Flickering

The sound of crackling firewood echoed through the air, as the smoky scent wafted around, while flame's glow softly reflected on the group's neutral faces.

"Okay, who thought starting a fire was a good idea?" Breaking the silence, Amalir surveyed the group, but no one returned his gaze.

"Read the mood," Aurelia scoffed, folding her arms and leaning her head on a nearby tree. 

Amalir sighed and shook his head in irritation. "Really? Are we really depressed by a pirate's death? Not even a regular one, but a notorious pirate commander!?" He vented out his frustration, spreading out his arms while wearing an incredulous expression.

Priscilla heaved a deep breath and tossed the stick she had been holding into the fire. "We're not grieving for her..." she paused to glance at Nabil, who focused on the dancing flames.

Amalir released a long sigh and expressed his resignation by rolling his eyes, folding his arms, and gazing at the Anti-Nebula. A hushed silence once more settled over the group as Damian's eyes darted between his friends.

Wait? Are we starting to have drama in our group?

Based on his life experiences, he understood the meaning of being part of a close-knit group he considered family. Damian's belief was that friend groups should possess contrasting yet compatible traits, even if they were somewhat unconventional, to achieve unity. By embracing these differences, they could effectively support each other and strengthen their bond.

Yet, these same differences can create cracks that may grow and become irreparable rifts… The weight of this sombre thought caused Damian to sigh, his eyes drifting down to his lap where Sleipnir laid asleep.

Winning the lottery allowed him to rescue his fellow homeless companions from destitution, resulting in their collective prosperity and positive life transformations. However, with the passage of time and the introduction of "richer" perspectives, their relationships started to deteriorate. His friends, who he considered his siblings, gradually realised how lucky he was in every aspect of life. As a result, some grew envious, while others viewed him as a resource to maximise their own benefits.

It's like a drug. Damian reflected on the concept of money as he gently stroked his rabbit's long ears.

The more you experience it, the more you crave it. It can turn even those you consider innocent into the embodiment of greed…

Though not all of them treated me like an item… Damian glanced at Nabil.

I can't just stand here and watch as rifts form between them. Damian nodded with determination as he opened his mouth to talk, but Nabil beat him to it.

"Mateo, can you clarify what being 'Lost' means?" Nabil's question drew the interest of his friends, who glanced towards a nearby tree where Mateo sat.

"In simple terms, you completely lose your desire to live and carry forward in your path."

"It is usually associated with extreme feelings of depression and self-destructive inclinations." Mateo paused as he let his student absorb his words.

"Is this common?" Nabil questioned.

"Overall, yes," Mateo's response was flat, but he then elaborated. "We, as officials, take measures to prevent it from deteriorating to such a degree, so it is not as prevalent in our midst."

"However, unofficial harmonisers, who are the majority and often lack the same level of attention, will experience this to a much greater extent."

Giving a slow nod, Nabil inquired further. "Why did you not tell us about it?" 

A worried expression crossed Priscilla's face as she cast her eyes to her tall friend. Mateo replied, his face betraying no emotion. "It isn't relevant to you practitioners, as your will is still unrefined, which means any potential 'lost state' is salvageable."

His gaze flickered with a range of emotions as he emphasised, "People fail to grasp the seriousness of this issue without an intimate experience."

Nabil nodded thoughtfully while asking his next question. "Why does walking on the path to Harmony make it more likely for someone to become 'Lost'?"

Mateo leisurely reclined on the branch, gazing upward at the mesmerising Anti-Nebula. "The underlying rules of this world, according to a deranged old man, are Chaos and Madness." As he spoke, a gust of wind whipped through the forest, a cold caress against their skin. The firewood flames dipped and swayed, sending shivers down their spines.

Mateo, undeterred, pressed on, "In the realm of uniqueness, you represent a specific concept of nature.

"Embracing the Divine, you transform into a living embodiment of a concept.

"Given the inherent chaotic nature of existence, these high-level beings possess a hint of madness, each in their own ways.

"I mean, look," he pointed straight up at the Anti-Nebula, its stunning combination of cyan, orange, and green hues. "Unlike other nebulae, this one stands due to its proximity and it being visible to the naked eye.

"Formed in the Cataclysm's aftermath, there is this prevailing theory that it is actually the preserved remains of Navid Aks Zandir, the revered Zandarian divine emperor.

"The very entity that caused the downfall of the Great Vrikshavarasha empire."

With a slightly unhinged chuckle, he added, "If that's not insanity, then I don't know what is."

Despite sensing his team's restlessness, Nabil bravely posed two more questions. "Is there no way of averting this? Must you become insane to achieve Harmony?"

Mateo relaxed as the environment calmed down. He then sat upright on the tree branch. "In the teachings of the Eastern monks, there is supposedly a being who was able to transcend the perpetual cycle of madness, chaos, and suffering."

