Black Mist

by Michael Sisa

Eventually, Dan found himself alone in the area. He had thoughts of entering the Magus Arts Tower but somehow, he felt that doing so was wrong. Something was tugging at him at the back of his mind. Just when he was about to turn around then go back to his dormitory, a voice rung out from his rear.

  “Daniek Roshaila?” the voice was low and squeaky. Dan turned to its source but found no one.

  “Can’t see me, eh? Such a disappointment.” The voice was chuckling. Dan’s eyes swiveled left and right as he tried to locate the owner of the voice. To his dismay, he was still unable to find it.

  “Who are you?” Dan finally asked. He was staring at the entrance of the Magus Arts Tower. Although he could not see the owner of the voice, somehow, he felt that it was right there.

  “Kakakaka! Little twerp, I didn’t think you’ll be this incompetent!” The voice seemed to have come closer. Dan took a half step back in response as he felt the malice in the air intensify. He heard a sighing sound. “Old man Wellter told me that you’re a monster... but to think that you’re unable to break through such simple veil—this might become a waste of my time.”

  The light in Dan’s eyes glimmered for a moment as a realization dawned to him. “I see... you’re Professor Lamark?”

  “Kakakaka! Correct!” A fog-like figure started to manifest itself before Dan. Time seemed to have slowed down as it continued to take its true form. The canopy of leaves stopped flickering against each other, and the east breeze that perpetually blew before stopped altogether. The figure’s fog-like hand touched Dan’s face then slid down till it touched his chest. It felt the soft and calm pounding of the child’s heart before it.

  “You’re too calm despite being a weakling, child,” the figure said. A sudden gust of wind blew, and the fog-like apparition finally revealed its real form: an old man that was the same height as Dan. His left eye was missing along with a portion of his lumpy nose. His body was plump and keloid-like protrusions adorned his cheeks. His nails were unkempt and sharp. For some reason, the purple overcoat he wore seemed too small for his body.

  “Ugly, aren’t I?” Lamark Prochson said with a grin, showing a rotten set of teeth. He raised a finger and signaled for Dan to come with him. “I’ve got the letter from the Head of the Family. Follow me greenhorn. We’ll talk inside the tower.”

  Dan wordlessly followed after a nod. There was something eerie about the man, but he was unable to pinpoint it. He walked four steps behind Lamark and from such distance, he felt the acrid scent of the plump man before him.

  The inside of the tower was well illuminated despite the black exterior. Orbs hovered directly above, amply illuminating the area with a bright yellow hue. Pillars lined up next to the walls and in each of them, a spiral mark that resembled the sun was engraved. A statue of a man holding a sledgehammer into the sky stood proud next to a spiraling staircase.

  “This way.” Lamark ignored the stairs right before him and instead continued walking towards a wall. To Dan’s surprise, Lamark’s body went right through it. Dan partly halted but decided to imitate the man. The feeling of one’s body passing through concrete was peculiar; it was the same feeling as passing through warm and mucky water.

  “We’re here.” Dan heard Lamark say the moment his body had finished passing through the wall. To his surprise, he found himself in the middle of a taiga. Coniferous trees surrounded them in all directions, and on their right, a small wooden cabin was seen. Smoke twirled upwards from its make-do chimney. Dan stared at the sky. For some reason, it seemed surreal.

  "Yep. Everything around you is artificial. Made it myself." Lamark shrugged then removed his overcoat, revealing a crumpled robe underneath. He walked towards the wooden cabin and opened its door. Using his head, he signaled Dan to come inside. Dan conceded and followed.

  Lamark hung his overcoat on top of a wooden chair. He took out two clay cups, filled it with water from a basin then served it on top of the rectangular wooden table. The cabin have four windows overall; one for each cardinal directions.

  "Water—have some. Can't really serve anything better than that, kid." Lamark sat on a chair then helped himself on the served clay cups. After sipping, he blew out a sigh of exhilaration.

