Moments had passed when Reika regained her consciousness. She desperately opened her eyes in order to see the situation around her.
What she saw before her eyes was a vast emptiness. She's not in the forest anymore, as the entire area was filled with darkness. There was no source of light in all directions, and no objects or people could be seen.
Where... am I?
Reika tried to stand up, but her chest began to pulsate in pain. She grabbed her chest with her hands to alleviate the pain, but she noticed that her hands were glowing, including her entire body.
Why is my body glowing on its own? W-What's happening...?
Reika also noticed that she hadn't had any clothes on and was butt-naked.
(Where did my clothes go..?)
Confused by her body's strange behavior, she observed it carefully once more. While looking at her entire body thoroughly, she noticed that multiple cracks appeared on her body. It appeared on her arms, legs, and even hands.
Your'e a little more resilient than I thought, huh...
Reika immediately turned around after hearing the familiar voice. Echoing to her ears, she found out that the voice came from a glowing orb, which was floating gracefully behind her. The orb pulsated after she saw it.
Encountering me while being this weak, your luck must be terrible. With a soul of yours, it's a miracle that your soul managed to withstand just a little bit. Perhaps your will to live was strong?
Reika, who was confused, asked the orb's intention.
What... What are you going to do to me?
The orb flew closer to her face.
I will take over your soul body, along with your physical body... Blame yourself for believing the words of an unknown individual, let alone a suspicious one!
After she heard the strange orb, Reika stood up and walked away slowly.
No... I refuse!
Suddenly, several purple chains emerged from nowhere. It rushed towards Reika and instantly bound both of her hands and legs, preventing her from escaping.
Mortal, you have no chance to escape. In this subconscious space of yours, your fate was set in stone—that is, to be my vessel!
Reika resisted and tried to escape by tugging on the chains. But all of her efforts were in vain.
Reika noticed that the orb began to glow brighter in front of her. At the top of it, another strange glow began to materialize slowly.
Fufufu~ With this ability and your soul being weakened, I can safely transfer my memories to you in no time...
Even though the chances were slim, Reika was desperate to escape from her predicament. She kept tugging on the chains in order to free herself.
(Dying in a place like this... I refuse to do so!)
The orb noticed Reika's futile resistance and tightened the grip of the chains on her arms and legs. Reika groaned in pain due to the tightening of the chains.
AGHHH!!
The orb flew next to her and whispered on her ears.
Don't worry; I'll take care of your body. You may rest in peace for eternity...
With nothing left to do, Reika closed her eyes. She waited for the worst outcome that was bound to happen, still hoping that a miracle would happen, although it seemed impossible.
...
The entire space, which is filled with sound, became silent. Reika kept her eyes shut, waiting for the strange orb to utter any words, but she didn't hear anything.
(Huh...? What's happening?)
Reika tried to move around and noticed that the chains that bound her were still there. And strangely enough, she could still move her body at will.
(I thought it managed to take control over my body...)
Confused, Reika slowly opened her eyes and still found herself in the exact same place as before. She tried to look around, but the strange orb that tried to seize her body was nowhere to be found.
Where did that strange orb went to?
While looking for the strange orb's whereabouts, she noticed something floating not too far from her chest. It is a small, pulsating orb.
(Is this... The strange orb from before..?)
Are you alright?
Reika tried to ask the identity of the orb close to her chest, but the orb didn't respond to her.
...
Reika waited for the orb to respond or act, but there were no signs of activity or movements from the orb.
(Hm... That's strange...)
Suddenly, the orb began to pulsate. Then, the orb began to randomly shift its shape: from a sphere to a tetrahedron, then a cube, and finally a tesseract. The orb changed its shape multiple times at regular intervals.
Reika noticed that the chains began to loosen up. Slowly, she freed herself from the chain's restrictions. Still, her focus was fixed on the strange object in front of her.
What the hell is this thing...
Driven by her curiosity, Reika tried to touch the object with both of her hands.
I've never seen anything like this before...
All of a sudden, the strange object rushed onto Reika's chest.
What...!
Upon entering her body, Reika noticed that her head pulsated, and the pain began to spike, as if her head was about to explode.
GUHHH!
Suddenly, massive amounts of information entered her mind. Reika noticed that these several pieces of information forcibly entered her brain, as if an outside force were jacking up her mind with new information.
What... What is this...? AGHHH!
Out of nowhere, a word popped out in front of her eyes.
《Contract》
Reika immediately noticed it and fell silent for a brief moment.
