🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋Â
We finally arrived at home—a 50-story apartment complex where we lived on the very top floor. The 50th floor had only two apartments: one belonged to my father, who was rarely home, and the other was ours.
The apartment was spacious, equipped with a kitchen, a combined dining area, a terrace leading to the laundry room, and access to the rooftop, where I often trained. Each of us had our own room with a private bathroom—me, Freya, and Grandpa.
As soon as we stepped inside, Freya headed straight to the kitchen, preparing her legendary nightmare meal. Meanwhile, I fixed my things and got ready for evening training.
But first, I had to survive dinner.
After somehow enduring the meal, I moved on to my breathing exercises—a fundamental technique that was far more important than it seemed.
Aether was like oxygen—it was everywhere, flowing through the air. Now that I was unsealed, I could absorb it directly and use it efficiently. Breathing training was the foundation of everything.
Unsealing usually happens at age seven. Some people choose to delay it, but given the state of the world, most people had no choice. Those born to unsealed parents—like me—inherited their abilities. But that came with risks.
Some newborns literally disintegrated the moment they absorbed too much Aether. Others lost control and were consumed by their own abilities. It was the price we paid for survival.
Thankfully, TechLogia developed innovations to reduce these risks.
Even so, my birth was an anomaly.
The moment I was born, I vanished—completely disappeared. Only my mother managed to find me. I asked my father about it countless times, but he was always too busy. As for my mother... I've never seen her. I only have fragments of memories, jagged and unclear.
I exhaled deeply, preparing for the final set of breathing cycles.
Aether absorption followed a specific process:
Breathe in – Aether enters the body.Blood circulation – The heart pumps Aether-infused blood.Exhale – Release unnecessary residue, strengthening the veins and preparing the heart.
Think of it like this:
The fuel is Aether-infused blood.The engine is the heart, converting Aether into ability.But an engine and fuel alone aren't enough. A car also needs a driver—and for humans, that's the mind.
The mind directs how Aether flows. Without control, magic is unstable and destructive. That's why people train under MaGia instructors and doctrinal teachings to refine their skills.
Abilities differ based on lineage. Some are passed down through bloodlines, like my family's Codex Nexus—a summoning ability unique to me and my grandfather. Others, like teleportation, could be achieved in different ways—circle summoning, portal creation, or other techniques.
No matter how cool your ability was, against the calamity, you were nothing unless you trained.
"Ryu, are you done?"
Freya's voice rang out from her room just as I finished my last breath cycle.
"Yeah," I called back, stretching my arms. One hundred breaths in ten minutes.
Not bad.
"Yeah," I replied, wiping sweat from my brow.
As I glanced at my Aether Watch, I noticed the numbers ticking up—90%... 91%... 98%.
Good. My body was recovering.
Freya and I made our way to Grandfather's room, where a single mic was mounted on the wall. No buttons. No fancy controls.
Just a mic.
Freya leaned in and spoke clearly, "We're ready."
In an instant, the world shifted.
A rush of Aether surged around us, and the next thing I knew, we were standing on the island—our so-called "training room."
I called it a training room, but in reality, it was an entire island—a secluded paradise surrounded by the vast ocean.
The first thing I always noticed was the beach. The sand was so white and fine, it almost looked like powdered crystal, and the waves gently lapping against the shore.
To the left, nestled between palm trees, stood a small nipa shack—Grandfather's retreat. It was a simple, rustic hut where he spent most of his time sleeping, lazing around, or pretending to be deep in thought.
To the right, a stark contrast—a two-story building stood tall, its sleek design completely out of place on this remote island. This was where we stored training equipment and weapons.
We headed inside first.
The armory was filled with racks of weapons, both traditional and modern. I walked straight to my usual selection, activating my Codex Nexus using my ability: Bookmark.
Bookmarking allowed me to store weapons inside my Codex Nexus and summon them instantly in battle. A crucial skill for combat efficiency.
I began selecting my loadout:
Labrys – A massive double-headed axe, requiring both hands to wield due to its sheer weight and length.Katana – A single-edged blade, swift and precise.Two Wakizashi – Short swords favored by samurai, perfect for quick, fluid strikes.Kodachi – A mid-length blade, balancing speed and reach.Claymore – A greatsword, heavy yet versatile.Throwing Spears (x5) – Lightweight, deadly from a distance.Spartan Spear & Round Shield – A classic pairing, offering both offense and defense.
Once I finished bookmarking my weapons, we made our way toward the training grounds.
At the heart of the island, an open field stretched nearly a kilometer in diameter—flat, spacious, and perfectly suited for close combat training.
In the distance, a majestic waterfall cascaded down from the cliffs, feeding into a crystal-clear river that snaked through the landscape. And there, on top of a grassy mound near the waterfall, was Grandfather.
As expected, he was lying down, one arm behind his head, the other lazily twirling a blade of grass between his fingers. His favorite spot, where he could watch our training without moving an inch.
Freya greeted him respectfully.
I didn't bother.
I knew him too well—he'd turn it into some ridiculous joke like always.
But as I got closer, I felt something different.
His usual mischievous smirk was gone.
Instead, his eyes were focused, his expression unreadable. There was seriousness in his gaze—something I wasn't used to seeing.
And for the first time, I hesitated.
Training always began with the Dance—a battle style my grandfather had honed through decades of war and discipline, refining the art of blade mastery into a seamless, flowing sequence.
