~8,250 words

 

—16 November 2023—

–5:02 am–

The rubber flooring underneath undulated up and down like a tidal wave on a stormy night as Arthur’s form blurred and whirred like a gentle breeze across the training room.

 

A man lunged towards Arthur.

 

Planting his back foot firmly into the floor beneath that sunk in from the sheer force, his front foot zipped through the air like a bullet into a steep kick toward Arthur’s chest.

 

Bringing his arms up in an X shape, he blocked it, absorbing the impact.

 

The kick sent a tremor through his bones, however, his feet remained planted, not moving a single inch.

 

Using the small moment Arthur was taking to get back into stance, the man covered up the distance with a single leap and swung his left arm into a swift jab to Arthur's guard.

 

Unfazed by the sudden followup after the initial failure, Arthur slapped his fist, making it go off-course from its original trajectory.

 

The man stumbled forward towards him. However, using the additional momentum, he followed with a bone-crushing cross coated in a translucent sheen of Arcanum that made Arthur take a step back.

 

Capitalising on it, he unleashed a rapid-fire assault of elbows and knees. As the man jumped to drive his knee into Arthur's ribs, he suddenly blurred inwards instead of dodging it.

 

This divergent course of action made the man widen his eyes as Arthur closed the distance and clinched him, wrapping his arms around his torso.

 

At the same time, using his height as an advantage, Arthur kicked the knee of his supporting leg, making the man stumble downwards.

 

Arthur spun around, transitioning into a headlock. His arm raised and was about to plunge his elbow into the man’s head as his senses flared outwards like an alarm clock. Breaking the lock, he jumped forward, punching the man’s face before he did so.

 

“Phew, he almost had you, Paul.” Another man approached the one coughing on the floor.

 

Both men seemed to be in their primes. Both of them had almond shaped eyes, black hair and black eyes. They were both martial artists of the highest category in their own individual fighting styles who also knew how to use Arcanum.

 

They were from a long line of fighters who were regulated by one of the Seven Syndicates.

 

“Young Arthur has improved quite a bit, I’d say. Don’t you think the same, Jack?” Paul asked, taking Jack’s extended hand as he pulled him to his feet.

 

“I’d say he has lost his touch.” Jack replied, shaking his head as he saw Arthur standing at quite some distance from them.

 

Arthur’s feet were hovering about the flooring, numerous tiny, translucent things bouncing back and forth at a speed that was impossible to track with the naked eye.

 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “I have been studying for the past two years. You can pretend to go easy on those harsh compliments.”

 

“Studying does not justify this much drop in skill.” Jack retorted, holding Arthur’s gaze as his feet touched the ground. “What are you even studying? Have you even trained?”

 

“Chemistry. And no, I have not.” Arthur replied as a matter of factly and then spoke again. “Oops?”

 

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well. Anyways. Let’s start again.”

 

Arthur nodded in response. Jack and Paul were Arthur’s martial arts trainers from a young age. Even though he could not remember much about them for some odd reason, his body seemed to remember their teachings. Due to him being able to use Arcanum, there was no need to worry about him getting hurt. Since then, he was made to attend other classes as well, however, in the end, Arthur showed the most interest in these two martial arts.

 

Muay Thai and Taekwondo.

 

There was no specific reason behind this. Perhaps it was because in his dull routines, Arthur became fond of the oddly charismatic attitude of the two or it was entirely on an impulse. No one knows. Even Sif could not tell why he chose these two.

 

Arcanum flared to life around both Jack and Paul as they lowered their stances.

 

Jack lowered even down and suddenly, his feet caught on fire. Smouldering flames arose, distorting the view of the world around them. The next moment, he dashed forward. Leaving a thick trail of crisp char on the flooring underneath, he arrived in front of Arthur in the blink of an eye.

 

Spinning his body, he swung his leg in a circular motion atop Arthur’s head. Moving his head to the side, Arthur dodged the falling embers that were about to ignite into his hair, moving away from the range of his roundhouse kick.

 

However, a smirk formed on Jack’s lips. As soon as Arthur moved, Jack pivoted on his supporting foot and twisted his body violently in the opposite direction. Simultaneously, chambering his other leg and extending it outwards, his heel whistled through the air towards Arthur’s chin.

 

Arthur’s grey eyes matched Jack’s before tracing along the heel that was about to make contact with him. In the blur of a second, using the tip of his shoes, he pushed himself back for a mere fraction of an inch as Jack’s kick missed Arthur. The force of the kick sent a wave of hot air towards the roof.

 

At the same moment, Arthur grabbed Jack by the collar and pulled him towards himself. Since his foot was still in the air, his balance was totally disturbed. As Jack’s body fell towards Arthur, he drove his knee into Jack’s solar plexus.

 

At the same time, Jack placed both of his hands on Arthur’s knee, and pushed his own body back, absorbing the impact.

 

Paul’s overhand right landed square on Arthur’s jaw, making his grip on Jack’s collar loosen. Wriggling out of his hold, Jack formed a little distance between them. Without wasting a second, Paul performed a bull rush, wrapping his arms around Arthur’s waist.

 

Capitalising on the moment, Jack jumped right in again. Coiling his own arms around Paul’s midsection, Arthur jerked it with all his might. Paul felt his organs tangibly move and bile rise up to his mouth from the sheer force of the wave that had swept over him like a tsunami from just a single tug.

