"How peaceful." Adolph stood before the bodies of the three young men, barely illuminated by the flickering embers of the campfire. The three bodies lay there silently; their forms lay still, shadows dancing over their lifeless faces. Eyes closed... and can never be opened again.

"My consciousness was active the entire time while I waited for you to wake up from the grass where the champions left you. Thus, I witnessed everything. I can recount their efforts—testify to their final moments, should you wish."

"Then, can you tell me how they died?"

"Certainly."

Niche slowly paced in the distance, moving from the leftmost body to the right.

"Earlier this afternoon, these three ventured down to the settlement by the river to seek clues and help regarding what transpired back in the morning. Unfortunately, that was when these thieves showed up and wreaked havoc here. When they arrived, the thieves were nearly finished with their plundering. They emptied the whole house and captured the three people who were left there. They placed them inside a caged wagon, treating them like... spoils of war. That wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing to see after you arrived, and these three decided to fight."

Niche approached one of the bodies before continuing. "This one," Niche said, gesturing towards Runick.

"He was the bravest of them all. Upon arrival, he was the first to charge at the sight of his captured friends."

"Yeah... I can imagine that," Adolph affirmed with a voice tinged with sorrow.

"He killed the coachman with a single, fierce stab and found the keys to the cage, frantically trying to open it. But he left his back exposed. His bravery turned into recklessness. His two friends were too late to save him from the thieves who flanked him... and he was slashed twice at the back before their eyes."

Niche continued to walk and reached List's body.

"A cool-headed one, this young man. When his first friend was killed, he executed the assailant with a well-placed arrow to the head. But afterward, it appeared as if he didn't know what to do next. Looking around at all the thieves surrounding them, he seemed lost, waiting for orders from his friend, who was too shocked to act. He was struck by a knife to his chest before he could do anything... a deep, mortal wound to which he slowly bled out to death."

Niche, reaching the last body, stopped. Its eyes focused on Charon as if lamenting the young man's fate.

"This young man was the most devastated of them all." Niche stated. "His friend died before his eyes and another one bled to death into his arms, but he couldn't do anything except be shocked. He didn't release the arrow he had readied in his bow, nor unsheathe the knife at his waist. He was overwhelmed... and that weakness cost him everything. Barth himself delivered his death with a cold, stab to his heart."

Niche looked up to Adolph as if saying that their story was finished. Adolph, in turn, didn't say a single word for a short time after Niche's piece. His mind deeply contemplated something and now he was lost in his thoughts. Again.

The sputtering flames beside them added to the sorrowful stillness of the whole place. The rustling of nearby trees sang an elegy for the fallen as Adolph and Niche maintained their silence for a time.

"Do you think they were satisfied with their deaths?" Adolph asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He suddenly sank to the ground, his hand finding its way to touch Charon's feet.

"Why do you ask?" Niche answered back. Concerned, but its voice didn't make it obvious.

Adolph stared hard at the black fox. The eyes of his mask glimmered in faint gold, and it completely captured Niche's attention.

"Why do you ask, Adolph?" Niche repeated. Adolph turned his gaze back to Charon and said, "Because... I don't think they were."

Niche felt Adolph was about to do something, and that intuition was right. Niche promptly ran toward Adolph, whispering, "No... Adolph, don't tell meー"

But it was too late.

"Resurrection... soul-binding of the damned."

Adolph's incantation rang out loud and clear in the still air. With high anticipation, Adolph waited for feedback—for the dark matter to envelope the body of Charon and do its thing. He waited for the black transformation... but something else appeared instead.

Incantation failed. The compensation will soon proceed.

The words of his privilege flashed before him: words enough for Adolph to understand what was about to happen.

Suddenly, a crushing pressure manifested in Adolph's head. It was constricting as if something immense was strangling his consciousness—making him feel as though his mind could slip away at any moment. It was a heavy and rough sensation that progressively grew stronger and continuously tortured the sentience out of Adolph's mind.

"...dolph!...A...you...right?" Niche's fuzzy words echoed around Adolph, but his dazzled mind couldn't focus. Grunting in pain, he struggled for relief. It lasted for a few agonizing seconds until...

THUD.

The sensation vanished suddenly like a bubble popping. Adolph was left kneeling on the ground, grunting—his head buried in the dirt, his hands gripping it hard.

"Are you broken?" Niche asked, its voice now trembling with fear. "I'm sorry, I failed to explain this part to you."

"I'm... I'm alright. Just... a little groggy and... numb." Adolph struggled to regain his balance; it took a few seconds before he could sit properly without swaying like a drunk man.

