With Abdul’s help, the group managed to get Sasha over the estate’s fences. They stood outside the massive, multi-winged building’s front entrance. Dried up fountains on an unkempt lawn and brick paths led up to it. Fog as thick as grounded clouds blanketed everything. Its presence, and the way it clung to the estate, almost looked supernatural. No one sensed such energy from it though.

Isaac jiggled the mansion’s door. “Locked. Guess we’ll need to bust it down.”

Elise moved in front of him. “Wait, wait, wait. If someone is here, they would hear you.”

Sasha’s fuzziness faded by the minute. Her head still swirled though. This was a new kind of drunk. She spoke up from Isaac’s arms. “Of course I can hear you. I have ears.”

Elise bounced back. “I wasn’t talking to y— ah, whatever.”

Abdul got more suspicious and curious about Sasha by the minute. “What’s wrong with her? Is it wine? Is that why she’s naked?” He spoke to Sasha directly. “Randle rubbed off too much on you. Where’d you put your clothes?”

She shrugged, disoriented. “I am wearing clothes, dummy head.”

“Dummy head?”

Isaac shook his head. “Her clothes were destroyed by her transformation.”

“Transformation?”

“Somehow, she reached God Aspect. Using the form without the proper training exhausted her ki and put her into shock. She may be out of it for a night or two.”

Abdul only got more confused the more Isaac tried to explain. Perplexed, he sighed. “This is starting to sound like something out of a fairy tale. I may know medicine, but I’m not sure how I would help her.”

“She’ll be fine. My father called it soul shutdown. There aren’t many symptoms other than dumbness and weakness.”

“Soul… shutdown?”

“I don’t know enough to tell you everything, but our powers and contracts are fueled by ki. That same ki is our life energy. Things like this happen when you’re not careful.”

Isaac looked down at Sasha with proudness. “God Aspect is the ultimate expression of the connection between man and machina. People take their whole lives to reach it. She did it this young, from her deathbed. Sasha is genuinely special like no one else.”

Elise raised her eyebrows at the last bit but didn’t dwell on it.

Abdul looked at his hands. He willed them to spark aflame. “I always hear ki this and ki that, but I still understand nothing about it. I don’t understand anything about my power. Does an organ produce this energy?”

Isaac found the last part silly. “It’s no science. Trying to measure or apply rules to souls is a fool’s errand. Thankfully, though, I’ve just awakened to ki myself. Let’s start training together.”

“I… see. I’ll look forward to that.”

Sasha squirmed around in Isaac’s arms. “I’m fine. Let me go.”

“Like hell you are.”

“I am! Just watch.”

Alright then.” He lowered her to her feet. They watched her with low expectations.

Sasha stood half a second and then fell to her butt. With a surprised face, she wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. “Cold! Where are my clothes? What happened?”

Vaporized. Gone. To ashes. That’s what happened.

Elise assured her. “We saw nothing. Don’t worry.”

Sasha stared back at her. “Promise?”

Isaac’s face got stiff and twitchy. He was as guilty as could be.

Simon materialized from thin air next to the group. His owl mask jump-scared Abdul who drew Primus and swung. Elise and Isaac stumbled back, drawing their weapons, while the owl sidestepped the cut.

Simon spoke to them as if he were their ally all along. “Perhaps I may be useful here. I’ll scout this manor ahead for you all.”

Primus bounced off the ground and yelped. “Ouch!” Out of revenge, the blade multiplied its weight in Abdul’s hands. Abdul tried and failed to lift it from the ground, glaring at the new face.

Sasha greeted Simon with a dumb smile. “Hey there, best friend.” Her reaction threw everyone for a loop. It disarmed them.

Simon waved shyly. “Hey.” Before heading out around the building, he questioned her. “Have you had anything to drink?”

“Of course not. I’ve never drunken in my life.” She hiccupped.

He pointed at her, doubtful, but let it go and moved on.

Whenever Simon disappeared to find an alternate entrance, everyone gave Sasha deadpan, judging stares. Elise asked first. “Who is he?”

