The Music Speaks

'Did she just kill him? There's no way, right?'

I try to convince myself that I am seeing wrong but as I touch my face, I can clearly feel the blood splattered all over it. I am stunned for a moment; no sound escapes my mouth. This situation is simply too difficult to accept.

"AAAAAAH! H-HE'S DEAD!"

Among my classmates, some lose the strength in their legs and fall to the ground. Others, unable to quell their horror, lose control of their bodily functions succumbing to nausea, or worse. Even Sylvia is shaken, the usual warmness in her face is nowhere to be seen. She is prepared to defend herself if the need arises.

Maestro Lauren snaps her fingers and the red-haired young man whom I thought to be dead is brought back to life. He seems to be in some sort of daze.

"Can someone guess what I just did?"

I answer her question.

"...You played your [melody]"

"Correct! As some of you might have already guessed by now, my [melody] allows me to create illusions"

Regardless of her statement, it is hard to believe her words. This couldn't have been a mere illusion; I could smell and feel the blood. I heard his body hit the ground and his head roll on the floor. Sight, hearing, smell and touch, she was able to manipulate 4 of my senses without me even noticing. The versatility of that ability is unfathomable, and I have a feeling that she has not shown us all she can do. Calling her ability terrifying would be an understatement.

"Do you know why this facility is called DaiKar? That's because you are babies, and this will be your daycare for the next 2 years. A good play on words right? Well it is not an exaggeration, I was able to put 25 of you under an illusion without anyone noticing. On an experienced [enlightened], I would not be able to pull off this trick. The effect would be even less pronounced on someone who knows of my ability. Do you know why?"

This time Sylvia answers her.

"The effects can be thwarted by making use of our flow, right?"

"That's exactly right! In the same way that running takes stamina, using your [melody] also takes energy. When you manifest your ability, you are manipulating your flow in a very specific way suited to your body but there are more general ways to use that energy that are applicable to everyone. For example, had you enhanced your senses using your flow, you would have been able to make the distinction between reality and fiction just now. "

Zora speaks up

"Is this flow thing something you'll teach us how to use?"

"Of course! But I believe that the best way to learn is through practice. Do you see that mountain peak behind me? At the very top lies your living quarters. You have 3 days to reach it. The first to reach the top will be your representative for the first 6 months of your stay. I won't spoil the surprise, but representatives have substantial privileges."

Before leaving, Maestro Lauren teaches us the flow method she wants us to use.

"Enhancing your senses using flow is a bit advanced so what I'll teach you today is body reinforcement, when trained to its peak it allows faster movement and a tougher body that can even withstand plasma cannons. After today's session you should be able to reinforce your legs and fingers to climb the mountain behind me."

She spends the afternoon showing us all how to guide our flow for body reinforcement. Once my turn comes, she tells me to sit down, close my eyes, and visualize a place within me from which my melody plays. She instructs me to start playing and tell her what I see.

"I see something resembling a complex sound wave pattern"

"Good, the wave pattern you just produced is inherent to your being, I wouldn't be able to reproduce it even if you explained it to me. What I want you to do now, is to use your flow to create a simple sound wave, as if you were playing a single note. We call this a pure tone and it is the basis of drawing out pure flow. When you get better, you'll be able to draw out more complex flow, allowing you better enhancement. Through this you'll one day be able to alter the wave pattern induced by your [melody] in a constructive way and officially reach the 2nd stage."

'So, I have to modify this complex sound wave pattern to be a 2nd stage enlightened?'

I predict that it won't take me that long. I created this melody after all. The concept of soundwaves produced from my flow is new, but these waves already look familiar to me.

Once the session ends, I am able to guide the pure flow to my hand and hit the ground, a small crater forms.

'So this is the world of the [enlightened]'

"Does everyone have a handle on basic flow control now?"

We all silently nod.

"You babies still don't understand anything, it's 'Yes Maestro Lauren!', do we need to repeat what happened this morning."

Remembering what we experienced a few hours prior, how real it felt, I do not hesitate, and the others seem to be of the same mind. In unison, we all answer her.

"YES MAESTRO LAUREN!'

"Better! Bye now, good luck on reaching the summit. Oh, before I leave, because this is a pure flow practice section, usage of your [melody] is strictly forbidden once you begin your ascent of the mountain. If you are caught, I will use you as a test subject for my abilities for a month! Also, I suggest you make teams; I will not spoil you, but you won't make it there alone"

She leaves and her threat resonates in my mind. I might not use my ability even if my life is in danger now.

Once she has left, an entirely new scenery is revealed to us. What we see is not a barren wasteland but a great forest brimming with life. In this forest, there is a tall, iron building made in the image of an impregnable fortress positioned at heart of a ring formed by 20 mountain peaks. Our peak is the one directly in front of us.

'We were in her illusion the second we stepped off the bus huh...'

Sylvia and Rowan both approach me. Well, Sylvia approaches me, and Rowan follows her.

"Do you fancy being a part of our team Alden?"

"I would be honored Ms. FullCastle"

"You can call me Sylvia you know?"

"How dare a peasant like me do that??"

Rowan smirks.

"Hmph, at least he knows his place!"

"Sigh~. Before we leave, I suggest we share our abilities with each other to increase our synergy."

Rowan is eager to share his ability. With a gleam of excitement in his eyes, he demonstrates and in the next instant, he disappears from our view. Though I can no longer see him, his voice resonates in the air.

"I can turn my body and anything I directly touch invisible! This lasts until I run out of energy or until I undo it myself!"

He reappears with a smug smile and Sylvia explains her ability instead of demonstrating.

"I can increase the weight of objects and living things by touching them. The increase is gradual. Every time we come into contact; their weight increases a bit more. The heavier I make them; the more energy it takes. It takes less energy if I increase my weight instead. For now, I can make someone or something as heavy as an elephant."

"What a great ability Ms. Sylvia! truly deserving of your title as the shining star of the FullCastle family!

Ignoring Rowan's comment, I explain my ability as well.

"I can make a circular shield the size of my body appear anywhere in a 3-meter radius around me. When it appears, it will be fixed in space and will break upon receiving a certain amount of damage."

During the three days we were given to prepare before leaving for DaiKar, I had time to experiment with my ability. Every time the shield takes damage, I lose a substantial amount of energy and an even more considerable amount if I re-summon it once it's broken. Though I do not mention it to my teammates, my shield holds another secret.

I tested this with my hand-to-hand combat professor from Lauderdale. Whenever I was not spending time with my siblings, I would go see him for guidance. At the time, I did not understand how he was able to inflict such damage upon my aegis despite his [melody] not giving him any type of physical enhancement. I realize now that he was most likely well-versed in pure flow control. He could have at least taught it to me, so stingy!

Currently, I can summon it 5 times in a row before reaching flow exhaustion and it takes about 10 full force hits from him to completely break my shield. Considering that I had just gained [enlightenment], he described my shield as extremely durable.

Sylvia speaks.

"Well then, shall we go?"

We leave the luggage on the bus after being told that it would be brought to our quarters by the driver and we enter the forest.