  "Thank you," Dan said as he sat. He stared as Lamark poked his nose. After noticing that Dan was staring at him, he made a smirk and balled the acquired booger. He flicked it out into the window. The scenery of coniferous trees surrounding them remained unchanged. The scent of old wood filled the room they were in.

  Lamark cleared his throat. "Listen, kid. I'm not really fond of children so I'm going to make this quick. As a Prochson, it is my duty—temporary duty—" the last two words were emphasized. "—to help you. Treasure this opportunity will all your heart, kid. Not everyone gets to be treated fondly by this great 'ol me~"

  Lamark chuckled, and he once again poked his nose. Dan deliberated whether he should respond. After a pause, he eventually said, "Mister Wellter told—"

  "Mister! Kakakaka!" Lamark interjected. He raised a brow then wordlessly gestured for Dan to continue.

  Dan gave a soft smile in return. "According to Mister Wellter, I should seek you. He told me that you’ll teach me how to read the books delivered in my room."

  “The books, eh? Forget about those for now. We got a more important thing to tackle,” said the Professor.

  Lamark scrutinized Dan from head to toe. After nodding to himself, he dozed off into a few seconds of self-thought. He took the clay cup on his left and drank everything in one go. “Kid, come here.”

  Dan wordlessly followed as Lamark went out the opened door of the cabin. They kept walking until they arrived at a small boulder surrounded by patches of grasses. “Sit there,” said Lamark.

  After seeing the hint of hesitation in Dan, he snarled, “Can’t comprehend simple instructions, eh? Damn dimwit! I. Said. Sit. Over. There.”Lamark took out two long scrolls the moment Dan finally sat on the large piece of stone. He glared, “Don’t move from there. No matter what. Understood?”Dan had no idea of what the stubby professor was intending to do, but he nodded regardless.

  For some reason, there was blatant malice within Lamark’s eyes. They were glimmering in jubilance, almost licking the student before him. A suppressed cackle echoed before immediately dying down. Lamark licked his lips then unfolded the scrolls. He said to Dan, “This will be painful, but it’s not like you’ll die.”

  He saw the confused look on Dan’s face. Lamark said, “Old bum Wellter tol’ me that you are an Anito. Guess what? You guys are monsters in human skin, but no one has ever lived past thirty… well except that damn Walker. He’s half-Anito anyway. Not purebred I must say? Like a frigging mutt.”

  Lamark opened the scrolls, and numerous runes flew out into the air, eventually forming a chain that bound Dan’s body. It was luminous, but not to the point of blinding.

  The fat professor spat on the ground. He broadly grinned. “I’m. So. Damn. Excited!”

  Dan noticed that Lamark’s entire body was quivering. His stubby fingers kept trembling as he licked his lips. A putrid scent wafted through the air after he breathed a sigh of exhilaration, and Dan almost cringed in disgust.

  In a squeaky voice, Lamark said, “Listen. This if for your own sake, ‘kay?”

  Dan felt that there was not a hint of genuineness within the man’s voice.

  Lamark continued, “Long story cut short, Anito is similar to demons in soul composition. They aren’t capable of magic due to broken Mana Cores, but their Soul Cores more than make up for that deficit. Well, Soul Cores aren’t meant to be that strong for humans. Their bodies can’t handle it. The same reason why the strongest warrior of the Empire of Helgana died at the age of nineteen. If you’ve heard of Byugen of the Blood Moon? He’s the same as you. Unfortunately, he had not met this genius ol’ me.”

  A cackling sound reverberated. Lamark’s eyes licked Dan’s body. “What we’ll be doing is stop the Soul Core from breaking yer body. If it fails, ye die. Well, ye’l
l die anyway a few years from now. So why not do it now? Right?”

  Dan wanted to retort and ask questions, but his body refused to move and even utter a single word. He remained motionless as Lamark continued with his monologue.

  “Kakaka! Pray that this experiment of mine—oops—I mean, this magic of mine—” Lamark winked using his remaining eye. “—succeeds. If I’m not capable of helping ye, no one in this continent can.”

  Without warning, excruciating pain bolted through Dan’s body. He was unable to utter a single sound, and he wordlessly screamed in agony. Lamark heavily panted, his fat chest quickly rising then falling in succession.

