The sounds of running water filled the early hours of Sunday morning, as the new day found Argent standing idly against the wall of his shower. Liquid and steam rolled off his body in waves as he stared numbly into the tile of the wall, lost somewhere in the lines of grout, his mind replaying a portion of conversation with Instructor Heiran from the night before.

~~~~~

“So you’re saying our world.. Our reality.. Is some sort of game?”

“No, no no, Argent. This existence is very real. What I am saying is that it has rules. Metrics. Ways to interact with ourselves and the world itself that go beyond the abstract notion of cause and effect. What I am trying to express– best I can– is that painting the rules of this world in the context of a game is what helps me perceive it. To thrive within it. Consider it an analogy, if that helps.”

The Magus reached out and put a hand on Argent’s shoulder.

“You were born in this world, Argent, so to you this seems insane.. But it is because it is natural to you that– by no fault of your own– you take it for granted. In my world, no one talked to their Gods. No one could prove they even existed. There was no magic, no abilities or arts.. No aspects were given to a person for them to guide and develop, there was no system to show them their path and potential. Everyone was on their own, scrambling for meaning… The sense of self was something exclusive purely to the mind. Formed within the echoes of one's own thoughts, in a lifetime of vague and tedious monotony. One could argue that the laws of science and physics were my worlds ‘system’, but.. What a mundane and lackluster thing it all was..”

“It sounds.. Confusing.. And stressful..”

Argent muttered, and Instructor Heiran smiled ruefully.

“Hell on Earth, one might say.”

~~~~~

The water dripped from Argent’s hair and matted the volume of white into sleek wet spikes, hanging into his face and shadowing his eyes. Glancing down, he shifted his foot absently from where it had partially covered the drain, watching the liquid which had pooled around his toes swirl away in a miniature whirlpool pattern.

He considered what the magus had said about the ‘system’ reacting to the experiences of each individual… It was true that he had been able to select [Waterbreathing] after almost drowning, and that [Kai Mirroring] had manifested upon reaching a level threshold immediately after repeatedly using [Enhance Reaction] to create inversion effects within a solution.

