• Consequence

"Avatar!" Ardion pounded at Spheris's door loudly. "Wake up! It's six thirty bright."

The first rays of dawn seeped through the window and Spheris stirred from his slumber. Groaning, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced at the door. "Get up, Avatar!" Ardion called again.

He dragged himself out of bed, stumbling towards the door and still fighting sleep. It was no surprise that his movements were sluggish. He barely had enough rest last night, spending hours battling sleep in the fear that Obsidian might meddle with his memories once again. But thankfully, the Shadow God had remained dormant.

With a sigh, he trudged down the stairs, his steps heavy with fatigue. Merisset was just before him, and she seemed to be putting on her clothes at that very moment. She turned around to shoot him her usual ominous gaze. Spheris met her stare briefly before averting his eyes and joining the others in the Tutorium.

"Ah, Spheris," Meister Grengo greeted him once he entered the room. "Seems like you had a very rough night."

Spheris looked around the room. Everyone was already present and sat. Ardion said it was six thirty bright. How long had he slept? 

He managed to walk to the seat behind the other Avatars and sat, but not without making a fair amount of noise in the process. 

"Alright then, since our last Representative is here, let's begin with the session," Grengo announced. 

Spheris heard a pair of footsteps entering the tutorium, he turned around to see it was Merisset, who leaned to a wall beside Ardion before catching his gaze. He quickly looked away and focused on the Summoner Mage.

"I like to believe that we've made quite a reasonable amount of success in the few days you've stayed here. You are even more prepared than other Avatars who came before you." Grengo spoke. "You all can conjure your powers now. You now know what it takes to do so and how to use your powers in battle. Thanks to Merisset. "

Spheris fought the urge to look back again. 

"But there is a very important aspect of your abilities that I think is necessary for you to know before the Convergence Ceremony tomorrow."

He sighed inwardly. 'Well, if it is that important, why wait until the last day to bring it up?'

"The Essence that you contain helps you create an Influence," Grengo began to explain. "I have already explained what an Influence is, no need to go back to that. What I am yet to explain is a Consequence."

Spheris felt the atmosphere become a bit more serious. The word seemed dire, and so easily caught everyone's attention.

"Just like the name suggests, a Consequence is the negative result of your Essence, usually there to balance the scale. Like an inherent flaw, intertwined with the Bearer's power."

"Bearer?" Spheris heard himself speak. "So Incarnates also have Consequences?"

"Yes, Spheris." Grengo replied. "That they do."

Spheris nodded silently. He thought of Nephta. What was her Consequence? He didn't notice anything like that with her. Did he?

"Consequences are deeply rooted in the core of the Bearer's power, reflecting the inherent duality of strength and vulnerability. They are a result of the Bearer's pursuit of power and the sacrifices made along the way. As you delve deeper into your abilities, your Consequence becomes more pronounced, serving as a reminder of the price of power."

'The price of power?' Spheris thought. 'I never asked for any of this.' He was finding it impossible once again to scale the pros of this power with the cons. Fighting monsters and surviving an unforgiving realm was already too much, but the power he needed to survive also had its own bad side? A Consequence? This was just great.

How could any of them see this as a 'True Honor?' This was a punishment.

"But don't worry," Grengo gave them a comforting smile. "Consequences have the potential to both diminish and amplify a Bearer's capabilities, depending on how they are managed and confronted. When left unchecked, Consequences can escalate, consuming the Bearer and undermining their power. However, through introspection, resilience, and mastery of your abilities, you can mitigate the effects of your Consequence and even harness it to your advantage. All the present Utopian Bearers barely even have any Consequence."

'Oh, so that's all I need to do?' Spheris mused himself. 'Become the most powerful rank of Bearers that barely anyone has been able to reach? Yeah, right.'

"I will advise you to try to discover your Consequence in time, so that you can learn how to master it early. Some of them can be quite gruesome."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Thorin asked. 

Grengo smiled at him. "Strengthen your Essence, create stronger Influences... and your Consequence will reveal itself."

"So the more powerful we get, the more effective the Consequence is?"

"It is the counterbalance to your increasing power. Man was not supposed to bear the power of the Gods. Your Consequence maintains the delicate equilibrium."

There was silence everywhere as it seemed that the Avatars were all trying to resonate with what they were just told.

