CHAPTER 4 Heading to Auratria

I had been walking for two hours already towards the northeast of Alamyst, heading for the capital: Auratria. Yet, as everything seemed to be going well, a question arose in my mind...

-Wait, won't I encounter trouble there, without any power? I mean... in a small village where I'm already despised, it doesn't change much, but having no rights there... it will be difficult, I imagine.-

*Indeed, this world is governed by a system called "power".

Here, everyone is born with powers; there are exceptions known as anomalies, like myself, who are born without any gift, but this phenomenon is extremely rare and often hidden.

Not having any power, I don't really understand how all of this works, but it's said that people with these abilities are trained differently.

Or rather, I should say, they have things that I don't, given that the norm is to have these faculties. Specifically, compared to me, these people have a more developed brain than those without power, as if a zone is activated for them and not for those without power. Additionally, their metabolism is faster, which makes them regenerate at a more or less astounding rate (especially when compared to me). And, most importantly...

THEY HAVE POWERS.

You might think that doesn't change anything, but you're mistaken; in a world where everyone has powers except you, you're marginalized! You're like something non-human that can't do anything in the eyes of others.

But anyway…

Many legends are told, saying that the stronger the parents, the greater their child's power will be, or that a power can evolve into an unparalleled version of itself, or even that one can accumulate several powers or even give away their own.

But, as you can see, all of this is just ridiculous.

You see, my parents had a gift, with their wonderful power, and I have nothing. Moreover, no one has succeeded in evolving their power (although it is said that kings have evolved powers, since we never see them in action, I presume that all of this is just a lie created to manipulate the people).

Furthermore, if one could pass on a power, I'm almost certain that the old man would have given me his...

ANYWAY.*

In conclusion, I have no power and I am about to go to a city that is one of the pillars of power, that is, one of the abodes of the gods, those who have given us these powers (well, given to everyone except me apparently). I am not well-versed in beliefs, but I would like to know more; perhaps I will find an explanation for the reason behind my lack of talents...

"I don't know. We'll see once I reach Auratria; they surely have a library where I can read a sacred book about this bizarre religion concerning powers, or maybe something like a church where they will passionately narrate to me a ludicrous story about their gods."

I muttered to myself for another good half an hour before night fell. It had been an afternoon of walking, and I had no idea how many kilometers I had already covered. Despite looking at the map, being in a deserted plain, I had nothing to guide me.

"Well, I'm on a hill, surrounded by flowers so bright they blind me. Great for navigation. DAMN FLOWERS, EVEN THEY HAVE MORE POWER THAN ME!"

I could shout all I wanted; it wouldn't change anything. Even though these flowers were a source of considerable concentrated power (whose name I didn't even know), it wasn't marked on my map. But I still knew where east was, so if I kept walking, I would eventually stumble upon the capital.

I looked into the distance and realized that the field of flowers continued as far as the eye could see. "Well, considering the light it provides, I can continue my journey even at night; the more I walk, the sooner I'll arrive."

And that's what I did for the next five hours: walked. Walked straight ahead, non-stop. I was exhausted, but I wanted to push myself to arrive as quickly as possible. I hadn't eaten all day, and I didn't even take a minute to comfort my stomach under the pretext that it would waste time. But after so much walking, I couldn't go on. I sat down, took out a softened apple from my pocket, and ate it while looking at the horizon.

"I should probably sleep; it's getting late, and I still have a long way to go."

However, after eating, I didn't want to sleep right away because, in my opinion, if I had gone straight to bed, I wouldn't have needed to eat. So, I got up with difficulty and walked for another two long hours in this luminous landscape. But, once that time had passed, I had left the plain of flowers and found myself facing a river that seemed to lead to a village barely larger than mine. It had nothing special about it, and I saw no reason to go there. Indeed, it wasn't the first village I had seen, and as long as I didn't come across a town, I had no interest in stopping because no one could take me to the capital (as no one makes the journey from Auratria to the village due to lack of means). But it was starting to get late, and I was no longer able to walk, so I slowly made my way towards the village, settled on a warm spot around the city, and fell asleep peacefully.

"As soon as the sun rises, I'll head east again..."

And in no time, I fell asleep without difficulty.

The next day, 7:38 AM:

The sun was already well up, but I hadn't managed to wake up earlier. Indeed, I had only slept for a handful of hours, and I didn't even feel fit to walk, but I had no choice; I had to leave before I was forced to move on. I grabbed some nuts from my pocket, ate them, and resumed my journey, crossing the river and soaking my pants in the process.

