Just Another Beginning After the End | TBATE

The First Light

A/N: I promised a longer chapter last time but I ended up writing enough for two chapters so I split it as I thought that it divided well. Here's part one and part two will be waiting for you on the other side.

Also, I've also finished mapping out a sizable amount of the fanfic so it'll go on so long as I don't lose motivation. (Just so you know, your comments really keep me going <3)

Anyways, I don't really have anything else so, happy reading :D

"What in the—!?"

Hearing Virion's shout of shock, I quickly opened my eyes.

"...Woa."

A cluster of glowing golden lights lightly floated in my hands. They looked almost like... petals. The gleam of the petals with a golden aura illuminated my vision with the warm color of gold.

—Shhhh

Hearing the soft sound, I peeled my eyes away and looked up.

As if the world were responding to the petals, the grass, leaves, and everything else rustled and moved like pulses of wind were passing through. In their lofty place in the sky, the clouds themselves seemed to start spinning in a spiral as though they were welcoming... something.

—Wheeesh BOOM

Even the thunder clapped above like drums, and the winds screamed like a trumpet. The symphony of nature filled the air deafening my ears.

Then, through the clouds overhead, I could see even the northern lights while threads of green, red, blue, and yellow light spun throughout the air around me.

Judging from the fact that I was the epicenter of all of this, that something they were welcoming... should be me.

Breaking away from the sublime scene, I turned my gaze back down to the cause of this bending of nature.

The brilliant glow of the golden lights still illuminated the earth with the petals floating between my hands.

"Just... what..."

"..."

Virion's unexpected voice startled me out of my trance, causing the golden light to flicker out.

Wondering if the disappearance of the golden petals changed anything, I glanced around. As I expected, the scene began to slowly disperse.

"W-wait. Bring it back."

"U-uh? O-okay."

I jumbled up my words and stuttered a bit, but I complied and did my best to try.

However, the golden light didn't come back.

"...?"

I wondered what was going on, but a sudden pain struck my solar plexus. Specifically, my core.

Keeling over and reeling from the pain, I frantically tried to sense my core to see if there was anything that wrong.

I could faintly hear Alea's and Virion's worried shouts, but I could barely gather myself to sense my core let alone try to make out what they were saying.

Finally, after some wrestling with my screaming mind, I managed to take a look at my core. My core was... fine?

I furrowed my brows and tried again.

Indeed, all that happened was that my core went from being black to a dark red.

Then what was with this pain?

I tried searching through my core, and I finally found the cause of the pain.

The obscene amount of mana that had been initially sucked towards me during my awakening was suddenly occupying the space within my core. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that my core was currently stretched out to the maximum and that it was close to popping.