The true beginning

"Our organization has existed for hundreds of years, you will find most of the common knowledge in this library. I, myself have been leading this family for at least two hundred years now."

"There's no proof, but some of our old members claimed, it was established even before that, but they have been gone for a long time now, so it's most likely ti be just a bullcrap," he said boringly. "Anyway, take out those things from the black chest," he added at the end.

Orion took out everything he had retrieved from the black chest and placed them on the table. As soon as he did, the projection pointed at one of the two books, the one covered in gold foil.

"This book contains every piece of information needed to advance as a mage. It will reveal the details to achieve the next stages, each time you advance."

"Why didn't you give it to me before? Why now?" Orion asked.

"The world is not a nice place, kid. Some knowledge is dangerous if learned too soon. Just knowing them can kill you or result in a fate worse than death. What you know right now is not even a speck of dust in front of the vast mysteries of this world. So be careful when you seek knowledge," the Projection stated in a somber tone, his withered voice adding to the seriousness of his warning.

Without further explanation, he pointed at the torn piece of map. "The other half of that is hidden by the Zeral family, which has been destroyed for decades now. You have to find it. All the clues gathered until now are in the reports of this library. As for where the whole map leads to, you will find out when you reach there."

"What about this book and the box?" Orion asked as he pointed to the thick book with a black leather cover and the pitch-black box.

The Projection replied immediately, "In the box is an artifact, the life's work of genius rune masters of our organization. It could cause wars if the world knows what it can do. It can only be wielded after reaching a radiant silver mana core, though one needs to be a white core mage to make the most out of its true potential. There is one more artifact like this, but it was lost with the destruction of the Zeral family."

"As for this book..." he said, pointing at the one with the black leather cover, "I don't know. Nobody from our ancestors was ever able to open it. But it was strictly instructed to protect it and pass it down to the next generation, so that's what I'll do as well." He then gazed at everything that lay on the table.

"All of these things are legacies of our ancient organization, our life's work. Which is now... yours, as you are the last descendant of it.

Now, I will give you the ownership of this place," he stated before his voice rang out in the surroundings again. "I, Gurran Ablaze, pass down the rights of command to Orion Ablaze, the new owner of this place. The last descendant of the Secret Order," the projection declared loudly.

With those words, Orion felt a sudden burning sensation on his right arm. He immediately pulled up the sleeve of his hand, only to see red runes engraved all over, simmering in a golden glow before disappearing again.

Soon after the projection's announcement, his figure began to turn transparent as if fading away.

"Lastly," the projection said, gaining Orion's attention again. "Your talent surely is monstrous, with potential beyond common sense. But many geniuses have perished on this path. No one is unbeatable, neither your enemies nor yourself. So don't ever think otherwise."

Seeing the projection fading, Orion shouted his last query, "What are those red flames in the treasury?"

Hearing his question, the projection's eyes went wide in surprise, and a sudden expression of fright appeared on his face before he faded away completely.

"Red?" His final words echoed, his voice fraught with shock and terror, before the apparition faded into the darkness, leaving an unsettling air of stunned fear behind.

Orion stared at the empty space where the projection had faded, his confusion evident. He had never seen his grandfather so shocked, never so... afraid.

"It seems to be related to these red flames," Orion made a mental note to avoid them for the time being before he finally sit on the chair beside him. No matter how indifferent he had behaved in front of that old bastard, he had long passed his limits. Too exhausted and weak to think about anything at the moment. So he let nature take its course and didn't resist his closing eyes. Soon succumbing to a deep sleep, lulling him into slumber on the very chair.

A few hours had passed already, Orion was still sleeping with his head resting over the back of the chair. Suddenly, his eyes flew wide open, startled awake from his chair in sudden fright. He took heavy breaths as his hand instinctively went for his chest, reaching for the pendant hanging over it.

He clenched it in his fist, pulling it out from beneath his shirt and staring at it as it rested on his palm. After gazing at it for a while, a long sigh escaped his mouth. He put it back underneath his shirt again and stood up from the chair.

He took a hot bath first and then ate his fill; it was long overdue that he indulged in a little comfort. After feeling a little refreshed, he decided to explore the facility first. And as he was exploring it, he couldn't help but admire its creators. Every damn room was filled with webs of runes, dozens and dozens of them, for who knew what purpose.

"No wonder they called themselves with such an ominous name - 'the Secret Order'," Orion thought.

As he was finding the exit in real-time, he couldn't help but get curious about the magic that created that dimensional portal he had entered to arrive here.

"Was it even possible to achieve something like that with mana?" he thought, as the only thing he knew about magic was the seven affinities with elements. But as if answering his own question, the words of the projection replayed in his mind - what you know right now is not even a speck of dust in front of the vast mysteries of this world.

At just 10 years old, he possessed a wisdom that belied his tender age, or so his grandfather thought. A result, perhaps, of the his grandfathers training and challenges of life that had been thrust upon him. Throughout his brief existence, he'd been tethered to the counsel of others - his grandfather, his sister. But at the same time, their well-meaning guidance constrained his natural inclination for risk.

Yet, in this moment, those voices fell silent. No longer shackled by instructions, he stood alone, a solitary figure. Unfettered by reins, he embraced his capability, ready to embark on a journey uniquely his own.

The tapestry of his destiny now hung in the balance, threads of opportunity and challenge weaving together. Time alone would unveil the consequences of this newfound solitude, a chapter in his life story awaiting its completely new narrative.

One truth resonated clearly amidst the uncertainty: this was the true beginning of his journey.