9

“Angli Albrine? So, you are the one who made this place? I wasn’t sure,” Oliver spoke calmly, despite the dire situation he found himself in. The serene energy radiating from the sphere he was encased within made it impossible to feel distressed.

“Indeed, I was the one who made this place. In my time, none were greater than I at Incantation. My blessings extended further than any other Albrine by a vast majority. I suppose destiny chose me. In any case, I have failed. I am sorry that I have drug you into my own mess, but I had no choice,” Angli said.

“What mess did I get dragged into exactly? Who was that man? Why was he trapped here? And what is his business that he spoke of catching up on?” The questions spilled from Oliver before he could stop them.

“That man is not a man at all. Not anymore. Once, long ago he may have been considered human. But for our purposes, consider him a monster. His name is Ro. He was once a guardian of all nature. It was his job to make sure the plants and animals of Du Varia flourished.”

“That man is a druid?”

“He was, once. Now he’s been corrupted by the Wellspring.”

“Corrupted by the Wellspring? How is that possible? Wouldn’t that just cause a mutation? He looks like a normal human. How is he so lucid if he’s been corrupted?”

“Were you not taught about this during your upbringing?” Angli asked, sounding surprised.

“I was taught to protect the various Wellsprings from those who would usurp it. Those who fail to properly harness that power are corrupted and often go mad or die. How could Ro stabilize such corruption?”

“That is only a fraction of the truth.”

“What are you talking about?” Oliver nearly demanded.

“This world is based in duality. There are two sides. The Light, our side, and the Dark. Du Varia’s Blessing is no different. There is positive energy and there is negative energy.”

“I don’t understand. Are you saying that on the other side of the world everything is made of negative, or what was it, Dark energy?”

“It’s not like that. You see, this world is a complex Web of Life. Consider it to be like the faces of a coin. On one side you have our world. The world of light. On the other side, you have the world of darkness. Both sides exist independently of each other and neither side can ever touch the other. On both sides exists the Wellspring. The duality of Du Varia prevents negative energy from being tolerated on our side of existence, and the reverse is true for the side of darkness.

“The magic enforcing the separation of powers is imperfect, however. Every Blessing by a Wellspring provides both types of energy. It is for this reason that it takes so much time to assimilate a blessing. If the Blessing is absorbed too quickly, the host’s body does not have a chance to purge the opposing energy, resulting in a Corrupt. It was such corruption in creatures and people that our family was tasked with keeping in balance thousands of years ago.”

“What do you mean by ‘our side of existence’? It sounds like you are saying there are two Du Varias.”

“Not exactly. It is difficult to explain. It would be more accurate to say that there are two identical worlds, both existing in the same space at the same time, only they exist on different planes.”

“Planes? You still aren’t making sense. There are two worlds in one space? How is that possible?”

“Hell. You are familiar with the concept of hell right?”

“Infernal realm where Demons are quarantined? I might have heard of it. Why?”

“Hell does not exist in any specific direction from here, does it?”

“Well… no, of course not. Hell is a separate dim…” Oliver stopped talking as he grasped what Angli was saying.

“Yes. Du Varia is split into a series of dimensions. Our world is one. The Mortal Plane of Light. Opposite us is the Mortal Plane of Dark. Ro, as impossible as it may sound, is Blessed by the Dark. How he did not become corrupt, I have never figured out. Any being in our world that fails to purge negative energy is either mutated grotesquely or dies outright. As I said, that is the entire basis for the Albrine family’s responsibilities. But Ro’s body seemed to unnaturally accept the Corruption.”

“I was taught our history very thoroughly. Why was none of this ever mentioned?”

“What you’ve been taught is a lie. Our family was chosen by Du Varia itself to keep the harmony between Light and Dark. Wherever negative energy exists, we must deal with it. The corruption I speak of, be it in basilisks, sprites, centaurs, or whatever, those beasts are simply victims of negative energy. If a creature from our world is in contact with negative powers, monsters are born. And the same was true of Ro. He may not have mutated, but whatever happened to him, he is no longer human.”