She scratched her head. “His name’s Simon. One of the owls we spared. Hoo else would it be?”

This put Abdul off. “Gods, he’s the enemy.”

“Your boyfriend was an enemy too.”

Her response caught him off guard. “They’re murderers.”

“We’re murderers.”

“Never said I wasn’t one.”

His self-deprecating tone made her bitter. She knew it came from a place of pain though. “Don’t be so harsh on yourself, Avery.”

“It’s Abdul, but never mind that. What are his intentions? What if he backstabs us?”

Sasha shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe he thinks I’m cute.”

Major spoke from Sasha’s sheath, its voice weak. The dagger had finally awoken. “Ignore her nonsense. Her head is filled with nothing but white noise right now. I sense no negative energy in Simon. His loyalty should be trusted. His mind is no different than a dog’s.”

Sasha grinned. “Yea, see? See? Who would ever hate a puppy?”

Abdul didn’t care anymore. “I’d be a little calmer if the bastard didn’t sneak up on me like that. Be happy I didn’t take his head off.”

A click came from the double doors. They creaked open. Simon’s owl mask peeked out. “Nobody’s home. Away on vacation? Enjoy your stay.”

Abdul's eyes sharpened. “Creepy.”

Sasha reprimanded him. “Aron, be nice.”

“Abdul, you mean.”

As fast as Simon appeared, he vanished with a sassy whisper to Abdul. “I’ve been called worse.”

Elise helped Sasha up and gave her a shoulder. At least she could walk assisted. They all entered the pitch-black manor to find a vast living room with red carpets trailing in most directions. It had a massive dead fireplace filled with unused timber. There were three different wings of the building to explore along with two flights of stairs leading to the second floor.

The front doors slammed behind them. Elise jumped again. “Shit!”

Concerned and scatterbrained, Sasha leaned onto her, putting their cheeks together. “So jumpy. You okay?”

Elise gave her a raised eyebrow. “You’re too close, and I’m fine. This place just reminds me too much of home. I’m not on good terms with my folks.”

Sasha was dumbstruck. “Wowzers. You lived in a place so big? I lived in a shed.”

Simon’s voice came from the darkness. “Did you just say wowzers?”

Abdul approached the fireplace. He pointed his finger aflame like a lighter. “I’m going to go get some lights going in this dead mansion. Just tell me when Sasha’s back to normal. I can’t deal with this anymore.”

With a braindead look in her eyes, Sasha bantered with him. “I’m as normal as ever, Argentina.”

“Huh?! It’s Abdul, I say!” he snapped back at her. The whole group hushed.

Everyone settled down and huddled in front of the roaring fireplace. They warmed their hands as Abdul wandered around the manor, lighting any candles or lanterns he could find. Isaac laid on the carpet with his head on Elise’s lap. She played with his hair. “How do you feel?”

“Exhausted, but it doesn’t compare to what Sasha’s been through. I’m just happy that I didn’t hurt you when I went crazy back there.” He put his hand on his chest. “First time I’ve snapped like that. Never knew I had such anger in me.”

“It was dangerous. The way you rushed out there was reckless.”

Isaac sighed, sensing a critique coming, but she ended it off with this instead: “But you were so cool. You looked like a genuine hero. You convinced me to trust in you. I believed with all my heart that you were going to beat that entire army.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“Really?”

Off to the side alone, Sasha sat with her arms wrapped around her knees. She was close enough to the fire for the heat on her skin to slightly hurt. It was a good, sobering burn. With enough time, her mind’s fatigue and dumbing faded away. All it left was a girl filled with embarrassment, stuck in her head recalling events she couldn’t understand.

Did I truly die back there?

Major answered her thoughts. No, but the end was moments away.

What happened?

Leo, my first wielder, took the reins and saved you. His God Aspect regenerated you from the brink of death. It wasn’t something I anticipated.

Why?

Out of all the ancestors, Leo the Great is the least likely to cooperate. From the beginning, he loathed his responsibility and fate as my wielder. It ruined his life.

