The heavens wept and the winds wailed, as though mourning the death of a god. But gods could not die, could they? They were omnipotent, after all.
Or whatever the people of the world said.
Currently, Aster was sitting in his cot, looking outside the open window, at the dark sky, with a distant expression, the breeze, as chilly as it was, caressing his skin.
The heavens had cried their hearts out all night, it seemed.
The rain had come to a halt not too long ago. The morning had come, but looking outside, it seemed as though it was still night. The cold wasn't just palpable anymore, it was oppressive, but Aster seemed to be strangely not minding it.
It felt soothing. Well, not quite literally, but numbing, at least. Aster wondered why the clouds were still so dark even after raining so much all night?
Was this a common occurrence, or something else was going on?
Either way, he could not care less, since it had nothing to do with him.
There were several matters that were up ahead, and things that he had to do, though…
Well, only one or two today, at least.
But Aster felt strangely reluctant to do… whatever that was. There was no reason, it was just that he simply did not want to… participate in… ah, what was that again?
He would have to flip through the pages of his journal to find out. Strangely enough, he knew that the matter included the Academy, however.
Shaking his head, he turned around and picked up his journal from the table without getting up, since the table was right beside his bed.
And thus within his reach.
Aster opened the leather note-book and read the recent journals, hoping to find out the piece of information he was missing.
He had been writing for almost close to a year now, so this notebook was almost filled, he would have to buy a new one soon.
And soon enough, he did.
"Ah…"
As it turned out, a week or so ago, there was an announcement that the students were supposed to find themselves with at least one Magical Beast and Bond with them, before the new year.
Thus marking today the deadline. What would be the punishment, if he failed, though?
…They called it The Conscription Commencement.
Aster did not know why they used the term "Conscription", and for what purpose, since the students were merely teenagers, and had nothing to do with military affairs.
"They've finally lost it, I guess." He sighed, putting his journal book back in place.
So… Aster was supposed to find… catch… hunt? He did not know which word would be appropriate, but chose to go with hunt anyway, since that was what they would be doing, anyway.
Or become a prey themselves, if they stumbled upon something terrible…
"Heartless bastards."
But why him, though? He did not even have the talent for Magic, let alone a nascent Mana Core. No, it didn't even exist.
So, he practically had nothing to do with Magic or Magical Beasts. Then why was he getting dragged into it?
And what even was the purpose of this act? Why were they even forced to do this crap?
Aster did not know. Perhaps Lily did. He would have to ask her.
It was still quite early, though, so she was probably still asleep.
But, by all means, he did not want to do it. All he wanted was to live his life peacefully, maybe try finding out what was wrong with his memories, help Miss Rebecca in the apothecary, and do some earning himself.
Nothing much.
Honestly, Aster felt incongruous when he was at the Academy, studying what he never understood. But what could he do? He had to try, at least.
…A strange thought entered Aster's mind.
"If life itself is the source of sin, then not living the life that you want to live itself is the source of sin, too."
Aster chuckled, finding his own thoughts a bit absurd.
It was strange, how this perspective reframed sin not just as a moral failure, but as a crisis of authenticity. By settling for a life dictated by fear or obligation rather than your own purpose, you betrayed your own potential.
Ultimately, living without truth to your own desires could leave you feeling spiritually stagnant.
But Aster wasn't like that. He knew what he wanted, and he would, probably, one day, get it.
What Aster wanted was simple. He wanted a peaceful life and to keep those he cared about safe.
Nothing fancy.
The deepest form of despair was not living authentically, but rather failing to align one's existence with their true, intended self, after all.
At least that was what Aster believed. And most definitely would.
For the rest of his life.
He would not forget his own wishes and desires.
He would not forget himself.
Even if the world did, he would not.
Aster let out a heavy sigh, feeling a deep sense of melancholy, despite his firm beliefs.
Aster thought about yesterday, too. About what happened to him, done by those noble kids. The bruises were still there, even if faintly, thanks to Miss Rebecca.
Honestly, Aster did not really care about those kids. There was no burning anger to get revenge, to avenge himself for the humiliation and pain they had caused him. The despair they made him feel…
What was the point, anyway? He had been saved, anyway. And either way, Aster was not that strong enough to do anything, yet. So… maybe in the future, if he lived that long, of course.
Looking at the dark sky again, Aster shook his head. "I prefer avoiding problems."
As cowardly as it may have sounded…
"There's nothing cowardly about that, no! It's called prioritising one's own peace of mind, dammit!"