 

‘This isn’t just brute strength. He’s using some kind of technique…’

 

Grabbing Jack’s foot, he spun his body and redirected his entire momentum towards the side, making Jack crash like a meteorite into the padded walls. Using his elbow, Arthur struck Paul at the back of his head. He reeled back, his senses disoriented.

 

As Arthur dashed forward, Paul looked up immediately. Blinking away the dizziness and the nauseating sensation, he immediately side-stepped, augmenting his entire body into Arcanum. He hooked with his dominant hand towards Arthur’s ribs.

 

His fist made contact, however, the reeling sensation from a powerful strike to the head and weird Arcane Arts being used at his middle section had sapped his strength away. The punch felt no more than a small tap.

 

Twisting his body backwards, Arthur dodged a swift fire augmented kick from Jack. Spinning around him, Arthur reached out for Paul and kicked his head with the upper side of his foot, making him fall to the floor with a loud thud.

 

Arthur’s back arched as Jack finally managed to land a kick at him. He winced, biting the searing sensation of flames eating- nibbling away at his skin. The flames exploded underneath Jack’s feet, making the plastic flooring underneath also catch on fire.

 

Jack jumped once again with his knee going towards Arthur. However, midair, his leg snapped open and extended his foot suddenly, increasing his reach. Arthur used his palm to slightly tap it and use the force from the tap to move to the side. However, as Jack’s foot was in the air, he brought it down like an axe chopping a piece of wood towards Arthur’s collarbone.

 

As it landed, Arthur felt the bones inside his collarbone make a noise that they definitely should not. Immediately grabbing his foot by his shin, Arthur sealed his foot placement over his cracked collarbone. For the first time, Arcanum flared to life around his hand that was balled into a fist and used the back of his fist to strike his face.

 

The impact was like a really big firecracker going off, making a shockwave run across the entire training room. The windows on the other side rattled violently from the shockwaves for a few good seconds before calming down as Jack fell on the floor as well, his eyes rolling back into his head.

 

At the same time, the alarm went off, making the “fire sprinklers” activate. Looking back, Arthur saw that almost half of the training room was burnt down. Letting out a long sigh, he looked outside the window, his long ash brown hair—styled in the curtain style that Astrid had decided for him—covering his eyes. He tried to move his arm, however, it creaked and a stabbing sensation went across it.

 

Looking away from the window and down at his childhood instructors, he sighed again. “Yep, can't remember anything.” He spoke to himself, under her breath. "To think this stupid Jack actually broke my bone."

 

—-----------------------------------

–6:20 am–

 

The door flung open as Arthur came inside his room. His room was fairly big, around 350 square feet. It was a rather simple room in aesthetic, however, just a single step inside relaxed his nerves, simplicity marrying comfort in a perfect harmony.

 

The room was bathed in a palette of soft neutrals, the walls painted in warm tones of cream and accented by subtle hints of taupe. The flooring was dark in colour and rich in exposure, adding a touch of sophistication, coupled with a plush area filled with rugs in shades of ivory and charcoal.

 

Minimalist artwork adorned the walls, each piece carefully chosen to add visual interest without overwhelming the space.

 

A pair of floor-to-ceiling windows lined one side of the room, while sheer curtains in a soft linen fabric draped over it.

 

The giant grey sofa just in front of the window was accentuated further due to the one sitting on it. It was Astrid, wearing a white comfy night pyjamas that covered her whole body. Atop her dress, she was wearing a purple coloured open sweater.

 

A small laptop rested on her thighs as she had placed her legs on the table in front of her, her fingers rapidly tapping against the keyboard. Her forehead had a deep frown on it and her eyes focused as her feet juddered left and right anxiously.

 

Arthur glanced over in her direction, and the look in his eyes softened. “Astrid.”

 

“Ehh–Huh?! Arthur—” Panicking, she looked up and stood immediately. The laptop resting on her thighs fell down and landed to the side on the carpet. “Oh for fuc— Sorry, sorry. Just let me pick it up. I will be back with you in a sec!” Awkwardly, she stooped down and picked it up, inspecting each and every inch of it.

 

Arthur smiled slightly, shaking his head. His gaze then flicked towards his bed. “I see you’ve been making good use of my bed.” He spoke, his tone amused.

 

“Well—” Astrid started to speak, quickly tapping a few keys on her laptop before closing the lid with a loud thud. “—I was waiting for you to come back and let me know where I could stay. You didn’t return the whole night so I just slept on your bed.” She spoke and raised her arms. “I mean, you don’t expect me to stay up all night waiting for you, right?”

 

“Yeah. Not really.” Arthur replied, a playful look on his face as he walked over to her. His hair was still damp from the water sprinkled all over him after his training. “I was a bit busy. A few things came up.” He continued and stood in front of her.

 

She was a tall girl for her age, standing at just 2 inches shorter than him at 172 cm. As she looked up, Arthur let his body fall to the side, landing into the plush embrace of the warm sofa. As his body plopped up and down, Astrid turned around and looked back at him.

 

“God— Arthur. What happened to you? Your arm isn’t supposed to look like this.” Astrid suddenly took notice, his one arm visibly longer than the other. Sitting down on the floor, just beside him, she grabbed his arm with both her hands.

 

“‘Tis but a scratch.” Arthur smirked at her.

 

“Not funny.” She snapped angrily, and poked her finger into his collarbone.

