Chapter 23 KRAEGON THE UNSEEING
Chapter 23 KRAEGON THE UNSEEING
Aria's POV
After that huge clash in the morning, the rest of the day went by so fast. The rest of the entire day went by in a blitz. I didn't really get to speak with any of my day. Due to the fact that we were all already integrated into the school’s system. Classes had started to intensify so we all had to focus so we don't get lost in the torrents of theory classes.
Although in the class it would seem as if I was the only one enjoying the theory class. Most of the students just fell asleep while others chatted with each other but I genuinely liked it. Maybe because I couldn't feel magic like.most of these other kids do so this was the only way I could really connect with it.
The only time I spoke with my friends was during the source of magic. A rather interesting class that explained where magic came from.
It was believed that in the past people couldn't use magic or call elements and bend them. They usually relied on rituals and prayers. Until one day one of them prayed to a wrong God and a crack was formed on the surface of the realm.
Through this crack two things came to be. The first was the Aether; otherwise known as Mana or Essence. The source of all magic, used by all mages throughout the known kingdoms. This energy was termed the pure magic from the gods, gifted to humanity in their moment of greatest need. It flowed like rivers through the world, invisible to most but palpable to those with the gift. Mages could draw upon it to heal wounds, conjure flame, or bend the very elements to their will. The great academies were built upon understanding its properties, and entire civilizations rose and fell based on their mastery of this divine gift.
The second was Nether. Otherwise known as Dark Mana or the Negative Force. This was the source that governed the usage of forbidden arts like soul magic, necromancy, and blood rituals. It was said to be the very force that demons drew upon in the abyss, a corruption of the divine gift. Where Aether brought life and light, Nether brought decay and shadow. Its touch was cold, its whisper seductive, and its power undeniable. Thus it became an outlawed and evil source of magic, hunted by inquisitors and feared by common folk. To be caught wielding Nether was to invite execution or worse.
Although one of the book's authors—the enigmatic scholar Eldrin Voss—claimed there was a third source of magic. He argued that a force which contradicts and defines the two opposing forces must be present, for how else could Aether and Nether exist in balance without destroying one another? He called this the Paradoxical Force. Chaos.
There however has been no evidence that claims such a force exists, so it is usually sidelined by serious scholars and dismissed as philosophical fancy. The only reason it is still included in books and taught in the most esoteric corners of magical theory is because of the Great Prophecy that accompanies it. A prophecy that has been whispered in dark corners and sacred temples for generations.
It was stated that a child will be born who in their name chaos will reign. The child would be marked from birth, though the nature of the mark was never specified. Some translations claimed the mark would be visible upon their skin, others that it would be evident in their very soul.
The rest of the prophecy was more rumor than recorded fact, distorted by countless retellings and interpretations. One version stated they would destroy the world utterly, reducing it to primordial nothingness. Another claimed they would remake it entirely, reshaping reality according to their will. A third interpretation said they would merge all worlds together, collapsing the barriers between realms and bringing about an age of either unprecedented unity or incomprehensible horror.
But one thing remained consistent across all versions: a child will be born, and they will cause great chaos. Whether this chaos would be salvation or damnation, no one could say.
However the scholars termed it as the child would use chaos as the source of their powers. I didn't know why I liked that class so much but I really enjoyed it and I fantasized about it for a while.
The last class was combat classes. At last my friends and I were together again.
“My assignments and all have already been sent to your room,” Zephyr said. “I had a guard send it over.” he said with a chuckle.
I gave him a narrowed gaze, the guy didn't want to do anything anymore. “I am not your mother, you will come by after classes and I will explain them to you and then you will solve them on your own!”
“No, no. Please. I don't want to learn three hundred and nine theories of magic. I just want to do magic.”
“Ah, well, I want to do magic too, but guess what, no power. We all suffer one way or the other. You will come and I will help you!”
Ciora gave him a cold glance. “Stop whining and let's get today's class over with.”
We entered and we all surrounded the instructor in a half circle..”Although, I know you all are pumped for today's classes but I hate to tell you that there will be no class today!”
Several murmurs rang through the entire room. Everyone, even I looked forward to the combat classes. The man was just teaching us how to handle weapons, although most of his tricks were of a disservice to me since he was teaching them how to coat them with magic and so on. However, I still enjoyed the flashiness of it all.
“Hey, calm your horses. Come on, don't be barbaric. We are going to be doing something else. It has come to my attention that there are those among us who don't have the luxury of extensive magical reserves. In fact others don't seem to possess at all. Well, today I am going to introduce you to a former veteran all the way from the stone kingdom. Someone who is adept at fighting magic users without using any magic.” The instructor smiled.
The students murmured among each other and soon enough all eyes fell on me. Since I am the magicaless being, they seemed to think the man was brought here because of me. I sulked for a while but after being jabbed in the arm by Ciora, I held my head high.
“Allow me to introduce you to the only other entity who holds as much legendary status as Kael of the Storm. Kraegon the Unseeing!”
Everyone awed in unison. Kraegon the Unseeing was a blind man who during the last war single handedly held the Stone kingdom to a standstill. He fought side by side with Kael too and was considered an equal by him.
I sighed, even though I have met Kael, meeting other people he’d been compared to makes my heart flutter and makes me realize how great that man truly is because when Kraegon walked in everyone fell silent.