As the aftermath of the Solar Eclipse Tragedy settled, two days before his fateful encounter with Amelia and Codey.
Leon found himself lying on the Earth's surface. Confusion gripped him as he awoke, questioning the very reality of his existence.
"Where am I? I thought I died," Leon pondered aloud, "the old man told me the Earth was going to be destroyed. Why is it still fine?"
A mysterious voice broke the silence, addressing him by name. "You must be Leon," it said.
Leon, bewildered, replied, "Who are you?"
The voice introduced itself as Mickey, a friend of Ash and Codey.
Mickey offered to guide Leon to his sector, but Leon's curiosity about the world around him could not be contained.
"Why is everything so clear? Where are the soldiers and Voids?"
Leon questioned, his eyes scanning the pristine landscape.
Mickey pointed upward, drawing Leon's gaze to the sky. The revelation struck Leon deeply as he beheld the vivid blue and pristine white clouds, a sight beyond his wildest expectations.
Mickey conveyed to Leon, "With the Solar Eclipse coming to an end, everyone has returned underground."
Leon, meanwhile, remained fixated on the clear sky, his countenance exuding a profound sense of peace.
Breaking his reverie, Mickey urged, "Colorless, how long are you going to look at the sky? We're about to enter Dollows Dome. Wear these glasses and don't look into their eyes."
The
Intrigued, Leon inquired, "Why do I need to wear these glasses, and why should I avoid eye contact with the Dollows?"
Mickey fixed his gaze on Leon and explained, "You seem quite oblivious. Dollows possess the ability to discern the presence of life in your eyes. If they catch a glimpse of it, they may attempt to consume you to absorb your mana. So, it's crucial that you refrain from locking eyes with them."
As Leon and Codey entered the Dome, they were met with a mesmerizing sight—the entire dome was filled with mana stones, their radiant glow brighter than the sun. It seemed that Dollows City was more active than Leon had ever imagined.
Observing Leon's shock, Mickey approached and whispered, "I know this must be overwhelming for you, witnessing the Soulless living seemingly normal lives without their souls."
Leon, still in disbelief, could only gaze in wonder.
Mickey continued his explanation, "The Dome is active because the Soulless have taken on roles, jobs, families, and hobbies, living out their lives as if they were not Soulless at all."
Leon finally found his voice and asked, "Why were we never told about this? How do you know all of this? Who are you?"
"Colorless," Mickey pondered, "have you ever wondered who is responsible for altering the Earth's mana panels or managing the mana panels within this dome?"
A wave of realization washed over Leon, leaving him stunned by the implications.
Mickey affirmed, "Yes, indeed, Colorless. The Dollows have been performing all these essential tasks. The Royal family has viewed them as mere tools, slaves, test subjects, and even as monsters."
Leon's face twisted with a mix of sadness and anger as he sought confirmation.
"Are you telling me that the Royal families have been using them as nothing more than instruments and giving us hope about bringing back their souls all lie?"
Mickey nodded somberly and replied, "Yes, Colorless. The Royals never had any intention of considering them as anything more than expendable assets. Everything they've told us has been built on a foundation of lies."
Leon felt a deep sadness envelop him, rendering him momentarily speechless.
Mickey continued, "Colorless, I understand that this revelation is overwhelming for someone like you, who was previously unaware of the truth. You were bound to learn about it eventually. Please, try not to let it consume you. It's disheartening to see you like this."
Leon gazed at Mickey, his curiosity overriding his emotions.
He inquired, "Who are you exactly, and how did you come to possess this knowledge?"
Mickey reiterated, "I've already mentioned, I'm Mickey, a friend of Ash and Codey's. My primary objective is to seek the truth, and one of my tasks is to escort you to this dome and ensure your safety for the next two days."
Leon, puzzled, probed further, "Who ordered you to do this, and why are you doing it?"
Mickey fell into silence, prompting Leon to seize him by the throat and demand answers, his frustration bubbling over.
Struggling to speak, Mickey managed to choke out, "Cyrus was right, you will become a killer in the future."
Leon, caught off guard by this statement, released his grip on Mickey and questioned, "You know my father."
Mickey, still recovering, responded, "No, I don't know him personally. I only heard about him from my leader. Colorless, you will receive all the answers you seek once I take you to my leader's hideout."
Leon was left puzzled by his father's involvement as he looked at Mickey with uncertainty. In his confusion, he suddenly heard laughter and witnessed a vibrant scene of children playing, people greeting one another with smiles, and vehicles bustling about.
"This place is livelier than our underground," Leon remarked as they entered a massive building adorned with opulent architecture.
A sign at the top read "Vikora's Palace."
A sense of astonishment washed over Leon as he laid eyes on that sign, and his thoughts raced.
"Why is my mother's name displayed here? What does this place signify?"
As they entered, reached the top floor of the building and inside the leader's cabin, seven chairs awaited them.
A woman in a captivating blue dress seated in the third one.
She spoke with a warm smile, "Welcome, Leon. It's a pleasure to have you here. We never anticipated that Cyrus and Vikora's son would pay us a visit."
Leon, still silent, stood in contemplation.
She carried on, her enthusiasm untempered, "I apologize for my excitement. My name is Zatora Outlaw, one of the leaders among the Blackshirts."
Leon inquired, "Blackshirts? What is this? Outlaw? you have second name?Are you associated with the Royals?"