"Well, it's hot; the pants should dry out during the day."

I glanced at the rising sun, knowing it was rising from the city of the dawn (my destination), and headed towards it with determined steps. Despite knowing the direction to go, I looked at the map as I walked (to get a rough idea of where I was).

"Oh cool, if I walk like I did yesterday every day, I'll arrive in just 4 days. Well... only 3 days left, basically. That's 3 less than I thought!"

I was thrilled; knowing I could arrive sooner than predicted had motivated me more than anything! But I knew it was still going to be a real challenge. More specifically, I knew that in a few hours of walking, I would reach the most difficult part of my journey: the crossing of the "Divina Sozo" mountain range.

It is said that this mountain range was created by a god to protect Auratria, the divine seat of Alamyst. Of course, I don't believe in all that, but this legend doesn't diminish the existing difficulty of crossing this place. It can take several days, hence the duration of my journey, but a few tens of kilometers beyond lies the capital, so I have no choice but to pass through it

So, I continued to walk throughout the entire morning, and by the time it was 1:00 PM, I found myself facing the gigantic mountain range. It was breathtaking... I could see their peaks almost touching the clouds, even though they seemed to be above everything else. The legends could almost be believed when you see the beauty of these mountains, as if sculpted with divine precision. But that wasn't all. In the first few kilometers, I could see the most beautiful lands with forests of all colors, lush and stretching as far as the eye could see, apparently harboring some of the rarest creatures.

I could even make out crystal-clear rivers winding through the valleys, bringing life and freshness to this already enchanting landscape. In some places, roaring waterfalls cascaded down the mountain slopes, creating brilliant rainbows of a thousand colors. But the most impressive was the summit towering over the range... The peak of "Mount Aurora". Its summit, called "Aurora apicem ", pierces the mountains with its 97,406 meters height. It is said that at the top lies an unknown divine installation inaccessible to humans, leading to the world of the gods, but I imagine all of this is just a lie, once again.

As you can understand, it's impossible for me to pass through there; I'll have to search through the gorges of the mountain range. Passages not without risk but the only accessible way for humans without powers or means of transportation to pass without having to face unknown creatures to me. So, I ate a piece of bread that I took out of one of the pockets of my jacket and approached the entrance of one of the gorges of the range with an undecided step, trembling with fear but also with excitement as I approached my goal. My face, usually so neutral, revealed a smile for the first time in a long time.

I moved between the walls of the mountains, struck by the difference in sensation between this place and the outside of the gorges.

Indeed, as soon as I set foot in this place, I was hit, whipped, by a pressure that felt like carrying several tons, making my progress difficult. But that's not all; even though I wasn't yet at a high altitude, the air was already difficult to breathe. The passing wind burned my skin with a coldness I had never felt before. In short, I was going to suffer.

"Damn... this is going to be horrible..."

I don't know why I'm feeling all these sensations; surely my lack of power means that my metabolism isn't suited for places with too much magical concentration, I suppose.

Suddenly, I screamed in irony.

"SO, GODS? YOU WANT TO TEST ME, IS THAT IT? OR IS IT A PUNISHMENT BECAUSE I'M POWERLESS? AHAHA, IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN THAT TO STOP ME, YOU BUNCH OF IDIOTS!"

But as I amused myself by provoking entities I don't even believe in, the wind that was already tearing my skin apart seemed to intensify.

"Well, what a coincidence..."

I endured this phenomenon for about ten minutes, unable to even see in front of me as the wind forced my eyes shut. In a fit of rage, I screamed,

"STOOOOP!"

And then I saw in front of me a wall several meters high that finally shielded me from the wind. I was relieved to finally catch my breath, but there was still a real problem. The only way to get past this wall was to climb it. So, I took my mother's blade and placed it between my teeth, not wanting it to hinder my ascent, and began my climb.

My hands were frozen, and I was already starting to lose feeling in them. I lifted my head and struggled to guess the top. Straining my voice, I whispered,

"Damn it, no, it can't end like this, not already."

My vision was becoming blurry, and my ascent was slowing down gradually. I was hardly making any progress. All my limbs were trembling as, with my eyes closed, I moved less than a meter per minute.

