The cool fall air was warmed by the golden rays of the sun, the wind gently rustled hair and garments. Today was a special day for the students. While they had recently been brought to their new homes in the temple school, they were now on a trip into the forest to see their first Hallow Tree. The morning frost had left the leaves slick with dew, giving their hues of reds and oranges an extra shine and depth along the veins. Sensei Toma leads the group of small children, the next generation of guardians, along the ages worn footpath. A white, folded flag periodically marked the path to the tree. It took a fair amount of time, and while the path was well worn, it was not in any way an easy path. Not for the young children, and not for the obviously elderly Toma. Before the group made the clearing that housed The Old Hallowed Tree, the instructor stopped the group to allow not only himself but the children also, a chance to rest. He stroked his long white beard a moment as he let out a long sigh, the effort was obvious on his breath, especially as spoke.

"Haah, Gather around now, children. Haah, haaah. Hmmmm, we are nearly there now. And judging by the sunlight, we should be getting there just in time to see the changing of the bindings. Haaah, Haaah... uhem... It is imperative that you not get in the way of the older Guardians. But you should watch closely, as someday you too will take over the responsibility of maintaining the Hallow Trees," He coughs into his sleeve, the heavy phlem on his voice cleared momentarily, Toma breaths more easily. "Come along, then."

Not much further along the forest path the group of students and their instructor find themselves in the clearing along with a very large, and very old tree. The ground surrounding it is kept barren, meticulously groomed and the area around the tree stomped into a hard earthen floor. The tree itself was an old birch tree, the white bark peeling back in white scrolls of paper, but in stark contrast to the pure white of the birch, the leaves with red and edged in black. At the base of the tree, five figures moved almost as if dancing with a thick braided cotton rope crossing around the trunk forming a star between the figures. Suddenly lines of colored light raced along the length of ropes. These ropes are then tacked to the ground, the old ropes are then removed. The dancing continues a moment longer, each mage with a length of rope in their hands. Suddenly the ropes dissolve into a scatter of light.

"Well then," Sensei Toma started with a wheeze, "What did you think about that?"

Like many of the children surrounding her, Ashe had no idea what was going on. She didn't understand why her parents had dropped her off here and not returned yet, or what she was doing in this place in the first place. She knew nothing about magic or the trees that the old man kept going on about. She certainly didn't know that the new friend she had made, the girl who's hand was clutched in her own, would die just ten short years later. All she truly knew right now was that she was tired from so much walking.

The old man finally stopped and started talking to them. He used a lot of big words that she didn't understand, but she thought he said something about them watching something and not getting in the way. Then they started walking again, but only for a short time more. They stopped again on the edge of a clearing, where there were more people. She didn't understand the beauty of the tree, or why the people were dancing around the tree, or what the glowy lights were. All she saw was some silly adults doing silly adult things. When the old man asked them what they thought, Ashe was completely silent. But several people around her collapsed into fits of giggles. Including the girl who's hand she was still holding.

"We walked all this way, for that?" Ashe said finally. "It was just some silly grown ups." She didn't understand the importance of what she saw, and wouldn't for several more years. For now, she just sat on the ground next to the girl, tired and more than a little cranky.

Arden's lower lip protruded the top as he continued to pout. As soon as the display that caught him wide eyed and intrigued was over he went back to being miserable. The trip was tiring and he hadn't slept much the night before. Even now he wasn't allowed to run and play like the adults. Sure the dance and colours were exciting but standing still and merely observing wasn't his thing.

Hiding his short moment of excitement he quickly looks down to the leaves scattered across the floor. With a grumpy kick his foot disrupts their rest. Through the torn cloth patch covering his knee Arden spots a small glistening or red peaking through, reminding him of his earlier fall. With a balled up fist he rubbed his tired eyes and continued to look down at his wound.

His reluctance to participate in the conversation or enjoy the scenery was all part of his defiance to the situation. Arden was a highly energetic child who didn't care much for being told what to do. He had had a hard time settling in and making friends. By the sight of the two girls before him it was clear that for him it was harder then some of the other kids.

The old man talked and Ashe replied, meanwhile Arden just stared at the girls from behind. Ashe's hand holding her friends and her friend holding a rare star Fruit. It was worth the scolding and the scraped knee just to be able to bring the fruit to her. One day he would know it as a Paopu Fruit. For now it was just the object of her eye and Arden felt proud for having retrieved it.