Argent sighed and disengaged the shower’s arts unit, his palms brushing over the cerulean blue crystal as he pulled himself away from the mindless comfort of hot water. With slow, heavy movements he forced himself to dry off and get dressed, barely conscious of the world around him. His thoughts tangled and snared within, oblivious to the knocking at his door, hardly hearing the words Gauge said to him as the rogue took the liberty of entering and shepherded him away to the dining hall for a late breakfast.

~~~~~

“S-so.. I don’t mean to be rude, but if.. You’re not from Trivenndia.. Are you marked?”

Argent questioned slowly, all but tiptoeing around his words. The magus chuckled in response, entirely nonplussed by the question and underlying insinuations as he casually shook his head.

“No, Argent, I am not.”

“But you came from another world.”

“Indeed.”

The alchemist thought about that for a moment. He searched his brain, reaching for knowledge on the subject from its deepest parts, his eyes turning slightly upwards as they narrowed in concentration.

“Then did.. Part of your world come through with you? I believe that is the only instance of a being’s transfer between realities that has resulted in them being unmarked.”

“That is mostly correct. The only officially recorded events resulting in the unmarked transfer of individuals into the ninth reality have occurred during large scale ruptures, or during the initial chaos-shaping of the world itself. When it was that piece of their reality which was the target of transfer rather than they themselves– they just happened to be in it.”

Argent nodded to show he was following.

“The explanation is a simple one, Argent. Its truth is muddled only by the hate and slander of an age now behind us– well, behind most of us– rooted in superstition, hate, and fear. The Holy Empire would have the world believe that the marked are accursed. Tainted by the rift. That their very existence threatens the stability of reality and encourages the manifestations of chaos.”

The magus’ voice darkened as he said it, clearly frustrated. Angry. Yet he kept his speech controlled in such a way that almost made the underlying disgust seem even worse. Like a battered victim who had learned to wear fake amiability towards their bully.

“The truth could not be further from their fear mongering. A mark is nothing more than the sign of divine protection on one who was shepherded through chaos and into the worldsphere. Those who are marked are those who were sent here directly by the Gods and Goddesses of their own reality, their branding often symbolic of the specific deity who protected them.”

“Wait, really?”

“Really.”

Mulling it over, Argent considered all the stories he had heard about the incredible power of the marked. His entire life he had been led to believe that their brands had gifted them with some supernatural predisposition or ability, even beyond the natural boundaries of power in this world. Was that all nothing more than rumors and propaganda, too? Or was it.. Coincidental? Correlative, but not causative? If the marked were those who were chosen by the powers of their own world, would it not stand to reason that they would have retained a level of skill and experience even when transferred into this one?

“That still doesn’t explain you.”

The alchemist realized, turning his eyes back to the magus and finding a wide smile upon the man’s face.

“It does not.”

“..Are you going to explain?”

“Hah! Don’t give me that frown, my boy, i’ve not dragged you this deep to leave you drowning now.”

Instructor Heiran clapped Argent on the back with a reassuring pat, and there was a strength there despite the man’s appearance and standing as a caster class. {Magus} was a profession renowned for its abilities in wielding a vast expanse of arts, predominantly those of the arcane aspect, specializing in offense and battlefield control. Whilst certainly a powerful role, it was still considered by most to be quite… Bookish.

“I am beyond the scope of what the history books might tell you~”

The magus preened playfully, puffing up his chest a bit as he grinned. Perhaps he was simply trying to alleviate some of Argent’s tension or provide a bit of comedic relief, perhaps it was part of his deeper personality to be more playful than he appeared; Regardless of reason, it did help the young alchemist relax a little bit more as the beginnings of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“I am what the quietly informed call ‘chaosborn’. Not localized to this world, not sent here from within the seven realities or shepherded by a deity.. But pulled through by the touch of Chaos itself. As I mentioned in my previous exposition, the destruction of the rift had reached my world as well, far beyond the infinite. Whether my transmigration branched distance, time, or space, I cannot truly say. I have no comprehension of where I existed before prior to where I exist now. All I know is that when Lilith destroyed the rifts and their energies came surging back to their core, I came along for the ride.”

“...Are there others like you?”

“More than a few.”

~~~~~

The memory sequence played inside his head like a film as Argent filled his tray on autopilot, moving through the lines behind Gauge. Once he had set his tray at the table, he sat in front of it… Staring at his food but not really looking at it. The world around him was just shapes and sounds, recognizable but not perceivable. It was almost as if everything he had ever known had been relegated to some abstract blur. His head ached behind his eyes, throbbing as his brain strained itself in protest to the revelations he had experienced.

Suddenly, the physical sensation of pressure against his face shook him back to the waking world in some small degree. Tilting his head towards the feeling ever so slightly, he found Remelia extending her arm as far as she could reach, pressing her index finger into the side of his cheek. Shifting his eyes around the table, he found that everyone was openly staring at him.

“The hell’s got you all in a knot?”

Seren scoffed, flinching as Matthias kicked the edge of her chair.

“I mean, uh.. What’s.. Wrong?”

The priestly boy nodded curtly in approval, adding his own input afterwards.

“You look like you’re half alive. Did you sleep at all last night?”

“He’s been zoned out all morning.”

Gauge put in, speaking around a mouthful of his breakfast, and Shizuka’s ears wilted slightly as she gave the alchemist a concerned look.

“I’m fine, sorry. It’s nothing really.”

Argent responded while forcing a smile. Running a hand into his hair he pushed the haze of thoughts away from the forefront of his mind, covering his eyes for a moment and pressing his palms against their closed lids to soothe himself with the pressure. Releasing his touch only after gentle stars began to optically hallucinate behind his closed lids, Argent removed his hands and tried again to view the world in front of him.

“I’m okay.”

He repeated again, though the words certainly gave the impression that he was talking to himself on some level. Taking a few bites of food helped, as the warm and comforting flavour gave him something else to focus on. No one at the table seemed particularly convinced, but Matthias shrugged his shoulders in his docile way.

