《The Path Of The Damned [Reincarnation+Time Loop]》 Chapter One: To No End The waves had been calm and the sky had been bright when Kalvin first boarded Fever Dream two weeks ago. Now the fog seemed endless beneath the night sky and the waves roared as they tried to pull the ship down under, so violent Kalvin had to hold onto one of the nearby poles to steady himself. The smell of seawater was suffocating and he couldn¡¯t feel his fingers from the cold. ¡°You think this is bad?¡± The sorcerer behind him called over the howling wind, also gripping the pole. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to be ten times worse.¡± Kalvin looked to the sorcerer, Pyke. He¡¯d gotten to know the man pretty well over the past two weeks. He knew how loud he snored, how much he ate, how little he tolerated sobriety. And he knew how powerful of an elemental sorcerer he was, so this being the best he could do was a horrifying thought. ¡°I feel like the breeze will push me over the railing if I so much as sneeze.¡± Pyke shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s designed to do.¡± ¡°How much further?¡± ¡°The charms don¡¯t feel like they stretch for much longer. Half an hour, maybe.¡± ¡°God, couldn¡¯t they have just paused the damn charms?¡± ¡°You should ask him,¡± Pyke said, waving a hand at someone across the ship. Seconds later, a tan-skinned figure emerged from the fog, grabbing onto the pole beside theirs. Nevan. Their captain, and the other sorcerer he¡¯d come to know- or at least tried to. Where Pyke was loud and indulgent, Nevan was quiet and reserved. All he really knew about the man was that he was a wright sorcerer, and if not for his ship, this trip would¡¯ve taken over a month. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± he yelled, much to Kalvin¡¯s relief. He had a Koravi accent- the kingdom they¡¯d departed from. ¡°I suggest you start getting ready!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t they just pause the charms?¡± Nevan took a deep breath. ¡°Who knows? My guess is they think it¡¯s too risky.¡± ¡°Risky?¡± Pyke snorted. ¡°The darn place is in the middle of nowhere!¡± A sudden cry stole their attention, and they all looked out towards the sea where the wind began to rage in a fit, the mist clearing ever so slightly. And just beyond, the dim outline of an island came into view, a gigantic, dark fortress lying in its wake. ???.?????? Fortunately, the area around the dock was much calmer- and the fortress much clearer. It had to be the size of the castle back in Dorlinard, Kalvin¡¯s own kingdom who knows how many miles away. He¡¯d only been there once for a job, but he was sure of it. From what he¡¯d seen aboard the ship, the fortress almost filled the entire length of the island and it¡¯s multiple sprawling towers almost reached the clouds. The more he stared at it, the more he realized how wrong he was- it wasn¡¯t the size of the royal castle, it was much, much larger. Especially since this wasn¡¯t even the half of it. And the aura here¡­ The concept of something inorganic having aura was taken about as seriously as star signs, but even Kalvin had to admit there was something in the air. Energy, emotion, you name it. The rough winds were gone but he still had a hard time breathing, and as much as the colossal fortress was an astonishing sight, it also made his heart pulse. What he could sense, if he focused hard enough, was the aura emanating from a large group of people inside it, perhaps anywhere from two hundred to a thousand of them. He¡¯d have to get closer to be sure. He could feel it from the four distant guards watching them at the dock, at least. Kalvin couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from the fortress as he disembarked the ship, saying goodbye to the only three people he had human any contact with for the past two weeks. Mostly Pyke, since Nevan and his assistant looked like they were about to vomit. ¡°Let me know once you¡¯re back in the city,¡± he was saying. ¡°We can go out for a drink or two.¡± It was dark, only the light of the full moon overhead and a few nearby torches allowing Kalvin to see his beady eyes. ¡°My treat,¡± he added with a look to the fortress behind Kalvin. ¡°Since it looks like you¡¯ll need it.¡± He smiled and reached for his pouch, but Pyke stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, they paid us well above the normal rates. Save it for the taverns.¡± And with that, Kalvin watched them board the ship and sail back towards the wall of mist that seemed to encircle the island. At least now he knew why the two sailors did this job even though the place seemed to scare the shit out of them. ¡°Welcome.¡± Kalvin whirled around with a start. ¡°Forgive me,¡± the woman before him said, adjusting her rectangular glasses. She was dressed in a long, dark robe with the patch of the alliance sewn into one side of her chest and a black, shiny badge hanging on the other. Her dark hair was tied. ¡°I figured you sensed me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Orion,¡± he joked. The woman stared at him. Damn it, too soon? Or maybe she just doesn¡¯t have a sense of humor. ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in days. What I meant was that my aura sensing isn¡¯t the best.¡± He reached a hand out. ¡°I¡¯m Kalvin.¡± ¡°Yvaine, we spoke on the phone and you met with my assistant,¡± she said, shaking it. ¡°Well, I wish I could say it¡¯ll be better soon, Kalvin, but who knows how long this will take.¡± She gestured for him to follow as she headed towards the path leading up to the hill the fortress sat upon, lined with more torches. Kalvin fell into step beside her, indeed sensing the woman¡¯s aura after a moment of focus. ¡°Right, but if you had to guess?¡± ¡°If all goes well, then maybe only a week,¡± she replied. ¡°But you and I both know it isn¡¯t wise to rely on things going well when it comes to him.¡± ¡°So if things go badly, then?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll be here for the rest of your life.¡± Kalvin paled. The woman turned to him with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯m joking, of course.¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°Like I said, we don¡¯t expect the best case scenario, but if no progress is being made for multiple weeks then you¡¯ll be let go.¡± ¡°And if I want to leave before then?¡± ¡°You certainly wouldn¡¯t be the first.¡± Kalvin eyed her. ¡°Just how many mediums have you contacted before me, exactly?¡± ¡°Ninety-six.¡± ¡°How many accepted the job?¡± ¡°Seventeen.¡± ¡°How many made it past a single week?¡± ¡°Zero.¡± Silence fell until Kalvin finally said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­reassuring.¡± And speak of the devil, or rather an angel sent from the heavens itself- just up ahead was a giant statue of the five legendary heroes that gave their lives to bring in a newfound age of peace and prosperity, Orion shining front and center.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Both him and Yvaine paused before the statues and studied them in a silence that seemed to last forever before Kalvin finally asked, ¡°Was it true, about him and Kylara?¡± Yvaine looked to the statue of a girl beside Orion. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯d be better if it wasn¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°Maybe, but even then¡­what happened to them all was still a tragedy.¡± He didn¡¯t know what else to do but nod. ¡°Gods,¡± she sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what we would have done without him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯d be someone else. Another Orion.¡± Yvaine glanced at him. ¡°You think so?¡± Kalvin continued to stare into the stone carvings of his eyes. It almost seemed as though they were looking back. ¡°Did you meet him? Before¡­¡± ¡°Yes, once.¡± Her face softened. ¡°He was remarkable. You¡¯d walk into a room and just feel his presence. And when he met me, a mere lowly intern at The Alliance, it felt like he gave every ounce of his attention to what I said. It felt like he saw me.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard similar stories.¡± ¡°And you believe people with power like that are in great abundance?¡± ¡°No, it certainly takes someone special- but Orion wasn¡¯t born that way. He sought his own strength.¡± Yvaine nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the stories. A frail, poor boy on the outskirts of some desolate village who managed to get into a sorcerer¡¯s school, only to discover he was the weakest one there. And yet, after many years of honing his skills, he became the Orion we all know and love today.¡± Kalvin looked down at his hands and back at the statue. ¡°True power comes to those who reject the weakness within them.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose any one of the heroes could¡¯ve risen to the occasion.¡± ¡°No, the rest of them were prodigies from the beginning, they never understood what it meant to be invisible, to be weak.¡± She gave him a puzzled look. ¡°Who, then?¡± ¡°Someone you¡¯ve never heard of before, someone you wouldn¡¯t expect even if you had.¡± ¡°You sound like a wise man,¡± she said after a moment. Yet wisdom wasn¡¯t enough, Kalvin thought as he looked away from Orion¡¯s eyes. As they resumed their walk, Yvaine continued, ¡°Well, as you can imagine, finding someone like you is already a tiresome endeavor. Finding someone willing to come here has been nigh impossible. We¡¯re running out of known mediums, not to mention we don¡¯t have the luxury of time.¡± ¡°But,¡± she continued. ¡°As you¡¯ve seen, we¡¯re willing to compensate handsomely for the effort.¡± Kalvin nodded. The money was indeed a lot- enough to buy an island of his own and still have some left over for an army. Not that he needed either. Perhaps he¡¯d get a nicer place, one in the center of the capital. Perhaps he can even befriend the king himself. ¡°Is that why you accepted the job?¡± ¡°Why else?¡± The entrance to the fortress suddenly came into view as they reached the peak of the hill, multiple guards standing watch all around them. And in the center of the clearing was another statue- this one of a man in a soldier¡¯s uniform. Kalvin didn¡¯t recognize it. ¡°That¡¯s General Alabaster,¡± Yvaine explained as they approached the statue. ¡°He was one of the leaders of The Alliance before he tragically lost his life.