《Catharsis》 Prologue - Radiance... ----- Prologue - Radiance... ----- ... ... Huh¡­? Where... am I? All that enters my vision is a blank, white overcast... Yet as this unorthodox, white domain revolves around me... I began seeing varying colored orbs of light suddenly appearing, seemingly out of nowhere... A whole new spectrum of colour dawns upon me, as I gaze, absentmindedly... I will myself to reach towards one of the lights, but no sensation greets me. Correct that; I can''t feel any part of ¡®me¡¯ moving at all... Hmm, it appears that I don''t have a physical body. How inconvenient... Yet as I focused my will on the orb directly, a sudden jolt of warmth cascades through me; stimulating my senses with a gentle, comforting feeling... I become extremely fond with this new sensation, as I will myself around and probe the other levitating orbs of light. When my curiosity was finally sated, I began to notice something... It appears that every colour holds a different atmosphere; like an etched mark that they each give off. Holding no obvious purpose, these lights simply just... exist, I suppose? Some feel isolated and cold. Others radiate with overwhelming heat and passion. This one colour feels extremely evil and sinister, as if it would corrupt anything it touches. Amazing... As I try to wrap my thoughts around the enigma that is my existence, I slowly began delving in the euphoria of what my senses could perceive. At one point or another, I began contemplating and thinking about my being and why I¡¯m even here. Am I simply bound up, forever to walk along this plane of light? Hah... I began walking once again... simply for the faintest hope that I might discover an answer on my path... Time trickled slowly, like sand within an hourglass; indiscernible and endless... I continued walking, as mental exhaustion built up within me. I soon decided to stop delving within unnecessary thoughts and focus on searching... At one point of my journey, I forgot why I began walking to began with. Yet I continued walking forward, step by step... I walk... without desire. I walk... in silence. I walk... alone. ----- ... ... ... Huh...? Who... am I? Wait... As if my mind suddenly exploded... a relapse of memories and feelings flood through my being, swelling my conscience. I run through a variety of emotions as I attempt to comprehend what just occurred. Yet before I could solidify my consciousness... a new feeling suddenly runs through me; one that I can only describe as pure terror... A horrific sensation; as if my mind is being constantly thrashed around, as bolts of darkened light pierce my being, causing my consciousness to rupture. Agh, it hurts...! It''s trying to... destroy me from within?! I try to resist, but the constant pain in my mind prevents me from accomplishing anything¡­ I soon stop my futile efforts, as I feel my shattered spirit slowly diminishing within the darkness... Every sensation is soon cut off, including the pain... I feel all my thoughts slowly begin to leave me... As the colours fade to nothingness once more, the being¡¯s consciousness gradually seeps away into the vortex of white and black, leaving nothing behind... ----- Mortal Realm ??? "Argh...!¡± ¡°Who is this?!¡± ¡°Oh wait, it''s me...?¡± I don''t remember being able to speak... Actually, I don''t remember having a body at all... Hmm...? That''s... unusual. Ack! A loud, crackling sound greets me, followed by a unnervingly painful sensation delivered to my lower body. It feels like the same pain I felt in the... that place... with all the... things? Huh... I can''t remember where I recall this sensation from; though it feels extremely similar. Ack! The same sound rings again, accompanied by the same recurring pain. The pain stops after a brief period, so I begin slowly attempt to familiarize myself with this new body. I first realize that I have two long extensions by my sides, which each have five narrow joints attached. I will myself for them to move and surprisingly, they did! I swing them around wildly in joy, but I soon feel one of the extensions hitting something very solid. Ouch. I''m rewarded with a stinging pain on my right extension, along with a thick, liquid-like substance that seems to be leaking from it. Oops. Let''s be a bit more careful with my new, err, current body, shall we? I forgot to mention, but wherever I am, it''s completely dark; making it hard to see anything. The silent darkness slightly frightens me, though I don''t understand why. I can also feel two other extensions located on the lower section of my body; similar to the ones on my side, though slightly different. I will myself to try to move them, but a sudden jolt of pain causes me to rethink that idea. Huh, so those two extensions must be broken or something, I guess? So... what should I do? Before I could think up a feasible plan, a sudden wave of... instinctual urges washes through me. It¡¯s hard to describe, but similar to the feeling I felt in that... place. I find it extremely hard to resist this urge, as I feel my mind and body slowly shutting off... This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Maybe this will solve my problems... Let¡¯s hope ssszzz... ----- ... ... ... Hah?! I can feel my consciousness and senses returning to me, but it doesn''t seem like I''m in the same place as before. A