Zatora acknowledged the confusion in her attire and answered, "I understand, my attire and title can be perplexing."
Leon, his curiosity piqued, offered an awkward smile and asked, "How do you know my family, and who exactly are you all?"
As Zatora began to clarify, Mickey took a seat in a quiet corner, observing the unfolding conversation.
"We are a group of rebels known as the Blackshirts," Zatora explained.
"Our aim is to oppose the Royal families. There are seven leaders, each representing one of the DEXTERS Planets in our organization. Your mother served as the previous leader of Earth's Blackshirts before me, and..."
Leon interrupted her, realizing the implications. "My mother was a part of this group? People are still living on the Upper Surface?"
Leon abruptly interrupted her and fired a barrage of questions.
"My mother used to be part of this group, so that means people are still living on the Upper Surface, right? I was under the impression that you were all Dollows playing puppet roles from what I heard from Mickey. No one mentioned civilians living here. How is this possible, and why did my mother never share any of this with me?"
Zatora, her demeanor turning cold, advanced toward Leon and struck him with a punch.
"Kid, it's impolite to interrupt someone. I don't care if you are our hope; I won't tolerate it."
A voice, previously unheard, emerged from one of the vacant chairs, chastising Zatora, "Stop, Zatora. Do you still detest interruptions?"
Undeterred, Zatora retaliated, "You're interrupting too, Kenneth. I'll kill you as well."
Kenneth swiftly offered an apology, attempting to defuse the situation.
"I sincerely apologize for Zatora's behavior. She is typically composed, but on occasion, she becomes rather volatile."
Leon, with humility, addressed the group, "It's alright, Sir. It's my fault for interrupting her."
Kenneth, still taken aback, inquired in a shocked tone, "You can see me? Did Mickey instruct you to utilize Mana eyes to perceive us?"
Leon, puzzled by the mention of "Mana eyes," asked, "Mana eyes, Sir? I'm not familiar with that term. I've been seeing all of you in holographic form, seated in the six chairs, since the beginning."
Zatora, her astonishment evident, questioned Leon, "So, you're telling us that you've been observing everyone all along and chose not to mention it? Are you an imbecile or just pretending to be one?"
Leon, feeling embarrassed, admitted, "I didn't know how to bring it up earlier. I assumed you were visible from the start, and I had no knowledge of using 'Mana eyes' to see. I apologize for not clarifying sooner."
Zatora, along with everyone else, including Mickey, was left stunned by Leon's revelation, and Kenneth chose to break the silence.
"Now that the cat's out of the bag, shall we proceed with introductions?"
Demonic-like entity, his voices laden with menace, began to speak his name. "My name is…"
However, a pale figure with sharp fangs, crimson eyes, and an air of malevolence halted the introductions in their tracks.
He remarked, "Hold on. It might be too soon for him to learn about us. He could still be a spy for the Royal family. Let's refrain from sharing too much without careful consideration."
"He's right," a voice chimed in from an elfin woman, petite yet radiating ethereal beauty.
Zatora couldn't resist a comment, "You folks seem overly thrilled simply because you've seen Vikora, the son of your idol."
Approaching Leon, she added with a hint of regret, "I apologize, Leon. These individuals were genuinely eager to meet you, but now they're all starstruck."
Another voice, this time from a woman with a furry body, long tails, and feathered wings, chimed in.
"Zatora, don't compare us to yourself. We're not like you. Cease making a mockery of us and acting foolish all the time."
While they bickered amongst themselves, Leon remained surprisingly silent.
Kenneth eventually broke the tension with a stern expression and declared, "Everyone, please, let's calm down and take our seats."
Without a word, everyone complied, sitting down slowly.
Kenneth then turned his attention to Leon.
After looking at Leon,his face etched with fear, and offered an apology on behalf of the group.
One by one, each member expressed their apologies to Leon.
Zatora's thoughts raced after gazed Leon , "If we had prolonged the argument any further, Leon might have taken my life and moved on to the others. The mana he's emitting is nothing short of terrifying. What could have caused this sudden change in him? Did we inadvertently hurt his feelings?"
Then, suddenly, Leon extended an apology, saying, "I'm sorry for not paying attention to your discussions earlier. Could you please repeat them? My mind was preoccupied with thoughts of my mother."
The shock rippled through the group upon hearing his apology, and Zatora decided to address the matter.
"It's nothing significant, just a minor disagreement among us. Let's delve into the topic of your mother."
The combination of Leon's demeanor and the mana he exuded left everyone in the room apprehensive. Who was his mother, and what was the truth surrounding her? The answers would have to wait until the next chapter.
[End of Chapter]
***
This extraordinary ability enables one to detach their soul from their physical body and embark on interplanetary journeys. However, it comes with certain limitations: one cannot interact with the physical world and can only be perceived through Mana Eyes. To achieve this, one must place both a transmission and receiving mana panel on either end of the journey.
When in Mana Holographic Form, the risk of one's soul becoming absorbed is greatly heightened if the stability of the mana panel is compromised. These techniques were honed during the Aghori war, now where the Blackshirts utilized them to evade the Royals' tracking of their souls.
The art of channeling mana into one's eyes allows one to perceive souls that are ordinarily invisible to the naked eye. This advanced technique demands an exceptional level of concentration for prolonged use.