Sunrise came in maimed oranges and purples, splashing across the sky like wine spilled upon the ground. Lyn Kariel stood at the top of the Arcanum's western tower, observing the city awaken below. The System's morning prompt hovered at the periphery of his vision:
**Main Quest:** Explore the Temple of Tides in the city center. *Reward: Major Skill Point.*
He'd stared at the Temple's stained spires in the distance—venerable ruins consecrated to water gods before the Arcanum's emergence. Myth had it that the temple contained secrets of ancient hydromancers whose abilities almost capsized kingdoms. The System had taunted him with suggestions for a week. Now he had no option.
He went down the cramped spiral staircase, anxiety tightening in his chest. Apprentices and guards moved past him without a second glance, their voices a monotonous hum. Even Magister Trovos's eye, when she nodded his way, had relief instead of suspicion. Rumors of his adventures had made their way to the inner circle. Some thought him an oddity; others eyed him cautiously.
Outside the walls, life throbbed. Market stalls overflowed with fish—scales reflecting silver moons—and vendors sold seaweed and shell trinkets. He stopped at the plaza fountain, its waters an algae-grown pale green. With a consideration, he turned the currents, carrying away the slime and uncovering sparkling stone below. Bywalkers stopped in wonder but hastened on. Lyn sensed the System's pleasure:
**Subquest Complete: Purification of the City. Reward: Control +1.**
He stowed a tiny vial of water from the purified fountain—a keepsake, maybe a clue.
## 2. The Temple Threshold
Lyn arrived at the Temple of Tides at noon. Once marble grandeur had decayed; columns were shattered, and vines crawled up the steps. A relief above the entrance carved into marble showed a goddess enveloped in waves, hands raised in benediction—and admonition.
The entryway hallway was dim, wet with moisture. The scent of salt and moss filled the air. The sound of his boots resounded against shattered tiles as he entered. The System's new prompt was shining:
**Dungeon Quest:** Find the Secret Chamber of the Temple. *Reward: System Level +1.*
He brought a small water orb—a sphere he'd learned to condense from humidity—and bore it ahead of him like a lantern. The walls had faded pictographs: priests holding goblets of water up to the moon, mist serpents entwining pillars.
Winding along corridors, he discovered a massive stone door with interwoven waves carved into it. No handle. The System provided a hint:
**Hint:** *"The tide flows both ways."*
Lyn pressed his hand to the stone, envisioning currents running outward and inward. A shiver traveled through the door as minute rivulets formed between its plates. He teased them into unifying into a sheet of water, which seeped through crevices and froze, spreading like a wedge. With a screeching groan, the door opened.
## 3. Echoes in the Deep
Outside, a round chamber stretched out, its ceiling vanishing into darkness. At the center, an altar of black basalt supported a shallow bowl. Water rippled within it, reflecting moving lights as if they were alive.
He stepped forward carefully. Dripping droplets from hidden crevices fell around him, causing waves in the water of the basin. Lyn crouched at the rim, pounding heart. The System was thumping:
**Challenge Quest:** *Drink from the Basin of Truth without being overwhelmed by visions.* Reward: Wisdom +3, Unlocks "Prophetic Waters." Warning: Mind at Risk.
He lingered. The stories told of searchers who drowned in illusions, never to be found again. But he required knowledge of the ancient hydromancers in order to increase his power—and defend himself against those who feared him.
He opened the vial of purified fountain water and poured it into the basin initially. The dark water churned, blending until it shone silver. Lyn breathed deeply and tilted the edge of the basin to his lips. The fluid was cool, sugary, and strangely familiar. Memories—his and other's—gushed into his mind: faraway seas, lost temples, a voice speaking in an ancient language. He glimpsed wars of tidal giants, drowned cities, storms conceived from grief.
Agony flashed through his skull, followed by lucidity. He caught a glimpse of the hydromancers' mantra: "Water remembers every touch." He realized that his gentle ways were only a start; water might lash or heal, expose lies or rinse them clean. He foresaw his coming challenges: foes who would use tides as weapons against him, trials that would require all the empathy and mastery he had.
Then the visions disappeared, and Lyn found himself on his knees, shivering. Water in the basin was calm, but now showed a silvery sheen of moonlight imprisoned within. The System rang out:
**Quest Complete! Wisdom+3. Skill Unlocked: Prophetic Waters.**
## 4. Reverberations
His head was abuzz with new knowledge as he made his way back through the halls. The stone door slid shut after him quietly, closing the temple's secrets again. The sounds of the city seemed far away, muffled. He laid a hand against his temple, listening to the whispers of water in the air—each drop an messenger.
Blazing out of the rubble, Lyn knew the sun had fallen low. Lanterns lit the streets. He made his way back to the Arcanum, dodging allies and competitors.
When he arrived at the library archives, night had fallen. Magister Havel stood waiting, brows pinched.
"You appear. altered," Havel spoke gently. "Did you discover what you sought?"
Lyn presented the Matron with the glowing residue from the basin in his vial. She held it in wonder.
"This is moonlit aquifer water—impossible outside the Temple," she breathed. "No one has tapped those depths in centuries."
Lyn nodded. "There's more, Magister. I witnessed how water remembers, and how it can lead us—if we listen."
Havel's hard face relaxed. "Then you must share it with us. The Circle cannot close itself to this gift.
## 5. The Congregation of Currents
That evening, the Magisters met in the Grand Hall. Torches flickered and sent dancing shadows across marble walls. Havel at the lectern, water basin on a pedestal nearby.
"We've seen miracles from Lyn Kariel," she announced. "Tomorrow, we make the Temple's knowledge available to all apprentices. But there is risk. Forces within and outside our walls would seek mastery of these powers for darker purposes."
Eyes darted to Lyn. The air was charged with tension and fear. Fire, earth, and wind mages viewed him as both herald and menace. Sera slid into an unoccupied seat beside him, providing a comforting nod.
Havel went on, "We will learn Hydromantic Lore as a school of study. We will learn these ancient arts wisely—led by compassion and respect for the element. We welcome you all to join us, but understand this: misuse of water magic will be punished with outcomes far more severe than dismissal."
## 6. Tides of Change
Apprentices buzzed with excitement—and trepidation. Some approached Lyn with questions: How did he open the door? Could he teach them the purification technique? Others glared: Was he diluting the purity of their own disciplines?
Lyn replied patiently, explaining Microhydrokinesis basics and creed he had learned. He showed him how to draw water from the air, how to detect water's memory, how to purify without destroying. The room was quiet as students tried the simple exercises, water droplets appearing at their fingertips.
As the lesson ended, Lyn sensed the System's last message for the day:
**Main Quest Progress: 25%. "Make Water Magic Respected."**
He exhaled, relief and determination mingling. The path ahead was daunting: political maneuvering within the Circle, mastering deeper hydromancies, facing those who would stop at nothing to control or destroy him. But tonight, water's gentle touch rippled through the Arcanum, carrying promise of unity rather than division.
He packed his satchel of vials and scrolls, Sera at his side.
"We've started something," she said quietly.
He nodded. "But this is only the first tide."
Together, they walked into the corridor, the System waiting for its next instruction, the world changed forever by a "Good-for-Nothing" turned water incarnate—and who had only just started his real journey.