“As the system itself testifies, there have been many occasions where some notable individual has managed to make it recognize their efforts. How did they do it… I don't know, but I most certainly know that the new skills have often revolutionized their respective fields, or gave new life to an otherwise doomed species.

Don’t think that the system doesn’t evolve with us, my dear students.”

-Professor Alaric, excerpt from a lesson in the Beacon of Civilization.

Nashariel pov

Asha, having explored this Chamber multiple times already, guided Nashariel to the buffing skills.

Nashariel’s memories made her regret buying [Light’s refuge]. She had a glimpse of a much better Combined skill that would have let her share her stats and her regenerations. Thanks to Fel, she knew that she could fix it in the future, but the stinging remained.

Burns aside, she found something equally good.

*Synergist, Improved aura, Inner brightness, and Burning light have been bought.

Merge skills for 12 points?

Y/N

Points reduced to-> 41

Skills merged into-> Aura of Hope

Aura of Hope Lvl 1

Not everyone seeks glory. Some beings only wish to survive, and for their beloved to prosper. Sometimes the world is a dark place… but not anymore. This skill will rekindle the waning flame inside your allies so that the coldness brought by the shadows will be forever extinguished. Go forth, young light bringer, and light all the candles in your reach.

You gain an aura that can be toggled on and off.

Within this aura:

All your auras and buffs are slightly empowered. The effect of friendly auras on you is similarly strengthened too.

Your Light-based skills shine brighter. This additional brightness tries to dispel natural and magical shadows or Dark-constructs, hurting hostile Dark-based creatures in the meantime.

Cost: 200 mana/s. You can increase this cost to try to dispel stronger effects.

Upgrade cost: 5 points Lvl. *

Pretty good skill, especially considering that one of her main damage tools, [Omnidragon territory], was an aura.

Nashariel smiled, melancholic. [Synergy] was the last of the Light skills that she had first considered buying. How far have I come…

Next, the Healing Chamber.

Just on the side, the Aspect’s room was a slightly less luminous space.

The walls shone with a gentle green light, calming Nashariel’s heartbeat. The draconic pillars showed wounded dragons, restored and smiling once the skill was bought.

Nashariel was pretty sure that all those pointy, sharp teeth weren’t going to be considered reassuring by most people. Eh.

For this Aspect, Nashariel was conflicted.

She already had what this entire attunement was about with [Dedication of the Healer], so… “Suggestions?” She asked Asha. “It just needs to be cheap.”

“What about the Armor? There’s no merge cost, only a few prerequisites.”

Nashariel frowned. “I don’t exactly use Healing to take hits. Alternatives?” I often forget to put on my Armors too. I’m still not used to [Omnidragon dance] letting me keep them up in all attunements.

“The fighting style? You could use some more variety.”

Nashariel shrugged. “Maybe, but… actually, let’s see what my memories tell me about them!” The Omnidragon allowed once again her memories to flow. Slowly, the other times were she bought those skills resurfaced as clear as day.

[Healing armor] was a skill that passively emanated healing pulses for free. At its cap, these pulses tried to cleanse negative status effects like poisons and illnesses.

[Healing dragon Fighting style], on the other hand, was an interesting take on combat. It tapped into the medical knowledge of the user by prioritizing the worse wounds or ailments to be treated immediately. On top of that, the skill was able to grant another health bar or something like that.

Both skills were pretty good for their cost.

Proving her previous opinion wrong, the Armor was a clear winner in Nashariel’s book. The capability to heal her allies during one of her more offensive or defensive forms was amazing, thanks to [Omnidragon dance]. She would've had to see if it was worth giving up her [Metal armor] in practice, but the skill was interesting enough to deserve a chance.

*Regenerative aura, Shell of succor, and Healing armor have been bought.

Points reduced to-> 23

Regenerative aura Lvl 1

A healer always wishes to save everyone. Unfortunately, in the past, their resources were rarely up to the task. They were until someone decided to use simple pulses, helping the natural healing process inside all living beings and led to the creation of this skill. Starting now, you can choose to do the same. Be wise, young healer, for every single drop of mana counts… But you cannot heal the dead.

You gain an aura that can be toggled on and off.

When active:

When you use a skill or spell that heals Hp, you can decide to reduce its potency to a third of the total.

Over five seconds, the total healing goes up to four times the reduced amount. Total healing increases with level.

