Chapter 3

The sound of the figure’s bony fingers slowly tapping the mahogany pulpit echoed through the theater chamber as its dark gaze traveled across the people gathered within. Despite the abject terror Leo currently felt, his breathing was calm and composed. His eyes were fixed on the hood covered head that passed him by as if not taking notice of his presence, but peering deep into him at the same time.

It was impossible for Leo to rationalize the events unfolding in front of him. In order to maintain a semblance of mental composure, he forced himself to ignore his screaming instincts and pay attention to every detail of what was happening. Leo convinced himself that his very life might depend on paying proper attention, and as the storm inside his mind abated, he realized that statement could be more real than what he would like to admit.

“It’s beautiful. Beautiful indeed.” The creature spoke in its clear, yet fleeting voice. “Children with so much potential granted to them. I never tire of admiring it. The ancient one truly is of immeasurable wisdom.”

The figure let go of the pulpit and brought both hands to its chest.

“It pains me deeply that most of you will never live to fulfill it.” The voice carried a clear tone of sadness, but it felt wrong to Leo’s ears. Almost sarcastic. “But such is the way the ancient one deigned it to be. They created the path, and it falls not unto us, inferiors, to question It.”

A long moment of silence passed, and the figure sighed. The bony hands once again touched the pulpit as it straighten its back. Not a moment later its voice carried through the theater.

“You are all children of the ancient one, and he has bestowed upon each and everyone of you a blessing.” It paused to allow the words to sink before continuing. “Your blessings are many, but not all of them are relevant to you at the moment. You are only beginning your journey, and as such, I shall reveal only whichever ones I deem necessary. Discovery is also the path.”

The figure delicately swiped one of its hands in the air and five glowing figures appeared in the air. They shone with a dark blue hue, but before Leo could even ask himself the question, the figure answered.

“These are iron sigils. Each represents an aspect of your blessing. Body, Resilience, Life, Soul and Will.” It pointed to each different symbol as it named them. “In your journey you will have many opportunities to create them, and they will be the primary method of unlocking your potential.”

With another swipe of its hand the sigils disappeared. At the same time, Leo felt a slight burning sensation on his right arm. He couldn’t look down to check what it was, but he didn’t have to. The figure soon continued its explanation.

“I have given all of you one of each sigil. Think of it as a... welcoming gift. From the old,” It pointed at itself with one hand. “To the young.” It pointed to the audience with the other.

If the figure’s head wasn’t completely obscured by the hood, Leo was sure he would have seen a smile on its face.

“As much as I would enjoy watching you all take your first steps, I cannot stay much longer.” That wrong tone of sadness returned to the figure’s voice, and Leo couldn’t stop a shiver as it continued. “But fret not, the ancient one is wise and knows you have many unanswered questions. He has assigned each of you a lesser entity to guide you through the challenges to come.”

‘Challenges?’ Leo couldn’t help but get caught in the word.

“Challenges, yes.” The figure answered Leo’s question as if it could read his mind. “There is no reward without work, and no gift without expectation. You would be wise to learn this.”

The words rang on the uncomfortable silence that followed. Leo did his best to not think too much on it and kept paying attention to the mysterious figure. He waited with anxious expectation for it to continue. It didn’t take long for the dark clad figure to speak again.

“The lesser entities, or guides, will always be by your side, even when you cannot see them. In fact, they already are next to you, ever since you arrived here.”

Leo felt there was something different in the way the figure spoke of the guides, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

“The guides must follow a few rules while accompanying you, blessed children.”

The figure lifted its hand and held one finger up.

“They cannot lie.”

Then, the second finger went up.

“They aren’t allowed to interfere with the physical world.”

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Another finger, the third, went up.

“They cannot harm any blessed directly.”

After a brief pause, the fourth finger went up.

“Lastly, they cannot give information that wasn’t asked of them.”

Leo repeated the rules in his head while doing his best to remember them word by word. Which was a considerable effort considering the situation he found himself in. The figure was silent for a while, as if giving people the opportunity to take the rules to heart. When it deemed enough time had passed, it addressed the gathered people again.

“I fear my time with you is over. I shall soon depart and release my hold over your bodies, but before I do so, I will grant you one last bit of wisdom.” The figure leaned forward in the pulpit as it gripped its sides.

“Do not linger.”

As soon as Leo registered the words the figure started dissolving into its amorphous shape, getting darker with every passing moment. It then started collapsing into itself until there was only a tiny speck of inky black behind the pulpit. The moment the last speck disappeared, the full weight of his emotions and body crashed back on his senses. Leo lurched forward with a startle as a multitude of voices and sounds assaulted his ears.

