"In the shadows where the light fears to tread, secrets brew and conspiracies awaken."
(POV: Ryomen Sukuna)
The sun was hanging low in the sky, casting a warm, almost soothing orange glow on the surroundings.
A gentle breeze went by, rustling the leaves hanging down from the trees.
In the middle of the ground were three girls—Eva, Nect, and Elara.
I watched from a vantage point in the sidelines, leaning against the trunk of one of the trees surrounding the ground.
I was observing their interaction, but my mind was wandering somewhere else.
I glanced back, and I saw a black car with a little dent on its side. Inside it was sitting Winston, who had driven me here.
It hadn't been long since my talk with Aiden, and it was still gnawing at me from the inside.
I sighed loudly. I knew that what he was going to do would turn the world upside down, so why do I actually look forward to it?
I shook the thoughts out of my mind, looking back at the three girls.
Elara stood in the middle, Eva and Nect on either side of her.
Eva had agreed to train her, and Nect had unexpectedly chimed in.
However, it didn't seem like she was contributing much to the training, just trying to goof off.
Nervousness was clearly visible on Elara's face as Eva looked at her sternly, observing the flow of mana inside her.
"Elara," Eva said, her eyes sharp, her tone unforgiving, yet carrying an undertone of care. "Summon your mana, feel it flowing inside you."
I could only imagine Eva's face when she figured out that Elara had three souls.
She would've been either extremely confused, or she would've just given up on asking any questions.
Elara looked at her nervously, sweat forming on her forehead as she tried her best to squeeze out some mana towards her hand.
"C'mon, it's not the hard," Nect said, yawning dramatically and folding her hands behind her head. "Just gotta feel it, like... I don't know."
She giggled, obviously more interested in being goofy than helping her.
Eva shot her a glare that shut her down. She put both her hands over her mouth, curling up into a ball as if scared. Internally... she was laughing.
Elara's mana pool was pitifully small, and her control over it, even worse.
However, there was something that had surprised both of them—her talent.
Her ability to adapt as Eva taught her new spells was something only rarely seen.
Her speed of learning was... exceptional. In the little time Eva has been training her, at most a day, she had learnt 2-3 spells, and was able to use them pretty freely.
Mana concentrated on Elara's hand, sparks forming atop her palms.
Her eyes glinted with determination, as well as a hint of fascination that she was able to do spells, something she had only dreamed of in the past.
Slowly, the sparks turned into a bright, orange-yellow fire, burning in her hand with a comforting yet ominous glow.
My eyes narrowed as I looked at her. The souls inside her were moving.
The reason I had taken Elara in was that she had three souls, but two of them seemed to be always dormant.
I was sure that her soul was the bigger one in the middle, and the other two were just residing inside her... somehow.
However, as she cast the spell, the two souls began moving, a part of them going towards the concentration of mana and changing its shape.
And, consequently, the wastage of mana was very low, something even the best hunters struggle to do.
"They're helping her?" I muttered, looking at the souls moving, slowly molding the mana to be more efficient.
Elara let out a loud exhale, sweat dripping from her cheek as she put her hands down, the fire slowly dissipating into the air.
I leaned forward, my eyes glinting with interest.
Elara's potential was undeniable, with good enough control, her mana pool wouldn't matter.
But these souls... they might be the secret to unlocking her true strength.
As I looked at her, my eyes glinted with a malicious light, a multitude of ideas forming in my head.
If I could somehow learn to have multiple souls in my body... then can I use them in the same way to reduce cursed energy requirements?
If that is possible, then that would change a lot of things.
Will I be able to use domain expansion consecutively even more than I can do now?
That wouldn't make too much of a difference, but it'll be a good flex.
I slightly chuckled, a low, dark chuckle that only I, and the tree next to me, heard.
I would have to put more emphasis on soul training for Eva, and teach it to Nect once I make sure that she can hold the secret.
If it is not possible to learn this, then Elara would be an extremely important piece, which means that I will have to build a good relationship with her.
I was pulled out of my thoughts as Nect suddenly jumped up, her eyes sparkling in excitement. "Oh I know! We can–"
"Shut it!" Eva immediately shut her down, turning back to Elara. "Try again, keep it up for longer this time."
Her tone was stern, but it had a hint of softness to it.
She didn't want to force Elara into anything, but she knew that she had to be strict.
Elara nodded as Nect flopped to the ground dramatically, her hand clutching her heart.
Elara slightly giggled at their exchange and Nect's antics, her nervousness slowly dissipating.
Another flame slowly formed on her hand, and it was already slightly bigger than the previous one, even though the mana she used was the same.
A large, borderline devious smirk formed on my face as I looked at the tiny flame burning atop her palm.
"Good," I whispered, turning away. "She's getting it."
Her talent was undeniably extraordinary, but I was still unsure whether it would matter in the grand scheme of things... like the England gates.
I walked to Winston with silent, yet quick steps, the girls' voices fading away behind me.
"Winston," I called out, causing him to immediately get out.
He opened the back door with a silent click, holding it open for me.
I smiled at him and nodded, getting in. "Should we go home?"