Now that I think about it, this is the second time he’s helped me. The first was in Rath Ghul’s sanctum.

You moved him, but don’t count on it happening again.

Though they were vague, and more flashes than anything else, Sasha had become familiar with Leo’s memories. They came with a certain sadness. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes frequented them. She existed in most of Leo’s core memories, either as a comrade of war, a lover, or a corpse. The woman haunted him in a way. Did her death drive him to his suicide?

Sasha sighed. But what’s the point of getting so wrapped up in the past?

I didn’t expect such a thought from you.

Hey, I’m trying to move on too. I’d like to, at least.

Sasha succeeded in finding a new outfit earlier in the manor but, unfortunately, it ended up being a white and black maid’s dress. There were no other options. It was that or butt naked. She couldn’t complain. Not after what she’d been through the last few weeks.

Sasha observed her left hand maimed from the fight with Uriel. She’d lost her pinky and ring finger. The flesh where they were severed was already sealed and healed. At least it wasn’t her dominant hand. Her memory of the whole event was foggy now. “God Aspect, you say?”

“A perfect union or fusion. It occurs when the souls of man and machina align perfectly. Achieving God Aspect is the closest anyone will ever get to transcending their mortality. Reaching it is one challenge. Maintaining it is another.”

“I can’t believe I’m capable of such a thing.”

“You will be one day. That future is distant though.”

“Am I that far off?”

“If were to put you on a scale of ten, your current understanding is at a three. There are many things to grasp first. Ki, for example. You haven’t even discovered your soul nature yet, much less learned how to manifest it.”

“I need to get stronger. Tell me the secret to it.”

“There is no magic potion. It will take time, adversity, and training. For now, rest. Cultivation will have to wait.”

“Frustrating. I’m done with waiting for things to come to me.”

A yawn from the far corner of the room caught her ear. She looked, saw nothing, and called. “Simon? That you?”

“It is.”

“Why don’t you join us? Come get warm.”

“I’m not freezing right here though.”

Sasha’s face blanked out deadpan. “There’re more things to life than meeting the bare minimum.” She patted the spot next to her. “Sit.”

“Is that an order, Lady Sasha?”

She giggled. “Sure. Let’s call it that.”

“Fine then.”

Without dispelling his invisibility, Simon walked over to settle shoulder to shoulder next to Sasha. All she could see was the carpet giving under his weight. “Do you not like to be seen?”

“I don’t.”

“Why?”

“Many reasons.”

Silence filled the air after that. She waited for an elaboration that never came. “Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“This is the part where you tell me those reasons.”

“Are you bored? People don’t speak to me. When they do, it’s because they want something. Let’s skip the journey and get to the destination.”

“Jeez. I just wanted to get to know you.”

“Who even says jeez?”

“I do. I can’t take your sass.” She stretched out, her arm brushing up against his. “You’re helping me when there’s nothing in it for you, but I can’t accept it. It’s not normal. Nothing is free. See why I’m interested now?”

“Perhaps.” Simon’s cloak of invisibility wavered, leaving the man and the mask basked in warm fireside light. “Unbelievable. Of all people, you’re want to know about me?”

“I won’t ask again.”

As they both gazed into the cackling flames, warming themselves, he gave in. “You win then.”

She lit up like a kid on their birthday. Simon, in contrast, sat as reserved as a rock. Their energies couldn’t have been more opposite.

Sasha questioned him with an intrigued head tilt. “Say, why don’t you wear shoes? That’s weird. Weird and nasty. Are you poor? I could buy you some shoes, you know?”

“Stealth is easier barefooted.”

That was his entire answer. Disappointed, Sasha’s shoulders slumped a tad. Her smile wavered. “Next question then. Tell me about yourself. Like, where’d you grow up?”

“This feels like an interrogation. Is this necessary?”

Sasha pouted. There was something almighty about her pouting face. It got her the things she wanted. He gave. “I was born into Rath Ghul. Watched it crumble over the course of about two decades. It fell from justice to the lowest of filth.”