Oscar was confused this whole day. He had been left with some strange old man to see a magic trick. He was the curious type and had questions, lots and lots of questions. What had they just seen? Why did his mom drop him off here? Who was the Toma and these other kids? These questions and more littered about in his mind, and would not be answered until later on in his life but for now he stood with a look of confusion and curiosity.

When Toma asked what they thought, Oscar scratched his head and shrugged. To him the grown-ups by the tree just looked funny. Now the magic looking part was pretty cool, but how did they do it? Then Ashe spoke up first and her response did not sound all that happy, as if she had been expecting more. Truth be told Oscar wanted to go home, he did not even wanna go outside today let alone come all they way out here.

"Excuse me, but when can I go home?" Oscar asked. He was a shy boy and did not want to be rude, his mom had taught him better than that. But he longed to see her, he was a mamas boy after all and stuck to her hip when he could. "I m-mean they look funny dancing like that, b-but the lights were cool." He corrected himself just in case Toma got up up set. He still wanted an answer though, what was the point of all this?

Darya watched the magic with a light in her eyes. She didn’t have much in the way of a home before this, and at least this place fed her on a regular basis. She watched the ceremony, or at least that’s what she called it in her head, with rapt attention until Toma called their attention.

Darya clapped avidly, her mouth opening like she was going to speak but then closing before any sound came out. Not that any sound could come out, she hadn’t uttered a sound since she was two years old, not that she remembered that. Darya wouldn’t make another sound until she was much older but at that moment she didn’t know that either. She just knew that what they did was amazing and she wanted to do that, and if that meant staying here then she’d do everything in her power to make that happen. She looked around to the other kids...who looked bored and annoyed. She frowned at that, wondering how they weren’t amazed by the actual magic that happened in front of them.

Darya sighed and looked back at Toma, waiting to see what else there was in store for them, since she was sure it was going to be amazing.

Krissy, like Darya, loved every moment of the presentation. She had no clue whatsoever about it all, except that she wanted to learn it all and she wanted to be the best. When asked what they thought, she excitedly raised her hand and waited for the opportunity to speak. "I want to learn how to do that! It seems like maybe they did something like this?" She started to emulate the movement, Toma started to chuckle at first, but then he became concerned when he noticed how accurately the girl was emulating the motions. "Ye-Yes, quite good enough there, Krissy. Enough of that for now!"

"As for the rest of you, This school, as it were, will be your home now. You have been conscripted by the law into the service of the nation due to your unique talents. While you may not yet realize it. Each and every one of you has the ability to do what you saw here today. And what you saw is the most sacred and holy responsibility that could ever be asked of you. With your help, together, we will keep our nation, no... our world, safe from harm for many many years to come." He struggled for the breath to finish the sentence and nearly gasped in the air that he had deprived himself, the sudden rush of air into Toma's old dusty lungs sounded wet.

Unbeknownst to Toma or anybody else in the group at that time, Krissy's little emulation had a small impact on the balance of the sealing binds that were wrapped around the tree. It was small, impossibly small, but to a Demon sealed away inside with nothing but time, it was enough to begin working on its escape.

"Now then, now that we have had a rest, let us start on our trip back home. If we dally, we might all miss our suppers... I heard that tonight is Tubers and Mash!" Of course, Sensai Toma said that, but it was truly his own legs that slowed the group down the most.

Time would past and the children would grow little by little, learning how to control the magic that was weaved into the world around them. Their abilities grew as their bodies grew and soon they were participating in combat training. Not only in how to cast and use spells in combat, but hand to hand combat as well. No weapons were generally used, as their carrying would simply interrupt the spell patterns, though, in the rare situation where more reach was needed, the simple staff was meant to be sufficient and easy enough to improvise a staff if one was needed.

The students would eventually come to learn about how they could use their spells for various kinds of transport or maneuverability. The Air Mages learned how, if they used a kind of kite or a special bodysuit, they could emulate flight. Water Mages could create iceways that were slick and allowed for faster, quieter movement. Earth Mages had a similar technique, but using a wheeled board or wheeled boots were required to really reap the benefits, so earth mages also learned how to make quick pillars of stone to create cover. While it was not fast or stealthy, it was an almost always effective way to close the distance. While spirit users lacked a physical way to make the terrain easier, they developed two general techniques as well. The first was the way of the mind, taping into the spiritual flow of energy the mage could press their senses out of the body and explore the area around themselves as if floating. The second way was the way of the muscle, infusing spiritual energy into their limbs they could push themselves to move faster than they ever could have done without. Fire mages had no special maneuverability spells, at least none that they were willing to teach. That is until Krissy. It did not have the kind of grace and precision as some of the other schools of magic, but it was flashy. Effectively, it was to set off a large explosion immediately behind or below the caster and let it launch them into the air. The downfall, of course, was that it also affected other people standing nearby, and once in the air, there was little the caster could do about changing directions, leaving them vulnerable to archers or similar.

