I made my way toward my trusty ancient scribble—’Baldy.’
Sliding it out of the drawer, I placed it carefully on my bed. The mont I opened it, dazzling golden light burst forth from its weathered cover, flickering like a living entity.
< You’re early today. Sothing happened, Einar? >
Its shimring glow pulsed in a questioning rhythm.
I smirked. "Nothing serious. I just have a few questions."
The light dimd slightly, as if contemplating.
< Oh? You’re asking questions directly now? This could either be a joyous mont... or a dreadful one. >
I didn’t bother entertaining its musings. My curiosity was burning a hole through my patience.
"Tell about the strongest elents," I said. "I need to know which ones I should aim for when I awaken my affinity."
I paused before adding, "And don’t try that roundabout nonsense like last ti—’To awaken yourself, you must awaken your affinity first.’ I’m not in the mood for riddles."
’Baldy’s’ glow flickered erratically before shifting to blood red.
< You misunderstand, child. I did not weave puzzles. Affinity and Aether Affinity are fundantally different. >
I frowned. "How so?"
< Affinities are drawn from the foundational forces of existence—the very laws that shape the cosmos. Aether, on the other hand, is rely a conduit, a tool that allows mortals to wield a sliver of those laws. >
The light pulsed, growing more intense as it continued.
< When you near the peak of mortal strength, certain cosmic forces may take an interest in you. If they deem you worthy, they will grant you a portion of their essence—this is the aether affinity you wield. But true affinity? That is a claim over the very foundation of existence itself. >
My fingers tightened around the book’s edges. This was far more intricate than I had assud. The distinction was staggering.
I had been so focused on ascending that I barely considered the deeper chanics behind it.
’Baldy’ continued, its glow shifting again.
< Picture it this way: Our world, Aetherion, consists of countless realms. Each realm contains not only living beings but also fundantal elents—the air, the fire, the land, the void. These realms exist as part of a greater cosmic structure, much like affinity itself. >
< If you garner the attention of one of these great forces, they may grant you access to a fraction of their power—an aether affinity. But a true affinity? That ans becoming part of the cosmos itself. >
I exhaled slowly, absorbing every word.
I ran a hand through my hair before continuing. "Alright. Then tell —which affinities are the strongest? I need to aim for the best."
’Baldy’s’ lights flickered rapidly—was it laughing?
< You are ambitious, Einar. I admire that. But promise this—you must never utter these nas aloud. Ever. >
My eyes narrowed. "Why?"
For the first ti, the flickering light hesitated.
< Because so things should not be nad. Even as an ancient record, I cannot na most of them. To even think of those forces is to invite ruin upon yourself. The consequences would be... worse than the fate of the Corrupted Gods. >
That caught my attention.
’Corrupted Gods?’ I repeated, intrigued.
I wanted to pry further, but I held back. Right now, my priority was strength.
’Baldy’ finally spoke again.
< There is no ranking among these forces. Each one is as monstrous as the others. But I will give you a glimpse. >
A strange tension filled the air.
Then, one by one, the words appeared.
< The Eternal River of Creation—where all existence is born. >
< The First Fla—the spark that ignited the universe, embodying infinite potential. >
< The Devouring Inferno—entropy itself, unraveling reality at its core. >
< The Living Chaos—a force that rewrites existence with every mont. >
< The Celestial Equilibrium—where light and darkness blend into sothing beyond comprehension. >
< The Ouroboros Cycle—a force that destroys itself and renews endlessly. >
< The Abyssal Hunger—an infinite void that devours entire realms. >
< The Paradox Engine—the very essence of contradictions, where impossibilities beco reality. >
I frowned as I read through the list.
’Baldy’ had described these as elents, yet the way it spoke of them...
They sounded alive.
Sothing felt wrong.
If these were elents, why did they seem like entities?
And then—one na stood out.
The Living Chaos.
Not just "Chaos," but Living Chaos.
That phrasing was deliberate.
A deep, unshakable instinct clawed at my chest. A whisper at the edge of my mind, warning .
Sothing wasn’t right.
"’Baldy’... you’re holding sothing back."
The book’s light flickered violently.
I ignored it.
"There should be forces above these, shouldn’t there?" I said, my voice low. "Like... Chaos."
The mont I spoke the word, the air shifted.
A deafening crack of thunder split the sky outside.
A pulse of raw, unfathomable energy rippled through the room, making my bones tremble.
’Baldy’s’ lights convulsed, flickering erratically—and then, it began to burn.
Not in a normal way.
The flas that consud it were... wrong.
A twisting, grotesque mix of blood-red, violet, azure, and gold. Colors that didn’t belong together, yet blended in a way that defied reason.
A sound escaped the book—a horrific, inhumane screech.
Like sothing desperately trying to escape its own existence.
I stumbled back as the flas rotted through the pages. From the fire, I glimpsed things—wretched, grotesque beings clawing at the edges of reality, their forms writhing in tangled chaos.
A force—sothing even more terrifying—was holding them back.
Fighting them.
And then—just as suddenly as it began—it ended.
The book was gone.
All that remained was a pile of ash.
And a single word, burned into the floorboards:
CHAOS.
My breath was ragged. My mind raced.
What the hell had I just witnessed?
This world... it was far more terrifying than I had ever imagined. It literally beca a nightmare fuel.
And if I wasn’t careful...
I was completely fucked.
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