As I took my stance, the air around me shifted.
A deep hum resonated in my ears as Codex Nexus—my personal summon book—materialized, floating beside my right hand, its pages fluttering as if caught in an unseen wind. The glow of Aether pulsed faintly from its surface, illuminating the inscriptions of every weapon stored within its boundless archive. The moment I willed it, the pages flipped on their own, and my arsenal manifested—not just appearing, but floating into their designated positions, as if drawn by an unseen force, held in place by my will and the Codex Nexus.
Labrys – A massive, double-headed axe hovered just above my left shoulder, radiating sheer destructive force, as if eager to crash down and shatter the ground.Claymore – Suspended near my right shoulder, its weight defied gravity, balanced in perfect anticipation of my grasp.Shield – A silent guardian, floating behind my back, rotating ever so slightly, as if watching for unseen threats.Wakizashi (x2) – Crossed at my lower back, their hilts resting weightlessly in the air, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.Katana & Kodachi – Suspended just beside my left hip, unmoving, patient, their edges gleaming under the soft glow of Aether.Throwing Spears (x5) – Lined up behind me, their tips hovering, shifting subtly, like a serpent coiling before its strike.
It was an eerie sight—a silent storm of blades orbiting around me, waiting for my command.
Grandfather watched, a smirk curling at the edge of his lips, arms folded behind his head. "Looks good."
That was my cue.
I stepped forward—and the Dance began.
The Dance of Devastation – Labrys
I reached for the Labrys, its weight pressing against my palm like a beast eager to be unleashed.
Then—I jumped.
Slam! The impact sent a deep tremor through the ground, dust and debris scattering as a shockwave rippled outward.
I twisted my grip. Twirl. The double-headed axe spun in my hands like a whirlwind, its edges carving the air with a sharp whistle.
Jump. Slam. Twirl. Slam. Jump. Twirl.
Each movement was a controlled explosion—power and momentum intertwining. The Labrys became an extension of myself, a storm of devastation as I rotated mid-air, bringing the blade crashing down again and again.
On the fifth impact, I launched the Labrys forward, sending it hurling toward my grandfather with every ounce of force I could muster.
He didn't move.
With a flick of his fingers, he snapped the axe away, sending it spiraling into the unknown like a discarded twig.
I clenched my fists. One day, he won't be able to do that so easily.
Katana – The Dance of Fluidity
I dismissed the Labrys and drew my Katana, the blade humming as it sliced through the air.
No wasted movement. No unnecessary force.
Each step was calculated, each swing light yet lethal, flowing like a gentle breeze—until it wasn't.
Grandfather summoned a thousand leaves, releasing them into the air.
The challenge? Cut every single leaf in ten steps—without breaking the flow.
I took my first step, feeling the rhythm.
Slash. The first set of leaves split apart.
Step. Turn. Slash. The second set fell like snowflakes.
Every movement had to be precise—the moment I lost control of my rhythm, the entire technique would crumble.
By the tenth step, every leaf had been cleaved in half.
Grandfather let out a whistle. "Impressive!" he called, as if he hadn't seen me do this a thousand times before.
I dismissed the Katana, returning to my stance.
Claymore – The Dance of Versatility
The moment I drew my Claymore, the world shifted—teleporting me to another part of the island.
Here, dense trees surrounded me, towering and unyielding.
My objective: Cut them down. But not just that—I had to thrust them into one designated corner the instant they fell.
The Claymore was about control and adaptability—a weapon that could hack through obstacles, yet also be wielded with finesse.
Each swing was a test of strength and precision.
Cut. Catch. Thrust.
Over and over, until a pile of trees formed in the corner.
But before I could finish, my blade swung toward Grandfather, a strike meant to test his reaction.
Before it could reach him, the world shifted again—teleporting me to my next trial.
Kodachi – The Dance of Execution
I now stood before a mound of massive stones.
A challenge of discipline.
Here, I could no longer use the Claymore—if I did, I'd have to restart from the beginning.
Instead, I dismissed the greatsword in a flash, summoning the Kodachi in its place.
The Kodachi was small but lethal, meant for precise, controlled execution.
My goal: Slice through twenty stones perfectly. No wasted strength, no hesitation.
I exhaled. Focus.
One cut. Clean.
Another. Seamless.
The Kodachi was about power in restraint—a weapon that relied on efficiency, not force.
By the time I sliced through the last stone, my breathing was steady, my movements sharp.
One final trial remained.
Wakizashi – The Dance of Acrobatics
The moment I completed the last cut, I was teleported again—this time, to an open field.
Here, it was all about speed and body movement.
Drawing my Wakizashi, I launched into a series of rapid dashes, flips, and spins, my blades flashing through the air.
The Wakizashi wasn't about raw power like the Labrys or heavy control like the Claymore.
It was about mobility—weaving through enemy strikes, dodging with perfect precision, becoming untouchable.
Each step had to be flawless, every movement balanced between grace and lethality.
I twisted, flipped, and slashed through the air like a ninja, feeling the momentum carry me.
I knew it was coming.
The final training always ended in a fight with Freya.
I just didn't know when she would strike.
As I executed the last move of my triple mid-air backflip with the Wakizashi, she made her move.
Boom!
A deafening crack split the air—
and for a split second, I saw it.
Her shadow.
Already behind me.
🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋✦ AetherBorne: The Archivus Legacy ✦🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋🜋Â