[https://i.imgur.com/zweWNHT.jpg]

Drac, Axton, and Hood descend the dark spiral staircase. Candle lights themselves as Hood guides the two down.

“Hood, why in the hell did you make this stairwell long?” a bored Axton asked.

“It’s dark as shit too,” Drac adds.

Another candle lights up. “The mind creates what is needed. And what was needed was somewhere deep and dark.” Drac took one last step. “We are here.” The three stand in front of a plain wooden door. Hood held up a hand. With a touch on the round metal handle, lettering lights up on the door in a ripple.

“Runes…” said a stunned Drac said under his breath.

A turn and a click and the door opens. There is nothing but darkness inside. No. Drac looked closer. A man sat on the ‘floor’ relaxed, with his right arm on an upright knee. Glowing characters circled him on the ‘ground’.

Runes.

“What else do you want to know, bodysnatcher? Oh… OH! YOU BROUGHT FRIENDS! HAHAHA! Did you finally get caught?! That face, you did! HAHAHA!”

Hood twisted his wrist and the man spasmed in agony.

“Fucking bastard… Hey, you peasant boy and muscle man over there, come closer. See what this Bastard has done-” The man twisted in pain once more.

Drac strode past Hood.

“Drac! Don't get close!”

Axton turned to Hood, “You're into some strange shit, brother.” and followed Drac.

Drac stopped a metre from the man within the runes. The copy smiles wide. An unnerving smile, that pulled the cheeks as far as they could go. Dark clothes, unlike the assassins at the rooftop. A dark hood covered his head.

The copy launched itself at Drac, rebounding off an invisible wall that glowed in impact. The caged animal pounded on with all the energy and power he could muster.

“LET ME OUT, YOU BASTARDS! GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK!”

Drac stepped in closer to the edge of the runes. Blows rain at his face, blocked by the barrier. At closer inspection, bits of the copy are missing from his arms, legs and face. As if he were becoming literature itself. Drac turned around with a disgusted face at Hood. Hood looked away from his gaze.

“Who the fuck are you…?”

Drac heard knocking.

“This is too much for you. Another time.” A wave of Hood’s hand and Drac was ejected.

Eyes open and Drac hyperventilated as if awoken from a nightmare

“Drac, are you awake?” said Marina from outside the door.

Drac rubbed his face hard as if trying to squeeze out his stress. “I’m up! One sec.”

A copy locked away in deep recesses of his mind. Tortured and caged like a wild beast Memories, stolen bit by bit. Those ravenous eyes… How had he been there? Goosebumps run around Drac's body.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Who was the man he shared his body and soul with?

Drac stood up in a rush to open his door. A fully dressed Marina was about to knock. “Drac! Uh…looking unwell… You alright?” Marina puts her vambrace-covered arm up to check Drac's temperature. Drac took her fingerless gloved hand down and held it firm. “I’m fine. Just nightmares. About yesterday…”

“Let’s spar.”

“W-What?”

“It’s been a long time. I hope you haven't been skipping practising your spells.”

Been a bit busy.

“Uh, I had some real-world experience to make up for it.”

“All the more reason to come spar. I will wait downstairs.” Marina turned to walk away, but Drac held his grip on her. “Marina…”

The fair lady smiled and said, “If you want to make it up to me, I will be waiting in the reception.“ Drac lets go watching her walk away.

I wonder what punishment she has in store for you.

Surge. An aura technique that specialises in instant bursts of speed and power as well as inhuman reaction speed. The effect is achieved by controlling the speed at which the aura moves around the body. A second effect is that, due to the speed at which the aura moves around the body, imbuement is sped up as well. With tight control, pressure is created; forming a torrent around whatever you choose. Allowing you to slice with a sharper edge. Effective usage requires a trained and durable body and adequate control over the aura. A Surge user can benefit from this technique at a cost to their health, as they can suffer fatigue, muscle ruptures, and even nerve damage. Intense focus is needed as one wrong path and the aura could go berserk in your body coursing all the costs spoken before. So to stop you from fucking up your body, I decided to go with a structured lesson plan so you learn properly. So, lesson 1. Breath.

Fergus placed the paper on a fallen tree. A large inhale and aura smouldered on his body. Baselards were unsheathed and sliced the air. Creating gusts of wind, blowing leaves from trees yards away. Swords follow one another before stopping in a wide stance. Fergus panted, sweat dripping to the ground. The noble straightened with both blades pointed down on his sides. Aura flared within. His heart warmed with sparks of energy. A burst of oscillating power coursed through his veins. Muscles engorge and ripple. Skin alights with lighting. Fergus’s eyes open with white. Lightning marked his face.

“Now.”

Lisa sat on the fallen tree trunk and threw a rusty chest-plate. Baselards flare with a pressured aura. The chest plate split into many parts with an explosion.

“Fucking hell! How many cuts were that? Five? Seven?”

Fergus sheathed his sword and exhaled. And with a smug face, he said, “Twelve. And stab at the end.”

“Amazing…It has not even been a week!” Lisa exclaimed.

Fergus bent over to pick up Drac’s lesson, folding it as carefully as he could.

“Is that from him?” Uoro asked.

Fergus nodded with a soft smile.

Uoro pat Fergus on the shoulder. “Glad you took my advice. Haha.”

An eruption rocked the ground. Fergus turned back. Fire twisted and turned above the tree line, following a familiar silhouette.

“I think this is far enough.” Marina looked around the secluded forest with her hands on her waist. “Wide, out of prying eyes. I can finally go all out.”

“Mm? Whatcha say?”

Marina grinned. “You wanted to make it up to me. I have a trial for you.”

Will she force-feed us food if we lose?

Hey, Hood. Welcome back! Oh, wait, is that your name? Finish torturing your inmate?

When you are calmer, I will explain.

Oh, fuck off with your patronising.

Shut up, you two. She is about to explain the rules!

“Hey… Are you doing the copy thing again? Are they making a ruckus again?” Marina pointed to her head.

“You n-noticed?” said Drac shyly.

“Of course I did. Especially when you blank out like a fool. Quiet them down so I can set the rules for this spar.”

You heard the lady. Stop the yapping.

“First rule. I knock you down. I win.”

“Simple so far.”

Marina grinned wide. “Second rule, you can't attack at all.”

“Mm?!”

Mm?!

Mm?!

Marina held her hand. A ball of flame grows and grows. A sphere of fire the size of a carriage floated above Marina.

“Let me vent.”

Marina chucked the Meteor at Drac.