When no further sounds came from the central office area, Rev inched out of the lounge, and peered into the hallway. It was empty, so he stealthily snuck to the main door, and cracked it open to peer through. The door back into the main prison complex was on the floor. In the center of the room, a zombie in the rotten remains of a brown robe stood, completely motionless. It was facing away from him, allowing him to truly observe a zombie in its natural state for the first time since arriving. Once every ten seconds or so, it would groan, and Rev couldn’t help but think of a bat using echolocation. Other than the periodic sound, it was as rigid as a statue.
Deciding there was nothing else to see, Rev backed away, and retreated to the lounge to assess his options. He wasn’t opposed to hiding in the lounge until he went stir crazy; the problem was that the zombie was cutting off access to his only food source. He did get hungry somewhat slower than before thanks to a consistent investment in the stamina stat, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. He had only cultivated six extra stat points since arriving at the guard station, but he already faced quickly escalating costs. The last point he cultivated had cost him ten essence, and he knew it would continue to get worse.
Sighing, he sat down at the bar, and poured himself a drink that the translation spell translated as “spherecumber brandy.” As he stared down at the glass, Rev paused. Struggling against the urge to numb his fears, his frustration boiled over, and he hurled the glass away. It thunked loudly against the thick carpet; splashing its contents against the wall. Fearfully, he looked up, but after hearing no answering wail, he stared down at his shaking hand.
Glancing at the still mostly full bar, Rev sighed. “I can’t stay here, I’ll go mad.” He announced to himself.
Gathering his courage, Rev stepped into the hallway. Taking one last look at his temporary home, an idea sprouted. He grimaced, clenched his fists, unclenched his fists, stepped back into the lounge, and grabbed one of the empty alcohol bottles from his week-long inhabitance. Stepping into the bathroom, he stared at himself in the mirror. His black hair was unkempt with cowlicks everywhere from lack of care, his beard hair was in the awkward twilight phase between the beginnings of a real beard, and simple scruff. His green eyes were bloodshot from a weeklong alcohol bender, and his flesh was too pale white from an inconsistent diet, and lack of sunlight. He looked ten years older than his actual age of twenty-five.
Rev grunted in frustration at his haggard appearance, and filled the bottle with water. He then dumped the bottle on the training room floor, repeated the process until the puddle was sizeable enough to fit his needs, and stood in a corner of the training room. He left the door open. Closing his eyes, he cursed like a mantra until he was ready, and then with a shouted “Fuck!” He threw the bottle to crash loudly into the puddle. The answering wail sounded instantly, and in the split second before the zombie appeared, he poured ten points of essence into the combat mode of the training room. Two goblin-like creatures that came up to Rev’s waist manifested just as the zombie exploded into the room.
The zombie exploded rather too explosively for its own good though, as it jammed its feet into myriad glass shards, slipped on the puddle, and flew forward; slamming into the wall on the opposite side of the room. Before it could recover, the goblins, armed with two-handed swords almost as tall as they were, set into the zombie with a battle-cry. While the zombie was hacked to pieces, Rev carefully left the room; doing his best to avoid the glass shards. The moment he was in the hallway, Rev burst into a sprint. Thanks to his heavy investment in the stamina stat, he made it halfway back to the central office area from which he had begun his exploration before he began to tire and slow down. By the time he had returned to a walking pace, he was shaking, and when it became bad enough to impede his movement, he stepped into an empty cell; collapsing into the corner of the cell to hyperventilate.
When he emerged, he retraced his steps back to the central office before turning around and walking back up the row of cells. He did his best to find the one he was looking for, and had to endure several wailing zombies as he passed them carrying a light globe. Finally, he found the zombie he was looking for. It gnashed its teeth, and flailed at him as he stopped in front of it, but he simply grabbed its hand, and poured five points of essence into purification.
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Purification Time Remaining: 15:00
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“Hello, Fi.” Rev said, slumping down against the bars of the cell opposite to Fi’s. The hallway was only two men wide, so it wasn’t a significant separation.
