Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 281: Intent [2]

First step to unlocking a domain?

I was stunned for a moment, unable to fully grasp what was happening. The world was still gray, with the colors refusing to come back.

But within the gray world, I thought I found something.

It felt as though it was within arm’s reach, yet at the same time, extremely distant.

….I just couldn’t quite understand what it was.

‘Intent…’

Pondering over her words, I tried to make sense of what she was trying to say but found myself unable to do so.

This was a concept that I had never come across.

Especially since Domains were things that one acquired when breaking into Tier 5.

“There are three steps to unlocking a domain.”

Delilah’s quiet voice echoed from in front of me. Her face was a little close to mine, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Intent, conceptualization, and materialization.”

I was also unbothered and listened carefully to her explanation.

“You do not get to choose how you create a domain. A domain is something that naturally forms itself when the right time comes, and is created based on your experiences.”

Don’t get to choose? …I frowned a little at her words but was quick to accept her words. I was still unaware of how domains worked and thus was not necessarily aware of all the things that she was saying.

But in essence, domains manifested based on someone’s experiences.

If that was the case, how would mine turn out? Looking at the gray world before my eyes, I struggled to see how it was related to me at all.

“The first step to creating a domain is grasping the ‘intent’.”

Delilah waved her hand and a small mirror appeared.

With a flick of her hand, the mirror turned, allowing me to get a glimpse of myself, and it was then that I finally saw it.

My eyes.

They were…

“White.”

I raised my head to look at Delilah.

“That’s the first sign one displays when grasping intent.”

Delilah went on to say as her eyes slowly turned white as well.

“You can call it enlightenment. Everyone’s intent is different, and it is up to you to figure out what your intent signifies. Most intents are grasped after reaching tier 4, and take a lot of time to grasp. You reached it before that. That’s rare.”

In all honesty, I was having trouble following her words.

I understood what she meant, but this was the first time that I saw her speak so much. It caught me off-guard, and my eyes couldn’t help but trace her mouth as she spoke.

‘…Seeing her talk this much feels a little weird.’

Not that I hated it.

But I was quick to snap out of it and thought back on her words.

An idea popped up in my mind.

‘She says that intents are rare, and mostly happen after reaching tier 4. The fact that I managed to grasp it now must have to do with me unlocking love.’

I was sure of it.

….I had a feeling from before that I was close to grasping something but I wasn’t sure what it was. I just knew something was bugging the back of my mind.

Now I understood.

‘Intent…’

In that sense, I realized something else.

‘My domain is related to all six basic emotions.’

“What comes after intent is conceptualization.”

Delilah moved her head back and pressed her finger against her temple.

“Understanding your own world, and formulating your own laws.”

“Hm?”

“A domain is a separate space with your own laws within. I did previously say that you don’t get to choose your own domain, but that’s not entirely true.”

Delilah went on to explain as she took another step back.

“Intent is an idea. Conceptualization is developing that idea, and materialization is…”

She stopped, and something began to expand from her body. It slowly crawled out from her feet, spreading through every corner of the room, shattering the gray world before my eyes, and enveloping the entire space.

“Look into my eyes.”

“…!”

My head moved on its own.

At first, I was confused, but my confusion soon turned into realization, before turning into horror and dread.

Her gaze…

It had only been normal just moments prior.

And yet.

In a matter of seconds, I witnessed her eyes gradually turning hollow, and a profound sense of dread enveloped my entire body as if unseen black hands had emerged from nowhere and clamped down on my body, rendering me immobile.

Reflected within those pupils I could see a desolate world where she alone stood with her back against me.

I felt insignificant within that world, and…

Ba… Thump! Ba… Thump!

My heart, which had been steady moments prior, suddenly started to beat with more intensity.

“Uagh… Uagh…”

Breathing started to become impossible and my hands soon grasped at my neck. In a way that made it seem as though I was strangling myself.

“Uekh!”

Alone, I stood in the middle of a desolate world deprived of all oxygen.

“Uagh… Uagh…”

I desperately tried to say something, but the words just refused to come out of my mouth.

All I was able to let out were strained breathing sounds as I desperately clung to the little air I could find.

And then…

Everything shattered.

“Huuuaaahhh!”

Inhaling deeply, the surroundings snapped back to normal. Two pupils confronted mine as my heart quivered, and instinctively, I edged backward.

‘What in the world was that…!?’

It took me a full moment to fully comprehend what had happened, and when I did, I finally looked back in Delilah’s direction.

With her legs crossed, she sat on the seat opposite me.