"I've seen my... privilege, was it? It mentioned a compensation."

"Yes. When you fail to use an incantation according to its terms, there is a corresponding repercussion—that's the compensation. It is proportional to the severity of your flaw, so you can't carelessly use one without properly understanding it. I suggest that you check the terms of our incantations yourself."

"I agree... That would be wise."

PHYSIS.

Adolph

Champion of the Soul Wisp

Familia: --

Soul Essence: 5

Acquired Blessings: 1

Incantations: 2

Adolph summoned his privilege before him. The screen updated with new information, but Adolph ignored the changes. His gaze was fixed solely on the lowest part of the screen: his incantations.

"I want to access my incantations," he commanded his privilege.

Incantations

- Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

- Resurrection, Soul-Binding Of The Damned

Adolph focused on the first incantation, and surely, the privilege reciprocated by providing Adolph with the details he needed to know.

Salvation, Soul's End Guidance

Resource Class Incantation

Extract the soul essence from the dead. The extracted soul essence shall be stored inside the champion's privilege as the primary resource for incantations.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I see... What about the next one?"

Resurrection, Soul-Binding Of The Damned

Utility Class Incantation

With the cost of a body material and a soul essence, one can resurrect a soul reaver from being dormant. It can also be used to renew the state of a soul reaver, regaining its original form.

"The incantation for the resurrection mentioned the word 'soul reaver,' Niche," Adolph said, pointing to the panel where the word was written.

"Personas influenced by the blessings of the soul wisps. Simply put, that's us." Niche playfully twitched its long, sharp ears as it explained. Then, it turned its head toward the distant treeline behind the barn, squinting at something.

"So, I can't use it on anyone else?" Adolph asked.

"Exactly."

"And because of that, it took away two of my essence?"

Niche returned its gaze to Adolph. "You should be thankful it took them. Otherwise, the physical distress might have been more severe than earlier. The world law is complex... very, as I've said."

Adolph pondered for a moment, thinking of what to do next. His actions suggest that he hasn't given up on his plans. This unusual determination Adolph was showing made Niche wonder for a reason.

"Why do you want to revive them?" Niche asked.

"No... not revive. I'm simply doing to them what the soul wisp did to me."

Confused, Niche furrowed its brows. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm simply... taking their death away from them."

Niche was utterly surprised at Adolph's words. Were it not for the seriousness of his tone, Niche would've dismissed it as a joke. But no, those words held a weight of meaning behind them—and Niche acknowledged it.

"What happens to the extracted souls when I use salvation?" Adolph asked as he scanned his privilege before him.

"It becomes a soul essence primarily used to fuel our incantations."

"Do those souls still have consciousness? Do they still have their sense of past self?"

"A pure soul contains someone's consciousness and memory, but once you convert it into a soul essence, I doubt it will remain the same. As a soul essence, it merely becomes a consumable to our bidding. So, I'm afraid they won't retain their sense of self if you convert them."

"That leaves me with the last resort..."

Niche paused for a moment, and surely, an idea popped into its mind about what Adolph was referring to as his last resort. "A new incantation," guessed Niche.

"Teach me how to do it."

Niche showed a sincere smile; its eyes met Adolph's for a moment before speaking. "Make a request before the world law, pay the tribute needed, and then you can start with the creation proper."

"Alright..."

PHYSIS.

"I want to create a new incantation."

A champion's request was recognized. The tribute will soon be collected.

Shortly after, two separate screens appeared before Adolph. One was labeled "demand" and the other "offering." Niche went to Adolph's side, rested its front legs on top of Adolph's knee, and leisurely stretched down its whole body.

"Are you tired?" Adolph asked.

"No, I just felt the need to do it. That aside, I presume you can see your privilege split into two?" Adolph nodded to confirm Niche's query.

"Alright. From here on, everything you ask of the world law shall be and always will be, fair. The world law only asks one thing: maintain the equilibrium of things. Demand something significant, then offer something equivalent or greater—which would be much better. The thing is, no one knows if something big is 'big enough'. Nevertheless, you must always satisfy the law. Failure to do so will void the current session, resulting in a wasted tribute. Physis!"

Niche momentarily stopped to scan its privilege. "Our essences are now down to three... meaning the tribute consumed two of them earlier. Suppose you want to revive these three with a new incantation, then you can only include one essence under your offering. The rest... shall be all within your decision, benefactor."

Niche's words left Adolph hanging in a tight situation. The weight of this one-time chance heavily burdened him, knowing that the futures of three hung in the balance. Deep inside, Adolph knew that he would regret it if his efforts failed here. But backing down would betray this unfamiliar determination he was holding onto. With the stillness of things, the silence surrounding Adolph seemed to ring with a nerve-wracking tension.