“Justice? You’re telling me that you people used to be good?”

“Rath Ghul formed in response to the crown’s abuse of the lower class. Monestate’s authorities pretended that the city’s problems didn’t exist. Crime and mass murder filled the streets and yet no one would lift a finger.”

Sasha nodded. “Sounds like home. Nothing’s changed, has it?”

Simon continued. “Someone had to step up and protect the people. My mother was among this city’s first owls. I’d like to say they made a good impact, though it wasn’t a long one.”

“Where did it go wrong?”

“She died. The king hung her. Traitor and witch, he said. All the other righteous founding owls met similar fates with time. Our values and identity loosened with every new leader. You know how that turned out.”

“I’m sorry for your life up to this point being wasted. At least you’re free now.”

“Free? Sure, but to do what? The guild was the only thing I knew. Never held a tool, worked a field, or got an education. Owls have no place. I have nothing. No home, no duty, no family. I am nothing.”

He said these things as if they were facts without a shred of emotional turmoil. It wasn’t something to be sad about for him. It was plain reality. Sasha’s throat got sore hearing such words. With a careful, soft-spoken voice, she tried to raise his spirits. “Well, I don’t think you’re nothing.”

“Means nothing from a stranger, but I appreciate your kindness. I wish people like you were more common.”

Her chipper energy fizzled out. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I’m sure the other sects of the guild would accept you.”

Regretting her words the next second, she waved her hands around frantically in panic. She backtracked. “But I’d rather you stay on our side! Don’t leave me! The more, the merrier!”

Simon’s rigid posture loosened a bit. “I have no such plans. The Rath Ghul I believe in is dead, but I am my mother’s son. I will follow in her footsteps. I will fight for what is right.”

He looked into her eyes with absolute resolution. “I believe that the day you gather the great machina, you will do the right thing with the power you gain. Until then, I am your owl and no one else’s.”

Sasha got flustered, her face reddening and lip curling. Heh? What did he just say to me?

Major interjected into her thoughts. Too dull to recognize flirting?

She internally screamed at the dagger. You stay out of this! I’ll break you!

Scary woman!

Simon noticed her bewilderment and figured it to somehow be his error. Had their faces gotten too close? Did he say something odd? Was his breath bad?

He scooted away to give her some space. “I apologize. I’m illiterate when it comes to social cues and boundaries, especially when women are involved. My upbringing wasn’t exactly normal.”

“Don’t worry about it, really. I can relate.” Sasha burst out into anxious laughter. “But nobody’s ever said something so cheesy to me before. Were you hitting on me?” She lowered her voice to mockingly match his. “Until then, I am your owl and no one else’s.”

Social dread went across Simon’s face. His cringe was visceral even when hidden by a mask. He resisted an urge to pull at his hair. Later, in privacy, he would yell into his pillow. “Was it… that bad?”

She nodded with a carefree grin, inspiring a doomed groan from him in response.

Simon changed the subject out of self-preservation. “Putting that aside though, it’s a common belief that Convergence is a rat race for idiots, but there is something about it not many have realized.”

“Hmm, what’s that?”

“Every candidate has been a king fueled by greed. No one has ever sought Convergence for the people. It’s always something like immortality, power, or wealth.”

Sasha stared into the flames. “But I don’t know what my wish will be. I can’t say I’m any better than them.”

“That indecision is good. It means that you’re thinking it through; that you understand the weight of it all. You are better than them.”

Sasha took a deep breath. “I think I needed this talk. Thank you for putting up with me, Simon.”

“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t be against you forcing me out of my shell again someday. This was valuable.”

They meandered, sitting there with nothing uttered other than cleared throats. Simon broke the calmness with time. “I’ve gotten warm enough.”

“You can never be warm enough.”

Like a ghost, he faded away.

She rubbed her exhausted eyes. “You weirdo.”

His distancing voice bantered back. “Who even says weirdo?”

