Logs obtained from the Prison of Mantin

Uriel the Watcher arrived today. His manner was brisk and his tone was sharp, more so than usual. He requested to speak to the Prisoner once more and, as protocol dictates, I retrieved the Captain. They had a long and loud debate that ended with the Judicator being granted five minutes with the Prisoner. I did not hear what was spoken but Uriel left after his five minutes looking even more upset than he had been.

It takes a few minutes but Joselin finally manages to escape from the room, shutting the door behind her to the sound of promises. She falls onto the floor and leans against the door, raising her hands above her head to catch her breath. Despite her obvious exhaustion, she’s glowing; a weary smile has spread across her entire face.

Her eyes close and I know that she’s savoring this moment. Of course, it is hard to do so when the only noise around us are the subdued moans of those who cannot die. A little manipulation of Sound Mana is enough to block their pained suffering out for a few seconds; she has accomplished a dream of hers and she doesn’t need to be reminded of the mountain that still waits ahead.

“That was … incredible. I could feel his entire body with the Mana … It was just … God. That was incredible…” She mumbles wearily, not opening her eyes at all. I squeeze her shoulder, the single gesture of pride being my only response.

Another few moments of blissful silence pass before she opens a single eye and mumbles, “So who’s next?”

I can’t help myself as I chuckle. “Not a chance in hell. I’m taking you back to your house and you’re gonna sleep this off. Don’t think I forgot we were training for hours before we even came here.”

Her other eye opens and she slowly crawls up onto both feet, placing a hand on the door to balance herself. “I can’t just leave now! Now that I know what these people are going through … I have to help.”

“You’re selfless Joselin, but there’s a difference between pushing yourself and punishing yourself. You crossed that line in there and I’m not going to let you go any further. You can come back tomorrow.”

“No, no, I’ll be fine … just one more … let me help one more …” She mumbles, her voice trailing off as she leans against the wall and closes her eyes. I walk over and pick her up gently, one hand going under her knees and the other under her back. Her head rests against my chest and her eyes remain closed.

I maneuver her through the door of the building and out into the city, once again greeted by the twinkling lights. Confident and smooth steps bring us to the center of Everwall, a vast marble obelisk rising up into the air. Easily one hundred feet high, the base has been carefully built into four different sides, with each one holding a metal plaque. Small words are carved into the plaque and I know what each one says, even without my increased Perception.

Each one holds a few names of those who have lost their lives since the arrival of Genesis.

We reach Joselin’s house a few minutes later as it isn’t far from the town center. A soft knock on the door is all that I need to get her father’s attention and he opens it, smiling at the sight of his daughter asleep. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to bring her back after she pushed herself too hard.

He holds out two strong arms, packed with a builder’s muscle, and I lower her onto them, careful not to drop her. His head gestures toward the kitchen table and I nod graciously, pulling out two mugs and a kettle. I fill the kettle with water from their tank and then place my flat palm against the bottom, releasing a gentle flow of Flame Mana. It isn’t enough for a Fireball but it is more than enough to get the water close to boiling.

I’m pouring the near boiling water into the mugs as he comes back down the stairs, nodding his head as I hand one to him. This has become a tradition of ours. No matter the time, no matter how exhausted either of us are, we share a cup of tea. The peaceful sounds of a home fill the room.

He breaks the silence. “How she doing?”

“She made a breakthrough today.”

“Oh really? She finally gonna get her healing ‘magic’?”

“Told you before, it isn’t magic. But yes, she was able to get it.”

“Huh.”

“What?”

“Didn’t think it was real.”

“You let her spend months at my school and didn’t think it would work?”

He scoffs. “Hah, let her? She’s her own woman, I don’t let her do anything.”

“Still.”

“Just being honest like you asked.”

“True … She helped out a friend of mine today with her Skill.”

“Oh?”

“He lost a lung and his stomach. She healed him.”

“...That’s my girl.”

We both finish our tea after that, neither of us speaking as we are both content to sit there and enjoy the silence. I get up as soon as I’m done and nod my head at him, taking my leave and entering back into the night of Everwall.

My meandering steps take me on a strange path around the city and I just take it all in. The sights, the sounds, the strange thoughts of those still awake at such a late hour, everything.

This city is alive. It exudes a sense of life that I just never felt back on the old world. In a way, it makes sense to me. How can anyone be truly alive without knowing the fear of death? Without staring adversity right in the eye and refusing to blink? It’s simple; you can’t. Life is comprised of duality and you can’t possible understand something that complex without facing its opposite. Happiness and sadness, light and dark, life and death; single components made greater by their companions.

In what feels like no time at all, I’m standing back in front of the hall. The roman inspired columns look as if they are holding up the roof of learning but I know the truth; they are a beautiful façade. Learning isn’t a building, it is a tree. From fertile soil it grows, taking time but reaching unimaginable heights.