¡± A whisper suddenly cleaved the air, the words so quiet Kalvin barely heard them as he whipped his head around for the source. But it was only them and the guards in the clearing, the latter as still and quiet as the statue itself. They paused before it in another moment of silence- Kalvin reading the words on a small plaque carved into the stone as the whispers grew in volume. Here lies Norton Alabaster¡­ As he went down the list of all his military achievements, two more voices joined the first- sounding as though they came from the ground below. Kalvin''s eyes widened as they darted from one guard to another. ¡°He¡¯s buried here?¡± Yvaine noticed the shock in his face. ¡°Yes, one of his final requests. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Can you really not hear them?¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± ¡°There are¡­voices.¡± She gave him a concerned look. ¡°They call it death perception,¡± he explained, studying the plaque. ¡°It¡¯s something you can¡¯t really learn, at least not easily. But people born with a high sense of it are more attuned to certain things pertaining to the dead- like the corpse of the man beneath us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of it. That¡¯s why there are so few mediums, right? You typically need good death perception to be one.¡± ¡°Right. And a very rare side effect of having high death perception is hearing a voice emerge from a particularly powerful body¡¯s remains.¡± ¡°Pardon, I still don¡¯t understand?¡± Kalvin looked to her, the whispers still brushing against his ears. ¡°Hearing one is already a once in a lifetime occurrence, but there are only two cases in which someone would hear multiple. One, there are actually multiple ashes or corpses nearby, like at a graveyard. And two- the remains belonged to someone who has taken so many lives that fragments of those spirits were rooted into theirs, unable to escape.¡± Yvaine seemed to think for a second. ¡°That makes sense, General Alabaster was at the forefront of our defense against the undead army. He was a powerful fighter.¡± ¡°I see. I apologize for scaring you,¡± he said as they continued on to the fortress¡¯s entrance. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing the phenomena in person. You must¡¯ve thought I went insane.¡± ¡°Not at all. I am surprised, however. None of the other mediums said anything about it.¡± ¡°Has his spirit ever been contacted by one?¡± ¡°Yes, the death was sudden and hit his family hard. I was there and he¡­it was unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen. It didn¡¯t even look like the general.¡± Kalvin nodded. ¡°Spirits can take on any form they choose. I rarely see them as they were during death- they either appear as a younger version of themselves or something else entirely.¡± ¡°Really? I never knew.¡± ¡°Once, I contacted a murderer who got off on scaring his victims. He appeared to me as a great monster. Another time, I contacted a wealthy, narcissistic businessman. He appeared to me as a god.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. The general was mostly just himself, but he seemed younger, taller, stronger, more handsome, even.¡± ¡°Most people want to be perceived as the best, most powerful version of themselves.¡± ¡°I suppose that makes sense.¡± As they approached the fortress, the whispers became dimmer before fading out entirely. Two of the guards opened the giant doors and they stepped inside what looked to be a lobby. The lobby of some kind of mysterious research facility, that is. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but admire the grand room, even more heavily guarded than the entrance and a lot brighter than the exterior, as they approached a front desk beside the only other door. ¡°Hello!¡± The man behind it, wearing the same robes Yvaine, greeted cheerfully. ¡°How may I assist you?¡± ¡°He needs to be checked in and given an onyx pass,¡± Yvaine answered. Kalvin gave her a look of puzzlement as the man behind the desk said, ¡°I¡¯ll need to see both your ID¡¯s.¡± He reached into his pouch and withdrew his official sorcerer license, Yvaine doing the same. They handed them to the man along with her tag. The man then conjured his wand and pressed the tip to the documents one by one. It lit up before returning back to normal after each spell, likely an identification one to ensure the documents weren¡¯t forged. ¡°Great! Do you two consent to me performing a lie detection spell on the both of you?¡± They nodded and he turned to Yvaine first, reaching over the desk to place the tip of his wand against her forehead. It lit up as it touched her skin. ¡°What is your full name?¡± ¡°Yvaine Ambler.¡± ¡°When were you born?¡± ¡°On the summer solstice of the nine hundredth year.¡± ¡°What is your occupation?¡± ¡°Magic researcher.¡± ¡°To whom are you employed?¡± ¡°The Alliance.¡± ¡°What business do you have on the island today?