A cool chill ran down his arm. It carried a sharp spike of energy along with it, like the world's strongest shot of coffee. He drew in a breath and pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers and shaking his hand off.
Alex hesitated for a second, then stuck his hand back into the energy. He scooped a small portion of it free and it pooled in his palm. Electrifying lines coursed down his arm and into his body.
He pressed the pool of mist between his palms, trying to squeeze it down. It squelched out and swirled up into the air.
"Okay. Maybe it isn't that simple," Alex muttered as the wisps of blue light rose back to rejoin the teeming mass of power above the basin.
"What an astute observation."
Unfamiliar words rang through Alex's mind and he spun toward their source. A dour-faced man wearing a tailored velvet suit stood across from him. He was as thin as a rake and his face was creased with the first lines of aging. His full head of sleek black hair had been combed back to reveal slightly pointed ears.
Alex barely even registered all of those features. His gaze was instantly drawn to the man's eyes — or rather, the lack of them. Two pitch black voids had taken their place, swallowing all the light that dared grow near the man's face.
"Who are you? What are you doing in my mind?" Alex demanded, taking a step back and searching for some kind of weapon.
"Our very short relationship is going to go poorly if you're always this pushy," the man said, adjusting the gloves on his hands before letting his arms drop back to his sides.
"You need to have a relationship in the first place for it to go poorly," Alex said, watching the man through narrowed eyes. "And I think it's pretty fair to ask why someone's strolling around in my head. Did the System put you here?"
The man's lips pursed in distaste and he ignored Alex's question completely. "Your complete lack of a Mind Palace and stark incompetence would imply that you are either the most useless creature to be graced by the System or were only recently inducted into its loving embrace."
Something about the way the man spoke told Alex that, despite his words, he didn't care for the System in the slightest.
"The latter," Alex said. "What are you? The Class Guide I didn't get?"
"You seem to misunderstand," the man said. "I will not be answering random questions."
"Then get out of my head."
"No."
They stared at each other.
"Why—"
"I am not here to answer random questions," the man repeated. He snapped his fingers, then nodded to the swirling ball of blue illuminating them both. "I am here to aid you in dealing with this. Nothing more. Nothing less. I will not interfere in your life. I will not answer your questions, nor will I hinder or aid you in any way, shape, or form. We will complete this task and then I will leave. That is all."
Alex reached for the sensation of the stone pressed against his back and focused on it. The world around him shuddered, then collapsed in on itself as his eyes snapped back open.
Claire blinked in surprise. "You're back early. Really early."
"There was a creepy guy in my head," Alex said. "Why the hell is there someone in there? Is it normal?"
"Oh, your guide?" Claire asked. "I have no bleeding clue what they are, but mine never led me astray. Didn't lead me much of anywhere if I'm being completely honest. Just demonstrated how to do a few basic things and then vanished. The System told me their memories would shatter, so you don't have to worry about revealing anything to them. Everything you say will disappear when they do. Mine wasn't creepy, though. That's on you."
"Ah. Thanks," Alex said.
He closed his eyes and sank back into his mind once more. The dour faced man was still standing by the basin where he'd been before, a scowl on his features.
"I'll thank you not to drag this on any more than it needs to be," the man said.
"If anyone just sits around and listens to what random people popping up in their head tell them to do, they're an idiot," Alex said. "I was just checking to see what you were on about. So what is it that you are here to do?"
The man's lip curled up in what might have been a smile. He splayed his fingers out before him. "First, you must properly refine the energy you have into the basin of your Mind Palace. Then—"
"That's the second time you've said Mind Palace," Alex said. "What is that?"
A flicker of emotion passed over the man's face. It might have been surprised, or it might have been annoyance. It was impossible to tell which. "Disregard that. Simply condense your energy."
"How?"
"If you cannot follow the instructions left by the System, then you are completely hopeless. Figure it out so I can be done with this."
Be done with this? He's stuck here? Is it some kind of weird punishment by the System? And is it for him or me?
"I'd be thrilled to. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten shit for instructions." Alex matched the man's glare. "I'd gratefully accept any suggestions you have, though. I want you in my head even less than you want to be here. I can assure you of that."
The man's head tilted to the side. "You did not receive instructions?"
"The only thing I've gotten is you, and I'm hoping the System has a good refund policy. We're going to be here a really long time if you aren't answering questions."
"Your state of mind is what compresses the energy," the man said after a long pause. "Use your breathing to control your consciousness. You are not enlightened enough to do it with mere intent alone. Will the energy together and into the basin."
I guess the meditation bit was more literal than I initially thought.
Alex inclined his head in appreciation and sat down. It was a bit odd to be sitting in the exact same way in two different places, but his mind quickly forgot about it as he directed his attention to his breathing.
/Author's Note///
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