Con... tract?
Reika tried to close her eyes, hoping that the word might vanish if she shut her eyelids tight. Strangely enough, the word was still in her vision.
Hwuh!?
Freaked out by the situation, she jolted out and immediately opened her eyes. The word was still there, floating in her vision like a stain that wouldn't come off no matter what you did.
What does this supposed to mean...
Suddenly, several words popped out of her vision. She freaked out once more, trying to get rid of them by rubbing her eyes.
What are these words? Ghk! Get out of my sight!
While trying to get rid of them, she noticed that the words were trying to convey something. In order to understand those words, she tried to calm her mind and breathe slowly.
Now that she had calmed down, she began to read the contents that the words in her vision were trying to convey.
Sub... Abilities..?
Reika read the next line after that word.
《Chains of Imprisonment》
Summons several chains that could bind physical and spiritual objects. Once attached, the target had a low chance of escaping.
《Subjective Control》
Active: The user seizes control over the target by dominating them. The target must submit the entirety of its being to the user by its own volition, and the contract was set. Once done, the user could freely control the fate of the contracted subject.
Passive: Grants the user the ability to see through the metaphysical world. Anything beyond the physical realm could be seen.
《Subjective Link》
The user could tap into the abilities of those contracted subjects and use them. Although some of the abilities might have restrictions or requirements, it might be impossible to use them at all times. The user could also access the memories and transfer energies from one contracted subject to another.
Chains of Imprisonment... Subjective Control... and Subjective Link..?
Reika was baffled and began to wonder what those words really meant.
Okay, okay... Let's assess the current situation...
Reika stood up and began to walk back and forth in this seemingly endless space.
When that strange object entered my... glowing body through my chest, it was followed by an extreme pain, coursing through my body like crazy. It was brief, yet somehow I managed to get over it.
And just right after that, these words immediately popped up in my vision...
Suddenly, Reika realized something. She stopped, and her eyes brightened.
Is this that strange orb was talking about? The greater power of some sort?
Suddenly, the words in her vision vanished in an instant. Reika was surprised after noticing it.
Huh...? Where did it go?
With the sudden disappearance of the words, her mood began to change.
Now that those words are gone, how could I examine them further...?
Feeling helpless, Reika walks around in circles inside the empty space. Now that the words are gone, she has nothing left to do but wait.
Now that I'm stuck here, What else should I do? There's nothing in here but only me!
She looked around, hoping to see some exit points in order to escape.
Doors, cracks, holes, windows... Where is it?
While looking for a way to get out, she realized something.
Wait...! That power that I obtained before...
Reika slowly raised her hand and opened it.
(Maybe I can use it to get out of here!)
Reika immediately waved her hand in the air, aiming it in the opposite direction.
《 Chains of Imprisonment!!》
Echoes filled the entire space when she shouted at the top of her lungs. She breathed deeply, filled with hope that the ability bestowed on her would help her escape from that damned place.
...
(Huh...?)
Reika took a peek in her palm.
The chains... Why won't it come out?
Reika tried the other techniques that she remembered before.
《 Subjective Control!!》
Still, she didn't see any signs of movement or reaction around her.
Subjective Link!! Chains of Imprisonment!!
Reika trembled an retracted her hand slowly.
Is everything just a bluff..? Why won't anything come out at all!?
Reika covered her face out of embarrassment and dismay.
Guh... I was scammed by that shitty orb! Not only did it ditch me here in this empty space, but it also gave me false hope!
Reika slowly uncovered her face and realized something.
Now that I've noticed it... Whenever I uttered those techniques, I felt like somehow I could do them involuntarily. As if I already understood the mechanics behind it...
Being baffled at how strange it was that she could vividly remember utilizing those techniques, she noticed a slight touch on her cheeks.
Guh... Wait! I am busy pondering here...
Slowly, the sensation became stronger as time went by. Reika got annoyed and stood up.
Hey! What are you doing? Knock it off-
Reika quickly realized that she wasn't in the strange space anymore. She was sitting on the ground in the middle of nowhere. Trees surrounded her, and both of the moons illuminated the area.
I finally came out...?
"You're finally awake."
Reika noticed that someone spoke next to her. She immediately looked around and noticed that Soru was sitting next to her.
Soru...?
"What are you doing here?" Reika asked in confusion.
"I was-"
Soru stopped when Reika immediately groaned. Reika closed her eyes, trying to suppress the pain that she felt in her head.
"Guhh...."