 

“Oww–”

 

Arcanum flickered to life inside her body.

 

The human body had multiple 「Nodes」 that acted as Checkpoints for the 「Magic Activation」

 

In simpler terms, the entirety of the human body was a 「Magic Circuit」 . And Arcanum flowed inside this magic circuit just like the electrochemical signals in the nervous system. The Heart was literally the “The Heart of Magic Circuit” as a person’s mana supply originated from the main node that was located inside the heart.

 

Although a person’s technique or magic type was engraved inside the brain, the fuel needed to manifest that magic or in more relevant terms, Arcane Arts, came from the heart. This also leads to the fact that a naturally gifted person would be faster in casting their Arcane Arts, since cognitive abilities are closely related to neural impulses.

 

And this electrochemical signal from one Node to another is—in most cases—directly proportional to one’s inherent neural impulse speed.

 

「Phase 1 — Reconstruct— Variation: Ossiculum 」

 

Astrid’s hands glowed in a dull white light as she placed one over Arthur’s arm and the other over his collarbone. Her touch was warm against the oddly frigid surface of his skin.

 

The barely visible tendrils of white energy hummed with a subdued tone, as if whispering to itself. Like a parasite, it clung on to Arthur’s arm and then dug its way into it. Arthur’s brows creased for a fraction of an inch as it stuck to the node inside his arm and then increased in speed, shooting upwards like a torpedo.

 

With a sharp snap, his arm jolted back into alignment, almost as if it were being guided by an unseen hand. At the same time, the shards of fractured bone appeared to be attracted back together, fitting snugly into their original positions like pieces of jigsaw.

 

As the bones realigned, a faint sheen of light enveloped the injured area, forming a protective barrier.

 

Like a forbidden seal in myths, a circle aligned upwards from Astrid’s hands before shrinking and entering inside his arm. The following moment, with a loud crack and pop, his arm had returned to its former glory. Completely unscathed.

 

Looking up, Arthur saw the beads of sweat lining Astrid’s face as she fell back on her bum, heaving out heavy breaths. “Ooof— that was hard.” She exclaimed, the subtle light enveloping her hands flickering out of life. Arthur tilted forward, pulling his sleeve upwards until it covered half of his palm. Extending his hand forward, he wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Wha—”

 

“Sorry for overworking you.” Arthur spoke, his voice as soft as a calming lullaby.

 

Astrid shifted, “Eh-hehe. No worries.” She smiled, the corner of her eyes crinkling. “Even if it wasn’t my duty, I would’ve done it regardless.” She spoke and then lowered her head, the heavy volume of her hair falling down and obscuring her features. “For you.”

 

“What was that?”

 

“Should’ve heard it the first time, haha.” She replied with a glee, flashing her pearls as Arthur groaned before sinking into the couch.

 

His eyes traced along the wooden bookshelves that extended from the door to the other end of the room, completely filled with books. Astrid stood up and sat a seat away from Arthur.

 

“Oh, by the way, what about your exams?” Arthur asked, pressing his fingers against his eyes.

 

“Online.” Astrid replied nonchalantly. “I was happy I didn't have to give it. But it turns out due to some emergency in the area around where our school was, the exams are now online.” She complained, her pale blue eyes carrying a look of pure horror as she messed her hair with both her hands, disheveling them. “I only have a week to prepare for that.”

 

Arthur looked to the side, over his shoulder. “You’ll be fine.” He spoke, Astrid’s complaints oddly amusing him. “You have me.”

 

Astrid stared at him for a while, dumbfounded, before letting out a laugh. Slapping his shoulder, she spoke. “Of course, I do.” A bright look formed on her face. “I always do.”

 

“Orrrr- you can just cheat on it.”

 

“Come on!” Astrid groaned. “Don’t say this stuff right after when I was thinking you said something sweet.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Hmph.” She looked the other way. Arthur kept looking at her for a brief moment, visibly amused.

 

“Hmm.” Humming to himself, Arthur looked away from her and then at the window that was on the backside. Using his two fingers he pinched the soft fabric and pulled it to the side. It was 8 in the morning and pitch black outside. Since it was the end of November, the duration of nights had extended to 18 hours. Coupled with the clouds covering the sky, it made it nigh impossible to look without any artificial light.

 

“Uhh, Arthur?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I have a request.”

 

Peeling his eyes away from the clouds, Arthur looked at Astrid.

 

“Speak away.”

 

“Well, you know— it’s my first time in Bergen and such, sooooooooooo~” She fiddled with her thumbs, squirming as she tried to formulate her words. “Can you show me around? I really want to explore this place.”

 

Arthur raised a brow and then both of them, finally understanding what was going on. “Oh. I forgot you like adventuring around in new places.”

 

“Grrrr—” She growled. Rolling her eyes, she took a deep breath and then shrugged it off. “Yeah, basically that. So? Can you?”

 

“Yeah.” He replied, grabbing a hold of his foot and pulling it back, stretching it. “We can leave in an hour or two. The sun would be up by then.” He spoke as he looked from the small gap in the curtains, “If it doesn’t rain that is.”

 

—---------------------

–8:30 am–

With a childlike enthusiasm, Astrid hopped into Arthur’s room. Twirling around, she ran towards the mirror attached to the wall, beside the dressing table and looked at herself into it.