As time passed and the students learned more and more and created more and more, the demon in the Old Hallowed Tree continued to push and push and get a little stronger every day.

Enough time had passed and the students had proven that they were capable of completing a binding ceremony. Finally, graduation day had arrived.

The children had grown into young adults, blossoming not unlike the pink flowers that adorned the trees around them. Senpai Toma was still teaching, he had remained their instructor their entire life, and in many ways, he had become a surrogate grandparent... one that was not afraid to use their cane to get a point across as Arden had learned early on and often. Of the 11 children who had started with them, only these five were there to graduate. Toma led the small gathering through the graduation, if an outside had been there it would be little more than a collection of hisses, wheezes, phlegmy coughs, and mumbling. However, the five had grown used to it and could understand what Senpai Toma was saying. There was much todo about responsibility. There was much forwarning about neglecting their abilities. There was much shaking of the cane in emphasis of the importance of what they were meant to do. When it was all said and done an attendant of Toma's handed out a five-pointed seal to each of the five, indicating their status and authority. The group bowed out of respect, as they were instructed to do in rehearsal, and then excused.

Relaxation was short-lived, they had their first replacement binding ceremony within an hour, at the same tree that they had first been truly introduced into this world at.

Ashe's lips curled into a pout when the old man proceeded to ignore her for some stupid girl who was trying to mimic the dancing that the silly grown ups had done. While it bothered her now, it soon wouldn't. She would forever be the quiet girl in the background, more interested in books than the company of others. The one that was never heard when she did try to speak up. It hurt now, but she would soon get used to it. She would enjoy the fact that she could go around unnoticed for the most part.

There was one who never failed to notice her. Emma, the girl who's hand she had held. They had become friends quickly and as they grew up they only got closer. Emma was a Fire Mage, a hard worker even if she lacked talent. There was an accident in training, one person was injured though not severely, another was killed, Emma. The next day, Ashe had shown up at training with a tattoo, a dragon wrapping around her forearm. The dragon was a creature that represented fire, it was a dedication to the friend she had just lost.

Ashe was always skilled at the manipulation of her element. Wind would swirl around her fingertips with just the slightest movement. She was so intuned with the wind that she could manage some semblance of flight without the special kites or suits. She could only get a few feet off the ground and moved rather slowly, but it was more than most could manage. Her favorite techinque was creating spheres of concentrated, controlled, air. Small ones could be used to attack, but she could also create them large enough for her to ride. If she kept focus on a single small sphere, she could move it around freely without having to touch it, rather than just throwing it and hoping it hit something.

Graduation day for Ashe was bittersweet. She stood by four others who had all proven that they were skilled in their element. But the Fire Mage was not the one that she wanted to stand by. The fingers on her right hand lightly brushed the head of the tattoo and she only partially listened to Sensei Toma's speech. She accepted her seal with the group and bowed when it was time. Then they were all excused, for a short while at least. Their first binding ceremony was only a short time away.

Ashe had no intentions of celebrating with the others. Their training may have been done, but none of them had actually done anything yet. What was the point of celebrating? Instead, after they were excused, she slipped away from the group seemingly unnoticed and disappeared among the trees. She only went a short distance away, to her favorite spot. While some trees held bindings on them, others did not. Her favorite spot was a tree that did not yet have bindings. It was a perfect tree, with branches that created a perfect place to sit. The Air Mage climbed with the tree with practiced ease, settling into the spot that had seemingly been made for her. Out of her bag she pulled the book that she was currently reading, and quickly lost herself among it's pages.

Arden's free spirited attitude and intense energy refused to fade or be tamed even as he grew up. While he was a good student his attention was short and curiosity large. He often questioned everything, even to the point of self detriment to his own learning.