Soru drew closer in order to assess her situation.
"Are you okay?"
Reika felt that the numbness in her head had begun to subside and slowly opened her eyes.
"Yes, I am fine-"
A straight-faced Soru welcomed her. His empty eyes stared at her without saying any word.
"Eek!"
Reika immediately stood up, surprised that Soru was too close to her face.
Too close..!
"Ahem! Would you stop staring at me like that? Seeing your face is creeping me out..."
Soru also stood up slowly, brushing off the dust and dirt on his uniform with his hand.
"What's wrong with my face, though?" Soru asked, baffled by her remarks.
Reika stared at him once more. She saw that his expression didn't show any slight changes.
Somehow, that face pisses me off quite a bit...
Reika sighed.
"Forget about it."
While Reika was busy tidying her uniform, a gentle wind blew past her. Reika closed one of her eyes and fixed her hair that was blown away from her ear.
As the wind calmed down, Reika felt something warm surging through her chest.
Hm?
She was surprised that even though she could feel the sensation becoming denser, she didn't feel any discomfort at all. It was like a gentle heat gathering at the center of her body.
This feeling... I felt it every time my mother embraced me when I was young...
Without her noticing, her eyes began to glow slowly. Soru noticed the change in Reika's eyes, which was now glowing in bright purple.
"Reika, your eyes..."
Reika looked at him upon hearing her name.
"What-"
Reika didn't finish her sentence when she noticed something changed in her surroundings. The area, which was seemingly empty with only trees around, changed in an instant.
Several glowing orbs can be seen floating around the area. They are scattered, with various sizes and colors.
What are these things..? They weren't here just a moment ago!
Reika approached one of the orbs and observed it carefully. It was emanating a bluish glow and had a different size compared to the rest of its kind.
Reika opened both of her palms and slowly scooped out the bluish orb.
"Soru... Are you seeing these things right now?"
Soru saw that Reika was holding something in the air. But all he could see was her empty hand, and nothing was there at all.
"What are you talking about?"
Even though Reika heard his response, she didn't pay any attention to it and continued observing these unusual phenomena.
Reika released the bluish orb that she was holding. The orb floated gracefully as it flew away from her.
She looked around and saw something magical happening in the trees around her. She saw a green glow coursing its way below the roots, along the rigid trunk of the tree, and all the way up to the branches, reaching the leaves of the tree.
How strange...
Seeing all of it, Reika was stunned and left speechless. She uncovered a hidden world beyond her normal perception. In her eyes, what she saw was like a marvelous painting—an unending dream that filled her mind with tranquility.
While mesmerized by the view, Reika noticed the thin fog that engulfed the entire area. It was so thin that she barely recognized its existence.
She noticed that the fog was moving in a strange direction. Upon careful observation, she realized that the fog was moving in the same direction: It was moving towards her.
This fog... Is it me, or are they drawing closer towards my body...?
Baffled by the behavior of the fog, her attention was diverted when she noticed something in her chest. Unlike before, she could clearly see what was actually happening inside her body now.
A huge clump of white mass condensed in her chest. Small orbs can be seen integrating at the center of the white mass at a slower pace.
Upon seeing the white mass, Reika sensed a familiarity between the dense mass on her chest and the thin fog that surrounds her.
Judging by the strange behavior shown by the fog and its interaction with my body, it seems that my body was absorbing this fog, forming a dense, white mass at the center of my body...
Reika noticed something unusual and began to wonder.
Wait... Why am I seeing all of this in the first place?
Reika paused for a second. Slowly, Reika raised her hand in the air.
《Chains of Imprisonment》
A purple chain emerged out of thin air when Reika uttered the word. It flew straight to a tree.
Reika saw the chain as it wrapped around the bark of the tree. She was left speechless upon seeing it.
Did it just... came out of nowhere?
Reika rubbed her eyes and saw that the chain was still there.
It means the strange orb wasn't bluffing after all!?
Soru saw the chains that emerged from Reika's hand. Reika, who was still in shock, slowly turned around and saw Soru staring at her.
"D-Did you see that just now...?"
Without uttering a single word, Soru nods in agreement.
I knew it! That white mass inside my body was the catalyst to activate the ability! And because my body absorbed that fog, the passive of my sub-ability, "Subjective Control," activated on its own!
《Chains of Imprisonment!!》
Several purple chains emerged from her body, wrapping the surrounding trees.
Let's try the strength that these chains can exert...
"Hup!"
