From Ashes To Scales

The room was silent. I stood alone, staring at Ophelia—the staff of legend, left here as if by fate, untouched and unclaimed. From afar, it looked like a simple wooden branch, twisted by age yet pristine, its surface reflecting the faintest shimmer under the chamber's light. The staff’s wood was no ordinary bark; it held the craftsmanship of an era lost to time, merging perfectly with nature as though it had grown from the ground fully formed.

But the true marvel was the Blood Rose Crystal nestled at the top. It glowed faintly, radiating an aura that was both beautiful and ominous. That crimson light pulsed in rhythm, as if it had a heartbeat of its own. I could almost feel Senya’s presence in the room, her power imbued within the crystal. This was the weapon of my childhood hero, the tool wielded by the legendary 10th-tier Primordial Witch.

A thousand questions flickered through my mind. Why was it left here, abandoned in this forgotten place? Why had no one else claimed it in all these years? And, most of all… did I, someone who had idolized Senya for as long as I could remember, truly have the strength to wield her weapon?

I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and reached out. My hands found the smooth, cold wood, and the moment I wrapped my fingers around Ophelia, everything went black.

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When I came to, I was… somewhere else. The emptiness stretched in every direction, vast and without end, as though I were adrift in the vacuum of space. The disorienting darkness pressed in on me, making it impossible to tell up from down. I was completely weightless, suspended in this dark void.

Then, I felt something poke me gently from behind.

I turned, and there, floating with me, was a small girl with dark skin, large emerald-green eyes and a pair of elf ears. She wore a robe far too big for her petite frame and a wide-brimmed witch hat that nearly swallowed her head. Her expression was uncertain, but she managed a hesitant smile.

“Nice to meet you?” she greeted, tilting her head slightly.

I blinked, struggling to find my voice. “...Oh… u-um.”

Her smile grew, her entire face lighting up with an infectious cheerfulness. “I am the familiar in charge of managing this space!” she announced proudly, hands on her hips as if declaring something profound.

Her enthusiasm snapped me out of my shock, grounding me in this strange place. “...A familiar?”

“Yes!” she chirped, nodding eagerly.

“...That’s… Um…” I hesitated, unsure how to even begin processing all this. “You… You’re related to Lady Senya?”

She nodded, her eyes twinkling with pride. “In a way! She is my creator.”

I nodded slowly, still processing. A familiar… created by Senya herself? Summoning a familiar is one thing, but outright creating one? That's insane. Such magic is considered taboo in this day of age as creating life should be left in the hands of the Gods. Senya… just how amazing was she? Leaving that aside…

“What… should I call you?”

Her smile softened. “Lady named me Tia,” she replied, placing a small hand over her heart as if it were a title of honor.

“Tia…” I echoed, feeling an odd sense of familiarity, like I was meeting an old friend for the first time.

“My name is Magnus.”

“Pleased to meet you!”

Tia circled me, floating in the air as she poked my sides and prodded me with playful jabs that made me flinch. Her tiny fingers felt surprisingly sharp, and I couldn't help but let out a short laugh when she tickled me, her expression brightening with each poke.

“A fine specimen indeed,” she announced, inspecting me like I was some curiosity she’d been waiting to examine for ages.

Finally, I gathered myself enough to ask, “Alright, Tia, what’s going on here? And what exactly are you doing?”

“Trying to avoid my cuteness, are we?” she teased, tapping her chin with an exaggerated sigh. “Sorry, but it can get lonely in here. Not to mention super boring, so I wanted to have a little fun.”

She hovered closer, finally landing on an explanation, her face becoming more serious. “Well, you’re probably wondering what's happening. Your body is still back in the chamber holding the staff. Your mind was transported here however. This isn't exactly your real body, it's a replica made of mana to help people somehow manage their way in here. After all, it would be weird if you couldn't see yourself, hahaha.

Speaking of the staff, you see, Lady Senya wasn’t just a strong person—she was wise beyond measure. She knew that if the wrong person got their hands on Ophelia, it could lead to disaster. That’s why she created me, to guard the staff. She even modeled me after herself as a young girl and granted me some residual memory from her own essence.” Her emerald eyes softened with a glimmer of pride.

“But make no mistake—I’m no clone. Lady Senya wanted me to grow into my own person, and I have.”

I nodded, absorbing her story. To think that my hero had left behind a legacy like this… a safeguard for the very power I’d come seeking… I feel like the gap between us is as big as the Grand Canyon.

Tia floated up and rested her head against my chest, closing her eyes as if she were listening to something deep within. “So my hunch was right… You’re no ordinary lizardman. You have a Dragon Heart inside of you.”

I stiffened. There was no use denying it. “Yes.”

She pulled back and studied me with new curiosity. “You definitely have the potential for 10th-tier magic, and your mana pool is impressive—far beyond the average. In fact it's actually the biggest I’ve seen in ages! But… it’s still nothing compared to what Lady Senya wielded.”

I didn’t reply. It was a humbling reminder that I was still far from the level I aspired to reach. But Tia floated around, unfazed, seemingly satisfied as she finally stopped and looked at me with an expression of sudden gravity.

“The fact that you’re here,” she began, her voice steady, “means one thing. You’ve come to claim ownership of the Staff of the Great Beyond, haven’t you?”

“Yes.” I’d come too far to deny that, either. My marriage with Naja and the peace I wanted to achieve all hang on this now.

She nodded, folding her arms as she hovered just in front of me.

“What must I do?”

“Getting straight to the point? Oh well, it's what usually everyone does. To take possession of Ophelia, you need to answer a question. If I’m satisfied with your answer, I’ll release the enchantments binding the staff and link its magic to your mana, so that only you can wield it. But if you fail… the staff will reject you, and you’ll be banished from this space. There won’t be a second chance.”

I swallowed, my mind racing. Failure meant losing everything I’d come for, but… there was no harm in trying, at least.

Steeling myself, I met her gaze. “Ask your question.”

Tia’s eyes sparkled with a profound, timeless wisdom as she finally spoke, her words echoing in the dark space around us. However nothing could prepare me for what came out of her mouth.

“What is magic?”