Omniphage of Apathy

Vastarael faced his sister before approaching her.

"Hey sis. Wanna hold it?"

"I'm not a little kid anymore," she pouted, looking away. "Don't treat me like some kid."

"It's your birthday and you'll get abilities tonight. Shouldn't you be happy? Oh. You're sad that we're not celebrating—"

"No!"

Anamorsia hugged her brother tight.

"I... it's not that. You didn't celebrate your sixth birthday that well. I... I want you to celebrate it too!"

Vastarael blinked, momentarily stunned by his younger sister's outburst. The glaive, still humming faintly in his hand, was forgotten as he felt the weight of her arms wrapped tightly around him.

He placed his free hand gently on her head, smoothing her snow white hair.

"Anamorsia," he said softly, "what are you talking about?"

His sister's small frame shook as she clung to him, burying her face against his chest.

"I know it wasn't fair," she muttered, her voice muffled. "You didn't get to celebrate your sixth birthday like you should have. You were... you were in a coma for a whole year and everyone was worried about you. But when you woke up, we didn't even... we didn't give you a real celebration. Not like the one you deserved."

Her words hit him with an unexpected wave of emotion. He had buried those thoughts deep, refusing to dwell on the lost time, the missed celebration, the way his awakening had been overshadowed by the worry and chaos that surrounded his recovery.

But hearing it from Anamorsia brought it all rushing back.

"You're thinking too much about it," he replied. "My birthday didn't matter then. What mattered was that I was alive. That I could still be here with all of you."

"It matters to me!" She burst out, pulling back slightly to glare up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"You're my big brother and you deserve to have something happy to remember. I don't care if it's late. I just... I want you to have a real celebration too."

Vastarael was silent for a moment. He crouched slightly to meet her gaze, setting the glaive down beside him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a small, reassuring smile.

"You're right," he said at last. "I didn't get a proper celebration. But, Anamorsia, seeing you happy, seeing you grow stronger and receive your abilities tonight, that's celebration enough for me."

Her lip quivered but she shook her head stubbornly.

"It's not the same. You're always... you're always putting everyone else first. Even when you're hurting. I don't want you to just be okay with it. I want you to feel like we care about you too."

The strength of her emotions left Vastarael momentarily speechless. He didn't know how to tell her that her care, her concern, was already more than enough. That her words alone were a gift he hadn't expected. Instead, he reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek, his smile softening.

"You're incredible, you know that?" He said gently. "For a little sister, you're wise beyond your years."

"I'm not little anymore," she insisted, pouting through her tears.

He chuckled, the sound lightening the heavy mood between them.

"Fine, fine. You're a big girl now, ready to awaken your abilities and take on the world. But, Anamorsia..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "Just having you here, caring this much, means more to me than any celebration ever could."

She sniffled, her expression softening as she hugged him again. "You're still annoying, you know. You didn't see us for three years."

"And you're still a tsundere," he teased lightly, ruffling her hair.

"Tsun... dere? What's that?"

"Oh. Never mind."

For a moment, they stayed like that, the world around them fading into the background. Then, Vastarael spoke again.

"But I'll tell you what. After tonight, after you awaken your abilities, we'll celebrate both our birthdays. Together. Something small, just the two of us."

"Promise?" She asked, pulling back just enough to look at him again.

"Promise," he said, holding out his pinky.

She hesitated for a second before looping her smaller pinky around his. The faintest smile tugged at her lips.

"Okay. But don't think this means I forgive you for treating me like a kid earlier."

"Of course not," he replied, his tone mock-serious. "You're far too grown-up for that."

She rolled her eyes but laughed softly, wiping the last of her tears away.

"I love you, big brother."

"Me too," he countered with a smirk, picking up his glaive as they stood.

As they turned to rejoin the others, Vastarael glanced down at his sister, a quiet gratitude settling in his chest.

She might have been young, but in her own way, she was teaching him something he hadn't realized he needed: a reminder that even amidst the weight of destiny and duty, there was room for joy, for connection, and for family.

'If I died in her arms according to fate, I wouldn't regret it one bit.'

°°°°°°°

The celebration for Anamorsia's sixth birthday was a blend of tradition and the unique joy that came with the Richinaria family's love for one another.

Musicians played harmonious tunes on otherworldly instruments, their melodies lifting the spirits of everyone present. Anamorsia, dressed in a gown of deep cerulean and silver, practically floated through the festivities, her excitement lighting up the entire courtyard.

Though birthdays in Spheraphase didn't include cakes, the feast laid out in Anamorsia's honor was nothing short of extravagant. Tables were laden with delicacies: roasted spiced meats, crystalline fruits that glistened under the sunlight and pitchers of sparkling nectar. Servants bustled about, ensuring that no guest was without something to eat or drink.

Anamorsia's gifts came one after the other, each one more impressive than the last.

From Milliania and Caresse, she got a pair of enchanted ribbons that could float and twirl in the air at her command, perfect for the dances Anamorsia loved to perform.

From Lysameria, she had a a miniature training weapon—a short staff imbued with protective runes to prepare her for eventual combat lessons.