 

In her attempt at braving the winter chill of Bergen—which was much colder due to it raining in this city for more than 250 days every year—she was wearing a cosy, chunky knit black high-neck and a long red coloured open sweater. Accessorising thoughtfully, a chunky knit scarf hugged around her neck like a snake. Paired with corduroy black pants, the entire dress seemed to perfectly accentuate and compliment her features.

 

Grounding the look was leather ankle boots with a small heel. Picking a snug knit hat, she wore it over her loosely kept silver—almost gunmetal—hair, crowning her head. Her hair spilled down in a straight line before curling at the bottom.

 

She giggled as she looked at her reflection, a playful charm sticking to her aura itself.

 

Once she was done looking at herself, she happily ran towards the door. Just as she placed her hand on the handle of the door, the playful smile and the subtle hue of pink gracing her features vanished in an instant, replaced by a much more serious and refined look, losing the hints of the childish demeanour that she had displayed all this time around Arthur.

 

Taking the first step outside, she felt a chilling sensation slap against her face, a stark contrast to the warm cocoon of the room she had stayed in ever since she arrived in Bergen. She trembled for a moment before correcting the single crease in her inner-wear.

 

Looking to the side, she saw Arthur leaning against the wall of his room. He was looking down at the phone in his hand, its light illuminating his features in the otherwise almost dark ambience of his house. Feeling a presence right next to himself, Arthur slipped his phone into his pocket before looking to the side.

 

His mouth opened to say something, however, instead of saying it, he sealed his lips shut, pushing the words back. “Ready?”

 

“Yep!” Astrid replied, her tone betraying the icy facade she had worn all of a sudden.

 

Motioning with his head, Arthur told her to follow him. Falling closely in line, she started to follow right in his footsteps. His room was at the end of a long hallway with only two other rooms inside it. As they walked through this hallway, Astrid looked up, taking in the incoherent and antique designs carved into the roof itself. The slimmer of light illuminating the designs confused her even further.

 

“Curious?” Arthur asked, looking back.

 

“Kind of, hehe.” She replied, sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck. “I mean, you know— after all, I still don’t know much about you. Or anything related to you.” She voiced out, looking down. “Even though it seems like you know all about me.”

 

Arthur didn’t stop. But instead, he looked up at the ceiling with a meek smile. “What’s the fun in me telling you by myself?” He replied, the smile never leaving his lips as Astrid focused her gaze on him. Tilting his head, he looked back at her. “If you REALLY want to know, you just have to ask the right questions.”

 

“Then what is that you—” Astrid paused, swallowing a dry lump of saliva and then composed herself. She didn’t want to act out of bounds. While it was true there were no boundaries set by Arthur, despite being in an inferior position, she knew what was right and what was wrong. After all, she had suffered since her childhood, she absolutely refused to let go of the only human who felt like home due to her own stupid curiosity. “—it's nothing.”

 

“You know I will answer. Anything that you’ll ask.” Arthur replied, his voice soft. “Even if I think you’re better off not knowing that aspect. I promised you something that day, didn’t I?”

 

A pang went across her chest. Her memory flashed to 2 years ago. Bits. Small bits of it. Flashes of her memories she had chosen not to seal away. Shaking her head, she got rid of those thoughts.

 

“I know. And I am thankful you took me in. Even though you were still just a kid.” She spoke. There was a slight tremble in her voice, followed by a light-hearted chuckle. “I mean, you—we—still are. But you get what I mean.”

 

Smiling in return, Arthur nodded. “I know. So-” he paused, letting Astrid recollect her attention and direct it towards him. “-whenever you are ready, you can ask me. What am I—us. My family. Anything.”

 

Astrid stopped just at the corner of the long hallway, making Arthur come to a quick stop as well.

 

“I think it does not matter.” She replied, raising her head which made the loose hair protruding from the backside of her cap bounce upwards with a silky jiggle. “No matter what it is. You, your family. Your past. Everything. It has nothing to do with me. And nothing you did, or happened to you in the past has anything to do with me.” The icy facade melted away only for a single second, flashing a smile. “All that matters is the present. You took me in when I was left by everyone. Labelled as a bad omen.” Her right eye lit up due to the streak of sunlight suddenly flashing through the window that led to the lawn outside. “And no amount of subservience could ever pay for it.”

 

Arthur hummed. “You make it sound as if I had turned you into a slave.”

 

Astrid’s lips curved into a sly smile. “Well, aren't I a slave? You just refuse to make good use of me.”

 

Arthur cocked his head. “Well, I will try to work you to the bone next time.”

 

The seriousness in his voice made the colour pale from her face. “Ahah—haha…… wait, you are not serious about it, right?!”

 

“Why wouldn’t I be? Of course I'm going to fulfil my only friend’s deepest wish.” Arthur replied with amusement.

 

“AAGH— Nooooo~” With a crestfallen look, her shoulders drooped down.

 

“Well, if it ain’t Arthur.” A foreign voice interrupted all of a sudden. “Our cute little runaway brother.” The man who had spoken emerged from the other side of the wall was just as tall as Arthur, however, one look at his face and one could tell he was much older than him. “‘Sup pookie.”

 

“Don’t call me that, Eric.” Arthur spoke as he took in a breath, not even looking at him.