“Well, it is a Sunday. You don’t have to force yourself into anything–”

The members of the table collectively nodded at the input. Matthias continued;

“--Maybe we could all find a lecture to attend together?”

He suggested, instantly receiving glares from Seren and Gauge which insisted they would murder him if he kept talking. Argent laughed, pushing his food around a bit while taking a few more bites. There was a slight lurch in his stomach at the word ‘lecture’ itself, but thinking it over, he nodded his head. As long as it was something familiar. Something normal.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

*****

“You and your big mouth.”

Seren groaned somewhat pointedly at Matthias, as the group exited a three-hour session on squad based tactics put on by Instructor Balthazar. It was the closest thing to a universally applicable subject out of the lectures being offered that day, with dagger combat, ice-elemental casting, and physical arts being the other topics available during the block.

“Come on, that was very useful information.”

Matthias scolded her, unfazed by her whining. Argent nodded his head in agreement, feeling as though he had benefited hugely from the discussions on positioning for engagements and general movements for covering ground in a safe pattern. It had been just the thing to pull him out of his funk, as it really seemed that he simply needed to get his mind away and on to something else. Going straight to sleep after being bombarded by Instructor Heiran’s information dump had not done any favours for him, or his dreams.

With the subject of the aether plane out of the center of his mind, Argent found it gradually more palatable. It still wasn’t comfortable, mind you, but at a minimum it didn’t feel as though the entirety of his worldview was slowly collapsing inwards on itself. Things had settled enough that, at a subconscious level, Argent was able to admit that a lot of it made sense. Even allowing the alchemist to find ways to– as the magus had suggested– apply it as an ‘analogy’.

He thought back to the topic of attunement as it had been presented by Instructor Heiran, the magus choosing to demonstrate some of his own ability utilizing [Shadow Puppet] as an example. Explaining that arts could be cast at the desired attunement level, he had first summoned a single marionette utilizing the basic art. At {AT1}, or ‘attunement level 1’, the same art created two marionettes that lasted twice as long, a perfect example of linear power scaling.

But then, at {AT3}; Argent’s mouth opened in awe, both at the sheer fact that the Magus possessed a skill at such a level, and at the completely altered results. It was as though every ounce of darkness within the room shifted. Every shadow, every inch untouched by light, dancing at Instructor Heiran’s beck and call. The magus could move them and alter them, separating them from one another to run acrost the ground. It was eerily beautiful to watch, though after a while Argent couldn’t help but ask what the actual benefit was.

Instructor Heiran had simply smiled, signing the command for a new art and watching Argent flinch in surprise as a [Manabolt] flew from one of the shadows near the far wall, striking a desk and blowing it to pieces. [Shadow Casting], the magus explained, permitted him to project arts from alternate locations by using any shadow within his line of sight as an origin point.

The exchange had fueled a fire inside Argent’s stomach as fiercely as it had jumbled up his mind. Forcing him to accept how little he truly knew not only about the world, the realities, about existence itself– but also how blind he had been about something as personal as his own powers. Walking with his classmates while lost in these thoughts, he was about to propose that the six of them should head out to the grounds to do some practical training when he felt a shoulder connect with his chest.

“Ah, i’m–”

“Watch where the hell you’re walking.”

The figure snapped in a familiar, haughty voice. Cassius. Even still, Argent opened his mouth to apologize again, before he realized that they had collided purely because the boy was literally standing in the dead center of the hallway like he owned it. The noble remained planted where he had been talking to a pair of first year girls who were presumably from the class he had transferred to, glaring condescendingly at Argent. Thinking better of his apology, Argent’s expression fixed itself into a stonewall as he met the noble’s gaze in return.

“What, too uncouth to even say you’re sorry?”

“Shut your fucking mouth, Cassius, before I rip it off your face.”