I shake my head as I enter into the building. Something about the night walk and Joselin’s success has made me especially melodramatic.

Most of the other students have left but a few stragglers are still around, trying their best to conjure the elements. Veins protrude on a young woman’s head as she tries to force the earth to move through sheer will. The floor remains unbroken. An old man meditates, or sleeps, in the corner, resting his head against the wall. A boy, only sixteen years old, punches and yells, trying to evoke fire through emotion.

I look upon the stragglers with the fondness of a parent. These are my students; they may not possess the raw talent that Joselin has but they are stumbling their way to mastery. In a sense, it is the same way that I did. Endless repetition until you are able to display mastery.

The two students who I’m positive are awake get a few words of advice before I retire to my bedroom, falling down on the soft bed with a sigh of contentment. These past few months have taught me that there is a simple and undeniable pleasure that one can only get from a comfortable bed.

I raise my hand above my head and conjure Plasma Mana, manipulating it up and down my arms with nothing but Willpower. These past three months have been invaluable for improving my fine control of the volatile energy and I’ve finally reached the point where I feel comfortable using it around others. This wasn’t the only Skill I managed to improve. A thought brings up the description for the Skill that has improved the most in the past three months.

Teaching Lvl 48: Passing down thoughts and ideas, or inspiring new ones, is the focus of any teacher. Understand your student’s personality and goals to help motivate them toward success. Increased Skill level increases ability to impart knowledge and understand students.

It seems like such a simple concept but the Skill, and the increased Skill levels, have already been a massive benefit to me. I never would have understood what drove Joselin, or what her limits were, without the practical knowledge that it gave me. In a sense, it was the driving force behind Chris’s recovery.

I quickly expel that thought. No matter what the benefits of receiving knowledge from Skills are, we are the people who decide what to do with said knowledge. Joselin deserves the full praise for what she managed to accomplish. Even if I helped, it was only her relentless passion and drive that resulted in Chris being able to breathe again.

With that thought, I drift off to sleep, the pillows like small clouds beneath my head that carry me off to the land of dreams.

I awake to a pinging noise and a beam of light cutting through the small gap between the curtains. Completely blinded, I have to roll down to the foot of the bed to get away from the light. A fog rests over my mind and a dry taste fills my mouth; what time is it? I know that it had been late when I returned but there is no way that I’ve been asleep for more than an hour or two. My physical Attributes may make sleep largely unnecessary but they don’t make waking up any easier.

Of course, all my thoughts of how awful the morning is are lost when I read the notification.

Congratulations Candidate of Everwall! You have completed the Trial of Change and surpassed the goal! Everwall’s current percentage of Classed individuals is [19%]. You are the [1st] Candidate to complete this Trial.

Had my time of relaxation ended already? I’d known that we had been approaching the deadline but I’d vainly hoped that I’d have a few more days to focus on some of the stalling students. I’ll have to pass them off to Joselin and hope that she can take over the majority of my responsibilities.

I get dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of cloth pants and a lightweight cotton shirt. I then slip on my shoes and run out of the school, jogging down the streets towards the manor. The notification for the next Trial will probably be here shortly and I want to speak with the City Council, or at least my mother, before finalizing any of my plans.

I reach the manor and walk through the gate, nodding at the guards and grimacing as they bow towards me. Before I have a chance to tell them off, a laughing wrecking ball slams into me, tiny little claws wrapping around my legs. A smile breaks out on my face; I don’t need to look down to realize that it is Lily.

“Cael! Come play!” Her giggling voice asks me, letting go of my leg to go running back towards the gnarled oak. She confidently climbs up the base and then hops off to the lowest branch, balancing by holding both arms out. Her brown dress is scuffed and covered in a patchwork of repairs but she doesn’t seem to care.

What’s the importance of clothing to a child with a fun tree?

“Sorry Lily, I can’t play right now. Maybe I’ll come out in a bit though, okay?”

“Okay …” She pouts, spinning around the branch and climbing to the other side of the tree so that I can’t see her. It pains me to make her upset but she is the most tenacious little kid I’ve ever met. Give her a minute of your time and she somehow manages to turn it into an hour.

I push the door to the kitchen open and nod at Flora, who’s hard at work on another piece of art. They’ve become staples at the manor since I woke back up but I still haven’t managed to figure out what her Class does. Between her fixation to paint and my responsibilities in the school, I just haven’t had time.

It is right when I enter into the living room that I hear the ping and the notification blooms into vision.

Candidate of Everwall! The Trial of Justice has begun. Evaluating … Evaluating … Match! A great crime was committed during the early days of Everwall; a young warrior’s voice was silenced. The perpetrator is the Candidate for Zasi. You have One Earth [Month] to find and carry out Justice for this crime. Warning: The Candidate for Zasi has been given the Trial of Eradication. Only one will succeed.

One thought cuts through the mess of emotion; Justice will be done.