 

“Still giving the cold shoulder to your older brother, eh?” Eris retorted in a playful manner, extending his hands in a wide shrug. Just like Arthur, he had inherited alternating features from his parents, albeit totally opposite to Arthur, since Eric had his mother’s golden blonde hair and his father’s green eyes. He was about 3 inches taller than Arthur, standing at about 188 cm or 6’2’’. “Man, you never change, oh?” His attention flicked to the side. “Ah, you. How are you, Ashley?”

 

“It's Astrid.”

 

“Of course, Astrid, yes!” He smacked his lips. “That is what I said. Did you hear something else?”

 

“Of course not. It’s just me being a little under the weather.” Astrid replied, not bowing, but keeping her head a touch lower than usual.

 

“Oh? Man, you ought to take care of yourself.” Eric commented and then walked towards Arthur. Placing his hand over Arthur’s shoulder, he looked him in the eye. “I am just a few steps away from your room. If you ever feel like it—”

 

“I won’t.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I won’t feel like it, so don’t feel bothered. I won’t be coming.” Arthur removed his hand from his shoulder as a rather sad look appeared on Eric’s face.

 

“I see… Well, you know, just in case, if hell ever froze over, you know where to find me. I am always down for some quality bonding time.” Ruffling Arthur’s hair which was replied with a suppressed groan from Arthur due to the ruined hairstyle he had spent so much time on, Eric stooped lower and slipped something into Arthur’s pocket. Lowering towards his little brother’s ear, he whispered something before trudging away.

 

As he walked away, the echo of footsteps decreasing to pin drop silence, Astrid’s heel made the next series of clipping sounds. “It was my first time meeting your brother… well, anyone other than your father.”

 

“Hmm. Yeah. I am not very fond of him.” Arthur groaned as he tried to correct his hair back.

 

“Ehhh? Why? He sounds like a sweet brother to you.”

 

“It's just—” Arthur bit his words, however, after a moment, decided to say them anyway. “—he’s just annoying. I don’t like people such as him.”

 

“But why?”

 

“If anything feels too good to be true, it most likely is.” Arthur replied, gently knocking with his index finger on Astrid’s forehead.

 

“Oww–” Rubbing it, she looked up at him, almost baring her fangs at him.

 

“Well, anyways, I think we should go.” Disregarding the evil aura that surrounded Astrid as she conspired to attack Arthur, he spoke, taking his phone out of his pocket. “The sun will be up for only 5 hours today. I hope you can look around enough in that time.”

 

“EHHHH!? ONLY FIVE HOURS!?” She blurted, her voice echoing in the eerily silent ambiance of the Olvasens’ main manor. “We have to leave, Arthur. RIGHT NOW!” Panicking, she grabbed him by his arm before bolting out.

 

As they were leaving, Arthur sneakily slipped his hand into his pocket and took the thing out that Eric had slipped into his pocket. It was in a small wrapping with a note. A note saying-

 

{Here’s some contraception from your big bro, teehee~}

 

This bastar—

—--------------------------------

—10:11 am—

 

As the car came to a screeching halt, Astrid bolted out of the car with a speed that even surprised Arthur. Shaking his head with an amused smile, Arthur looked to the side, at his driver. “You can go. Thanks for the lift.”

 

“Should I stay here? The house is quite some distance away from here.” The driver replied, pulling his cap downwards.

 

“That would be unnecessary.” Arthur shook his head. As he opened the door, he saw Astrid looking around with wide eyes and suppressing the urge to run off into the first bakery that was just across the street. However, he slid back into his seat. “Here, take this.” Arthur spoke as he handed an envelope to the driver. “It's your anniversary, right?”

 

The man’s eyes widened. “-yes. How did you…”

 

“Doesn’t matter.” Arthur shrugged, his face not betraying a single expression. “And don’t think much about it. Neither is gratitude needed.” He spoke as he reopened the door and looked back. “Take today’s day off.”

 

“Yes sir!” The driver replied with a wide grin, saluting. Once Arthur had left the car and shut the door behind him, the car’s tires skidded before rushing off in a straight line.

 

“You sure are a softie.” Astrid commented, looking over his shoulder. “You never said something about someone like him.”

 

Arthur shrugged. “Probably because he was not worth mentioning.” He spoke as he saw the car take a sharp right turn before disappearing from his sight. “Despite being my personal driver for years, I still don’t know his name, after all.”

 

“Ughhh–” Astrid groaned. “I'll take it back.”

 

“Knew you would.” Arthur cracked a grin. “No way I’d know about Emil’s name. Too hard to remember.”

 

“Just when I thought you cared about someon— wait! You do remember his name!” She pointed her finger at him.

 

“Hmm? Do I? Are you sure you are not hearing things?”

 

Astrid narrowed her eyes. “I think that’s what is happening. I am just hearing things. Definitely didn’t hear that the driver’s name is Emil.”

 

“That is a worrisome subject. Should we go back?”

 

“Don’t you dare think about that!” She snapped as Arthur shrugged.

 

“Fine— don’t talk so loudly.” Arthur spoke, taking a step back from her night-rampaging form as he noticed multiple people looking at them.

 

“Whatever.” She stomped her feet. “Now I am angry. I want to eat something.”

 

“Didn’t you just had breakfast enough for 3 peop—ouch.” The elbow that landed into Arthur’s ribs made him shut his mouth up instantaneously, however, the tone of his exclamation did not quite reach the sentiment behind it.