“I’ve never even heard of the existence of negative energy. How is that possible?”

“I can only guess. My conclusion is that you were born several generations after me. Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s been over one thousand years since you were last seen.”

“Well, there is your answer. The time leading up to Ro’s sealing was one of the most tumultuous times in our family’s history. Many elders were lost or forced into long term recovery. When I used my soul to seal Ro, there was only one elder left in action. I can only assume the events were not properly recorded either out of fear or neglect.

“After Ro was corrupted, he almost brought about the destruction of the whole world. For years I chased him. Almost a century, during which time uncounted horrors were unleashed and slain. Some escaped our grasp, going on to breed with other creatures. Such abominations are part of the reason the Albrine exist in the first place.

“You see, Ro wasn’t the first to become tainted by negative forces. It has been a problem since the dawn of time. He is simply the first to maintain his sanity. That makes him formidable in a way nothing else has ever been.”

“So, Du Varia chose our family to vanquish any trace of negative energy?”

“Yes. You were raised to believe protecting the Wellspring from the evils of the world was your duty. In reality the duty of an Albrine is to protect the world from the evils of the Wellspring.”

“I still have so many questions, first of all, why did-” Oliver suddenly gasped and his wound gushed blood once more. He had almost forgotten he was injured with the protective light around him.

“This isn’t good. Even with my sealing power, I can’t keep your body connected.” Angli sounded worried.

“Connected to what?” Oliver’s calm demeanor was melting along with his life force. He started to freak out.

“Your spirit,” Angli said.

“My spirit? What do you mean?”

“Ro did not attack your body, although he certainly damaged it badly in the process. His strike was an attempt to sever your spirit from your body, such an attack would kill you, no matter how powerful your body is. You’re lucky that his attack was sloppy. He missed the main tether. Nonetheless, you’re dying slowly. I don’t have the power outside my body to mend you. But stay calm. I won’t let you die.”

“How can you help?” Oliver stopped freaking out as his brain digested his situation. Making his heart pump faster would only drain his body quicker.

“You need to start the Sleep. You cannot die under its effects, but you won’t be able to wake until your spirit is mended. There’s only one way for me to stop your spirit from severing and we have to move fast.”

Oliver tried to follow her instructions, but soon found that he was unable to initiate the magic. His power wasn’t responding to his efforts, so the technique his family had always used to renew their bodies was out of his grasp.

“I can’t, I’m not able to use magic,” Oliver told her.

“I will activate it through you. Do not worry,” she replied.

Oliver didn’t know how any of this was possible, but if she had been speaking inside his mind this whole time, clearly, she had some connection to him that he wasn’t aware of. And sure enough, in that same moment, he felt his energy flair up as Angli activated the Sleep he needed to heal his body. It wouldn’t do anything to help his spirit, but he had to trust that Angli really could help him where that was concerned.

With an almost instantaneous effect, Oliver fell into a trance. His eyes became heavy. His head fell heavily to the cave floor below, but he felt no impact as his entire body went limp. His eyes closed gently and he stopped moving. Even his breathing seemed to stop. Before his trance completely overtook him, he heard Angli speak to him once more.

“Do not worry. Rest and recover your strength, I will not let you die.” Those were the last words Oliver heard before he succumbed fully to the darkness.

10

Ro climbed the stairs he knew would lead to his release, whistling a song he learned in a different age. He reached the top in good time, easily shattering the seal that held him. As he stepped into the light of the mansion, he was immediately accosted. The adversary was a familiar one, though not one he could say he cared for overly much.

“Good evening, Roland, and welcome back,” a voice said. It was a rough rasp, barely considered to be more than a whisper.

“Don’t call me that.” Ro responded automatically.

“Suit yourself, then. Titles make no difference. All that matters is your purpose.”