Seren growled from behind Argent, shoving past the alchemist as she stepped forward and just about headbutted Cassius in the stomach. She was stopped shy of physical contact only by the hands of Matthias and Gauge, both of them grabbing her by either shoulder before she could plow right into their former classmate; Though, even if they did stop her from engaging in physical violence, their eyes were every bit as cold as Seren’s. The group stared venomously at Cassius as Argent took a step back, and the Son of the Great Houses flinched slightly, seeming to realize that he was vastly outnumbered by a group of students who were–most likely– some of the only ones at the academy able to put up a real fight against him. Quickly he backpedaled and played the graceful angle.

“Such a temper on all of you. It really is unsightly, but what did I expect?”

He scoffed haughtily, shaking his head in dismay as he sought to save face. Gesturing for the girls with whom he had been speaking to follow him, he turned and walked past the group from X13.

“I’m afraid I have business to attend to. Do try not to cause your instructors any trouble, yes? I would hate not to see you at the Hero’s Bracket.”

The young nobleman waved his hand airily as he walked away, putting his arms around the shoulders of the two girls as they giggled and fawned over him. Gauge glared after him, looking as though he wanted to spit, refraining from doing so only because they were indoors. Seren turned in pursuit but was body blocked by Shizuka, velvety ears flopping as she quietly shook her head, causing the dragonkin to hiss in a manner that surely would have released smoke were she slightly less human.

“That narcissist prick–”

“--It will catch up to him.”

Collective anger turned to surprise as the group turned unanimously towards Remelia. It was an absolute rarity for the tiny girl to speak full thoughts aloud at all, let alone one quite so ominous, but she brought herself right back down to her usual obliviousness immediately afterwards. Tipping her head as she questioned;

“...What’s the Hero’s Bracket?”

The sound of Gauge’s palm hitting his face could be distinctly heard.

“It’s one of the biggest events at the Academy each year. A tournament where students form parties to compete for prizes and rank.”

Matthias explained patiently, not missing a beat.

"Ohhh, I see…"

Remelia slowly angled the tilt of her head from one side to the other, nodding gradually as the infinite tufts of fluff around her face bounced and bobbed.

“...It’s that thing Gramps was excited about.”

“Gods.. I can’t take you.”

Gauge muttered in dismay, still unable to come to terms with her addressing the Grand Master as ‘Gramps’. Remelia only glanced around at her classmates, looking confused. Despite all his better judgments, Argent finally gave in to his urges and for the first time patted the girl on the head. She rumbled lightly like a cat, appearing quite pleased by the gesture.

“Well, don't reward her!”

The rogue cried out, throwing his arms up in exasperation as Shizuka let loose a gentle giggle, taking a turn at patting Remelia after Argent had stopped. The small swordswoman leaned happily into the beastkin girl, wrapping her arms around her waist to nestle her cheek against her stomach.

“On that note… The Tournament starts on the seventeenth Day of Flames, towards the middle of the year, right? That’s less than three months away.”

Matthias added on, doing a quick count on his fingers before folding his arms acrost his chest. This notably peaked the attention from Seren and Gauge, but also Argent. The alchemist’s refreshed drive to succeed ignited yet again inside the pit of his stomach as he cleared his throat to speak up.

“Would you all… Be interested in training with me?”

“Oh? What’s this?”

Gauge teased, leaning into his companion and wrapping an arm around the white-haired boy’s shoulders with a smirk.

“Tired of staying holed up in your room with books and plants?”

Argent’s cheeks flushed slightly at the jab, but he couldn’t entirely refute it.

“I could use a change of pace.”

He went along with the taunt, earning a smile from Gauge and the rest of his classmates. While it was true that he had never particularly shown an above average interest in combat activities, it was also equally true that Argent had never shied away from them either.

“Well, why didn’t we just do that in the first place.”

Seren whined, although her expression was fixed into an eager grin. Sitting through a lecture about tactics hadn’t been her idea of a good time, but there was a clear level of manic glee in her features now that the prospect of legitimate battle was on the table. Grabbing Gauge and Argent by the wrists, she immediately began pulling them out of the building as the others followed suit with muted laughter. The dragonkin’s crimson eyes shone with passion as she hauled her teammates towards Instructor Ward’s domain on campus, giving Argent a mocking grin as she mimicked a certain phrase–

“Let's get to work!”