Her intense hazel eyes were staring deeply in my direction.

“How was it?”

“…Was that your full power?”

“No.”

“….”

“You would’ve become a vegetable.”

No, I got that… She didn’t have to say to elaborate. Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I took a deep breath, but that was still not enough to get rid of the goosebumps that were running down my entire body.

The sensation that I felt… It was hard to describe, but if there was one thing that I was certain about, it was the fact that I never wanted to experience such a thing again.

…I now understood why domains were so important.

If that was just a glimpse of the power that a domain held, then I needed to do my absolute best to develop mine.

The only question was how?

How could I develop my domain?

“I don’t know what you’re intent is, but that’s your foundation for your domain. It is up to you to give it a concept. It might take some time, but you should think about it carefully. Once your domain fully forms, you will be stuck with it until the day that you die.”

Delilah slowly stood up.

Brushing her silky long black hair behind her ear, she looked around. The moment she did, I instinctively reached for my pocket before pausing.

‘This is getting ridiculous.’

“….”

Feeling Delilah’s gaze, I took out my hand and showed her my empty palm.

“….”

Her eyes lowered in disappointment, and I could only shrug.

I had just finished a play…

“I’m leaving.”

In her disappointment, Delilah’s figure blurred as she left. I stayed where I was for a few seconds before clenching my hand into a fist and sighing.

“For now, I’ll rest.”

All this domain talk made me tired.

Plus, I also needed to be ready for tomorrow, the day when the Four Empire Summit would officially start.

I needed to be in top conditions for that.

“….I shouldn’t rush this.”

And with such thoughts, I got changed and left.

***

At the same time, in a remote valley in Bremmer.

“Y, you… H-how are you still alive?”

Kiera’s voice shook as she looked at the figure before her. Her aunt looked exactly the same as the last time she’d seen her, with long blonde hair, ruby-red eyes, and a trademark smile.

She leaned casually against the alleyway wall and stared at her in amusement.

Following her appearance, the two moved out of the theater and found their way here.

‘Am I imagining things…?’

Kiera felt her mind grow blank.

How was it possible? She had seen her die before her very eyes. Not only that, but her aunt was also a wanted person.

The fact that she appeared in the middle of the theater filled with big shots, and yet was able to remain undetected made her believe that this was all some sort of illusion.

It couldn’t be!

“You’ve grown a lot since the last time that I’ve seen you, ki.”

Ki…

It was a nickname that only her aunt would call her by. This alone was enough to make her understand that it was indeed her aunt, and Kiera grew nauseous.

“H-how?”

Kiera ended up repeating the only thing she could say.

How was this possible?!

“Now, now… Let’s not talk about things that don’t matter. You know me, Ki. I won’t die by a simple spell like that. Plus, you’ve never seen my body. Did you really think that was enough to kill me?”

Recollections of the past event replayed in Kiera’s mind, and when she thought about it, she had indeed not seen a body.

Back then, she had convinced herself that her body had completely disintegrated into powder.

After all, where could she have gone?

But indeed…

She was still alive.

Kiera bit her lips, her body trembling as a multitude of emotions flooded her mind.

The scenario didn’t make sense to her, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that something wasn’t adding up.

She sadly didn’t have much time to dwell on the matter as her aunt’s voice echoed again.

“Where is it?”

This time, her aunt’s voice wasn’t as jovial and playful as it always had been.

It was cold, almost indifferent.

Enough to make Kiera flinch.

When she looked up, she saw her aunt’s blood-red eyes staring at her with a certain coldness that reminded her of the past.

“Haa.. Haa…”

Looking into those eyes, Kiera felt her breath quicken as she was reminded of a memory that she had buried deeply within her mind.

The moment that memory was brought up, Kiera felt her hands twitch.

Her mouth became dry, and her heart raced.

As her hand trembled, she reached out for the pocket of her skirt. There she felt a small box. It was something she kept in case of emergencies… Her safety measure.

In case she couldn’t control herself.

In case…

“Ki, where is it?”

“….!”

Kiera’s head flicked back up as her aunt’s face appeared right before her eyes.

Before Kiera could react, a hand reached out for her neck.

“Ukh!”

Kiera could do nothing but watch as her body was slowly lifted from the ground.

She tried her best to break free from the grip, but it was no use.

Her aunt’s grip was too strong.

“Uekh…! Ukh.”

As the grip grew together, Kiera heard her aunt’s voice again.

“Where is it?”

Her voice sounded rather hoarse.

“The mirror. Where is it?”

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