towering, luminous orb explodes within my view, before dispersing the light into a lofty canvas of bright colours. As I focus on the magnificent view before me, I start to feel a gentle brilliance revolving around me... I begin to perceive small construed bits of knowledge engraining itself into my mind... Unusual... As if tipping the scale, a vast amount of information suddenly overflows and roots itself within my mind. I can feel a spark; a bright spark of enlightenment, as it graces me with its wisdom and acknowledgement. ----- I can see a sparkling blue river which runs down the mountain; which feeds into a small and elegant pond, surrounded by a cluster of large, towering trees. I can see animals of all types gathered around the pond, nourishing themselves with its crystal pure dew. I can see a giant, encompassing orb of light, drawn in the azure tinted skies; providing its warmth for the solid earth below. I can see the soft grasses and plants swaying to the tune of the wind, seemingly dancing under the giant star¡¯s rays. And within it all, I can see a small, humble house of wood; centered in all of her majesty. (Note: ¡®her¡¯ as in Mother Nature.) ----- Feeling an indescribable sense of attraction towards it, the spirit manifestation slowly floats its way inside. Upon entering, the spirit is graced with the beautiful sight of a young woman, carefully cradling a white ball back and forth; seemingly fragile. On further inspection, one would discover the ¡®white ball¡¯ was actually a child, one with deep blue eyes and a cute, rounded face. The young woman gently rubs the child¡¯s tiny nose, causing it to giggle in joy. The two comforted each other, as the light breeze from the forest chimes a harmonious melody within the enclosure... ----- On a bright sunny day within the mountains, one would be able to see a young woman and a child sitting by a small pond pondering over something... Flick! "How many times have I told you, not like that - you have to hold the length steadily and slant the length towards the opposite side; allowing you to properly monitor your target while aiming." "Ouch... for Ver¡¯s sake mom, the fletching on this one is done horrendously, and it''s terribly difficult to nock the arrow properly." "Fine. We¡¯ll get a new bow for you, but you''ll have to fletch it yourself." "Whaaaat?! I can barely tie a simple string... and you''re asking me to fletch an entire bow by myself?!" "Calm down Cael, I''ll teach you, of course." "How long will that take?! A year? Two?! I don''t have any time to waste! I have to beat father by my coming of age!" "Tch... I don''t understand why you''re so volatile with him - always trying to surpass him in everything. Don''t you think you''re mature enough to grow out of it already?" "No! He refused to teach me any magic, even for his genius son!" "Hah... you''re just like your father; completely and utterly arrogant. How about this - if you can properly learn how to wield the bow by the following moonfall... then I might consider guiding your path in the arcane, alright?" "Yes! Yes! Deal! I''ll be sure to master it by this week!" "Ohohoho... now don''t get ahead of yourself. I''d be rather impressed if you could master just the basics within a month, kiddo." "Hmph, don''t underestimate a genius¡¯ talent!" "Heuh... it''s going to be an interesting month." ----- Within the vast expanse of towering mountains, two figures can be seen on the peak, standing before a pure white marble tower... Flick! "Hah... I swear you take after your father¡¯s stubbornness almost perfectly. If only you could direct some of your, let''s say ¡®talent¡¯ shall we - to concentrating on practicing; then maybe, just maybe you''ll ¡®almost¡¯ match up to your mum¡¯s capabilities." "Jeez mom, don''t patronize me¡­*mutters* and you call me arrogant...?" "What was that, Cael? If you could demonstrate your ¡®oh so amazing talent¡¯ - then I''d be sure to praise you. Until that ¡®lucent dusk¡¯, you''ll have to accept being addressed as an overzealous little brat." (Note: a ¡®lucent dusk¡¯ refers to the day when a mortal ascends.) "Tch¡­ fine." "Good. Now focus¡­ brat." "I''ll try..." ----- The day is bleak, the trees withered away, the skies dyed a blackened grey, yet two figures still linger within the plains of crystal white... "Estel¡­ the demons..." "Hah¡­ fine. Let''s get Cael and leave." ... ... ... I can taste the stagnant chilling air lingering about. It¡¯s metallic and rough¡­ unnaturally so. Why does winter have to be so cold¡­? I quickly hasten my steps to catch up to mom but I feel my body tense up, and my thoughts go hazy. The stinging cold pain assaults my body as I desperately try to call out... "Help..." "Cael?! What''s wrong?!" I hear rushed footsteps as I''m suddenly picked up from the ground. A gentle warmth soon embraces me, causing me to relax and quietly dose off... ... ... ... I feel the warm sunlight gently embracing my face as my eyes gradually began to open. "Mom? Dad?" I hear no reply as I start to panic. Scanning the cave I''m inside, I find not even a sliver of life. I decide to check outside as I slowly walk towards the opening near me. "Mom...?" A bright red stain. Blood. Drawn within the white canvas is a heavy stain of blood... "Mom!? Dad?!" Where are you...?! Why did you abandon me...? I''m sorry... I''m sorry...! I''ll