¡± ¡°To accompany a contractor to his post.¡± ¡°Do you have any ulterior motives or intentions that benefit any enemy of The Alliance?¡± ¡°No." ¡°Do you have any weapons or other harmful tools, including any of magical origin, on your person?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Have you fully informed the contractor of his compensation, the job description, the job¡¯s liabilities, and his rights among any other pertinent details?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He held up a piece of parchment with lots of paragraphs and bullet points. Kalvin recognized it as his contract for his job. ¡°Did you send a letter containing the exact information found here to the contractor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man then put down the parchment and placed the wand against Kalvin¡¯s own forehead, repeating the same questions as the tip lit up once more. ¡°What is your full name?¡± ¡°Kalvin Will Ballard.¡± ¡°When were you born?¡± ¡°Three weeks before the winter solstice of the nine hundredth and fifth year.¡± ¡°What is your occupation?¡± ¡°Certified Medium.¡± ¡°To whom are you employed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a freelancer, but currently The Alliance.¡± ¡°What business do you have on the island today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to work, to contact a spirit of the dead.¡± He could¡¯ve sworn the man¡¯s breath hitched the slightest bit. ¡°Do you have any weapons or other harmful tools, including any of magical origin, on your person?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you believe you¡¯ve been fully informed of your compensation, the job description, the job¡¯s liabilities, and your rights among any other pertinent details?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He held up the parchment again. ¡°Were you sent a letter containing the exact information found here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kalvin expected the man to withdraw his wand after the final question, but he instead asked, ¡°Have you experienced any major depression, suicidal ideation, or desire to harm yourself or others within the past year?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Has both your employer and a third-party mental health professional signed off on you taking this job?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you believe you are emotionally stable enough to handle this job?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man smiled. ¡°That¡¯ll be all.¡± He handed back their things along with a badge of Kalvin¡¯s own, just as dark as hers but matte instead of glassy. He then slid the piece of parchment across the desk. ¡°Just sign here. Take as much time as you need to read it over.¡± With a cursory glance to ensure it really was the same contract he had gotten, Kalvin signed his name and thanked the receptionist. Yvaine walked over to the door beside him and held up her badge, waiting for the click that signaled it¡¯d become unlocked before opening it. Just how many wards are in this place? ¡°God, do you have to do that every time?¡± Kalvin asked once it was closed and Yvaine was leading him down a big, ivory hall. She shrugged. ¡°You get used to it.¡± He clipped the badge onto his chest. ¡°And this, is it the onyx pass?¡± ¡°Indeed. The color refers to your level of clearance, or in practical terms, how far down you can go. It¡¯s matte because it only lasts twenty-four hours.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I get a permanent one if I¡¯ll be here for weeks?¡± For the first time, she smiled. ¡°I like your attitude, but we¡¯ll get to that when it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°Right, so what now, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you to your room, let you settle in and get some sleep, then tomorrow we will-¡° ¡°I can start now.¡± Yvaine raised a brow. ¡°Are you sure? You just spent the last two weeks at sea.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s fine with you, that is. You said it yourself- I¡¯m not going to be getting any sleep for a while anyhow.¡± ¡°I suppose the team isn¡¯t off for the next few hours,¡± she said, looking up in thought. ¡°But it¡¯s not exactly procedure to have you jump into this straight away.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said we don¡¯t have the luxury of time?¡± She gave him a tentative look. ¡°I suppose I did¡­¡± Kalvin returned it with a hopeful one. Several moments passed. ¡°Fine,¡± she finally sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the team and let them know.¡± ???.?????? An hour later, Kalvin was standing at a door, using every ounce of self control he had to not bash his head against it. It¡¯s a good thing he already did the lie detection test. He¡¯d spent the last sixty minutes crossing hall after hall and descending staircase after staircase across the entire fortress to end up here, having to show his badge to so many doors he thought his eyes would start bleeding if he had to see another one (he¡¯d counted thirty-one in total). But this was it. The final few halls they¡¯d crossed were entirely made of stone, as was the great door before them. ¡°There¡¯s no way you do this every day without losing your sanity.