Suddenly, my eyes closed. Everything was black. In a desperate leap, I threw myself into the air, and…

*POC*

I managed to cling to the top of the wall. I pushed my body upward with all my strength. My legs dangled in the void. I was only hanging on by my right arm. With my other hand, I took the blade and plunged it into the ground. I gripped it and pushed with all my might with my legs against the wall. Step by step, I climbed. Time seemed endless, but after superhuman efforts, I finally managed to reach a flat surface.

I could finally lie down on the ground, take a deep breath, and shout with all my might a cry of liberation towards the sky. I couldn't describe that cry; it was just a nameless relief.

Once done, I got up and slowly turned around to admire the rest of the road. Before me stretched a path leading further into the mountains, a path I must follow, surrounded by trees of all kinds and colored like the nighttime sky. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the end of the journey; I still had a long way to go. But being out of danger, I allowed myself to continue my slow walk.

Despite my fatigue, the 15 minutes of walking that followed were enjoyable. Sure, the tension was an additional burden on me, and the air was difficult to breathe, but the landscape could be compared to a fairy tale scenery. The different plants around me emitted an enchanting fragrance, and the shades of color from the trees and flowers relieved me enough to rest without needing to stop.

But as I said, only 15 minutes. Why? Because at the end of that quarter of an hour, the forest went from a fairy tale atmosphere to the most gloomy dead forest. The cold intensified, and the wind made the dead branches whistle. The worst part of it all is that the ambiance changed drastically, literally in less than a meter.

"What... What was that?"

I thought I heard a distant noise. A noise I couldn't describe. I cautiously approached the impression and thought I saw a large, dark, winged silhouette. It turned towards me and flashed a wide smile with its sharp teeth. Anything but friendly, but without any intention to harm, as if this silhouette was happy to see me.

Intrigued, I moved closer, but just as I was about to speak to it, it flew off with a flick of its tail on the ground. At that very moment, a blaze ignited around me and extinguished just as quickly.

"Weird... but well, at least I didn't get into trouble."

I continued my journey slowly and came face to face with a chasm of a depth I had never seen before (probably equal to the climb I had just made). On the other side, an even taller wall stood. Out of fear, I decided to take a break and catch my breath.

"Well, climbing is way too difficult, and it would be really bad to fall. But I don't have the strength to climb anymore... Plus, I don't even know what time it is; I can't see the sun, and it's starting to get dark. I should rest; I'll resume later."

So, I sat down on a dead log, placed my jacket under my head as a pillow, and slept for a while. I don't know how long I slept, probably not very long given my fatigue. I would have liked to sleep more, but I was awakened by a very violent buzzing. I opened my eyes and was dazzled by thousands of fireflies that were resting on the wall in front of me, each in a specific spot, as if to indicate the path to follow.

So, I did what seemed most logical: climbed using the places where the fireflies had landed. I couldn't say how long it took me, but despite the constraints imposed by the location, I climbed without any problems.

Once at the top, the landscape was different again. Indeed, I found myself face to face with a lush landscape with an immense turquoise blue lake at its center, shimmering with a thousand reflections. This area, in particular, was isolated by large walls stretching as far as the eye could see.

"I guess I'll have to go diving? That's not good; I'm having trouble breathing here, so I can't imagine how much of a torture it will be in the water."

Without even giving myself time to hesitate, I dove headfirst and realized something incredible. I might not be able to breathe underwater, but I didn't lose my breath; I could hold my breath indefinitely. I descended slowly, surrounded by a variety of fish in various colors. There must have been hundreds of different ones (I almost felt like I had found the "All Blue"), each with its own uniqueness.

My dive took some time, but I caught sight of a hole in a wall towards which I headed. I passed through the hole, and to my pleasant surprise, despite my fear of catching a cold because of my wet clothes, I was completely dry.

I planted my feet on the ground and returned to a mountain landscape, just like when I arrived in the gorges of the mountain range.

"Oh, I didn't miss this landscape," I said sarcastically.

I walked for a long time, realizing that many paths led to better ones, but also that I could head towards many others. However, I always decided to stay on mine. It was long, and I still struggled to walk due to the same reasons as at the beginning. But after an endless walk, I stumbled upon a huge wall with immense steps leading to a gigantic gate.

Carved from a deep black rock, it seemed to be born from the very bowels of the earth, bearing the scars of time elapsed for eons. Every centimeter of its surface was adorned with complex and mysterious patterns, resembling ancient inscriptions whose meaning had been lost in the mists of history. I couldn't understand anything. I could only guess and recognize what seemed to be a group of large silhouettes with a larger one behind? I don't know, it's strange.

