Reborn: High Strung | ONC2024

Chapter 5

Jekuthiel was only thirteen years old when it was discovered he was still a coal. In layer three, the feral wilds, this was punishable by banishment into the savage jungles that made up ninety percent of the wilds. His parents had tried to hide him for years, but the eye of King Erez was relentless. The feral king, as he is known, was disgusted when he realized Jekuthiel had lived in his kingdom for so long at such a pitiful level. Jekuthiel's last visions of his home were his mother crying as guards dragged him away from his parents. Kicking and screaming would do nothing, so he sagged in defeat even as he was hurled into the jungle that surrounded his home. If he tried to return without reaching flame, he would be killed. Jekuthiel knew all too well he would never even make ember; he would die out here, all because the cruel king thought weak people made a weak kingdom. Disgust rose in Jekuthiel's throat the more he thought of King Erez-what a monster! Why did the layers above allow him to rule? If he had been born in Nocturne or Sanctum, would he be living in safety right now?

[WC: 8,106]

The only plus side to being a coal out in the jungle was that the sethra beasts couldn't feel his presence as well as other creatures. He was able to survive for weeks hunting small animals with a similar strength to himself; they were insects compared to the beasts that roamed the feral wilds, overlooked, just trying not to get stepped on. Jekuthiel had a small fire going; he was cooking a rabbit-like creature over it, eyes darting around him at all times, looking for danger. His senses were sharp, and his body fit, but no matter how many times he tried, he could never seem to break through to ember. Many times in the past, he had overheard his parents talking about him; sometimes they would refer to him as a burnt soul. He had learned it was a term used to describe people who couldn't make it past coal. A major sethra deficiency that one could be born with. If he really was a burnt soul, could he ever truly gain power?

As his mind was distracted, the tree behind him began to bend downward under the weight of a beast. Hearing the creaking of the wood, Jekuthiel quickly turned and looked up. The poor coal boy was face-to-face with a 10-foot-tall ape-like sethra beast with hungry eyes, curled horns sprouting just above its temples, and claws resembling those of tigers that looked sturdy enough to cleave metal. Jekuthiel had never felt a fear like this, the hair on his neck and arms rising instantly, a harsh screaming wail of terror ripping out of his lungs as he turns away quicker than he had looked. He runs away into the thick brush as fast as he can, not wanting to look back, but he knows the beast is bounding after him faster than he could ever run. With his heart pumping and tears streaming down his cheeks, he turns to face the beast, hands forward, begging the world for help and begging his sethra to emerge. A glint of orange and red fire bristles out of his fingertips as the beast's clawed hand swings down toward Jekuthiel's face.

***

Nocturne was a realm much different from Sanctum; the sky was plunged into an eternal night, a sea of stars hanging around a large moon that took up most of the view. A white spark of sethra shoots into the sky for just a moment. In the middle of one of Nocturne's forests, a circle carves itself into the dirt and flashes with power. Zev and Meira appear in the center of the traversal ring, stumbling out and falling to the ground, panting and drenched in sweat. Zev's head was spinning as he looked around the new landscape; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Tall, dark-wooded trees are covered in deep blue pine needles. Tree-sized and wide-capped mushrooms that hung over them, glowing teal spots surround the black slick exterior. The ground they sat on was damp, and muddy spots and small pools of water were almost as common as the turquoise grass. Meira gets to her feet first, looking around at the wonder; faint wisps of white and blue sethra dance around in the air above. Meira looks down at Zev and reaches her hand out to him. "This is amazing. I've read about Nocturne, but I don't think anything could have prepared me for this."