The suspected Luminary chuckled and hopped off the wagon. With her white cloak fluttering slightly, she walked to a tree close to the grassy path and pressed her palm against the surface. She appeared extremely relaxed and seemingly didn't care if Micheal tried to escape or not.

  However, the boy knew— should he make one wrong move, he would end up dead before he could resist. Micheal recognized the look in the lady's deceptively enchanting eyes. Be it the hungry savages who robbed him and his sister of the fortune their parents left behind, or the terrifying encounter in the Dark Oak, they all had that same glint in their eyes.

  A killer… Micheal shivered as the thought crossed his mind.

  All I ever wanted was to make money and take care of Marie… How did things develop in such a manner? I don't want to die… I don't want to die…

  During the time, the beautiful lady had conjured up an illusory mirror on the tree bark. A blinding light poured out of the mirror like an illusory sea, only to quickly subside, leaving behind a silhouette within the depths of the mirror.

  “What truth hast thou uncovered?” The voice from the depths inquired in a gentle tone.

  The lady responded in a relaxed manner, “Harlan has received the item. I wasn't able to get a look at what was contained within. Although I could sense immense danger emanating from it.”

  The voice within the mirror was silent for a while. Finally, it said, “Return now. We shall ponder another course.”

  “Alright,” The lady nodded and swiped her palm across the illusory mirror. The abnormality faded and the tree returned to normal. Then, she spun around and glanced at Micheal.

  As she walked towards the wagon, she asked, “You're from the Energy Ascent. What Grade?”

  “S-seeker…” Micheal answered with a fearful heart.

  The lady was rather surprised at his response. She frowned slightly and muttered, “A Seeker? I thought you would be a Vestige since you were able to shake off my influence back then. Well, if you were a Vestige, there would be no reason for you to be working as a delivery boy. That's quite interesting…”

  Although Vestige was on the lower ends of the Essence Pool Grades, it was still quite uncommon in the human kingdom. The majority of Blessed and Graced were at the lowest Grade, and they more often than not remained a Seeker for the rest of their lives.

  After all, who would spend years of their lives trying to enlarge their Essence Pool just to move up one Grade? When they could pursue something else that would make them live comfortable lives.

  Only the ones born with talent, or overly ambitious figures, dared to abandon everything and pursue power.

  As for Esmerelda, she had been born a Vestige. She spent years training her magic, before eventually becoming a Luminary. Her control over the subconscious and psyche deepened greatly, pushing her to become a powerhouse in her own right.

  Esmerelda sighed and pulled her hood over her head, before climbing into the front seat once more and grabbing the horse reins. She said without looking back, “You're coming with me.”

  I have to get back to my sister! Micheal instinctively retorted, however, he couldn't refuse no matter how much he tried. His lips quivered, but failed to produce words.

  Esmerelda chuckled and began leading the horse down the path.

  …

  Theradon, Castle district, Nightfall.

  Heather and a group of Royal knights passed through a hidden passage to arrive directly at the large yard behind the castle. After dismissing her subordinates, with some of them heading to the barracks and some taking up shifts at the watchtower, the tall lady yawned and walked towards the main entrance.

  The guards stationed there pressed their fists to their chests, acknowledging her presence. Heather nodded casually and passed through the opened brass double doors with intricate runic patterns.

  Instantly, the grand hall reserved for banquets and balls was reflected in her vision. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a golden glow on the various murals that depicted glorious battle scenes from the Dark era. Furthermore, there were statues of famed knights across history, alongside anthropomorphic statues of the Deities; Hanuman and Virella.

  The former was the God of Eternal Repose and Lord of Humans, while the latter was the Mother of Everlasting Life.

  Heather's eyes moved from the painting of herself hung on the left wall to the spiral staircase. At the top, and leaning on the golden railings, was a young boy with gray hair and a stern face. Behind the boy was the young maid that tended to his every need.

  Esau’s expression softened instantly when he saw Heather walk in. He could hardly contain his excitement as he hurriedly said, “You're just in time for dinner!”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  Heather's stress from the afternoon’s scouting vanished instantly.

  On days like this, I can't help but be glad that he waits up for me before having dinner… Heather mused as she ascended the stairs. She pulled the boy into a hug and ruffled his hair.

  “How was your day?”

  Esau pulled away from the silver armor that pressed against his face and said with pursed lips, “Same as usual. Boring.”

  Heather chuckled and walked with him in the direction of the dining hall. She said in a soft tone, “When you become the next commander of the Royal Knights, you'll be able to go on various not-so-fun adventures.”

  “What makes you think I'll become the next commander?” Esau asked.

  “A feeling.” Heather responded casually.

  A feeling huh… Esau repeated and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He saw an adrift look on her face, as though she yearned for something unreachable.

  As they conversed, they arrived at the dining hall and Tilly helped with the door. The dining hall was extravagantly spacious, and there was a lengthy brass table in the centre. It was surrounded by a total of twelve chairs.

  On the table was a variety of appetizers. Roasted almonds, smoked trout, honeyed figs, creamy bread, as well as spiced wine and grape juice.

  Excluding Esau and Heather, there were three other people present in the hall. One was Imogen, and the other two were the king and queen of Oralio.