“What do you want, you scheming bastard?” Ro could feel his years of rage and frustration bubbling up from where he had buried it long ago.

“I thought you knew, I’m here so that you remember the path you set upon long ago. I can see the truth in your mind. You want to free yourself of the pain of responsibility. But we had a deal. You’ve already been given your half of our bargain. Now you must uphold your obligations.”

“I can’t. It’s already over. I killed him.”

“No, no. Your little attempt to escape fate failed. I assure you; my plans are still in order.”

“I’ll go back down there and kill him right now. Do you think you can stop me?”

There was the briefest of pauses. Then the voice returned, this time more substantial and considerably more authoritative.

“I already have. You’ll do what you’re told or I’ll rip your soul from your flesh and cast your essence into the abyss. Are you doubting my competence?”

The voice, seeming to come from everywhere but having no solid source, suddenly coalesced right in front of Ro. The air swirled as a shimmering wall appeared in the air frighteningly close to Ro. He wanted to take a step back, instinctively distancing himself from the form he knew was about to appear.

A hand shot out as the wall of energy expanded. It grasped Ro by the neck and pulled. The rest of the man’s body coalesced as he pulled. He was veiled in black, a robe of some sort which seemed to be liquid. It flowed and slipped over his form in a never-ending procession. The hand grasping him was bony, almost skeletal. It was a clear sign of overuse. A body could only harness so much magical energy before it broke down. This particular body was well beyond the normal ravages of magic. Ro had always wondered how he lived so long without becoming a wraith.

The man, who Ro had met on several occasions, looked as he always had. He had a deep hood, his eyes glowed red beneath it. Little of his face could be seen, save the long scar that crossed it, as though someone had almost cut his head diagonally in half. No more of the man could be gleaned, but Ro lost the desire quickly as he felt his essence leave him.

Ro could feel his body, but he was not in control of it. He felt empty, and he could almost see himself standing behind where he was held by the neck. It wasn’t his body he was being held by, but his spirit.

“I could name you a lost cause, just like everyone else did. I could waste your miserable life and find a new catalyst. You will do as I say and not question me again or I swear by the Gods of every person you hold dear that your soul will live in torment until this wretched world is burned out.”

Ro stumbled back as his body returned to his control. He fell on the floor and gasped, not the first time by any means he had experienced such a feeling. Often he was treated thus as he attempted to defy his master. A master who had manipulated him since his journey had begun. He knew he would suffer worse before the end and all he could do was accept the inevitable.

Ro stood, already alone as his master seemed to have disappeared into the nothing he came from. He never stuck around long, but he seemed to always be watching. Always waiting for any hint of defiance. And Ro swore once again that he would one day make the bastard pay.

11

Oliver stayed in the black wash of nothingness for longer than he ever had before. He couldn’t feel anything. Not even his own body. If he hadn’t been extremely accustomed to the feeling, he would have thought he was dead.

Still, he often imagined that this was what death would feel like. Existing without existence. There was no matter around him. He had no matter himself. He was simply a mind, a conscious thought and nothing else. He had memory. He had emotion. He had the ability to think. But beyond that, he was nothing. For all he knew, Angli had failed, and he really was dead.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

That seemed unlikely. He already knew that the spirit never died. If his body was dead, he probably wouldn’t be conscious. His spirit would already be washed clean and on its way to the next life. He wasn’t for sure, but he felt certain enough that that wasn’t happening.

Oliver had no way of knowing what was going on beyond his own thoughts, so he waited. He could feel a fatigue on his spirit that didn’t seem to lessen with time. And there was a vast amount of time passing. He couldn’t say how long he had been there, or how much longer it would last. He simply knew that this was a very long Sleep.

Back in ancient times, when Du Varia chose his family as protectors, it bestowed upon them their special ability. The ability became inherent in all who shared his bloodline. When one of them expended too much energy, or if they were hurt badly in combat, they would enter a trance akin to death. It was a healing trance.

