The hunters waved off the old man's remarks, thinking he had gone senile, and returned to their conversations.
That left Sona to go and get changed in one of the empty guilds' backrooms.
Somehow, the clothes fit perfectly.
He stood in front of the mirror of the room and looked at himself.
His bright orange eyes seemed to glow, and his white hair had now lost its brown strands. He looked otherworldly. Like he had been crafted by some sort of extraterrestrial power.
Most importantly, though, he now wore protective clothing, and with the sword sheathed to his waist, he now felt like a man fit for battle.
After all, it was a battle that he swore to do.
A knock came at the door, followed by Oscel's hoarse voice. "Are you ready boy?"
Rather than responding, Sona emerged from the door to find the hunched man standing there.
Oscel looked him up and down, inspecting his clothing. A smile spread across his wrinkled face.
"Good... Very good. You look like a true hunter."
Sona relished in the praise.
I hope I get to keep these clothes if I return to Algora...
"Let's get going then," Oscel said making his way to the door. "It's time to head to the Abyss."
———
At the edge of Elaleom was nothingness.
At some point, the buildings and roads of the cities just stopped. It was like a drop off of a cliff face, and below was an eternal darkness.
Sona looked down, trying to use his enhanced senses to get even a glimpse of what awaited him, but there was nothing...
"Many fall, and never return."
Oscel looked down too. From his tone, and the way he moved, Sona could tell that the old man wasn't comfortable being there.
"It never used to scare me like this. There was a time when hunters would return with smiles on their faces, climbing out of the void like it was a mere hill."
He peaked his head over the edge once last time. "But now..."
Sona tried his best not to allow the words to put fear into him.
Constantly, he reminded himself that he was of the First Path. He knew little of what it meant, but he was certain that it made him... Special.
And the ability he had been given, Shroud Of Disappearance. He had not been able to practise it yet, but based on its description, he knew it was powerful.
With that, he planned to complete his task.
To close the Door of Sin.
He didn't know how, but as soon as he entered the foreign realm, he knew that this was his mission. If he managed to save Elaleom from its troubles, he would be free.
The Door that cursed his village would close.
"Before you head down, there is something you must be aware of." Oscel started, which made Sona's ears perk up."Down there, you are the hunted. The beast will not wait for you. As soon as it gets a whiff of your scent, you will become its target."
Sona nodded his head.
At least I won't have to waste any time searching for it.
Before letting him go, Oscel looked at Sona with teary eyes. Then, he pulled him into a tight hug.
"Oh boy. Above all else, please be safe. You are young enough to be my son, and yet I send you on such a difficult mission."
To his surprise, Sona found himself appreciating the affection. Perhaps it was because he hardly experienced it back home.
There had never been time for it.
"I will return with the heart of the beast, and feed it to the Mouth of Fruition," Sona said solemnly as he stepped towards the edge of the cliff.
His words were spoken with half-false confidence, but it did not matter.
It was not only the safety of Elaleom that depended on him, but also, Vethil.
I will save these worlds.
With no more words to say, Sona leapt off of the cliff and fell into the darkness of the abyss.
Oscel watched from above, suddenly clasping his hands together and looking up into the sky.
"If there is a god, please let the young boy be successful... He is truly all we have left."
———
Sona expected to continue falling.
Perhaps until he hit a body of water, or maybe a solid ground beneath, falling to his death and ending his journey as a Starblessed before it truly started.
Instead, however, as he hit the darkness of the void below, it felt as though he was slowly being guided.
The darkness enveloped as he gracefully descended, and once the light returned, he found himself standing on grass.
"SHRAHHHHHH."
A deafening screech came from somewhere in the distance, causing Sona to jump to attention.
Startled, he looked around and took in his surroundings.
Above his head was the darkness of the void, like an eternal cloud threatening to rain death upon him.
He was in what seemed to be a field made from white grass. The fields stretched outwards, raising into hills and then falling again.
As far as he could see, the field remained the same. Empty, Unchanging.
And yet.
"SHRAHHHHHH!"
The screech came again, but closer, accompanied by the sounds of heavy thuds which seemed to shake the ground beneath his feet.
"Shit!" Sona swore, instantly regretting making noise.
Could the beast hear him?
I didn't expect to be hunted so soon... Oscel wasn't joking.
Sona gripped his hand tight around his sword. It was a blade made from steel and made to be wielded in one hand.
By far, it was the best weapon he had ever held, but it was not what he planned to use when fighting the beast.
Sona tapped into the confines of his mind, focusing on the one ability that he had awakened with.
Shroud of Disappearance.
As he focused, an energy began to stir inside of his chest.
His Starcore.
It was as though he was willing the essence into the physical world, bending it to his will. He found it surprisingly easy. Natural, as though it was a practice he had performed his entire life.
Rapidly, the essence made its way to his left arm, as he had directed it.
And then, with a dull hum, the ability activated.
The leather sleeves of his armour were suddenly enveloped by a bright glowing essence. It started at the fingertips and made its way to his forearm like a gauntlet of sunlight.
It was a weightless shroud, yet it carried a powerful energy that felt tangible.
Sona looked down at his now glowing arm in disbelief.
It was the first time he had seen true magic.
"SHRAHHHHHH!"
But he had no time to focus on it, as the heavy thuds came closer and closer.
And then moments later... the beast emerged from the top of a hill.