Knock, knock, knock. A series of knocks sounded on the wooden door. No response echoed back. Creak. The door swung open gradually, admitting a impeccably attired figure. He possessed white hair, yet determining his exact age proved challenging. Despite the silver locks signaling advanced years, his skin remained wrinkle-free. Judging solely by his visage, one could easily mistake him for a youth. Yet, looks could mislead profoundly. Learning his true age would leave listeners in utter disbelief toward the source. With expert scrutiny, the man surveyed the chamber. Books, scriptures, tomes, and documents crammed the modest study. A luxuriously plush violet rug blanketed the floor, while a warm blaze danced in the hearth. His gaze shifted to the room's rear. Seated behind a rich mahogany desk was another figure slumped in a chair, papers scattered about, head tilted skyward. The entrant shook his head faintly and approached. Bang! A light kick struck the desk. 'Oh, wha- huh? Oh, good morning, Wester,' blurted the startled sleeper upon snapping awake. He appeared as a kindly elder with soft features, the sort everyone envisioned as a benevolent grandfather. 'It's evening, sir,' replied Wester the butler to his master. 'Oh, already?' queried the elder in bewilderment, glancing about his study. 'I was crafting this year's prize for the Clan Tournament. Must've lost track of time,' he explained. 'Mhm,' Wester hummed, opting against mentioning his master's nap. 'What? You don't believe me?' the old man protested, feigning outrage. 'Look! It's right there,' he added. A tome levitated from the desk, hovering before Wester. Wester grasped it, flipped it open, and perused its contents. 'An Element-Neutral King Rank Spell,' he noted. 'You skipped the candidates' dossiers, didn't you?' he probed. The elder sensed exposure. BANG! Wester slammed his palms onto the piled dossiers, blocking any sly glances. The old man sighed deeply. 'Fine! Fine!' he conceded with another groan, 'but it hardly matters, right? Element-Neutral Spells outvalue Element-Specific ones regardless.' 'Sir, if you keep awarding Element-Neutral Spells at every tournament, rival Clans will think we disregard it entirely,' Wester remarked. The elder groaned once more. 'Fine! I'll make one per Element, and you pick what to distribute in future events.' Wester tucked the Element-Neutral King Rank Spell under his arm, remaining silent on the matter. Silence reigned. Unease crept over the old man as his butler stood mutely before him. 'Is there more you require?' he inquired. Silence persisted. 'The Child of Calamity has vanished,' Wester announced. Startled, the elder eyed Wester dubiously. 'Vanished? Did he escape? Why though? He possessed wealth, liberty, prestige, kin—everything. What occurred?' 'We don't know,' Wester stated. 'Our agents reached his residence for the routine monthly check, but he was nowhere to be found.' 'Did you hunt for him?' the old man pressed. 'Naturally, sir,' Wester affirmed. 'I deployed the seventh legion to scour every speck within 50,000 kilometers nearby. As just an Apprentice, farther travel was impossible, and we'd detect any spatial ripples. Yet, no sign emerged.' The elder rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'No rival Clan could conceal that. Besides, abducting him would invite self-inflicted disaster. I'm sure he acted alone.' 'That suggests his Affinity devoured him. It fits the lack of traces,' the old man murmured. Wester inclined his head. 'That's our conclusion too.' The elder nodded in agreement. 'You require the seal, I assume?' he ventured. 'Yes, sir.' With a hand wave, the old man summoned Wester to provide an item; a sheet materialized midair and drifted to the desk. He scanned the document. Then, pressing his finger to its base, purple lightning flashed briefly from it. 'As always,' he remarked as the paper returned to Wester. 'As always,' Wester echoed. Wester pivoted, exited the study, and bid his master good evening. Once alone, the elder frowned at the room's center. He flicked his fingers, drawing water into a shimmering airborne pool. Peering within, it mirrored an boundless realm. His eyes darted furiously, probing every secret nook in the reflected world. After ten seconds, the pool dissolved, and he reclined in his seat. 'Indeed, he's disappeared. Not a single trace. That's unprecedented,' he muttered. 'Affinities do consume their bearers, so it's plausible. But no Child of Calamity has met this fate in 100,000 years. Something's off! This feels suspicious!' The elder pondered longer, chin in hand, before resuming his dozing pose. 'Eh, no concern. The legions will uncover the new Child of Calamity soon enough,' he mused, shutting his eyes. Meanwhile, Wester traversed a shadowy stone corridor. Each stride propelled him hundreds of meters ahead mysteriously. Astonishment lay equally in his blistering pace or the passage's endless length. Moments later, he reached another wooden door, flung it open, and emerged. He entered a majestic hall. Stretching two kilometers in length and soaring 300 meters tall, walls bore mighty arms and decorations, while majestic violet banners draped every pillar, emblazoned with white lightning motifs. A massive central table ringed by chairs dominated the space. Currently, it stood deserted. Wester passed through yet another portal into a vaster, more opulent corridor. He proceeded to a further door. This chamber featured numerous desks and seats laden with arcane devices, parchments, and artifacts. 'Good evening, sir. How may I assist?' A blonde in lavish purple garb rose courteously. Sparks of electricity danced about her, warping nearby space. She radiated immense might. 'Ah, Sarah, just the one I sought. All proceeding smoothly?' Wester inquired courteously. 'Yes, sir. Much appreciated, sir,' she replied with decorum. 'Sarah, a task for you,' Wester said amiably, producing the signed paper. It drifted to her, and she examined it. Her eyes grew wider with each line. 'Yes, sir,' she affirmed. She claimed the document and approached a wall, chanting esoteric phrases that twisted reality. Ten seconds passed, and a paper-shaped indentation materialized. Sarah inserted the sheet; it incinerated instantly. DING! DING! DING! Three chimes pealed across vast expanses, defying sonic barriers. 'Happy hunting,' Wester said politely upon departing. 'Thank you, sir,' Sarah responded, bowing. SHING! Blinding radiance enveloped Sarah, fading as swiftly as it struck. Yet, she emerged utterly transformed. Silver armor aglow with runes supplanted her robes. Golden skeletal wings sprouted from her back, feathered by crackling lightning. A two-meter spear materialized in her grip, buzzing with electricity. SHING! Sarah blinked out of sight. Teleportation! SHING! She rematerialized in Wester's prior grand hall. No longer vacant, it brimmed with 10,000 golden-armored figures wielding golden staves, arrayed perfectly. 'We greet the general!' chorused the front ten in harmony. Sarah projected overwhelming authority over the assembled force. This was the sixth legion, tasked with scouting. 'Warriors of the sixth legion,' Sarah declared, her tone booming through the vastness. 'The Ancestor issues a command!' Silence fell. 'The Child of Calamity is lost, birthing a new one somewhere. The sixth legion shall scour the globe. Test every infant under one year via blood for Affinity! Any showing unknown Affinity comes directly to me!' 'Complete by dawn!' 'Yes, General!' the troops thundered. 'Go!' SHING! SHING! SHING! The 10,000 vanished from the hall, materializing aloft outside. Beneath sprawled a stunning purple fortress atop sky-piercing peaks. The stronghold spanned kilometers! Fierce lightning raged in thunderheads under the mountain bases. Only an eternal lightning-laced cloud ocean stretched beyond. The airborne legion crackled with power, bathed in golden radiance. BANG! Explosively, they morphed into bolts, streaking horizonward. Eye-defying velocity marked their flight. That night, mortals spied golden meteors arcing overhead. That night, every babe under one received a minuscule red mark on their index fingertip—the blood draw site. Only apex forces perceived the event. The world got thoroughly searched in one night, undetected. Still, no Child of Calamity surfaced.
