The Orchestral Vialex

A week had passed since the resurrection of all the Seventh Enlightenment Students, and the world around Vastarael seemed to be holding its breath. The solar eclipse still existed.

Vastarael had returned to his normal life at the academy, but normal was hardly a word that could describe his existence anymore. Days blurred together as he moved through the motions of training and study, but his mind was never truly at ease.

The First Epoch Cycle was imminent and Thyrexxa had told him that surviving any Epoch Cycle would require the Orchestral Vialex. The exact nature of the Vialex remained elusive, but the Primordial's words had carved themselves into his thoughts with brutal clarity.

He had to find it. He had to survive.

He couldn't afford to fail now, not when the weight of his survival, and that of the universe, hung so precariously on his every decision.

In the days that followed, he went about his duties with calculated precision. Training, attending classes and speaking with the other Seventh Enlightenment students when the opportunity arose-each interaction, each moment was weighed in his mind.

But his focus remained on finding the Orchestral Vialex.

He had enlisted the help of his sister, Leones. Vastarael had sent her a discreet message, asking her to search for any leads, any information related to the Orchestral Vialex in the Royal Library.

The Orchestral Vialex was said to be an artifact tied to the ancient mystics that governed time itself, a key to surviving the impending cycle. The Vialex could alter the very flow of time in ways that would protect him... or at least give him a fighting chance to endure what was coming.

Meanwhile, his interactions with Elyonari had become a kind of emotional reprieve from the madness swirling around him.

The two had spent quiet evenings together, sharing their thoughts on the eclipse, on the strange way their deaths had played out when the world fell into darkness.

Elyonari had been one of the first to witness the tragedy. Her grief, however, had remained unspoke that seemed to press on her heart each time the conversation turned to the end. Still, Vastarael found solace in those moments. Talking to her, listening to her recount the final moments of their death, sharing the understanding that both had been marked by the same fate.

But despite the comfort of companionship, Vastarael's mind never stopped working.

Every moment, every conversation was another piece of the puzzle he was trying to solve. And so, when a week had passed and Leones finally sent him the long-awaited book, Ancient Forgotten Artifacts and Tales, he felt a flicker of hope.

The book was an ancient tome that had survived the ravages of time and catastrophe, held the key to unlocking the mysteries of forgotten powers.

Its pages were worn, the script faded in places, but it contained priceless information about artifacts, some of which were thought to have been lost to history. Among the pages, he hoped to find something that would guide him toward the Orchestral Vialex.

And he finally found it.

'Phaenora?'

[Got it. I already understood the entire book. From now on, you won't need it anymore. I memorized everything.]

'Good. Then please show me about the Vialex.'

[Okay. Here goes.]

A blue hologram was in front of his study desk, the night sky revealing the eclipse and the dim stars. He didn't understand why the eclipse wasn't moving. It was as if Spheraphase was still.

It wasn't rotating at all. But... what was he supposed to do?

_____

[Orchestral Vialex, Primordial Rank Artifact.]

[Long ago, The Orchestral Vialex.was not merely an instrument of melody but an artifact of divine origins, tied intimately to the flow of time Itself. A sacred relic, created by an unknown God of Music.]

[Long before the present, when the world of Spheraphase was young, there lived a god known only as Melody, the Goddess of Music and Harmony. Melody was a being who resided outside of time.]

[Her powers were vast, reaching into every corner of existence, for through music, she was able to influence time itself. She could slow the passage of moments, speed them up, or even freeze them entirely with just a single note.]

[The first and last creation of Melody was the Orchestral Vialex, a violin like no other. Its body was forged from materials that could defy the divine energies of time itself.]

[Melody crafted the Vialex to serve as her most sacred tool, a bridge between the divine and the mortal. As she played, Melody could create entire worlds with the sweep of a bow, molding the world with each note that danced from its strings.]

[However, with the rise of the Destras Cataclysm—a great and apocalyptic event that ravaged the land millennia ago—Melody met her end. It was said that the Primordial of Time, Thyrexxa, watched helplessly as Melody, overwhelmed by the destructive forces unleashed, perished in the chaos. In the wake of her death, the Orchestral Vialex was left without its master. The instrument fell silent, but its power remained.]

[As the Destras Cataclysm reshaped the world, the Primordial of Time, Thyrexxa, took pity on the Vialex. With the death of the Music Goddess, she understood the danger of allowing such an artifact to fall into the wrong hands or to remain dormant. She bestowed upon the Vialex her blessing, ensuring that it would retain its power even in the absence of its creator.]