  The runes that bound Dan’s body turned even more luminous, and the pain jolted up along with it. Eventually, the chains broke then turned into innumerable particles of light. Dan’s body fell down the ground.

  “Stopping Soul Core from breaking one’s body at such stage’s supposed to be impossible. No one’s ever succeeded,” spat Lamark. He was suppressing his chuckle. “I did my part, right? Wellter shouldn’t blame me if ye die, kid. I did as what told. I really tried repairing ye Core.”

  A scream filled with agony came out of Dan’s lips. His body kept flailing on the ground, like a worm in its last moments. Numerous red marks crawled up his skin, forming numerous runes and insignia.

  “The process lasts half a day,” said Lamark. His eyes were glimmering in jubilance as he stared at the agonized expression of the student before him. “If ya die, don’t worry. I’ll make full use of yer body. Tis a waste to just dispose of it. Especially an Anito like ye.”

  Another agonized cry echoed, and Lamark’s eyes widened further. He licked his lips. He took out a golden watch from his pocket. “I’ll be back every now and then. Be a good kid, ‘kay?”

  After another malicious cackle, Lamark went inside his small wooden cabin.

  ***

  Three hours had passed. Lamark puffed a smoke from his wooden pipe, his sole eye transfixed on the newspaper he was reading. He had gotten used to the pain-filled cries outside his cabin, and such background was music to his ears.

  “Hope he dies,” he mumbled. He tapped the end blunted end of the pipe on the table, sending ashes into the air. He blew out another smoke.

  Lamark crumpled the newspaper he held. He furrowed his brows in thought. “Those damn old coots. They should just give up with their plans against the Royals. Not that I care, but it’s plain stupid to place their hopes on a child.”

  Another loud cry echoed. Lamark made a chet sound. “He’s not dead yet? Damn it.”

  He grabbed his overcoat and donned it, before leaving for the outside. Even from the distance, he was able to see the flailing figure of the child. He was still sprawled on the ground, with the runes and insignias glowing on his body partly covered by soil and muck.

  Lamark sighed. He had not expected that the student would last that long. He took out the same pocket watch from before. “It’s time for the next stage.”

  Though hesitant, Lamark began chanting his magic. The runes on the child’s body amalgamated, forming a single insignia. It glowed brightly, and the cries of pain stopped altogether the moment the student’s eyes went white.

  The sole insignia began forming numerous branches, and like a snake, it slithered through the child’s skin.

  “Now, let’s see the kid’s Soul Core, shall we?” Lamark licked his lips.

  He mumbled another chant, and a small orb slowly began oozing out of the child’s chest. It was crimson, with a twirling mass of blue inside. Lamark’s jaw almost dropped to the ground the moment the entire Soul Core revealed itself.

  “T-That’s impossible! There’s no way he’s still alive even with that thing inside him!”

  The Soul Core of an average human was around the size of a large pea, and demons around five to eight times of that. But Dan’s Soul Core was greater than that. It was an unheard of phenomenon. A singularity.

  “A f-fist? The size of a fist!” said Lamark. His eye had widened to the point of bulging. “Do Wellter and Edward know this? Of course not. Should I kill him and use the core for myself? It’s not a bad idea, right?”

  Lamark bit his nails as he stared at the revealed core before him. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it might even be worth betraying his family. If he could get his hands on such a large Soul Core, he may be able to find out numerous secrets about this world. The reason why the demons were vastly stronger than the humans, the reason behind the Soul Core Phenomenon, the reason behind Walker’s unfathomable power, and many other questions that had not been answered until now.

  Seconds passed, and it eventually turned into minutes. Lamark stood there gazing at the Soul Core before him. Once he had successfully repaired it, there was no way for him to harvest it once again. He would have lost his chance of acquiring such precious material.

  Silence perpetuated. Lamark sighed. “Screw it. I guess I’ve become too old, eh? To think that I’ll refused to harvest such precious material in front of me. Damn it. If only this kid isn’t under the wing of the Prochson and Roshaila. God. Damnit.”

