Matter

Walking through the hallway in the morning, I let out a heavy sigh. Last night didn't go as planned; some sudden thoughts had dragged me into reminiscing, souring my mood and making me abandon my exploration of my gift altogether.

Standing in front of the beautifully carved door to my father's study, I knocked a few times. A deep voice from within promptly granted me permission to enter.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside.

"Hmm, you're here too, Brother Faust, Brother Fakrie?" I said casually, noticing that it wasn't just my father in the room today.

My elder brothers were present as well—Faust, the vice president of the Azure Magic Tower, and Fakrie, a researcher and merchant. They were seated in the left corner, each nursing a cup of coffee.

Brother Faust glanced up and smiled faintly. "I wanted to see for myself what affinity you've awakened, so here I am."

So, this was about my status. I had been expecting this, though the extra audience made me slightly nervous.

From his desk, my father spoke, his deep, authoritative voice pulling my attention. "Now that you're here, Frynn, let's not waste time. What is your affinity?"

"...Matter," I answered softly.

At first, my father seemed to mishear me. He nodded and said reassuringly, "It doesn't matter what you've awakened, whether it's weak or strong. You're still my son, even if you didn't awaken anything at all."

It was a kind sentiment, but I quickly clarified, speaking more clearly this time. "No... It's matter. That's my affinity."

For the first time, I saw my father's expression falter slightly, confusion evident in his normally composed features.

"Hey, is that... a thing?" Faust asked Fakrie, his tone unsure.

Fakrie tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "I think so..." He turned his gaze toward me. "Can you show us your status? The affinity part, I mean."

I nodded, knowing this was inevitable. I had learned that it was possible to share parts of your status with others by willing it. Of course, you could choose what to reveal and what to keep hidden. Focusing, I projected the portion of my status that displayed my affinity.

A black status screen materialized in front of us, visible to everyone in the room.

As soon as I saw it, my heart sank. 'Oh shit... I forgot about the color.'

My status panel wasn't the usual silver. It was black.

Trying not to let my unease show, I glanced at my family's reactions. Sure enough, Faust was the first to notice.

"Hey, why... why is it black? Shouldn't it be silver?" he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Quickly, I slipped into the practiced demeanor I'd honed over years. Tilting my head slightly, I scratched the back of my neck and replied with an innocent tone, "I don't know. It's been like this since I opened my status for the first time."

They exchanged skeptical looks, but neither pressed the issue. My father's expression remained neutral, though I caught a fleeting hint of contemplation in his gaze before it returned to its usual calm.

Thankfully, Fakrie didn't linger on the anomaly. He leaned forward slightly, squinting at the displayed affinity. "It really does say 'matter.' That's... unusual, but it's what's written here."

Faust, following his brother's lead, nodded slowly before asking Fakrie, "Then... do you have any idea what this means? What this 'matter' affinity is?"

Brother Fakrie turned to Faust, his expression thoughtful as he began to explain. "This affinity—'matter'—isn't something we've studied in depth. My division doesn't deal with it specifically, but I've heard bits and pieces from the research teams exploring it."

"From what they've uncovered, everything in existence seems to have some underlying structure, something that makes it whole and gives it form. They've decided to call it 'matter.'"

"It's... complex, though. Even with the research so far, there haven't been any groundbreaking discoveries. It's more of a theoretical concept than anything concrete right now."

Hearing this explanation, Faust nodded in understanding, though his furrowed brows hinted at lingering confusion.

Turning to me, Fakrie continued, "Frynn, when you awakened during the ceremony, did you experience any kind of enlightenment about how to use your matter affinity?

You know, when younglings undergo the ceremony and awaken a certain affinity, they usually receive some kind of enlightenment about the element they've connected with—how to control it, what it represents, that sort of thing."

"Oh, so that's why it's called an Enlightenment Ceremony?" I thought to myself, finally making the connection.

Now faced with the question, I hesitated. It wasn't that I didn't know anything about my affinity—it was quite the opposite. The problem was deciding how much I should reveal.

What I understood about matter wasn't from the so-called "enlightenment" of this world but from my previous life. Even then, my knowledge wasn't exhaustive—just the basics I'd learned.

After a brief pause, I decided to share just enough to satisfy them without drawing too much attention. "Well... everything in this world, whether it's a living being or an inanimate object, is made of matter. And matter itself is made up of atoms. An atom consists of three parts: protons, neutrons, and electrons."

I stopped there, carefully observing their reactions.

Faust raised an eyebrow, clearly struggling to grasp what I'd just said. Fakrie, however, seemed more intrigued than confused. He rested his chin on his hand, his fingers lightly brushing his lips as he appeared lost in thought.

"So it's really... everything made up of matter?" Brother Faust mused softly, his brows knitted as he tried to absorb everything I'd just said. It seemed his scholarly nature couldn't help but be drawn to new knowledge, his curiosity sharpening with each passing second.

"That's... fascinating," Fakrie said again, his voice carrying a hint of wonder. "Protons, neutrons, and electrons, you say? If what you're saying is accurate, it could mean that this 'matter' affinity allows for an understanding or even manipulation of the very building blocks of existence itself."

Brother Fakrie leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowed in thought. "What else do you know about this, Frynn?" he asked.

I shook my head, offering a small, apologetic smile. "Not much more," I said. It wasn't entirely untrue—I did know more, but it wasn't something I wanted to reveal just yet.

Faust spoke up this time, his gaze piercing. "So, if everything is made of matter… does that include water?"

"Yes," I replied simply.

"And rock?"

"Yes."

"What about fire?"

"Yes."

"Wind?"

"Yes."

Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "What about light and darkness?"

This question gave me pause. I hesitated, my thoughts racing. From what I understood, light and darkness weren't composed of matter—not in the sense of atoms and particles. But in a world of magic, the rules could be different.

Could matter somehow emulate or control light and darkness in this world? For now, I decided to stick with what I knew.

"No," I answered.

Faust's face darkened slightly, as if displeased with my response. Still, he moved on, his tone probing. "What about blood?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation.

That seemed to satisfy him. His expression softened, and he placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "This affinity of yours is something truly unique, Frynn. If everything is made of matter, you might have the potential to manipulate practically every element," he said, his tone tinged with excitement.

He wasn't wrong. Even though he'd only just heard about my affinity, he was quick to grasp its possibilities.

A sharp "Ehem" echoed through the room, snapping everyone's attention to our father. His authoritative presence filled the space as he leaned forward slightly in his chair. "I get the gist now," he said, his tone measured. "Your affinity is indeed unusual and unique, Frynn—the first of its kind that I've ever heard of.

It does sound powerful, but therein lies the problem. There's no instruction, no guidance, no knowledge or even established magic circles for this... 'matter magic.' It leaves you at a dead end."

His words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. He looked directly at me, his expression expectant, waiting for me to respond.

I let out a small sigh, exchanging glances with my brothers. Their faces mirrored the unease I felt, but giving up wasn't an option. This affinity was too significant, too rare to squander. I wasn't about to let a lack of precedent hold me back.

Meeting my father's gaze, I finally spoke. "Since I can't use the regular, orthodox methods, I'll have to rely on unorthodox ones. It seems fitting for an unorthodox affinity, don't you think?"

For the first time, my father's lips curled into a small but genuine smile. He nodded approvingly. "Well said," he replied. "In that case, Faust will assist you in the meantime. He's already requested to teach you himself before he returns to the Azure Magic Tower."

"Well then, let's get started right away!" Faust declared, clapping me on the back with his large hand, a grin spreading across his face.

I barely managed to hold back a wince. Something told me I was in for an exhausting time ahead.