Aster clicked his tongue. "What a strange conscience I have…"
His gaze drifted up. Up at the sketch of the majestic Phoenix hanging on the wall.
His thoughts drifted…
Initially, there were only mundane wild animals and Magical Beasts in the world. But as humanity continued to strive and thrive, they discovered much more, perhaps, even more than they were supposed to.
Eons ago, the ancient humans had learned the existence of not just Magical Beasts, but also more atavistic beings who held both more authority and power than any Magical Beast.
Later on, as humanity continued to grow, their curiosity and hunger for power did, too. Making startling and confounded discoveries.
Phantoms were the first to be discovered.
Though Aster could hardly imagine how the humans even discovered something like that.
Because they were just like a figment of the imagination or something that seemed to be present but lacked physical substance. But at the same time, not quite. Aster did not know how or why, the statement was a paradox, in and of itself.
Or was it?
How could something exist, but also lack physical substance?
Something existed without physical substance by being an immaterial, abstract, or functional reality rather than a material object. These phenomena were entirely real and measurable in their effects, yet they did not occupy space or possess mass.
The prime example was information.
To exist did not require the weaving of the four elements.
The invisible held power because it guided the physical world, kept order among men, and revealed the truth of things.
Though a man could not weigh a thought upon a scale, nor measure the span of a king's law, yet they governed the deeds of men and brought forth absolute consequences in the flesh.
A thought cannot be weighed, nor a decree measured by the yard, yet they rule the hearts of men and command the sword.
That was what Phantoms were.
…Most of the Magical Beasts were mindless beasts — while some weren't — and did pose much of a threat to even a Mage, albeit slightly. However, they were still a dire threat to a mundane human. Needless to say, even a wild boar was a threat to a mundane person.
While a wild animal could kill another being and do a palpable damage, they were nothing compared to a Mage. For example, if a Mage was to face a bear, the Mage could simply use their Magical Abilities to suppress it without breaking a sweat. Or kill it before it even had a chance to lunge at them.
Thus gaining victory unscathed.
However, that would be completely different with a Magical Beast.
For example, a Magical Beast could have an affinity to any natural element. Be it water, earth, air, fire, and so on. Thus, they could deal serious harm to the Mage. Though not to a degree where it could kill a Mage.
A Mage was just more powerful than a Magical Beast. Mostly because a Mage was also a human, and had a conscience, a mind, cunning, and intelligence. But still, Mages just had a better mastery over Magic than those mindless beasts.
To make it simple, a wild animal, an elephant, for example, could devastate a tree, at most. While the same elephant, if it had a Mana Core — thus being one of the Magical Beasts — could destroy a swath of them, at once.
But a mage could double that damage.
If one wanted to know if an animal was magical or not, they simply needed to sense a serene yet tumultuous ocean of Mana within them. Though Aster did not know how to sense that, since he was not a Mage himself.
These beasts did not control nature or bend it to their will, they instead just used their Magical Abilities to receive its help.
Then, moving higher, there were Phantoms.
These creatures were not magical whatsoever, but instead, they were spiritual beings. They were not mindless, but sentient beings. Even if one could not see them, they could feel them. Imagine them, if the Phantoms willed it.
Despite being literal ghosts, they knew emotions — happiness, sadness, resentment, disdain — all of it, but they lacked the power and will to express them, unlike a human being.
Some Phantoms could even become a Spirit Guardian, if one knew how to make that happen. Though Aster possessed no knowledge for that just yet.
Aster… kind of related to these so-called Phantoms.
He shook his head vehemently. "You damn loaf!"
…Then there were Dragons. Yes, quite literally Dragons. He never saw them, of course, but heard quite a lot about them. It was said that they were Sacred, and had both what a Magical Beast and a Phantom did, albeit at an entirely different level.
They knew emotions, and they knew how to express them, too. Being both Magical and Spiritual.
"How does that even work?" Aster did not know.
But of course, the sight of a Dragon showing happiness or crying was quite comical to imagine.
He heard that there were a few Supremes who had tamed a Dragon, but did not know if it was a truth, or simply a rumour. How could even one tame a sentient being, though, that was also spiritual?
Even in books, it was written that Dragons held world bending powers, yet not quite literally. Still, they were sophisticated enough. It was not a degree, not to the point that they had complete authority over Magic and nature.
How much destruction could they even cause…? Or… "Create?" That would be weird, if Aster was honest.
Could a Dragon even create something?
Was it a creator? Or just a destroyer? Or both, perhaps?
For all he knew, they were just known to destroy, not create.
