Pathless: Outcast

Cirrugur, 16th of Brightforge, year 305 UC

Lucas wandered the winding paths of Milthur, every step he took was full of restless energy.

He muttered to himself, a habit that had grown more pronounced over the years.

"Just need to break the seal. Break the seal, find the truth. The truth is in the book. The book holds the key."

His voice was a constant whisper in the otherwise quiet city streets.

He wore old, worn clothing, layers of patched trousers, and a threadbare shirt that had seen better days.

His wool cloak, frayed at the edges and long out of fashion, wrapped around him like a protective shroud. The cloak had once been a deep blue but had faded to a murky gray over the decades.

It was a relic from a time long past, much like himself.

The few people who passed by him in the city eyed him with curiosity.

His appearance and muttering set him apart, as if he were a man touched by the whims of madness.

Children whispered and pointed, while their parents hurried them along, avoiding his gaze.

A loud rumble from his stomach echoed through the street, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in days.

"Food later. Research first. The seal won't break itself."

He had been too engrossed in his latest discovery to think of mundane needs like eating or sleeping.

Months of exploration had led him deep into the caverns beneath Milthur, investigating a forgotten ruin.

He hadn't been alone in this venture. A small group of like-minded researchers accompanied him.

Together, they had navigated the treacherous tunnels.

The architecture was unlike anything they had seen before.

Smooth, almost seamless stonework that seemed to repel the grime of ages, intricate carvings depicting scenes and symbols none of them recognized.

It was different compared to the rough-hewn structures of dwarves, the elegant curves of elven design, or the brutal simplicity of orcish architecture.

"This isn't any of the known races."

Lucas had whispered to himself at the time.

"Something older. Something... different."

The group's collective excitement grew as they delved deeper.

They found inscriptions in a language that defied all known linguistic patterns. The symbols were intricate, flowing, and seemed to shift when looked at from different angles.

The discovery was monumental.

If their suspicions were correct, they had stumbled upon evidence of a lost civilization, one that predated all known history.

"What happened to them?"

Lucas had wondered aloud.

"Where did they go? And why did they leave no trace but this?"

In the heart of the ruins, Lucas had found an ancient book.

It wasn't made of any material he recognized; the pages were neither paper nor parchment, but something smooth and cool to the touch, almost like metal.

The book was locked, sealed with a glyph that pulsed with a faint, otherworldly light. The seal was a magical construct, one that resisted all his attempts to decipher it.

"The book holds the key."

Lucas repeated to himself now as he hurried through the city.

"The seal must be broken."

He had returned home, to isolate himself and immerse in research.

As he approached the estate, a sense of unease settled over him.

He could feel the presence of those within.

Emilia was in the training room in the basement, her presence a bright orange, burning with energy and chaos.

Edward was on the floor above, his presence a dull blue, steady and calm.

But there was another presence, one he wasn't familiar with. It was faint, barely noticeable, and when he tried to peer at it, there was resistance.

"Interesting."

Lucas muttered, quickening his pace.

"Very interesting."

He reached the gates of the estate, which swung open silently at his approach.

He crossed the threshold, eager to unravel the mystery of the new presence and to delve into the secrets of the ancient book that had consumed his thoughts.

He took a moment to orient himself.

Emilia’s presence burned brightly below, while Edward’s steady calmness was a comforting anchor.

But it was the faint presence that drew his attention.

It was closer now, just a floor above.

With swift, silent steps, Lucas ascended the staircase.

The presence of the few maids was low and unimportant to him; they did not paint the world in any color in his eyes.

‘Boring.’

He thought.

He hurried to find that splash of crimson that had kept him from peeking any further.

His senses were good, exceptionally so. For someone to resist him from fully seeing who they were meant, they had somehow shielded themselves against him.

Lucas knew it was possible to hide one's presence; Emilia had done it plenty of times.

But there was always a trace, a lingering presence that held on.

There was something he could grab hold of and pry open until all the secrets of that person were revealed to him.

His Ether sensitivity was the greatest in his small circle of friends, and it was something he prided himself on, which made the question of who this person was even more interesting to him.

Mostly because the way the resistance felt was similar to that of the book he held. Both guarding their secrets against him, yet very different from how he knew Ether worked, from how everyone regarded it.