Due to his nature, Arden's mastery of his element was not at the level of his peers. He blamed it on the element itself and often wished for another. Spirit was not as fierce as fire or as strong as earth. He couldn't manipulate it like water or take control of his environment like air. For that reason he always felt left out and was jealous of the others gifts. His training was often different too.

Instead Arden put more of his time and focus in the martial arts. Training with the staff when ever he could. Despite his teachers best efforts Arden treated it as a sword, tradition stood no match for his imagination.

Even now with less than an hour to prepare for his final test, Arden knew he should be getting ready and practising. He had every intention to but one thing lead to another. Now he stood with his finest garments rolled up over his knees and elbows as he swayed around in a shallow muddy river searching madly for his brand new five pointed seal.

Darya stayed silent for all her years of training. Her vocal cords slowly healed, with the help of some of the more advanced water mages. Now she was at the point where she could speak but she still hadn't, at least not to anyone. She had been practicing by herself but if she was honest with herself she was scared.
She was patient with her training, and she was good at it. She wasn't the best, but she was the one who survived so that had to count for something. At their graduation ceremony she listened to Toma before she went to the river, to meditate. Except then she found Arden, digging in the river for something. She raised an eyebrow as she stopped the river current and cleared the river for him so he could find what he was looking for without ruining his clothes.
It was then she spotted what he was looking for, and had the water scoop it up and bring it to him, spraying him in the face slightly. She smiled brightly if he cared to look back at her and settled into the river bank, putting her feet in the mud.

Typical, Arden thought to himself as familiar haunting voice rang through his head. Once again he had to rely on another's elemental gift to get him out of the predicament he was in. Another instance were 'spirit' was of no use. But as usual those thoughts barely surfaced for a second and did not reflect on his face nor reach a form of verbalisation. For as quick as they came they swiftly swept away down a deep dark hole where they remained still, silent and hidden. Locked away, ever slowly growing.

No, the grin he wore was one of a charming and playful gratitude. His smile alone could speak volumes while his eyes kind and caring were truly fit for a spirit mage. Deep and mesmerising it was no wonder he could see the souls of things.
As the water patted his face highlighting his tattoos, he didn't fight it but chuckled lightly and embraced the spay of cool liquid.

Arden looked over the now empty river, noting how far off he was from where the water had picked up his medallion. Without Darya's help he would have been here for quite some time if he ever found it at all. He looked over to Darya and caught her smiling at him. Darya the shy, silent and mysterious water Mage. Arden knew how to give a charming grin but there was something so sweet, innocent and infectious when Darya curled up those full luscious lips.

Partly to impress, partly out of a sense to validate his own powers and position, Arden closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath as he forced a wave of energy down into his legs. Lowering like a spring he suddenly shot up in a wide arcing backflip, floating his energy down to his right hand he sprung off it as it hit the ground before landing back on his feet on the clear green grass.

With a flourish of his hand he leant forward in a bow and then stood and waved. That's when he noticed it. His flip had fallen short and a splatter of mud had sprayed up his arm and sleeve when he had sprung off it. Even though now graduated he still couldn't get a consistent measure of energy.

He needed to go clean his shirt sleeve and polish his seal but he didn't want to seem thankless. For some reason when around Darya Arden lost sense of his own words, he often wondered if it was due to some empathic link or simply some weird psychological behaviour. So he simply stood there like a mute and watched her for a moment as he decided what to do.

Darya watched the spirit mage closely, clear wonder on her face. He was more special than the rest of them, that’s for sure. She had always stayed near him, and he always seemed to gravitate towards her. He wasn’t one who needed to fill up her silence with his voice, and she was more than willing to help him with whatever he needed.

Darya clapped as he flipped onto the bank near her. She bit her top lip as she considered what she was about to do. Arden has been a close friend of hers throughout the years, and if she was going to tell anyone first, it should be him. But the thought of speaking in front of someone gave her butterflies in her stomach.

She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, on it, written in her messy scrawl, was the question ‘Can you keep a secret?’ Darya handed it to Arden, looking at him with searching eyes. Trying to figure out what his reaction would be. She fidgeted with her foot and behind her the water was restless, little ripples appearing every time she moved.

'Can you keep a secret?'
It was the same question tugging at his own heart. Although undoubtedly their inner conflicts were bound to differ. He took the pencil Darya always carried on her, knowing we're she kept it. After a quick scribble he returned the paper and writing utensil.

It read in his simple handwriting below her question. He couldn't answer any other way. Mute or not Darya had kept Arden out of trouble numerous times and never told on him even in the cases that she probably should have.