But it was even stranger when you looked at the steps. You could make out figures drawn on them, but each step seemed to have one apart.

Anyway, I looked at the gate wondering how I was going to open it. Indeed, the door panels were massive, their proportions defying all human logic. I placed my hand on one of the door panels and pushed it with ease.

"Well, that's cool, no need to think at least."

Upon opening the door, I found myself in a large empty cave with the same door on the other side.

"Well, that sucks, making such beautiful doors for such an empty room, it's pointless,"

I muttered as the door closed behind me with a loud bang, causing me to fall backward.

"Damn it."

But I had better things to do than complain; I had to continue my journey. So, I headed towards the door in front of me. Unfortunately, no matter what I did, I couldn't open it. I tried again and again, to no avail. As I searched for a solution, the door opened by itself, dazzling me with the rising sun.

"Oh, I'm on the right track!"

I hurried to exit as quickly as possible, without truly questioning why the door opened so suddenly. But I had no reason to complain. I was rather curious about the time. Indeed, if the rising sun had blinded me, it meant that I had spent another day advancing. I couldn't be far from Auratria now.

"Oh, it's morning, so I guess I should rest a bit since I haven't slept all night... That way, with a bit of courage, I could arrive at the capital in top shape."

I settled down on a wall moistened by the melting ice and collapsed from exhaustion while convincing myself I was in top shape. My break wouldn't have lasted more than 3 hours, but it was enough for me to feel motivated again. However, I still didn't see the city in the distance; I was still in a freezing landscape that displeased me greatly. But I kept walking, trying to warm up in the sunlight hitting my face.

Despite everything, my mind wandered. Indeed, my nap was marked by a most unpleasant dream. I kept seeing the silhouette I had encountered earlier on my journey, with a sense of déjà vu, but without being able to truly assimilate it to a memory.

I walked for a good ten minutes with the disturbing feeling of not making progress. It was then that, turning around, I realized I was only about ten meters from the door I had exited.

I resumed my walk for another ten minutes and once again realized I hadn't moved forward.

"Well, that's just great. I've been going around in circles... I don't see how to get out of this... Unless..."

I turned towards the wall on my right and jumped onto it to climb up.

I turned towards the right wall and jumped onto it to climb.

"Well, maybe I'm crazy, but I'll give it a shot. I can't see the top of this wall, but I don't see any other way to get past this part."

I climbed with great determination for a long time, getting further and further from the ground but still without seeing a summit or a place to rest. I continued until I began to feel fatigue, hoping to find a way to continue my journey, but to no avail.

"Damn it, I'm getting nowhere. If only I didn't feel this pressure and shortness of breath... I'm sure it would have been easier with powers."

Nevertheless, I couldn't give up. After all, if I let go, I would die from the fall. So, I continued to climb until...

*CRACK*

A stone broke under my hand, causing me to fall several hundred, if not thousands, of meters.

"So, is this how it ends? Damn shame... I just wanted to get to the top of this damn wall and continue my journey, and now I'm going to die... stupid..."

I closed my eyes and awaited my death. However, even as I waited, I was still there. So, I opened my eyes and found myself standing next to a large crevice. I looked at the hole in front of me and saw, far below, the door through which I had exited.

"I... I've been teleported to the top of the wall, haven't I?

This place is really strange;

I don't understand anything…"

I turned around and saw that the landscape had changed once again. I had arrived in a mountainous terrain, but the ground seemed distorted, making progress difficult. Moreover, I no longer felt that heaviness or difficulty in breathing. Instead, I felt a violent fatigue, as if my strength were being drained with every step I took.

Feeling somewhat lost, I decided to take out my map. However, upon looking at it, I found that all the writing and drawings were mixed up, rendering the map unreadable.

"Wow... What a mess..."

I didn't dwell on it and tucked the map back into my jacket. Looking around, I noticed that the only undistorted part was a wall with some inscriptions.

It read:

"To the one who dares to venture here with impunity, finding their feet in this place, they shall become one with this ground, their power taken away and offered to Aurora Apicem in apology."

Beneath the inscription was a distorted drawing depicting a figure merging with the ground.

I pondered for a long moment.

"If I understand correctly, I should be like the figure in the drawing. Yet, that's not the case... Why…"

My reflection led to only one answer, but surely the most probable...

