Requiem for an Aberrant Chapter 16: Chapter 16- An Impending Battle

Read chapter 16 of Requiem for an Aberrant by TheJestersGambit on NovelPedia.

Cole took a moment to register his accomplishment. ' Soulgrid!' Name: Cole Moon Rank: Ashen "A flame that refuses to die, even when drowned in shadows.” Trait: Guilt "Every single misstep, it stains your soul. The weight of regret fuels your fight, shaping your every move with its burden." Soul Metrics: Lifestream (Vitality): 1225 ( Emberborn ) Resonance (Focus): 1480 ( Emberborn ) Veilstep (Agility): 1290 ( Emberborn ) Gravitas (Strength): 1215 ( Emberborn ) Insight (Perception): 1030 (Emberborn) Essentia: 825 (Ashen- Architect’s Breath): The ability known to create and destroy, allowing for constructs to be brought to reality. True self: (_____ __ _____) Forced Reality: ( Status: Inaccessible ) Essentia Attributes: Stability: 22 Control: 35 Projection Speed: 48 Output: 39 Voidcraft: 1000 (Emberborn- Dimensional Slipping): Your affinity with the void. You step where others cannot, slipping between the seams of reality. Progression through personal pocket dimension: 1 % Abilities: Dancing Rhapsody (Passive): {Effect: Your footwork transcends mere movement. When multiple opponents attempt to end you, evade their attacks with artistry that mocks the rigidity of fate} Titles: {Aberrant} - A loose thread beyond the Stitch. {Dual Stitched Fools} - Two threads, knotted where they were never meant to meet. You mistook the binding for choice, and called it salvation. He had finally reached the next stage of Voidcraft. It meant he could now enter his pocket dimension, which, for now, took the form of his old bedroom. He craved to be there once more, out of the desire to remember his blurry past, and as a result he had neglected his Essentia. ' One percent', Cole reminded himself. ' I have plenty of time. Don't rush. Focus on your Essentia and reach Rank Emberborn.' At the moment, the pocket dimension didn’t grant him any combat abilities, but it would be invaluable for escaping threats until he discerned his Voidcraft’s true progression path. Though all users could return to the past, what they had to accomplish differed. He reached behind him, starting with a single tap on his back. Before he knew it, that single tap had turned into many. A short congratulation towards himself. “Are you done?” Filoa asked, one eyebrow raised with amusement. Cole immediately stopped, turning his head over his shoulder. “Since when were you standing there?” “Since you came back from… wherever you went." She sat on the floor beside Cole. “Anyways, it's time to plan.” Cole nodded. “As long as we don’t get cut, we’re safe,” Filoa continued. “The spores can’t root without an open wound. Breathing them in won’t stick, our bodies know how to spit that out. But once they taste blood…” Her eyes dropped briefly to the edge of his bandage. “They'll settle in deep.” Cole rolled his shoulder, feeling the ghost of Aegis slice through his skin. “If I’m going to rip the roots out, I need you to keep them back. How long can you hold them off?” Filoa asked. Cole counted bodies in his mind. He remembered about thirty villagers on that dining table. They weren’t trained but he also couldn’t ignore Aegis who was stronger, and Ariana who was unpredictable. “Five minutes.” She nodded once, although slowly. “That’s enough…” she affirmed. “The Bloom can eat through most of them during that time. So if you take a cut it might not be enough to make you lose yourself.” “Exactly how much is most?” His fingers tightened around his knee. “How much can the Devourer’s Bloom destroy in five minutes?” “Seventy percent, maybe more if it burns like before.” “It’ll have to do,” he sighed. “And your mother?” Filoa’s voice was quiet but certain. “She’s capable. This is her place too, so she knows when to stay hidden. She’ll be fine.” Cole’s eyes lingered on the door where Faith rested beyond stone walls and old paintings. Filoa reached out, hand raising to his, something hesitant but honest in the gesture. “You hold them off. I stop the spores. That’s all it has to be.” Cole started for a mo