I'd only managed to get a few hours of sleep before I was awoken by the mental tug from my watch. Glancing at myself in the mirror as I stood, I could scarcely believe the lack of dark circles beneath my eyes. To be young and healthy again after so many years of being old and feeble... It was remarkable.
After getting dressed and looking at the old uniform, I frowned while smoothing out t...
2022-10-24 04:26:05 +0000 UTC View Post"David!"
A worried Abel called from the other side of the clearing, "David! Are you alright?"
From the peripheral of David's vision, I could make out Cain and Abel running toward him, both wearing concerned expressions. In the same instant, Mathias and Luna burst into the clearing. The pair quickly took in the scene before also running in David's direction.
David sat still, ig...
2022-10-19 02:57:51 +0000 UTC View PostMy mind raced when my vision fled, trying its best to recall anything from the Network's database that could help me piece together what happened. One moment I was talking with David, and the next, I found myself drifting along in this inky blackness. I couldn't see, I couldn't move... I couldn't even feel my own body.
Though my mind started as a flurry of activity, an unnatural calm seep...
2022-10-12 21:16:56 +0000 UTC View PostIt had only been a few hours between my departure and arrival at the dormitory. I made my way to the second floor amongst the bustle of students who'd finally been released from their exam rooms. Many spoke loudly about their experience, asking questions and trying to best determine their results. Some were excited, others were nervous, and a few simply cried behind closed doors.
While I ...
2022-10-07 04:23:24 +0000 UTC View PostI stepped calmly out onto the bottom floor of the Academy. Since the students from every year were taking their final or advancement exams, I'd only passed a handful of staff along the way. There was only one more person between me and the exit, and I could hear water sloshing when he dumped a bucket on the floor.
My nose wrinkled slightly when I saw the muddy puddle that was formed. Sure...
2022-10-05 07:36:48 +0000 UTC View PostZachary Gray...
I stared at the young man, looking for the darkness he was so openly known for in the future. There was... nothing. The youth's eyes were empty. We regarded each other for a moment before he blinked. There was a flash of curiosity, but it was brief.
How strange. Perhaps... whatever made him that way hasn't happened yet?
There was no way of knowing. In ...
2022-10-02 11:54:49 +0000 UTC View PostMy cane tapped lightly against the cobblestone as I walked across Main Street toward the Academy. Lights filtered from open windows, bathing the street in a pale light. The sun had vanished, and there was hardly any light offered by the canopy of the First Floor above.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I listened to the familiar sound of the cane, admiring the town's silence after the shopkeepers had ...
2022-09-28 10:20:14 +0000 UTC View PostIt only took a few minutes to jog to the base of the Bear Peak Mountains. I could feel the Effects of the Stamina Enhancement and was pleased I'd commandeered it from the mercenaries. Though, I couldn't wholly credit my comfort to my current physique.
The base of the gorge had a nice, smooth surface, so travelling through the canyons of the Howling Hills was much more agreeable than trave...
2022-09-26 17:43:27 +0000 UTC View Posthttps://inkarnate.com/m/MA8Zmv-first-floor/
Here is a rough map of the First Floor for those who think it will help them follow along!
"Hmm..?" The ground trembled beneath me. I opened my eyes, wincing at the onslaught of bright light that intruded upon my vision. Another tremor followed, more pronounced than the last, and I blinked my eyes rapidly, forcing myself to acclimate to the brightness.
My eyes fluttered open... just in time to see a crimson boulder flying toward me. I leapt to the side, my back aching and my lu...
2022-09-23 08:37:53 +0000 UTC View PostThe forest was silent... as if it could feel the tension between the youth and the three mercenaries. The wind remained dormant, the leaves above held perfectly still, and even the distant boars had ceased their clamour. Only the young man dared to interrupt this tranquil moment, his grin never fading.
"You boys didn't waste any time, did ya?" I chuckled and leaned lazily upon my staff. T...
2022-09-19 21:17:00 +0000 UTC View Post"Is everything alright?" Crook asked anxiously. He watched the three men who had just entered his store as they looked over the items. One of the gentlemen held a pad in his hand. He'd stopped writing and frowned at an empty space on one of the shelves.
The other two men removed their hoods, revealing stern looks on their scarred faces. Each of them had dark hair, and they all held very s...
2022-09-16 17:10:11 +0000 UTC View Post"That unscrupulous merchant," I chuckled, adjusting my pack to sit more comfortably on my back. He really tried to shaft me... again.
If I weren't able to make use of him, I would oust him to the authorities regardless of our agreement. Would probably save a few poor souls from wasting their Essence. He's so blatant with his price gouging. It's a wonder it took him so many years to sh...
2022-09-14 04:57:33 +0000 UTC View Post"You haven't even gotten your blade wet," I chuckled and ran my finger slowly across the sword's edge. This, like Rosie, was another family heirloom, and I had no clue where it came from. I'd had it appraised once, and the smith said the materials used to craft the Relic had come from a higher Floor. That's all I knew.
The weapon had played a significant role in my previous life, and walk...
2022-09-12 03:47:20 +0000 UTC View PostMy eyes opened, and I raised my head, staring uncomprehendingly toward the woman who'd shouted. She was a tall, middle-aged woman with brown hair and a long nose. My mind was still clouded, and I had trouble recognising her. Memories seeped through the thinning fog, and I found what I was looking for.
Is that really... Cecilia Warren?
She was the bane of my existence back w...
2022-09-09 03:56:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 1 [The Clock Strikes Zero]
[02:17:36]
The luminous red numbers drifting above the great Origin City were as conspicuous as ever, the flash of the seconds ticking down hard to miss for anyone who didn't frequent the Origin Floor. It would usually elicit feelings of awe and inspiration, yet tonight… Every time my gaze crossed over it, my stomach would churn....
2022-09-07 08:46:58 +0000 UTC View Post