Chapter 4 : The Way of The Specter

'It's really dark...... it seems I died, huh?'

'Wait! Didn't she say I couldn't die here?'

-Dong! -Dong! -Dong!

Suddenly, I heard a loud bell tolling, causing my mind to spin and my eyes to shoot wide open as I felt a warm sensation envelope my body.
Abruptly sitting up straight, I found my body drenched in sweat. Touching my back, I noticed the wound was completely healed, and I was in a small bed with the sheets damp from sweat. It was as if the gruesome scene was just a dream but looking around at the unfamiliar room, I could tell It was all too real.

"Oh, you're awake ?"

Snapping his head to the left where the voice was come from, he saw Master Tomoe sitting across the room, sharping her katana with a sharpening stone.
Her delicate movements and calm demeanor as the blade smoothly glides over the stone were breathtaking.

After observing the sharpened blade, she gave it a final wipe before sheathing. Turning to meet his dazed expression she spoke.

" Beautiful isn't?, It's a family heirloom passed down for twelve generations, The last wielder was my older brother. Before I inherited it, I was cast out of my family at Seventeen, so I took up jobs as a sword instructor and explorer...... In the end I didn't earn much, but It provided the necessary experiences to hone my technique."

As she spoke I saw hint of sadness in her dark eyes, but it was quickly replaced by her usual calm.

"Earlier you asked where this place was? This is my domain. A mental space I created using spiritual energy linking it to reality. I'm sure you know what spiritual energy is right?, it's the fundamental concept of life that all potential Specters need to learn to control, In fact everything here was recreated from my memories using my own energy."

"Wait! Did you just say everything here was created using spiritual energy?? How could that be possible?"

'I've heard my Vincent mention it once, but I didn't think it could be this amazing.'

Astonished and amused by his lack of knowledge about Specters, Tomoe shook her head and spoke, "Now I see what happened, Since you were sent here for an affinity test it's likely the device used was made from a modified dimensional gate. The gates usually allows for safe travel to random dimensions by creating a duplicate in the destination and linking the explorer's soul with it. Since this wasn't explained to you, it's likely whoever sent you here is either very careless or just doesn't like you much. Guess they also gave you the enhancer serum."

-cough...
Coughing lightly her gaze became more serious." Now then, having experienced fear, pain and bloodlust, do you still want to be a Specter child? "

Though her stern gaze was peering through me, Damon replied confidently as pressure descended on my shoulders, "I can't run away, I'd disappoint the only family I've ever known if I did".

Tomoe laughed Lightly suppressing the pressure as her gaze relaxed. " Since you made your choice, let me tell you a little story, are you aware of the creation myth?"

"Of course, when I was nine years old, we had to read the Genesis of The True Sun religious text, Among them, the Book of Solomon and the letters of the Saints mentioned the myth of creation." Recalling the memory Damon lowered his tone and said "The All Bright awoke from the chaotic void, ushering in the first concept of light. With this light he then gave life to the land, the seas, rivers, nourishing and nurturing lives.
Lonely in his creation he molded man from rock and infused them with the light of life. As creation continued he fused himself completely into the universe and made up all of existence. His eyes melding together formed the True Sun, a god representing the Sun, moon and stars, His blood rushed to the seas where the goddess of life and water Olympia was born, and lastly his ashes fell to the land where they created Destined Death, the god of Death and journeys."

Hearing his response, Tomoe stroked her chin thoughtfully,

"Humanity was given life from our creators Light, this light is spiritual energy that forms your soul and all living things with a will possesses it to varying degrees. Specters are those who learn to manipulate spiritual energy. By doing so one will gain mystical skills. This is common knowledge among Spector studies."

Tomoe did not elaborate on the detail and only gave a brief introduction.
"In this awakening process our ancestors relied on trial and error to discover their skills, but after it led to tragic consequences they became reliant on the assistance of the gods and other entities to control their spiritual energy, In regard to the consequences there were only two."

"What were they? "Pressed Damon curiously.

"First. Use too much spiritual energy, and your soul will collapse leading to you becoming a dried up husk that mutates into a terrifying monster forever hunting for more. Second, spread your spiritual energy out too far, and your soul becomes venerable enough for anything to latch on to your mind, leading to mental disorder.
Becoming as soulless as the beast you just fought."

"Huh! That panther was a specter? "

"Yep, at least when it was real anyway. I encountered it a year after I started exploring, if I recall it was guarding some ruins, But sadly I was too eager to test my improvements, slaying the beast before it even used skills and collapsing the ruins in a single strike." "As I never saw its skills, I couldn't recreate them."

She said it so calmly, yet somehow he could tell master Tomoe was boasting.

'Reminds me of that bastard Vincent, just you wait brother'

*******

-Achoo!!

"Are you okay Vincent?" asked a voiced from behind

Turing to greet Ethan, Vincent shook his head and replied," It feels like someone's been cursing me"

"Of course they would. Where ever they are I just know Damon and Josh are cursing your future kids". Said Ethan jokily. " But I am curious, why did you do it? Did those eyes of yours see something."

Looking at Ethan, Vincent was perplexed by his question, he knew Ethan was a year older than him and was more knowledgeable about the mystical, but he didn't think his intentions were so obvious.

"Not planning on answering ?"

Dodging the question, Vincent asked instead "How much do you know Ethan?"