  He touched the Soul Core then mumbled his chant. The insignia on the child’s skin made buzzing sounds, and the air itself trembled. The twirling mass of blue inside the crimson orb violently spun, resembling a vortex.

  “Damn it,” mumbled Lamark. He blinked back the tears that stared forming in his eyes as he watched the Soul Core being repaired. With another sigh of resignation, he groaned, “Just my luck. Just my damn luck.”

  ***

  Dan slowly opened his eyes, and he was greeted by the sight of the wooden ceiling. At the corner of his eyes, he saw the opened window partly veiled by a tattered curtain. The scent of old wood filled the room, along with a putrid scent that somehow felt familiar.

  Pain bolted through his body the moment he tried to get up. Gnashing his teeth, he slumped back on the bed. It was painful, as though a hundred needles were currently piercing his skin.

  “Ya awake, eh?” a familiar voice said. The door opened and clashed against the wall, creating a loud thud sound. A stubby professor with tightly-fitted clothes entered. He carried a tray with him.

  “Professor Lamark,” said Dan. He once again tried to stand up, but the pain was too unbearable that he once again slumped down.

  Lamark made a chet sound. “Don’t force yer body. If ya die now, they’ll think I’ve killed ya. Don’t be stupid, will ya?”

  He placed the tray on the small table near the window. “Here’s a soup. I’m a generous man. I’ve placed plenty of meat inside. Be grateful.” He stared at Dan for a couple of seconds. “Eat it once you’re able to move. Ya can’t be gone from your classes for too long. You’ve been asleep for three days already.”

  Dan’s eyes widened. “Three days?!”

  “Shut it, kid! Don’t shout in my cabin!” snarled Lamark. When he saw that the student understood, he smirked. “That’s right. Include the day I repaired ya Core, you’ve been gone fer four days now. A model student, I must say.”

  “Those classes that I missed,” whispered Dan. Though he was not blessed with ample mana pool, he still found the classes interesting.

  Lamark sighed. “If ya have enough energy to shout early in the morning, get yer ass up and ready and leave already. I’ve done my part.”

  Lamark was about to leave the room when Dan asked a question. “What happened? I take it that the magic was successful?”

  The stubby professor stared at him. Dan noticed that there was a hint of disappointment within the man’s eyes. Lamark replied, “try using yer technique over there,” he pointed at the opened window. “Just don’t break my home, kid.”

  Dan hesitated for a second. He raised a hand and pointed it towards the opened window. After he channeled his soul spirit through the air, he was baffled by the result—it was easy. Using his soul spirit had become so easy.

  He shot a quizzical gaze at Lamark. The stubby professor frowned. “Yer Core’s become
stabilized. Be grateful and just quickly get out my sight.”

  With another loud sigh, Lamark left the room, incessantly closing the door loudly in the process.

  Chapter 22: The Glutton

  The leaves of trees violently rustled against each other as gusts of wind blew past by. Despite the freezing night, Dan traversed the forest path that leads toward the First Year’s Area. He was half running, half jogging. His mind was occluded by both the pain in his body and the thought that he had missed a few days of his class.

  If not for numerous small insects that glowed in the night, everywhere around him would have been pitch black. The place was infrequently traversed by the students during the day, and it was literally desolate during the night.

  His every breath created a small steam in its wake.

  He noticed a shadow not far from him and he slowed down his pace. With curious yet vigilant eyes, he stared at the figure, eventually making out what seemed to be a female student gazing at the glowing bright lights.

  Dan was sure that he had seen her before, but he was unable to fully remember. His mind was still occluded by the thoughts of the classes he had missed.

  Eventually, he passed by her, their eyes locking with each other for a full second. The female student’s hair seemed to glow amidst the hovering fireflies.

  “A beautiful night, isn’t it?” she said.

  “It is,” was all he was able to say, his body not bothering to stop running towards the end of the path.

  After arriving at his room in the dormitory, he slumped on the bed and instantly fell asleep.

  ***