¡± ¡°Who said I haven¡¯t already?¡± Oh, now she¡¯s in a joking mood. He watched Yvaine hold up her badge to the door, which was flanked by four guards, one last time before they entered a dark, humongous room on a seemingly endless bridge that stretched out before them, joining all the others that zigzagged from the top to the bottom. Everywhere Kalvin looked, stacks upon stacks of cells greeted him, all the way from below to above, neither of which had a visible end. And the guards¡­there had to be at least a hundred of them sprawled across the entire room. Most were standing still, but some patrolled the bridges. Voidhall Prison. He followed Yvaine across it as he studied the still, empty cells they passed. It was quiet, almost too quiet. The silence seemed to linger in the air like it knew it didn¡¯t belong. Because just a few months ago, this room was filled with the screams of the world¡¯s most haunted, decrepit creatures. Only those who committed the worst of crimes ended up here- only those with life sentences or death penalties, and certainly no friends or family that would be willing to make the trek for visits. Those who take the most enjoyment in the screams of innocents end up here, where their own will never be heard past the thick walls of the fortress again. At least they used to, now the prison had been emptied to make room for one, singular inmate that was worse than them all. ¡°What did you do with them?¡± ¡°New prisons were built all over the world to handle the relocation,¡± Yvaine said ahead of him. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Five thousand inmates, ten prisons.¡± ¡°Sounds expensive.¡± ¡°You have no idea.¡± He paused. ¡°Is it really all¡­necessary?¡± Yvaine peered at him over her shoulder as they passed a patrolling guard. ¡°You don¡¯t think it is?¡± ¡°It just all seems a little¡­overkill, no offense.¡± She looked back. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve met some who share your viewpoint.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Mine?¡± ¡°Your viewpoint, I mean.¡± ¡°Hmmm, I think it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry, right? I¡¯d rather waste millions of shillings than millions of lives.¡± ¡°Of course, but how long will it last? Sure, for now it¡¯s only been what, four months? But what happens when decades pass and you¡¯re still here, living the same days over and over again to no end? What happens when you¡¯ve wasted your life for someone else¡¯s fear?¡± ¡°I guess I never really thought about it that way,¡± she admitted. ¡°Are you saying you wouldn¡¯t do the same if you were me?¡± Kalvin thought about it for a moment. ¡°No, but I¡¯d be willing to waste my life for something I really believed in or in order to save someone else. Because then it wouldn¡¯t be a waste.¡± Several seconds passed before Yvaine finally said, ¡°You might just need that shiny badge yet.¡± Chapter Two: Anything But Alive The bridge eventually led them to yet another staircase with yet another door. Overkill indeed. They were now at the very bottom of the room, so much so that Kalvin couldn¡¯t even see the bridge they took, only three of them that loomed high above. And it was freezing, maybe even more-so than when he¡¯d been on the ship. ¡°So, where is it?¡± Kalvin asked expectedly as Yvaine led him across the ground floor. He was beginning to regret turning down that room. ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± she answered as they came upon¡­ Another door. This one had so many guards beside it that Kalvin didn¡¯t bother to count them all. He wondered what he did to deserve this as Yvaine opened it to reveal more stairs lined with torches. Making it to the bottom took several more minutes, and Kalvin didn¡¯t need to see what was there to start wondering if he could sue The Alliance for not disclosing this many stairs and doors as a possible liability and blow to his mental health. Miraculously, his faith in a higher power was suddenly restored as the door opened to finally reveal a laboratory-like room, four men in robes already waiting inside. ¡°Kalvin, I¡¯d like you to meet the primary research team here. This is Dr. Kavanaugh, Dr. Kinsley, Dr. Shaw, and Dr. Maverick.¡± He quickly went down the line and shook hands with them all. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get started. Where are they?¡± He was going to get this done and over with. Then he could finally rest. The researchers exchanged puzzled looks. ¡°The ashes,¡± he clarified. ¡°Underground.¡± He looked to the researcher that spoke. ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Yvaine asked. ¡°I can¡¯t properly speak to a spirit unless they¡¯re right beside me.¡± ¡°The previous mediums were able to-¡° ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why none of your previous mediums accomplished anything.¡± Every pair of eyes fell on him. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± another one said. ¡°It¡¯s a non-negotiable. Either you bring me to the ashes or you lose another medium.