Lord of Ascension: The Birth of Chaos-Chapter 65 Who I Am Meant to Be

Daemien sat still within the swirl of runes, the red and black currents of mana swirling around him violently. His arms trembled slightly, but he didn’t stop. He had learned long ago that weakness was not tolerated here.

The dark energy buzzed beneath his skin, seeping into his veins.

He gritted his teeth. ’Control it. Own it. Don’t let it swallow you.’ That has been his chant ever since he could remember.

In the distance, he could hear Rock’s voice, low and careless as always, exchanging words with Phoebe. He didn’t care what they were talking about. It never concerned him... Though he knew it should. But he believed it was for his own good.

He has no memories of his parents. And he was grateful to be found by Rock and Phoebe, otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it out alive. The Al’Morthals were all he had ever known.

And now they are training him to take revenge for what the mages had done to his parents... and his sister. His family had perished under the Emperor of Eldenria’s order... and it was all because of him, because he was the demon child.

He tightened his fists, trying to stabilize the flow of energy again. The mana around him crackled and pulsed, slipping out of his full command.

His eyes flicked to the floor. He could see the faded bloodstains of previous failed attempts.

’Why haven’t I broken through yet? I can’t disappoint them.’

He had overheard whispers that he wasn’t progressing as fast as he should. The demon child was supposed to be stronger. That his hair should have turned white, that his eyes should have changed to molten gold. But none of it had happened.

The swirling mana spun out of control.

A sharp pain shot through Daemien’s chest like a knife. He clenched his jaw, biting down hard so he wouldn’t scream. The runes around him flared brightly. His back arched from the pressure. He couldn’t breathe properly, as if something was sitting on his chest, trying to crush him.

Suddenly, the energy exploded, flinging him out of the circle like a broken rag doll. He landed hard on the cold stone floor, the impact knocking the air out of his lungs. A thick, dark fluid spilled from his mouth. He coughed and blood splattered on the rock.

The stone beneath him was freezing. Snow gathered around the corners of the chamber. His fingers twitched, trying to reach the rune circle again. His arms shook as he pulled himself forward, blood trailing down his lip, as his vision turned blurry, yet he didn’t stop.

’Get up, you’re the demon child. You’re supposed to be strong. This pain means nothing.’

In the far corner, he heard Rock’s deep voice mutter something, followed by Phoebe’s calm reply, they seemed unconcerned about his injury. Although he couldn’t make out everything, a few words still reached him like distant echoes. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"...still hasn’t awakened it..."

"...Northern Mountain..."

"...may not survive..."

Daemien’s heart pounded harder. His breath caught. They were talking about him.

He wiped the blood from his chin with the back of his hand and forced himself to sit up. The mana still flickered faintly around the rune circle, pulsing like a slow heartbeat.

Then he heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor. He didn’t need to turn around to know it was Phoebe, his godmother.

He didn’t lift his eyes until she stopped in front of him.

"You’ve trained long enough," she said, her voice calm. But he knew well enough not to associate her calmness with kindness.

Daemien finally looked up. His body still ached from the outburst of the mana. His hands were trembling, but he hid them behind his back.

"I’m ready," he said. "Give me the mission." His eyes were cold and serious.

Phoebe’s lips curled slightly, like she was pleased with his answer.

He didn’t care what she wanted him to do. All he knew was, he had to prove himself to stop the doubts and whispers about his identity.

"I won’t fail," he added. Even if it killed him.

Phoebe’s smile didn’t fade. She crouched in front of him, her eyes studying his face like she was trying to read into his thoughts.

"There’s something I want you to retrieve," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. "It is very important, and it is hidden in the Northern Mountain."

Daemien’s brows pulled together. "What is it?"

She smiled wider. "If I told you that, it wouldn’t be a proper mission, would it?"

He stayed silent. His fingers clenched against the cold floor.

Phoebe rose slowly, her heels clicking again as she paced in front of him. "That mountain holds a lot of secrets. It used to be a place of watchguards... with ethereal creatures, dragons, that served the boundary between life and death. But now the mountain has been abandoned as the dragons have gone extinct."

Her voice lowered slightly, more thoughtful than usual.

"Some say their presence still lingers in the mountain. A test for the worthy. But I know you’ll be fine."

Daemien didn’t respond. The mountain wasn’t known to be dangerous. Still, her tone made his skin crawl.

She turned back to him. "You’ll go alone. And no one will interfere with the mission."

"Why me?" he asked quietly.

She tilted her head, pretending to look surprised. "Because you’re special, Daemien. You’re the demon child. This is what your training has been for, not just breaking through stages or playing with mana. This is the real test."

He looked away, swallowing the unease building in his chest.

"You said you were ready," she reminded him, her voice soft but firm.

"I am," he said, his eyes hardening again. "When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning." She stepped closer, brushing invisible dust from his shoulder. "You’ll know what to do when you get there. Trust your instincts."

Daemien nodded, though something about the way she smiled told him there was more to this mission than she was letting on. He wasn’t sure what waited for him at the mountain, but he knew it wasn’t just a retrieval.

This would be his first time leaving the mountain, but he was ready to prove his worth. ’This is a chance for me to be who I am meant to be.’