The light of the Spire would soon shine again. He stretched his arms, touching the low ceiling, and let out a yawn. Slightly off balance, he swayed forward, then sat back down on the bed.

It had been several weeks since he had woken up, and though the intermittent moments of control were certainly annoying, he had begun to adjust to this human’s body. It hadn’t been an easy task, and he still needed more time before certain movements could feel even remotely natural. And there were things that he was simply not going to enjoy getting used to.

This human’s body was short. Too short. He was used to be the tallest person in the room, and he absolutely despised having to look up at people to meet their gazes. He could always force this body to adapt to his image of it, but it was wrong to do so.

With pursed lips and furrowed brows, he lay on the bed. His hand clenched around the amulet. He was still as bewildered as when he first saw it – what was this doing in the hands of humans? His expression darkened as rage burned in his chest.

Someone had taken this from her. He needed to find who, and he needed to find what had happened to her. Anything else he could forgive, but not this. His fingers clenched around it until it hurt. With a sigh, he forced himself to calm down, to relax his grip, and close his eyes.

This boy, Ash, was weak. But he was growing stronger day by day. He didn’t watch him during the day too much – it just felt wrong, and he preferred to work on his own power, separate from that of Ash, but he did see glimpses, and vaguely knew what he was up to. And what he saw satisfied him.

He was on the right path, slowly but surely gaining power. His mana core was slowly evolving, but that would take time. So the boy had taken to try and learn how to live with having soul magic infecting his very being.

He let out a sigh. It was weighing on his conscience. He could see how it damaged him. Soul magic wasn’t something for humans to use, so it was slowly unravelling his soul. If he wasn’t here to pick up the pieces, his sanity would have slipped away by now.

He turned to the side and tucked his hand under the pillow. He closed his eyes and let the sleeping consciousness to take over.

Maya sat across the table with pursed lips and furrowed brows. She seemed uneasy and nervous, constantly shifting her weight, and twirling her shoulder length crimson hair around her fingers. She had only eaten a few bites of her breakfast so far, while everyone else had finished theirs.

“Maya?” Fionna finally asked with a hesitant tone. “What’s wrong?”

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The other girl visibly flinched. “Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “We should probably head to class.” She pushed her tray away and stood up, leaving the cafeteria with hasty steps.

Leon rolled his eyes. “She didn’t even wait for us.”

Damien shrugged. “Clearly something’s on her mind. Leave her be. Also, she is right. We should head outside. I’d rather not deal with Professor Maple’s wrath for being late.”

As always, they met up with Professor Maple in the southern gardens of the High Tower, near the Tree of Spirits. Maya was there already, and she seemed just as uneasy as she did in the cafeteria.

“Alright, don’t waste any time,” the professor waved his hand dismissively. “Head to wherever you feel is best for you and start meditating.”

Like every other day, they spread out. Ash headed to the Tree of Spirits, sitting with his back against its bark. He was about to close his eyes when he noticed Maya walking towards him with a fire in her eyes.

She approached with hesitant steps, and crouched beside him, looking him directly in the eye. “I talked with dad.”

His heart sank as possibilities crossed his mind. Had he told her about how his mana pool was diluted? About his dealings with the crown prince she seemed to despise so much, about how the Oracle wanted him to undergo the cleansing ritual, and almost certainly die?

“We fought,” she added with a cold voice. “Because he told me that he betrayed your trust.” She narrowed her eyes. “He said you almost died under his care. Is it true, Ash?”

He averted his gaze. “Shouldn’t you trust your father over me?”

“Just answer, damn it!” She punched the tree in anger. “Is it true?”

Ash let out a sigh. “He followed the Oracle’s orders.” He needed to choose his words carefully. “I don’t think he ever had bad intentions.”

Maya glared at him. “But why would the Oracle’s orders end up with-“ her eyes suddenly widened with realisation. Her jaw tightened as she pressed her lips together, forming a thin line. A moment passed in silence. “Your mana pool,” she spoke, her voice but a whisper. “Is it diluted? Are you affected by Soul Magic?”

Ash hesitated. “My mana pool isn’t diluted,” How Ira drew out that ink-like dark mana was still fresh in his mind. “But my mana heart has traces of soul magic.”

The relief that appeared on Maya’s face turned into confusion almost immediately. “What does that mean?” She asked with a scowl. “How can your mana pool be pure when your mana heart isn’t? I don’t understand.”

Ash shrugged. “I don’t fully understand either,” a smile appeared on his lips. “But I’m alright, I’m slowly growing stronger, I’m learning.” He pressed his hand against his heart. “And having a trace of soul magic in my mana heart hasn’t hurt me.”

His attempts to reassure her seemed to have worked as colour returned to her face. “I see.” She hesitated, “I still don’t understand why the Oracle wanted to conduct a cleansing ritual on you, since your mana pool isn’t diluted. Dad didn’t tell me what made her stop – just that he was worried it would affect our relationship.”

Ash shook his head. “I wouldn’t hold what your father did against you – I don’t even hold it against him.” It wasn’t a lie, Inquisitor Victor was just following orders. He couldn’t have gone against the Oracle, even if he wanted to. His words and actions represented the Emperor after all. And the Oracle chosen by the Lotus Pool just like the Emperor’s bloodline had been chosen ages ago. They were a united front.

“What made them change their mind? How come did the Oracle just… let you walk away?” Maya asked.

“That would be my doing.” A voice spoke, startling them both. Ash’s gaze shot up, while Maya turned around in a panic, her complexion growing pale as her gaze landed on the owner of the voice.

“Your Highness!”