A thousand thoughts rushed through my head. What could a powerful being such as this one want from me? A favor...

It said it could not only help with defeating the Dreamer, but also reveal information about the demon that killed my mother. This was a heavy bargain, as my mother's murder never left my head for all these years.

"What is it? Do you also want my mark?" I ask Evy’s possessor.

It raises an eyebrow while its lips twitch in disgust. "You're overshooting your knowledge, Messiah," It answered, uttering my foretold title in a mocking way. "I do not want something that those beneath me created."

What does that mean? The demon that killed my mother gave me this mark, so does it mean that it is weaker than this being before me?

Its night-sky eyes peer into every fiber of my being. "I need you to access your soul, and touch it. If you make that deal with me, I'll reveal the necessary information."

My soul. The last time I did that was in the desert temple, after which the elder suffered almost lethal injuries. This time, I have a being far more powerful asking me to do it. I couldn't infer why it wanted it, though.

I hesitantly offered my hand. "Only if you promise not to steal it or possess me."

It takes a step away from me, grabbing my hand between its own. "I don't need your soul, and I'm definitely not dumb enough to try and touch it. If I could inhibit a vessel, it would be this girl. You're too famous, being the center of colliding forces."

Cidion stands next to me for support. "Are you going to use soul magic?" he asks the entity, turning to me. "Soul magic has unpredictable consequences and abstract applications that we cannot foresee. It is as bizarre as dream magic."

I already knew about soul magic a bit, since the elder taught me a thing or two about it, even if his knowledge was like a drop of water in the ocean.

The entity looks at Cidion with a placid look. "What I'm doing isn't anything as simple as soul magic. As I've said, you're rocking your primitive brains too much."

"Fine," I answer, extending my hand. It accepts it, and we shake for confirmation.

Cidion's face contorts into worry and confusion, but it was already done. I want this thing out of Evy, and I need the information urgently. If I don't do this, I'll be sent back and all of my progress will be lost. What's the worst that can happen? I've already faced death before...

"Good," it nods, stepping back one more time, almost bumping against Amon. The demon child moves away, towards Cidion.

It clears its throat, still smiling eerily. "What I'm about to tell you will cost me a handsome price, so listen carefully. I don't see your future, but the tendrils of Fate can be translated for something like this."

It closes its eyes, raising its dark hands. It opens its eyes with a golden glow emanating from them. "You have to remain here for another three months, training. After that, visit Obiwon, where you'll find a door leading to that temperamental child's lair," it instructs as its eyes close again. It opens them to show the galactic abyss again, devoid of that golden light.

I raise two fingers like we're in class. "By 'temperamental child', you mean—"

"Yes," it cuts me off. "The Dreamer is who I mean. As for your mother's murderer, it is from the same place that its creator originates from."

"The Dreamer's creator?" I echo its words.

It nods. "Yes, the child you sought to fight was created by what you call in your head a 'demon', but it doesn't originate from that one's home," it says while pointing at Amon. "It is from a place that you might visit some day, perhaps to act your revenge or try and resurrect your mother. However, all of this is a future far too distant for you currently."

I shudder at those words. "M-my mother can be resurrected!?"

The thing shakes its head. "No more questions, I've fulfilled my end of the bargain. You’ll find the rest out by fighting with that silly child, as I’m not about to educate you."

Damn it, after hinting at things that I yearn for, it left me with more questions than answers.

It snaps its fingers, and my vision goes blank. All I see is darkness, but I feel a giant presence behind me. As I turn around, I see an orange flat surface about 30 feet from me that spans out of view in each direction. It was my soul.

There was something else. The entity invading Evy was in my head, about to speak. "Now, touch it with a single finger, but remove it as fast as you can. A simple and quick touch, got it?"

I nodded.

I wasn't sure if this was the right course of action, but for some reason, it all clicked like this was meant to happen. I got the information I wanted, now I only had to do what it asked. I was nervous, as I didn't know what would happen.

With a single touch, making contact for a fraction of a second, I felt great power moving out of my soul and into my body. I returned to my senses, seeing the outside world now. There was a mighty aura around me, as incredible magic started rushing away, towards Evy's body.

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My body tensed, as this power was a bit too much to handle.

The entity absorbed the power, as the sound akin to the cracking of metal echoed. The burst of power coming from me stopped, and I fell on one knee.

Two things happened at once. Amon jumped back with full power, using his hellfire to move as far away as he could. While that was happening, Cidion jumped towards me, picking me up and throwing himself onto the ground. Then, a giant boom exploded from Evy's body, as the thing broke the shackles binding it.

"We're doomed!" Cidion yelled out, standing between it and me.

The thing looked at its hands, squeezing and opening them as if it only just possessed Evy. "Oh you undeveloped bugs, I managed to defy what Fate had in store. I couldn't do it without you, Messiah," it mocked, now free of any restraints we had over it with the ritual.

Cidion looked at me, grabbing my shoulder. "Run away. I'll stay here and try to hold it."

I shook my head. "No, it will be all for naught. This thing isn't from our world, I could sense it when I touched my soul."

For a split second, the picture of what this thing truly is popped into my head, so I realized we could do nothing. Well, that isn't true, they could do nothing.

"I'll send it back," I stated firmly.

The white haired Sword Saint had a look of disbelief. "What?"