¡± Yvaine sighed. ¡°I knew we should¡¯ve done this after you got some slee-¡± ¡°Let him do it.¡± They all turned towards the voice, belonging to another man in a robe that was standing by the entrance, staring at a fish tank with his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Sir¡­¡± The man turned and Kalvin was shocked at just how deep the wrinkles etched within his face ran, echoing the ones throughout his own lab coat. His dark eyes, however, were still flecked with the flames of youth as they sparkled beneath a tussle of white hair. ¡°This may very well be the only place on this planet that isn¡¯t currently teeming with hope. While the rest of the world celebrates, it is our job to be wary of the worst possible scenarios.¡± ¡°And you believe they are more than possible?¡± His sparkling eyes met Kalvin¡¯s. ¡°I believe by the time we find the answer to that question, it¡¯ll be too late.¡± Turning to the rest of the research team, he added, ¡°Any more objections?¡± Their silence was answer enough. Yvaine merely sighed again and motioned for him to follow as she approached another doorway, the old scientist crossing the room to join them. She paused. ¡°Dr. Vorin, are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay up here with the rest of the team?¡± ¡°Are you kidding?¡± He snickered. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± Yvaine nodded despite the glimpse of horror across her face as she led them through the door and they began to descend another staircase- so dark that it didn¡¯t seem to end. ¡°So, Kalvin, was it?¡± He turned to the scientist. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Not the kind of job they warned you about in medium school, eh?¡± ¡°Not exactly, but it¡¯s a nice change of pace. My last job was from a woman who wanted to speak with her dead husband because she couldn¡¯t find the spare key. ¡°Ha! A nice change of pace!¡± He cackled. ¡°I like that.¡± ¡°Please, sir,¡± Yvaine said ahead of them. ¡°Kalvin¡¯s had a long day.¡± ¡°If he can¡¯t handle an old man¡¯s questions then he has no right to do this job.¡± Kalvin gave him an amused smile. ¡°You can ask whatever you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Well, then, why don¡¯t you tell me what got you interested in becoming a medium.¡± Kalvin rummaged through his head for the essay he wrote to get into school. ¡°It¡¯s an obscure enough field to be interesting but I also like being able to help people, which has always been my passion-¡° ¡°Ha! Passion my ass! I asked for a motivation, not your personal statement.¡± Damn, he got me. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°If you were really in this for some noble reason or lifelong mission, you wouldn¡¯t have taken this job. Not unless teenage you envisioned ending up in the most remote location in the world to work in a prison that has thousands of wards to guard some ashes.¡± The man had a point. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So, tell me,¡± he murmured, leaning in. ¡°What was it young Kalvin dreamed of?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer him.¡± Kalvin stared off into the never-ending pool of darkness below them. He didn¡¯t know whether it was that or his exhaustion or the prison¡¯s aura or the old man¡¯s inviting eyes, but he blurted, ¡°I dreamed of being the hero.¡± The old man was silent. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how or why, but no matter if it was by being the most powerful mage or the strongest swordsman, I wanted to be the one who history remembered. No, I wanted to be it all.¡± ¡°Wanted?¡± Kalvin turned to him. ¡°What?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. There was something else in his eyes now. ¡°You wanted it, or you want it?¡± ¡°Everyone grows out of their childhood dreams eventually, don¡¯t they?¡± The man leaned back. ¡°Grows out of them? No, I don¡¯t think so. I think our dreams merely become ghosts that haunt us till our dying day.¡± I¡¯ll kill myself if I ever become this nutty at my old age. ¡°Then how about you? Was being a scientist your dream?¡± ¡°Indeed, and I, too, dreamed of making discoveries that would change the world.¡± ¡°And you grew out of them?¡± ¡°No.¡± He winked. ¡°They just aren¡¯t dreams anymore.¡± Add arrogant to the list, Kalvin thought as they finally reached the end of the staircase- perhaps the longest one yet, leading to a hall flanked by two guards. And the single door across them now had a big, glaring warning sign attached to it, a red light beside the frame. This time, both Yvaine and doctor x presented their badges before it, gesturing for Kalvin to do the same. Only then did it open, the small light having turned green. The room they stepped inside looked like the laboratory above them, albeit much smaller and with fewer machines-with a great hole chiseled into the center of the floor where a spiral staircase lied. And there was something else¡­a sort of coldness in the air. Kalvin resisted the chills that swept down his spine. Yvaine turned to the other scientist. ¡°I¡¯ll go with him, you stay here.