I floated, drifting through an endless void, space itself.
Empty.
Boundless.
Directionless.
It felt like I had lost the fear of death, I had simply surrendered.
Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled into a dark wormhole. T
he pull was so strong and fast that it made my head spin uncontrollably, forcing me to close my eyes to fight off the dizziness.
If I had a physical body, I was certain it would have shattered in an instant.
The speed was beyond anything I could comprehend, far faster than light.
I couldn't tell how long it lasted.
Time seemed to disappear, irrelevant in the midst of the current dragging me through this vast emptiness.
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Finally, I felt the pull stop.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
I had arrived at a place completely unfamiliar—surrounded by an impenetrable darkness.
The feeling here was heavy, like being trapped in a dimension far removed from the world I had left behind.
The silence was suffocating, as though time and space stood still, and only eternity existed.
The place was filled with glowing strings hanging from a ceiling that seemed impossibly high, cascading down walls that stretched endlessly.
The light they emitted was soft but carried a strange, otherworldly power, as if controlling every corner of the space.
The strings shimmered in hues that were nearly indescribable, radiating a deep aura of mystery.
Though the light wasn't strong enough to illuminate the entire space, it was enough to show just how vast this place truly was.
I floated, my body now just a soul, unbound by gravity or any physical limitations.
I could pass through walls, move through space, even reach things without leaving a trace or sound.
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"Where is this...?" I muttered, my voice barely more than a whisper, lost in the eerie silence that surrounded me.
Then, my gaze landed on something in the center of the void.
A massive figure, its size beyond description.
I felt like a mere speck of dust, having to crane my neck just to catch a glimpse of it.
"WHAT THE HELL..." I thought in awe, my soul trembling.
The being…
It was something beyond anything human language could explain, as if its existence stretched beyond the boundaries of logic and imagination.
In the vast silence of the darkness, with a single colossal eye that spun like a cosmic whirlpool, glowing with golden light mixed with inky blackness.
Two thick horns jutted from its head, made of some unknown material, covered in glowing patterns that resembled ancient runes.
These horns were connected to a floating golden ring above its head, slowly spinning like a celestial wheel.
The soft hum it emitted seemed to vibrate deep within my soul.
Its body was adorned with sharp, golden thorns, arranged like a crown no mortal being could ever bear.
But these weren't just ornaments.
They radiated immense power.
Its cloak flowed around its form, not made of any ordinary fabric.
The purple and blue patterns on it shifted gently, like a living nebula, a symbol of beauty and destruction intertwining.
The cloak absorbed light instead of reflecting it, casting shadows darker than the deepest night.
This being…
It didn't belong to this world.
Maybe not even to a dimension that humans could fathom.
Its presence made me feel tiny, insignificant, like my very existence was a mere flicker in the infinite expanse of time.
Even though I was only a soul, weightless and without form, the sheer power it exuded was suffocating.
It was like gravity, but not the kind you could feel with your body—this force demanded submission from my will, from my very soul.
I almost collapsed under its influence, but with all my strength, I fought to stay conscious.
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My rational mind slowly returned, pushing aside the chaos that had been raging inside me. But curiosity soon took over.
There was no way this sacred being hadn't noticed me.
The more I observed, the more I realized something beyond comprehension.
This wasn't happening in the present.
It felt like a memory, a moment from a distant past, playing out before me as if it were somehow being recorded.
I was like a formless witness, catching a glimpse of something I wasn't supposed to see.
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Emotions... I could feel them.
My body shivered, not believing that I could actually sense what it was feeling.
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A weariness not just physical, but one that had worn it down over centuries.
I felt it, deep sadness, relentless perseverance, and a flicker of hope.
In its hands, it held a tangled black string, lifeless and dull, no glow to it.
It was so small compared to its immense form, but I instinctively knew it was of great importance.
It gazed at it with a kind of seriousness that didn't quite make sense, like an artist studying a forgotten masterpiece.
