Pyramid Scheme

As I walked outside of the alleyway, the hum of the streets surrounded me— merchants haggling, travelers chatting and the occasional drunkard causing a scene, laughing a bit too loudly. But amidst the usual noise, a few murmurs caught my attention. 

"I swear, that book knew everything. Even the things I hadn't told anyone."

"Yeah? Then why sell it?"

The first voice lowered."The more you read the book, the more it knew. I have a bad feeling about it."

Another voice scoffed. "You're too paranoid, Mark. My book had a map of the Hollows—Got me through an entire hunt, unscathed."

"Mine explains the Fractured realm. Nothing like that cryptic stuff, the real deal. It's like someone had ventured into it and collected all this information, it's crazy!"

I slowed my pace, listening closely to the conversation they were having. A small group of men, their faces mostly covered by hoods. One of them was holding a book close to their chest, knuckles turning white.

'Fractured Realm, what the hell is that?' 

My interest had been piqued. I didn't know much about the world, so maybe buying a book would help me understand it better. I may even gain clues on how to harness my power better.

"Knowledge for the lost.." a reedy whisper came from the shadowed corner. "Stories of the old, truths of the new, just for one Hollow Mark.

I turned.

I saw an old man hunched and draped over in a tattered hood, sat on the ground next to a neat stack of books. His fingers, long and skeletal, traced the spine of one, slowly. Despite his ragged appearance, his eyes held a sharpness to them.

I hesitated, recalling the rumors from before. 

One Hollow Mark? That was cheap...too cheap.

"You selling those?" I asked, stepping closer.

The old man didn't bother to look up. "Only if you can pay."

I pulled a dark jagged coin from my cloak, rolling it in between my fingers. The weight of the coin wasn't much, but the effort to earn it was. The book had better be worth it...

With a flick, I tossed the Hollow Mark to the old man.

The moment the Hollow Mark touched his palm, a thin smile appeared on his cracked lips. He plucked a book from the stack and held it out. 

"The world is not as you think, boy," he rasped. "Read carefully."

I took the book, flipping through a few pages. The writing was dense and intricate. Filled with maps, some of the symbols were unclear. 

I looked up—

"Old man, how do you rea-"

The old man was gone. 

The stack of books, the Hollow Mark. Everything.

The corner where the old man had been, was empty. 

I exhaled slowly, irritation seeping in.

"Of course," I muttered, stuffing the book into my cloak. "Nothing is ever fucking easy here. It's the Dark Hollows after all."

Looking around, the men I had seen earlier disappeared too.

'Was this some type of shitty way to mess with people in the Dark Hollows?'

'Mark my words, I'll find you with Severance.'

I turned away and headed to the inn.

***

I returned to the inn earlier than usual, the book tucked under my arm. The streets outside were filled with murmurs about the old man's books but I couldn't care less. I had more pressing matters to deal with.

Inside, the inn was quiet. Dorothy stood behind the counter, levitating a mug with her telekinesis, her eyes filled with boredom. It was before opening hours, and the faint glow from the lanterns kept the place from being in darkness.

I approached, "Dorothy."

She barely glanced back at me. "Hmm?"

"I need you to infuse mana into my back."

That got her attention. The mug clattered softly against the counter as she set it down with her ability, raising her eyebrow in curiosity, "You're trying to see your Title? You know it's something personal. You shouldn't reveal your Title to others, it may grant you protection or even worse killed."

I met her gaze evenly. "I don't care about that right now. I need to get stronger."

She exhaled through her nose, tilting her head. "You know most people can't pull it off. It consumes a lot of mana. But I don't use much, so..." She shrugged. "Sure. Just don't be making any weird sounds, got it?"

I rolled my eyes, pulling my cloak and shirt off before sitting down on the nearest stool. The air was cool against my back, but that was the least of my concerns.

Dorothy placed her hand firmly on my back. 

Then, the mana surged.

I sucked in a sharp breath as the mana surged in me, centering my spine. The sensation spiraled into something deeper, something hotter. My muscles twitched, my fingers curling against my knees as the burning sensation increased.

Dorothy hummed thoughtfully, "Nothing...."

My breath hitched upon hearing that.

'She saw nothing?'

A cold realization settled in my gut. I wasn't a part of this world originally. I was just in Alric's body. I was just an outsider with no roots and no past. I thought just maybe I would see something connecting to me, me alone.

My teeth clenched. 

But then—

"Wait," Dorothy muttered. "There's something."

My heart was pounding, waiting for the outcome. 

'Could I have some amazing past life?! Heh, I could have been a king or something.'

Dorothy squinted at the faint, shifting runes on my skin, trying to piece them together. "It says...' Forgotten.' "

Silence.

I inhaled slowly, the word weighing me down like an iron shackle. First I was Bloodmarked, and now this bullshit. What does Forgotten even mean? 

Frustration flared up in my chest, my voice still managed to be even. "Thanks." I grabbed my shirt and cloak, slipping them back on. Without another word, I went up the stairs. 

Dorothy blinked at Kalen's back one last time and saw a flicker of runes pulsating.

'Wasn't there a Ki or something...?' Rubbing her eyes, exhaling. 'Tch must be more tired than I thought.' 

***

Upstairs, I sat on my bed looking at the book sitting right beside me. Along with what just happened, I was tempted to burn it. It was packed with all sorts of stuff, so it may be useful to me. 

'Useful or not, if I see that old man again, I'm gonna make him walk into Nullstep.'

Opening the book, it was filled with an old, slightly yellowed paper, but the ink was fresh as if it had been written recently.

I skimmed through the pages until I had seen a map of the land.

The Kingdom of Grize is located in the South and is known for its vast, thriving land, and thriving trade along with prestigious institutions, like Cortel Academy, harbouring those with Titles and making them stronger.

The Kingdom of Elemira is located in the West—a place for mages and scholars, where the greatest of mages are born.

The Kingdom of Iront is located in the East. A land of warriors and iron, their forges never losing their heat, almost undying.

The Dark Hollows, located in the North. Where the desperate and the damned live. Few walk-in willingly, and even fewer leave.

'Cortel Academy..'

The world had a structure. An order. It wasn't chaos everywhere, which was a good sign. 

Then the next line read: Bloodmarked.