Dreams Etched in Ink

Zul'vharra is a city of nine districts, yet not a kingdom, for there is no crown. Instead, power lies in the hands of noble families, each ruling over their own territories with ironclad authority.

The city is divided by towering walls. Within them are five prestigious districts, home to the elite and upper class, where wealth and influence shape the very air. Beyond the walls, three districts house the common folk, a stark contrast to the opulence of the inner city.

And at the very edge, where the city meets the abyss of neglect, the slums lie, crumbling, forgotten, and perilously close to the Four Soul Confluence Point.

As the city bustled in its usual rhythm, a lone carriage approached the mansion.

The towering estate loomed ahead, its weathered stone walls standing firm against time. Ornate carvings lined the facade, silent testaments to the noble family's enduring legacy. The carriage rolled to a stop before the arched entrance, where trimmed hedges and statues of stone owls stood watch, their unblinking eyes fixed on the path.

Beyond the glass pavilion to the side, the mansion stretched wide, exuding an authority that needed no proclamation. The air was thick with the scent of rain and old stone, a place where power was not spoken but simply understood.

With a deep groan, the heavy metal gates swung open. More carriages moved in, halting before the grand entrance. Awaiting them stood a gathering of servants and dignitaries, their garments woven from rich brocades and embroidered velvet. Their presence alone spoke of wealth and status.

Levi stepped out of the carriage, his polished boots clicking against the stone pavement as he strode towards the grand entrance of the Veryathis estate. The towering manor loomed above him, its intricate carvings and gilded archways reflecting the wealth and prestige of his lineage. Moving through one opulent hall after another, he finally stopped before a large, ornate door and knocked.

"Levi, dear, come in. I've been waiting for you."

A gentle yet commanding voice drifted through the door. A smile tugged at his lips, wider than usual. Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Seated in an elegant chair was a woman whose features mirrored his own. Selene Veryathis. A tall and regal figure, her silver-threaded brown hair was neatly pinned, her emerald-green eyes piercing, brimming with wisdom and something deeper, something unreadable. Draped in a finely embroidered gown befitting her noble status, she exuded effortless grace.

Levi crossed the room in an instant, embracing her without a second thought. Though he had known a mother in the dream realm, he had always been aware she wasn't real. That truth had gnawed at him,rendering this moment painfully precious. He had waited a thousand years for this embrace.

"My dear, what happened? Is everything alright?" Her voice, laced with concern, pulled him from his daze.

He blinked, forcing himself back to the present. "It's nothing, just..." He hesitated, searching for an excuse. He couldn't simply tell her the truth that he was meeting her after a thousand years.

But Levi was a man of strong nerves. In an instant, he composed himself, suppressing his emotions before she could grow suspicious.

"What talent did you reveal during the trial?" she asked, studying him closely.

"Order Three," he replied casually.

Her eyes gleamed with pride. "That's my boy!" she said, a rare warmth breaking through her noble composure. "This is a joyous occasion, so why do you seem troubled?"

Her gaze sharpened as she examined his face. "Did someone cause you trouble? Tell me, and I'll skin them alive, along with their entire family." A golden aura flickered around her as she spoke, her power undeniable.

Selene Veryathis was an Order Three Echo with an Oracle Memory, one of the rarest and most feared abilities. Oracles were precious yet cursed, for no one willingly bore the weight of karma that came with glimpsing the threads of fate. To see another's future was to witness countless possibilities, and only through wisdom and sheer will could one discern the most likely path. Many oracles lost themselves to madness, their minds shattered by the endless weave of destiny.

Levi chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no one dares challenge a Sovereign lineage. I'm just tired from the journey."

He turned to leave, not wanting to linger any longer. The more time he spent with her, the more likely she was to sense something was amiss. He needed to suppress the storm of emotions raging within him.

As he exited, Selene watched his retreating figure, her expression unreadable.

The moment he was gone, she spoke without turning. "Do you think he noticed anything?"

A shadow detached itself from the corner of the room, taking the form of a figure cloaked in darkness. "No, my lady. Even the elders were fooled. He is just a child."

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit hallways, Levi's mind raced.

"What's wrong with Mother? There's no difference between the one I knew in the dream realm and the woman I just saw, same cold eyes, same commanding presence.

Did my older brothers not notice anything either?

Could this have something to do with the appearance of the Domains?"

His fingers tightened into a fist. There was more at play than he had anticipated.

The appearance of the Domains was no longer a secret. When the Constellation of the Eye manifested across every continent's dream realm, the world understood that change was coming. The Domains were about to descend.

With that thought weighing on his mind, Levi strode into a vast chamber. Towering shelves stretched endlessly in every direction, filled with ancient tomes and scrolls. The scent of old parchment lingered in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of candle wax. A grand library, one of the finest in the Veryathis estate. He moved deeper inside, lost in thought.

Outskirts of Zul'vharra – In the slums

In a crumbling shack, barely standing against the cold winds of the night, a boy sat hunched over a piece of newspaper.

The roof had gaping holes, the door was nothing more than a ragged cloth swaying with each breeze, and the walls, patched together with whatever scraps he could find, were plastered with torn illustrations, beautiful mansions, echoes performing their spells in grand arenas, noblemen draped in luxurious attire. Dreams etched in ink.

His eyes gleamed with excitement as he traced a specific image on the paper, a star-shaped formation resembling an eye.

"Staring at that scrap with your eyes popping out won't magically teach you how to read," Theo muttered lazily, sprawled just a foot away on the rough wooden floor.

Emil barely spared him a glance. "This isn't just a piece of paper, it's the key to our fortune," he declared, jabbing a finger at the illustration.

Theo scoffed, lifting his head slightly to look. "What fortune?"

"Didn't Gideon said that when an eye shape appear, this is the era of wealth and luck?

Whoever enters the paradise that follows can take whatever they desire."

Theo frowned, rubbing his chin. "Are you sure about that? He said something would appear, but all we've got is this weird eye in the sky. What if it means something else?"

"You illiterate fool," Emil snapped, exasperated. "This is a sign that paradise is opening!"

Theo rolled his eyes, unconvinced, but Emil's grip tightened around the newspaper. His heart pounded with anticipation. If what Gideon said was true… then this was their chance.

Suddenly, a boy around their age barged into the room, snatching the newspaper from Emil's hands with a sneer.

"Even if it is a paradise, do you really think we'd let you go there for treasure, you son of a whore?"

The words barely left his mouth before Emil snapped. Fury exploded inside him, and without a second thought, he swung his fist. His knuckles slammed into the boy's face with a sickening crack.

Blood sprayed as the boy stumbled back, clutching his nose in agony. He dropped to the floor, trying to stem the bleeding with one hand, but the more he pressed, the more it gushed through his fingers.

"You bastard, just you wait!" he snarled, scrambling to his feet. "You two have forgotten your place!" With that, he bolted out of the shack.

Theo groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Emil, you thickheaded idiot... that was one of Mad-Eye's men. We're screwed. You know he's going to twist the story, make it sound worse than it is, and now that lunatic's lackeys will be all over us."

Emil exhaled sharply, shaking the sting out of his fist. "Tch, I didn't mean to hurt him that badly, but he always talks shit about my mother. Whoever she was, she gave birth to me, no one gets to insult her."