The Powerful Artifact

Anne Jones was at the stairway of the superb tech company, rushing hectically because she knew she was late, but as she wished such won't happen before she gets into her office, Alexander stepped out of his steady car and their eyes met. Her heart beat in a race. Well, she avoided meeting his sight but it was obvious he found out when he went to her.

She respectively bowed several times just to divert her boss's attention so she could disappear on time; but Alex caught her plan again and told her to stop.

"Shit!" Anne mumbled under her breath.

"Shit? What did you just say?"

"No, Mr Reynolds. I can explain this..."

"Go on, explain," said Alex, making an inundation on her. He just took advantage of her carelessness on using words correctly. Just as he expected, she had nothing to say afterwards and just stared at the floor. He said again, "Explain why you used such a swear word in front of your employer. "

"Shit."

It slipped from her mouth and as soon as she heard what she uttered, she believed she would be fired because she repeated the same thing she was revoked from saying.

"I really think firing you is the only way to...."

She cut in, "I am sorry, Mr Reynolds. Please."

"But you will still pay me half my salary if I must really leave, right?" She asked, grinning.

"Half salary, my foot!" he exploded. " Never think of it." He said and Anne was agape. Then Alex left her and moved towards the hallway of the company; she assumed firing her like this was unfair so she moved straight to his back and moved into the company.

* * *

"Who did you say made you like this and murdered my men?!!!"

"It was a red-robed guy," Winston moaned in pain as he told Dark Hole, while he placed his right palm on his bleeding stomach, and gasped non-stop. He continued, "He cut the men apart only with his hands. As a matter of fact, I am still unable to heal this wound with my powers. He is too strong my lord."

Dark Hole inhaled and exhaled then began to have a thought on what he just heard. The guy's hand was as sharp as a sword and ordinary power won't heal a wound he made? Truthfully, he was damn strong. He began a deep thought. Who could have done that? Who's that guy? A supernatural being could not have had such immense power, except if it was a half born. And speaking of such, there was one person of that kind who was the person he sought revenge upon.

Nonetheless, if his notion was right, the woman and the red-robed guy must have a connection with each other. Unless they could communicate with each other with their minds.

Then he said to Winston, "Let's leave the guy alone for a while. Instead, find out everything about the woman without leaving behind anything — find out everything. We must not kill her yet, because I have this strange feeling that.....she may be very useful to us. You will need your power but you are already hurt; so bounce back to your normal body by absorbing as much human soul you think you will need."

He said but there were signs of regret and declination in Winston's eyes. Though he was a right-hand to this man, he never lived over human soul. He was a demon, but he had some affections for people.

He begged, " Please my lord, don't let me do that. I can cultivate in a few days and get back in shape without healing with a soul. Just give me some days before I commence your order. Please, my lord. "

He snickered monstrously and said, "I have kept you alive all these years because I thought you will be very useful, so don't let me regret. In case you have forgotten, I saved you from the mouth of death and brought you up and trained you to be the best assassin. Healing up through absorption of soul isn't a suggestion but it's an order."

Distressed and in pain, Winston limped into his chambers and summoned some of his men inside. Tears dropped from his eyes as he looked at them, all innocent and pitiful. But he had no choice. It's either he do it or he also gets killed.

"Why have you summoned us, Lord Winston?" One of the men asked him and he looked up.

"The five of you have cultivated up to the second stage of magics, right? The Rain Bolt Strike?"

"Yes," chorus the pitiful five.

"You may think I am asking to promote your skills, but I want to be aware of the gravity of your efforts I am putting to vain as you did so much to reach that stage," he said, wiping off his tears. Then he dug his hand into his pocket and brought out a round spherical crystal to the men's view and they flinched backwards immediately.

"Why are you showing such a thing to us, Lord Winston? It is a Soul Ejector," the first man to speak earlier asked again, and Winston looked at him, imagining how bold he was.

"You're way too courageous than the rest," he sighed. "But use that courage well in your next life."

He suspended the crystal in the air and it brightened on the go. He closed his life, thinking how guilty he would feel seeing the men's souls being transferred into him. And the men screamed when the ejector shifted towards them, absorbing their energies into Winston and they disintegrated into rocks.

Truthfully, he felt the surge of power in him but he was pained to the marrow that he just did what was evil.

He cried and roared, "No!!!"

Info

The soul ejector is a powerful and mysterious spherical crystal that the evil clan possesses. Crafted by ancient dark arts, this unique artifact is said to have been infused with malevolent energy, granting it the ability to extract and transfer human souls.

When activated, the Soul Ejector emits an eerie pulsating glow, drawing in souls from nearby individuals who have fallen victim to its maleficent aura. Once captured within its ethereal confines, the trapped souls are stored within the crystal, their life essence becoming a source of unimaginable power for the wielder.

However, this wicked artifact comes with a grave cost. The act of soul extraction is not only traumatic for the victims but also leaves a lasting mark on the wielder, as each absorbed soul leaves an indelible taint on their own conscience. The more souls they accumulate, the deeper they descend into darkness, risking losing their own identity and succumbing to the malevolent influence of the crystal.