I awake staring at the ceiling. The lights buzz above me, as the sound of people groaning arises from the bunks around me. The fire had settled in my chest and was now a manageable throbbing. I focus on it for a moment, and I hear a voice at the very edge of my consciousness. A whisper that shook the air. So deep and menacing, as if something were speaking at me through the deepest recesses of my worst drug-induced deliriums.
Who art thou to brusheth against my soul?
I sit up and look around. Who was that? My imagination? I glanced around the room frantically; my heart pounding. Must have been. I lay my head back down, and once more focus on the pain radiating in my heart.
Who art thou that stirs me from the Eternal?
"Who's there?" I whisper.
You know not who I am, yet you toucheth my soul? Art thou simple?
"I...I don't know what you mean by that, I didn't do anything."
Was I going crazy? Was a prank being played on me?
You now dare lie to me? Behold, my terrible power.
My heart begins to thump wildly and painfully inside my chest, and the fire begins anew throughout my body before the fire moves and begins to concentrate on my forehead. A moment later the pillow I had been laid beneath my head ripped out and flew across the bed to smack against my feet.
...what has thou done? Did thou seal my powers?
"I have no clue who or what you are, but I can assure you I had nothing to do with that."
No...there is truth to your words, then explain how I have come to dwell within you.
"Look man, I don't know. They just put a blood bag in me. That's all…"
Blood? You have consumed my blood? That is strange. It should have killed you. You are human?
"Yeah, I'm human. It hurt like all hell when they put it in."
My voice was still a low whisper, and the pain was beginning to subside.
Interesting. Rare is the human that could stand the effects of our Anima.
"Anima?"
Anima is...difficult to explain. It is the animating force of all beings.
"Like a soul?"
No. It could be said it is what attaches the soul to the body, but it is more. A life force that all beings contain to stay tethered to this world.
"And that was in your blood?"
Indeed it was, so it feels to me as if you are pulling at my soul, but instead you are just grasping at the lingering tethers.
"So? What...what does that all mean?"
For me? Nothing. This anima will dissolve once you die. For you? Well...two souls cannot dwell within the same body, so it will slowly eat you up.
"Wait...does that mean…"
You will die. And it won't be long either. A year. Maybe less.
"Is there anything I could do?"
It wasn't the first time I'd heard a disembodied voice tell me that I didn't have long to live, but before I was coming off of a week-long bender. This time I knew for sure I was stone-cold sober.
Yes. But it will be difficult for you.
"How? What do I need to do?"
You need to strengthen your body. Tell me, where is the Miasma? I cannot sense it beyond thine body.
"Miasma?"
It is a wind that is full of latent Anima, art thou in Midgard? Is that why you don't know this?
"Midgard?"
The realm Guarded by the Brows of Ysmir.
"I have no clue what you're talking about."
...Art thou jesting me?
"No." I push myself up off the bed. The dizzying pain had subsided and I was able to stand. Daylight still poured through the windows, "So if I don't get this, 'miasma,' I'll die?"
Yes. By breathing in the miasma you would be able to gather the Anima within thineself and use it to strengthen your body and soul. Do not worry about any ill effects, since you have taken in my blood, it should act as a filter for the poison that could come along with it.
Poison, huh? I wonder if it's the air thing that the man was talking about the other day.
"Other than breathing it in, would there be another way?"
Yes. For me and my kind, grew stronger by consuming the flesh and blood of those creatures exposed to Anima.
Nope. Not doing that. Cannibalism was a no go.
I hop off the top bunk. Jack was in the bunk below mine groaning and rolling over in his sheets. Most of the bunks were occupied with men in similar stages of distress, save for one or two of them around the room. As I step out of the room, a man waiting on a chair glances up at me.
"Ah, you're the third one for the men. Name?"
"Lyle Kyle."
The man's fuzzy red brows furrow as he looks between me and the paper.
"Uh-huh...oh, there you are. Ah! An X. Surprised you're awake this early."
"How long was I out?"
"Three days." Came the reply, "Which is quick compared to…" his large green eyes dart from the paper to the room, "the standard."
"Three days? I don't feel groggy or hungry or anything like that."
"That's one of the symptoms of the procedure, for a few more questions: did you dream at all during your time under?"
I shake my head.
"Okay, okay, did something...weird happen when you first came to?"
"My pillow flung out from under me and flew across my bed."
"Oh really? So telekinesis? Excellent." He jots something down on the paper, "Now, is there anything else?"
Do not tell him about me.
I shake my head.
"Alright alright, so Mr. Kyle, lunch is available if you're hungry, if not can you please proceed outside and back into the hangar next door?"
"Why?"
"Training. Have you ever shot a firearm before?"
"My grandpa's BB guns."
"Yeah, you're not going to get an exemption for that. We'll also have you do a variety of tests to determine your baseline capabilities."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Yes, it is. You'll be ranked on your performance, and given a special device called a PID — Personal Improvement Device, to help you better measure what areas you need improvements on. When you make land you'll be given a journal about things you should do to improve your weak points."
"What? Like workouts?"
"No, no." The man shook his head, "The Land Beyond is totally different from what you're used to. Your actions will have a much bigger impact on your personal growth. Honestly, it's all a mystery to me, all I know is that they'll plug some numbers into a computer, and the computer will take those numbers, along with the blood type that you received, and spit out a series of things for you to do. Most of the time, they don't make sense, but you improve regardless."
"Can you give an example?"
"Well, it'll be like, 'fire 1,000 bullets,' and after you do you'll find that you're suddenly a lot more accurate than you have any right to be. Even if you fired those thousand bullets at a target three feet away and missed every single shot."
"Is following that really necessary?"
"Necessary? No. We won't force you to do anything on that list, but it would be wise to. For your own survival."
"How will these tasks be given to me? Like, will a person just tell me them and I have to remember?"
"No, no." He fishes around his pocket and pulls out what looks like a tablet. "You'll be given one of these. Completely personalized to you. You'll get a map of your surrounding area, and tasks you can do in that area. It'll also automatically record your kills for you, and what species you come across."
He drags his finger along the screen of the tablet and shows me quick flashes of each.
"You can also use it to communicate with people, but you'll learn about that later when you actually get there, along with some of the other functions."
"Okay, so I need to go to the hangar?"
"That's right. Please do."
I nod, and, not feeling hungry, I follow his instructions and head out the door and toward the hangar.