Willbound

Ever wondered why this planet, Earth, can hold life? While billions of other planets are simply unable to?

It's down to pure luck.

Around a billion years after the Earth first formed, something changed. Embedded in the

Earth's core, a volatile liquid; one that shouldn't even exist, sprung seemingly out of nowhere. This liquid remained dormant for another few billions of years, but the effects of its appearance were immediate.

This liquid; thick and syrup-like, black with a golden hue in colour, is the source of all life on Earth. Without it, a planet can only hope to birth even a weed.

For whatever reason, it also happens to be alive and sentient – but lacks a will of its own.

Known by all, this liquid goes by one name.

Mana Vitae.

✦✧✦

"Ugh..."

Feeling groggy, they took their sweet time waking up. Rubbing their head and eyes, they noted the unfamiliar sensations brushing over their hands but dismissed them, still lost in the haze of sleep.

"Did I fall asleep...?

Hearing the overlapping voices, the eyes they'd lazily kept shut, quickly widened. Only for them to clamp shut almost immediately from overstimulation.

"AH! WHO?! WHERE AM I!"

They stumbled hysterically out of their beds, overwhelmed by the abrupt influx of sensations, but one of them fell over – they didn't each own a king-sized bed after all.

Unfortunately mimicked movements can't account for the differing environments.

"AGH!"

It didn't take long for them to fall into hysterics.

After a short and rather embarrassing period of pure frenzy, they finally calmed down, taking many breaths in the process.

'In... and out...'

Their thoughts were the only comfortable place for them as the echoed speech only served to disorientate them further.

"Haaaa..."

Having finally calmed down, they slowly opened their eyes and were harshly met with a grand array of visual clutter. If one were to describe it, the sensation would be similar to looking through a kaleidoscope but in two places simultaneously, with the views scattered around in a dizzying array.

'Fuck... What am I even looking at right now?'

Despite having regained some of their bearings, they remained completely oblivious to the poor man calling their name.

"Young master." A faint voice could barely be heard.

"YOUNG MASTER!!" The voice sharply grew louder.

"W-What?! Who?"

"Finally." The poor man sighed exasperatedly, unaware of both their current mental turmoil or the existence of a second body perfectly echoing the movements of the "Young Master."

"Young Master Clayton, how are you feeling? I've been calling out to you for a fair bit and you didn't respond, I was getting worried."

The poor man was his butler, who stood a few meters away from the bed where he sat.

While appearing to be in his late 60s, the man wore a rough set of facial features, yet they made for a rather handsome face, one untouched by age. Coupled with his short and neatly trimmed hair, he had a sort of dignified air around him.

"You are... Ed- Edmond right?"

So they can reply... Huh, it seemed they hadn't totally lost it.

The butler stared him in the face for a short moment, as if trying to figure something out.

"Yes, that is correct... Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Edmond. I just need some time to adjust... that's all."

Skeptical, the man inquired once more.

"Are you certain? Your head did hit the floor quite hard you know."

They nodded in his direction, or at least, what they inferred was his direction. Their vision was still for the most part, very much impaired.

Seeing this reply from Clayton, who from the moment he could talk, told him everything – slightly surprised the man. Still, regardless of what the case was, Edmond trusted him. Plus, it really could just be nothing.

He doubted it though.

"If that's the case, then I'll be on my way. Still, don't hesitate to give me a call if you require my aid, Young Master Clayton."

Giving a similar nod, he was out the door.

✦✧✦

Staring off in front of them, they spoke.

"Who are you?"

No answer. Obviously.

'What the hell is going on?'

'Am I seriously losing my mind?'

'I don't recall any of these memories.'

'Yes I do'

'No, I don't.'

Plagued with conflicting thoughts, they realised this back and forth between themself wouldn't get them anywhere.

'My senses – I need to sort them out.'

From Edmond's words earlier regarding their head, they deduced that this must've happened after they'd fallen or rather, after Clayton fell.

"Clayton..."

'That's my name isn't it?'

'It's not mine though.'

At this moment, a tremor ran through them, their bodies' jerking slightly.

A name quickly sprang to mind as if in response to their thoughts.

"Vera."

'Is this also our – or rather, my name?'

Correct.

'It seems I'm a product of some sort of, merged consciousness then? A single mind controlling two bodies?'

They both raised their arms in front of their faces, examining them closely.

'This is... weird.'

Despite the earlier hysterics – credit should be given where credit is due, and seeing how well they're slowly but surely adjusting to the circumstances...

They're a rather smart cookie.

'I need to find a way to control my bodies separately.'

With newfound determination, they got to their feet. This was a bit difficult though, with Vera having already fallen over earlier when they were stumbling out of bed.

While coordination was tough, Vera eventually managed to stand upright, despite her movement being synced with Clayton's. To make this work they had to move in a way that wouldn't fall Clayton over, which was somewhat difficult.

Had anyone seen Clayton, they'd think he'd lost his – their, mind after the fall. It might've been funny to see.

Shame no one walked in.

'Alright then... I don't know if this'll work but what if I communicate with Mana Vitae? Could I possibly further communicate with a singular body through it?'

Clayton had an idea. A genius one at that.

But first, some very important exposition.

Communicating with Mana Vitae.

When communicating with Mana Vitae, you need to tell it what you want it to do. You must be its guide. You need to will what you desire it to do.

For most humans, sensing your flow of Mana Vitae which flows thinly through your blood vessels in tandem with your bloodstream, is difficult. As such, there are sparsely any humans capable of communicating with it.

But, the ones who can? They're proudly referred to as the protectors of peace, the mightiest of the mighty and the greatest of the great.

They are Vitarians and they are true warriors of life.

And though not all humans are Vitarians, they all still benefit from the existence of Mana Vitae in their blood.

It bestowed upon them vitality twice what they had before that fateful day in the 21st century.

That day.

The day the world was torn asunder, the day where the heavens wept for those below and the earth bled for those above – the day the Earth turned into something alien.

The day it was reborn in black and gold.

✦✧✦

Fortunately, our protagonist – whatever they are – is one of those mighty Vitarians.

Well, at least one of them is.

Willbound

Table of contents

Volume 1

Chapter 1 - Chapter One | When We Became I