“Ha. haha, ahahahahahah.”

The sound of laughter echoed through the empty church, causing both Finnean and Corvin to tense up. In front of them was the hooded figure of Daniel, clutching his stomach and wiping away his tears.

“What’s so funny?” Corvin yelled, clutching his crossbow, his eyes rapidly darting back and forth.

“Ah. I don’t know, it’s all so scary,” he chuckled. “My skill just backfired, but all I can do is laugh. Isn’t that messed up?”

Daniel glanced up and both men flinched.

“Are you going to be a liability? I don’t want to kill you,” Corvin muttered with a completely still voice.

“I’ll be fine - not the first time my soul’s been messed up.” Although he said that, this time was completely different.

The world around him was so colourful and full of life that he couldn’t help but laugh. It was like he was seeing it through a pane of glass, a masterful play full of suspense. The theatre stage was riveting, and he couldn’t wait to see what the characters would do next. There was not even a single thought devoted to what had happened, to how his soul had shattered and how his ego had died.

“Fucking great. Everything is going wrong. I never should have agreed with this dumb plan,” Corvin cursed, looking between Daniel and Thalia.

“We can always run. The wyvern likely won’t follow us, busy as it is with the beasts,” Finnean said, unbothered as ever.

“No. If we do that, then all of this will have been for naught. Might as well finish what we started. Besides, what if it does follow us? We’re beyond dead in the middle of open plains.”

“Then there’s no use in panicking. We just need a good plan to kill the thing. Now, what if we do this...” Finnean excitedly laid out his plans, but Daniel lost interest in the minute details.

Instead, he focused on himself, or rather, the body that he was inhibiting. What a strange and laughable thing reality was. He was thrust into a silly world where he played being someone important, and he actually cared for it. A perfect chance to play a superhero in an imaginary world he was likely dreaming up while lying in a coma back on Earth. He giggled to himself.

Vague thoughts idly passed his mind as he wondered whether or not this was a permanent thing. It was then that he got a brilliant idea - what would happen if he used his strongest skill like this? There was only one way to find out, and it was by whispering three words in his mind.

‘Gate of Reincarnation.’

Like magic, the horrible sensation from earlier disappeared, now replaced by a deep sense of disgust at himself. If such a minor setback was to crush his soul, then he wasn’t worthy of being the lord of this place. Thirty different beast souls were staring up at Daniel, treading the path along the river. Without him, they would be stuck here forever with no chance at a second life. If he was lucky enough to have one, then surely they deserved it as well.

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Below, Xaviar was observing at Daniel with a look of concern, and when he turned his gaze inwards, he saw what the problem was. A clean crack had split his soul into three uneven pieces, and just as luck would have it, the smaller piece held the crimson river coiling around his heart, the core of his phantasmal being and his consciousness.

A faint mist swirled around him, the whispers no longer audible in his realm. Each revolution it made, it seeped further into the razor-fine cracks, the sadness and lament tainting his soul blue. His two god-awful skills were working in tandem to cause him the most suffering. This couldn’t continue.

“Protect me,” Daniel said, landing next to Xaviar.

Like a caterpillar, he spun the red river all around him, surrounding himself in a cocoon made of water. Slowly, like a surgeon practising his craft, he started mending the fractures, weaving together the gaps in personality. Some memories of his former life would be lost, but that was the cost of attempting feats beyond his current stats. Besides, they only got in the way of his decision-making on the mortal plane.

The soul was such a delicate thing. Changing even a tiny bit could cause an irreversible shift in personality or leave one with a crippling mental issue. If he were not the ruler of this place, having absolute control over the souls of his domain, he would’ve never even attempted this.

Thus, it was an elaborate process that required time and concentration, but the feeling of comfort that spread through his soul reaffirmed his decision. Ocean blue clashed with crimson red, symbolising arrogance and power, and lost. Even though the mist remained, it too would fade given time. He just had to refrain from recharging the skill.

Bursting out from his cocoon, he coiled the river and lashed out at the void. His soul was brimming with power, the sense of helplessness nowhere to be found. Daniel wished he could stay here forever, but there were so many souls out there, just waiting for his delicate touch. Grand things were waiting to be constructed in his underworld. All he needed to do was survive.

“Ah, you’re still here. Thanks. I’ve got leads about the Steelford family, but I need a few days. See you,” he said to Xaviar as an afterthought, and before he could even respond, the world around Daniel changed.

The first thing he noticed was that he was lying on the floor and that his entire body was stiff and uncomfortable. Next to him lay Thalia, intact but practically a skeleton, like the worst patient of anorexia to ever exist. Next to one corner of the church, Finnean was sewing a slew of runes onto a doll, and Corvin was peering outside, his crossbow at ready.

They both turned their heads as Daniel picked himself up off the floor. Neither spoke, but Corvin subtly shifted his crossbow.

“What was that? What happened earlier?” he said, barely louder than a whisper.

Seeing how tense they were, it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. Daniel lifted his hands, holding his body still.

“I’m fine now, I swear. One of my skills puts me in deep meditation, fixes up any problems I have,” he lied.

“You sure?” Finnean asked, a trace of concern in his eyes.

“Yeah. As I said, one of my skills backfired. Didn’t even know it could do that,” he gave them a wry smile. “As long as I don’t think about it, I’ll be fine,” Daniel said, immediately thinking about it. He shuddered.

A minute of silence washed over them, which was broken by Corvin letting out a heavy sigh and lowering his crossbow.

“The plan will go a lot more smoothly with him here,” Corvin commented, turning to Finnean. He nodded.

“So, what’s the plan?”