“Not once have I claimed that the Creator does not exist, nor is it a powerful being. Just because my faith falls into the laps of beings different from your own, does not make me this heretic you keep insisting upon. What you call the Gods of old have been the focus of our faith for longer than most countries have been around. But that's the beauty of faith, it does not matter as to who or what the faith goes to, as long as you hold in it your heart”

  ~Felsic Coraleye, Speaker of Rowani 6598 A.S.

  Andro and the Maxon family continued to make their way towards the tower, many of the conversations that had been ongoing fading away as their presence became known. Whispers soon replaced those conversations, whispers that were joined by pointing and gesturing. Except for the D’lavick family, something that Andro found to be on point for the uppity folk. The D’lavick were among the higher nobles who did not agree with the city on upkeep the Maxon house’s noble status. To them, what the Maxon house provided to the city was not worth the attention and praise that was bestowed upon them, something those on the council disagree with.

  There have been a countless number of families and individuals who have tried, and usually failed, to accomplish the same feats that the Maxon house has when it came to the art of divination. They were by no means the only people who could perform and utilize the skills of peering into the future, but it was a known fact they were considered the most talented at it. Yet despite that, the Maxon house adamantly refused to progress further into the ranks of nobility, being more than content with being among the few households named Minor nobles.

  There was a reason for this, and it was because of the very thing that they used to climb the social ladder. The founder of the Maxon house, Lady Jessilyn, had sacrificed the remainder of her lifespan in order to provide the power to undergo a truly massive divination ritual on the family itself. She had only uttered a few words before the ritual claimed her life, yet the Maxon house had stuck by those words for generations, “Greed shall be the Maxon’s downfall”

  This didn’t stop the Maxon’s from living well and enjoying a bit of wealth, however they kept strict control over it, never allowing their wealth to reach beyond a certain point. In terms of wealth, the Maxon house was considered to only be near the top of high class and for some reason this annoyed the other nobles quite a bit, but the Maxon’s didn’t care.

  Andro refocused as they passed through the doorway at the bottom of the tower, allowing him to once again see the glory that was held within. The tower was mostly hollow on the inside, yet stairways and walkways climbed the sides and crossed across the open air. Alcoves covered every open space of wall that could be seen and each one was filled by either a statue or a bookshelf. Each statue was of someone different and according to history, each one was of one of the founding Primelorn's who assisted the Creator with the creation of the beacons. Each of the bookshelves contained tomes of history and knowledge, some of the times before the beacons and others of battle and heroes that emerged after their creation.

  Standing perfectly in the center of the tower's floor was a rather tall man garbed in flowing robes the color of a moonless night. A deep hood hung loosely on his head, only allowing a white and perfectly smooth, oval shaped mask that seemed to give off the faintest glow from inside the hood. His hands were held clasped behind his back, but Andro knew from experience that even his hands were completely hidden underneath the long wide sleeves of his robe. Not a single sliver of skin could be seen of the man, nor would they ever see any as Andro knew from experience.

  The man stood completely motionless to the degree many would mistake him for a statue if not for the slight breeze that entered through the doorway, gently swaying the hem of his midnight robes. He gave off a feeling of power and control, yet that was overshadowed by the sheer comfort many felt in his presence. Andro aligned it to the feeling one would get from standing near a benevolent king who cared deeply for his people, but didn’t hesitate to rain destruction down upon his foes.

  “Greetings, and welcome to the Sanctuary of the beacon” The man spoke, his voice soft and kind, yet resonating with untapped power. “May I ask your purpose for your visit on this day?”

  They all knew the question was more of a formality, but Andro did not hesitate to step forward and address the man.

  “I am here to partake in my Choosing day, to have my concepts be revealed by the beacon so I may begin my path of progression.” He stated calmly and with resolve as he looked to where he thought the man's eyes were behind the featureless mask.

  The man nodded once, then asked, “May I ask your name?”

  “I am Androlis Seavert Qwintholys Maxon of House Maxon” He responded nearly faltering in his full name considering how many years it had been since fully introducing himself to that degree, but he persisted and had answered without so much as a quiver in his voice.

  “Very well, Androlis Maxon. You may call me The Curator, it is my sacred duty to be both guardian, and servant to the Beacon, and I recognize this to be your choosing day. On this day, you and many others shall have your concepts awakened through the power of the Beacon, and choose your path forward in the form of your core skills.” The Curator announced, his voice being carried throughout the entirety of the sanctuary tower despite not raising his voice, “We are near the twelfth hour of the day, where you and your fellow choosers shall join me for the ceremony. Your family are welcome to await for you outside among the sands and I shall call upon you all when it is time” The Curator explained to which Andro and his family agreed, gave The Curator a bow of respect, then made their way back out of the tower.

  They settled on an open patch of glittering sand that had yet to be disturbed and talked amongst themselves, mostly about how excited they all were. Well, how excited everyone else was for Andro. He already knew what his concepts would be, so all he had to really look forward to was the different skills he would start with. However, his mind kept wandering to the other individuals who would be joining him for the ceremony, especially Chen, who was currently doing sit-ups with a look of utter concentration on his face. His shirt had somehow disappeared, but Andro ignored that as an idea came to mind, an idea of something he could do that would increase his odds for his goals for the future.