Once active, the regenerative effect is independent of this skill.

Cost: 2% of the healing skill’s cost or 500 mana, whichever is higher.

Upgrade cost: 4 points.

Shell of succor Lvl 1

As every soldier, monster, and healer knows, injuries happen. Doubly so for the brave defenders who take the primary spot to get hurt. Healers are but one entity and cannot provide needed healing to all under their kind watch. Until now. This skill will take some pressure off of their shoulders, and sustain the warriors in their heroic task of protection. Be warned, young healer, this skill is but a patch on an open wound.

You can create a shell of succor upon a target. The more mana you charge this shell with, the more health this skill contains. Capacity increases with level.

Upon receiving the set amount of damage, the target can break the shell with a thought. Should the target be critically injured, the shell automatically shatters.

Only a single instance of Lingering succor can be active at the same time on the same target.

Capacity: 250 Hp +50 Lvl.

Duration: 4h+ 1 Lvl.

Upgrade cost: 4 points Lvl.

Healing armor Lvl 1

All have heard the say ‘go for the healer first’, and for good reasons. As long as these kind souls stay alive, Death hardly comes for their allies. But what about themselves? Well, this skill is the key. Foes that strike the wearer of this armor will find that every hit brings soothe instead of pain, and heal instead of harm. Wear this armor, healer, and fear not the battlefield. It’s there that you’re needed the most.

You conjure an armor entirely made of mana.

While wearing this armor, you exchange your damaging capabilities and strength for more power and reaction speed.

Upon getting struck, you release a healing pulse in a thirty meters burst. The potency of this heal is 10% of the damage you've endured and the mana you have consumed upon activation. This effect increases with Lvl.

This effect cannot activate more than ten times per minute.

Mana cost: 40% upon activation, 5% per minute after.

Upgrade cost: 6 points Lvl. *

The succor thing looks good to use at every moment of rest.Nashariel mused. I’ll cast it on me and the others before the teleport.

Just as she finished the thought, she felt the slate pulsing in the main room. Exchanging an excited glance with Asha, the duo dashed toward the main room.

The slate’s glow was almost blinding.

Nashariel touched it, suddenly unsure if the rush had been a sound decision. [Omnidragon superiority] also seemed a good idea, at the time.

The moment that her hand made contact, the glow stopped. It flowed into Nashariel, who found her hand stuck to the slate.

She saw as the light flowed through her arm, spreading to the rest of her body in seconds. It then vanished without a trace, leaving behind warmth under her skin.

Nashariel opened her slate’s menu.

*Quest: Dedication of the Omnidragon

Objective: Acquire all Aspects of a specific element. Acquire two advanced skills from each one of them, including the base affinity.

Reward: The corresponding Elemental mastery skill. (1/6)

You have proven your dedication to the Light, young omnidragon.

Rejoice!

Apex skill granted: Light mastery

Light mastery Lvl 1

The first step of a being to unlock the true potential of their chosen element. The bearers of these skills have defined the past of the world and will shape its future. May your generosity be given with wisdom.

The giver. The healer. The protector. The punisher.

The Light is all these things and more. As a newly risen Master of the Light, yours is the duty to spread the shine in the heart of those you call friends, and grant peace to those who sought shelter in the darkest depths of this world. May your journey be ever brighter, Young blessed one.

All your Light and Light-Aspected skills are cheaper to buy, merge, and are easier to level. Apex skills’ cost isn’t reduced.

All Light and Light-Aspected positive multipliers increase by one step, such as from ‘Slightly’ to ‘Moderate’. The reverse happens to negative multipliers, such as from ‘Greatly’ to ‘Significantly’.

All Light and Light-Aspected enemy skills are weakened against you. This effect scales with Lvl.

Whenever you are in a specific form, you automatically benefit from the following effects that increase with Lvl.

Light: The size of all your auras is increased.

Healing: Your cures happen more frequently in the same timeframe for free.

Protection: Damage endured after a taunt-like skill is reduced without impacting the stored damage.

Radiance: All Dark users are weakened further, as are illusions cast against you.

The Light tolerates no shadows. All Dark-attuned skills and spells are twice harder to level. Their cost is increased and their effectiveness is reduced.

Darklight isn’t affected by this penalty.

Upgrade cost: 20 points Lvl. *

“Holy…”

“… Duck.”

The duo completed each other’s phrases, astonished.

