Faust braced himself for impact.
He had heard thousands of stories from his classmates during his days at the Institutes: some had their bodies go up in flames, others had arms tear out of their backs, and some even died, failing their awakening for countless reasons.
In more ancient texts, he had seen many old legends of talented youths suddenly having their bodies defiled and taken over by archaic, malevolent entities.
Yet what happened was completely against his expectations.
His skin rippled like a calm lake disturbed by touch, and his faint musculature suddenly contracted, veins bulging across his frame as the beat of his heart became deafening and the sound of rushing blood turned akin to roaring rivers.
He felt his body heat up, his breaths coming out in waves of fog and his sweat evaporating in mere moments. His skin dried and he found himself out of breath.
Red and gold lines appeared throughout his body like fissures on glass, and from them, white fumes oozed out, immediately drowning the room.
But there was no pain.
In fact, it was quite euphoric.
[Weave has fully awakened.]
A rush of foreign milky-white energy engulfed the room, entering him through his pores and drowning him until, slowly, his body settled and reverted back to normal.
[Natal Sutra Spirit has been hatched!]
Faust frowned as he felt something wiggle within his chest, like a worm nestled in his heart finally awakening, a parasite stirred from sleep.
The feeling intensified, growing more and more uncomfortable, until it suddenly vanished and soared out of his chest, appearing before him.
Faust's pupils trembled.
'…A Sutra Spirit… there's no way…'
To become an Ascendant, three steps had to be carried out: Sutra Awakening, Gate Fissuring, and the Dungeon Rite.
Sutra Awakening was the simplest step, requiring only a functioning Weave. Sutra Spirits, in the simplest terms, were the guides and outlines of one's path of ascendancy.
They were the source of abilities, techniques, and far more, pivotal to one's growth.
But very few were naturally born with them. Most had to save for decades to buy one, and others were forced to ascend without any.
Only figures like his siblings and the Heirs were known to have been born with them. For him to have one as well…
'…Did I have one this whole time? Then how did my veins interfere with my Weave?'
A loud crack pulled Faust from his thoughts. Before he could investigate, the ball of light before him, the one that had burst from his chest, morphed and began to take shape.
A small, slender, featureless spirit formed. With cold white skin, layered long white feathered wings, and a floating crown of gold resting above its head, the little spirit resembled an angel descended from heaven.
Then its face rippled, and features bloomed across it: a small mouth filled with layers of sharp white teeth, and eyes entirely suffused in gold with rings of black that contrasted sharply against them.
For a moment the spirit looked confused, then its gaze met Faust's, something clicked, and its confusion vanished.
In its place, a charming smile, not unlike Faust's own, spread across its angelic, inhuman features.
"Hello, Father."
Faust was at a loss for words. It all felt unreal.
Just to make sure this wasn't a hallucination, he muttered something he never expected to say again.
"Weave Status."
The air in front of him blurred, and golden letters flickered into being.
…
•Name: Faust Solus Tharlot
•True Name: [None]
•True Title: [None]
•Realm: Mundane Mortal
•Minor Realm: Mundane Mortal
•Resonant Legacy; [None]
•Race: [Deydal/Horas]
•Lineage: Broken Spark{Rootless}
•Life Pathway: [None]
>Ascendant Sequence Pathway: [None]
>True Pillar Core Pathway: [None]
>Aspect Sequence Pathway: [None]
>True Profession Pathway: [None]
>Lineal Direction; [None]
>Branching Core Pathway: [None]
——
•>[Skills {0/10}:
•>[Status; Burning]
~>Note; Burning.
…
Faust relaxed, a weight he'd carried for years lifting from his shoulders. He didn't start laughing maniacally like before, and his heart didn't waver.
He simply… relaxed.
And just as he did, his bathroom's automated door was torn open by a pair of forceful hands. A wave of oppressive force engulfed the room.
A man, followed closely by a woman, rushed inside.
"Faust!"
The man was very tall, bearing a frame of compact, war-hardened muscle. His jet-black hair, streaked with silver, matched Faust's. Clean-shaven and wearing a simple yet sharp black tunic, he radiated excellence.
He didn't look a day over thirty, if not for his cold grey eyes reflecting an untold number of years.
Emmett Tharlot, Faust's father, rushed forward. He crouched in front of him, completely unbothered by the water splashing against him.
His gaze rapidly scanned Faust's body, a strange silvery cloud of energy enveloping him as he examined every inch.
After a moment, he exhaled in relief and patted Faust's shoulder. But before he could speak, his eyes shifted, landing on the spirit floating beside Faust.
Emmett froze. Mouth slightly open. Eyes wide.
Faust scratched his cheek.
"Would you believe me if I said a star killed me?"
Emmett closed his eyes, massaged his temples, and shook his head. "Crazier things have happened before."
"Are you alright? The state you were found in was… deplorable. I had to use quite a few batches of our reserved pills."
Faust stiffened. "W-what? You're just… going to believe me? Like that?"
"Like I said, crazier things have happened." His expression tightened. "…If only you knew the things your brother is doing out there. Let alone that…"
He exhaled. "It doesn't matter. My question remains: are you okay?"
"Never been better," Faust answered with a smile.
Emmett nodded, patted him once more, then rose. With a wave of his hand, both he and Faust were instantly dried.
"Alright. Rest and get accustomed to… whatever this is. We'll talk properly when you've recovered."
He hesitated, then a rare smile tugged at his lips.
"For the occasion, I'll be cooking dinner tonight."
And with that, Emmett vanished, as though he had never been there.