All their bodily functions would cease, blood would stop pumping, their organs would all halt. Normally this would result in death, but with the ability also came a connection to the planet.

When Sleep was activated, Du Varia sensed it, and it would immediately take over the process of rejuvenation. If one was simply taxed of all their energy, the trance would allow for the body to slowly rebuild its store of power without having to divert energy to pumping blood or oxygenating the cells. If one was damaged physically, the spell would stop all bleeding and stitch any damage up over time. Du Varia would provide all the energy needed for the body to remain alive during the interim.

It was a very complex spell, and one that only the planet itself could have produced. No living creature had the ability or power to cast such a complex spell. It was one of the greatest abilities the Albrine possessed.

Oliver was no stranger to such vast spans in the emptiness. He had not had such combative abilities as most of his family. It seemed like every scrape he got into ended with him limping and bloody.

His frequent use of Sleep led to the snider members of his family calling him “The Unlucky Albrine”. Over the years, he started to agree with them. Especially after more and more of his family disappeared during his lapses.

The first time he woke from Sleep, his mother was gone. Another battle later and Oliver woke to find his sister missing. Other members of the wide extended family had gone too. Any married in members grew old or were lost in battle.

Then the calamity struck… Oliver shook his head. Waking from Sleep to find his home abandoned, dust covering every surface. Worse, knowing the cause for every absence…

Since then, Oliver had used Sleep not to recover, but to save himself from the isolation of wakeful reality. As a result, he was comfortable in the black nothingness that accompanied the spell. He knew Du Varia was watching over him, as she always had.

But Oliver sat for a length of time he had only experienced that one time before; he began to wonder if it would be enough to save him. Oliver had no choice but to sit in the black emptiness and wait. It was a true test of his patience.

He lost hope a few times in his long wait, but after what seemed like a whole lifetime, he began to notice the twinkles of white light all around him. He started feeling his legs, his arms, he felt his own body again. He was waking up.

As he opened his eyes, Oliver did not immediately understand what was going on. His body felt rusty, like it had been left out in the rain for years. His mind was fuzzy. He could remember everything he had been through, but his mind was having trouble adjusting to working with his body after so much time.

His vision was blurry. His head ached like he had drank too much wine. His whole body ached in fact. It felt like he had worked himself to the point of exhaustion for a month straight and this was the morning after. Every muscle burned. His bones were sore. He felt brittle.

After his eyes adjusted, he noticed that not much had changed around him. He was still laying in front of the well. Angli’s body was still crouching near him, clutching a nonexistent handle.

The only difference in the scene was that a huge layer of dust caked the whole room. Even his body had dust on it. As he moved, it fell away from him, creating a plume of dust in the air. He breathed the dust by accident, and his lungs protested violently.

He started coughing uncontrollably. His whole body ached from the force of his convulsions. The source of his pain emanated from his heart. He could still feel the bite of the sword that had been used to puncture him. It took several minutes to calm his body from the coughing fit he suffered. As soon as he did, a soothing voice entered his mind.

“Good. You’re finally awake. I was worried you’d never wake up,” it said.

The voice spoke quietly, as if it was far away. Yet, every word echoed as though spoken from deep within him. There was great weariness in the voice. It spoke every word like they came with great effort.

“Angli? Is that you? How long have I been down here?”

“I do not know for sure. I have been lost in my work. It has taken a great toll from me. But I believe your life is safe. Quickly, I need your help.”

“Help with what?”

“Both of our spirits are severely drained. You need to unlock the Wellspring so that we can rejuvenate ourselves.”

“Unlock the Wellspring? What are you talking about?”

“I’ll explain later. Quickly. Get to the well and thrust the blade into it. Turn it three times left wrist and push your energy into it. Only one who shares my blood and aura can release the seal I placed on it. Go now. I will project my aura; you will use your power. The two of us together can release the seal.”