With slow, deliberate movements, as though each touch carried meaning, it began to untangle the string.
Its fingers, glowing with starlight, carefully traced every broken knot.
Piece by piece, it was mended, restored, and gradually the string began to shine softly, warming the darkness around it.
The act seemed simple, but there was something deeply profound in the way it focused on the task.
Its entire being, the light, the energy, even the space itself seemed centered around that one act.
Mending the string felt like the very core of its existence.
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"What…? What does this mean?" I wondered, confusion overwhelming me.
Why am I here?
What am I supposed to see?
Once it finished, the creature gently lifted the string and placed it back onto the ceiling, which seemed to stretch into infinity.
As the string began to glow softly again, I felt an odd sense of relief, like some cosmic balance that had been broken was now restored.
But before I could fully grasp what I had just witnessed, my spirit's body was suddenly jolted with incredible force.
It felt like being swept away by an invisible current, hurtled across space and time in an instant.
When I stopped, I found myself floating in front of something entirely different.
Not that place anymore.
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Before me, a planet floated in the void, surrounded by dim stars.
Its gray, barren surface felt strangely familiar.
But it wasn't just a vision. I felt it.
A deep sorrow, exhaustion, but also something stronger… hope.
A tiny spark, just reignited.
The planet seemed to come alive.
I didn't understand how or why, but I felt an emotional pulse, as if the planet itself had a soul.
Emotion… from a planet?
WHAT IS HAPPENING? IS THIS A HALLUCINATION?
Confusion consumed me.
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As I blinked, my view shifted again.
Now, eight other planets floated before me, almost perfectly aligned.
They formed a pattern that felt sacred, like part of a cosmic ritual that had happened before.
Earth.
The emotions of Earth… was it the same as the planet before?
Huh.... WHAT?
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But before I could confirm anything, intense pain struck.
My head felt like it was hit by an invisible force.
My eyes burned as if staring at the sun.
I felt crushed, my soul overwhelmed by suffering, drained of energy.
All the power I had vanished in an instant, leaving behind a suffocating emptiness.
I closed my eyes, trying to protect myself, but the agony was unbearable.
Then… everything stopped.
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I opened my eyes, back in reality. Diego's face was in front of me, panic in his eyes.
"KAI! WAKE UP!" he shouted, shaking me.
I blinked, my head spinning.
"Huh? Y-yeah?" I muttered, barely able to speak.
"Kai, what's wrong? Your eyes… they're bleeding! Your nose, ears, even your nails!" Diego's voice shook.
I glanced at my hands, and my heart stopped.
My nails were soaked in blood.
Then, the world around me blurred, and red began to take over my vision.
I felt like I was no longer alive, like I was dying.
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Not compatible?
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A vague thought crossed my mind.
My body couldn't handle what I had just experienced.
And in that chaos, one thought echoed—
Was I going to die?
Was I never meant to understand what was happening?
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But just as despair began to drown me, something strange happened.
Light emerged from the darkness—golden, warm, full of power.
It was the same aura that had surrounded Diego earlier, but this time, it enveloped me.
The light seeped in, healing every injury, destroying the pain like fire meeting water.
I could feel it, something deeper than just healing.
My body was being upgraded.
Wounds that should have been fatal closed instantly, stronger than before.
My nails, soaked in blood, now glowed like crystal. Every strand of my hair pulsed with energy.
I wasn't just healing.
I was becoming more.
The air around me vibrated as if responding to the energy coursing through me.
I glanced at my hands, still trying to grasp what had just happened.
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The Seeker's Advancement Path Has Been Created
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Skills Unlocked
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I froze, struggling to process it all.
Diego's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Kai, what's happening?! Why didn't you respond? And all that blood… what's going on?" His worry cut through my foggy thoughts.
"Ah..." I tried to speak, but my voice sounded strange, calm despite the situation.
