Powers from Beyond

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If there was one thing that Teana Lanster could answer without any doubt was that at this very moment, she was dreaming.

After all, how else could she explained why she was currently standing on a floating island, surrounded by more floating islands of various size, with no horizon in sight?

"When they say that your deduction is one of your best skills, it is not a simple praise."

Teana's curiosity and confusion were replaced by cautious. When she looked at the one who speak those words, she found herself staring at a man with eyes blacker than the night sky without a single star. The man was floating a few feet above the ground and bled off miasma of darkness.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Asked Teana cautiously, not letting her eyes off the man even for a second.

"This…is my home. Your mind has left the confines of your body for a little while, but you aren't physically here. It has been centuries since a living being has been able to enter the Void." Answered the man. His voice reverberating and wrapping around her as if more than one of him were speaking.

"The Void? That's the name of this place."

"Indeed. As for your first question, I am the Outsider and this is my mark."

A horrible burning sensation gripped Teana's left hand. She almost bit her lips, trying to keep herself from screaming. When the sensation subsided, an arcane looking symbol had been branded upon her hand, leaving a warm rush of power to surge through her veins.

"There are forces in the world and beyond the world, great forces that men call magic, and now these forces will serve your will." Stated the Outsider.

And then the darkness inverted in on itself, leaving Teana alone on the floating island. She stood for several moments before her guts told her to move. She began to explore the Void, using floating platforms between the islands to move from one to another.

When she reached an island, Teana found her way being blocked by high ground. She inspected it, trying to see whether she could climb it. Finding nothing that indicated that, she looked around, seeing whether there was another way. As she looked around, for some reason she wanted to point her left hand on the edge of the high ground and so she did.

She soon found out why.

When Teana pointed her left hand, it suddenly shot a long tendril. Before she could react, she was pulled to the place where the tendril landed; the high ground. When she arrived, Teana's almost fell due to shock and tried to regain her balance.

"Whoa…whoa…" After a while, Teana managed to regain her balance. "What…was…that…?"

Teana looked at the mark on her left hand. She hesitantly pointed it at somewhere but unlike before, there was no tendril. She resumed her journey as she kept looking at the mark. When she arrived at where the platform was too far away for her to jump, Teana pointed her left hand and there was still no tendril. After a while, she did that again but this time, she concentrated on wanting to be there. Her left hand shot the tendril and she arrived at the platform.

"I see. So that's how it works."

Teana began to use the tendril more frequently. She couldn't help but felt happiness building in her heart. With this, she could move faster and wouldn't drag Subaru down.

"Enjoying the taste of power, Teana?" Asked the Outsider, who suddenly appeared in front of her. "Addicting, isn't? But be careful; feed it too much mana, and you may find yourself vulnerable. Everything has a price."

Teana listened to what he said and agreed with it; she could feel her mana being smaller than before, most likely being drained to fuel her power, which she dubbed as Far Reach.

"Also, you might want to continue. Who knows, you might find what you find interesting."

After saying that, the Outsider disappeared again. Teana let out a sigh and continued her journey, just as he said. Thought she wondered what he meant by his last words.

After traveling for several minutes, Teana saw an island that appeared different from the rest. She didn't know why, but there was this urge to get there as fast as she could. When she arrived there, her eyes became wide and her heart almost stopped beating.

There, lying on the floor of the island, in a pool of blood, was a young man wearing a standard barrier jacket of the Air Armaments Service of the Time-Space Administrative Bureau. Besides him was a custom device in the shape of a gun. His blue, lifeless eyes were wide open and his brown hair was dirty due to dirt and blood. But those weren't what shocked Teana.

What shocked her was that she knew who was lying there; it was none other than her older brother, Tiida Lanster.

"Ti…Tiida…" Teana muttered as she slowly crouched, her hand approaching the face of her brother. Tears slowly building up in her eyes.

Her attention was diverted when she noticed a note besides Tiida's corpse. She grabbed the note and read it.

YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM

Teana's hand that held the note began shaking. She looked down, wanting to see her brother again. But the body was already gone, blown away like petals in the wind. It was by then that she noticed that he arrived once again.

"Ah, Tiida Lanster. Doomed to die in nearly every eventuality there is. And all because of chasing the wrong person." Said the Outsider.

"Why?!" Teana screamed at him. "Why…why would you…"

"Because I want to see what happens to the light when you sink it in darkness. I want to see what you'll do with a truth that will consume you. I want to see what you become with the knowledge that your brother was murdered."

"Oh, yeah? Well, too bad for you, I already know…"

"By someone that he trusted, in fact."

Silence fell as Teana tried to understand what the Outsider had just said. Did…did he said that his brother was…killed by someone that he considered a friend?!

"Who?" Asked Teana, thought it sounded like a demand. Even she was surprised by how hard and cold her voice was. "Who…who did this to him?! Who is it…that he considered a friend…who then k-k-killed him?!"

"Now that would be telling. But it would make this end far too quick for it to be interesting."

With that, the Outsider disappeared once again. Teana began to look around, hoping that he was actually still around. Seeing that she didn't see even a hair of his, Teana decided to continue her journey. She gave one last look at where her brother's corpse was before moving.

She moved from island to island, platform to platform, searching for the Outsider, intending to gain more information. About him. About his death. About his murderer.

Teana stopped when she arrived at an island. This island was different than others; there was something that looked like altar. On it was a small, three-pronged amulet that looked like it was made out of bone, arcane markings lining it. She took the amulet from the altar and rubbed her fingers across its surface.

Her attention was diverted from the amulet when she noticed the black miasma. Realizing what was about to happen, she walked closer to it and was about to ask when he spoke first.

"This is how mankind acknowledges me; by crafting Runes in my name. A bone from a man, an animal, and others, wrapped in leather soaked by blood, and decorated with my Mark. They are hidden in the old places of the worlds. Find them. They will prove useful to you. And so you don't get lost…" A shadow fell over the hand of the Outsider, and it lifted to reveal itself. "The Heart of a living thing, molded by my hand. It shall remain unseen by all who do not wear my Mark, unless you wish for them to see it. It will tell you the secrets of the world, should you have the desire to hear them. But a word of advice…some things are really better left forgotten."

Teana gulped deeply when she saw the Heart. She almost went to panic when the combination of mechanical gears and organic flesh was now in her left hand, beating as if it was still alive.

Perhaps it was.

"Who…who's heart is this?" Asked Teana nervously.

"All in due time, Teana. All in due time." Stated the Outsider as he made a grin.

Teana let out a yelp as she sat up. Heavy breathes were created as she scanned the room where she was. It took her only few seconds to recognize the room that she shared with Subaru. She let out one last breath and put her hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down after the nightmare. Her blood turned cold when she looked at her left hand however.

None of it was a dream.

And the prologue is done.

If you have question or suggestion, feel free to tell me.

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