Oliver didn’t hesitate. Angli had somehow saved his life. He could feel that something wasn’t quite right, but he was certain that whatever she did had saved him.

So, with excruciating movements, he crawled towards the well. His hand had been clamped around the hilt of his sword for so long that he couldn’t have opened his hand if he wanted to. It was drug along the ground behind him as he slowly approached the well.

After what seemed like hours, Oliver made it before the well. There was no way for him to get the leverage he needed from the ground, so he was forced to work his way to his feet. The Sleep had kept his muscles from atrophying, even after so long, but they still screamed with his every movement.

The ordeal was almost unbearable, but Oliver had no choice but to endure it. With a massive amount of effort, Oliver found himself standing wobbly over the well. The blue crystal had become dormant again in the time he had been in Sleep. It was solid and held his weight.

Oliver took his sword and stabbed down as hard as he could. Surprisingly, it inserted itself in the crystal effortlessly, making Oliver feel extremely off balance with the force he just tried to exert.

Still, he was able keep from injuring himself on the blade as he stumbled. He gained his composure, telling his aching body to bear with him, and found his grip on the hilt.

With no discernible resistance, the blade began to turn inside the crystal. It clicked steadily as it turned, like a wind-up toy. The resistance began after the first full turn.

At that point, Oliver had to use all his strength to turn the handle. He turned it steadily all the way around two times before Angli had to project her aura onto the lock.

When she did, Oliver noticed that it wasn’t blue or red or green or even purple. Her aura was golden. And despite how weak she undoubtedly was, her aura was a visible projection of her power, and Oliver could see that she was more powerful than him by a great magnitude.

As her aura mingled with the lock, it lessened the resistance enough for Oliver to turn it one last time. As the handle clicked steadily around the final turn, Angli advised Oliver to get off the well.

“It will release with great force. You do not want to be standing on it when it does,” she explained.

Oliver hopped down from the well and continued on the final half turn he needed. As it approached the very final portion of clicks, they started to sound more like clanks instead. It sounded like metal chains were being dropped to the stone floor.

The sound happened five times. After the fifth one, a different noise was heard. It was the sound of glass shattering. It sounded like a whole warehouse of glass had just broken. And with the noise came light.

12

An explosion of energy burst forth and quickly rose to the ceiling of the chamber. It swelled until the whole room was filled with it. It washed over Oliver and instantly soothed his aching bones. He could feel it affect Angli in his mind too, her already vast energy reserves were bolstered and restored after her long use of power.

The energy that washed over them wasn’t the blue of magic. It wasn’t the red of strength. It wasn’t the green of stamina. It felt purer than all of them. It filled his pores with power.

He began to feel like his whole body was invincible. His skin became ultra-smooth. His features became more defined. His eyes were more vibrant. Any creases in his skin vanished. His whole body became refined like steel. He felt amazing.

And he knew that some secret about the Wellspring had been hidden from him for generations. Because this wasn’t the same energy he had received on his blessing all those years ago. This was golden energy, and it matched Angli’s aura perfectly.

The energy swelled inside of him, more than he would have thought possible. What was more, it mingled with his cells perfectly, he didn’t need to absorb it slowly over time as normal people did when Wellspring energy contacted them. The energy seemed to have intelligence of its own. It fused with his being, adapting itself to his energy, not allowing his body or power to be corrupted by the swell of negative energy.

It was like some all-powerful force was guiding it in all the right directions. Oliver could feel his body unlocking new talents; he felt a breeze wash over him; he felt a great searing heat singe his forehead, at one point he even felt a great force exert itself on his body from seemingly nowhere.

After an inordinate amount of time, the golden energy began to wane. After a few moments, all that was left in the room was a dim golden glow coming from the well.

“What just happened?”

“You’ve just been blessed by the True Wellspring.”

“True Wellspring?” Oliver had never heard of such a thing.