listen this time; I''ll do whatever you ask of me so please... please come back... Why did this happen to me?! What did I do wrong?! Why me...?! Why... ----- Chapter 1 - Anamnesis... ----- Chapter 1 - Anamnesis... ----- Mortal Realm Cael "Agh..." I brush my drowsiness away as my mind begins processing again... What... was that?! ... ... Memories...? The previous owner of this body¡¯s memories perhaps...? Or possibly... Mine... my memories?! Or... something else? Argh... what the fuck is even going on?! Hah... I guess it''s pointless to think about it now. I will my lower extensions; err, my legs to move... and they did so very fluidly; the previous pain had disappeared. Huh, they''re healed... Natural regeneration, I suppose? I push down on the extensions at my side... err my arms; specifically my palms, gradually guiding my body upwards. I balance my centre and just barely manage to stand up; feeling the rough and rocky bedding. It''s unusual... The memories I ¡®received¡¯ included standing... yet it feels awkward to do it now. Maybe this reaffirms that this isn''t my original body...? But my memories felt so vividly detailed and I could feel every emotion that Cael - no... that I felt. They can''t be fake... Yeah, they couldn''t possibly be spurious... I relax my mind and thoughts and lift up my right leg instinctively; while almost falling over again. I steady my balance and press my leg down... taking my first step. I began familiarizing myself with walking; adjusting it naturally as I continue. I walked around the rather narrow crevice and scouted the nearby area. I soon come across a bow - my personal hunting bow. As I gently lifted it up, I suddenly hear a ¡®clicking¡¯ noise resound in the small crevice, discovering that half the limb was broken off. How unfortunate. I reach for my breast pocket and feel around for a certain object. I find a handle and pull out a small sheathed dagger. Good... at least this is still here. Taking out the slim blade, I slice at the ends of the limbs where the bowstring is attached. I then twist my arms and remove my quiver from my back, reaching for the storage component I recall that Cael had; taking out a small wooden roll. I tie the now loose bowstring to the two ends of the roll and return it into the storage. I then check how many arrows I have left... and find four useable ones. I dispose of the broken arrows and equip the quiver again. Wait... ¡­ ... When did I gain the ability to see in the dark? I don''t recall having it during that brief period of consciousness before that dream-like recollection... That''s... weird. I suppose it''s just something I never recalled Cael had. Anyways, it''s a blessing to have right now. I scour the area ahead as I carefully tread along the narrow path. I eventually reach a cave opening and shift my body into its instinctive stance. Hmm...? The murky taste in the air seems to have subtly mixed with a... rancid odour? ... ... Blood. It''s blood. I''m certain of it. Lingering from around... I''d guess about three days? Hmm... My curiosity gets the better of me as I find myself walking towards the origin of the scent... I''m leaded to a narrow path and eventually find myself in a dimly lit room. There are crude torches placed on the wall along the perimeter. And on the rocky floor there were countless green corpses... scattered all around the bedrock floor. Disgusting... they''ve started to rot already. I try to cover the smell with my hands before I abruptly notice something. Huh? Is that...? No...! "Keis?! Why?! Why didn''t you just run...?" Cael¡¯s, no... my partner is lying lifelessly on the ground. His head was cracked open and his corpse was noticeably defiled. Those bastards...! They took his core?! Those filthy humans dare?! ... ... Hah... calm yourself Cael, it''s fine. The world is fickle and cruel, you''ve known this your entire life. It''s fine... Hah... It''s fine... Whew... Taking one last breath, I finally manage to relax myself down somewhat. Those bastards don''t deserve to live! Humans were always disguised with false pretenses. Cruel, yet they cover themselves with smoke and masks - stowing their true intentions deep within. I understand now. Trust is a shallow and deceitful harlot. It cannot be given out so freely... or else only resentment will await. The world is misguided into a thinking of power being absolute. Such so that people would crush and trample those beneath them on the path to the top; hungering for such power stubbornly... as if they''re wolves within a den of sheep. (Note: for those who don''t know, a ¡®harlot¡¯ is by definition is ¡®a prostitute or promiscuous woman.¡¯) My thoughts grow quiet and my eyes gravitate towards my fallen partner... "Hah... even in death, your eyes never once wavered. I don''t understand why you were willing to bear yourself a surrogate for me but... thank you." