Chapter Three: A Castle Built Long Ago

My dad once asked me what type of house I dreamed of having. I didn't tell him then, but I had already been dreaming of a house. It was a house made from thoughts and hopes. I don't know when it started forming, but it started out as a small room. A misty purple substance, feeling neither solid nor completely ethereal, formed the walls. When I first created it, the room was empty. It didn't need anything, as it was just a haven. A place where I wouldn't have to see those hurting me all the time. One day, though, a door appeared. It was interesting how I instinctively knew what it was and that it led somewhere. I was curious, so I opened the door and left the room for the first time in my life. Then, as the door swung open, I saw a large hall with the floor created with a dark marble. The walls were so high it felt like clouds could form. Each wall had windows made from a purple tinted glass going from floor to ceiling, although the view from the window was just black space. Beyond the walls lay nothingness. All it took for it to change, however, was remembering how my dad had told me about the galaxies that made up our universe. He showed me the galaxy our homeworld is in, the Andromeda Galaxy. He showed images of the night skies in all but abandoned areas. These skies were the most beautiful things I had ever seen and as I pictured them in my mind, I saw the view from the windows change. It was no longer just a castle in a black void. I was in my castle above the skies, my castle surrounded by faraway galaxies and stars. However, the breathtaking sight of the Andromeda galaxy, wrapping around my castle like a wreath of lights and clouds, stole my gaze. I finally looked up to the once large ceiling of my castle, only to be greeted by the sight of a starry ceiling matching the picture my dad once showed me. It was a castle of my creation, my castle where I would be safe forever. I continued to expand the castle throughout the years; blank walls became filled with tapestries depicting all the stories I had heard, and the cold floors adorned with ornate carpets and rugs. Outside was a moving tapestry of stars. The gardens I had oh so carefully cultivated were blooming with buds filled with the light of moons and suns. It was my home, which I described to my dad any time he asked. He would chuckle from time to time and I would always ask him why he was laughing, but he wouldn't tell me. I don't know why, but walking through the halls of this castle my father made brought me back to the memories of my own creation. I smiled a little at the walls adorned with all the stories ever made. They were beautiful, each one crafted with an elegance I once thought was only possible from the stars. He showed me the gardens full of celestial flowers. There were blooms of pale moonlight. Then, others had the fiery nature of the sun coursing through their petals of radiant flames. We walked through these gardens and stopped at a tree. It was a tree that felt like it had no sense of scale. Sometimes it was as large as a mountain, other times it was a small sapling. The trunk of this tree was made of a shimmering dark wood. The gently falling leaves were painted a silver so stunning that each one could be mistaken for a falling star. 

My dad was the same as he always was as we walked through this castle of his. He joked, he laughed, and then before I knew it, we stood before a medium-sized room. Inside was a board which was completely blank. It looked like a blackboard, but the glassy sheen told me it wasn't. There were no utensils for writing anywhere near it. About four metres away stood a large desk lined in silver. On the left corner of the desk lay the book I had picked out last night. Next to it, an ornate red feather stuck inside this black bottle, which I assumed to be ink. My dad told me to sit down at the desk as lessons were about to start. As I sat down, my dad had already made his way over to the board in front of me. He tapped it a couple times, which is when I saw streaks of white lights, like shooting stars, matching his finger movements. It was like watching art as Talarians' fingers glided over its surface, creating complex diagrams of… My body?

"Okay Alex, how much did Phoebe put into your mind?" he asked, finally turning around to look at me.

"Uhm, they were about the seven realms making up the mortal realms and how I can get through each one." I replied, wracking my brain to find the memories I had been forcefully given.

"Okay, that's good but just in case I'll describe each Realm that you'll need to know. First is the Divine Awakening Realm which is a realm that everyone reaches at the age of Ten, this Realm marks the start of everyone's journey to power. You were at this Realm from birth with space related Divine Power due to being my child, however you should've noticed that you Awakened again when you were Ten." I was confused. How could I have awakened twice in my life? That shouldn't have been possible. However, my father gave me no time to think before moving onwards.

"The next major Realm is the Divine Core Formation Realm which is more commonly known as the Core Formation Realm. In this Realm a person's body undergoes the formation of their Divine Core which encases their heart and increases your Divine Power significantly. Again you are a little different as a Blessed Demigod which technically shouldn't exist but here we are. Usually Demigods are born directly at the 3rd Realm, you are a little different, we had to seal your power so your body wouldn't collapse in on itself. Outside of that there is one other race that has a change in their core. This is the Dragons who have a Divine Engine, something you have as well. Basically, when it awakens it pumps Divine Energy instead of blood." He pushes forth with the lecture, ignoring my confusion.

"The last thing I'm going to tell you before I release your seal will be about the third Realm. The third Realm, also known as the Divine Transformation Realm, does exactly as it states. It transforms your body to be able to use your Divine Power easier and vastly improves the quality of said power. Transformation will create things called 'Divine Veins' an ethereal system to provide Divine Power across your body." I watched him walk over to me while explaining everything and felt his presence behind me when he finally finished the lecture. As Talarian put his hands on my back, he spoke.

"I'm about to release your seal so you should probably sit down as it will hurt." 

"Okay" I replied, getting up, my chair scraping across the floor. Once I had settled myself onto the ground, I felt my father's frigid hand in between my shoulders, before I felt a cool, ethereal energy enter me. It tugged on something that felt like a dam, and it kept tugging before it broke down, releasing all the energy being held back. I felt it rush out. The feeling was intoxicating. It was like water that had been building pressure for eighteen years, finally being released. Then, with a large BANG, it all went black.