  He was already aware that despite the bouts of depression he believed Chen fell into last time, he was still able to accomplish his dream. But what if something were to change this time? Nothing major as he knew Grandmother would never leave him alone if he started making drastic changes, but a small change should be fine. If he were to give Chen a nudge in the right direction, it could help him reach that dream of his faster and more fluidly.

  Andro already fully understood that if he wanted to stop the events that were bound to repeat themselves, he was going to help, and he had a perfect idea on where to start.

  “I will be right back” he said to his family before stalking off towards the lone individual working out like his life depended on it. His family gave him curious looks and asked where he was going, but he ignored them and kept walking.

  Others who had been waiting took notice of him walking off by himself, but none stopped him and simply observed and waited. Chen seemed to be the last one to notice Andro’s approach, and that was only when he was within a few meters of him. With a look of curiosity replacing the one of concentration, Chen hopped up to his feet and picked up his shirt from where he had been apparently laying on it. “Greetings” Andro started, mentally wincing at the lame greeting, but put a smile on his face anyways and held out his hand, “My name is Androlis, Androlis Maxon”

  Chen still looked at him with confusion, but took the offered hand and shook it saying, “My name is Chen” then he squinted and looked past him for a brief moment, “You're from that family of seer’s, correct?” he asked before releasing the handshake and brushing the sand off his shirt.

  “I am” he nodded then lowered his voice so only Chen could hear, “and that is precisely why I approached you”

  Chen paused, his shirt pulled halfway on, then yanked it the rest of the way, his confusion back at an increased degree. “I am going to need some more detail, I don't have anything to do with seer’s”

  “I can’t go into detail” Andro said still keeping his voice soft, “Giving out too much detail can mess with the things we are known for, but I can still reveal something” he said trying to convey as much meaning into his words as he possibly could without sounding insane, or desperate.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  By the way Chen’s eyes widened, he looked as if he understood what he was getting at and he leaned closer, his voice also lowing in volume and asked, “Does something happen to me? Do I become a villain or some great evil?”

  Andro was almost caught off guard by the wild assumption that Chen’s imagination jumped too, but shook his head while suppressing a chuckle. He took a second to consider his next words carefully, not wanting to make thighs too obvious but still provide enough information for Chen to act upon. Finally he looked Chen in the eyes, his gaze unwavering and steady as he said, “Your dream is not impossible. Even with the events of today, all it will take is a careful thought.”

  Chen looked confused again and opened his mouth to say something, but Andro just shook his head, gave him a smile and said “Good choosing Chen” before making his way back over to his family and their own confused stares.

  His mother was the first one to speak up with a raised eyebrow, “What did you say to that young man?”

  “He looked nervous so I offered some words of encouragement” Andro replied with a shrug and smiling.

  Lady Leandra Maxon eyed her son for a moment longer before looking towards the young man he had spoken to, meeting his gaze. With a flicker of surprise, she could feel her skill [Pathfinder] tingle with the urge to activate. Curious as to what would be revealed to her, she allowed her focus to drift into the embrace of her skill. What was revealed to her only lasted a brief moment, yet it was unmistakably the same young man as he stood with his back to her. Brilliant azure lightning and flames the color of the sunrise dancing and flowing across his body, focused mainly along his limbs, as he faced off against something she couldn’t see.

  The vision had lasted barely a few moments, yet something about it felt strong. In her many years of practicing the art of divination, she could recognize the feeling of when a vision became tethered to the path. It was difficult to tell exactly when the vision would come to pass, but she was confident it would.

  She sent the young man a comforting smile and a nod of greeting before looking back towards her son who still simply stood there, an innocent smile on his face as if he had no clue as to what he had just done. At the same time she wondered if he actually did know, or if he truly was just trying to offer some encouraging words to a stranger. One thing she did know for certain was her son has changed, yet she was not entirely sure as to how. The young man who had woken up screaming just hours before was no doubt her son, but something told her it was not the same son she raised for the past eighteen years.

  She continued to watch him, observing everything about him from the way he stood, how he shifted his weight and even to how he talked now. With all of that she would see subtle differences, like how he stood with his back more straight and confident, or how he maintained perfect balance with every step or shift. What truly caught her attention however, was his eyes. He shared in his fathers steel grey eyes, yet there was something more to them now, something that spoke of age and loss. It was as if the dream that had awoken him aged him decades, and she had no idea on how to address that.

  There wasn’t much point in mulling over it right now however, all she could do was let out a soft sigh and trust that if something were truly wrong Grandmother would know about it. Today was her son’s choosing day and there was no way she would allow her own doubts to ruin this for him.

