After passing the checkpoint and having their identities verified, they were allowed through. Thanks to the patriarch’s approval, the procedure he had initiated beforehand to change his name went smoothly.
An overwhelming sight greeted him as he stepped into the capital: a sea of skyscrapers and well-maintained roads, truly majestic. It was the most beautiful and advanced city on the continent. Naturally, due to its size, it was divided into several districts. Magnolia was several times the size of Constel, housing millions of people; it could be called the heart of the continent, no, the heart of the world.
They didn’t stop upon arriving in the capital, heading straight into the northern district, the 13th district, also known as the Academy City of Elysia—a city within a city.
Glory Academy was nestled in the heart of the Academy City, Elysia.
After leaving the car, everyone went their separate ways, and Nero headed to rent a cheap inn in the academy city. It cost 9,000 Ẕ. After taking a bath, he sat in meditation on the couch. It was time to reflect on the idea he had on the way to the capital.
There had to be a reason why, unlike others, he couldn’t sense the primordial energy. He was trying to find a solution to understand this phenomenon when he remembered that his eyes sometimes saw strange lines when he looked at others. He couldn’t control it yet, but he believed those lines must be related to primordial energy somehow, because when he disrupted the focal point between them, the ability to manifest the law vanished.
While he couldn’t control this ability, an idea struck him: what if he could use it on himself? It sounded absurd, but it was worth a try. But how could he use this ability on himself? He couldn’t possibly remove his eyes to look at himself, and then it hit him—a mirror! He went to check the bathroom mirror, and fortunately, it was removable.
He placed it against the bedframe and sat down to face the mirror. He fully opened his eyes, his reflection staring back at him: a pale white face, dark blue hair, and swirling red eyes.
At first, there was nothing, but he wasn’t about to give up, so he concentrated harder. His eyes began to shine as if responding to his will; he was bewildered by this, but he focused, and then it happened—a sharp headache struck him as his vision began to blur. He stopped seeing his reflection in the mirror and instead perceived a 3D image of his upper body, filled with tangled lines.
’There must be more,’ he believed, and he focused more, the headache intensifying, but he managed to see past the chaos, as if he had zoomed in.
"Ugh!" he groaned, feeling as if someone were twisting a knife in his brain. He sensed liquid dripping from his nose, probably blood, but he pressed on.
Beyond the tangled lines, he saw a world—a vortex nestled at the place his core should have been. This vortex was engulfed in extreme darkness as if it were trying to draw him in. It emanated an ominous energy, almost as if something was sealed within. He diverted his attention elsewhere due to the intense headache trying to split his head and the chilling aura radiating from that vortex.
Then, Nero experienced the shock of his life.
He saw what appeared to be stars—small stars, nine in total, each a different color. But that wasn’t the most shocking part; the most startling revelation was the black chains tightly wrapped around each one of them.
"What?" he exclaimed, and then—
Boom!
"Puff!" He vomited blood and fell unconscious.
As soon as Nero fell unconscious, strange events began to unfold within his body. In the world he had seen through his eyes, the nine stars vibrated, struggling to shake off the black chains that bound them. They tightened their grip, but one among them, the first star, showed signs of resistance. If any of them were to break free, it would be this star.
Meanwhile, deep within the swirling vortex, something was trying to emerge, but the darkness refused to relinquish its hold. Enraged, the entity sealed within let out a roar.
ROARRR!
It sounded like the roar of a caged dragon. The beast roared several times, but it remained trapped.
Dong! Dong!
Each time the thing inside attempted to break free, it emitted a tremendous sound. The stars trembled, and the black chains around them tightened further, while outside, his body twitched uncontrollably. The tattoo on Nero’s body glowed repeatedly, as if coming back to life.
This continued for a while before silence descended. His body cooled, his breathing became steady, and his appearance was marred with blood.
The silver lining in this bizarre phenomenon was that one of the black chains surrounding the first star had broken. A few more, and this star would be freed.
Meanwhile, in a sealed realm forgotten by many, seven seats floated in midair, each surrounded by golden chains. However, many of these chains were eroded by the passage of time, or perhaps the owners of the seven seats might have done something; because some of the golden chains were broken, nearly freeing the seats. Each seat bore a distinct familiar symbol.
Suddenly, the seven seats began to vibrate, and tangible shadows of various shapes materialized around them. Another meeting was about to commence, and their objective remained unchanged—it was time for payback. On this matter, they were all in unanimous agreement.