He watched the paper with an eager curiousness and a faint slither of concern as he waited for her to write this new secret. His mind raced with the possibilities, now graduated anything could be happening. Maybe she was leaving. That thought saddened him but it was a wide world full of possibilities and excitement. Especially for a talented water Mage. Arden would understand.

Darya smiled as he wrote his reply. She took a deep breath to calm the butterfly’s once more before clearing her throat.

“Hello Arden. It’s nice to finally speak with you.” Darya said outloud. Her voice was still scratchy with disuse, and her words had a funny sort of accent to them, as if they weren’t quite sure where they came from. She sat still, watching for his reaction. She didn’t think it would be any less than joyous but still. Her smile grew wide as she thought of more words to say out loud.

“They healed my voice about a month ago but it took awhile to talk again...I haven’t told anyone but Toma. I was going to surprise everyone at once but I thought you should know first.” Darya explained, folding her paper back up. After today she hoped she would never need it again.

“I need you to keep it a secret though, because I don’t know when I want to tell the others.” Darya said quietly, looking him the eyes to make sure he understood what she was asking, not that she really doubted him. They had been through thick and thin, and they always had each other’s back. This would prove no different.

The surprise hit Arden with physical shock as he staggered back a step and looked up at her from the paper, wide eyed and a little confused. Her silence was just something he had come to accept and hearing her voice for the first time was the last thing he could have expected.

It wasn't until Darya spoke again was Arden sure what was happening. That's when he lit up like a kid on Christmas. Filled with ecstatic surprise he quickly swept in and embraced Darya before she had even finished speaking.

"H' how?" He asked excitedly before she could even explain. "That's amazing!" Arden was clearly very happy for her and had to restrain himself before he gave away her little secret.

Calming himself he stepped back, giving her some space and looked to her. "Tell them when you feel it's right. Maybe after tonight's ceremony? If you're ready."
A wide smile never left his face.
"Wow." he repeated softly. Highly amused.

Oscar, like Ashe, tended to be silent and reclusive, but he was always inquisitive and watched his surroundings eagerly, always learning what things he could using the small unseen details. Where someone might see a leaf stuck to a pant leg and think, 'What is so important about a leaf,' Oscar would know what type of leaf it was and where it came from. He would deduce information about where that person had been and judging by the fact it was still there the person was in too big a hurry to get somewhere, or away from somewhere, to have tidied themselves up.

He used this skill now to observe the teachers after the ceremony. They were talking, it seemed as though they were worried about something. Did they not truly think that the new graduates were ready for their first assignment? If so, why did they allow them to graduate? Krissy was a savant, complete control over her element, to the point that she could touch the flame directly with her skin and not be brunt. However, she was reckless and would do things that might cause trouble for someone else. Arden, it seemed to Oscar, was the opposite. He was a rare mage who had the potential to fully tap into the spiritual powers around him, and yet he seemed afraid to do so, like he didn't have the confidence needed to fulfill his duty. The extremes of the group were probably what concerned the sensei.

Oscar would have enjoyed more time to collect information and watch the group chat more, but it was time to start heading to the site of where it all began.

As each of the five traveled to the clearing under the old Hallowed tree memories would play out before them of their friendships and trial and tribulations leading up to this moment. Once there, the group would have a moment to meditate and to collect themselves for what they were about to do. Nerves would no doubt be running high, if not amongst the students, then amongst the teachers who had gathered to observe. The teachers also took the moment to meditate and pray for success.


After a short time, Krissy would ask, "Everyone ready? Let's do this!" Clearly eager and overexcited.

The five would take their places and begin their initial movements. These first few moves were not moves intended to actively cast spells, simply movements intended to allow the group to synchronize their movements together and match each others pace and timing. The same set of five movements would be repeated until they all moved together. It would be an uncomfortable number of repetitions before the group decided they were ready to continue without words. Able to move on their bodies would twist and pull, pushing the spirit flow around them into the intricate shapes and patterns that made up the complex combination of spells they were about to perform.

Everything was going perfectly, all of their motions perfectly timed and paced, each member of the five watching each other. Everything in harmony, everything in balance. When it was time to place the new bindings many of the teachers visibly stiffened, the moment of truth was upon them. The new bindings were placed and the old bindings removed, a few more movements and then the old bindings would be cleansed, vanishing in a stream of light.