I raised my hand, checking if I was still myself.
My injured shoulder, once stabbed and bleeding, was now perfectly healed.
"Maybe… it's the class upgrade?" I said, trying to sound casual.
Diego looked at me, skeptical.
"But all that blood?"
I smiled, trying to ease his concern.
"It's fine. Probably just a side effect. Besides, look at this." I pointed to my shoulder where the wound had vanished.
Only a small bloodstain remained on my clothes.
Diego stared at me, still unsure, checking me over. Finally, he nodded, though his doubt remained.
"If you say so… but if anything happens, tell me, okay?"
I nodded, avoiding his gaze. If I told him everything—about the dark place, the mysterious being—I knew he'd think I was losing my mind.
I turned to the transparent screen floating before me. Its light was soft but demanding, drawing my full attention.
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Class: The Clairvoyant
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★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
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Description:
A Clairvoyant can peer into the past and feel the echoes of emotions and events long past. Initially, their visions are fleeting, but their potential is limitless.
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Skills:
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Spirit Whisper (passive)
Whispers from spiritual entities are heard in moments of urgency, guiding your steps.
Empathic Vision (passive)
Peeks into the depths of someone's emotions, uncovering secrets they try to hide.
Vision (passive)
Random glimpses of the past or future. Too random, often dangerous for the user.
Echo Field (active)
Generates an echo of the energy from past enemy attacks, both psychic and physical. The mental energy cost depends on the intensity of the attack.
Past Projection (active)
Brings up important moments from the past of an object that's touched. The mental and spiritual cost depends on the depth of the memory being revealed.
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Two stars...
Does that mean I've reached the second evolution of my class?
"The Clairvoyant…" I muttered, almost in disbelief.
Diego, standing beside me, frowned.
"What? What did you say?"
I looked at him, surprised.
"Oh, it's my new class… The Clairvoyant."
Diego's eyes widened.
"Clairvoyant? What's that?"
I sighed softly.
"Something like a seer, maybe."
Diego still seemed puzzled.
"Hmm, interesting," he said, then glanced away, his expression shifting.
"Is this what you wanted? Your advanced class? If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."
I noticed the tension in his voice.
He probably worried about making me uncomfortable.
"No, it's fine." I quickly reassured him.
"Actually, since you said you wanted to protect others, I don't think I really want more power."
"Honestly, I'm more curious about the unknown… about things we don't understand." I paused, trying to find the words.
Diego's eyes lit up.
"Whoa… cool!!"
I smiled faintly but turned my attention to him.
"Hey, your skills are unlocked too, right? You can see them now, right?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.
Diego grinned, his excitement infectious.
"Yeah! I have five skills—two passive and three active!"
"Five? Three active? That's awesome!" I couldn't help feeling a bit jealous.
"I only have two active skills..."
"Mine are—first, I can create energy like my opponent's, but it drains my mental energy. Second, I can read memories by touching people or objects. My passive skills include the whisper that guided us." I chose not to mention the other two passive skills I didn't think needed to be shared.
"Cool..." Diego nodded, impressed.
"My skills are... 'Iron Heart,' to stay strong while protecting others. 'Protective Reflexes,' to react quickly in defense."
I nodded in admiration.
"For the active ones… first, 'Adamantine Grip,' an incredibly strong grip. Second, 'Human Shield,' I can take hits for others and reflect them. Finally, 'War Cry,' a shout that inspires allies and terrifies enemies."
I laughed softly, realizing how fitting these skills were for Diego.
"Sounds just like you."
Diego smiled shyly.
"Yeah, I guess."
We fell silent for a moment, the air around us feeling lighter.
I felt more connected to him now, like the world was a bit brighter.
Just then, a system notification popped up in front of us.
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Cosmic Notification -
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One minute until the Safe Zone is activated.
Prepare yourselves.
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The calm quickly shifted to tension, and we both braced ourselves for what came next.