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The feeling wasn’t immediate. Not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, Maiya would have missed it entirely, if it wasn’t for her utterly miserable state. For some reason, it heightened her senses, allowing her to be more in tune with her body than she’d ever been.
Perhaps that was the delirium talking. At first, she dismissed it as a hunch, but as the feeling grew stronger, she grew more certain. It was guiding her. Like muscle memory that had been long forgotten, but that had never truly disappeared.
With intense concentration, Maiya focused on the sense of stability building within her, experimenting, struggling to delve deeper into this strange new sensation.
“Think of the changing of the seasons,” Vir said softly. “Of watching children grow into adults, having children of their own, and passing on. Through it all, Big Red persists.”
Like roots spreading deep under the earth, stability flooded through Maiya, pushing back the pressure.
They were still there, but the pain she’d felt—the weight upon her soul—dissipated.
Lost in her meditation, Maiya spent an indeterminate amount of time in that state, guided by Vir’s soothing voice. For the first time in a very long time, she felt at peace. She felt in control again.
The voice became significantly less soothing after a while, and Maiya wanted to tell Vir that he was being annoying. That he ought to remain quiet instead.
Less soothing? What’s… Oh, no!
Coming to her senses, Maiya opened her eyes and grabbed the flickering orb.
“Mai… hear…?”
“Sorry!” Maiya said, recharging the orb. “I lost track of time. How long has it been?”
“Worry not about the time, lass,” Cirayus said from the other end. “For you, we have all the hours in the world.”
“But, you’re just… Actually, where are you two?”
“Oh, y’know,” Vir said nonchalantly. “Near the Ash Boundary.”
“What!” Maiya cried. “Why didn’t you tell me? What are you doing in such a dangerous place?”
“Dangerous?” Vir asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. “It’s not dangerous at all. It’s nice! I get to snack on the Ash Beasts that pop out on this side.”
“Snack?” Maiya said, utterly confused.
“Yeah. I mean, not literally. I consume their prana,” Vir said.
“The lad has gained some unusual abilities, I must admit. Best brace yourself for when you two meet.”
Maiya’s expression fell a bit, though she did her best to conceal it. “I look forward to it.”
In truth, Maiya couldn’t fathom how they’d see each other anytime soon. She certainly couldn’t cross the Ash, so it’d have to be Vir who returned. And with the liberation of his people only just kicking off, Maiya feared it’d be years yet.
That was alright. She was strong. More than strong enough to wait a few years for her loved one.
“You’re sure?” she asked, still hesitant.
“Take all the time you need, Maiya,” Vir said. “Both Cirayus and I can go days without eating or sleeping. Trust me. We want to help you.”
“Alright,” Maiya said, and closed her eyes.
This time, she was determined to push the pressure so far away that it disappeared entirely.
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Vir jumped off Cirayus’ shoulder, placed the orb on the ground, and gestured for Cirayus to follow.
Maiya had fallen silent, focusing on her meditation as she’d often done over the past two days, leaving Cirayus and Vir to bound in silence across the Demon Realm. They’d stopped only briefly to rest, and were now approaching the Ash Gate Vir had stabilized.
Vir spoke only once he’d put twenty paces between himself and the orb.
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“So?” Vir asked. “What do you think?”
Cirayus stroked his beard in contemplation, gazing off into the distance. “‘Tis difficult to say without being there, lad. But from all she’s said… I think she’s close.”
“Close to learning the Foundation Chakra. After only three days of effort,” Vir said flatly. “I spent the better part of two years learning it, and that was with you pushing on my soul to help me along.”
“Aye. I’ll be honest, lad. In all my life, I’ve seen nothing like this. Not even the most talented geniuses have come anywhere close to her on this.”
“If it were anyone else, I’d be amazed. Considering it’s you, who’s lived so long, that scares me instead.”
“Yes, this is… unprecedented. In history. As much as I love the lass and wish to credit her talent…”
“Not a single human has ever opened a chakra,” Vir completed. “At least, that we know of. If anything, she ought to be struggling. This shouldn’t have worked. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I couldn’t be happier than that it did. Maiya sounded… Well, not good. I don’t know if she’d have survived otherwise.”
“Of course, lad. I understand your meaning. I take it you have some theories, then?” Cirayus asked with a knowing look.
“I can think of two explanations, and they both relate to our experience in that illusion realm,” Vir said, holding up two fingers. “First. Ekanai’s Ash Prana. I saw some enter her ephemeral body, strengthening her. Though since she wasn’t really there, I don’t know if that means anything. She certainly doesn’t seem to possess Ash Prana.”
