After having dinner in my room at 9 pm, I took a small nap to relax my mind from the anxiety caused by overthinking the event that was about to happen. I woke up at 11.30 pm and left to go to the place where I was instructed to come.
After a 5 min walk, I arrived at my destination. Dawon, who sensed my presence, appeared before me.
''You arrived early than the instructed time Ark. Any specific reason?''
''I was having trouble sleeping. My heart is racing. I feel a little dizzy, my legs are trembling, and muscle tension is the worst.''
''In short, you are having an anxiety attack.''
''No... no, it's not an anxiety attack. It's just that I am a little nervous about how the unsealing would go and what will happen to me, that's all.''
''Well, whatever master has asked me to bring you inside for final arrangements.''
''Okay, but where are we going? All I see in front of me is a wall. Even with the help of the enhanced eyes, I cannot see anything.''
''The room ahead of you is special. Since you are yet to be registered as a clan member, this room is hidden from your eyes.''
''How will I enter the room then?''
''Take this and stay behind me while you enter the room.''
A card appeared before my eyes with my personal details on it. For now, I refrained from asking how they got it. Because there is something else that caught my eyes.
''The language written on it is not the one that I am familiar with. How am I able to read it?''
Yes, the language on the card is very unfamiliar. A language that I have no memory of seeing anywhere on the google keyboard.
''The thing in your hand is a one-time access card to enter the special room, and as for the language, it's something not known in the human world. It's the language spoken by the gods. The reason you can understand is because of the enhancement done to your brain by the master. You can now read and understand all the languages and ancient scripts.''
''But I was told he enhanced my eyes only?''
''Master enhanced your whole nervous system. Since the retina sends nerve signals through the back of the eye to the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries these signals to the brain, which interprets them as visual image nerves.''
''The brain controls your body by sending electrical signals through the spinal cord. If only one part of the body is enhanced, it will disrupt the balance created by the brain, and you will be unable to use your body.''
''Even if my body is enhanced, I do not feel any difference in strength.''
''It's enhanced, not upgraded. Your body is enhanced to see what normal people cannot see. There might be a one or two percent increment in physical strength, but your mental strength is around fifty-seven percent more than a normal human.''
''Why only fifty-seven percent?''
''That's the limit to how much the human body can be enhanced. When the gods choose the humans to bestow their powers, they recreate the bodies of the chosen humans from scratch; otherwise, the normal human body will start deteriorating after they pass the thirties and will be destroyed by the power around the age of sixty-two.''
''Is my body in danger?''
''Not now, but maybe in the future, if the ritual goes as it should, then everything will be fine.''
''And what if it doesn't?''
''Then you will blow up like a big firecracker.''
''Scarry.. now I am getting more worried about the ritual.''
''Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, so do not worry about what will happen to you in the future and enter the room fast. It's already time for the ritual.''
I held the card against the wall. Then suddenly, that card started flashing, and the wall in front of me disappeared along with the card. I entered the room after Dawon and witnessed a mystical sight.
What came before my eyes were beyond anything I had ever seen. A beautiful scenery comprising green and white mountain ranges, volcanoes, waterfalls, temples, forests, and rivers and atop a deep black sky with stars and galaxies. Truly it's a scenery that cannot be seen anywhere on earth, not even on the North or South Pole. It is as if I have entered a new world.
''What is this place? It's like I entered a new world.'' Unknowingly, what was in my mind came out of my mouth.
''This place is known as Xunos. A part of the reproduction of another dimension.'' Aeon suddenly appeared beside me and quelled my curiosity.
''Like a copy of another planet?''
''No, it's different. It's a copy of another dimension.''
''? I am still confused.''
''Leave it. It's really complicated to explain to you right now. Maybe next time when your understanding of the universe will be better. But remember, there are more things than gods and demons that are dreamt of in our universe.''
''Okay, let us leave that discussion for later. So how are we gonna undo the seal?''
''First, we will recreate your body from scratch, but we can't do it as the gods did back then; it would be dangerous for you. Can you see that shrine below? The one surrounded by lava on the left and the river flowing from north to south protects it and the forest in the east?
''Yes, I can. The shrine is really in a very... balanced place.''
''That is the most ideal place to perform this ritual. All the five elements of fire, water, earth, air, and space required to recreate your body are present.''
''While your body is being recreated from scratch, your soul will try to escape. But the shrine prevents that from happening. It will act as a barrier that will trap your soul and prevent it from escaping.''
''So that means until the reconstruction of my body is finished, I would be considered dead?''
''Technically, since your soul will leave your body for some time but do not worry, even if your soul somehow passes through the shrine's barrier, I will capture it without fail.''
''Do you have a way to capture the soul?''
''Yes, but I will not tell you about it. It's a secret skill that can not be revealed to anyone.''
''Well, whatever, I don't care. I am here so that I can live my life peacefully. By the way, what will happen after that? will reconstructing my body undo the seal?''
''No, the seal is placed on your soul, not the body. We are recreating your body to increase the chances of your survival. If we were to undo the seal now, your body and soul could not withstand the tremendous stress and explode like a nuke.''
''How long will it take to reconstruct my body?''
''Hard to say, I did nothing like that in the past. You will be the first person to whom I will perform this. My guess would be twenty-one years.''
''Twenty-one! Even if time works differently in the temple, this will not go unnoticed.''
''Calm down, you don't have to shout like that. It's not like I will perform this ritual without knowing how long it would take. Inside the shrine, time will move faster, so it would look like only four to eight have passed.''
''Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. How will you enter the shrine? Don't say I have to walk my way there. The path to the shrine is not something a human can walk on.''
''Don't fear, we will teleport there. Here, grab my hand.''
''How can I grab your hand? Did you forget you are a soul? I cannot touch you.''
''You really think so? At least try once.''
I tried to grab his hand, knowing it would only be a swing in the air. But it didn't go how I imagined it.
I grabbed his hand! How is it possible? Does this mean it's the real him in his body, not an astral projection? I glanced at Aeon, who had an all-knowing smirk on his face.
''You guessed it right. It's the real me, not my astral projection. I figured it would be best to perform the ritual in physical form. Now, what are we waiting for? Let's start the ritual.''
'Snap' With just a snap, we arrived in front of the shrine.
'Tick.' I looked into my watch, and it showed midnight. The time for the ritual has arrived.
''It's time to enter the shrine. Once you enter the shrine, the barrier will be deployed and will not be undone until the end of the ritual.
''Is it okay to enter these clothes? Won't the ritual be hindered because of them?''
''Anything that tries to disturb the ritual will be disintegrated by the lava, so don't worry about anything.''
Entrusting my watch to Aeon, I entered the shrine. The barrier deployed immediately as I entered.
''Ark, can you hear my voice from inside? Are you feeling alright in there?''
''Yes, your voice is audible. I am feeling a little hot behind because of the lava; other than that, everything is fine.''
''Excellent, I am about to begin the ritual. Any last wishes before dying?''
''Yeah, after all this is over, can you please make those pancakes again for breakfast?''
''Done. You will get your pancakes after all this is over. Now, wasting no time, I shall begin the ritual. Happy death, Ark.''