How To Survive A Calamity

The saturated world of colours reflected before my eyes broke down until it was mere black and white lines and dimensions. My vision easily tore through the solid matter of the walls and floors surrounding me on all sides amd penetrated deeply into the rest of the dormitory building.

From my separated position against my bed inside my own room without moving, i had a well rounded — almost three dimensional look at some of the many other people and Cadets in the building. Their figures were made of vague, shadowy human shapes and silhouette, brimming with the vitality of stacked saturated colours, like auras, emanating from their beings.

According to Meta, each of the colours i saw in this state meant something, like an energy signature or life reading. But currently, I wasn't sure of what what i was currently seeing and observing meant. I reflexively gulped down saliva as almost another one third of my Ether was rapidly devoured.

'Appraisal could also let me see through walls on a certain degree, but definitely not to this level.'

Eyes of Discerning had me looking at the physical material world almost as if none of it was real or tangible. While Appraisal could also let me see through solid objects and walls, it wasn't nearly as effective and broad as this is. Not to mention that particular function of the Skill was greatly limited by specific alloys and materials.

Most of the time, i found that there werr certain type of solid matter even Appraisal couldn't see through. Especially those lined or endowed with magic or some other form of Arcane arts or the likes.

Like the walls of the Academy's dormitories for example. There were magic circuits and systems set up in the walls and floors of the whole place and rooms. These were set up as defensive measures against external factors and threats, but also actually served the purpose of maintaining privacy.

In such an environment where so many named talents are gathered in one place, most families would prefer to keep their secrets and traits hidden away from others, so the Academy accommodated for that by enhancing the wall to reinforce privacy and distort certain level of sesnory abilities.

Hence why Appraisal couldn't see past a couple of inches though the wall.

But the Eyes of Discerning was currently laying all of the Academy's efforts bare and naming it pointless right for me to see. Not only could i easily see through the enhanced and reinforced walls, i could also trace the intricate Magic circuits and systems set in place with my bare eyes.

'Behold the mysteries and true nature of the world — it's secrets are laid bare for the 'Eyes' to see.'

This was exactly what it meant!

Each of the people's silhouette across the walls and other rooms, which appeared as x-ray figures had a bright burning light of colour inside of them, flickering at different frequencies and shades varying from person to person.

At this moment, the expression of boring directly into someone's elses soul was the closest i could describe this current experience. It really felt like i was directly looking at their souls and life forces.

What's more, at the top of each silhouette's head, there was a small, faint coloured, thin thread expanding and stretching high up into to air, only for it to vanish or get lost in a sea or tapestry of other similar threads like itself. The sight was like a jumbled mess of wool threads — like the point where everyone's life or path converges with one another or something like that, i had no idea. It was all just so surreal and awe inspiring.

Suddenly i felt a little enlightened. I wonder what those threads really are.

'Then what about me? Do i also look like that in this way?' thinking so, i blinked and finally looked down on my body and palm with Eyes of Discerning still activated, each second longer the skill lasted, i felt chunks of my Ether deplete at a disturbing rate.

Just as expected, my hands and feet appeared just like any other x-ray figures— a collection of white and black lines, and my body was also a mass of different saturated colours representing one thing or the other.

'For now I'm going to assume one of these colours represent my Ether. Ah, it should be the slowly dwindling purple one that's gradually receding at an obvious rate.'

I was able to actually watch as my Ether was being ravenously devoured by the Skill in real time, the colours and auras of my body laid completely bare for me to see.

Then my eyes twinkled meaningfully with curiousity.

'I wonder what my soul looks like.'

With no other points of references as of yet, i believed the flickering flames of colours deep inside each silhouette was the person's soul. I may be wrong, but it was the closest assumptions i could make naturally.

One way or another, I've always felt maybe there was something more about my soul for me to reincarnate in another world with all of my memories intact, right from the beginning. But there was no way i knew of to confirm this sneaking theory of mine.

Until now.

Well, if anything, i at least get to compare whatever differences there is with my soul with the souls of the others I've just seen. If the Eyes of Discerning lays all secrets bare and in the open before me, maybe there really might be some insights to gleam about the nature of my existence.

I traced my gaze down the length of my arms, along the layered different colours emanating from my being. There were pale blue, yellow, reddish-orange which I assumed was my body temperature, pale green and so much more. Each of them deeply saturated and mixed like an impressionist oil painting.

What's more, there was a particular striking pale golden-bronze colour emanating from the bronze Ring of Solomon resting on one of my fingers, with also dark shades of golden yellow mixing along with it and traces of purple. I guess even Artifacts, or maybe even certain objects, had degrees of varying energy readings and interactions as well.

Once again i was enlightened. And i had the feeling that if i peered more closely into the cursed Artifact i could gleam some more secrets it held. Unfortunately, i didn't have enough tome for that, not now at least.

My Ether was quickly draining and at an alarming rate from what i could feel and see of the critically dwindling purple colour of my aura.

The moment i repurposed my attention from the Artifact and back to the question of my soul, a sudden pitch black and ominous colour suddenly emanated and spread from my being, billowing outward from my placid left arm.

It was a sudden and ominous black colour, completely different from the other lighter and darker shades of other colours i had seen with the skill activated up until now. My eyes flickered in a slight jolt, instantly my attention was drawn to it.

"What is that?

I was so occupied with my thoughts and the true appearance of the world that i hadn't noticed it until now.

Amongst all the other various colours and shades i had seen, this pitch black colour was the most bizarre and disturbing. It was more distinctive and moved eerily like a swelling fog of darkness, yet managing to remain illusionary and immaterial.

It wasn't a dark shade of purple, neither was it a really deep shade of blue or anything else. The colour of this uncommon aura was completely black and spreading and inky, an uncomfortable feeling spread through my body causing me to sweat as i stared at it slowly.

Something about the black colour made me uncertain and shiver. What's worse, the billowing black fog seemed to be coming from my lean left arm

The moment I seemed to realise this, my vision morphed slightly once again. This time, the x-ray like vision of the appearance of my arm became more distinct and detailed, more precise and accurate.

Inky black vein like lines spread some ways through my left arm, all streaking and originating from a point at the center of my palm. The black veins were eerie and gradually moving and branching out across the length of my arm like roots and veins.

Actually, the more the purple aura, which i assumed was my Ether, dwindled quickly with time, the faster the inky black veins spread, pulsing and growing more prominent with each half a second, almost like a Cancerous tumor contaminating the cells of my body and expanding through it quickly

It quickly became apparent to me that the black veins saw more leeway the more Ether i used up in my body to spread further like a contamination.

Like a corruption.

My breathing hitched. The next second i quickly deactivated the Eyes of Discerning skill on reflex and instincts, almost as if to to prevent my Ether from getting any more depleted so as to stop the progression of the black veins.

The world quickly flipped over and reverted to its previous, proper state as the realm of oversaturated colours scattered and diluted into the surface reality.

The air hung in my lungs, my breath heavy behind my throat and a face full of sweat.

"What...the hell was that...?"

What the hell just happened?

I stared at my lightly shivering hand, specifically at the unseeming black spot that had appeared at the center of my palm. My thoughts were numb.