4 Inherent Quality

Sat upon a wooden chair long ridden past its age, a young boy aimlessly gazed toward the scenery outwards. Hair fluttering gently at the infrequent caresses of the wind, as if to bless. To guide him to a path he will forge through time and effort. A journey never tread; long forgotten.

Taking everything attentively. Not willing to ignore anything. The image of a variety of races was reflected on the bewitching shine of his eyes that glimmered like emeralds. It was akin to a blank canvas being drawn by the beauty of an artist's mind. The brush of nature, etching its presence on those that seek it.

Beastmen, elves, pallums, humans. Smiles, laughter, and whispers being exchanged as they walked in harmony. Prosperity. A scenery that only served to bemuse the boy observing. Unable to comprehend that most of these races were able to live alongside each other with no discrimination or hatred.

{You will not escape my grasp.}

The whisper of a nightmare he had lived haunted him at the mere recollection of it, however he quickly shook it off. Denying any lingering attachments he had of this place, or the man that ruled it. For he was there no longer.

He returned to contemplate the emotions that lay bare before him. A way to distract him, yet it only increased the ever expanding questions that never ceased to follow. Sparkling, overjoyed, interested. How could they be so happy; live - without a care? The utter contrast between the past and the present was struggling to comprehend immediately to say the least.

It was nothing less than finding an oasis in a desert. Paradise after living in the Hell, a cage he had lived like a bird with wings clipped. Never to spread the gift he never had to experience. In a sense, it was ironic to say he lay cursed within the Land of Curses. A twisted joke.

{Walk.}

However, at least now the presence that loomed over him had disappeared. Never to be seen again. A rapid sensation of relief drowning Emrys as he concluded that there would be no way for the demon to accompany him. The pure presence of these Gods being his only defense. Banishing any curse that may have been cast upon him.

Alas, even then he knew deep within that his thoughts were a bluff. The act of a fool, to merely cloak an alluring fantasy over the harsh reality. To view it as what it is than what it could be. To see it as a beautiful lie than the cruel truth.

Ignorance was bliss, after all.

The ravenheaded youth tore away from his inner monologue. Sending an ephemeral look at a parchment of paper that sat peacefully. Serene.

Inked; with words that filled it to the utter brim. It could be deduced it wss written recently, not so long ago, as seen by the gloss of the paper itself. A sudden, searing itch that travelled to his back as a result.

Serving as an affirment of his new life. A new lease, as well as a new beginning.

"They called it status."

A whisper was illicted subconsciously as his mind travelled to a few hours prior. The statement that his Goddess - Hestia - had made after explaining everything to him carefully. To the minute detail. As if she was in fear of him changing his mind due to her lacking attitude. Perhaps a result of her insecurity, however he would not bother to ask. If she wanted to tell him, she eventually would - it was not his place to be nosy.

The world he lived in was known as the Lower World - or Gekai as some call it. It was a place where Gods had descended due to the inevitable boredom that came with immortality within the Upper World - Tenkai. They had come to seek enjoyment; pleasure, or mayhaps the desire to seek something new within the life of eternity they resided.

It was only after a couple decades they decided to result in wanting to live alongside many other races in exchange of giving them power. Willing to go as far as to seal their divine power - Arcanum - to remain powerless. Weak, a change that should've made them uncomfortable. All whilst giving strength to their Familia Members to fight back and protect what is rightly theirs in the form of a blessing. A Falna, or in other words - status. It was a case of equivalent exchange. So that is what they tell everybody else.

However, Emrys knew that it was nothing but a hoax.

{Run.}

Every cause had an effect. Every problem had a solution. In other words, everything has two sides, just like a coin. A door. It is needed for the world to thrive, moreover to remain in order. Just like how light cannot exist without darkness. Everything had an opposite that resulted in the world being lawful. If that was the common occurrence, then how come Orario was able to flourish despite only having the Dungeon? Although the Dungeon was quite dangerous, the presence of the strongest Familia's that remained, Loki and Freya, should be enough to keep it at a manageable level.

Simple - there must be the existence of a scheme hidden within the brewing darkness that balanced the scale of judgement.

