Where Spirits Dwell

The next morning, I was summoned by the King.

When I arrived at the throne room, I noticed something unusual, he looked slightly weary, and standing beside him was none other than Lady Temina.

What's she doing here? Is it about last night?

I stepped forward and bowed lightly.
"What’s the matter, Your Majesty?"

"Oh! Basalin you've come. Don't need to kneel my boy. Raise your head."

He didn't even notice me entering... then it must me something serious.
"As you wish, Your Highness."

The king shifted slightly on his throne. "So, I was discussing some affairs with our Guardian, and she proposed—"
He was interrupted.

With her ever-cold eyes, and a sharp tongue, Lady Temina spoke, "Yeah, I proposed to train you spirit arts, better be grateful... Basalin."

Huh! I could not believe my ears. So all that drama yesterday... was all about this.
She is gonna help me. But I thought she could not stand me.
Finally, will I be able to touch something great?!
Am I even allowed to get such a reward?!
I guess my time has come to shine.
Just you wait brother, I am gonna make sure to use this golden chance and get stronger...
So that next time we spar, it won't be the same old weak me...

"Basalin... Are you listening to me?"
"BASALIN!!!"

Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Y-Yes... I am listening. And v-very very thanks for this opportunity, Lady Temina. I won't let you down. I swear."

Her tone was cool but firm. "It's fine as long as you understand. Rest now. We're gonna start from next week. Strengthen your resolution and prepare your mind."

"Understood!"

"Pholomin," she called, turning to the king, "Prepare a quiet, calm place for training in the meantime."

"As you wish, Guardian," the King responded.

And once again she disappeared into thin air.

But the matter was yet to conclude.

The king turned to me, his expression serious.
"Basalin, my boy. Be cautious during this training. It's not like I don't trust our Forest Guardian, but... all these things are happening with a frightening pace. Up until now, she never trained any of the heirs personally. Not even once."

He leaned back, hands clasped.
"And you… you were an odd one, receiving a spirit right after birth, without even proving your worth. Not even your father was granted a spirit after all these years. All these things are far from mere coincidences. I don’t know what she’s truly planning... but as the saying goes, one can never be too careful."

I bowed my head slightly, composed and respectful.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will be careful, as you advise. And I’ll prove myself worthy—both of your concern and of Beaster’s heir."

The King smiled faintly. "Well said. Now go, and prepare for the coming week."

Don't you worry uncle, I am well aware of my actions.

And with that I left the throne-room.

***

I opened the door to my room, and a soft sound of a familiar voice swept my worries away.
"There you are, Basalin."

I saw mother, sitting on the bed, her hands folded neatly in her lap, calling out for me.

"Yes, mother."

"I heard the king called you. Is everything alright?"

"Rest assured mother. He just informed me about my training with Lady Temina."

"...The Guardian, again." Her voice faltered a little.

I walked over and sat beside her.
"She is just trying to help me to access Vulcan. You don't need to worry."

How can I not?" she said, her voice rising slightly, edged with desperation.
"She’s is the one to blame for all those injuries of yours."
I felt a sudden pull. And before I knew it...
I found myself embraced by her gentle hands as she hugged me.

"...But I know," she whispered, "Even if I asked you to decline her offer, you wouldn’t be satisfied. And I don’t want that either."
She held me tighter. Her warmth was like a shield against everything cold in the world.
"So I’ll allow it. It is okay to fail, as you can always retry. But don't do anything reckless to yourself that can't be undone."

Her words broke something inside me.
The storm that had raged quietly in my heart began to settle, and the final raindrops it carried carved glistening trails down my face.

"Thank you mother. I won't lose control again. I promise."

***

"From here we start, Basalin."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Let's begin with the basics. Tell me what you know about spirit-arts."

"To use a spirit’s powers, a strong and trustworthy bond is required. That bond can be formed by meeting the spirit in the spirit-zone of one’s subconscious. And… in my case, I haven’t been able to find that place yet."