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I run my hand through his fur... and I feel a rough, but warm feeling traversing through me. Comforting... Forgive me... I wasn''t there when you needed me most. I abandoned you... yet you stood your ground for me. Thank you, truly. I owe my life to you, yet I have nothing to offer you but this simple prayer. I hope you can live in happiness in the next world if destiny chances one to exist... Ver, I don''t know if you truly exist or not, and I''m certain I am not worthy of any of your attention but please... if you hear this... send Keis somewhere nice in his next life - he deserves it. Thanks. (Note: ¡®Ver¡¯ was previously mentioned in the prologue, and is essentially a divine being who has been attributed to govern over existence.) Steeling my mind, I remove a nearby torch from the wall and incinerate my partner; placing blessings for him on his journey to the next world. "Goodbye..." Burn... burn away all my troubles into dust... Concluding things, I take a flask of flammable oil - dousing it over the rotten corpses and smoldering them into ashes. It assists in preventing the miasma drawn by the corpses from spreading, and also dismays other creatures from taking refuge here. Essentially a preventive measure for limiting the population of demons and magical beasts - recently implemented by the major influential guilds. Don''t misunderstand. I''m not a dog of the system. Cael only... I, I only followed because they offered benefits to those who did, so there was no reason for me to reject its implementation. The smoke was growing increasingly dense in the enclosed room, so I soon departed, along with any past misgivings I had. I soon come across a path leading upwards, presumably the exit. I use the grapple that I previously found in my quiver and carefully climb out. A bright clear moon azure painted within a canvas of astral sparks. The calm breeze washing over the silence of the darkness. I savour the cold, fragrant air and I begin to feel an unusual feeling cascading within me. "Awoooo...!" I hear a deep howl deep in the night, along with softened rustling somewhere in the distance... Wolves...?! How did they find me...? ... ... Fuck, it''s the scent of blood from the corpses! Oh god, what do I do?! My bow¡¯s broken and the dagger is chipped beyond use. Will I die like this again?! Ahhhh... fuck me! Can I outrun them perhaps? "Hrrgh...!" I can feel my body and mind tense up as I hear a harsh and malicious snarl just within the shrubs surrounding me. Welp, there goes that plan. Hah... fuck. Can''t get a goddamn break can I, Ver? I unsheathe my dagger and prepare a defensive stance. Standing still, I hold my grapple in an attempt to calm down... It didn''t work. "Rrrrgh!" I hear a shrill cry echo in the breeze, and I briefly see a shadow dashing towards me. I suddenly feel an electric shock frazzle my mind, as my thoughts naturally dissipated. As if I was being guided by an outside force, my body reflexively shifted to the right; feeling a sharp wind pass by my face. A sudden, tearing pain attacks my right leg; accompanied by a threateningly growl. "Hrrrgh!" "Fuck me, there were two?!" I see two pairs of ruby-red eyes staring me down; radiating ominously in the dark. "Hah..." I steal a moment to take a quick breath... "Rrrrgh!" I finally manage to catch a clear outline of the wolves in the moon¡¯s light... Pure white fur with hints of silver along its body. Tracing its body, I can faintly see... a dim flicker; a crimson red glow from its body. It''s discomforting... to say the least. I take a step to the left, feeling the burning strain on my leg. I brace myself and forcefully stab down, and eventually manage to hit... thin air. Recoiling from the inertia, I accidentally tumble forward; narrowly managing to avoid falling. "Hah... goddamnit." Heh... It¡¯s smiling - the fucker¡¯s smiling at me. Taking pity on me by fighting me alone, huh? You''ll learn to regret that, you bastard... With a shrill growl, it charges at me once more as I stand in a defensive stance. It soon reaches near me and leaps... aiming for my arm. I quickly respond and swing my left arm and prepare to meet it head on. I swear I can see the surprise in its eyes; thinking that I would never even try to retaliate. I hear a loud ¡®crunch¡¯ sound as it bites into my bracer. I tightly grasp the end of its jaws, holding it open. Feeling the sharp teeth at the edge of my palms, I quickly push my weight down and pin its squirming body on the ground. Holding it still, I tightly clutch my dagger and aim at its throat. "Hahaha... die bitch!" "Urrrrrgh!" "Rrrrrgh!" I hear the other wolf cry out as I pull my chipped dagger along its neck, splashing blood all over my face... I suddenly feel a scorching pain at my right arm as razor-sharp daggers tear into my flesh... "Arrrrgh, it hurts! It fucking hurts!" I try to ignore the intense pain; pushing my full weight onto the dying wolf. It can barely cry out as I finally manage to kill it. "Hrrrgh!" "Rrrrgh!¡± "Hrrrgh..." Using my remaining strength, I pull out the dagger as I roll backwards. I taste the salty blood in my mouth as I spit to the side. My right arm begins to uncontrollably tremble as I shakily manage to stand up again. "Rrrrrrgh...!" A somber howl resonates in the cold air, as I pick up the dagger with my left hand. I see the other wolf staring me down with its blazing red eyes as it growls towards me. "Hrrrrgh...!" My eyes begin to blur and my thoughts go hazy as the tearing pain at my leg forces me to kneel. I could briefly see a distorted image of a white blur carrying off the other wolf as it fled away. "Hahaha... I told you I''d make you regret it..." I couldn''t hold back the pain anymore and fall over, leaving only a black void... -----