"Of course, I won't divulge more information about them; you will naturally gain more knowledge as you become acquainted with the other official organisations."

Damian's eyebrows involuntarily moved when he heard the description. "A being that broke out of the perpetual cycle of suffering?" He whispered to himself as an idea bolted him.

Buddhism? His brows creased into a frown as he contemplated. Did it naturally form in this world? Or was it someone from Earth that introduced it?

He dug deep into his memories, searching for any relevant information on the religion. He was familiar with the phrase 'monk from the far east' since Aeternals, among others, often used it to describe certain religious individuals who adhered to specific lifelong vows and typically hailed from the northernmost part of the eastern continent.

Pater Nikos will often talk about them… but of course, I never paid attention… The memory made him facepalm; his younger, careless self, who had become complacent after being adopted into his village, did not like learning.

Well, I guess I've yet another mystery to solve.

Understanding suddenly dawned on Damian's face, a flicker of unease crossing his eyes. A swallow tightened his throat as his gaze met his teacher's. "To what extent can you interpret our thoughts?" A wave of relief swept through the group, hearing an unrelated question to the previous heavy topic.

Mateo grinned while clarifying, "Willweavers don't exactly read your mind. Instead, we interpret your desires."

"Think back to when I explained how your desires are reflected in your will."

They nodded in acknowledgement while Mateo continued. "The practitioner's untamed will make them readily recognisable and interpretable."

"By analysing this, we can infer your thoughts." Damian nodded. So they can't read anything that's too complicated.

"That's right," Mateo responded to Damian's internal monologue, causing the latter to sigh in relief, as he often had deeply personal musings, such as the mystery behind his awakening.

He gave his teacher a cursory glance as the latter smiled and said, "It appears you have contemplated something of great importance to you. But its meaning eludes me."

"Huh? And what will that be?" Aurelia teased, but Damian remained unfazed as he ignored her.

With a smile, she turned to Mateo and asked, "That scale is a tainted mystical object, isn't it?"

Mateo gestured with a snap of his fingers, affirming, "Correct. I will reward you once we return to the city."

Amalir's mouth hung open as he looked at Aurelia, who simply smirked in response. "You always had this in mind? As expected of a Chrysorian." This elicited laughter from others, including Nabil.

Suddenly, a ding sound rang out, interrupting their joyous atmosphere. "About time," Mateo commented as he retrieved a tiny wooden mechanical clock from his shadow.

A mechanical clock!? Damian's eyes widened in shock as he witnessed an object with technology he didn't expect to see in this world.

"Impressive right?" Mateo proudly displayed the wooden clock as he commented. "This mechanical clock is a replica from a budding official organisation in the Gorgona Republic; which also happens to be my home, by the way."

The Gorgona Republic, nestled between the North and South Belaustrum continents in Central Belaustrum, was a newly reformed nation compared to its counterparts.

Mateo glanced down at the group, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he added, "I naturally won't tell you about this organisation because—

"We'll eventually interact with the other official organisations," Aurelia cut him off, as her eyes filled with excitement fixed on the clock.

Mateo gave her a smile as he continued. "It can help you tell time, but that is the boring application." 

He then closed his eyes as a delicate, pale white orb separated from the clock. It hovered above the group, emitting a gentle, ethereal glow. "This clock has been repurposed as a charm of reconnaissance, made directly from the Goddess's essence."

In awe, they redirected their gazes from the orb back to the clock. "It operates by extracting and recording information, including memories from sapient beings and the surroundings."

"Through this, I can share with you the specifics of my fight against those pirates. After all, it is not often for practitioners to get involved in such intense battles."

Upon saying this, the orb fragmented into five smaller spheres of equal size, which then floated towards the foreheads of the quintet. Placing their trust in their teacher, they let the orbs seep into their heads as they processed the information. As one, their eyes flew open. 

"W-wow." Amalir gulped as he stammered, awestruck by what he experienced.

"I've always heard higher-level harmoniser fights were fast-paced… but this… this is on a whole other level." Priscilla commented, shaking her head while sporting an incredulous smile.

"One wrong move and it's all over," added Damian, prompting Aurelia to bob her head in agreement. 

With admiration, Nabil raised his eyes to meet Mateo's, who responded with a cheerful grin. "Can you share your thoughts on the fight?"

Priscilla, as usual, took the lead as she gave Mateo a nod and explained. "They began by employing amplification runes, which magnified the surrounding sun rays, temporarily blinding us."

"To ensure our safety, you erected a barrier around us which was enhanced by your other beast companion, Espejo. While you vanished through the receding shadows."

Priscilla paused and handed the floor to Aurelia, who carried on. "Their aim in doing so was to hinder your movements, as having the freedom to navigate through shadows would put them at a significant disadvantage."

