Chapter 9: The Awakening

After the revelation, breathing didn't seem as easy for Jaden anymore; he took his time to digest all the information, which, unless it was a joke, appeared to be a cursed blessing. He would become immortal, but not without consequences. He would lose one of his loved ones each time he died, and four others unknown to him would also die. But there would likely be several people thrilled to receive this "blessing."

'He said one of my creatures.' Jaden muttered to himself.

There was much to consider after everything this supposed devil had just revealed. One of those things was that the HOUMs belonged to him, which must involve a lot since these monsters weren't exactly seen as angels on Earth. There were many other mysteries that Jaden decided to set aside for the moment.

'But what the hell is he telling me? I'll never die again?'

"No." came an unexpected response.

'Huh? I'm pretty sure I didn't say that out loud.' Jaden was stunned, he really didn't said that out loud, but the guy answered, it was not a question for him – just a random thought.

"You're reading my thoughts, Mr. Devil, it's not—"

Who told him he could be heard from now on?

"When my Houms have killed you twice the number of people who die." the Devil added after cutting Jaden off. This time, there was no reaction from Jaden, not even a sad smile. At some point, you get used to it. You adapt.

One of the most mysterious things about all living beings is their ability to evolve to overcome what lies in their path. Some theories suggest that humans reached this form after many generations of adaptation.

"Meaning ten times, if I die ten times." Jaden felt compelled to clarify the devil's statement since he had mentioned that 5 people would die each time he died, and now he was talking about doubling, which would make it 10.

"That's right, young human. The number of people who die each time you die will also double."

What did this statement mean? "The number of people who die each time you die will double." When he dies ten times by the HOUMs' hands, 10 people, instead of 5, will die each time he dies, and the count will reset to 0. Once he's died 20 times, the number of people who will die will increase to 20, and so on.

'Who would have thought that living even after being killed would become a burden?' Jaden thought about his immortality.

Losing strangers might cause less pain because you probably won't know who died. However, one must be cautious with the word "might." It could be a real problem because humans need to convince themselves. If I killed them, it was to get revenge; it was because they were killing everyone in their path.

But what about a stranger? They didn't do anything to you; why did they die? Just because they didn't know you? How do you convince yourself? How do you justify an act when there's no proof?

"Young human." the Devil called out, trying to get Jaden's attention.

'He doesn't listen to me, and he wants me to listen to him...' Although he was getting used to it, he couldn't help but sigh in frustration. The guy talked to him as if he were the centre of the world and imposed things on him without his consent.

'I'll just have to live a peaceful life in a white zone if everything he's saying is really true.'

It was true that this being's voice was majestic, but it would still be strange to believe in living forever without any doubt. Death is inevitable for all living beings, whether accidental or not, what lives is destined to die; there is no life without death—such is life.

"Listen to me closely." the Devil's words seemed crucial, as he had captured Jaden's attention twice in a row. Although his voice still had no fluctuation, it felt increasingly imposing.

'It's like there's more power in his voice.' Jaden thought.

'I've felt this kind of power before somewhere.' Instead of focusing his attention on the Devil, Jaden was lost in thought.

He had an epiphany, and what was strange was that the Devil's voice no longer echoed at all, as if he wanted to see what would happen.

'If only I could see... maybe I'd have a better understanding of what I'm supposed to do.' Once these thoughts were out, he refocused his attention on the power of the Devil's voice, which he seemed to recognize.

'Where have I felt this kind of thing before?' he wondered repeatedly until...

'Oh, yes! When I killed that HOUM.' Jaden said in his head.

'Maybe if I can use it, I'll be able to do much more than just listen to the Devil.' Jaden thought contemplatively.

When he had killed the HOUM, he had felt something addictive, which he had analyzed as adrenaline. Apparently, there was more to it.

He had felt this sensation every time he killed a HOUM, but he had simply normalized it. He didn't want to fall into the addiction of that feeling. Who would want to be addicted to something that drove them to kill?

So Jaden decided to sit down like a practitioner of Yoga meditating, with a few differences. This wasn't really a problem for him since he practiced martial arts. He crossed his legs in front of him, his hands formed a triangle with his fingers placed so that each of them passed through the space between two fingers on the opposite hand.

The sensation was quite bizarre. He had never sat on something like this, and probably no one had ever sat on something like this. He was really sitting, except there was no sensation; it was as if he were floating, although he wasn't.

He didn't know how, but he was sitting on nothing at all, and it wasn't soft or hard; it was nothing, just emptiness.

He focused all his attention on his body to try and retrieve that sensation. He didn't know what he was doing; he had never meditated, but he found himself in a state where it seemed like he had been meditating all the time, like it was a habit.

His body didn't move; it was literally still. Some people could achieve this kind of state the first time, but it took time to focus on just one thing.

Jaden, on the other hand, could do both things immediately. His mind was focused solely on the sensation he had felt, so he let his subconscious explore his body in search of it. After a while, he felt a sort of big ball in his solar plexus.

It had no mass, yet it felt concentrated and heavy. He could feel the ball, but he couldn't see it; he had the impression that he could direct it wherever he wanted in his body, as if it were his blood.

So he decided to do it. First, he had nothing to lose; he was already dead. If allowing this strange liquid to circulate in his body would be fatal, then so be it. But if it was advantageous, then he would benefit from it.

He took a deep breath and instinctively directed the ball throughout his body. It split and began to flow through his body as if it were a second layer of blood.

The ball diminished as it filled all his veins, but before it was completely gone, all of Jaden's veins were filled with this new blood, causing his veins to expand, which resulted in excruciating pain.

His entire body screamed in pain, but his instinct told him not to stop, to continue but not in this way.

'I need to find a solution.' he thought.

He began to think while his veins expanded very slowly but steadily, and his body was in agony. He felt like hours had passed, even though the concept of time in this place seemed quite perplexing.

After enough time had passed, he had an idea.

'I'll try to compress this thing instead of just letting it spread.' After making this decision, Jaden began to implement his idea. He had no model to follow, so he did everything by instinct, and he believed in his instinct.

Instinct, the other mystery of man, the one that compels us to fear danger, to love beauty, and to do many other things. In animals other than humans, instinct is crucial; perhaps humans need it just as much as wild animals.

He started by stopping the remaining ball and circulating what was already there. Once this energy reached his eyes...

"I... can see?" Jaden wondered, blinking and turning his palms towards his face to see them, to make sure he could really see.