A lone figure could be seen strapped to an ornate wooden chair, deep in the Anatolia Royal castle- the lone figure was being prepped to for a full mana deep dive...Ash sat in a dimly lit chamber, his wrists and ankles bound. The room was shrouded in an eerie silence, with the only source of light being a single, flickering candle on a table in front of him. He had been brought here after his conversation with Magistar Thane, and now he awaited an identification process he knew little about.
The idea that mana is the single most important source of life is not a wasted theory; it flows through a being, and when its outputted- they leave a signature only bound to being it came from. What Thane was trying to extrapolate was the mana Ash had within him, to do that, what came next wouldn't be peaceful...
Naturally Ash had to be put under, from there he would fall into a deep state, allowing Thane to enter his mind and soul, both where mana resides.
"Just look at the flame Ash... nothing else is as important as that little flame..." An array lit up around Ash, a light blue light slowly illuminating the room, from there Ash could see Thane watching him. His golden eyes staring at Ash intently, his robe no longer on him, Ash could see the man had rolled his sleeves up, wearing a slightly lighter looking chain-mail; he could see the the light bouncing off it.
Ash moved his attention towards the flame...Thane's voice became weaker as he gazed into the wavering flame, the world around him seemed to blur and blend into a darkness he never experienced before. Reality began to twist and fragment, distorting his perception and mind, he felt himself slipping into a trance-like state. Memories long buried and emotions suppressed began to resurface, flooding his mind like a turbulent river.
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Standing in a small cottage nestled deep within the dense forests of Nomar, Ash looked at the place once called home. It was a place of both solace and torment, where the darkest and most cherished memories of his childhood resided.
The cottage itself was a blend of rustic charm and elegant whimsy. Its wooden walls, richly stained with hues of amber and chestnut, exuded warmth and comfort. Wooden beams adorned with hand-carved motifs of forest creatures and intricate knots spanned the length of the ceiling. That's how Ash had pictured it in his mind.
Windows, framed by ivy, were small and intimate, allowing for only slivers of daylight to penetrate the interior. Their wooden shutters, painted a deep forest green, could be flung open to welcome the outdoors in, or closed to create an atmosphere of coziness and seclusion.
In his reverie, he watched as mana slowly gathered up to form a image of his younger self, a scrawny boy with unruly black hair and striking cobalt eyes. The boy, managed to climb onto the roof of the cottage, gazing up at the night sky. The memory was bittersweet—a time of innocence and dreams, yet also a time of struggle and hardship. He was alone, for a long time he was alone... waiting.
"Ma.. Pa, when are you coming back?" Ash could hear the longing in his younger self's voice. He could feel his heart ache just from the thought of his parents.
The funny thing was, he could no longer remember their faces.
This child on the roof longed for the people who cared for him, but would be confused by the sight of them. Ash had spent too long in his home by himself, with no one to talk to, Ash had slowly lost his mind and eventually no longer had thoughts of his parents.
They weren't coming back.
The young boy felt empty... but didn't know why. He used to spend his nights staring at the sky with just one wish, but he no longer knew what his wish was.
Now, he wished to leave.
This secluded haven and now become a prison in his mind.
The house itself was protected, nothing ever entered the place. Ash never thought why until he stepped out... The seasons had changed. His age unknown, for when he stepped out of the cottage, he was horribly thin.
Starved out of attention and sustenance, Ash had to keep himself alive. He was meant to stay in the house until someone came back home... who...was he waiting for...
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Time was but a daydream for him, staying in one place...that forsaken place.
An array was set within the cottage to sustain one's life.
Not immortality.
Insane torture.
Without food, Ash could only starve. Without energy, Ash couldn't move. Without thoughts, Ash became empty.
The array in the cottage was keeping him alive.
Everytime he slept, he thought he had passed away. Giving one last final breath, only to woken up again to more agony.
Tears rolled down his cheek, and dried up blood surrounded his lip for when he had to bite down; trying to ignore the hunger pains. He closed his eyes to fall into darkness
----
Magistar Thane shuddered.
'F***'
Witnessing the early parts of his childhood, Thane had assumed he'd have figured out the stranger's identity by now...
The child had no one.
Thane stared at the black haired man in front of him. A flash of pity across his eyes. Whoever this stranger was, be it an unknown stranger or the Countryside Hero. How this child was raised was inhumane...
Thane didn't want to do this but he had to delve further, there was no concurrent signs of proof regarding his identity.
"Ash, I sense a powerful mana surrounding these memories. They are deeply connected to your identity. We need to explore them further to understand your true nature."
Ash's glazed eyes turned to face Thane, his eyes once shining cobalt now a dull grey, glossed and dreary.
Thane nodded to the memory unfolding before them. "Your childhood experiences may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries surrounding your arrival in Anatolia Castle. We must delve deeper into your past."
As Ash watched, the memories continued to unfold. He remembered how he had to survive the cottage; how he stumbled upon the array, the countless nights where he would just stare at the blue light emanating whenever he touched the garden floor outside of the cottage.
He had to crawl since he had no strength in his limbs. He scraped over hard surfaces, rocks. By the time he had reached the end out the of the garden. A thin trail of blood could be seen.
Thane watched, his mind in disarray, Ash's parents must've been skilled mages, the fact that such an array existed was unbelievable. But no one could expect that without proper management, the results could be so dire.
There were no records of where Ash Devere came from, nor his lineage. Mages this powerful should have been registered...
"Your parents were mages," Thane observed. "That explains your inherent connection to mana. It's a rare gift, lets keep going."
What Thane felt, was that the more he viewed the home, the more sterile it felt... maybe it was a distorted way of thinking, but the child was left and at an incredibly young age.. barely 5 or 6.
Why was he left alone? Why did no one come back for him?
Ash silently nodded, his parents had vanished; left with nothing but a pendant...and an array to keep him alive. He didn't know how long he spent on the floor of the garden.
Watching that glow for days and nights just became a blur. His mind bloomed under the constant pain of death, emptiness brought forth vast spaces for opportunity... He had broken into something, he understood something. Mana flooded into him... draining the array of its function.
Vitality filled him, energy. Like never before. Ash couldn't open his mouth to scream, instead what came was a guttural gurgle.
He collapsed, unsure of what was going to happen next...
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