"An Apex skill?! I didn't think that Masteries were of that Tier!" Nashariels shouted. "All these effects… and this is only Tier 1!"

If Advanced skills had prerequisites, and the merge between these would produce a so-called ‘Elite’ skill, Apex skills were truly a Tier on their own.

As the shocked Nashariel was seeing firsthand, these skills gave the term ‘powerful’ a whole new meaning. Even her racial skills had fewer lines while at the same Tier, and they had all been the result of a merge, except for very few.

If she was to get a Mastery for all her attunements…

“This is the first reward of the Quest too…” Asha murmured.

“I have to know what’s next.” Nashariel declared. Not with 23 points, but perhaps… Hold on, [Light mastery] did apply a discount, right!?

The dragokin frantically opened her menu, searching for-

Asha put herself in front of her. “Chill, don’t buy random stuff! Calm down for a second.”

Nashariel clenched her fists, taking a few deep breaths. “Thanks, Asha. I still want the final reward, tho.”

“Oh, me too, but not by crippling our future. Especially seeing the penalty of this skill.”

Nashariel blinked twice, re-reading [Light Mastery]. She started murmuring. "Oh, duck. Darkness took a hit, uh? Except for Darklight… At least I don’t use those attunements too much-” The realization struck her. “But if the other masteries are similar… damnation!”

Getting all masteries was going to be harder and harder. And Nashariel had no guarantee that their effects would cancel or significantly weaken each other.

Actually…Nashariel closed her eyes for a second time. She focused intensively on those Apex skills, waiting for the answer.

She recalled several times when she had found herself in a similar situation. As she had suspected, the times where her incarnation acquired two opposite masteries had led to… disappointment.

And yet, Nashariel still listened.

Finally, after minutes of incoherent flashes, her memories showed her a life lived as a Darklight user.

She heard the words of a master, guiding her to [Darklight mastery]. As the attunement’s intent was ‘balance’, its Apex skill too reflected this theme.

[Darklight mastery] canceled all penalties derived from opposite attunements. Unfortunately, it also required both [Light mastery] and [Dark mastery] as prerequisites.

Satisfied, Nashariel stopped the flow. A large grin decorated her visage. “Found the way. We just need to work our way to the Dark reward, then Darklight.” She briefly grimaced, clutching her head.

Asha raised a reddish eyebrow. “You mean the attunements that we have literally no advanced skills except for one? All of it for an increased cost?”

And that was like swimming in the Icy Sea. She sighed. “Those, yes.” And that’s another big objective down the line. I have a few too many, but I guess that’s my life for now.

Now a bit more conscious, she glanced at her preferred attunements, grimacing. Lightning is related to Air and Fire, Metal to Earth, and Mind to Water. My memories showed me that all the Masteries do the same thing to their opposite element. Gods, this would be a great time to receive some points boosters or some Dangers to deal with. Or both.

On top of that, Nashariel’s primary offensive tools were Metal and Lightning, which would weaken the Water attunements. She didn’t know how Asha could be affected, and she wasn’t willing to find out.

“Oh well, live and learn. In the meantime, I want that ‘special skill’.” She still remembered how massively more dangerous those Fire dragons were when they used their unique skills.

Asha chuckled. “And what did you want to buy for them?”

The fighting styles were an easy and quick answer, but did she truly want them?

…

She summoned the Light fighting style, abusing her capability to read a skill beforehand.

*Light dragon fighting style: A style of fighting that weaponizes the buffs cast upon allies, and that punishes debuffs. Auras are also modified. *

“Weaponizes buffs?” Nashariel mused. “That sounds like fun.”

“Can’t you recall something on that one too?”

Nashariel shivered. “No. After checking out the Mastery I lost myself for a second.” She had forgotten her name for a second too.

“Damn, that’s rough. So…”

Nashariel shrugged. “I like this fighting style, but not the Healing one, not yet. Let’s look at the Bodies.”

*Body of the Light dragon: The beacon of hope for all in need. A body that shines brighter by the day. This light shines upon others, reflecting upon those you call allies. Their brilliance heightens your own.

Body of the Healing dragon: A living hospital. The body of a Healing dragon is entirely dedicated to restoring others' well-being in the quickest and best way possible. This skill allows the excess healing to be stored inside apposite glands for later use. *

More aura-stuff that synergizes with the number of people around, probably, and… alchemy things with my body? That’s… not my thing…?Nashariel scratched her head. “I'll take the fighting style for Light, it seems way too fun to pass. For Healing… I guess it’s gotta be that too.”

