Adrift in Silence

Chapter 3 Part 2

"Let the Orientation begin," said Alkazar with a devilish smirk and snapped his fingers, projecting an illusion of the Nexus, the realm between realms, overlapping all of every existence. Lucina stood back and watched the mass light show like fireworks exploding in the clear night sky in early July.

"This is the Nexus, the overlapping thread that connects all of existence, everything we know, and every unexplored realm or reality yet to be discovered," Markus explained, raising his hands in praise. "The Nexus is made of an ultimate source of infinite energy called Nexium, which has seeded its influence into every atom in every reality. Although it is everywhere, only an extraordinary few have access to it. Headmaster Manaphis, the students of this school, myself, and of course you, my dear Lucina."

Lucina looked down at her hands in awe and disbelief, imagining the power she possessed only for it to manifest right then and there, as if she could make her dreams become reality. They began to glow with an array of color before becoming still and hummed with a purple hue. Her eyes glued to the light as she oohed and awed before it dissipated entirely. "Woe! What was that?" she smiled and looked up at Professor Cyton and Headmaster Manaphis with childlike glee.

Markus continued, "Anyone who may enter the Nexus would be consumed by its power and torn to shreds, forever adrift in the eternal Nexus. Everyone except for us. If someone were to enter the Nexus and not be torn apart upon being fully consumed, they instead are filled to the brim with Nexium, activating their latent ability and become a Drifter."

The illusion of the Nexus faded and, in its place, beget a fully immersive virtual slide show of various new realities for Lucina to explore. Alkazar, staring into the many realms, said, "As we travel from realm to realm, we absorb its Nexium, its aura if you will, making us stronger, or giving us new abilities, even making small alterations to our DNA so that we may adapt and evolve to every new environment."

"And it is here I will teach you how to harness those abilities, if you so desire?" asked Markus, reaching his hand out to Lucina. Before she could consider reaching out to it, he and Alkazar disappeared and reappeared. Markus stood behind Lucina, blocking her only way out of the circle and Alkazar appeared before her, sitting at the head of the table. Alkazar's illusions paused on a galaxy of rainbow studded stars, shining their heavenly light on Lucina and across the Infinite Library. One by one an orthodoxy of robed figures emerged from the vibrant stars. They all wore their own special robes, similar to Alkazar's but customized to their personalities and tailored to their specific physical qualities. Each had their own colors and creeds, all of which however shared in the Evercliff's golden aesthetic accents.

"First things first," said Alkazar, "we must consult the rest of the Admissions Council." Alkazar sat down followed by the rest of the hooded faculty, eagerly prying at the young Drifter. "This is just a formality at this point, really," admitted Alkazar, "I think you're a shoe in."

"A formality?" a gentleman dressed in gray asked, "Headmaster, this is not to be taken lightly, even if it is the great Markus's word."

"Agreed," a woman in orange robes added, "especially after reading your diagnoses, Headmaster."

"It's hard enough to learn to control one's own power as it is," another hooded administrator explained, clad in a dark navy blue, tattered from over training, "but with her disabilities she will fall far behind her peers, let alone ever catch up to them."

"Don't worry about that, Lexias," Markus insisted, "I will aid in her training and subject to my tutelage, she will be on par with her peers in a matter of months."

"You really think you can tame the latent power she holds, with a vessel as feeble as hers?" he asked, hands flat on the table, leaning towards Markus, "your arrogance will lead to her death and yours before that happens."