[With Thyrexxa's blessing, the Orchestral Vialex became more than a simple tool for manipulating time. It became a Primordial Rank Artifact. Its abilities were amplified, transcending the limits of what even Melody had envisioned.]

______

Vastarael came to realize that the Primordials really did associate with the divine beings in the past. Now, only the divine beings know about the Primordials and the others do not.

He continued to read about the enchantments of the violex.

______

[The Symphony of Time.]

[The Vialex can be played to alter the flow of time itself. The wielder, can manipulate the temporal boundaries of the world around them. By playing the right chords, the wielder can:

[Slow Down Time: A single note can stretch the passage of time, allowing the user to move at an accelerated pace compared to their surroundings.]

[Freeze Time: A high-pitched, resonating sound from the Vialex can stop time entirely in a localized area, leaving everything still while the wielder moves freely within it.]

[Echoes of the Past.]

[One of the most potent abilities of the Vialex is the Echoes of the Past. By playing a specific series of notes, the wielder can tap into the echoes of previous moments in time. This allows them to witness events from the past as if they were occurring in the present. This ability, however, requires immense concentration and the wielder must be attuned to the rhythms of the world's history, for the echoes are often fragmented and chaotic.]

[The Future's Whisper.]

[The Vialex can also be used to glimpse into the future, though only in fleeting glimpses. When played, it creates a Resonance of the Future, where the sound waves reverberate through time and space, revealing brief visions of what is to come. These glimpses are often fragmented and cryptic, but they can offer crucial insights into decisions that must be made.]

[Temporal Wounds.]

[The Vialex possesses the ability to create Temporal Wounds in the fabric of time itself. When struck with precision, the instrument can tear at the linear flow of time, causing rifts that destabilize the world around it. These rifts may result in periods of time loops, where events repeat endlessly, or time fractures, where the past and future collide and distort reality.

However, this can only be done onto a Timeless and anyone associated with them.]

[Harmonization of Existence.]

[This is the most dangerous enchantment the Vialex holds, Harmonization. When played with the utmost skill, the Vialex can align the flow of time with the user's will. The wielder can, for a limited time, become the master of time, bending it to their desires. However, this comes at a great cost.]

[The longer the harmonization lasts, the more the wielder risks losing their connection to the natural flow of time, potentially becoming a timeless being outside of fate-lost, without purpose, and forever adrift in the infinite sea of temporal possibility.]

[Only being a Timeless can this enchantment be used well.]

[Resonance of Eternity.]

[The ultimate ability of the Orchestral Vialex is called Resonance of Eternity. This power allows the wielder to reach into the very heart of time and play a melody so pure and divine that it can restore balance to a vast area. It can undo catastrophic events, stabilize dying worlds, or even rewrite the past. However, it comes at the greatest of costs, as it demands the sacrifice of the wielder's own time, an irreversible exchange that can leave them ageless or eternally cursed, depending on how they wield it.]

______

Now he understood the true power of a Divine Artifact touched by a Primordial. It was seriously overpowered. However, two of the enchantments could only be activated if he was a Timeless and a Divine.

And he's too weak for that. He continued to read the words on the hologram.

_____

[In the centuries following the Destras Cataclysm, the Orchestral Vialex was lost to time. It was passed down through various hands, sometimes in secret, sometimes in plain sight, but always shrouded in myth. Many believed the Vialex had faded from existence entirely, a relic of a bygone era. But in the hands of the right person, someone who could not only wield its power but understand the true nature of time, the Vialex could still alter the course of the future.]

____

And now, with the world on the brink of destruction and the Seventh Enlightenment Students rising to face their destiny, the Vialex may be the last hope for his survival.

If Vastarael can find it, harness its divine power, and survive the coming storm, he might be the one to rewrite time and perhaps, finally find the peace and freedom he's sought for so long.

'So? What do you think?'

Phaenora sighed before she spoke.

[Are we really going to look for this Vialex? If Thyrexxa said to find it, then fine. This might be out only chance to survive.]

'Our?'

[Of course. Also, I don't have any memories of the other reincarnators. They are always permanently erased every time they die.]

"I see... well, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're going to learn the whole truth from the Primemaster. Then, I'll know what to do next."

Now, Vastarael was convinced that he needed the Vialex. It was the only way to survive the First Epoch Cycle and he would definitely survive it.

He wasn't going to die. Not yet.