Asha cocked her head. “Not wanting to explore other options?”

“Not really. We’ve been here long enough already, and we have some Cores to summon later on.”

“True. Will the points suffice?”

Nashariel grinned. “Let’s check that out!”

The dragokin selected [Light dragon fighting style]. Much to her surprise, she already had all the necessary skills to buy it. Or, in some cases, she had merged them into others.

After that, the Healing style required a bit more investment.

While [Light mastery]’s debuff made Nashariel worried over the rest of the similar Apex skills, the point-saving aspect of the skill had already proved its worth. Gods, I can’t wait to try this thing in combat.

*Points reduced to-> 4

Light dragon fighting style Lvl 1

Light dragons are considered the weakest overall dragons among dragonkind. This opinion holds true, but most attackers fail to remember that Light is all but individual. While a solitary dragon might be easier prey than usual, a compact group of them will be able to handle any number of foes with ease. Strength in numbers, survival with cooperation.

The buffs that you grant to others persist for longer, and their effects are strengthened. Blessings granted to you by others are also similarly empowered.

Your can will your auras to lose their area of effect. Instead, you convert their would-be size into the same number of allies to influence at triple the distance +5m Lvl. The fewer allies selected, the more resistant this bond becomes against dispels.

While your allies are affected by one of your buffs, the foes trying to debuff them or dispel your blessings are backlashed by a burst of Burning light at reduced potency. Damage scales with this skill’s Lvl.

Upgrade cost: 6 points Lvl.

Prevent contagion Lvl 1

During a fight, some enemies are innately likely to apply altered status effects upon your allies. All healers know how dangerous these attacks are, and how much focus they require to cure. Fear not, healer, for this skill is here to help you.

Those that you’ve healed are moderately more resistant to ailments and altered status effects for 1 day +1 Lvl.

Upgrade cost: 3 points.

Lingering succor Lvl 1

All are aware of the power of ambushes. Specialized assassins can easily take down an unsuspecting foe without so much of breaking a sweat. How did healers deal with that? This skill is the answer. You are now able to generate succor before such deadly strikes kill those you call allies. Be vigilant, young healer.

Your cures can now linger around a target in the form of temporary health. This health absorbs damage before the main Hp bar is influenced.

Potency: 100 hp +50 Lvl.

Duration: 2h +2 Lvl.

Additional mana cost: 500 mana.

Upgrade cost: 3 points Lvl.

Healing dragon fighting style Lvl 1

It is said that true healers should never raise their hands to hurt another being. Unfortunately, while the reality of this world hardly allows for such dedication to last, this style of fighting incarnates this purpose. While you may find yourself hurting someone to save another innocent soul, this skill will make sure that your gentle hand is all that they need to feel better than before. May you find only kindness in your journey, young Healing dragon.

You gain two stances, both scaling with Lvl:

Careful surgeon: You moderately reduce your general heals’ potency to greatly increase the quickness of recovery of mortal wounds. The more %Hp your target misses, the more your cures become stronger.

Preventive treatment: You can never be truly cautious enough. All your healing skills and spells give out temporary health instead of restoring a target. This false health can also prevent ailments such as paralysis or poison, decreasing accordingly.

As long as you do no harm, this skill is moderately empowered.

Upgrade cost: 6 points Lvl. *

Nashariel nodded to herself, satisfied with her purchases.

Then, as anticipated…

The slate flared again, and a brief earthquake shook the Light chamber.

To Nashariel’s horror, the walls of her four Light chambers crumbled into motes of light. Light and all its Aspects were now linked together without barriers.

She and Asha rushed inside, seeing that all that disaster had done no damage aside from busting the walls.

“That’s one way of remodeling, isn’t it?” Asha chuckled.

Nashariel breathed in relief. “Good Gods, I thought I was going to need a healer!”

They returned to the slate shining to a blinding degree for the second time in the same day.

With only a moment of hesitation, Nashariel laid her hand upon the slate.

*Bonus objective: Acquire three advanced skills for the basic element and its Aspect.