Then again, many weird and strange things kept happening everyday. For example, him meeting Princess Rose…
Aster couldn't help but smile as he remembered her. He shook his head. "That loaf…"
And lastly… there were Phoenixes.
He knew, of course, that these were just rumours. No, they had to be, that just couldn't actually be true.
No one had ever seen a Phoenix before, so how could there be one, if many?
Not even the Supremes had ever seen one, if they did not keep it a secret from the rest of the world, of course.
But, all in all, he did not believe it.
That said, he read that Phoenixes were mystical and ineffable beings. They were not just Sacred, but Divine.
Quite literally.
Seraphic beings…
He did not know how powerful they were, no one did, or what their origin was.
Well, it did not matter. He wouldn't believe in something like that, unless he saw it with his own eyes.
Wild animals were purely physical. Magical Beasts were living creatures with Mana Cores that cooperated with nature rather than command it.
Phantoms were spiritual existence instead of magical, while the Dragons were a fusion of both magical and spiritual.
Phoenixes… would be something beyond both — Divine. If they existed, of course.
Magical Beasts obeyed Nature.
Phantoms obeyed Spirit.
Dragons balanced Nature and Spirit.
And Phoenixes answered only to Divine.
Aster stared at the sketch of the dark Phoenix for a moment longer than necessary, and shook his head.
"It would be cool to have a Phoenix as a Bond, though. Instead of a simple Magical Beast."
Perhaps, one day, the universe would let him glimpse at the magnificent beauty of a Phoenix, if not letting him have it as a Bond. One way or another…
Letting out a yawn, Aster pushed the warm blanket aside, felt a shiver running down his spine due to the chilling cold, and got out of his bed.
His gaze wandered down as he stretched his limbs, seeing the pale golden strands of his hair flowing down to his waist like a cascade of pale gold.
"Huh, when did the ribbon fall free?"
Aster stared at his long hair for a moment, then rolled his eyes. Now he had another thing to do. Comb his hair and tie it neatly.
"Huh…" A small smirk appeared on his lips.
Or he could braid it… with someone's help?
That way, his hair would not get in his face most of the time like they usually did, and he would not stay irritated most of the time!
Aster then halted for a moment, his smirk disappearing. He frowned.
"I am already thin enough as I am. And with my face… If… if I did that… I would look like a girl from behind!"
Maybe from the front, too, if just a little.
Such horror! No, he could just not do that!
"Abort! Abort! Another idea!"
A bun, perhaps?
"Terrible!"
Maybe a pony tail would work, just like he usually did it.
Aster nodded with a serious expression, crossing his arms. "Yes, that's right. A ponytail works."
Nodding to himself like he had found the fragments of his distorted memories, he walked towards the door and opened it.
Aster would need Miss Rebecca's help with tying his hair up. So, that was what he was about to do. Miss Rebecca's room was right to Lily's, right in front of his, so, thankfully, he did not have to go far.
"Good morning, princess."
Aster nodded again. "Good morning, inde—"
What? P… p… princess?! The audacity!
Who was this damned loaf that uttered such foul words?!
As Aster's golden eyes blazed with dark fury, he snarled and looked towards the source of the voice.
There, right in front of him, stood a woman with the same golden hair and same golden eyes as him, dressed in such a peasently elegant dress!
Aster froze.
Miss Rebecca, as it seemed, had just come out of her room, too, looking at him with waggish amusement.
'No, I definitely thought "pleasantly elegant". Right?'
Aster's anger evaporated like a water puddle in the desert.
Giving Miss Rebecca a sincere, humble, and sweet smile, Aster nodded. "Ah, good morning, indeed, Miss Rebecca. I hope you slept well."
Miss Rebecca chuckled at his answer… or probably expression. Probably both. Not that it mattered!
Shaking her head, she replied softly:
"Ah, yes. Of course, I did. The weather was quite pleasant, too."
'Not that word!'
Aster nodded, thinking. After a short pause, he asked:
"Oh, by the way, Miss Rebecca. Could you help me with my hair?"
Miss Rebecca gave him a long look before scoffing. "What do you mean, "help me with my hair"? Just say that you want me to comb it, you lazy princess?"
Aster's smile remained, but his eye twitched.
"I am not a princess, Miss Rebecca."
She snorted, gave him a strange look, and shook her head.
"Sure, you're definitely not a princess. Now come, or I'm not doing it if you are just going to stand there and stare at me like that."
Aster sighed, giving up. 'Such a merciless loaf!'