Raviel was now ten years old. The world around him had changed little in the years since his birth, but his heart had grown colder, heavier, as though the weight of his countless lives bore down on him even more with each passing day. He had learned to hide it— to mask the torment that churned inside him. But it was there, every moment, gnawing at him from the inside. He had been given the gift of immortality, but it was nothing more than a curse, a relentless reminder that everyone he ever loved would vanish, leaving him alone in the endless void.

  The magic within him had become stronger, more volatile. Water magic flowed through his veins like the river that would eventually drown him. Cosmic magic, inherited from his parents, had granted him the ability to manipulate the stars in the sky, though he rarely found it in himself to do so. Magic, for him, was just another tool of despair.

  Today, his uncle, Vice, had insisted on a training session— one that Raviel dreaded. Vice was a skilled mage, a man with the patience to teach, but Raviel was numb to the process. He moved through the motions mechanically, every word of instruction feeling like another chain around his neck.

  "Focus, Raviel," Vice said, his voice calm and authoritative.

  "You need to master control of your water magic. Your emotions-"

  "I know," Raviel interrupted, his voice tight.

  "I know how to control it."

  Vice glanced at him, but Raviel kept his gaze fixed on the water in front of him, his thoughts drifting far away from the present.

  The water hovered before him, swirling in a perfect sphere, but Raviel didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment. He only felt exhaustion. He wasn’t tired from the training, but from the endless cycle of life and death that haunted him. What was the point of learning magic, of mastering anything, when it would all be meaningless in the end?

  "Good," Vice said, breaking Raviel from his thoughts.

  "Now, let's move on to something more challenging."

  He held up his hand, and Raviel tensed as the air around them seemed to pulse with magic.

  "Create a barrier of water. A shield that will protect you"

  Raviel obeyed, summoning the water again. His mind was elsewhere, but he could still hear Vice’s instructions, could still feel the pull of the magic in his body. The water rose higher, twisting around him, forming a translucent dome that shimmered in the sunlight.

  "Now," Vice continued,

  "close your eyes. Picture yourself surrounded by danger. Imagine the water protecting you, holding back all threats."

  Raviel did as he was told, closing his eyes and imagining the darkness that constantly followed him. The past selves, the broken fragments of his previous lives— were always there, always clawing at the edges of his consciousness, begging him to relive their suffering. He could hear their screams, their pleas for escape, and he could feel their hands reaching out from the depths of his memories.

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  If only it would end.

  When the training session finally came to an end, Raviel felt no sense of achievement, only the deep, gnawing hunger for something more. Something that would free him from this unrelenting torment.

  "Good work today,"

  Vice said, his voice was warm but distant.

  "Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow"

  Raviel nodded, but his mind was already elsewhere. He barely heard the door close behind his uncle. His heart was already miles away, lost in the endless sea of memories that he could never escape.

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  That night, as the moonlight filtered through the curtains, Raviel sat in his room, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The nightmares had been worse lately—more vivid, more real. He could still hear the voices, feel the pain, as though it were happening again and again.

  The water magic still flowed through his veins, a constant reminder of his power and his inability to control it. He stared at the glass of water on his nightstand, his reflection staring back at him, pale and broken. The water rippled as his hand reached out to touch it.

  For a moment, he almost felt... calm... Almost...

  But then the thought surfaced, the one that always came after moments like this— the one that always pulled him back into the abyss.

  What if I just ended it?

  It was a thought he had had so many times before. Every life, every incarnation, had led him to the same conclusion: he didn’t belong here. His immortality was a curse, not a gift. And in this life, with its fleeting moments of warmth, he could see the end approaching— just as it always did. His parents, his sister, his family... they would die, and he would remain.

  I can't stand it anymore...

  Without thinking, he pushed the water magic forward, his eyes cold and empty as he directed the water toward his throat, slowly increasing the pressure. It was the only thing that had ever made sense—ending it all, erasing his existence before the inevitable heartbreak. But as the water pressed against his neck, something... strange happened.

  A knock at the door.

  "Raviel?"

  Vice’s voice called from the other side.

  "I thought you might have left this behind- RAVIEL!!!"

  It was too late.

  The water had already started to coil tighter, pressing in, suffocating him. He didn’t hear the door open, nor did he register the sound of hurried footsteps across the room. It wasn’t until a sharp wind howled through the air, extinguishing the water, that Raviel’s body went limp, his magic dissipating in an instant.

  "Raviel!"

  Vice's voice cracked as he caught the boy, his hands shaking with a blend of fear and anger.

  "What were you thinking?"

  Raviel’s head lolled against Vice’s chest, his consciousness slipping into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard before everything faded was Vice's voice, urgent and desperate.

  "Maids! Call the physician mage..!! Now..!!"

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  Raviel awoke in his bed, his body heavy and weak. His vision blurred as he tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness slammed into him. A soft light filled the room, and the familiar scent of lavender filled the air. His parents, having arrived quickly upon hearing the news, hovered nearby, their faces pale with worry.

  "Raviel, what happened?"

  His mother’s voice trembled, and Raviel felt a pang of guilt rise in his chest. He didn’t want them to worry, but it was too late. The damage was done. The truth of his despair had shown itself.

  "I... I don’t know,"

  he whispered, his voice barely audible.

  "I just... wanted it to stop"

  His mother’s hands shook as she placed them on his forehead.

  "Don’t say that, Raviel. We’re here for you..."

  His father’s stern, steady gaze softened.

  "You must never do that again, son. Do you hear me? You’re not alone....We need you"

  But Raviel could only stare at them, numb to their words.

  You don’t understand, he thought. No one ever does...

  The door to his room creaked open again, and Raviel’s eyes locked onto Vice. The older man’s face was strained, his usual calm demeanor shattered. He had seen Raviel’s despair, had felt the cold, suffocating aura that surrounded him, and Raviel knew that his mentor was just as helpless as everyone else.

  "Raviel..."

  Vice started, his voice low.

  "You don’t have to do this. Please... You’re not alone, you can talk to me...to us"

  Raviel closed his eyes, but all he could hear was the endless torrent of memories crashing against him— the screams, the pain, the faces of the people he had loved and lost. It’s never enough... It will never be enough.

  And then, in the darkness behind his closed eyelids, he saw it— the nightmare realm, where he was trapped forever....

  He was surrounded by the twisted versions of his past selves, each one clawing at him, forcing him to relive their suffering. They screamed at him, cursed him for abandoning them, for letting them die...

  "It's all your fault... You accepted the blessing"

  "You are the reason we have to suffer"

  "Save me..."

  "I didn’t ask for this,"

  he whispered, but the voices only grew louder.

  "Please... I want to die...,"

  he begged, but it was a cry lost in the void.

  The nightmares would never end...

  [Entering Etherion]

  [Searching...]

  [Search Completed– Raviel Found–]

  [I am back Lord Archan]

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  _To_Be_Continue_