A red line in the dark of the night. A young lady suddenly appearing in front of a village, a backpack slung over her shoulder.
Who is this young lady? Her name is Jane Denki, with her striking red hair and a smile hanging on her lips. She turned to look at the village she had just left behind. The flickering light of candles could still be seen from where she stood, probably coming from the few houses still awake. But not for long-after all, it was quite late, almost midnight.So why would a young redhead be outside the village at this hour? She could be, and should be, in her warm bed, sleeping peacefully with her parents just next door. The reason was simple: she was running away.She had prepared for this moment for weeks, and now it was finally happening. Her smile grew wider as she turned away from the village, staring into the inky black night.Jane had spent her entire life in that village, never venturing beyond the woods that loomed in the distance. Even then, she had only seen a small part of the forest. Her father had forbidden her from going beyond its borders, claiming the world was too dangerous for someone like her. She never fully understood what he meant. She had been trained to defend herself since she was a child, and could now best nearly everyone in the village who sparred with her. After all, she had begun her training at the tender age of six.Her training was brutal-both physically and mentally. She had been pushed to the brink of collapse more times than she could count, yet each session left her feeling refreshed, exhausted, but fulfilled.Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts, Jane focused on the path ahead. It was time to go. Without a sound, she vanished from her spot, leaving behind only a faintly deeper footprint in the soft earth.A mere moment later, she reappeared in a clearing more than three kilometers from the village. This place was her sanctuary, where she could be alone with her thoughts. Smiling to herself, Jane sat cross-legged on the ground and placed her bag in front of her.Despite her plan to leave for good, her bag was surprisingly light. The truth was, she hadn't packed it herself. It had just appeared on her bed before she left. She had a strong suspicion of who might have prepared it. Opening the bag, she found blankets, two sets of clothes, and some food. After rummaging for a few moments, she discovered one last item-a small, simple black box.Curious, she opened it and found a letter and a necklace. Setting aside the necklace, she unfolded the letter. Even with the dim moonlight, she could easily read the words written inside:"My dearest Jane, I knew long ago that our little village could never contain you. From the moment I began telling you stories of the outside world, your eyes sparkled with wonder. You definitely inherited your father's nature-always seeking thrills, always curious. He knew it too, and that's why he's been so anxious about you. Because your leaving was inevitable, written in the stars, even if we didn't know when.If you're reading this, then you're in that clearing you love so much. We knew about it, even though you thought it was your secret hideaway.
You should know that you have my blessing-and your father's, although he'd never admit it willingly.
Go, my daughter. Explore the world to your heart's content. And when you've had your fill of adventure, when you're tired, remember that you'll always have a home to return to.
We love you. Take care, and never lose that beautiful smile of yours."
Unknowingly, tears had started to slip down Jane's cheeks. She wiped them away, her smile faltering briefly before returning in full force. She clutched the letter to her chest for a moment before setting it aside. She then turned her attention to the necklace.The crystal pendant looked dull at first glance, but under the faint moonlight, Jane noticed a soft red glow within it. Intrigued, she examined it more closely but found nothing particularly unusual. Shrugging, she placed her hands on the ground to push herself up, accidentally pressing the sharp edge of the crystal into her palm. A small drop of blood formed where the crystal had pricked her.Hissing in pain, she opened her palm to inspect it. In that instant, the world seemed to be consumed by red. The crystal in her hand began to glow with an intense, blinding red light, filling her vision entirely. The light persisted for what felt like hours but must have only been a few seconds. When it finally faded, Jane was left with a splitting headache. - What... just happened? she murmured.She glanced down at the necklace, now noticeably brighter than before. Before she could contemplate it further, a voice-pleasant and melodic-suddenly rang inside her head. {- Ah! Finally, after so long! Do you know how much time I've spent trapped in that godforsaken necklace?}Despite the voice's friendliness, Jane tensed up and scanned her surroundings, her eyes sharp and alert. There was no one nearby, no one in the clearing at all. The voice chuckled softly. {- No need to be so tense, sweetie. I'm speaking directly into your mind. In fact, I'm inside your mind! Let me introduce myself. My name is Anna, and I'm a mage who's been imprisoned in that crystal you're holding.}Jane stood in stunned silence for a moment before finally responding, her voice filled with disbelief. - I'm... I... Nice to meet you, I guess? I'm Jane Denki. Wait, what do you mean you're in my head? How? And why?!The voice laughed again, this time a little louder, causing Jane's annoyance to rise. {- Don't worry, my dear host! I won't do anything to your body. In fact, I'm only allowed to talk to you and experience what you experience-what you see, feel, taste. I can't control your body unless you let me. As long as you don't allow it, I can't take over. But if you have more questions, I suggest we sit down, or maybe find a more comfortable place if you don't mind!}Jane wasn't sure if she trusted this voice-Anna, as she called herself-but it was true that she didn't feel any different. Sighing, she spread out the blankets her mother had packed and sat down, pulling her legs up against her chest. - Okay, now please explain to me what exactly is going on.The sigh that followed was filled with melancholy, perhaps even a hint of hatred-emotions quite different from the cheerful tone Anna had used so far. {- I don't know if you'll believe me, but a long time ago, I was alive. I was a well-known mage from the Mercenary Guild. I had friends-and, of course, enemies. And these enemies weren't the kind you read about in stories-stupid and easy to defeat. No, they were clever. I was smarter, but unfortunately, not as sneaky. And unlike them, I had honor.Anyway, I was lured into a trap set by one of them. If he had been alone, it wouldn't have been an issue, but they attacked me with almost ten people-mages and warriors alike. I managed to take a few down, but one of them backstabbed me.
As I lay dying, I sealed my soul into the crystal you now hold, casting a spell to teleport myself away from the battlefield. I couldn't let them have my soul. One of them was a necromancer, and who knows what he would have done with it! Damn fools...}
Jane couldn't help but smile at the disdain in Anna's voice, particularly toward men. -Okay, I get what you're saying, but... how come nobody ever set you free? Couldn't a mage have done that? You couldn't communicate with anyone? {- No. I was... dormant, in a sense. Only by binding the crystal to someone could I talk to them. And nobody did it. Well, until you, that is!} - Hm-hm. So, you said you could control my body if I let you, right? First of all, how? So I know and don't do it by accident. And second, what happens to me in the meantime? {- I can only control it if you allow me. We'd just swap places-you stay in my head while I control the body.}Jane nodded slowly, absorbing the information. Then, a mischievous smile crept onto her lips. - You said you feel everything I feel, right? Well, I hope you're ready for something you've probably never experienced in your whole life... {- Hm? What do you mean by that?}The voice sounded confused, but Jane didn't answer. Instead, she stood up, gathered everything lying around her, and packed it into her bag. Once finished, Jane did something that defied logic-she made the backpack vanish into thin air. {- Are you a mage too?}The young woman shook her head before turning toward the edge of the clearing. In the blink of an eye, she was standing outside the small forest. Anna's voice rang through her mind, filled with anguish. {- What the hell was that?... Ugh, I'm going to be sick...} - Hehe, you better get used to that feeling because you'll experience it a lot with me. It's my gift.And maybe a little payback, too. But she wouldn't admit that to her new companion.Without paying much attention to the complaints, Jane vanished from her spot once again.