1221-01-07
Knock.
"Wake up," a stern voice calls from behind the door.
I get out of bed, making sure to straighten the blankets. Ino always told me to keep things tidy. The bed is hard, but it's better than nothing.
I changed into the clothes they provided—a simple black robe with wide sleeves and a thin belt that ties around the waist. The fabric is rough, clearly made for practicality rather than comfort, but it fits well enough.
When I open the door, I find all the other kids from the orphanage standing outside their rooms. They're lined up in neat rows, two by two, each pair clearly sharing a room. They're saluting, their hands raised in uniform gestures.
I follow suit, saluting the air in front of me,
He's inspecting the rooms, moving methodically from door to door.
The sound grows closer, each step heightening the tension. Finally, he reaches the room across from mine. The boy and girl from earlier step aside as he enters their room. I hear him checking the beds, likely for neatness, and then the scratching of a pen on paper as he writes in a small notepad.
He moves to my room next.
"Order!" he barks.
Almost in perfect unison, the other children lower their salutes and fall into step behind him, marching in silence.
We followed him to the backyard. This time, the yard was filled with wooden mats surrounded by small Japanese-style chairs and pillows. T stood at the top of the staircase before going back inside.
Everyone began to meditate, closing their eyes and listening to the sounds of birds chirping and the distant hum of the city.
There was an empty mat to my left, and Riku sat on my right.
"What are we doing?" I whispered to her.
She quickly opened her eyes, checking the surroundings before leaning closer to me.
"We're looking into our souls," she whispered back.
"Oh… Is T going to teach me?" I whispered again.
"I can teach you," she replied.
I smiled at her and glanced around. The others seemed to be in a deep trance, their surroundings fading into obscurity. Their focus was absolute, directed inward, toward their souls.
Then, they began to glow in a multitude of colors: red, black, yellow, and more. However, none of them glowed white. White was not a color befitting assassins.
Riku leaned closer and whispered, "There are three ways to activate your spirit: through a crisis, self-reflection, or… the most violent way, a forced connection."
"How will I awaken mine?" I whispered.
"I can force a connection," she replied. "But only if you want me to."
"I want to," I said confidently.
She moved closer, placing her hand on my chest. I blushed as I looked at her—Riku. Her thick, straight black hair was pinned up with wooden hair sticks carved with floral designs. Unlike everyone else's dark eyes, hers were a striking silver-blue.
She began to glow a vibrant blue. The energy, a manifestation of her soul, slowly left her body and entered mine.
Almost instantly, my body began to react violently. It rejected the energy with force. Blood poured from my nose, eyes, and mouth. My limbs spasmed uncontrollably, and my skin cracked, glowing grey as the energy leaked out.
"Hold on," she urged, her voice trembling. "Focus! Don't let go… You have to accept it!"
Pain overwhelmed me.Searing and all-consuming.My body was being torn apart from within. I could feel her energy battling with my own. The world around me dimmed, and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart and Riku's voice, faint and distant.
"I gave you a spark; now let it become a flame."
Everything went black. The sounds of the city around me faded, and the birdsong disappeared. It was as if I were alone in a void of pitch-black emptiness—a vast ocean of loneliness. The darkness surrounded me, heavy and suffocating, until a small spark of gray appeared in the distance.
The spark grew brighter and brighter, forming a glowing circle in front of me. Then, it split into four distinct circles, each larger than the last.
The first circle glowed brightly, pulsating with life, while the others remained dull, faint echoes of its radiance.
It felt like a dream. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. The circle seemed alive, pulsing in and out as if it were breathing—like it was my heart, my passion made manifest.
I floated there, suspended in the abyss of my soul, unaware of what was happening to me. Time slowed in this strange state, stretching into infinity. The small circle pulsed again and again, growing steadier with each beat.
In front of me, a shadow began to form. A figure emerged—a silhouette of me, but not me. It was a gray shadow, flickering and shifting, its features constantly changing. Yet, it stood taller, more composed, and radiated an aura of undeniable power.
Is this my soul? I thought, the question echoing in my mind.
"I am you," it spoke, "But I am more."
What do you mean?
"Let us speak of purpose," it said.
Purpose?
"What is our purpose?" it asked, its voice calm and unwavering.
Power. I want to reach the stars.
The shadow's form flickered. "Your words ring hollow. You act in fear, not purpose."
The shadow stepped closer, its presence both familiar and unsettling. Its voice echoed, cold yet intimate, like a thought given form.
"You are weak," it sneered. "You cling to your ambitions, but you lack the resolve to see them through."
I'm not weak!
"Endured?" The shadow laughed, a hollow, mocking sound. "I am you. I've seen every failure, every moment you crumbled under the weight of your own fear. I know your future, Utsuho. I know what awaits you. There will come a time when the lives of Riku and Keenan will rest in your hands. You will only save one."
You're lying.
"Am I?" the shadow asked, its form shifting, growing taller, more imposing. "You've always been this way—hesitant, uncertain, unworthy. When that moment comes, you will fail them both. You'll always fail because you act for yourself, not for others."
Then tell me. How does this end?
The shadow laughed again, softer this time, almost pitying. "You die to Aldric Kundra."
The dead king Aldric Kundra? Sure I do. What are you really?
"I have always been with you. I am the part of you that sees beyond, the part that understands what you cannot."
Then what are you?
The shadow took a step closer, its tone shifting to something almost reverent. "I am you, Utsuho. I am your strength, your failure, your fear, and your resolve. We are one. And our resolve burns true. Despite everything, we are one in purpose."
I want to protect those that I care about like I couldn't do with her.
"You speak of protection, yet you've never truly protected anyone," the shadow laughed.
"Sana."
I froze, the weight of the memories crashing down on me.
Yes... I failed her.
"Exactly." The shadow's tone dripped with derision. "And you will fail again."
We won't. We'll find our purpose. We'll become strong enough to protect them. All of them.
The shadow tilted its head, its ever-shifting form flickering with gray light.
"This is my gift to you," the shadow said, extending its hand. "Wield it wisely, for it reflects who we are."
I hesitated, then reached out.
This marked my evolution to Stage One—an energy unique to my soul. As my vision blurred and the sounds of the world began to return, the soul's voice echoed one final time:
"Our bond is forged."
I awoke from the meditation to find everyone else had moved on. Riku and Keena sat next to me, their voices faint and muffled as my hearing hadn't fully adjusted yet. My mind lingered on the shadow's words.
Their lives are in my hands, I thought. "What did it mean by that?"
An ethereal energy surrounded me—subtle at first but growing stronger, like a quiet storm within. It was more than power; it was purpose. A reason to fight. It felt as though I had wielded this energy countless times before, yet it was entirely new. The gray aura flared with intensity, its power otherworldly, limitless.
Curious, I picked up a small stick and held it tightly in my hand. Focusing inward, I activated my soul—my spirit. It phased through my hand completely. Falling to the ground.
I stared at my hand in awe, the gray energy still faintly surrounding it. This was my power, a reflection of my soul.
Keenan glanced at the display and smirked. "Tomorrow, I'll help you activate Stage Two," he said, his grin carrying a sinister edge.
I turned toward Riku. Her expression was softer.
"You survived," she said gently, her silver-blue eyes catching the faint light.
"I could have died," I replied, my voice tinged with frustration.
"I wouldn't have let that happen," she said, her smile widening slightly. Her confidence felt like a shield.
I believed her completely.