“I do, damn it.” Sasha stretched out in front of the fireplace. Her gaze got lost in it. She questioned Major. “Say, you’ve talked about sensing people’s feelings a few times, right?”

“That is correct. You overestimate the extent of the ability though. What I perceive is simply the soul state. It’s a lost art not remembered by many.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Souls give off energy. The characteristics of this energy like color, power, and purity ultimately form a bigger truth about every human. This is the soul state. We gods judged your kind based on them in the past age. For example, if Simon were a liar with malicious intentions, his soul wouldn’t match his actions. They do match though. His soul is a perfect gem.”

Sasha smiled. “I’ve never heard you speak so nicely about someone.”

“I do not have favorites. All I do is recognize merit and potential where I see it. His are simply exceptional.”

“Tell me, how is my soul? Is it pretty?”

“Do you seek flattery or the truth? You were worthy. Isn’t that enough?”

She cringed. “Lay it out straight to me.”

“Fine then. Moderately more pure than impure, you possess a human soul unremarkable in every quality except for its unshakable fortitude and resilience. Merciless adversity breaks some. It conditions others. You are the other. Like your brother, your color is blue.”

“Felt like I just had a fortune read to me. Guess it could’ve been worse. I don’t care about how I’m looking though. Abdul is the one I’m worried about.”

Major fell silent for an eerie moment. “I feared you would ask about him.”

Her eyebrows raised. “Is it that bad?”

Bad enough to keep within your head, but not for reasons you would expect. Abdul possesses a strong energy and will to live. He is a loyal, reliable comrade. It's his fundamental existence that is dreadful.

Sasha’s eyes sharpened in anticipation.

I’ve never seen such a thing. All life possesses a single soul and consciousness, but his is a patchwork amalgamation of dozens of souls... somehow ripped from their bodies... sealed in a way mirroring my own fate. He is a ritualistic vessel. A site of suffering and sacrifice caused by unforgivable human meddling. Though chaotic and self-cannibalizing, powerful. A machina of flesh? But for what reason?

Sasha’s heartbeat bounced. “I think I’m going to be sick. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? He’s been dealing with that all along in silence?”

“He does not remember such traumas, and that may be for the better. He only functions without crippling consequences because of that exact unknowing.”

“What could I ever do for him?”

“I do not know. If you wish to keep him as a capable ally, don’t unbury such memories. Save him from suffering from them again.”

“Trauma much worse than losing a brother, right?” She got up to her feet, shaking her head. Her muscles shook from fatigue simply from standing, but she could move. “Maybe it’s time I found that bathhouse. Wonder how it compares to Rath Ghul’s hot tub.”

Elise snapped to attention at her last sentence. “Bathhouse?”

“You’re itching for one too?”

“I’ll come with you.”

“If this place even has a running one.”

Elise joined Sasha to help her walk. They linked arms as if going on a date. Isaac got up to follow but Elise shooed him away. “You just rest and let us be. Girl’s night.”

He stuck his tongue out at her.

Together, the girls explored the lower halls of the manor. They departed down the western wing. It was a dreary place kept clean but lacking warmth. The tall windows peering out into the night lacked dust. So did the empty suits of armor standing guard, spaced out evenly. Each held a steel halberd.

Sasha spoke, unsure. “Doubt such a rundown place’s bathhouse would work, much less be clean.”

The scenery uneased Elise. “I absolutely hate this place.”

“Why not? Simon said it was safe,” Sasha asked.

They made it to the end of the grand hall lined with doors to unoccupied guest bedrooms and storerooms. The possible directions split left and right. Elise stared at a giant portrait painting spreading across the wall. A watercolor family of four gazed back down at them. Their pale skin appeared vampiric. An emotionless, rigid mother and father stood behind a familiar little girl.

Elise took a step back. “I knew it. This manor belongs to my family. I had no idea they’d ended up here. But if they’re not here, where did they go?”

Sasha put her hand on Elise’s shoulder. “You look sick. Gonna be alright?”

“No. I never wanted to see them again.”