Synchronisation

The final room, the actual synchronisation room, was a fairly small one. A yellow lamp lit the room, though not too brightly. It was just enough to feel comfortable. There was a square velvet pillow placed on the floor in the centre, with incense lit in the corner, filling the room with a pleasant aroma. There was no furniture to speak of in the room, just some trophies or symbolic items representing Kolar.

Although synchronisation was performed in the AAB, regardless of which town or city one went to, it did not have any specific requirements in terms of location. Technically speaking, one could even do it at home.

But there were no benefits to doing it at home, especially when Kolar provided the best possible environment to synchronise. Although he truly believed that the powerful did not see them as having any worth, the fact that everyone's journey started out in the best possible way could not be denied.

There was a very simple reason for that. Too many of Kolar's most powerful and prominent warriors had come from humble backgrounds. It was not like anyone would purposefully suppress the birth of new powerful warriors, because the death rate was too high. Without new blood supplementing the army regularly, Kolar would fall.

It would not even take any interference from any foreign hostile force, just enough cursed events. Death was such a common part of life that Nero had no doubt that he too would die on the battlefield. He was not trying to avoid it either. He just wanted to make sure he lived long enough to get his revenge, and maybe make a few changes along the way.

But, the gist of the matter was, everyone started out with the best resources. If that was not the case, his parents would not have brought him here. Considering that both of them were exceptional themselves, they expected nothing less from Nero and Patrick.

"Welcome," said a man wearing a long, ceremonial robe. He had been in the room already when Nero arrived, meditating. Upon Nero's arrival, he opened his eyes, got up and extended the greeting.

"My name is Havaal, I will be assisting in your synchronisation today. I am a card master at the Arcane rank, so you can be assured of my qualifications."

"Thank you. My name is Nero."

Nero could not help but notice that Havaal was exceptionally amicable, considering his level. Perhaps that was why he was given this role.

"Well, Nero, please sit cross-legged on the pillow. I am sure you are already familiar with the synchronisation process, but I am just going to walk you through the steps one more time to remind you. Once I feel like you're sufficiently prepared, we will begin."

Havaal was very soft-spoken, a rarity in Kolar, and had a very consistent smile on his face. It made Nero feel very comfortable around him, and very willing to listen to his instructions. Nero immediately noticed the unusual state of mind, but determined that this was likely the effect of a card to calm him down and prevent nervousness. He did not fight it, as the calmer he was, the better the result would be.

He also liked how Havaal acknowledged that Nero probably already knew the steps, but would remind him anyway. The truth was that Nero was a kid, like all others who came for synchronisation, and regardless of how well they were schooled, not all kids could be expected to memorise these things. It was just the truth of the situation - kids didn't like studying.

By doing it the way Havaal was, it did not make them feel stupid or inferior, and also provided them the information that was required.

One could never claim that just because Kolar was mostly under military rule, they did things roughly and with brute force. No, the army had especially mastered the use of subtleties to get what they wanted, and diffusing the situation before it even had an opportunity to arise like this was just one example of many.

"As you already know, when humans are born, they have no aether in their bodies. But throughout our lives, the ambient aether enters our bodies and slowly affects it, until eventually the body undergoes a change, and gains the ability to manifest aether in the form of an innate ability.

"The innate ability is a part of us and is an expression of our individuality as well as humanity. It is just as much a part of us as our hands and feet. It is just as much a part of our body's natural system as is our ability to eat and breathe and sleep, but it just comes to us at a later time, and we are not born with it.

"When the change occurs, and you unlock your innate ability, you enter a state called stabilisation. That means your body has stabilised the aether in your body, and you are ready to use your innate ability. Everything that has happened so far is a part of the natural order of things. But what comes next is not.

"Once a person has stabilised, they are ready for a process called synchronisation. The effects of synchronisation are best if it is done before the first time you control your innate ability. To be clear, it still 'can' be done even if you have already wielded your ability, but the reason it is strongly discouraged to use your ability before synchronisation is because the results are better this way. Your body has a certain extent of 'malleability' left over, which goes away once you use your ability for the first time.

"Now I'm going to ask you a question. You can answer without fear as you won't get in trouble either way, but it will just allow me to help you better if I know the truth. Have you used your ability yet? You should know, even passives do not just start automatically, and need to be initiated the first time."

"No, no, I haven't," answered Nero firmly.

Havaal only nodded in acceptance, not questioning whether or not he told the truth.