The group took a few deep breaths together, bowed to the tree, and walked away from the tree, still in synchrony. It wasn't until they had reached the clearing that they dared move independently of one another.

Sensei Tomo was the first to great them. "You have exceeded expectations, you should all be very proud of yourselves. Tonight there will be a village festival in your honor. Tomorrow we will meet and discuss what your futures hold."

Not a moment after the last words a soul rendering crack erupted through the entire area, like reality itself had been snapped in two everyone could feel it down the very marrow of their bones and none more so then Arden. A vacuum of spirit energy had been formed in an instant and the shockwave of the returning spirit energy nearly knocked him off of his feet. Screams followed, but something was different about these screams.

Back in the clearing, the tree had exploded in a fiery explosion and there, screaming in the agony of its rebirth back into the world was a very large demon. Red skinned with black eyes, horns, nails, and hair, it was awash in blue flame which was rapidly spreading from its body into the surrounding forest. All around it teachers writhed in an agony of their own, or if they had made it through the explosion with little to no damage, they were already starting to take up battle stances and started to process their energy into casting spells.

Ashe read until the last possible minute, then slipped unnoticed into the clearing right before it was time. She took her place with the others, her expression perfectly blank and uncaring. Any of the magic and excitement that this day was suppose to hold had been stolen away along with Emma. The quiet woman had studied hard and practiced until the movements of the ceremony were second nature. She wasn't worried about her own performance, but rather the performances of those around her.

It took a while for them all to sync up with the inital movements. Part of that was Ashe's fault, she found it difficult to match her movements to Krissy's. But eventually, it was time to start the ceremony. Everything went smoothly, Ashe's movements perfect as she had practiced so many times before. When it was over, they returned to Sensei Toma, who told them about a festival that would be held that night. Ashe already made plans to avoid it entirely. That was way too many people for her liking.

It was then that all hell broke loose, quite literally. There was a blast of spirit energy that caused a shudder to go down Ashe's spine, and then screaming came from the direction of the tree. Ashe was the first of the five to react, taking off at a run toward the tree. As soon as the tree was in her line of sight, she stopped dead in her tracks. Standing there, where the tree once was, stood a demon. Teachers were already dead or wounded from the inital explosion. Blue flames were starting to spread out.

Ashe's expressionless face shifted into something far more fierce. Her first instinct was to keep the flames away from the other trees, the other bindings. But she had to hope that Krissy could handle that. Instead, she attacked the demon. Their best time to kill it was now, before it regained all of it's power in this world. Ashe took a step forward with her left leg and thrust her right forward into a powerful kick. The wind displaced by the kick gathered together, forming a wave of high speed, razor sharp force, aimed directly at the demon.

Arden stood wracked with nerves, a small young insignificant figure before the grand ancient tree. His hands slightly trembled, knees felt weak and his earlier meal turned in his stomach. So many powerful mages had stood here where he was now and completed the ritual without fail. Would he be the first to let them all down? He wanted to look away, look down and hide his face, but it was too important that he watch closely the two opposite him, holding opposing corners of the pentagon shape they had created around the tree.
While it was never said, he felt as though he was the top of the pentagon and held a crucial point. Right or wrong, for better or worse, it's just how he saw it. With that thought came an extra two tonnes of metaphorical weight on his shoulders. It wasn't until the third repetition of their entry movements did it drift away as he found a meditative trance.
His eyes were open but he no longer used them to see, but instead feel. He felt the intentions and movements of those around him, he felt the patterns and paths of those who danced here long ago, he felt the unheard rhythm and silent song, he felt a unified synchronicity that was unparalleled...

And then it was all eventually over. Arden had completely lost all sense of himself as his empathic nature was on overdrive and his own emotions and thoughts gave way to an accumulation of all those around him. He was still in this hyper sensitive and open state when Tomo began to talk. Before Arden could regain himself something vile and unholy occurred.
Every faint fear, haunting doubt, horrid nightmare and slither of negative emotion Arden had ever experienced or bared witness to suddenly erupted within him frantically gnawing to the surface of his skin from deep within.
Hitting like a thunderous wave it sucked the warmth from his body leaving him feeling hollow and cold. This only shook him and sent him staggering for a moment before passing, it was a second later after looking around stunned, confused, wide eyed and in shock that the sudden happenings kicked in and took full effect. It sent Arden down hard and fast to the floor in a violent uncontrollable spasmodic fit.