▓▒░⟡ SOUL-BOUND RECORD ⟡░▒▓
PILLAR ALIGNMENT
🜄 Spirit Pillar
▸ MANTLE: [Mirror Sung Herald]
▸ MANTLE GRADE: 🜁 Myth Mantle [IV]
▸ STAR LEVEL: ★★★★
▸ CONTRACTED SPIRITS: Arilith, the Veilwalker | Zephyros of the west wind | Noctara the Cunning
▸ MANTLE EFFECT: Can speak into mirrored soul space: causes spirits to echo truth or fracture falsehoods
▸ SYSTEM NOTE: When active, presence warps clarity in nearby spirit bonds
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DEVIANT TRAIT
[Soulgaze]
▸ Ability: Through eye contact, sees the structure and condition of one's soul
▸ Effects: Can detect corruption, resonance strength, emotional threads, and core archetypes
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REGISTERED FLAW
[Emotional Bleed]
▸ When exposed to intense emotions or unstable souls, perception feeds back upon itself
▸ Side Effects: [Fatigue, residual emotion transfer, and psychic reverberation]
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SOUL PROFILE
Soul Type: Glassward Sigil
[Reflects scrutiny while shielding inner collapse] [discipline under emotional duress] [Naturally resists Depravity and external contracts]
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PHYSICAL PROFILE
Strength: ▣▣▣□□ Endurance: ▣▣▣□ Intelligence: ▣▣▣▣▣ Willpower: ▣▣▣▣▣ Soul Pressure: ▣▣▣▣□ Reflex: ▣▣▣□□
The three of them looked at it with a sense of awe, it was so foreign to them. Even the writing structure was different from what they are used to.
Jane, enjoying their faces, chuckled. "You should wait until you see the real thing. It takes some getting used to."
Anecus perks up with anticipation…"When will we get ours?"
Jane takes a moment to think "You and Cass should be selected by the system when you awaken in a few months time, it will probably be on your 7th birthday."
Anecus and Cassia were bright eyed with the news, Jane looked at Naia who seemed to be feeling left out. "Sorry Naia, you still have some time."
Naia ever the cheerful "It's ok." She looks over at Anecus and Cassia "As long as you two don't forget me after awakening."
Cassia faking offense "hmpf as if, we'd drag you along with us if we had to."
Anecus just nods in agreement.
Standing, Jane turns and takes her transcribed Circuit and holding a match to it she lets it burn. All three formed a puzzled look, "Your Divine Circuit holds crucial information, if it falls into the wrong hands. It can spell disaster for yourself."
Jane letting the blackened ash drift into the wind looks at the three of them. "Do you all understand?"
All three had a more serious tone. "Yes ma'am."
"Good." she said with a smile. "Let's move onto the last lesson for the day." we will get into the finer details next time.
With the emergence of the Divine circuit it is believed to have been created by the World Dragons then came the Echo Streams. "When you awaken and receive your Pillar, the system will 'select' you. What comes next is the Echo Stream."
An Accursed when selected will undergo a forced trail alone and be shunted into the past. "It's unknown if these 'echos' are a result of the system or vice versa." Echo streams have been spotted in the wild and can be challenged as a group.
"So the leading theory is that the Divine Circuit was a response to these rifts." It has been documented that there is a grading system the Circuit uses when an Accursed finishes a trail."
Adjacently no matter how drastic the change inside a rift the present or documented history does not change. "Even stranger, If an Echo Stream goes unchallenged long enough, Depravity can take over the rift."
This results in what's known as time secretion, the events and individuals of the past can leak into our present. "However they are no longer humans or beasts but corrupted versions of themselves that don't belong."
Anecus was listening intently through the lecture, finding every detail fascinating, he wanted to learn more. "Mom, why would Accursed venture into the Echo stream and run the risk of getting left in the past?"
he paused for a moment. "Why not just set up ambushes outside of it and do it that way?"
Jane smiled a little. "That is a great question. That was actually what us humans did for the longest time. Then we discovered that completing these Echo Stream trails allowed us to advance our Pillar, gain Mantles, and even gain a soul type."
Anecus brought his thumb and index finger to his chin. "I see…so it's a fast track to strength compared to self cultivation?"
Jane had a tingle run up her spine 'ah! He's going to be a genius!' she looked into his seeking eyes "while, Accursed can gain immense strength quickly from Echo Streams, it wouldn't do them any good if they themselves as a person don't grow, whether intellectually, spiritually, existentially, Metaphysically. Great strength without guidance is meaningless…so a proper balance is needed."
She took in a breath before continuing, "besides, it is a high risk high reward dilemma." She starts putting away papers. "You run a great risk every time you enter an Echo stream."
Anecus, Naia and even Cassia at this point were enthralled by the new information. The world for the first time is starting to open up to them."That'll be it for the first lesson, time for bed."
All three ground in unison.
The sun had long since dipped beneath the hills, only the cool hush of night and the chirping of distant crickets to be heard. Inside the house laughter echoed from the children's room. A burst of energy that had no business after such a long day.
Stacked with wild abandon were pillows, big and plush. Blankets draped like sagging walls from to chairs. A singular warm lantern flicked under the arch, casting soft gold and made the shadows of the fort dance with grace.
Cassia popped her head out like a weasel, "it's done! Fort Cas is now fully operational!"
Giggling beneath the waves of blankets Naia had fashioned a cape from a heavy quilt.
Anecus just looked around in quiet satisfaction, nodding with his arms crossed like a tiny architect pleased to see his masterpiece.
They crawled inside, limbs tangled in soft cloth and cushions. All three Collapsed into each other's space with ease only found in true closeness. Anecus ended up in the middle, as always.
Naia's eyes still wide with thought finally settled for a moment and muttered softly "I liked today."
Cassia Snorted "only because you like history and weird stuff."
Naia smirked, absently braiding the edge of her blanket "Yeah. So?"
Anecus closed his eyes, enjoying the moment, something he learned early todo, "I liked all of it."
Cassia rolled her eyes but smiled "Of Course you did."
She looks up at the "ceiling" inspecting the folds of the blankets glowing softly from the lantern, somehow making the fort seem bigger than it was. "...Still weird to think we might actually awaken soon."
Anecus still with his eyes closed was even more silent than usual. Still thinking about the Core Seal, he could see it in his mind. Five corners, four choices.
Naia looked at him sideways, her voice warm and curious "you didn't really say what Pillar you really wanted."
He shrugged "I don't know. None of them felt like they were…calling to me."
Cassia rolled onto her side propping her head up. "Pfft, that's fine. You're probably just gonna awaken as a Vector like dad, or a Contractor like mama."
Naia, wanting to be a part of the conversation, props her chin onto Anecus's chest. "Or maybe a Conduit. You do like water."
Anecus head tilts a little "mmh…water" he absent mindedly pats Naia's head. "Water could be cool."
He didn't continue because deep down he felt something else. Not a Pillar, something wider, larger. Like the world was pulling at him.
Cassia stretched her voice, drifting into sleep "I wanna be a Contractor. Have my own spirit, one with wings or something pretty."
Naia grinned "yours would probably be loud. Like you."
Cassia hurled a pillow at her. Anecus caught it mid flight and placed it under his head. Naia on the verge of sleep misspoke "I wanna be a Enhancber."
The fort swayed ever so slightly from the wind coming in from the window, the lantern dimmed and as the stars wheeled above them the trio drifted to sleep.