Alex was standing in a lifeless desolate room filled with nothing but darkness and a lightbulb glowing in the dark hanging from virtually nothing and the string attached to the bulb went on into what Alex presumed was infinity. A table was in front of him but it was burnt. The edges were smolderingly crispy and cold to the touch. Soot rubbed off onto his hand when he removed them after inspecting the table and dragged his palm across the surface. He walked around the seemingly empty room until he sensed a presence that was all too familiar to him something that was not supposed to be there, something that had invaded this seemingly safe space but welcomed completely at the same time.
The wraith was here. He spoke but not with his mouth, he spoke in thought itself and Alexander could hear him as clearly as he would if he were speaking.
Before time itself there was the lands between, the two realms and between those lands was a connection forged through the Conduits. The essence of Arcania flowed through Arcadia unto the Conduits and their magickal allies. Both lands existed without knowledge of one another until these Conduits long ago discovered the second realm, your world. As they ventured into your world their descendants populated Arcadia fruitfully and produced great happiness and prosperity within that realm. It was a peaceful time for all until the connection was severed and the Twin Realms were veiled in darkness and despair and the lands between was nothing but a wasteland. The children of the lords and ladies of Arcania grew into your modern day people. Their Arcanic Sorcery was muddled and disparaged to soon turn into your modern day electricity as you would call it.
Rasputon was the cause. His explosion of the Arcane was well ahead of its time and thus had caused the fracture of the twin realms sealing off the lands between and the nexus portal from which all traveled from. He saw that a new era needed to begin, without the Conduits, without them interfering in your realm. Humanity prospered and the Magickal era of the Conduit lords ended with their descendants falling into obscurity across time. I am a wraith there are many like me who guide you Conduits through their travels and exploits, you derive these new found abilities from your blood you are descendant from one of these long lost Conduit lords, but only with a chosen Wraith can a Conduit; can YOU bring about your full potential. But, be warned young Alexander it is a long and perilous path. Many seethe with extreme enjoyment in disposing of your kind and it seems with the awakening of the Arcane you were the first and perhaps only to be woken up from your deep slumber known as life and more deadly forces may awaken with it.
Alex Stood there for a few minutes. Then another few passed. slackjawed, trying to take in all the information he had just received. A fucking ghost was talking to him in his own mind. This time the Elf was wearing a dark blue suit and tie to match his navy blue dress slacks. He had circlet earrings hanging from both the tips and bottom of his pointed ears and he wore a scowl as if it were an ordinary expression. His hair was tucked beneath the jacket, finely combed straight and fell behind his shoulders. Alex was mesmerized by his mere presence and even more so confused by how he looked. It was different then before.
"What the fuck."
"Yes indeed I'd say the same."
The wraith retorted
Alex couldn't explain it but he knew things about the Wraith that he shouldn't have. Like his name and and what to call him. It was weird and Alex was perplexed as he was had a million questions bouncing in and off his brain so much he could practically see the ideas in the air.
A flash of recognition crossed Telimbyr's face.
"Correct."
"What?"
"we can see your internal machinations here."
Was all he said as if that explained the whole situation.
"What do you mean b-"
Cutting Alex off he nodded and simply waved his hand past himself at the burnt table he was across from. The room exploded into a fury of colors you would not know. Alex's eyes were engulfed in what seemed to be a fire of memory and inspiration, from his entire life to his fantastical ideations, day dreams, fears, anxieties, and a whole other mix of mental cognitions that Alex could barely grasp assaulted his senses.
Alex didn't know why but he slowly and surely understood the meaning of this place. It was an instinct you wouldn't know how to control but comes to you instantly. Think of being in the shower and thinking of a brilliant idea but it disappears as soon as you step out past the curtains. That is where Alex was. In the place where ideas go after you forget, where your fears, worries, and deep seated traumas can and are located. Alexander soon realized he was standing within his own subconsciousness.
Good. You're learning Young Achilles.
"Gah!"
He jumped as a shiver ran down his spine.
Telimbyr reappeared before him this time wearing the silver and luminescent ornamental armor from before. It was robust and sturdy, the breastplate held designs of leaves and vines etched into the very armor itself. His left shoulder pauldron had the image of a falcon's claw sprouting from the side. His narrow scowl of an expression tailored an image of Telimbyr that Alex couldn't get rid of, but as Alex was standing there almost crouching out of anxiousness, he focused in on the Elf's thin skeletal features. He focused more until he saw through that scowl to reveal a delicate yet warm expression that showed years of discipline in them but even beneath that Alex got a vague sense of admiration from him. Alex realized almost off of instinct or of an underlying belief that he was in fact a wraith. That is what he had been calling Telimbyr. A wraith instead of a ghost because he had been the onr to put that initial idea into his mind
Telimbyr put a hand to his chin thinking.
