IN ONE’S POWER.

"Yang Su, I implore you to listen carefully before you utter another word or attempt any action," I recognised the Prince's breathless voice that carried a palpable horror.

But did I hear it right? Whose voice resonated—his or mine? And who stood before me? Did I truly see? Whose eyes bore into mine?

"Oh, Celestial Constellations, I can only laugh at the absurdity of this situation!" The figure before me shifted, its silhouette writhing with laughter. Though not entirely distinct, the sensation of reality anchored me. Could I see him?

"You perceive him, but not entirely…" The voice echoed within my mind. Within my mind? Was this imagination or a return to coherence?

"His astral body is visible to you through my astral vision," I whispered, my lips forming the words. Familiar yet foreign, the voice was not my own.

"How so? Why?" I had only questions and no answers.

"If there were a championship for ill fortune, my Prince, you'd claim the prize! You've taken notes from this wretched fellow!" Was he mocking me again? Yes, I recognised him now—the one standing before me was definitely the merciless Water Master.

"Yang Su," the voice I hated the most persisted, "restrain your indignation. I do own you an explanation, but for now, we should leave this place." It reverberated relentlessly in my mind, impossible to dismiss. I had fled, seeking distance from it, yet now it echoed more vivid than ever in my entire life.

"We are one now; no elude for an escape." the voice taunted, infuriatingly close. This torment surpassed even the Abyss's uncertainty.

"Enough!" The scream momentarily illuminated the space but I heard no voice of my on again. "Cease your weakness and self-pity! Acknowledge our unity—I've absorbed you. Accept it and obey me until we break free!"

"But…" I began, only to halt. I wished not to hear that voice any longer. Silence enveloped me. I pondered. Perhaps staying…

"More self-pity?" The voice persisted. "Can't you gather strength even once?"

"I refuse!" I protested.

"What do you mean, 'I refuse'?" The voice countered.

"Every silver lining has its cloud. Yours, my Prince, is quite the spectacle! I can't recall when I last had such fun!" Oh, that restless demon! I wanted him dead!

"Shut up!" I shouted, and the opposing form seemed to recede into the distance. I sighed, just to calm down.

"But both of you claimed I was a spirit—a cursed spirit. What changed?"

"Again, I absorbed you," the Prince explained. "Spirits can inhabit various creatures, but, here is a trick! I control spirits and any of their kind. Absorb, relocate, manipulate, destroy, create, and revive—I wield these powers. And now, you are in my power! Finally!"

Thx for reading.