In that silence, Adolph remembered the voices—the very same voices that called out to him in his dreams. He remembered his ramblings... his anger for being alive again and still suffering. But, what he was doing now contradicts those prior feelings. He was making an effort... again, which was something he hated to do. He began to doubt his beliefs and in turn, believe in his doubts. He knew that once he did this, there would be no going back. But something still lingered, and that something kept on stopping him from moving forward.

"Believe in yourself."

Niche words were so sudden, but they couldn't have arrived at the best time. They amounted to just three words, but they gave Adolph what he needed most at that time.

"I will."

Calmness returned to Adolph. The gears in his mind turned endlessly, seeking a formula—a solution. One that would satisfy everyone: the authority of the world law, the lives of the three young men before him, and the tiny warm feeling that had sprouted inside him. In a flash, he remembered his reflection in the antique mirror the night he was reincarnated.

"Niche, you once said that a soul is one of the components that form the living, right?" Adolph asked out of the blue.

"Yes," confirmed Niche, ears twitching as if they were asking, "Why do you ask?"

"What are the other components?"

"That's... The body as the vessel of life, and the spirit as the fuel of life."

"Is that so..." Adolph returned his focus to the floating screens in front of him, particularly the one labeled "demand." With a loud and clear voice, he began to speak.

"I demand... for the authority to mark a material thing with an emblem which shall be recognized as a vessel for a soul. The soul of the dead can reside inside this vessel and make it its new living body, granted the title of a soul reaver under my power."

The clean state of the "demand" screen was slowly filled with patches of words from Adolph's speech. It was now a recorded fact, while the other panel awaited its turn to be fulfilled.

"In return... I offer a soul essence to fuel this incantation. I shall also offer the soul of the dead as the target, and a body material as the source for the creation of its new body." Adolph promptly looked at Niche beside him. He waited for a confirmation from his companionーa nod to affirm if he did things right.

But Niche subtly wiggled its head. "Not enough..." its mouth whispered. Adolph returned his gaze to the privileges before him. Behind the screens, he could barely see the lifeless bodies of the young men.

His mind pondered on the fact that he was not acquainted with any of them, yet he still poured this effort into them. He knew little about them, and few knew what had happened to them here. No one knew what was happening to them now, and no one would know what would happen to them in the future. That's right...

No one should know.

"I shall also offer the consent of the dead souls to partake in this incantation as well as their consent... to offer their past existence." Niche's eyes widened at what its ears had heard, while Adolph continued to express his part. "Their past name will be forfeited, and their past lives will be forgotten to all. They will bear this burden while they exist as soul reavers—while they exist in this land."

For the second time, Adolph looked back to Niche as if seeking approval again. This time, Niche nodded solemnly, seconding Adolph's decision. Adolph looked back at the screens to finalize everything. "These are the terms of this incantation."

His part was done, now the world law shall soon decide.

The screens vanished before him, and the darkness of the night returned to envelop their surroundings. The embers of the nearby campfire had long died, leaving only the bright grace of the moon above to shower them with solace. A weak breeze brushed over them, bending the white-tinted grass beneath its power. Then...

Draw the symbol of the emblem.

A sudden prompt flickered on Adolph's privilege, and a sigh of relief escaped him as he realized it wasn't a rejection of his request. Adolph lifted his hand before the screen, and with his index finger, he started to trace an intricate figure in the air. Niche, observing his sudden behavior, furrowed its brow with much curiosity. "What are you doing, Adolph?"

Adolph continued to draw the symbol and when he was finished, he answered, "This is the emblem."

Adolph's Lotus [https://i.imgur.com/WkdZ4J1.jpeg]

The privilege disappeared, leaving again a tense silence. Anticipation hung in the air between the two, until the awaited response materialized before Adolph.

Creation successful. Your incantation has been validated and approved.

"Worked..."

"Say again?"

"The creation... It was successful."

A wide grin spread across Niche's face. "Of course, it will. You did a great job, Adolph."

"Yeah. And thank you for being there, partner."

Niche was momentarily taken aback by Adolph's unexpected gratitude. Refreshing. That simple acknowledgment seemed to fill the black fox with a sense of genuine happiness.

"I'm always happy to help," Niche replied warmly. "But I'm curious about the name the world law has given to this incantation?"

"Let's see." Adolph paused, meeting Niche's gaze. "The name is..."

.

.

.

"Awaken, Contract From A Forgotten Promise."