Chapter 25: The Continuing Deceptions (Part 2)

Fish: "Well, if you want to access that information, you will need to access it using spiritual energy."

Kais: "I see. Wait! Spiritual energy? Not psychic?"

Fish: "Yes, you heard me right."

But what does it have anything to do with spiritual energy. Do those two types of energy have a relation to each other I am unaware of? Because as far as I know, they are two completely different vectors with the only similarity being that they both concentrate on a person that has affinity to them (psychics for psychic energy and spirit-users for spiritual energy).

Fish: "What's the problem?"

Kais: "Huh?"

Fish: "You went silent all of a sudden, is this really that big of an issue?"

Kais: "Well,"

It's hard to say if it's a big issue or not.

Fish: "From what I can tell, there is a spirit-user on the island, so it shouldn't be that hard."

I sigh. There's no point in trying to explain things to this fish.

Kais: "Well, I'll try to convince her."

We just aren't on the best footing but it's not like we have any reason to be against each other either. At least I don't think there is any reason for that.

Fish: "Wait!"

Kais: "Huh, what?"

Fish: "There's a distortion … in the energy around you."

Distortion? If there's a distortion in the psychic energy around me, does that mean there's something that energy is directed towards?

Fish: "Is there a reason for this energy to concentrate so heavily on you suddenly?"

Kais: "Well, when exactly did this change occur?"

Fish: "When I mentioned there's a spirit-user on the island."

I see. At that moment, my mind immediately thought of Sona. So did that cause a distortion to occur?

Fish: "And why the heck are you smiling now?"

I didn't even notice until she said it but I really I am smiling.

Kais: "Well, it's just that now I have a theory that may help me progress a lot faster than I initially would have."

If I am right, then this distortion is happening because the abilities used to lock up my memories in the depths of my own conscious or subconscious were all psychic abilities. Maybe when I accidently think something that may trigger those memories, this distortion occurs.

Let's say I see a unique bird I had seen many years ago. I don't remember I had seen it because that memory has been locked along with others. But now that I am seeing it again and thinking like 'I have never seen something like this before', maybe that triggers my memories because that is a point where those memories would get connected to my thoughts and remind me that I had seen it. But now that they are sealed, all they can do is try to break the psychic barrier that is placed upon them. Since the barrier will slowly lose some of its energy, the energy balance with its surrounding will get distorted. The barrier would slowly regain the energy as my thoughts would shift to something else and the memories will stop being triggered.

Obviously this is just a theory but I'd buy it. And if it's true, there is something about Sona that I have forgotten. In that case, I need to take a chance here and act like I remember. If this bluff works and (fingers crossed) we had a friendly relationship in the past, she might be willing to help me for the past's sake.

I don't even realize how this theory so easily fell in my lap. It is as if I had known all this too at some point, even if only for a moment. I am automatically walking towards it. But I didn't realize, because I had no memory of coming to know everything when Ozyllus invaded The Cage. Just like I didn't realize how I so conveniently started thinking that Sona and me were similar in that we were being controlled by others. I didn't realize … just how much someone inside me is helping me.

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Ro wakes up and sees an odd scene – Ethan, Sneha and Barry calmly talking to each other.

Ro: "What the-"

Barry: "Oh, so you are up."

The trio spots him and makes different expressions on seeing him. Barry's expression remains simple and unchanging while Ethan smiles and Sneha looks uncomfortable as if the guilt in being a part of his murder is creeping up on her.

Ethan: "Well then, I guess you guys would want to clear up all the misunderstandings we have with each other and set things straight, right?"

Ethan is referring to the fact that they all had a very confusing conversation the last time with an abrupt end to it when the dragon and Kais came there. Now that it's back to the four of them, they should continue the conversation – is what he is saying.

Barry: "That doesn't sound very bad, would do you say?"

He looks at Ro who has grasped the situation with the little time he got after waking up. The few habits he had as a Vermillion agent helped him in doing so.

Ro: "I am fine with the idea."

Ethan glances at Sneha to see her showing no objections either. So,

Ethan: "Well then, what were we talking about again?"

Barry: "I think you had told us that you have 'Eyes of Truth' and that's how you were able to see through the invisibility we were trying to create around our jet."

Ro: "Yeah, I am pretty sure that conversation was over."

Sneha sighs.

Sneha: "It doesn't really matter what we were talking about, because we weren't really talking. All three of us were just asking and you were being snarky."

Ethan: "Uh … that's a little too true."

Ethan frowns on hearing her words.

Barry: "Yeah, that does sound like what was going on."

Ethan: "I guess. But anyway, isn't there anything you people want to ask me or something? I mean a lot of things, okay not a lot, but a few things have happened since then."

Ro: "Huh?"

Ethan: "Yeah, I mean – we now know there's a normal human, a spirit-user, a psychic, a dragon, a spiritual mass of energy, an Aural, a ghost and a half-psychic-half-ghost on this island."

An awkward silence falls upon them as Ethan finishes.

Ethan: "Huh! It's almost as if there's a rule against two of the same kind being here."

Barry: "Yeah, that is somewhat unsettling."

Barry says as he looks at the ground while thinking about it.

Ethan: "Well furthermore, I think we have top products of every type, don't we?"

Ro: "Could you do me a favor and not refer to living beings as products?"

He says as the scene of vampires looking at him hungrily as if he is a food product flashes through his mind.

Ethan: "But not all of us are living being either, right?"

He says sarcastically.

Barry: "Yeah, yeah, that aside, what exactly did you mean by top products?"

-To which one of the two not-living-beings replies with a question.

Ethan: "Well, in case you didn't know, Sneha here is one of the most talented Aurals and I would consider myself a very talented human being, I mean, who else has gone up against you guys without any special offensive and defensive abilities."

Barry: "True enough, I guess."

The last part is said by Barry intentionally to make Ethan's boasting sound unimpressive.

Ethan: "Anyway, that woman Sona came to kill the dragon, so she definitely has a few cards up her spirit-summoning sleeve."

No one objects.

Ethan: "Everyone here knows Kais is ridiculously talented. The dragon is someone who befriended Ozyllus so obviously he is special even among other dragons. Well, Barry's probably the strongest ghost out there because of his psychic and all. Ro's someone who knows a lot about psychic and can definitely really use that info as a ghost."

Barry sighs.

Barry: "I agree with most of the points, but there's one thing you said that might not be correct."

Sneha: "What's that?"

The other three look at Barry who had folded his hands as he looked like he is pondering something.

Barry: "Well, let's just say there's a ghost out of there who might be stronger than me. The last time we fought, neither ended up on top."

None of them say anything.

Barry: "He is a Spectre."

Ro takes a glance at Ethan and Sneha. From their expressions, he could tell they knew what a 'Spectre' is? So he would need to ask Barry later to find out.

Barry: "And … his name, if you wanna know, is Dyne."

As soon as Sneha hears that, her eyes widen in surprise.

Ethan: "What's wrong? You know who this Dyne guy is?"

She doesn't say anything for a while as she looks troubled while remembering something. But after a brief moment of silence,

Sneha: "Yeah, I do."

Ethan narrows his eyes as he doesn't understand why she took this much time in saying that.

Barry: "I suppose it's only natural for an Aural to know. After all, he is …"

All eyes focus on Barry.

Barry: "The commander of the army of ghosts."

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