¡± After a pause, she leaned in closer to whisper something in his ear that Kalvin only got fragments of- ¡°¡­the protocol¡­emergency¡­alarm¡­lock¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m old, Yvaine, not stupid.¡± ¡°Of course, sir,¡± she said, turning back to Kalvin. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re asking?¡± ¡°It¡¯s protocol. I know we spent the last hour just getting here but, if any part of you has changed your mind or you¡¯re nervous-¡° ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I can handle myself against some dust particles.¡± Yvaine looked reluctant before she turned and began towards the stairway. Just as Kalvin went to follow, a hand grasped his shoulder. ¡°Remember, son, no matter what happens down there, no matter what he tells you- you must not forget your dream,¡± the old man said. ¡°If you do not, you will prevail, and if you prevail, I swear that your name will never be forgotten.¡± Kalvin looked into his gleaming eyes. ¡°I will do what I must.¡± The man let go with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Yvaine was waiting for him at the staircase. As they made their way down, she was saying, ¡°Stick exactly to the script you¡¯ve memorized. Use a calm, but assertive tone. Don¡¯t give in to any demands, don¡¯t make any promises, don¡¯t escalate.¡° With every step he took, that coldness grew heavier and heavier, as though it were swallowing the air itself whole. It seemed to crawl into every depth of Kalvin¡¯s body until his heartbeat began to ring in his ears, accompanied by a very primal sense of horror.¡°Your assistant already went through the training with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m making sure you remember everything. You always need to be in control of the conversation, but don¡¯t confront him. Also, try to limit your movement¡­¡± They reached the bottom of an enormous, seemingly never-ending room shrouded in almost complete darkness. Only the echoes of their footsteps broke the harsh silence, as if they¡¯d entered a bubble separated from the rest of the world, hidden between the folds of reality. It was now impossibly cold, and Kalvin had to put all his focus into not shivering uncontrollably as everything in his body screamed at him to run. That was when he heard them. Male and female, young and old, screams and whispers, warnings and lures- Kalvin heard them all. Hundreds of them. The voices all seemed to fight for control, but he couldn¡¯t pick one out of the throng. His breath hitched as he made an effort to block it all out. There was no denying it. It was him. He looked to Yvaine, but she was still continuing on as she led him deeper into the room. ¡°As hard it sounds, try to humanize him. Use his name, try to emphasize, insist you have no judgments. Don¡¯t say no, instead redirect the conversation. I¡¯ll be right next to you if you get stuck or have a question.¡± ¡°Are you finally going to tell me why I¡¯m really here?¡± He asked loudly. ¡°Why not just have me raise the spirit and leave?¡± She paused before looking over her shoulder at him. ¡°I suppose now is the time. Like I told you over the phone, you are prohibited from talking about or disclosing this information to anyone outside of the research team. Violating that rule will land you in prison.¡± ¡°Not this one, I hope.¡± Yvaine didn¡¯t seem amused as she resumed her pace. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that the circumstances surrounding how he obtained so much power are blurry at best- not to mention exactly what those powers were.¡± ¡°The mystery of the century.¡± ¡°Precisely. We¡¯ve been trying to uncover the answers for the past few years, but every lead leaves us more confused.¡± she sighed. ¡°Frankly, we¡¯re at our wits end. We need more information, but we don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± ¡°You must have something.¡± ¡°Well¡­there is one suspicion. Are you familiar with the soulstones?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read about them. There were six, right? Each is a fragment of his soul that Orion had to find and destroy before being able to kill him.¡± ¡°Yes. We think there¡¯s another one.¡± Kalvin stilled. ¡°What?¡± She turned to face him. ¡°Necromancy is an ancient, forbidden magic we barely know anything about. We don¡¯t even know how he created the soulstones¡­and we may not have found them all.¡± His eyes widened. It took years and thousands of the greatest minds to track down just a few. ¡°Them all? I thought you said there¡¯s only one other?¡± ¡°At least.¡± ¡°God,¡± he whispered after a moment. ¡°It¡¯s like a nightmare that doesn¡¯t end.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± She looked into the darkness. "If there really are more soulstones out there, then even the deepest pits of hell won¡¯t be able to hold him.¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you just ask him yourself?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. He refuses to speak to anyone but the medium who¡¯s raised him.