The System

The man's empty eye sockets bored into Alex. His lips pressed thin, but his head inclined slightly. "Ask." 

I lied. I've got a whole lot more than just one more. My Soul Manifestation depends on both my Stage and my Mind Palace? What does that mean? And how does it work? I want to know so much — but I'm running his patience thin. I need to prioritize.  

"What's the point of all of this? The System. What does it want? Why is it doing this?" 

The eyeless man's mouth curled up into a smile. "That is a very good question. Not many enjoy the answer." 

"You know it, then?" 

 "I know a portion of it. There are few who can claim to truly understand the System. It seeks to grow, and to grow those within its reach. The System expands endlessly throughout the universes and changes all in its wake. I have heard it called a virus and a blessing alike. It is a subject of great debate as to what its ultimate purpose is. Many have come to simply view it as a natural law." 

"Is that how you view it?" 

The man's lips pulled apart even further. Whether it was a smile or a sneer was entirely up to interpretation. "You are inquisitive. That will serve you well. The System encourages the ambitious. I will not be answering that question. If you seek to discover the System's purpose, then seek it yourself. Now, I believe you were doing something." 

Alex had more questions than he could possibly fit into an hour, much less a few minutes, but he pushed them to the side. He'd already gotten some useful information and it was abundantly clear that pressing the man further would take him nowhere. Alex walked up to the basin and lowered his head into it, drinking the blue liquid within. 

It flowed into his mouth, seemingly of its own volition. Icy chills raced through Alex's chest and extended their tendrils throughout the rest of his body. Buzzing energy permeated throughout him and prickled against the base of his throat. 

He doubled over, heaving, as the liquid pushed its way out of his mouth and back into the basin. It crackled as it splashed against the sides of the stone. But, this time, instead of remaining pooled within it, the blue energy sank into the stone. 

The cracks sealed and knitted themselves shut as the stone itself lightened. Years of age washed away until the old basin looked new. It was still plain, but it looked refreshed and whole. 

"What was that about?" Alex demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

"A hammer in the hands of a monkey is nothing but a stick," the man replied. "If you wish to grow strong, you must act with understanding. Intent is just as important as power." 

Alex looked back down to the basin. A small amount of the blue energy still twinkled in its base, but far less than there had been before. The man was clearly waiting for him to say something. 

And, more importantly, there was an unspoken challenge in his words. The man was telling Alex to try and figure out what the point of drinking the liquid was. Alex chewed his lower lip and drummed his fingers on the edge of the basin. 

"Is it about the way I think of the magic? This is all kind of meditation, so was it some form of body-soul connection you were trying to make me think of?" 

A flicker of surprise passed over the man's features. "That… is not an inept guess. It is far from the whole, but you are correct. You and your class are one and the same. Your soul is an extension of you. When you look around your soul, what do you see?" 

"A lake and a basin." 

The irritation on the eyeless man's face told Alex that he hadn't gotten the right answer this time around. 

"Think," the man ordered. "I have given you all the information you need. Use it. If you cannot, then dip your hand into the water that remains in your basin and will yourself to advance." 

If he had been trying to make sure Alex refused to so much as budge a step from where he stood, he'd succeeded. There was already a hint in his last answer. He'd said something accidentally. 

He mentioned a Mind Palace. What is that, though? 

Alex cast his gaze around his soul. It really was empty. The only thing in it was the basin that was before him. Confusion knit his brows and he dug deeper. It wasn't like there were a lot of options. This had to have something to do with the basin. 

He'd drank the liquid and the basin had repaired itself and grown… more whole, for lack of a better word. It was stronger and more resilient. Alex's eyes narrowed. 

Is the basin literally the palace? Or part of it? If I filled it up before it was whole, the magic water stuff probably would have started leaking through the cracks. By drinking it, I guess I patched the damage.  

"Is it the Mind Palace that I'm missing?" Alex tried. "I need to build it so I can contain the energy… or something like that." 

"If nothing else, you have proven the System indeed did not tell you anything," the eyeless man said. "That was the first piece of information it should have told you, and I refuse to believe a lesser being would be able to lie this well. You are mostly correct. A Mind Palace is the foundation of your soul." 

"So drinking the water helped me visualize a connection between myself and my soul and also… what, reinforced my soul a bit at the cost of my power?" 

"Very good." There was a note of genuine approval in the eyeless man's eyes. "You are correct. Congratulations. It is my turn for a question." 

Alex blinked in surprise. "What is it?" 

"How is it that you came to have no knowledge of this? The System does not allow any free of its grasp." 

Claire did say that anything I tell this guy will vanish forever when he fulfills his purpose. Getting more information out of him is worth the risk.  

/Author's Note///

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