Bonus reward: The corresponding special skill. (1/6)

Through blood and sweat, you have earned the ultimate reward for this Tier. Stand proud, Young dragon, for this is not a gift, but a reward painstakingly earned. *

The Light searing Nashariel’s eyes got brighter, and brighter, and brighter…

The moment Nashariel was sure to lose her sight, she found herself… somewhere else. This was surely no room, for the stars blinked down from above and no wall could be seen. The floor was made of rough stone, filled with small craters. It gave out a sense of… quiet and silence.

This… place was littered with hundreds, thousands of statues made of hundreds of materials elevated to High-Tiered Luxum. Some depicted Angels with weapons held high, while others looked like holy monstrosities stopped in time.

A few statues looked different. Gray as stainless steel, they sealed the passage to the farthest monstrosities. The starlight reflected upon these guardians, giving off a sense of wonder.

What am I looking at? Nashariel asked herself, then she noticed that she had returned to her true form. Only, she was there as her gray self. Odd.

A screen appeared right in front of her.

*Analyzing faith…

Analyzing race…

Analyzing attitude…

Analyzing dispositions…

Rejoice, Templar, for Astill blesses you with-

Error! The Omnidragon cannot receive divine blessings!

Recalculating…

User omnidragon detected.

Modifying choices accordingly… *

The statues crumbled.

All of them.

In their stead, hundreds of large gray dragons rose from the very ground, followed by a miniature dragokin version of themselves.

They felt… intimately familiar.

*… Done!

Young omnidragon, your past incarnations stand before you. They all mastered the first Tier of the Light and found themselves in the very space you now stand. While their journey has now ended, their strength remains buried within your very soul.

Awaken them once more, or leave them to rest and forge your own path forward.

The choice is, as it always has been, yours to make.

But be careful, young omnidragon, for you can walk away with only a single skill. *

Nashariel started to walk. With every step, a road made of marble appeared in front of her, leading her to the thirty or so incarnations available to her at this Tier. They all stared at her, frozen in time, unblinking.

Living as Ryahkera had been… intense, but seeing the sheer scale of how many lives she had lived was shocking. Hundreds of statues more awaited for her in the higher Tiers, and each one was a she of the past.

Dragons… couldn’t die of old age.

She shivered.

Nashariel stopped in front of a worn statue depicting a man in broken armor and weapons. His draconic version also showed broken scales, a determined gaze aimed at the horizon.

*Protection-Alden’s ultimate sacrifice

Created after a lost battle after his commanders had been assassinated, Alden vowed to never see another friend lose his life under his watch. The units under his command became nigh-invincible, but he forgot one thing… He was not immune to assassinations either.

A commander who lets his soldier die in vain… is no commander at all. –Alden the Living Bastion. *

Memories flashed in Nashariel’s mind. She remembered the rain tapping against the helmet, the roars of the battlefield, the shields surrounding her allies…

Nashariel shook her head, stepping back. “Not making this mistake again.” She murmured, walking away. She needed to be alive to support her friends, after all.

The Omnidragon kept searching for the skills that called to her.

Her soft steps crossed the paths of many of her past incarnations. Sometimes a tragedy, sometimes a heroic tale, each one of them told her a story that she already knew very deeply.

*Light-Refuge of the Saint

A skill created by Saint Verthan. Born in the slums of a soon-to-fall empire, she wished to create a safe haven for her family. Once she managed to craft this Apex skill, she quickly became the most well-regarded being in the empire by remodeling entire cities to a much better standard. Once the emperor heard of this, fearing a rebellion, he commanded her execution for high treason. Ironically enough, her death was what pushed the entirety of his nation to rise against him.

Your haven is within you, but having a solid roof on your head and a full stomach cannot hurt, right? –Verthan, Saint of the Refuge. *

Nope, I don’t see myself as a city planner either.

*Protection-Bastion of Saphis the Swift

Born within a family of Protection dragons, Saphis always looked upon her mother with admiration. The older dragoness was legendary at defending her underlings, but her focus on defense caused her to be a slow-moving fortress. Saphis crafted this Apex skill to help her efforts. This caused her to be loved by the vanguard and the rear both, as she became known as Saphis the Swift Protector.

Just because life can be slow, it doesn’t mean that you have to be too! –Saphis the Swift. *

She remembered that Saphis lived almost a century, but her arrogance had led her to believe that she was the fastest in just about any form. She had forgotten about her very mortality, and it cost her everything.