¡± Kalvin filed that point of interest away for later. ¡°I see¡­and where exactly is he?¡± He didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d asked, he¡¯d already known the second his eyes landed on it. But Yvaine pointed towards the only thing in the room- a glass-like black box with the red seal of The Alliance lying on the ground at the very center. Kalvin didn¡¯t need an extraordinary sense of magic to feel the aura emanating from it, not as every bone in his body threatened to crack beneath the pressure in the room, not as pain seared his lungs with every breath. ¡°Good lord,¡± he murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t know ashes were even capable of having energy.¡± She was also staring at the box. ¡°It was charmed by Orion before he died. Resistant to every type of damage you can think of, it¡¯s supposed to be powerful enough to never let anyone in or out- anyone but the very few with a high death perception.¡± Kalvin raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected.¡± ¡°It was something almost everyone else was opposed to, but Orion¡¯s word was law.¡± For a few moments, they let the silence reign. ¡°You should go back. It¡¯s best if the spirit just sees me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Yvaine gasped. ¡°Protocol says-¡° ¡°Do you really think people who make history care for what protocol says?¡± She gave him a tentative look. ¡°Every rule and guideline is for our own safety.¡± ¡°If Orion thought like that, there wouldn''t be ashes to contact in the first place. If we want to honor his legacy and make sure his death wasn¡¯t in vain, we have to be willing to take risks.¡± No reply. ¡°You said it yourself- I could be the one who needs that shiny badge. All I¡¯m asking you to do is honor your faith in me,¡± he pleaded. "I swear, if I sense something is out of the ordinary even the slightest bit, I¡¯ll scream bloody murder.¡± He was about to give up and look away when Yvaine suddenly said, ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Ok?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right above with Dr. Vorin.¡± She came closer to look him in the eyes. ¡°If you change your mind or need anything, anything at all, please don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡± Reaching into her lab coat, Yvaine withdrew a walkie talkie. ¡°I¡¯m afraid magic won¡¯t work in this room, so you can use this to reach me. I¡¯ll leave you to your work as long as you check in every five minutes. Remember, you don¡¯t have to get anything out of him today. Just establish contact and, ideally, some rapport. He needs to trust you.¡± Kalvin nodded and waited for her to walk away, but she merely continued to stare at him. ¡°Good luck, Mr. Ballard.¡± ¡°Kalvin is fine. Thank you.¡± And with that, she finally ascended the stairway- her footsteps echoing throughout the open room until she reached the top and disappeared, giving him one last, unreadable look before doing so. Kalvin turned to the box at the center of the room, allowing it¡¯s energy to drift through him. ¡°Just you and me.¡± As he slowly approached it, he allowed himself to take a deep breath and savor the moment, even as every step brought a deeper and deeper sense of doom. He¡¯d been waiting for this moment all his life. No longer was he just another face in a sea of those who were stronger, smarter, better. Right now, in this room- in the entire world, rather, he had a purpose greater than any other. If Kalvin failed, they could very well run out of time. Failure wasn¡¯t an option. If there really was a soulstone somewhere out there, he could return. It was all on him. Kalvin kneeled before the box, the voices now deafening in his ears. A reflection stared back at him- his eyes gleaming with fire like the old man¡¯s had. ¡°I¡¯m making contact,¡± he said into the walkie talkie in his hand. ¡°Copy that.¡± He placed the other over his own face, letting the coolness of the sheer metal lace his fingertips. He wondered what form the spirit would take. ¡°Show yourself before me.¡± At first, nothing happened. And then it came. A great boom rumbled throughout the open space as the few lights on the walls dimmed in and out- casting the room in shadows. Kalvin withdrew his hand and looked around for any sign of the spirit, but he seemed to be alone. To his surprise, his heartbeat thundered in his chest. Why was he afraid now? ¡°Kalvin?¡± Yvaine¡¯s panicked voice crackled. ¡°Is everything ok?¡± ¡°Everything is fine. The spell didn¡¯t work.¡± The voices had stopped, however. He was about to put his hand back onto the box when everything went black- the lights having been extinguished entirely. A wind rustled behind him. Only there was no wind here. Kalvin slowly turned and readied himself. For what, he didn¡¯t know. A figure was looming within the darkness, it¡¯s outline vaguely humanoid. At least it doesn¡¯t seem to be some horrid beast. Kalvin¡¯s labored breaths broke the otherwise complete silence as he waited for it to move, to speak, to attack, even. To show any sign of life. But as every light suddenly turned back on, what filled his vision was anything but alive.