  Esau’s father was a man of sufficiently muscular build. He also had gray hair, which was commonly seen in the Goldheart bloodline. His handsome and clean shaven face was like a classical sculpture, and he had a very comforting smile. For a man of over forty years, he looked like he was still in his late twenties.

  His deep blue eyes swept across Esau and Heather, and he said in a joking manner, “Is this love…”

  Esau raised a brow but didn't say anything. He shook his head inwardly and took his seat next to Heather. After all, he knew just how spirited his father, the supposed king, was. In fact, he was the culprit behind Imogen’s bubbly personality.

  Heather and Imogen laughed at the king's remark. The former snapped her fingers and a reddish gap spawned next to her. The gap was akin to a cosmic maw that threatened to devour everything in its path, however, it remained docile without causing any harm.

  Heather rapidly took off her chest and wrist armor, tossing them into the void-like hole. Then, she snapped her fingers once more and the gap rapidly shrunk, before disappearing like it never existed.

  This was a level of proficiency that came with being an Ascendant. It gave birth to a whole new world of usage. It was especially useful in the case of the Void Ascent which fundamentally centered around destruction and annihilation.

  “So, what did you discover at Greenwood Plains?”

  The voice came from the woman seated next to the king. This woman, queen Aldine, was as stunning as the night sky. Both her hair and eyes were jet-black, and the latter appeared extremely profound like it contained the answer to all curiosities. However, she had a stern gaze and demeanor that automatically made one feel lesser or terrified in her presence.

  Of course, she wasn't actually hostile, as it was just her natural resting face. And it mostly had to do with the fact that she rarely smiled. Aldine was a quiet and conservative woman, preferring to grasp the tiniest of details from acute observations.

  There was no doubt that Esau took after her.

  Heather sighed and said after a few seconds of munching on figs, “The sky over there is fragmented like glass.”

  “Fragmented?” King Odora raised his gaze immediately.

  Heather nodded. She leaned into her chair and explained with an air of recollection, “It spanned about four walls across. There were illusory web-like cracks that extended to certain areas, making it seem like it'll shatter with just the slightest nudge.”

  “But it's the sky. Why would the sky shatter?” Imogen voiced her puzzlement.

  “There are so many oddities in this world of ours. The Dark Oak is a testament.” King Odora chuckled lightly. Then, he glanced at Heather and asked, “If it shatters, what do you think will exist beyond?”

  “Probably the Cosmos.” Heather answered with a shrug.

  “That's true… Uh, do you think it can be sealed?”

  “With my powers?” Heather shook her head. “I can only seal actual void cracks, or rifts torn open by anyone from the Void Ascent. Hm, I didn't feel any rift energy when I stood below that area, so I can't be sure what it actually is. Maybe if I was stronger, I could—”

  Everyone's head immediately turned and they all looked at her.

  “Haha, I'm just joking.” The lady thrust her arms up.

  King Odora held back his laughter and said seriously, “Bah! Anyway, we have to set up an outpost there to monitor further developments.”

  Heather affirmed with a nod. “I'll meet with Imperial Commander Khanu first thing at dawn.”

  As they conversed, the door to the dining hall swung open and various servants in black and white attire entered in an orderly fashion. Some carried covered platters, others balanced silver trays on their hands. As for the rest, they moved with grace and quickly cleared out the table, giving space for the main course.

  Trays were gently placed and covers came off, revealing a mouth watering scene worthy of a royal dinner. There was roasted boar, glazed duck meat, Fuhr grass which was a specialty of the Elven Kingdom, a variety of vegetables and fruits, as well as Blueberry pie.

  Heather was a food enthusiast, so she instantly dug in, relishing the feeling of a well cooked dish to offset her exhaustion.

  …

  After dinner, Esau returned to his chambers. Unfortunately, Heather had been so exhausted that she had to immediately head to bed. The boy stood in front of the full-body mirror as Tilly helped him with his clothes.

  As he stared at his reflection, his mind went completely adrift.

  His father's statement kept reverberating in his mind.

  Esau felt caged. The world was too big to not explore. He wanted to journey across the Five Seas, touching every continent and digging up history forgotten by man. He yearned to be free.

  A desire so potent, he doubted if he really was just a thirteen year old boy.

  Esau sighed deeply and got into bed. Tilly put out the candles and covered up the luminescent crystals, leaving behind a faint blue ambience. Then, she bade him goodnight and left.

  The boy stared at the ceiling and eventually fell asleep after an unknown amount of time had passed.

  …

  In a hazy dream world, Esau’s eyes suddenly snapped open. Groggily, he sat up and looked around. Instead of the familiar room, he found himself surrounded by trees covered in light fog.

  The trees were sparse, but they had branches so wide that it blotted out the moonlight. Only a tiny amount passed through the canopy and fog, creating a ghastly atmosphere.

  Esau’s first reaction was to look around. As someone from the Dream Ascent, he was certain that he had been pulled into a dream. So, rather than apprehension, he was instead filled with curiosity.

  Furthermore, this wasn't the first time a phenomenon like this was happening. It had been rather frequent in the past few weeks. Esau felt it was due to the fact that his Essence Pool was about to take shape.

  I'm still unable to actively leap into dreams, and it only ever happens at night… Esau sighed and shook his head.

  He patted his clothes and casually picked a direction. He wanted to know who the dream belonged to.