From Opera, she received a handwoven cloak that shimmered in hues of midnight blue and silver, enchanted to keep her warm during the harshest winters.

Being a rich tycoon, this definitely cost a lot.

From her father, she got a beautifully bound journal with pages that automatically transcribed her thoughts when she placed her hand on the cover.

Vastarael couldn't help but smile at her unbridled happiness. Though his own sixth birthday had been marred by the coma and the heavy weight of destiny, watching Anamorsia enjoy hers was a balm to his heart. He joined her in several games, their laughter echoing across the courtyard as the siblings playfully teased and competed with one another.

One particular game, where they had to catch floating, glowing orbs that danced unpredictably in the air, had everyone cheering as Vastarael intentionally slowed down to let Anamorsia win.

She grinned victoriously, holding up her prize—a swirling orb that glowed with a gentle light.

"I beat you!" She crowed, earning more applause from the crowd.

"You sure did," Vastarael said, ruffling her hair. "But don't get used to it. Next time, I'm playing to win."

As the evening wound down, the festivities gave way to quiet anticipation for the ceremony to come. Anamorsia's ascension loomed on the horizon and the atmosphere shifted to one of solemnity and hope. Milliania held Anamorsia's hand as their mothers—Lysameria, Caresse, and Opera—prepared her for the ritual that would awaken her abilities.

Before leaving, Anamorsia ran to Vastarael one last time, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you for everything," she whispered.

"Always," he replied, holding her close. "You're going to do amazing."

With that, she left with their mothers, her excitement mingling with nervousness. Vastarael watched them disappear out of the ceremonial hall.

His mother had insisted he take the night to rest, a rare reprieve after years of grueling training.

He returned to his chambers in the palace, the quiet serenity of the evening enveloping him. For the first time in a long while, he let himself relax, lying back on the plush bed and gazing at the chandelier overhead.

[Hello, Veneri.]

"It's been three years, Phaenora," he replied. "How have you been?"

[Lonely.]

"Yeah, I know."

Ever since his mother warned him not to use any of his other abilities and let his father teach him while he fully focused on weapon training, he couldn't talk to Phaenora.

He told her not to contact him until he was finished with the first phase of his training. Now, he was free from training.

But that didn't mean that he would stop doing his own morning exercises. Since he would only need to let his father train him, he wouldn't suffer as much as his mother did to him.

[Would you like to appraise your gifts?]

"Sure."

A blue holographic window appeared right in front of him, revealing the book he got.

_____

Item Name: [Divine Mystic Book of Altherion]

Item Type: [Divine Mystic Book

(One of a kind, unreplicable by mortals or immortals.)]

[Description:]

[A thick, ancient book, its cover adorned with black, swirling patterns resembling a nebula. At its center is an embedded gem that glows faintly with an ethereal light. The edges of the pages are trimmed in gold and the texture of the parchment feels as though it were woven from starlight itself.]

[The book appears weightless when held by its rightful owner but unbearably heavy to others. When opened, the text shifts, glowing faintly in shimmering blue ink, written in an ancient, ever-changing language.]

______

Vastarael's book materialized out of thin air and looked at it. It was exactly as the description was. He continued to read the book's abilities and this shocked him.

_____

[Key Abilities]

[Soulbound: Only Vastarael can wield and read the book fully. It rejects all others, appearing as a blank, impenetrable tome. If he allows it, anyone else can open and look at it.]

[Knowledge Absorption: It can absorb knowledge from scrolls, other grimoires, or even minds. (with consent) Any absorbed information is permanently stored within the book, retrievable at any time.]

[Infinite Pages: Even though it does not look like a massive tome, it will never run out of material to write on. It has its own pen to write on.]

[Ferhas's Movement: This is imbued with the Ferhas's Movement, a famous Archmage who introduced moving of letters and words in a book and enlarging it. Since you have a system, you can use it with your own system.]

[Indestructibility: Fully resistant to physical, mystical, magical, and temporal damage.]

[Guiding Light: When lost or misplaced, the book can summon a glowing trail to guide its owner back to it.]

____

"So it's summary, it's soul bound to me, it's indestructible, it can absorb knowledge, has infinite pages, no one can open it unless I want them to, has a tracking device and I can use it with Phaenora. Wait. Wait a sec."

Vastarael looked at the hologram and then asked:

"Phaenora, since you're connected to it, I can write on the book and you'll be able to record the details too?"

[Yes.]

Vastarael opened the book. A white quill materialized on top of the page. Vastarael grabbed it and write a few words on the first page of the book.

'My name is Vastarael Richinaria, also known as Veneri. If you see this book, then please, return it to the floating palace in Anqerise. And I'm handsome.'

"Phaenora?"

To his amazement, he could see the words on a blank hologram.

"Clear the last sentence."

The second the last sentence were cleared in the blank hologram, the words also vanished in the book.

"This is amazing! I can draw mystic circles runes on the book and still use them on you, Phaenora! It's like I'm a Technomage!"

Since he couldn't write his research on Phaenora, he was capable of doing it now thanks to the book.

"Oh. Let's see the weapon."