"Okay, this is getting creepy. Why are you messing with me? Who are you?" Ranav's voice shook as his eyes darted around, searching for any signs of an intruder. His pulse quickened, and his mind raced, evaluating the best escape routes.
"I already told you… I am your ring. Look at your finger," the voice calmly replied, its tone almost soothing despite the situation.
Ranav's eyes widened in disbelief. "Fine! If your goal is to freak me out, congratulation! You're succeeding. I knew this ring was unusual, but this is on another level! Now, tell me clearly, where are you?" His gaze swept across the clearing, searching in vain for the invisible speaker.
"Stop looking around. I'm here, exactly where you put me, on your finger," the voice echoed, calm and patient.
Ranav's survival instincts kicked in. He yanked the ring off his finger and held it at arm's length. "Alright, listen. I hate ghosts. I don't care what you are… just tell me, or I'll toss you back where I found you."
"Please, don't!" the voice pleaded, tinged with desperation. "I don't want to die. I was barely alive when you bonded with me."
Ranav froze, his grip tightening around the ring. "Die? What are you talking about? Why didn't you say anything before? I bonded with the ring several days ago. You could've told me that time."
"My powers were depleted," the voice explained, softer now, almost weary. "When we bonded, I was in a dormant state, barely holding on. Even my memories were destroyed. I can't remember anything from my previous owner. I only regained enough strength to speak a few days ago, but you were unconscious. And when you woke up, that old woman was around."
Ranav's brows furrowed. "Old woman? You mean Nanima?"
"Yes," the voice confirmed. "She is powerful enough to destroy me. I stayed silent to avoid drawing attention."
The weight of the revelation settled on Ranav's shoulders. Something about the ring's tone, the vulnerability, the honesty, felt genuine. His grip loosened, and he brought the ring closer. "Alright, let's assume I believe you. What are you? And what exactly can you do?"
"I'm a storage ring," the voice said, almost timidly.
Ranav's hope deflated in an instant. He groaned. "A storage ring? That's it? For all this mystery, you're just a glorified backpack?"
"I'm sorry," the voice replied, sounding genuinely apologetic. "My powers are almost gone, but I was once much more, I was a powerful artifact. Although I can't remember anything, but I know for sure. If I recover fully, I might regain my abilities."
Ranav's curiosity piqued again. "Recover fully? What kind of powers are we talking about here? And what do you remember about yourself?"
"I only know that I had a body once. I was not always a ring," the voice replied. "I was powerful, an artifact of great significance. But somehow, I was near dead state. I think my previous owner died long ago. Without mana from my owner, I can't live."
Ranav felt a pang of empathy. The ring's voice, though disembodied, carried an unmistakable sadness. "That sounds... lonely," he said softly.
"It is," the voice admitted. "But since we bonded, I don't feel alone anymore."
The vulnerability in its tone caught Ranav off guard. He cleared his throat, trying to mask his awkwardness. "Okay, if you're sticking around, you'll need a name. What should I call you?"
"I don't remember my name," the voice replied. "You can choose one for me."
Ranav thought for a moment. "You sound feminine, and you said you were powerful. How about 'Jessica'? It's after my favorite superhero, Jessica Jones. Her surname also belonged to someone I cared about."
"Jessica," the voice repeated thoughtfully. "I like it. You can call me Jessica."
"Alright, Jessica," Ranav said with a small smile. "Now, you mentioned magic. Can you show me what you can do?"
"Of course," Jessica said eagerly.
Before Ranav could respond, his body moved on its own. A light knife materialized in his palm, hard and sharp. Jessica guided him to throw it, and it flew with precision, embedding itself deep into the tree trunk he had been using for practice. Another knife formed in his hand, followed by another. Each knife struck the same spot with uncanny accuracy.
Then, his index finger pointed at the target, and a beam of concentrated light shot out, hitting the tree dead center.
Ranav's jaw dropped. "That was... incredible. You cast magic without incantations?"
"Exactly," Jessica said proudly. "And I refined your light knife spell to make it more efficient."
"Efficient? That looked like a bullet," Ranav said, still reeling.
"A bullet?" Jessica asked, confused.
"Never mind," Ranav muttered, shaking his head. He couldn't help but marvel at the potential Jessica held. "You're way more skilled than me. I can't wait to see what else you'll remember as you recover."
He glanced at the sky, noticing the sun dipping toward the horizon. "It's getting late. I need to meditate and recover my mana. We'll continue this later."
"Good idea," Jessica said. Then, as if mentioning the weather, she added, "By the way, it is good for us that you're sitting on a mana geyser."
Ranav froze. "A mana geyser? Seriously?"
Jessica replied nonchalantly, "Yes. Can't you feel the denser mana flow? It's deep underground, but it's definitely there."
Ranav couldn't help but laugh. "I've hit the jackpot without even realizing it! Can you help me locate other geysers in the future?"
"Of course," Jessica said. "If we're close, I can sense the mana flow."
"Perfect," Ranav said, a wide grin spreading across his face. He closed his eyes, ready to tap into the mana geyser's energy.
As he meditated, the warmth of the world energy enveloped him, and he couldn't help but feel a newfound optimism. With Jessica's unexpected companionship and her untapped potential, his journey suddenly seemed brighter. For the first time in a long while, Ranav felt truly hopeful.