 

“Hmph. Never point it out to a lady that she’s eating a lot.” She huffed, folding her hands.

 

“That is quite an inconceivable course of action.” Arthur shot back, rubbing his side. I suppose there is no arguing with women. All of them are the same. “Anyways, there are 18 bakeries in total. Do you have anything specific in mind?” Arthur asked.

 

“Hmm. As you can guess, I did come prepared, but reviews won’t help. Since you spent most of your life here, I will leave it up to you.”

 

Arthur tilted his head, a tremor going down his spine as he suddenly looked at a blank point in the sky. “Hmm. I might have something planned.” He spoke and took the lead.

 

After that, Arthur and Astrid walked down the cobblestone walls. Bergen was the second largest city in Norway, after its capital, Oslo—which was also the base of operations for the Seven Syndicates. The Fjords were the prime reason for the attraction of this place and Bergen was the first city where the Olvasens’ made their first main encampment, after wandering off the distant lands.

 

Due to this, instead of living inside the Capitol, generation upon generations of Olvasens have lived and grown up in Bergen, before moving out. Other than the family head, of course, who was bound to stay back at their home city and look after the family accolades.

 

The cold smell of fish filled the air as Arthur and Astrid walked down the roads. Heaps upon heaps of Cod and Stockfish were lined along the Brygges, which were the beeline along the lakes connecting to the sea.

 

Astrid was like a little child, looking at everything with stars in her eyes. Despite it being a simple city, in comparison to Hammerfest—which was her birth city—she was still drawn towards everything it had to offer. The houses along the line were mostly traditional in structure. Since this place was a bit far from the main market, the ambience of the old times still lingered here, untouched by the modernity.

 

“Arthur- I just noticed something!”

 

“Hmm?” Arthur hummed, shaking his head as he looked up from his phone. There was a frown on his face, albeit for a split second, as it vanished in an instant. “What?”

 

“The houses.” She pointed at one of the houses with her finger that had red paint on its ceiling. “It's just like those little house-thingies we have in Monopoly!”

 

“Monopoly?” Arthur tilted his head. “Is that the board game you keep talking about?”

 

Astrid was dumbfounded. “You are joking, right?” She stammered. “You seriously don’t know anything about Monopoly? Even after I played it in front of you with my friends at Hammerfest?”

 

“I think I have told you this many times before.” Arthur spoke as a matter-of-factly. “Besides, I don’t have any will to look at what you have been doing with your friends.”

 

“No, you absolutely did no-” she paused, as if remembering something. “-you said you were not interested. Not that you never played it!”

 

“Same thing. Tomato, tomato.” Arthur retorted, switching accents as he did.

 

“Seriously-” Astrid sighed, “-once we have something to eat, I am buying it. And you are definitely playing it with me.”

 

“Not a chance.” Arthur clicked the top of his mouth with his tongue.

 

“We’ll see about that.” She looked the other way, and then raised her face towards the sky. Removing her cap, she let the wind make her hair flutter like a flag. “Hmmm~ It's so warm today.”

 

"It's 0 degrees. Not really warm," Arthur remarked, glancing down at his phone. "But it's just warm comparatively," he added, trying to lighten the mood.

 

Groaning in mock exasperation, Astrid rolled her eyes before darting off with a playful smile. "You really know how to suck the fun out of everything."

 

Arthur watched her go for a moment before slipping his phone back into his pocket, his own smile barely perceptible. As her back got increasingly smaller and smaller, Arthur took in a deep breath, his mind wandering off to somewhere. A conversation in particular.

 

—There’s something wrong about to happen.

 

—Ok?

 

—I know you have no interest in associating with me, but for once, hear me out. I might be on the opposing side, but I have never once, not even a single time, wanted to bring harm on you. Art– Arthur, believe me. Just this once.

 

—Your words are not credible. Besides, you have no way of confirming it.

 

—I do. Have you forgotten who we have allied with?

 

— …

 

—I am not asking anything of you. Just… just stay safe, okay?

 

—Thanks for the unnecessary heads up. I am busy now, sadly.

 

—Mhmm… Take care Arth-

 

As the evil premonition hung like a sword over his head, Arthur sighed. Astrid stopped after running so far that Arthur was barely visible now. She looked back, as she saw Arthur insert his hands into his coat’s pockets and look at the water body beside him.

 

A frown formed on her face. We only have so little time left and he’s looking at the sea!? “Arthu–” Before she could talk, Arthur stepped behind her, pulling her by her arm. The sudden tug made her fall on his chest as he held her firmly.

 

“Don’t shout my name.”

 

“...” As he stared down at her with a piercing look, a rosy pink hue formed on her cheeks as she clung on to his chest in a rather weird position, unable to remain standing. Averting her eyes, she looked down at the soft fabric against which she was pressed. “Fine-”

 

A flutter drew Arthur’s attention away from the blonde nestled against his chest. A bird–a dipper with its distinctive white throat elegantly soared overhead, gliding towards one of the many mountains that surrounded the city, stuck in the distance.

 

“Somfin on yher mind?” Astrid's voice muffled from his chest, glanced at his side profile curiously.

 

Arthur kept his gaze fixed on the distant peaks far out into the distance.

 

“The mountains.” his eyes finally shifted to meet her own. “I want to go to the mountains.”

 

Her look of confusion intensified, before transforming into shock, her eyes widening in disbelief as she processed his words, eliciting a quizzical raised eyebrow from the boy.