Hmmm you catch on quick.
This time Telimbyr was speaking without his mouth again and speaking directly into Alex's mind or this time all around the pair.
"What?"
He said throwing his hands in exasperation.
Impondering as to your age, you're young, yet ferocious as I saw from your fight with Oslo Osmit and your defense of Calisca Moncaire. It was indeed a noble intention despite your initial fear, but you allowed the adverse power of your unbridled rage and hatred for said opponent to fuel your finishing blows.
"What do you mean."
Alex asked seriously hoping the wraith would take him back to school soon, he was gonna be late after all
What I mean to say young boy is that you are undisciplined and out of control a diamond in the rough-one that is unrefined.
He waited for a few seconds for drama's sake.
until now.
Alex was taken aback. Not just by the wraith but by everything, he was not only stunned but surprised by everything. That there's a whole other world a whole new dimension out there that coexisted with his own and furthermore to add insult to injury he was a mystical being that had to bring balance to these worlds?
Not a mystical being. A mystical conduit.
He corrected, hearing the wraith all around in a loud boom. As if he were blasting his voice through a loudspeaker.
"Can you stop doing that!"
Alex shouted.
Doing what?
He replied as if he just ignored Alex's last request.
Interrupting me in the middle of my thoughts!
Alex screamed within in his own head while staring incredously at the Elf. Telimbyr stumbled a bit using the table as support as he stumbled about. He rubbed his ears and sighed. Alex assumed it worked both ways. If the Elf was able to interrupt and interpret his own thoughts then he must be able to do the same.
"Fine fine. Young one calm down I'm in worse pain when you do that then when I, we are in your subconscious after all, but no it doesn't work like that."
He paused, as if trying to find the right words to say.
"Only with diligent due practice and training will you be able to strengthen our bond enough for you to interpret my thoughts clearly. The only reason I can read and understand yours is because my experience is far greater then yours."
Alex felt as though he was pushing the topic too much while also realizing if every thought of his was going to be perused by an Elf of all bloody things then let it be a magical one from another world. Alex began to ask a question.
Telimbyr stopped him by holding his hand up his palm facing Alex. He looked intense and he furrowed his brow.
"It's going to be rough from here on out young Achilles, I'm afraid I must depart for now, I will answer your questions later but something is preventing me form continuing the mind magick I've been using to keep us in your subconscious."
"Be wary!"
He disappeared in a flash of smoke and the burnt table along with it only leaving the light bulb which began to flicker alight along with Alex's mind. Which was a blank canvas of empty gray and devoid of any color up until everything around Alex exploded into fury like you wouldn't not know. School buses, images of girls and TikTok, Star Wars, and other paraphernalia of nostalgia rushed up to Alex's retinas and objects from his every day life exploded into view. His house, his mother in front of it and the blank face of the father he never knew. Then he fell. Alex was screaming he had tripped over nothing and he kept falling until he came back screaming in front of Cali.
Cali freaked out in reaction to her friend's screaming. Alex's hands were above him he looked over to Cali embarrassed, cheeks turning a bright red and started coughing trying to ignore the awkward silence.
"Why-"
"I dont even know myself if I'm being honest I-I just got so excited after finally being able to beat the shit out of Oslo."
He said as if that justified the screaming.
Cali was still completely weirded out and didn't buy that explanation but didn't push it any further. She was staring down towards the defeated Oslo who was left in exasperated defeat and humiliation he suffered at the hands of her friend. Alex was still mulling about the details of his first encounter with Telimbyr. Obviously he couldn't tell Calisca or anyone else for that matter that he was talking to an Elf ghost within his own head and was seeing hallucinations of him everywhere he went. They'd throw him into the insane asylum!
"Oh God."
He muttered face palming himself.
Saying it like that really did put it into perspective for Alex but he still couldn't deny his newfound abilities. Especially that rage he had felt when he defeated oslo. Was that also a part of the powers Telimbyr had gifted him or was it his own emotions he let take over him. Either way it didn't matter he had no time to waste thinking about philosophical ideations that wouldn't prevent him from getting suspended.
"Ok we gotta go before secruity gets here, lets book it."
He said to Cali grabbing her by the wrist. Not only did Alex not want to get suspended but that scream most likely attracted the attention of a few of the classes around them. The walls at Arcadia Oaks were notoriously thin and any amount of fighting would surely be heard especially with Alex's "victory Screech." They ran and as they did Alex couldn't help but laugh.