"Now, carrying on. Gaining innate abilities is the end of progress for humans as far as nature is concerned, but that is not a hard and fast rule. Emperor Iskunder Macedon, founder of the old Valeriya empire, brought us out from the Dark ages and discovered a new path for us, and that is the path of Eldrim cards. 

"It is a path that allows humans to grow stronger by slowly absorbing more aether and crossing nature's many boundaries. It is a path that allows humans to wield aether in complex ways, giving birth to various phenomena, through the use of spells which have been prerecorded in the Eldrim cards. It is 'the' path that has allowed humans to flourish where nature intended for us to perish.

"To step into this path, you must take what is known as a Blank Template card, fuse it into your body, and synchronise your innate ability with it. Once you are successful, you will have entered the ranks of a 1 star card master! Now, since you cannot control aether yet, it will be my job to assist you in fusing with the template card.

"A lot of the process happens on its own, and I will take care of the parts that need external help. All you have to do is keep your body as relaxed as possible, avoid rejecting the card, and keep your ability from manifesting prematurely. It is not as simple as it sounds, as most people reject it out of instinct. Remember, you have to relax and avoid rejecting it.

"Now why don't you meditate for a while and prepare yourself? We will proceed when you're ready."

"No need for meditation," Nero said firmly. "I am ready now. You may proceed."

Havaal seemed surprised by Nero's statement. It was extremely normal to feel nervous, even apprehensive at this moment. Of course, there would always be those who feigned confidence, though Nero's voice was too even to sound feigned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I have been ready for two years. You can proceed."

Nero's voice was as steady as a mountain, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

Havaal nodded and retrieved a Blank Template card, which was the same size as all the other cards, approximately 6.3 cm wide (2.5 inches) and 8.8 cm long (3.5 inches). Although this was the first time Nero was laying eyes on a real Blank Template card, he knew its appearance by heart.

It had a silver border around the face of the card, and an image of a silver, blank slate on it. On the top right corner of the card there was a tiny symbol that looked very similar to the slate in the picture - the symbol dictating that the card had transcended star ranks and achieved the highest quality a card could. 

At the bottom of the card, there was a quote.

"From the darkness of ignorance I emerged, and to mother nature I commanded, yield, and to destiny I demanded, kneel," - Iskunder Macedon.

The pattern drawn on the back of the card was inconsequential. It was often a signature pattern of the artisan who made the card, or represented the organisation that made it. In this case, it was a deep blue and gold pattern, denoting the colours of Kolar.

Havaal brought the card and kneeled in front of Nero.

"Remember, relax as much as possible. Do not resist."

The card began to give off a soft, silver glow as Havaal brought it close to Nero's chest. His uniform served as no obstruction as the card seemed to go through them and directly into Nero's body.

His muscles itched to stiffen, his body wanting to twitch and squirm at the invasion, but Nero did not so much as flinch. There were many things Nero could not do yet, or could not learn yet. But in the past two years, he had at least thoroughly mastered himself and his body.

His breathing did not elevate, and his heartbeat did not increase as Nero forcibly maintained a calm state, allowing the card to begin the synchronisation process.

It went smoother and more flawlessly than Havaal had ever experienced, and besides activating the card in the beginning, he had done nothing. His eyes widened as he looked at Nero in surprise.

Either he was remarkably talented in aether control, or monstrously talented in controlling his body. Either way, he had great potential.

"The process has started. I must admit, that was a lot quicker than I expected. All you need to do now is relax and allow the card to merge on its own. I highly recommend you meditate, as staying calm will ensure the maximum synchronisation speed. Either way, in a few hours, the process will be complete. Once the synchronisation is complete, you will automatically sense it. That is when you should activate your ability, and you will officially step into the Neophyte realm."

Nero did not speak this time, nor did he thank Havaal. Instead, he simply closed his eyes and focused on the changes he could feel taking place in his body. It was an incredibly alien experience, unlike anything Nero had ever felt before.

But he knew why that was. It was the first time his brain was sensing the effects of aether in his body. Before this, whenever aether affected him, his brain could not detect it, as he had not stabilised.

The feeling was so novel that Nero became entranced, and his entire mind and focus turned inwards. It was as if he was imprinting everything to his memory.

Havaal watched and gave an approving nod. It was not easy for young children to be so calm and collected, especially in such moments. He could not help but appreciate Nero.

He was supposed to accompany Nero during the entire process, lest something go wrong. But an hour into the synchronisation, Havaal suddenly frowned. A moment later, the ground trembled, and the sound of a distant 'boom' penetrated through the closed doors.

A solemn expression appeared on Havaals' face. He left a note right in front of Nero so that it would be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes, and left the room.