-It's probably my lack of power that allows me to survive. Indeed, it's said that my strength will be taken away, thus, in this case, the powers, which consequently causes this distortion phenomenon and leads to this fusion with the ground. And if I no longer feel this pressure and these repetitive difficulties, it's because the negative effects that the mountain chain inflicted on me have been removed, surely because it was a curse caused by magic/a seal protecting the mountain from people deemed impure like me! As for my fatigue, it must surely come from the lifting of the curse or from the difficulty my body has in understanding this place. Anyway, in any case, I'm alive, that's all that matters.-

So I could continue my way by just following the fault next to me since it indicates where I exited the door. I walked for a long time, and the more I moved, the more the world around me distorted until I couldn't understand anything anymore. Indeed, everything, without exception, was horrible. I couldn't distinguish right from left, up from down; I didn't even know if I was moving forward. I couldn't take it anymore.

When suddenly, my suffering ended, and the distortion stopped.

"Oh, finally! I couldn't take it anymore..."

I pulled out my map but noticed that its condition was still chaotic. However, as I went to resume my journey, I realized that I wasn't next to the ditch anymore. I looked around, and there were only walls on both sides. I assumed I was back in the gorges of the mountain chain and that all I had to do was walk straight, hoping not to have been placed at the beginning of the mountain.

I continued to walk for a long time, so long that I couldn't describe it to you, until I came face to face, once again, with a door. Except this one was nothing special. It was of normal size and didn't show the end of the path. Indeed, it was just on the left wall, as if placed randomly. Despite everything, I decided to open it and realized that there was nothing special in the room behind the door except for a large dead tree, probably due to the lack of sunlight. Slightly disappointed, I continued my journey for a good half hour before realizing something.

It had been a long time since I had been hungry. Yet, I had already eaten in the mountain, evidence that it's probably not the place that's suppressing my appetite. Furthermore, I wasn't thirsty either. Despite everything, I forced myself to eat what I had in my pockets, but it brought me nothing more than the urge to vomit.

"Well, I guess my body can't ingest anything else."

Disturbed, I told myself that I shouldn't stay in this place for another day. So I set off to try to finally get out of "Divina Sozo" once and for all. I ran for a time far too long ahead, with the goal of escaping from here.

I could see daylight for the first time and headed towards the light source. But just as I was about to pass through this said light, it extinguished. I started to crack.

"Ah... Ahah... AHAHAH... DAMN... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!

WHY IS THERE NO WAY OUT, HUH?

LET ME OUT!"

As I began to sink into despair, walls of rocks formed around me. They kept rising, making me feel tiny. The "show" lasted a good fifteen minutes, making me realize that I could do nothing but climb. So I climbed, again and again, until I was exhausted. No matter how much I climbed, I never saw the end. All I had been doing for a good hour was climbing in the dark, and it was starting to destroy me. Disgusted and exhausted, I couldn't even climb anymore until my body gave up. I fell from where I was clinging, but I didn't die. In fact, the moment I fell, I had reached the ground as if my ascent had never been made. I had no reaction. More precisely, I had given up. I accepted my defeat and sat down, waiting for my body to stop responding. Exhausted, I fell asleep with regret weighing heavy on my heart. When I woke up, I was in tears. With no more strength left, I whispered.

"I just wanted to succeed, that's all..."

But, without knowing from where, a hoarse voice replied to me,

"I know, open your eyes."

So I opened them and saw that I was on the other side of "Divina Sozo", leaning against a sign shaped like an arrow pointing East with "Auratria 26km" written on it. I stood up, shocked, not understanding the horror I had just experienced. In the sky, a dormant humanoid black silhouette with an imposing body flew over me and disappeared just as quickly. I still didn't understand, but I was liberated. Looking in the direction pointed by the arrow, I saw a paved road for the first time since the beginning of my journey.

"Perfect, only 26 little kilometers! It's as if I'm already there!"

Nevertheless, I took out my map and noticed that it had returned to its normal state. Even though it no longer serves me, I strangely feel happy to see it as good as new.

As I was about to resume my journey, a relatively unpleasant sensation was felt in my stomach and throat. Indeed, I was hungry again. So I quickly emptied my pockets and ate everything inside them.

"I was starting to worry, but now that I'm finally hungry, I'm ready to go!"

Determined, I was about to tackle the last stretch before reaching the capital... Auratria.

"Auratria... here I come!"

To be continued...