“Back in the days when I roamed this land, there were three True Wellsprings. One of them was used by Ro to summon the Darkness of Du Varia. My greatest attempts to stop this were foiled, and eventually the Wellspring was destroyed to contain the negative energy being released. The second True Wellspring is inside the Holy Land. No one can enter there anymore. The Holy people guard it jealously. If they were to lose their mighty Wellspring, it’s possible they would wither away. Their power has already grown weaker.”

“And so here you have the world’s final True Wellspring.”

“Our family guards the True Wellspring?”

“No. It’s not that simple.”

“Well explain it then, this whole thing has me so confused.”

“When I was young, our family found this Wellspring. The elders could tell it was different from normal Wellsprings. It erupted with every type of energy. Some were made Brutes. Some became Enduriel. Many became Orenda. Nearly everyone received something. I was one of the few who had received nothing. Our family set up a defensive position around the Wellspring, wishing to stay in the area and study its peculiar nature. About five years later, soon after my eleventh birthday, it erupted once more. This time, it chose only one person: me. All its power was given to me. No one had ever seen a True Wellspring, so no one knew what the pure energy meant. It wasn’t until I grew and unlocked my power that they found out the truth.

“When the family learned what my blessing meant, the leaders knew it was too valuable to abandon, and so, they built an estate around it. The family hoped that with time, it would erupt again, granting others a True Blessing. Many eruptions occurred over the next centuries. To the dismay of all, however, none contained a True Blessing. Many Brutes, Enduriel, and Orenda were made in our family throughout the years. But we all held out hope that it would show its ability again one day.”

“I don’t understand. The only type of Blessing anyone ever received in my lifetime was an Arcane Blessing. Why has it never given Physical or Spiritual blessings?” Oliver asked.

“Because of me,” Angli replied.

“You? You stopped the Wellspring from Blessing Brutes and Enduriel? Why?”

“During my time, a powerful Orenda named Ro made a name for himself by defeating many dangerous creatures that threatened the life forms of Du Varia. As a druid, his sacred duty was as long standing as our own family’s. We were tasked with monitoring and dispatching any life negatively influenced by the energy of a Wellspring. Druids are tasked with stopping any threat to plant and animal species as a whole. As the two tasks frequently went hand in hand, our two groups often worked closely with each other.

“Ro was a natural. His physical capabilities were almost beyond compare. Even with my superior Blessing, his determination and natural talent often made it difficult to best him. I always admired him, even as I believe he looked up to me for my own abilities. It was a time of great prosperity for Du Varia.

“What happened?” Oliver was intrigued by the story.

“One day, Ro changed. I never found what caused it. He became obsessed with power. He started to lust for more. Then one day, I don’t know where he found it, but he discovered a sword. It was identical to the one you now wield in every way. I could feel the power it contained. Only, something was wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Oliver asked, but he already knew what she meant. The second he had seen the sword, he felt cold. It gave him a very ominous feeling. Even now, he shivered at the memory of its icy bite.

“The Holy Sword is made of the rarest materials in the world, forged by two legends, and filled with the purest energy Du Varia can muster. The sword Ro wields feels the same, but the power contained within is so saturated in Demonic energy that it’s impossible to safely wield.”

“Demonic energy?” Oliver asked.

“It is the energy of the other world. The negative counterpart to the energy we harness and flourish with. The same energy that is usually purged from all life in the absorption process.”

“How is the sword so full of Demonic energy then?”

“The Holy Sword is a vessel for all energy. The type of power it contains is unaffected by the separation of powers. How his sword became so saturated in Demonic energy is a question I have never been able to answer. But we are straying off topic. When Ro found the sword, he was quickly taken over by the corruption of Demonic energy. He lost his way. He wrought havoc on Du Varia. He killed many of his own. He burned forest land, he flooded fields, and before I could finally track him down, he located the only other True Wellspring on our plane. Using his sword, he corrupted the nature of the Wellspring. It began erupting Demonic energy, infecting numerous creatures and people with the horrid energy.

