The Beginning of the end

"Close your eyes, you annoying pipsqueak," Edmund ordered, his voice dripping with irritation. I complied, though I could still sense his frustration radiating like heat from a furnace. There was something about him that felt oddly familiar, a nagging sense of recognition clawing at the edges of my consciousness.

As he approached, muttering under his breath, I strained to listen, but the words were muffled, distant, as if obscured by a thick fog. A chill ran down my spine when his cold hands brushed against my forehead, sending tendrils of darkness creeping into the corners of my mind.

When I regained consciousness, Edmund's glare pierced through the haze, demanding my attention. "Hey! Hey! You little...I know you can actually hear me, wake the hell up!" Of course, I could hear you trash. Oh dear did i just say that out loud? And I couldn't resist a sly smirk.

"You have no respect for your elders at all," he growled, his frustration palpable.

"Say you just realized that right now? Too slow on the uptake, I see," I retorted, unable to resist needling him.His eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, I pressed on.

"What was that just now? It wasn't in any of the basic concepts of lumina manipulation that I know. And you're not skilled enough to reach that level yet," I challenged.

"It's none of your business! Now, I'll only let you enjoy the view for once. After two minutes, training starts," he deflected, his tone urgent.

I turned to behold the spectacle before me—the Verdant Nexus. The stones, the water, the massive tree—all seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy. The water's ethereal melody beckoned, its scent tantalizing, while the tree's presence loomed like a sentinel of ancient secrets."The Verdant Nexus..." I whispered, unable to contain my awe.

Edmund's smug voice broke through my reverie,"The Verdant Nexus is no ordinary tree. Its gnarled roots delve deep into the earth, drawing sustenance from ley lines and cosmic energies. Its leaves shimmer like emerald mirrors, reflecting the seeker's innermost desires. Those who approach the Nexus with an open heart find themselves on a path of self-discovery and enlightenment." his explanation tinged with superiority. Oh the time limit for visual admiration has now expired huh? But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this place than meet the eye.

"Hey kid, let's not waste time. Let's get started," Edmund urged, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"You know I'm not going to ask you why this place even exists, since I know that this tree is more than just rare. It exists in only three places across the world. And why, if I may include, do you, a mere village chief, know and have this place under your control?" I interrupted Edmund before he could finish his sentence.

"You really have a knack for interrupting someone who is sp..."

"Well, if I deem what you are about to say useless, then it is unworthy of being uttered. It's a waste of my mental capacity, and the speaker himself is a waste of air. Now, you can continue," I interjected, flashing him a mischievous grin.

He looked at me dumbfounded, his cheeks reddening from embarrassment. "Ahem, as I was saying, it's none of your business, and you shouldn't ask in the first pl..."

"I did mention that I won't ask, you idiot. Learn to listen carefully. I just mentioned the questions I had, but I said I wouldn't ask," I replied, maintaining my smile.

"Blah blah blah, all he is saying is just nothing, nothing, I shall persevere. He is a big catch, whoops, breath, breath," Edmund muttered under his breath, his mantra barely audible. Wait, did he just call me a big catch? I guess he accidentally said it out loud. But if he said that, what is he supposed to be thinking then?

(What he is thinking) 'Boy, what was your name again? Oh yeah, Vladimir. Now, take a leaf from...'

* * * * *

Edmund's POV

Why do I feel as though I have aged for a millennium? Okay, let's ignore his rebuttals for now. I just need him to become a mystic warrior, and that would be good for us.

"So, firstly, you have to strip and sit right on one of the Verdant Nexus's roots. Anyway you sit does not matter, just sit in a comfortable way. This is the shortened version of the soul alchemy stage, and unnecessary things such as being good to the world or whatever have been omitted; otherwise, we wouldn't have as many warriors as the stars." Ahem, he must think highly of himself. Now I want to see him embarrassed with that tiny escutcheon of his. Ha! I can't wait to see his ugly body. "Now, stri..."

There he was, a boy stark naked with no hint of embarrassment, this young, with this deliciously exquisite body, let alone his third leg being so big at a tender age. No way is there even a deity in this world; what is it that he doesn't have? "I want to marry him," argh! I swear I didn't mean to say that out loud, and I never meant to say it!

This guy is still looking at me indifferently. Oh, so now he won't react, huh?