If he could find out how that person was doing it, then maybe he could apply the same concept, if not a similar one, to the book.

As he appeared in the hallway and spotted Edward, he could see the dull blue energy coming from him. His eyes scanned the area, searching for that crimson, and then they landed on the boy.

Lucas had seen thousands of people and interacted with them.

Yet, as he gazed into the boy’s red eyes, Lucas could sense it—that faint crimson energy that resisted him.

‘Found it!’

He thought to himself as his heart pounded in excitement.

As he rushed to the boy, his movements blurred. Scooping the child up and raising him to eye level, he squinted fearing his senses were playing tricks on him.

"You’re awakened."

He whispered to himself.

‘An awakened at such an age... impossible.’

Children who weren’t experiencing the changes of puberty were unlikely to awaken before then. There were only a few known exceptions to that.

But, he could count them on two hands.

‘He has to be what, five or six?’

"How are you doing that?"

Lucas asked, curious how he was shielding himself.

The boy was doing so in such a way that bewildered him.

"Doing what? Who are you?"

The boy stammered, trying to free himself from Lucas’s grip.

Edward coughed politely, drawing Lucas’s attention.

"Lucas, please put Bryan down. You’re being quite rude right now."

Lucas blinked.

‘Oh, right. Manners.’

He gently lowered Bryan to the ground, still staring at him.

"Sorry, sorry. I just... I need to understand."

Lucas told Edward as he rubbed his temple.

"Lucas, I know you can be intense, but there must be a reason for this. Explain."

Edward told him.

Lucas’s eyes darted back to Bryan.

‘Does he not know?’

"I can’t sense the boy. Bryan... it's like he’s there and not there at the same time. His total existence is here and not at the same time."

"You’re not mistaken, are you? For something to be there and not at the same time? It’s a contradiction."

Edward asked, feeling that Lucas had taken some sort of drug before arriving.

It happened before, and the man kept mumbling about the end of the world.

He even stripped naked and wrote on the walls, driving Emilia insane.

Edward really hoped it wasn’t going to be a rerun of that.

Lucas nodded vigorously.

"Exactly! It's a contradiction. His presence is faint, almost non-existent, yet he’s right in front of us. It’s like he’s shielded against being sensed, but in a way I’ve never encountered before."

‘I need to dissect him. Experiment, and see what makes him special.’

"Who is he? Where did he come from, and how did he awaken? Why have I never heard of him?"

"He’s a bit special, Lucas. And I must say, you’re back earlier than expected."

Unsure of what was going on, Bryan looked at the two men. They were talking about him.

Why?

"What are you talking about?"

He asked.

Lucas dismissed the boy’s question with a wave of his hand.

"No time to explain."

He felt Emilia’s presence approaching, a burning brightness drawing closer.

When Emilia arrived, she stood drenched in sweat with her hair tied in a ponytail.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?"

"I found something, Emilia. Something that will turn our world on its head."

He started laughing, a wild, unhinged sound.

"Everything we know will be q-questioned."

‘Great. He is on something.’

Edward shook his head and inwardly sighed as he watched Lucas start to spiral.

It was nice to see that Emilia wasn’t being entertained by his antics.

"Get to the point. What does this have to do with Bryan?"

Lucas grinned like a maniac.

"D-did you hear and s-s-see what happened?"

Emilia nodded.

"Naturally, I can sense everything around us."

"Yeah? Yeah?"

Lucas pointed at Bryan.

"What about him?"

"What point are you trying to make, Lucas?"

Lucas's voice dropped to a whisper.

"B-bryan’s existence breaks all logic. Everyone, whether they have awakened or not, can be sensed in the world. They might not have a vibrant presence like you or Edward, but they can be sensed. Bryan... h-h-he can barely be felt, and if you did not focus on his presence, you would overlook it."

Emilia’s eyes narrowed.

"What are you implying?"

"It’s just as I thought."

Lucas said, rubbing his hands together as if he was on the cusp of a breakthrough.

‘She knows. She knows!’

‘The boy’s not human, he’s different. Different, something… new.’

"What is he, Emilia? Clearly, he's not human, is he?"