It seemed like they all thought their conquest as Avatars would be about getting stronger and unlocking interesting and powerful Influences. This was a new realization that changed everything.

"As you all prepare for the Convergence Ceremony tomorrow, I urge you to keep this in mind," Grengo concluded, his voice carrying a weight of solemnity. "Understanding and mastering your Consequence is essential for your growth as Avatars, and as Bearers. Embrace the challenge it presents, for it is through overcoming adversity that true strength is forged."

Everyone was still silent.

"We head for the Continental Dome tomorrow morning. As early as six bright. Your defense of our realm begins then. Goodluck, Avatars." 

With those parting words, Grengo's disappeared once again into the swirling green mist, leaving the Avatars to contemplate his teachings.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes!" Ardion's voice broke the reverent silence. "Merisset, make sure they don't dawdle too long. We have a busy day ahead."

Merisset nodded curtly, her gaze lingering on each Avatar in turn before she announced that the combat training will continue and turned on her heel and strode out of the room with purpose.

"Wow," Nero sighed. "Well, that's a bummer. I wonder what my Consequence would be."

"You would think that the Hellbenders and the dreadful conditions in that place would be enough for us to worry about," Cerene said disappointedly. "Now we have these Consequences as well."

"Too much," Akemi said. That surprised Spheris. 

"What was that, Akemi?" Cerene asked.

"Too much trouble," the girl replied.

"Yeah... well it's our duty." 

Thorin was quiet and seemingly lost in thought. Spheris knew that he was the smartest in the group and perhaps that was why he was silent. He was probably trying to think of how to discover his Consequence in time. But when Thorin caught Spheris's stare, he smiled.

"Jeez, what kind of hair oil do you use?" he asked.

That was when Spheris noticed that he had his hair down. "I'm poor," he replied. "I don't have money to spend on hair oil."

"Well, how then have you managed to keep your hair so full... and long?"

"I don't know. It just is."

Everyone gazed at Spheris's long rich black hair, until they were interrupted by Ardion's demanding voice, calling them to breakfast.

- ☯ -

The rest of the day unfolded in a blur of training and drills under Merisset's watchful eye. As usual, she spared no mercy for Spheris, pushing him harder than the rest of the Avatars, criticizing his every move relentlessly.

Spheris wasn't too bothered about it this time, he was instead grateful for the distraction it provided, a temporary respite from the weight of impending doom.

Before he knew it, dinner came and went in an even more ominous silence than last night. The evening slipped away with surprising swiftness, leaving Spheris once again alone in his room, thinking about tomorrow and the Convergence Ceremony. It bore down on him like a leaden shroud.

He laid on his bed, staring up at the familiar expanse of ceiling above as his mind raced with thoughts of his mother, his own survival, and the looming specter of The Abyss. It was all going to start tomorrow. The beginning of his end. A journey into the heart of darkness from which few returned unscathed, if at all.

With a heavy sigh, Spheris raised his hand, conjuring the small mist of darkness. The ball swirled above his palm and had started to serve as a feeble comfort. Reminding him of the power he wielded and the daunting task that lay ahead.

Before he could dwell further on his thoughts, he heard a knock. 

'What the...?' Spheris rose from his bed and made his way to the door. 'Isn't it almost lights-out?'

He opened the door slowly and to his surprise, it was Merisset standing before him. She was covered with a lace cloak, and her long white hair was tied to a bun above her head. Her gaze was perhaps what confused Spheris the most. 

It wasn't as piercing or ominous as before. It was... soft.

"Merisset?" he asked.

"I have to get this over with," she said strangely.

Spheris scowled. "Get what over with?"

"You are Heathian. This is not right." 

It seemed that the more she spoke, the more confused he became. "What are you talking ab—"

Before he could finish his question, Merisset—with purpose—pulled down the lace cloak from her body, exposing a pair of perky full breasts. Spheris fell shut, completely dumbfounded at what was in front of him.

It was like he was seeing Merisset for the first time; She had beautiful slumpy shoulders and her curves were perfectly accentuated by the lace gown that was now hanging by her hand. Her skin looked as clear as the first winter snow and every part of her body called to him. 

She suddenly looked like the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"You are of age, are you not?" she asked.

"Yes," Spheris muttered.

"Fine."