With one hand on the chair in front of him and another over his furiously beating heart, Leo did his best to calm down, taking mouthfuls of air. The calmness was gone, and he couldn’t even think properly. Even his eyelids ached as his eyes widened in reflex to the terror he felt.

With great effort, Leo closed his eyes and tuned off everything happening outside of himself. He decided that the first step to overcome this was to put bring his emotions under control.

The fresh memory of what he had just experienced proved to be a relentless foe, despite his best efforts to calm down. His breath became fast and shallow and Leo felt as if the world would be spinning if he were to open his eyes.

He gripped the chair tightly with both hands and clenched his jaw as he fought back against losing his consciousness. As the fight against the flood of emotional load dragged on, Leo lost his sense of time.

When he finally calmed down and brought himself back to an acceptable state of mental stability, the theater was much quieter than before. A few people still moaned and cried in the distance, but it was subdued, muffled even.

Gathering as much of his courage as he could, he turned back to look at the friendly couple whom he had been speaking with before all these turbulent events had transpired.

Kando had an empty look in his eyes as he seemed to stare at nothing, and Aya held his arm with expectant anxiety. Her face was red and flushed, while his was slightly pale.

“Can you see it?” Aya's voice was almost a whisper, but Leo was close enough to hear it.

“Yes…” Kando mumbled under his breath.

Realization struck as Leo saw that Kando’s eyes weren’t vacantly staring at nothing, but at something he couldn’t see. Kando swiped his hand in the air and he flinched as they passed a certain spot. The man muttered inaudibly, but the distress was evident for Leo to observe.

“Is he alright?” Leo asked as he grew anxious at the display.

“I think so…” Aya answered with hesitation. “Are you alright, dear?” She asked Kando as she lightly poked at his arm.

“I see it…” Kando furrowed his eyebrows as he intently stared at the same empty spot in front of him. “It’s saying it’s the guide.”

“The guide? The guide the... figure from earlier told us about?” Leo asked before Aya could get a word in.

“Yes. It’s saying that...” Kando crossed his arms and his furrow deepened. A moment later he turned down to stare at the floor, visibly upset.

“Dear?” Aya prodded. “What did the guide say?”

“It said that…” Kando started after a long moment of hesitation. “We aren’t worth its effort. And that you shouldn’t expect yours to even show up.” Kando finished while still refusing to meet his wife’s eyes.

“That’s absurd!” Aya said. “Why would it say that?”

“I don’t know…” Kando muttered darkly.

“Can it even do that?” Aya spoke as she turned a hopeful eye to Leo. “Aren’t there rules?”

Leo recited the rules in his head as best as he could remember, even suppressing a chill that ran through his back as he remembered the very recent encounter.

“The rules don’t say anything about them being obligated to help…” Leo trailed off as the understanding of how loose the rules on their guides were dawned on him. He couldn’t help but think back on the weird tone the figure had when speaking of the guides.

‘Disgust. Maybe even hatred.’

“Are you sure, Mr Hall?” Aya inquired skeptically.

“I can’t be sure if those are all the rules, but if they are, there is nothing that says they actually need to put any effort in helping us.” Leo told the increasingly disheartened Aya.

“But then what would be the point of having these guides if they won’t help us?” Aya asked nervously as she glanced at Kando, who was still staring at the floor.

“That’s a good question.” Leo said as he leaned a bit closer to Kando. “Mr Kando, how did you manage to speak with and… see, your guide?”

A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed. Leo and Aya exchanged a worried look as Aya turned to gently poke Kando on the leg. Kando calmly turned to his wife and stared at her with eyes filled with worry as he took in his surroundings again.

“What is it, dear?” Kando spoke softly and gently.

“Leo just asked how you contacted the guide.” Aya said as she gently brushed his arm.

“I didn’t.” Kando said. “It just showed up, hovering in the air in front of me.”

“That’s…” Leo trailed off, unsure what to think or say.

“It’s going to be alright dear.” Aya said as she continued to brush her husband’s arm. “We have been through a lot, and we will go through this as well. I am sure of it.”

“Hm.” Kando finally turned to face his wife and Leo could tell the smile on the man’s face was forced.

The situation they all found themselves in was so surreal Leo couldn’t properly process what was happening, but still, he couldn’t help admiring the way the older couple in front of him was taking things. What the guide had said to make Kando so upset was worrying, but so were most of the things happening since waking up in this place.

Leo took a deep, calming breath, and tried to find some measure of emotional equilibrium. He tried to prepare himself for what he suspected would be a day with a lot more to happen.