Omni-Gene
An endless sky.
In every direction I looked, the same scene presented itself before me.
The sky was above me, as well as below, in all cardinal directions, as well as everywhere I looked, all I saw was the same tapestry of blue etched with faint wisps of white in between.
The surrealness of the scenery was only disturbed by the almost palpable sense of something being missing, something being different. As if all of it was fake. As if her mind was playing tricks on her.
The clouds...yes the clouds were strange. They weren't moving at all. Completely static, as if they were some kind of background.
CRACK!
She looked back to see a lone wooden door standing amidst the unchanging background.
"I'm sure it wasn't here before."
CRACK!
She looked behind her to see the sky breaking apart, the shattered pieces disappearing into the void beyond.
CRACK!
Faced with no other option, she put her hand on the cold, metallic doorknob. Twisting it with a faint click, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
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An eerie silence pervaded the village as the wind whistled through holes in broken hovels and the blackened blades of grass gave off a burnt odor.
He might have thought of it as abandoned if not for the faint shadows peeking out at him from windows every now and then.
"Watch out for traps, you can never be too careful with them." Fardin grunted with a low voice.
Nodding in acknowledgement, we cautiously approached the Elder's residence.
Faint whispers could be heard from inside, an almost songlike chant that gave rise to a nauseating feeling of unease, as if the walls themselves were breathing and the shadows danced to an unseen rhythm.
CRACK!
A swift wind rushed by, and the next moment Fardin stood in place of the closed door, which had splintered into a thousand pieces.
And that's when I saw them.
Three hooded figures clad in white circled around a pair of blankets on the ground, standing in what seemed to be a magic circle of sorts, etched with intricate designs in a flower pattern leading towards the middle.
The crimson ink used to draw the circle looked suspiciously like blood.
Then the blankets cried.
"FARDIIIINN!" I cried out as I dashed for my son, wrapped in blankets in the middle of whatever demonic ritual the hooded figures were immersed in.
As fast as I was, my companion was faster.
His sword extended, he stabbed at the figure closest to him, with a speed that made him invisible to the mundane eye.
CLANG!
Shimmering into existence, Vizari parried his sword with a metre-long hwando, its blade etched with arcane runes.
Engaged in a song of steel, Fardin and Vizari clashed with inhuman speeds, their movements akin to a blur, their battle of such intensity that a moment's delay in either's movements would spell their end.
'If he was so strong, why did he post that request?'
'Why didn't he kill the ogres himself?'
Pushing these thoughts to the back of my mind, I rushed towards the circle, hoping to break it by disrupting the runes, as they seemed to be drawn by some kind of ink rather than being etched into the ground.
THUNK!
I rammed straight into an invisible barrier protecting the formation.
'Ah fuck. I think I broke a few ribs'
I could barely breathe without feeling a knife stabbing at my side.
Each inhale sent a sharp, searing pain through my chest, and even the slightest movement made it worse.
"No, I ca-cant give up yet."
Bearing with the pain, I forced myself to stand.
'There must be a way'
'Why did Vizari block Fardin's attack if the barrier was already there?'
'Maybe...there's a limit to the damage it can take.'
Raising my sword amidst shaky breaths, I swung it at the barrier with all my might.
THUNK!
My sword rebounded violently, causing my insides to scream with excruciating agony.
'Again.'
The pain was unbearable, reminding me of the time I suffered at the hands of Lord Bentley, all those time I was beaten black and blue just to satisfy my master's sadistic tendencies.
'Again.'
That time I was beaten half to death for accidentally breaking one of his ornamental vases.
'Again.'
When I was left to the dogs for stealing a piece of bread from the pantry.
'Again.'
When I was assaulted by the head butler who wanted to vent his frustrations.
'Again.'
When I was betrayed by Willis, and left to die in a pool of my own blood.
'Again.'
When I woke up to an unfamiliar face by my side, finding myself alive and well.
'Again.'
The day of our wedding, the forest being our only witness. The birds singing in harmony, her angelic face flush with joy...
'Again.'
"Good morning honey, I didn't know what you like to eat for breakfast, so I made a little bit of everything.", she chimed in.
'Again.'
Watching the night sky together, in each other's embrace, as the stars fell from the sky.
'Again.'
Watching my son open his eyes for the first time.
'Again.'
So-wwy?
'Again.'
Holding her in my arms when the last vestiges of life left her body.
'Again'
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A sharp pain cut into my ribs as I finally fell down, the exhaustion finally taking its hold.
The two Elders were still engaged in a fearsome battle, with Vizari finally on the backfoot.
It was only a matter of time before my partner came to help me out. I couldn't do anything to this damn barrier anyway.
'Giving up again?'
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
"This is it huh."
"I'll come to meet you soon, Fari."
Unlocking your mana seal was something that was taught to Mages who had at least reached the apprentice rank.
It was a last resort move that would give you tremendous power for a short duration in exchange for your life.
I was inept at magic, so naturally it wasn't something in my repertoire of skills.
Yet in the moment I decided to risk it all, something inside me clicked.
Like I was meant to do it long ago.
Like it was FATED to happen.
[Unlocking Mana Seal in 3...2...1]
[Requirements to activate bloodline have been fulfilled]
[Mana Seal unlock aborted]
[Your Bloodline Awakens]
[Bloodline Characteristic: Omni-Gene Unlocked]
[Entering Hibernation mode in 3...2...1]
And then the world went black.
[End Of Prologue]