Training Tower, I imagine this is all very fresh for you.

My heart aches for you. I wish I could have helped you to avoid the pain of today as well.

I considered sending you a message at the school you attended, but I ultimately decided against it since my words would not have been able to do anything but cause stress and unhappiness.

Also, you never told me what preparatory academy you attended, so I had to work with the information I had. Sure, I could have sent something to your family, but from what you told me, that didn’t seem like the best idea. They treated you well up until your awakening. I didn’t want to risk ruining the remainder of your childhood.

Anyway, you’ll meet a pair of twins there at the tower – Marcus and Marissa. They both have Fire affinities and will join your party. At least, they did in the other timeline. Marcus was still with you years from now. Marissa would have been… but life works in strange ways, sometimes. It was a good parting, and I believe you can trust her too. She seemed to genuinely care for you and the others when we met (in the other timeline).

So, on to the reason for this letter.

In the previous timeline, you and your party were on a PT1 quest somewhere near Aether Pass when you came across an Arcane mana well. You and Jonas fell in – it was underground, and the surface collapsed under your feet. After days of what you described as “soul-shattering pain,” you emerged carrying Jonas’s body. He didn’t survive the influx of Arcane mana.

You might feel inclined to avoid the area, but my advice is to seek out the mana well. USE MANA SIGHT. You shouldn’t be caught off guard if you are careful. I visited the site with you once, and many of the plants in the immediate area were glowing with black mana. It shouldn’t be hard to spot if you’re looking for it. It’s near the center of a small clearing full of nearly black flowers.

You can’t miss it, really.

You often mentioned how horribly you were treated once people discovered you had no affinity. It was very different from how you were treated with even a weak Arcane affinity. Ultimately, it’s your choice.

If you do decide to go, I recommend your party stay outside the clearing. That’s what you had us do when we accompanied you there. As long as they remain within the trees, they should be fine. You’ll want them close by when you exit, anyway. You’ll be in rough shape if it’s anything like the first time.

There wasn’t a lot of wildlife around the area when we visited, but obviously, that is also a concern. I believe you have something that will work as a shelter for them while they wait for you. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, look in the ring your mom gave you right before you left.

It will hurt.

“Soul-shattering pain.” That’s how you described it. And it took days for you to escape and climb out the first time. You never gave any details about what happened while you were underground, so I can’t give you any advice on what to expect aside from PAIN.

I hope this message is sufficient to keep your cousin safe. I know he means a lot to you, especially now.

We won’t likely meet in this timeline since I’ve taken a different path. I wanted to meet you and explain everything in person, but like I mentioned before, the timing just didn’t work out.

Even if we never meet, I will always consider you a friend, and I wish you the best.

Sincerely,

Emie deEpikairos – Personal Disciple of Patriarch Kairos

P.S. Take advantage of the Training Tower. You don’t have to leave after a month. Stay until you reach Tier Two and squeeze every last drop of benefit you can out of the facility. Use the wave rift to knock out the upgrade cost.

Awaken your affinity sooner than that, though. It may be important to do it early. I’m really not sure. There is practically no information available on using mana wells to increase or awaken an affinity. Just tell your trainers you’re collecting crafting materials or something.

DON’T REGISTER AT THE ADVENTURERS’ GUILD UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO LEAVE. Once you register, your time at the tower is done.

Live well, my friend.