From what he had deduced of Hestia's previous words, then only the Gods who descended long ago would be privy to such crucial information. Details - that forced them to descend to the Lower World in the first place. Sure. Some Gods may have descended to acquire excitement and others may have done it to experience exhilaration from the monotonous lifestyle.

However, even then the strongest of Heaven wouldn't simply decide to subside due to a mere whim. They had duties, responsibilities that came at the price of their standing.

Even then they still decided to descend. Gods that ruled Tenkai. Beings that govern over other Gods themselves came to the Lower World. The Gods of Gods, Zeus, Hera, and Ouranous. Those were also the only ones that were made public, who knows if there were still some that lurked within the shadows? Beings of such rankings are unable to adjust from a lifestyle they had been accommodated for millenia.

Yet, how come that two of the three God Kings had long been expelled, under the guise of killing the Three Great Beasts? Even if powerless from sealing, the sharp mind and rationality of leading others would not dull to make such a foolish decision. To sacrifice.

Now here lay the question - Would Gods that lived for eons really try to save a world at the cost of their own life? Their very own, Familia they considered as children?

Emrys knew they wouldn't. Selflessness like that is only visible to those that are considered as Beings of Justice. Aspects of Equity that was only known within the Age of Heroes that had long passed. Yet neither Zeus or Hera were an incarnation of one. They were concepts of power; might. Not Virtue. Even then they had failed, on purpose or accident cannot be concluded with a lack of information. These are just theories after all.

Simply meaning that the recent Gods that descended knew nothing about it. Ignorant of it all. But did they need to become erudited in the first place? Gods had no obligation to assist one another, nor did they want to and that alone would be their demise. Their lack of unity. Trapped within a cobweb that stretched to embrace the entirety of the world, not just Orario.

A cage is a cage no matter how glided.

And the the best way to keep a bird from escaping a cage...is to make sure they never learn that they are within one.

{Struggle.}

Emrys gazed at the orb of flames that ignited the world in a colour of its own. Serving as a beacon of hope and light, a symbol of peace of hope that edges away the darkness. Purifying it relentlessly. Yet what if the existence of a stain remained that the sun's blinding radiance could never reach? Slowly but surely, creating a pond of filth that'll seep itself into the grounds of the Lower World.

"A place unknown to death, nor known to life. Hidden within the tendrils of shadows." he whispered to himself as he stood up. "Too many questions, and way too few answers."

The boy that found himself within the eye of a storm that is obscured from sight moved to reach for the parchment of paper. The soft texture calming his raging mind, as the smell enticed him to stay composed. To not be lead astray by his emotions.

His gaze was captured firmly onto the numerical figures that displayed his current state. Of what is, as well as potentially what could be. His mind drifting towards the recollection of shock his Goddess held when she found out the presence of a Skill and Magic. Being overwhelmingly thrilled. That, however, was a story for another time.

☆ ☆ ☆

•Emrys Vernifelon

•Level: 1

•Strength: I - 0

•Defense: I - 0

•Utility: I - 0

•Agility: I - 0

•Magic: I - 0

<Magic:>

[Cursed Energy Manipulation: The ability to bend the immaterial substance unbeknownst to the world: [Cursed Energy], to do your bidding.]

<Skills:>

[□■□■□■□■□■□■□]

☆ ☆ ☆

The youth glanced at the people exterior to this room, trudging on unaware. Unconscious of the conspiracy of what even he couldn't judge to be correct or incorrect. All at the mercy of those they believed would protect. Guide.

Although, all his thoughts may be the reckless overthinking of a man who had nothing lose.

But he just wouldn't risk it. As long as something had the slightest chance of it occurring, then you could never deny that possibility. It was something he learned the hard way, and he wouldn't discard it so easily.

Underneath the sun that illuminated his figure, a sole boy had found himself to the centre of the stage. The beginning of a play. The start of tale he had absolutely no knowledge of, merely dancing to the tune orchestra of a pupeteer that is obfuscated within the dusk of twilight.

Yet that didn't matter to him. It never did.

All he had to remember and continue to do was what he always did. What he accepted, that made him who he was today. After all it wasn't the strongest that survives. Nor was it the most intelligent.

"The one that persists. That survives - '

Is the one most capable to reform.

Attune.

{I...}

Adjust.

{...will watch it all.}

Adapt.

Both now and before, those were the only things he was good at.