The chain began to tug at the trees violently. The trees began to shake, and several crackles from the trees could be heard in the background.
CRACK!!
Out of the five chains that she used, only three completely uprooted the trees. The remaining two only formed a dent in each of the barks.
Upon seeing the result, Reika felt satisfaction. A smile slowly appeared on her face, and she breathed deeply in happiness.
Reika noticed that Soru approached her. She turned around in excitement and ran towards him.
"Did you see that? I have powers now!"
Soru stared at her. He can see the joy she feels just by looking at her.
"You won't believe what happened when you were gone. You see, I met someone who told me that in exchange for the power, I will-"
Soru listened quietly as Reika kept talking. His expression didn't change in the slightest, but he eagerly waited for her to finish.
"- I thought it was just a bluff. But after using it here, I realized that it was true all along, and the thick fog was just the missing ingredient in order to activate my ability!"
Reika noticed that she was talking nonstop and began to feel anxious about it.
Oh shoot, I'm blabbering my mouth without noticing it!
Reika glanced at Soru, who was staring at her with his seemingly cold but blank gaze.
Seeing that Soru didn't mind her actions, Reika sighed in relief.
Luckily, I was talking at the embodiment of a "wall"...
Reika subconsciously disabled her ability to see the metaphysical world. Her eyes began to dim out, and everything was back to normal. She couldn't see the strange fog or the glowing orbs anymore.
Reika noticed the night sky and raised her head. Without the special vision, she could see the stars scattering above the sky, along with the moons.
While observing the spectacular view, a thought flashed through her mind.
"You know, we're lucky that we were born in the era of peace..."
"Living in comfort in our shelters, away from the cold of the winter and heat of the sun. Spending our time with our friends and loved ones without any worries that someone might do harm to them. Walking freely without living in constant fear, knowing that someone will reach their hands out in times of need."
Soru heard Reika speak her thoughts. He listened in silence as he watched the stars twinkle in the night sky.
"Now that I am here in this unknown land, I finally witnessed what reality was beyond the peace I knew of."
"Seeing those eyes of those who witnessed the death of their loved ones, I realized how weak we humans are. Their eyes reflect how death could be dreadful, and the result would be devastating to those who've experienced it... "
Reika clenched her fist tightly.
"Now that I was given the possibility to change fate, I realized what I could do with it. As a human who witnessed and lived in the era of peace, I decided to protect those I loved the most!"
"Watching them as they live in comfort, without any fear of impending danger that might befall upon them. Seeing those children smile as they play at the meadows, is what I desire. In that way, they can experience the peace and freedom they truly want..."
A silence between them followed her long speech. All they could hear was the sound of the breeze passing through them and the critters making their noises under the leaves and rocks.
"Phew! That's a long speech I've got there! Hearing myself say that stuff sounds cringey!"
Reika chuckled with a slight shyness in her laugh.
Although I said all of it without thinking twice, I'm sure that it is what my heart truly desires. I have no assurance that I can protect them all, but it is better to try than do nothing at all...
Reika sighed and turned around.
"Allrighttt! Let's find our way back to the village! They might be worried now..."
Reika searched around, trying to remember the path she took before.
"Where did I take the path before I got here..."
A gentle breeze passed behind her neck. All of a sudden, Reika trembled and paused for a moment.
This feeling...!
Reika immediately turned her head around and looked above her. She only saw the sky filled with stars.
What was that? Just a moment ago, I felt that someone was watching me...
Soru noticed that Reika froze in silence. He noticed that she was staring at the sky.
Reika closed her eyes for a moment. She knew that something was wrong.
Her eyes glowed upon opening it in immediate action. She used the passive of her sub-ability "Subjective Control", which enables her to see the metaphysical world.
Reika trembled and slowly walked back upon seeing the thing that made her shiver in fear.
Possessing a monstrous size, it flew above her using its two mighty wings, which covered almost her entire vision. Its entire body was translucent, enveloping it in a faint glow. On its chest, she saw a white mass gathering at the center.
That figure... I'm sure I saw it somewhere before...
The monster opened its mouth wide. Reika fell silent, and all of a sudden, the monster unleashed a loud roar.
ROARRRRRRR!!!!
Reika felt immense pain coursing through her entire body. She immediately dropped to her knees.
That roar... That roar doesn't affect my hearing, but it directly attacks my soul!
Seeing the monster once more, Reika finally realized its true identity.
"There's no mistaking it... It is the same dragon that attacked the village... The Wildfire Dragon "Veylir"!"
