"What's the Soulshift sorcery about, and what do you mean by someone performing it in Golangane?"
The emperor's face grew serious and tense as he gazed at the old man who had recently arrived at the palace, introducing himself as a seer.
The elderly man, clad in blue robes and with only gray hair remaining on his head, bowed respectfully. He began to explain, "Your majesty, let me provide more specific details. Of all the dark sorceries in the magical world, none is as formidable and perilous as the Soulshift sorcery. This sorcery involves a sorcerer choosing a particular host and then transferring their own soul into the host's body, displacing the host's original soul."
As he explained, the emperor's perplexity deepened. However, the old man continued at the emperor's request, "Once the soul transfer is complete, the host and the sorcerer become one; the host becomes the sorcerer, and vice versa. The sorcerer's soul can reside within the host's body for up to twenty thousand years, after which the host's body turns to stone and disintegrates. The host and the sorcerer meet their end together, even though the host's original soul is extinguished during the initial soul transfer."
Meanwhile, at Master Chen's house, Sarah was seated next to Master Chem at the doorstep.
Coincidentally, she had also inquired about dark sorceries, prompting Master Chen to discuss the most deadly of them all.
Master Chen began, "Many powerful mages are rumored to have lost their lives attempting a type of dark sorcery, with some of those who succeeded eventually turning into stone."
Sarah pressed for more information, asking, "Why would they turn to stone?"
Her eyebrows rose as she awaited the answer.
Master Chen placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "I admire your inquisitiveness, my child, but I would advise against delving too deeply into the dark side of our world." He sighed and continued, "The sorcery we are discussing is rooted in ancient, forbidden spells. Those who employ it face dire consequences, such as turning to stone after twenty thousand years."
He went on to explain, "It's estimated that only 10% of the world's population is aware of the existence of this spell, and even fewer know how to perform it. This sorcery is known as the Soulshift Sorcery – a dark magic that involves transferring souls from one body to another." He withdrew his hand from Sarah as he finished.
Intrigued and with a perplexed expression, Sarah inquired, "But how do you know about this spell? You mentioned that only a small percentage of the world's population is aware of it."
Master Chen smiled, his gaze fixed on the young girl's innocent eyes. Despite her age, she displayed ambition and intelligence, which could be a double-edged sword.
He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb and said, "Sometimes, my dear, it's wiser to act as if you are ignorant, even when you possess knowledge. Keep your insights to yourself, and avoid revealing what you know."
Sarah persisted, "But why, Master? If I possess knowledge that could save someone from danger, is it not my responsibility to share it?"
Master Chen responded, "You must prioritize saving yourself before saving others. Consider the man who saved us from the demon palace – he couldn't save himself. Remember, you are responsible for your own well-being, not that of others." With that, he rose and headed inside.
Sarah sensed that there was more to Master Chen's words than met the eye. She thought, "He's clearly avoiding answering my question," and she glanced at the closed door with a hint of frustration.
A sword steadily swerved into Arion's hand. His heartbeat raced, not because he was afraid but because he got determined to capture the man.
He thought, "I must capture him once and for all! He's committing another crime after eluding us."
On his command, a milky white colour enveloped his sword.
On the other hand, Seraphis was not prepared for a confrontation and sought to escape from the palace gate before the palace guards were alerted.
Liora managed to move the four unconscious palace guards to the pillar where she had previously hidden.
She propped them against the pillar and signaled Arion to leave immediately.
"Let us go before the palace soldiers get alerted!"
However, she was surprised to see him gearing up for a fight.
She exclaimed, "He shouldn't cause any trouble within the palace!"
In response, Seraphis conjured a small, sharp, white light in his hand and struck it into the ground around the four men whom Arion had bound with magical ropes.
This light produced a thick fog.
And just as Arion suspected, the fog was poisonous.
It wafted toward Arion, causing him to cough and flinch back.
As he looked back at the other men, he realized they were suffocating.
Looking forward again, the other man had vanished.
Arion yelled, "What an arrogant troublemaker!" His sword disappeared, and he released a burst of crimson-red magic into the area.
The fog dissipated, but the men were already lifeless.
Back in the palace, the emperor gently inquired of the old seer, Jasmin, "What could be the reason for performing this sorcery?"
Jasmin responded, "There are various motivations, but the most likely one is to gain a more advantageous position. For example, a severely injured person might perform soul shifting with a deceased body."
The emperor's suspicion was confirmed, and he remarked, "Someone we believed to be dead may still be alive. Could it be....?"
The lifeless bodies of the four men lay before Arion just as palace guards began to encircle him, brandishing their swords.
"Freeze!"
As Arion found himself surrounded by the palace soldiers and Liora confronted by four of them with drawn swords, a commanding voice ordered both of them to remain in place – that voice belonged to Crown Prince Valerian.
He approached with his hands clasped behind his back, and his visage displayed an intensity rarely seen before.
He declared, "This is an unforgivable crime! You've murdered eight men within the palace walls and attempted to transport them through a secret gate!"