 

“What now-”

 

“The mountains?! You wanna go to the mountains!?” Excitement grew after each syllable Astrid spoke.

 

“Yeah? They’re pretty, I guess.” He takes a moment to point toward the largest mountain in the range. “Ulriken, I want to go there. ”

 

Astrid hurriedly pushes herself free out of Arthur’s embrace before staring at him with suspicion.

 

“The Arthur Olvasen wishes to go out to do something that isn’t laze around or following orders?!” She exclaimed theatrically, as her eyes began to study every feature of Arthur in an exaggerated manner. “Who are you, and what have you done with Arthur!”

 

Arthur shrugged his shoulders, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. “Despite how it may seem, I am still capable of feeling and wanting to do things.”

 

Astrid rapidly nodded her head, as if processing this revelation. “Hmm. Hmm. Well…” With a skip in her step, she seized Arthur’s sleeve, dragging him along with her. “Let’s go to the mountains then!”

 

A small smile tugged on the corners of Arthur’s lips.

 

“Let’s.”

(*********)
—SIMPSON DESERT, AUSTRALIA—

16 September, 2023 — 5 pm.

“Woooohoooooooooooooooooooo—”

 

The joyous scream of a teenager echoed in the entirety of the Simpson desert as a “Sand Dune Buggy” moved up and down rigorously.

 

His raven black hair moved up and down, losing their natural lustre due to the grains of sand resting atop his head. Despite the kicking sand, he was not wearing any goggles, his eyes unperturbed by the unholy amounts of sand entering it.

 

“Arghh– Master Finn- please slow down.”

 

The man sitting behind him cried out. The boy in question was the heir to the Andersons—Mediators of every Arcanum user in Oceania and one of the Seven Syndicates. They were also the ones who were in a long standing partnership with the Whites and Olaniyans.

 

Still driving the buggy on full throttle, Finn looked back, grains of sand resting on his long black lashes as a sinister look formed in his unsettlingly murky black eyes. Turning the handle to the extreme right, the entire buggy teetered to the side, before making the man fall down as Finn applied a break at the same time, saving himself.

 

As the man fell down in the sand, he immediately stood up, coughing out sand.

 

"Haha! Oi, fair dinkum, Trev mate, reckon you're really a guardian? Bwahaha-" As Finn’s laughter boomed, the guardian—Trev let out an awkward cough.

 

“Please, Sir Finn, you can’t keep doing this. Sir Blake is going to kill me if something happens to you.” Trev complained with a whine. “And besides, the thought of you getting hurt pains me.” He spoke, dusting off his clothes. He was, after all, his guardian since birth.

 

“Calm down, Trev.” Finn gestured dismissively. “Something as trivial as this is not enough to put even a dent on me.” He smirked. “The demon king himself has to crawl out of Eden to stand a chanc—”

 

As if answering his call, his words were cut short as the bedrock beneath all the sand dunes fractured open with a guttural roar, resembling the hungry jaws of a monster mentioned in fairy tales.

 

Sediment and sand cascaded into the seemingly bottomless depths of its gaping maw.

 

The huge void shifted, revealing rows upon rows of jagged teeth-like protrusions, instantly shifting towards Finn’s buggy.

 

With a swift tug, Trev yanked Finn away, hurling him aside just as the monstrous jaws caught up to them. They managed to tumble away from the buggy, but their respite was short-lived.

 

The gnashers that moved like the frenzied rotation of a washing machine's agitator, tore into the vehicle with terrifying speed. In mere moments, the buggy was reduced to shrapnel, shredded to bits and pieces.

 

Before Finn could blink, Trev was sucked into the huge maw as the creature inhaled, his form torn asunder.

 

As if placed inside a butchering machine, his blood, flesh, and pulverised bone were hurled into a whirlwind within the gaping maw, before being consumed entirely by its insatiable hunger.

Finn's brows twitched involuntarily as a surge of adrenaline flooded his veins, his heart pounding so violently it felt as though it might burst from his chest. He could feel the beating of his heart into his ears, dread coiling in the pit of his stomach as a cold grip tightened around his insides.

 

Time felt as if it had slowed down to a crawl, each heartbeat echoing in his ears like a war drum. The sight of Trev's body being torn apart before his very eyes sent shivers down Finn's spine, a primal, unrestrained fear clawing at the edges of his consciousness.

 

A sense of helplessness washed over him, overwhelming any semblance of courage or bravado he had mustered moments before. The realisation of his own mortality struck him like a thunderbolt, rendering him momentarily paralyzed as he grappled with the sheer terror of the situation.

 

For an agonising heartbeat, like stuck in a static void, Finn was frozen in place, his mind reeling with disbelief and horror.

 

But as the vortex of destruction neared him, instinct kicked in. Arcanum flared outwards like compressed gas and then ignited with an almost sentient roar. His hair flew upwards and his eyes glowed in a dark shade of crimson as Arcanum flowed through every node inside his body.

 

Finn ground his molars together until the sound reverberated in his skull, a futile attempt to drown out the chaos raging within him. His gaze lifted upward, but his vision was blurred by tears that welled up, distorting the world around him into a hazy blur of agony and despair.

 

The loss of his guardian, one who had raised him since he was born, ignited a rage deep within his soul. It burned with an intensity that threatened to consume his very being, eclipsing all other emotions.