  “What did you do” Kayla piped up, “I may not be the seer mother is, but my skill [A step ahead] is acting all funny when I look at that guy”

  “So it wasn’t just me?” Leandra thought to herself as she glanced over at Kayla

  “I already said what I did, offered some words of encouragement” Andro replied, his smile unwavering and even chuckling. He could tell they all wanted to ask him more, but thankfully he was saved by a voice echoing out from the tower.

  “The twelfth hour is upon us. Choosers of the Beacon, join me within the inner sanctuary” The voice of the Curator announced, sounding just as soft as before, yet echoing across the sands and into the ears of everyone present.

  “That looks like my cue,” Andro said before giving his family a quick hug, who all wished him good luck, and made his way towards the tower's entrance.

  He had almost made it to the entrance, when a rather vivid memory came back to him. Right before he stepped through the stone archway, as well as suppressing a grin, he stepped to the side but kept his foot out. The larger young man, Devon, who had just been about to push him aside in order to be the first one in, instead found himself stumbling forward when he failed to make contact. That stumble took him right into the path of Andro’s slightly outstretched foot, where he tripped and hit the ground with a curse. Devon glared up at Andro who answered with a smile as he reached down to offer his hand out to the young man.

  “Careful” he said, his smile only growing wider. “Don’t want to bump into one another now do we?”

  The young man on the ground slapped away the offered hand as he scrambled back up to his feet, his glare only intensifying. The crowd had stopped upon seeing the tension brewing between the two young men.

  “We got a problem?” Devon growled out stepping into Andro’s personal space, his shoulders squared up.

  “Not at all,” Andro replied cheerfully, keeping his smile bright and wide on his face. “Only the fact you are nothing but a spoiled brat who needs better manners” he thought to himself, not letting his true feelings show themselves on his face. At the same time, he was scolding himself for allowing himself to act so childless.

  “You better watch yourself punk” Devon sneered as he turned away and strode into the tower

  Andro was confused as to how he was the punk, after all he was technically old enough to be Devon’s grandfather and the young man had tried to bump into him. However he held his tongue, kept his smile and made his way into the tower proper, moving off to the side to give room to everyone else that followed behind. Once everyone was within the tower's walls, the Curator spoke up from his same spot at the center.

  “Welcome to the Venilar Beacon sanctuary. You may call me the Curator and today I shall be your guide as you awaken to your concepts and choose your path” The powerful voice of the Curator filled the tower and Andro could barely hold back his smirk.

  “Jokes on you, I already know what mine are” Andro couldn’t help but think to himself as the Curator continued.

  “Allow me to explain the process of what you shall undergo as we proceed to the beacon proper” He explained, his arms gently raising before giving a swift flick.

  Before anyone could respond or question what he meant, the walls around them began to rise and climb upwards, at least that is what they appeared to do. In reality, the entire floor of the tower was descending further into the depths of the tower, showing all but Andro how far down it truly reaches. The walls were the same, even containing similar statue filled alcoves that were revealed as they moved.

  The Curator spoke up once more, continuing his explanations as if the entire floor wasn’t moving.

  “Once we have all arrived within the true sanctuary, all of you shall gather at the base of the beacon. Once at a time, I shall call upon you by name and when I do, please approach the beacon and place both your hands upon its surface.” He explained, leaving Andro impressed as it was word for word the exact explanation he gave the last time. “Through the Beacons power your concepts shall be revealed as well as if you qualify to become a class holder. Once that is all revealed, you shall be granted the wonder of choosing your first skills.”

  Whispered excited murmurs spread throughout the people at the Curator's words, some of them staring at the platform they stood on as if they could make it move faster.

  “With your skills chosen, the beacon will insert your shard. Your shard will be what allows you to access your skills and your progression status on your path to power.” The Curator explained, his hand covered by his sleeve rising up to press into the center of his own chest, where a faint glow emanated from beneath the fabric.

  “The implantation of your shard shall trigger your first rank evolution, something that I must warn can be uncomfortable. The process of evolution will take some time to complete, in which your body will be expelling impurities.”

  That statement had more whispers spreading amongst those present, something the Curator didn’t seem to mind as he waited patiently for the voices to die back down.

  “To make the process less discomforting for all involved, uniquely made cleansing tubs have already been prepared and currently rest within the chamber to be used. Please, once your evolution commences, make your way into one of the tubs.”

  Chen leaned in close to Andro and whispered, “What does he mean expelling impurities?”

  Not seeing a reason to withhold the information, Andro explained, “Imagine it like you're sweating after a long workout, but instead of water coming out of your skin it is this foul grayish black sludge that is the collective biowaste of things wrong with your body. Things like poor diet, lack of exercise and even diseases”

  Chen looked horrified at the explanation, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. Almost as if he was afraid to ask any more questions, he stayed silent for the rest of the trip, yet he still glanced at his arms as if they might try and betray him.

  A few moments later, the large platform that rode down passed the final set of statue filled alcoves and emerged into a massive open cavern, easily a few hundred meters across. Gasps filled the area around them as all, but Andro saw the spectacle for the first time. The large crystal and brass structure that dominated the center of the chamber. The Beacon of Venilar.