On that silent night, when only the whisper of the wind and the pounding of his own heartbeat filled the air, Alex sat cross-legged in the dim corner of his room, wrapped in an unsettling mixture of awe and anticipation. His breathing was steady at first, but his mind boiled with thoughts — tonight was the night he would attempt to awaken his True Name.
That mysterious force lay dormant deep within his soul — not a mere string of sounds, but the very essence of being, the seed from which the soul itself had sprouted, a secret known only to those blessed by the flow of mana.
The walls seemed to murmur as if aware of his intent, and the air grew heavy, charged with expectation, as though the world itself was holding its breath. Alex closed his eyes and began gathering mana within his body. It coursed through his inner pathways like tranquil rivers of blue light, glimmering and pulsing softly until they finally converged at the core of his being.
For a fleeting moment, the storm within him became a still lake — silent, unmoving, save for the faint ripples caused by his breath. Then, slowly, he directed that energy inward, toward the core of his True Name — the nucleus of his existence.
He knew that his True Name consisted of three parts, each representing a facet of his power:
Fragmentation of the Soul.
RECreation of the Soul
Formation of the Soul.
These ancient words resonated within his mind like primordial chants echoing from the dawn of creation. Each carried its own rhythm, its own will, as if the cosmos itself was guiding his awakening.
Then the True Name began to draw in mana — first gently, like water trickling between one's fingers, and then violently, like a raging torrent that refused to be contained. The mana that filled him moments ago drained away, leaving his body hollow. His face turned pale, his hands trembled, yet his eyes remained shut, determined.
And when his inner reserves were nearly exhausted, the impossible occurred — the True Name began to pull mana from the outside world. The air around him grew hot, trembling; every particle of mana in the room spiraled toward him, forming a vortex of light that wrapped around his body before vanishing into his core.
His breath grew ragged, his limbs convulsing as though lightning surged through his veins. The mana storm raged until, after half an hour of silent torment, he opened his eyes and exhaled a long, trembling breath before collapsing, drenched in sweat, as if he had just survived a brutal battle.
Yet beneath the pain, there was something new — a pulsing sense of completeness. His True Name had awakened.
It wasn't just an energy or illusion; it was tangible — something he could feel, command, become. The True Name wasn't separate from him anymore. It was him.
Leaning weakly against the wall, Alex tried to comprehend what had transpired. His breath was deeper now, his mind sharper, and his soul… vast. He could sense the faintest traces of mana in the air, discern its purity, its weight — as if his eyes now perceived what lay beyond sight itself.
Closing his eyes again, he dove inward — into the world within his soul. There, floating in the expanse of his inner realm, were four small flames — faint yet alive, each glowing with a distinct hue. They were his Soul Fragments, the first stage of his True Name's power.
The first flame shone calm and steady, radiating serenity and confidence — the balanced side of his spirit.
The second was dark and fierce, pulsing with wrath and dormant strength.
The third flickered erratically, full of creativity and turbulent emotion.
The fourth was translucent, enigmatic, yet emanating a strange sense of intuition and awareness.
Alex understood — each fragment could be molded, refined, trained. This was the first path of his True Name: the Fragmentation of the Soul. Each part could grow, evolve, and even act independently according to his will.
But how to use this ability — that, he didn't yet know. Power without direction was meaningless.
He fell silent, his mind weaving possibilities like an author sketching the outlines of a hero yet unborn. Since childhood, he had been drawn to the worlds of fantasy and science fiction — stories of consciousness, dimensional travel, and souls that transcended worlds. That imagination now became his greatest tool.
He thought to himself,
"If my soul is divided… could one part act in my place? Like another version of me? Or maybe… an instrument that interacts with mana itself?"
The idea was insane — yet perfectly logical.
Focusing on one of the four flames, the most stable one, he pushed a sliver of his consciousness into it. Instantly, his perception split — he could see from another perspective, feel through another self.
His heart skipped. It worked. He had actually divided his consciousness.
It was the first true step toward understanding his new power. And as he sensed it, he realized this ability was far more than a weapon — it was a key to endless evolution, both mental and spiritual.
"I'll need to learn how to use this… how to master it,"
he murmured,
"if I ever want to escape this place… and find a way forward."
His thoughts raced through infinite possibilities. The next stage would be to cultivate his fragments — strengthen them until they became independent entities capable of acting, thinking, even fighting for him. Yet he knew that if he damaged his soul in the process, this gift would become his greatest curse.
And beyond that lay the final phase — Formation of the Soul — a mystery still shrouded in shadow. But deep down, Alex sensed that this would be the stage where he would achieve absolute mastery over himself.
Despite the exhaustion, a faint smile crossed his lips. He looked at his trembling hands and whispered:
" the real journey begins now."
At that moment, one of the four flames flickered — as if in reply.
That tiny glimmer marked the dawn of a new era.
The birth of his True Name.