“He corrupted the Wellspring? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. The Holy Sword holds many secrets, even to me. If his is anything like this one, it probably has hidden abilities that not even we will ever know. In any event, Ro unleashed ruin on Du Varia. We crossed blades, but his tampering had granted him a True Blessing. All of my advantages from my higher blessing were gone.

“He easily bested me. I was left injured as he fled into the wilderness. When I awoke from Sleep, I was alone with the Corrupt Wellspring. I tried all I knew, but I couldn’t return it to benevolence. I was forced to destroy it. That was no easy task, mind you. But eventually I collapsed its structure, causing the entire spring to seal shut.

“The next several years were spent hunting the various horrors that had been created by Ro’s tampering. When I finally found Ro, it took every ounce of my skill to subdue him. I… lost a lot in the battle. But with my victory came peace.

“I put Ro into a trance. Then, along with the remaining elder of our family, devised the plan to seal him in the Wellspring. It was speculated that only the True Wellspring could harness enough power to contain him. I argued that sealing the Wellspring would cripple our family, again damning them to migrate Du Varia for Blessings as they had before. It was this very fear that allowed me to devise the sealing spell that you released.

“It was very clever, and even more complex. The Physical energy was suppressed to counteract the terrible power Ro could summon. The Spiritual energy was suppressed to maintain the seal for centuries. By sealing two thirds of the Wellspring’s true potential, I effectively created a means to bind Ro with a spell called the Master Seal.

“Instead of sealing the Arcane energy, I bound myself to the seal, even as I’m now bound to you, and took the place of the Arcane energy needed. Using the vast reserves of my body, I sealed Ro in the Wellspring. It was my hope that this would allow miniature eruptions to benefit the Albrine in generations to come. I am happy to learn that my efforts were successful.” Angli stopped her long explanation abruptly. Oliver was so unprepared that he took several seconds before responding with a question.

“How did you do it?”

“The exact means are impossible to put into words. The point is, when I sealed off the Wellspring, it became impossible for a True Blessing to ever occur again. Before sealing myself, I left instructions with the leaders of the family, never to reveal the truth about the True Wellspring. If the knowledge of Ro’s existence ever got out, the danger would be too great.

“I also entrusted Reina to the last active elder of our family, who put it in store for the one destined to release the seal. That turned out to be you. Then I used Reana to complete the seal. Its power can seal or release all forms of energy. Even as Reina can absorb all forms of energy.”

“Reana and Reina?”

“The two halves of the Holy Sword. They were named after the ancient words for ‘Seal’ and ‘Steal’ respectively.”

“I never knew the hilt I carried had a name.”

“Of course. All things have a name,” she replied.

“So how were you able to communicate with me before I broke the seal?”

“My spirit was linked to Reana. And when you came along with Reina, my spirit automatically had a link to you. Even when you were not physically touching it, the link between our spirits had already been established.”

“If the seal was so important, why did you make me break it?”

“The seal was doomed to break anyway. Within a year it would have been nothing, along with my spirit. Despite all my power, my seal was never going to be permanent. The powers of the Wellspring were too great. And as you can see, all things come to an end. I had you release the seal because if you hadn’t, not only would my spirit have been torn apart, but the Wellspring would also have been destroyed. With its destruction would come the destruction of the entire world. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“Well, that’s one mystery solved, sort of. But how did you save me after Ro attacked my spirit?”

“Now that you’ve heard how I sealed Ro, can you not guess?”

“I would prefer an answer to a guess,” Oliver said.

“Your spirit was violently trying to escape from your body. Now, it’s been tied to your body. What do you think I used to tie it to you?”

Oliver thought for a moment before his eyes became wide. There was only one thing she could have possibly used to tie a spirit down. And that was another spirit.