Nashariel sighed. And this was the last one. No skill has particularly struck her, so far. She glanced at the statues surrounding her. “System, how do I craft an Apex skill by myself?” Let’s make my own path.

*Wish to start the forge, then envision what you need from your skill. It is a work of intent, so be patient.

Keep in mind that the resulting skill can have components from Light and its Aspects. You may buy additional skills from here, should you wish to. *

"Thanks," Nashariel said. She breathed in relief; while she had indeed rushed the process, thanks to Asha she didn't simply mass-bought and merged the first random skills around. I can make something good by myself, I think.

Nashariel sat down, following the system’s instructions. What do I want from Light? She asked herself. She thought about what Light could provide. Safety… care…

Nashariel’s thoughts ran to her home and her family. Then the times when she had failed to protect her friends resurfaced from memory. She had yet to forget the time that they had been nearly killed and then framed by a bunch of assassins after her head.

She nodded to herself, glancing at Verthan’s statue. Thanks for the inspiration.“I have decided,” she announced to the system. An empty box appeared in front of her, waiting to be filled.

Sometimes this is a dark world… “For me, my friends, and my allies, I’ll be the beacon to light our way ahead.” Light seeped from Nashariel’s chest.

We won’t always be home… “I will become the very refuge for them to take cover under.” Large wings appeared from nowhere. Bent inward, protecting something fragile within.

People will hurt us… “I’ll be the healer that cares for their wounds.” The light shone brighter. Light-green grass started to sprout from the ground.

And to the ones that try to hurt them once again… “I’ll smite you as many times as I need to!” The Light inside Nashariel broke out, searing to ash all the shadows emerged around her.

*…

Chant accepted.

Calculating…

…

Done!

Proceed to the forge? *

Nashariel came to her senses, gasping. She blinked a few times, staring at the prompt in front of her. What did I say again? She re-read the ‘chant’ that she had just… chanted. Does the system help with the forge?

The system didn’t reply.

Oh, well. The Omnidragon accepted the prompt.

As one, all the statues surrounding her vanished in motes of light, all seeping inside Nashariel.

A single statue made of simple steel-Luxum rose, showing her draconic self protecting someone with her wings while roaring at an invisible foe. A mirror-version of her wielded a spear and a tower shield, frozen during a wrathful shout.

A blink later, she stared at a long prompt.

Her Apex skill.

*Light/Protection/Healing/Radiance-Nashariel’s blessed Asylum Lvl 1

Created in a moment of resolve by Nashariel Holyshield after being forcefully ripped away from home for months, this skill is the embodiment of her loyalty toward her friends and her determination to go back home. Regardless of the outcome, this Apex skill is a rare blend of Light and its Variants, making it incredibly broad if unspecialized, and also harder to Tier up.

I saw how quickly someone can lose everything they hold dear. I shall treasure my every moment. –Nashariel Holyshield.

For the next ten minutes, you become the living incarnation of Light’s Intent.

You emit an aura twice bigger than your racial one, but it cannot be moved from the point of activation. It applies the effects of Light and its Aspects’ racial auras all at once, granting refuge to your allies and righteous wrath against your foes.

You can infuse this aura with other buffing skills without any additional cost, up to 1+ 1 Lvl skills. These skills cannot be Dark-related, except for Darklight, but each skill stacks with this skill’s effects.

While in this aura:

Your allies are periodically cleansed from debuffs and healed from their wounds. They are also more resistant to damage, which is redirected to you and the damaging foe.

All illusions are dispelled unless their user’s abilities are much greater than yours. This effect extends to shapeshifters and similar sources of deception.

Foes inside the aura might be blinded by the burning light, finding their capability to cast debuffs and altered status effects reduced considerably.

Deeply dark attuned creatures suffer additional damage. Unwilling undead might be instantly given peace, should they will it, even unintelligent ones.

Heal, damage, dispelling capabilities, efficacy of buffs, and brightness increases with Lvl.

Cost: 50% of all your resources. These resources cannot be regenerated before the ten minutes duration has passed.

Upgrade cost: 30 points Lvl. *

Everything that I wanted and more… Nashariel sighed, feeling a tear wetting in her eyes. And that quote… that quote was close to her heart.

The light vanished, and she felt something pulling her back. The mysterious world vanished…

After her next blink, she stood in front of her gray slate.

"Why did everything turn off?" Asha asked, frowning.

Oh, Gods, she’ll be sooooooo pissed about it.