"Just trust me, please!"

He nodded, showing once again that a centuries-old man trusts a kid that doesn't even have two decades under him. I cracked my fists, ready to run into the creature that just fully possessed Evy's body. "Just separate me from her once it's over. If I die, don't worry about it."

I didn't know if this thing could transcend my looping life, and if it could follow me through them, so I decided to sacrifice myself to banish it.

Cidion tried to stop me or reason with me, but I was already on the path towards it. It looked at me with amusement, like I was an insignificant speck of dust that it just had to blow away. Well, let's see how you handle this!

I used every ounce of my magic to boost me towards it, while simultaneously reaching inside myself for my soul. My senses disappeared, and I was left alone with an orange surface that I immediately touched. The entity tried to pull me away, force me out, but it all happened too fast.

Thankfully, it didn't expect this, so my plans were fulfilled. When I touched my soul with both hands, my consciousness vanished.

-

I woke up, light assaulting my eyes like a sharp blade. I couldn't see where I was, but I could recognize the cold floor of my mother's treasury. There was no sound around me, so I just laid on the floor, unmoving.

[Here we go again] I thought.

Wait, did my plan work? Will I be able to know if I banished that thing out of Evy? If I returned, this means I died, but it doesn't mean I sent it back. I try standing up, but my body doesn't listen. And this damned light, how is it so strong??

After a minute or two of laying with my head searching for answers, my eyes finally adjust to the light, at least well enough to see shapes.

The bright light was... the sun. I was next to a wooden wall, and the moving shape was... AMON!! I didn't die!

"Amo—"

*Cough Cough*

I coughed up blood over myself as I tried standing up, realizing that I'm in a worse shape than I thought. I felt his hand slapping my cheek as his face inched closer. "You're alive. Congrats rival."

His simple demeanor and lack of worry made me chuckle, intense pain striking every nerve in my body. "Oh man, I'm glad to see you," I mutter, trying to reach him with my hand, but it didn't listen.

"Did you hit your head or something? Oh wait, it was a bit worse I guess..."

Everything comes back to me as I realize... I might've sacrificed the only people close to me in this life. I knew taking Cidion along was a bad idea... And Evy...

Tears start rolling down my cheeks as hopelessness crushes any motivation I had of defeating the Dreamer. Is my potential victory even worth it, if all I loved and cared about is gone? Maybe I'll start over...

Footsteps coming from behind the house sober me up from my dread, as a familiar master of mine with white hair limps out with a walking stick. Cidion... is alive!

Tears begin flooding my face again, this time out of happiness. There was just one thing left.

I gather the strength to speak, lifting myself onto one elbow. "Please... tell me..."

"Evy is alive, you can rest assured," Cidion's voice sings out like a lullaby. His tone was weak, but I could hear the words, words of salvation.

I start crying my eyes out, letting all of my piled up emotions run loose. Cidion watches me with a soft smile, while Amon shakes his head. "What a crybaby," he scoffs while leaning against the infamous study-table.

Cidion limps over next to Amon. "Don't act all tough as if you didn't take care of us, especially Adam."

Cidion would later tell me that Amon gifted mana to me and learned basic healing magic to keep me alive. He diligently sat beside me for hours and hours on end, watching over me like a guardian angel. Not in my wildest imagination did I think that Amon would help me to this extent. He was a friend, one that I cared about to the same degree as Evy...

"Thank you," I whimper, not being able to express my gratitude.

He clicks his tongue. "Don't think I did it because of you. I just want to finally have a fair battle with you to prove that I'm stronger."

-

I was out for almost two weeks while Amon took care of me. My plan worked, and everyone miraculously survived.

After another two months of recovery, I was fully healed, just like Evy. Cidion however, wasn't so lucky. When I touched my soul to try and expel the entity possessing Evy, Cidion jumped in at the right moment, separating the two of us and controlling the outburst of energy released from me, just like the desert temple's elder did.

Even though he was stronger than the elder, and with better mana control, it almost killed him. All of us were lucky to be alive, with Cidion and Amon being the sole carriers of our survival. The Sword Saint took me to the place where it happened, showing me the massive hole I dug into the ground. It was at least as wide as the arena in the Center of Holdanis, and deep enough that the bottom wasn't visible...

"If you released a bit more energy, all of us would've died, even Amon," Cidion notes.

The only upside to this—besides successfully getting rid of that thing—was that my manapool expanded, along with Evy's. Mine was now more than three barrels full, while Evy's climbed to almost a barrel full. She took longer than me to recover, but she grew stronger in the process, which was essential.

Cidion sat beside me as I was stretching. "I'm sorry that I got you into this mess."

I almost slapped him, but decided not to. "What are you talking about, you saved my life!"

He sighs. "Saved a life that I endangered, two lives actually. And now, I can't even help with your fight against this entity."

"You should worry about yourself more," I chuckle. "Besides, this was the way it was supposed to go. Fate is on my side, I can sense it."

He smiles, but his smile hides a guilt that he didn't deserve. "After this, I believe you."

I wink at him and get ready to fight Amon, taking my shirt off to reveal the blue mark that all three of them already saw."

Are you ready to lose?" I ask provocatively.

Amon smirks with his hands crossed. "You have no chance against me now..."

"Stigmata: Immortal Hellfire"