Ascension
In the dark hours before dawn, he began his great work. The rain tapped on the narrow windows of his basement workshop and thunder sounded in the distance, the gloomy atmosphere mimicking his dark mood. If all went well, tonight would be the beginning of his ascension to greatness, but he could not help but feel trepidation. There was too much at stake, and even the most minute error in the procedure could cause a cascading effect that will surely destroy him. There was no room for mistakes. He would not be daunted, however. Come the morning, the masters will finally see his true worth. First thing first, he donned the hat. People tended to think the hat was merely for ceremonial purposes, but they could not be more wrong. The hat was an inseparable part of the procedure, not only lending its powers to the act of creation itself but also imbuing it with his authority. He had once neglected the hat, and suffered dearly for it. He was wiser now. To the heart...