“Hello, Rev.” Fi said, dropping into a lotus position once his consciousness came fully online. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Rev shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess… I just needed someone to talk to.”
Fi nodded. “I suppose someone who follows the law of words would be a worthwhile conversation partner.”
Rev chuckled brokenly. “I suppose so. Actually, I’m curious. What do you use for your unique resource?”
Fi smiled. “Ah, our qi? We use inspiration. When we read or have a conversation, we gain inspiration. The more it stirs our hearts, inspires us if you will, the more inspiration we gain.”
Rev frowned in thought. “Are all unique resources called qi?”
Fi nodded in reply. “It would be too confusing if everyone was constantly referring to their unique type of qi by name.”
Rev smiled mirthlessly. “I can definitely see how that could be a problem.”
“Why are you really here, Rev? I’m sensing it wasn’t to discuss the finer points of cultivation. In all honesty… I think I would prefer to stay as a voidling rather than be dragged constantly back and forth between the states.” Fi smiled sadly. “It is only when you revive me that I suffer. The voidling state may suffer from hunger, but it lacks the consciousness to truly appreciate it.”
Rev shook his head. “I don’t really know why I’m here. And I don’t just mean here with you. I just… I’m never going to see my friends again. Or my family. I’m constantly terrified, and I’m off my meds. I don’t know whether its worth it to live like this.”
“Medications?” Fi asked inquisitively, as if tasting the word for the first time.
Rev nodded. “I suffer from a disorder called bipolar. It gives me terrible mood swings. The medication helps me stay grounded.”
Fi nodded. “A lamentable ailment. I would advise an investment in charisma if you wish to mitigate its effects.”
Rev frowned. “Is it even worth the effort? I already need to cultivate stamina so I don’t eventually run out of food, spirit to speed up my essence generation, probably dexterity to help me run from enemies… all while trying to get a stat to fifty so I can unlock the ability to get a law. I don’t know if I can live like this for months or years.”
Fi nodded sagely. “The cultivators dilemma. When every stat is vital, the decision itself becomes a deadly burden.” He sighed. “I suppose I cannot give you genuine advice seeing as how I myself just asked you to let me stay dead. It is only…” Fi looked up with a sudden fire in his eyes. “If you truly have the power of purification, I ask that you pass that power to another before you choose. There may be those who wish to live, and you may be the last person able to bring life to this world. I myself would welcome life so long as I no longer need to fear corruption.”
Rev frowned, and looked away. What Fi was asking merely felt like another burden to him, and he didn’t yet have a real response. “I’ll think about it.” Rev hedged after a minute of internal struggle. “Do you have any suggestions for me?”
Rev nodded. “Seek a nursery. You may be able to find an apt pupil among the children there. They would also likely be the cheapest to purify as most do not step onto the path of cultivation until adolescence.”
“I thought this was a prison? Why would there be a nursery here?” Rev asked, confused.
Fi snorted in derision. “This is more than a simple prison. It is an island, anchored within a spatial bubble in the void. It is a vast complex requiring a great deal of administrative effort. Void travel is expensive, so the gateways only open during prisoner transfers and guard rotations. I have heard the guards speak of an entire section of the facility dedicated to housing and supporting their families in relative comfort.”
Rev nodded, absorbing this information. “By the way, Fi. What did you do to get locked up here?”
Fi didn’t meet his gaze. “I murdered my entire family.”
Rev’s gaze snapped to him. “What?”
Fi nodded, still not meeting his eyes. “My wife cheated on me. None of my children were mine. I was angry, and it was as if my mind shattered. When I woke from my trance, the entire house was in ruins. I…”
Rev stared at him in shock, before Fi spoke again. “I ask that you leave me be. After a life consumed by words, I would like to enjoy my last few minutes in silence before the hunger returns. Glorious, blissful silence.” Fi said, his eyes slightly crazed as a manic grin split his face; his eyes glued to a blank stone wall to Rev’s right as if seeing something fascinating there. Rev shuddered, and walked away; returning to the central office.