 

Memories flooded his mind, a torrent of moments shared with the figure that was like his father, now ripped away to shreds.

 

Up until now the monster was only attacking by placing its mouth underneath the sand, however, as soon as the first wave of offensive Arcanum hit the monster, it let out a primal roar and revealed its entire body. The caterpillar-like monster was more than 30 feet long, being able to not only crawl but stand up right.

 

The countless wiggling arms on the side gleamed with an otherworldly sheen, their appearance more akin to metallic weapons than mere appendages. As if fueled by some arcane power, Arcanum manifested around Finn like a shimmering aura, crackling with energy and ominous intent.

 

With a menacing lurch, its gaping maw moved forward to consume Finn in one fell swoop.

 

In that fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still. And as the jaws of oblivion drew nearer, Finn swallowed hard.

 

Raising the index and middle fingers of his right hand and conjuring a swirling holographic structure resembling a stretched oval, he compressed the hologram between his hands.

 

In a split second, the worm's form contorted upon itself, undergoing a catastrophic collapse as if subjected to the forces of extreme distortion. The implosion unleashed a cacophonous explosion, reverberating through the desert.

 

Fragments of the worm's disintegrated form dispersed into the atmosphere, dispersing in a chaotic pattern. As the amethyst liquid that was its blood rained down, it tainted the golden sands of the desert with hues of dark amethyst, followed by a nauseating stench.

 

Inside the crimson glow of his eyes, more and more tears welled up as he fell to the ground. Scooping up fistfuls of sand, he hurtled them at the dead monster again and again, like a child throwing a tantrum. He continued this until he could feel the burning sand chip away at his skin.

 

As he began walking towards the dead monster’s body, something flashed in his mind.

 

‘A Grade C monster… I think I read about it in one of the books in dad’s library.’

 

He thought. However, while he was just a step away from the monster, another worm, albeit much smaller this time attacked him from behind. His Arcanum blipped out of existence before appearing right behind the worm.

 

「Phase 1 — Axis Inverse」

 

Like a compass suddenly going haywire, the worm’s senses were suddenly disoriented before snapping back to attack Finn as its entire body was flipped upside down.

 

Like a gun, he pointed his fingers at the worm.

 

「Phase 2 — Collapse」

 

Just like the first one, its entire body collapsed on itself.

 

Adam’s Annihilation Type Arcane Arts.

 

7 of these highly destructive arts that were capable of destroying cities in mere seconds, were passed down generation after generation by the Seven Syndicates via a Blood Contract. Those Arcane Arts were then broken down in countless Phases, depending on application and potency.

 

And the Andersons were no exception.

 

Even though they did not fare well against the upper three—Whites, Mirandas and Olvasens—their Arcane Arts was something that was feared by the people of Eden.

 

The exact reason why humans were targeted all hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years ago.

 

The Andersons’ Arcane Arts was 「Axis Manipulation.」

 

Born with an innate talent to manipulate the three mathematical axes of almost anything inside this 3D world, they were able to bend it to their whims. However, of course, the limitation was one’s understanding of the intricacies and the amount of Arcanum stored inside the node situated in the heart.

 

The 「Phase 1」simply changed the Axis of Existence. If an object exists and is moving in a horizontal axis or simply put, in an X-Axis, he was able to flip the X-Axis over, or transition the object or living thing from X to the vertical dimension.

 

The difference between Phase 1 and Phase 2, however, was much more than what one could conceive. Even after 17 years of his life, Finn was only able to grasp two Phases of this esoteric Arcane Art. But the current situation was just fine.

 

‘These are on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to strength.’

 

He was right.

 

These underground worms only held the advantage because of their size and numbers.

 

I won’t let his sacrifice go in vain…

 

Finn wiped his tears, pushing away the trembling sensation to the back of his head. He didn’t want to think. It was too complicated for him to wrap his head around it anyways. All he could do was avenge his guardian—Trev.

 

The ground beneath his feet trembled violently as more and more worms started to sprout out. As their forms extended upwards, towards the sky, Finn could only look at them with his rapidly beating heart. Despite all this, he felt adrenaline coursing through his veins.

 

He was indeed Adam's descendant after all. Someone who had carried his legacy in his veins. The more he used his Arcane Arts, the more he felt a liberating sensation. Although, this feeling, at the moment, was suppressed by a crushing sense of loss and despair.

 

Pushing away all the sadness to the side, Finn let out a long breath. The next moment, his bloodlust seeped out of his body tangibly, making the worms paralyse in place.

 

The next instant he activated the same Art again. Phase 2 or Collapse was something on an entirely different level than Phase 1. Even though the mechanics were simple enough.

 

Using his Arcanum, he was able to form a jarring discordance, collapsing the axes of existence—X, Y and Z—on themselves. It was a bit more complex than just collapsing them—since it was caused actually by the chaos formed between the three dimensions due to the variable known as his Arcanum—but the general outcome was the same.

 

Lowering down his stance, he scowled at them, his heart fluttering, forming a weird dichotomy. "Come at me, ya bloody disgusting, stinkin’ maggots."

 

And while Finn was busy taking his anger out on the worms, multiple other sightings were observed all over the world. The world was changing. The time for the great merger was approaching. It was just as Blake had said.

 

The long winter was approaching.

 

In the Bleak Midwinter- only the strong would prevail.