"Fine. But that’s only the one part of the truth." she said, arms folded. "There’s another way to access your spirit."

I blinked, confused. "Another way?"

She stepped forward, her tone sharp but composed.
"If you’re on the verge of death," she explained, "a spirit may act on its own. Without a vessel, a spirit will eventually perish in this world. They can only survive in the spirit realm without one. So, to prevent their own destruction, they grant their vessel power in moments of extreme danger."

"...So that’s why Vulcan responded that day?"

"Exactly. The same thing happened with your brother, Pholomin V. He called upon Terris for the first time to protect the castle, from your flames."

I lowered my eyes. "...I-I’m sorry for what happened."

"You’re not here to apologize." she snapped. "You’re here to make sure something like that doesn’t happen again."

"Yes, ma'am."

Still, I wonder... what kind of danger I was truly in, that day... Guess it’s not the right time to ask.

She stepped closer, her tone turning more analytical.
"Now, listen carefully," she continued. "That instinctive protection works, but only temporarily. What you need to do is find your spirit-zone."

I nodded, clenching my fists silently.

She resumed, her gaze unwavering, "That’s where Lumier outclassed you. His swordsmanship wasn’t better than yours, but his mastery over spirit arts created that power gap. Once you access your spirit properly, your growth will increase significantly."

I stayed quiet, absorbing every word.

"Now that you’ve experienced Vulcan, your subconscious should be able to trace the way back to him. The spirit-zone is a specific point within your subconscious where the spirit can exist within you. Most mortals granted a spirit arrive directly in their spirit-zone the very first time they try. Others take days, sometimes weeks or even months."

She paused. "...But no one else has taken several years."

"...I’m really sorry for being so pathetic."

She raised her voice. "I told you not to apologize. If you don't like being pathetic, then change that. Find your spirit-zone."

"Understood, ma’am. But... what do I do after finding Vulcan?"

"Normally, I’d say figure it out yourself. But with you, we can’t take risks."

Her eyes narrowed. "There's a possibility that you find Vulcan at last but manage to fail to forge the bond; and then could not find him for another several years."

I looked down, a heavy weight forming in my chest.

"Raise your head! You’ve come too far to crawl back into pity now." she lashed out at me.

I jolted upright.

"When you meet Vulcan, enter in a mutual contract with him. When a spirit is bestowed upon a vessel, they gain partial consciousness—just enough to exist. But with a contract, their awareness fully awakens. They’ll be able to see the world through your eyes, feel it through your body. In exchange, they’ll grant you their true power."

She paused, letting that sink in.

"Most of the time, the spirit initiates the contract themselves. But if they don’t... you’ll have to prove your worth to them. After that, you can negotiate and craft your own unique contracts—terms, abilities, enhancements; like Lumier's spirit conspiration. But that’s all personal between the vessel and their spirit."

Her eyes locked onto mine, sharp and unrelenting.

"I’ve told you everything you need to know. From here on, it’s up to you. I can’t help you reach Vulcan... I can only wait."

She turned away, voice firm.

"Now. Let’s begin."

***

"This is not good."

Two years, and still, with my guidance—a guardian's assistance,  he hadn’t broken through.

Even Lumier, a boy with fractured will and minimal lineage, had managed it in less than a year.

And now... the cracks in my plan are beginning to show.

The Watcher had remained blank.
No traces of his spirit-zone. No awakening. Nothing beyond what we already knew.

The malice is still within him, but it has remained silent for all these years after the incident with Vulcan.
This delay... it’s costing me.

The Emperor has been patient. Too patient.
If I don’t give him results soon, I know how quickly he can shift from curiosity to annihilation.

"And now, to make matters worse... he's back. Pholomin V. The prodigy. The real lion of the royal line. The golden brother."

And what better way to force Basalin’s limit...
...than a betrayal?