He nodded back, getting in and shutting the door with a thud. He turned on the car, the engine slightly vibrating.
He accelerated the car, slowly driving away.
I sat comfortably, my thoughts going back to my discussion with Aiden.
I turned to my side, looking out of the window at the trees being left behind.
"I wonder..." I whispered, Winston glanced at me through the rear-view mirror for a second, but went back to looking at the road.
"...how the mission is going," I spoke to nobody in particular, my lips curling up into a smirk.
Aiden had sent people on a mission to England a few days ago.
He had told me all about it, and it makes me excited and fearful at the same time.
The only thing that worries me was my parents' safety, but I know... they're strong enough to protect themselves.
Faraway, in England, something ancient was being unearthed... something that would shake the very core of the world itself.
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(Somewhere in England)
Far away, in the countryside of England, there was a place which seemed so deserted, yet so beautiful.
On the side of a little hill, a group of miners worked tirelessly. Sweat fell from their faces, their clothes riddled with stains and their bodies filled with bruises.
A few of them hit the rocks repeatedly with a pickaxe, the rhythmic clacking the only thing breaking the silence in the grassland.
Others grunted as they pushed away large chunks of rock, out of the tunnel's entrance.
They had been at it for hours, trying to open the blocked passageway with all their might.
The air inside the tunnel was damp, an uncharacteristic, rotting smell assaulting the miners' noses.
Dust covered them in the ominous darkness, the lights from their helmets casting long shadows on the rocky walls.
As the miners walked deeper inside, they couldn't help but feel a sense of dread overtaking their hearts.
Their hands started to tremble, perspiration forming on their foreheads.
They soon reached a wall, some intricate designs carved on them.
The miners' ragged breathing was the only thing that broke the tense silence in the confinement of the tunnel.
The leader of the group, a huge man with a long, red beard, grunted as he swung his pickaxe with all his might.
The pickaxe hit the wall with exceptional force.
A loud clang echoed in the tunnel, followed by the sound of debris falling.
They did it, the tunnel was open.
The men walked deeper in, reaching a dimly lit room, far larger than they had ever expected.
They all took a collective gasp as they looked at the sight in awe, some of them standing with their mouths agape.
There were three huge, deep black gates in the middle of the room, swirling with a violet energy that sent chills down their spine.
"Dungeon gates..." one miner muttered, astonished his voice echoing in the room.
The air in front of the gates crackled with an energy, as if they were alive.
The leader took a cautious step forward. As he got closer, the sense of dread inside him kept growing, a deep, primal fear taking hold of his heart.
"What the hell...?" One of the miners muttered, terrified, as the gates' aura seemed to get more oppressive every second.
They all seemed to know... these were no ordinary dungeon gates.
"Shut up!" The leader shouted, his voice loud, yet carrying a hint of reassurance.
He was terrified too.
But, they had to complete their task, they had someone above them that wouldn't take failure lightly.
Taking a deep breath, stepping back, the leader pulled out a communicating device from his pocket.
He entered some numbers in it, the device beeping with every input, his fingers trembling.
He put the device in front of him, waiting for someone to pick it up. A click echoed in the room as it was picked up.
"Sir... we've found it," the leader said, his voice shaking. "There are three gates, like you said."
Silence ensued for a few moments, the static filling the air, and the miners' heavy breaths echoing in the confined chamber.
Breaking the tense silence, Aiden's calm, almost indifferent voice came through.
"Good," he said, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation. "You did well."
The leader looked back at the gates, his heart beating in his chest as the pressure was becoming unbearable. But he knew... he had to stay composed.
"What are your orders?" He asked, his voice strained. "Do we... open them?"
Aiden slightly chuckled, his unsettling laughter mixing with the static.
"Not yet, you've done your part," his low, uncannily calm voice came from the other side.
The miners exchanged nervous glances, their eyes filled with fear, but relief at the same time that they get to leave the place.
"You may leave," Aiden's voice filtered through again, pulling the miners back to reality. "Hide the tunnel, and get away unnoticed."
The leader gulped, his eyes glancing back at the gates swirling with the darkly bright violet energy.
"Understood." He spoke with a slightly shaking, yet determined tone.
The communicator cut off.
The commander started to walk back through the tunnel, motioning for the others to follow.
The miners, without hesitation, started walking behind him with quick steps, eager to leave the place.
As the miners reached the surface, the leader ordered them to cover the tunnel with some big rocks and a layer of soil.
As this was happening, the leader was standing on the side, his thoughts racing.
He had no idea what was behind those gates, or what Aiden intended to do with them.
But one thing was clear to him... This was a dangerous game, and he shouldn't try to know more than he is told.
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Back in the car, Sukuna's smirk didn't waver as he leaned back in his seat, listening to the muffled sounds of the engine and the tires rolling on the road.
Even though, from the outside, he looked normal, he was already in great anticipation of what was about to happen.
England was about to be the center of something far... far greater than anyone could've imagined.
After all, the gates were...
"Portals to the demon realm," he whispered, his smirk turning into a wicked grin as the car sped towards the city.