As she continued, she raised two fingers and explained, "In my opinion, there are two possible reasons they didn't simply use a sun charm. First, it is likely they didn't possess one, as the Luminous path is not known for its generosity in that regard.

"Another valid option to consider is that they all showed signs of corruption, particularly Kleon, who had a mutant type spirit as a beast companion.

"Utilising such a charm will be perilous for all of them."

Offering her a nod of confirmation, Mateo turned to Amalir, who continued from where Aurelia had left off. "To prevent you from noticing Darius' ritual preparations, they employed a series of actions.

"Kleon, along with the spirits, and Xanthe, wielding the corrupted spear, relentlessly attacked you, leaving you no room to breathe.

"The reflection of your accumulated damage didn't surprise them, as they were well aware of Espejo's capabilities."

Amalir then moved his gaze to Damian, who took over the floor, stating, "Darius had finally completed his preparation for his ritual."

"You had to be marked three times as a requirement."

Damian, imitating Aurelia, raised three fingers and explained, "The initial mark was placed by a spirit under Kleon's control at the start of the fight.

"As you succumbed to the Cacodaemon's Whisper of Despair, it served as the perfect cover for imprinting the second and third marks.

"With that done, all Xanthe had to do was keep you busy until Darius could use his ritual to finish you off."

Nabil chimed in, remarking, "But this is something you desired.

"Once you discovered them in Scriptura, you assessed their actions. On the other hand, they were aware of your gaze.

"Due to this, you played their game, which required you to indulge in your own arrogance, making you more prone to mistakes.

"The reason you didn't request reinforcement wasn't pride, but because you were already expecting to die after your visit to the temple of Metonia."

He briefly paused before continuing. "Espejo's ability—reflector—can deflect specific forms of damage. However, you made it seem like the mutated version of its ability was solely reflecting the incurred damage back to your opponents, when in reality, it was something else."

His face turned serious as he uttered, "Vengeful spirit.

"The condition for the activation of this mutated ability is sudden death.

"As your soul wisp permeates the environment, you transition into a Vengeful spirit and inflict lethal damage on all those responsible for your untimely demise.

"In this state, Espejo's reflection transits into absorption, as it absorbs the life force of your targets and transfers it to you. Using your soul wisp as a base, you regenerated your body and evaded death."

Nabil took another moment to appreciate the incredible range and intensity of limitations and conditions, involving a beast companion at the advanced synchronicity level.

The supernatural world is very unpredictable, he mused, continuing. "Having recovered using Darius and Kleon's vital aura, absorption changed back to reflection, as you reflected the rest of the damage you incurred from the battle to Xanthe who was a quite distance away." 

"Her involvement in your sudden death created this connection."

Mateo nodded enthusiastically. "Everything you said is correct except for one minor detail."

Using his finger, he playfully imitated his students. "Within the realm of mysticism, there exist two types of death—the death of one's physical body, which was what happened earlier, and the concept of true death."

Jumping off the tree branch, he landed with a light touch as he approached his students. "Now, true death varies, but typically in the willweaver stage, it only occurs once your soul wisp has completely integrated and dissolved into the Astral plane."

Standing just a few metres away from them, he added, "For those who are practitioners, true death occurs when you physically pass away. Also…" His words trailed off as he glanced at Amalir, jolting him from his thoughts as he locked eyes with his teacher.

"You can't just use death as a condition and expect to be able to resurrect."

The charm of reconnaissance slipped from Mateo's fingers and vanished into the depths of his shadow. "The limitation or condition must adhere to a logical basis, considering the capabilities of your beast companion.

"In my situation, Espejo, as a practitioner, could deflect specific forms of damage. As it progressed and became a willweaver, it gained the ability to redirect the damage back to objects and individuals.

"To impose the sudden death condition, I modified Espejo's reflective ability to absorption.

"Rather than reflecting damage, it would extract their vital aura, which could be used in various ways.

"With that in mind, and considering that body destruction does not always equate to true death for a willweaver, I successfully imposed this condition.

"This all resulted in the Vengeful spirit."

Damian couldn't help but sigh in amazement as he gazed at Sleipnir on his lap, now fully awake and processing the information he relayed. I wonder what abilities Sei and I can develop once we reach advanced synchronicity.

Mateo nodded and took a seat next to them, inquiring, "So, what conclusions did you draw from all this?"

Aurelia, who was no longer resting against a tree, responded while glancing at the crackling flames. "Regardless of our accomplishments or the paths we've taken, the fragility of life remains constant; a sudden death can occur in mere moments."

"While we may view ourselves as superior humans, the truth is, we're not all that distinct from them in this regard." Her team members all sighed in exasperation as they agreed. Their eyes fixed on the dancing fire.