"You...have finally bid farewell to your sanity. I have no idea where that came from. You are supposed to be a boy just like me, and now you blew your cover. Sigh, people who are new to the world of acting are so annoying."

"Uwaah! How did you know that I was a girl?"

"You act like a boy, but you clearly suck at it. Faking a deep voice is not what we men normally do. Plus, you were anticipating my nakedness."

"What? From just that?"

'She bought it? Honestly, I never knew. I just said it to tease him, but it's true? Has my intuition gotten rusty? Shit! I have got to up my game,' thought Vlad, his eyes becoming filled with madness.

"Vlad, look, you shouldn't tell anyone, okay?" I said to him, my limbs trembling.

"Okay," he said dryly.

"Just like that?" I asked him with a nervous voice.

"Yes, just like that," but your eyes don't agree with you. Damn it, what have I gotten myself into!

As Vlad's words washed over me, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease creeping into myself bones. What secrets did Vlad harbor beneath his composed facade? And what consequences would our newfound understanding bring?

* * * * *

After making several promises to Edmund, or rather Elmund, whose true name Vlad recently discovered, Vlad found himself perched upon the colossal root of the Verdant Nexus.

"Ahem, now, Vlad, close your eyes and start feeling the air around you, absorb what you feel. It will only take two days to finish this stage," Elmund instructed in her deep, induced voice.

"So, I should meditate?" Vlad replied in an irritated tone.

"Straight to the point, huh? This isn't your average meditation. Overdo it, and you'll explode and die; underdo it, and you'll be crippled for eternity, even your soul. Let me give you a tip—this world is called the 'Beginning of the End.' One slip-up, and it's your end; but if you're lucky, it's your beginning," Elmund explained with an eerie smile.

"So, I'm supposed to imagine myself as the roots of my soul and extend them towards the soil?" Vlad questioned.

"Exactly. Become one with the Verdant Nexus. Then, feel its pure energy. And..." Elmund paused, a wry smile playing on her lips.

"And?" Vlad pressed eagerly.

"And beg it, 'oh great Verdant Nexus, please cleanse my body of all the dirt of this world! This undeserving one...' Oh dear!" Elmund exclaimed, noticing the anger flashing in Vlad's eyes.

"You really have no sense of humor, do you? What a bore. Fine, figure it out yourself. I won't help you. If you want my help, come and beg!" Elmund said, feigning annoyance.

"Alright. In your dreams," Vlad retorted, closing his eyes determinedly.

"What? Fine, go ahead and try it," she said with a pout, turning her head away.

"Roger that." As Vlad closed his eyes, he focused on clearing his mind and connecting with his soul.

'I've mastered meditation since childhood, and I know the soul has hidden powers. What to do now? Ah, I can feel something connecting with my soul,' Vlad thought, sensing an iridescent light emerging and speeding upwards.

'Shit! It's overwhelming; my body can't handle this pure energy,' Vlad gritted his teeth as pain and black liquid poured out of him.

"What did you do, you arrogant child? Now i have to bring your corpse to Sir Klaus, and he will think I did it on purpose. There's no way out now. You were too greedy. And here I thought my marriage was set in stone," Elmund lamented tearfully, her words betraying her true feelings.

"Huh? Why am I crying? I just met him," she wondered aloud, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

'Let's find a way to release this energy,' Vlad thought, imagining himself as a bridge between the tree's lumina and nature's aetherium. As he did, a hole appeared in his soul-which was initially azure resembling a flickering ember, and the iridescent lumina flowed out with bone-chilling pressure.

'Now, let the lumina fix my body and become my foundation,' Vlad decided, feeling his soul grow and merge with his body, with the Verdant Nexus's ember at its center. After that processes he imagined his soul losing connection with the Verdant Nexus. The sudden loss of tremendous energy made his body shudder as he breathed heavily.

"That was exhausting," Vlad said, standing up and approaching the crying Elmund while staggering.

"Why are you crying? Is whatever you want to do with me worth crying over?" Vlad teased.

"What? How?" Elmund asked, shocked.

Vladimir, now taller and glowing, exuded a graceful presence, leaving Elmund trembling with realization.

"You, you have awakened?" Elmund's voice trembled.

"A child so young..." He said in denial of what he perceived.

'Oh! Sometimes I forget that I am a 6 year old' Vladimir thought to himself nervously.