Elara found herself in a frozen, monochromatic world, a throwback to the old days of black and white television. The clouds in the sky, the blades of grass, even the waterfall over yonder — everything was at a total standstill. With a brief look at the world frozen in time, Elara shook her head as she recalled why she was here in the first place, and the answer lay right behind the door a few steps ahead of her.

  Elara took a deep breath, steeling her nerves as she approached the door. The air felt cold and still, and the world around her looked like a tableau, stuck in a moment of time.

  She pushed on the doorknob, bracing herself for what lay beyond. The door creaked slowly open, allowing Elara to catch a glimpse of the space beyond.

  Elara carefully stepped through the door, her footsteps making barely a sound on the stone floor. The atmosphere inside was still and silent, filled with an eerie sense of solitude.

  The space was spacious yet simplistic, consisting of nothing but a single stone pedestal in the center of the room. Something was resting on top of the pedestal, but from this angle, Elara couldn't quite make out what it was.

  Elara's curiosity piqued as she walked towards the stone pedestal, her eyes fixed on the cryptic object resting on top. The closer she got, the more details she could make out, and her curiosity quickly turned into fascination.

  As she finally stepped before the pedestal, the object's true nature was revealed to her. A small, intricately crafted necklace, its design unlike anything she had ever seen before.

  Elara reached out, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns etched into the metal. The necklace felt both delicate and sturdy, a perfect balance of fragility and strength. The craftsmanship was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

  She picked up the necklace, holding it up to the light. The stone that served as the pendant gleamed softly, its surface smooth and flawless. It almost seemed to call out to her, urging her to put it on.

  Without a moment's hesitation, she slipped the necklace around her neck. The pendant settled comfortably on her chest, its weight like a soft caress against her skin.

  Instantly, she felt a strange surge of power coursing through her body. It was as if the necklace had woken up something within her, something hidden and waiting to burst out.

  Elara's eyes widened as she felt the energy coursing through her. It was something primal, ancient and powerful. She had never experienced anything like it before, and she knew that this necklace was no ordinary trinket.

  "This... this power..." she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of awe and wonder. "It's incredible..."

  "Haven't your parents taught you not to touch things that aren't yours?" a teasing voice called out, one that sounded like it belonged to an older man.

  Elara startled at the voice, her grip instinctively tightening around the necklace. She spun around, searching for the source of the voice.

  "Who's there?" she called out, her tone guarded but curious. Her eyes darted around the chamber, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever had spoken.

  "No need to be so jumpy," the voice chuckled, its tone laced with amusement. "I promise I won't bite."

  Elara's eyes narrowed, her gaze darting to the shadows in the corners of the room.

  "Show yourself," she demanded, her voice firm.

  "Impatient, aren't we?" the voice teased, clearly enjoying toying with her. "Very well. Since you insist..."

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Out of the shadows, a black and white-furred beaver wearing a pair of sunglasses and a custom green hoodie stepped forward, a grin plastered on his face.

  Elara's eyes widened as the beaver stepped into view, her guard slowly dropping as she took in his appearance.

  "A talking beaver? One with attitude, no less. Just what I needed," Elara muttered under her breath. Her gaze remained fixed on him as he approached, his playful demeanor both intriguing and irritating.

  The beaver chuckled at Elara's muttered comment. He sauntered towards her, his paws casually stuffed in his hoodie pockets.

  "Attitude? Me?" he responded, feigning offense. "I prefer to call it 'charm' and 'charisma'. It's my trademark, you know. I heard you're a Void Mage, so I reckon you know who I am, no?”

  Elara rolled her eyes at the beaver's self-assured attitude. She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at his question.

  "Never heard of you," she replied flatly, her tone betraying a hint of disdain. She eyed the beaver from head to toe, taking in his carefree appearance.

  The beaver smirked, jumping up on the table to meet her eyes. "Why, I'm Due, the mastermind behind the well-known ability, Due's Utility. Or as it's more famously referred to as, Due-Util. Ring any bells yet, young lady?”

  Elara's eyes widened in sudden recognition. Due-Util. Her annoyance was quickly replaced with curiosity.

  "Wait," she said, a mix of surprise and disbelief in her voice. "You're Due? The one responsible for that insane Void Magic ability?"

  Due's smirk widened into a full-blown grin at her reaction. "The one and only," he said, his tone dripping with a sense of accomplishment. "Although, I transplanted my soul into this dear companion beaver of mine, you see. Impressive, eh?”

  Elara was momentarily stunned by the beaver's revelation. He had transplanted his soul into a beaver? The implications of such an action were both intriguing and disconcerting.

  "That's..." she began, her voice tinged with awe. "Incredibly bizarre, yet also fascinating."

  Due chuckled at her reaction. "You're not the first to express such sentiments," he said, leaning back nonchalantly. "Most tend to react with shock or disbelief. But you're taking it much more maturely.”

  Elara shrugged nonchalantly, regaining her composure. "I've seen stranger things in my lifetime," she replied with ease. "But I have to admit, it's a unique story."

  Due's grin widened at her nonchalant attitude. He seemed to appreciate her acceptance, or at least her lack of outright shock. "Ah, finally a person who's not easily fazed. I like ya already.”

  Elara tried to suppress a small grin at Due's compliment. She couldn't help but feel a little pleased at his words.

  "Flattery will get you nowhere," she replied, her tone light. Despite herself, she was slightly amused by the talking beaver's confidence and charm. "Besides, I'm here for some training.”

  Due chuckled at Elara's response. He was enjoying this bantering exchange with the Void Mage. The beaver hopped off the table, circling her.

  "Training, hmm? You've come to the right place," he replied, his tone filled with confidence. "I assume you're here to hone your Void Magic skills, specifically your capturing ability?”

  Elara nodded, her expression growing serious. "Yeah, I'm currently trying to develop a specialized Void Magic ability for capturing individuals. Something discreet and foolproof.”

  Due stroked his chin, studying her with interest. "A specialized capturing ability, huh? A smart move. Most Void Mages simply focus on offensive skills, neglecting the precision and finesse required... But as always, let's start with baby steps. What's your Aura Type and Attribute?"

  Elara pursed her lips for a moment before answering. "I'm an Interactor with high proficiency in Projection as well. My Attribute is Order."

  Due let out a low whistle. "Interaction of Order, then? I must admit I've never had a student with that particular type combination, consider yourself a special case."

  Elara raised an eyebrow at Due's words. "A special case, huh? Let's hope it's for the better."

  Due chuckled, his beaver tail twitching with amusement. "Only time will tell. For now, however, we start with the fundamentals. Close your eyes.”

  Elara hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes reluctantly. She had expected to feel silly or vulnerable in this position, but strangely, her heart was calm.

  "Alright, I've closed my eyes. Now what?" she asked, keeping her voice level.

  "Perfect," Due replied, his voice taking on a more focused tone. "I want you to tell me what it is you want to achieve. Who are you after?"

  Elara's face wrinkled a bit, recalling the muscular woman. "I'm after a buff woman. Fjord told me her aura is very intense, I'm obviously no match for her. So I'm here to train like a maniac so I can settle the score with her for what she's done to my kin.”

  "Ah, revenge, a classic motivator," Due mused, his voice laced with a touch of wry humor.

  Elara couldn't help but roll her eyes at the beaver's words. "Yeah, call it what you want. I just want to kick her ass, simple as that.”

  "Hoho! Well, simple is my specialty," Due chuckled at her bluntness. "Now, let's get you up to scratch. This should be…quite entertaining.”