“Hmm, true. A mejai like her would’ve noticed the potency of the prana in her body, even if human orbs are incompatible with that affinity. And your other explanation?”
“I think… In that realm, Maiya entered Ekanai’s body. She took control of him. And since she was purely soul energy—Chakra, I assume—and prana…”
“You feel their souls co-mingled? That perhaps some of Ekanai—or the projection that world built of Ekanai—bled into her. Into her soul?”
“I don’t know. When you put it like that, it does sound rather farfetched,” Vir said.
“Lad, that entire experience was farfetched. If souls can be transported vast distances, who’s to say something like this can’t happen?”
“Maybe,” Vir replied. “At least, I can’t think of any other explanation for her growth rate. If it’s true, I have to wonder what else has changed about her.”
“Well, seems to me quite a bit. At least in relation to this pressure she’s feeling. The ability to sense souls across the world is unheard of, lad. Doesn’t exist in this realm, and I’d wager it never has. The Chitran Bloodline Arts are the closest thing, and even they’re not anywhere close to this.”
“Right,” Vir said with a frown. “I suppose we’ll just have to see. If there are any negative effects, I’m hoping she’ll overcome them by mastering her Chakras.”
“Indeed,” Cirayus replied. “It will remain to be seen whether she blazes through the remainder of her Chakras. If so… She might turn into a true monster.”
“In a realm where nobody has any defense against Chakras?” Vir shivered just thinking about it. “Which is why you were wrong, by the way. Even with our more limited numbers, demons wield an all-powerful advantage over humans in Chakras.”
Cirayus grunted. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. There are simply too few of us who have mastered the Warrior Chakra. Even a devastating weapon can be outnumbered. Even I can only be in one place at one time.”
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The subsequent days passed in a blur as Maiya meditated. Her appetite came back with a vengeance—much to the relief of her guardians, and really, to everyone in the Sanctum. She’d received no end of pestering, both from the Sisters of Gray wishing to discuss other plans, and from cultists wishing for her to participate in commencement blood rituals.
Apparently, it was customary for the Blessed Chosen to visit every major sanctum around the Known World upon their coronation.
Maiya had other plans. She’d denied them all, accepting only the food and water. It’d be some time before her muscles recovered, but she was already feeling much better.
Moreover, the weight of the souls that had nearly crippled her had nearly disappeared. For the first time in months, she was herself again.
And I have Vir to thank for that… again.
At every step, Vir had been the one to enable her progress. Though, from what he’d said, her pace was unheard of. Maiya didn’t know what to make of that, but she was almost positive it had to do with her soul connection.
The existence known as the Blessed Chosen—and indeed, the Children of Ash as well—continued to worry her.
When she was ready, she’d visit that mysterious room with the tree again. To see if she could unravel more of the secrets surrounding this shadowy organization. If the prior Blessed Chosen was right, there was so much more than she’d ever guessed.
For now, there was only one task that took precedence over her Chakra training. She was so close. Yet as much as she wished to meditate for another week without leaving her room, she owed those two far too much to ignore them any longer.
Rising to her feet, Maiya pushed open her heavy wooden door—only to find a half-dozen guards dutifully standing vigil. She knew they’d be there, of course. She’d felt their presences for months.
They parted like water as she exited. No words were exchanged. They fell in line behind her, following wherever she wished.
There truly was a difference between the Blessed Prophet and Blessed Chosen. The latter had all the freedom in the world.
For the first time since she’d set foot within the Sanctum, Maiya no longer felt repressed. She could leave whenever she liked.
Maiya walked with authority down halls she’d rarely frequented. Without ever needing to ask for their positions, Maiya walked into the large mess hall.
The room was filled with dozens of cultists who sat at the long benches. Some eating in silence, while others conversed with their friends in hushed voices.
That all stopped the moment Maiya entered.
Without pause, Maiya walked up to two, who were seated alone at the end of a bench. One was hunched over, attempting to shorten his large frame. The other was busy devouring his food.
The two tracked her all the way up to the room, flinching visibly as she arrived.
Maiya looked each over in detail, causing their faces to tighten.
Then she broke out in a big smile and clapped them both on the shoulders.
“I’ve kept you both worried. I’m sorry. Thanks for sticking around. That… means a lot to me.”
“It’s the least we could do,” Yamal said abashedly. “We tried to enter your room, but your guards prevented us. We didn’t know what to do.”
“It’s fine,” Maiya replied. “That’s all behind me. Now, we have so much to chat about. Like, your promotions. And then we’ll talk about overthrowing the rulers of two countries.”