8 Memento Mori

Orion kept staring at the Wraith with dead eyes. 

His mind was still in the freezing temperature of the summit, his fingers still numb from hammering and grabbing. It wasn't wrong to say that he had gone a little — almost unnoticeable — bit insane from his stay there.

Now that he thought about it, did he sleep or take any breaks? He recalls watching the sun and those strange moons rising back and forth.

The Vow Wraith sighed,

"I was… not expecting that answer. In fact, the trial was over when you ran out of metals to mold, mimicking perseverance."

He got up.

"It is unexpected to think that you would have understood the nature of a Wraith of Clubs during the trial. Even I took centuries to do so.

I must congratulate you for such a feat."

Orion weakly nodded, his mind returning to the room before looking at his body.

The four chains disappeared. As Orion had successfully completed each trial, the restraints holding the Wraith's power back were gone. The Vow Wraith has accepted him.

However, there was one left.

A vibrant blue chain with a strange symbol on it. A Suit he had never seen before.

"As you see, there is one last trial."

Orion lifted his eyes tiredly. 

Those words alone were enough to make anyone cry out of exhaustion.

Was it still not enough?

After everything — especially those days inside the Trial of Clubs — he still had to complete another one?

"Do not fear. This one is not as demanding as the last one. I would not wish you to undergo such a traumatic experience again. In fact, the Trial of Joker is a mere question."

Orion's lip separated,

"Trial of… what?"

The Wraith sat in front of Orion,

"As you have seen, I am not a normal Wraith. My nature is far more different than the other four Suits, and so is my goal. And since you have proved worthy of all four Suits, I must ask you something else."

"Out of sheer respect for your achievements."

Orion frowned.

A Wraith was showing… respect to him? That was unheard of. Why would one show respect for the species trying to kill them? The Wraith snorted but didn't answer his doubts.

Instead, it said,

"Trial of Joker."

Orion held a breath. His heart pumped like relentless drums, attempting to escape his chest. Time seemed to grow still.

The Wraith spoke,

"Are you willing to help me finish my goal as I will help you complete yours?"

Orion remained silent for a moment.

The answer was relatively simple. A mutual exchange of benefits. Something anyone would agree with in a heartbeat. But Orion was a human. And it was a Wraith.

The goals of a human and a Wraith tended to clash as they were complete opposites. 

But if this specific one was willing to help him…

Then Orion would gladly help him back. The boy smiled for the first time in days,

"Of course."

The vibrant blue chain around Orion vanished. The Wraith remained silent as it offered a handshake, which Orion quickly accepted.

The room around them started crumbling.

Before they were engulfed by an expanding void, Orion said,

"I'm Orion."

The Wraith nodded and replied,

"I am Master of Wraiths. I will look forward to your co-operation."

He smiled,

"Likewise."

The world turned black.

——

A weird feeling lingered.

Have you ever taken a nap that lasted far longer than you expected? 

The feeling when you wake up wet and dry at the same time. Where your throat is as sore as it could get.

Where every nerve of your body is having trouble re-connecting to your brain, as is tickling every cell that's living.

Well, Orion felt that but amplified far more than words could explain.

His body felt foreign. Moves as simple as lifting a finger seemed to carry a will he had to get used to.

He was conscious but couldn't move.

However, he could properly think.

'What now… Really?'

His eyelids twitched.

'For fuck's sake, did I forget how to exist? Come on, you've gone through worse, Orion. Move. Now!'

Orion furrowed his brow, his teeth gritted momentarily against each other.

With each second, he could feel his body responding.

First, it was a finger, then a toe. Then, a hand. A foot. An arm. A leg.

It wasn't long until Orion jolted awake from the metallic bed — sitting up that exact moment with hurried breaths. 

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Finally… hell, that was a weird feeling."

Rubbing his eyes and cleaning them up, Orion looked at where he currently was.

The room was identical to how he had last seen it. The wood — once refined — was rotting away and giving off a horrible stench. The small holes in the walls let a dim blue hue inside.

How long had he been asleep?

Minutes?

Hours?

Assuming that the time of the trials directly translates to the real world, then at least some days.

'My head is going to split open… agh.'

Letting out a pained moan, Orion's world started spinning.

Perhaps sitting up so fast was a bad idea.

Trying to get out of the metallic bed, Orion's hand slipped and fell shoulder-first to the ground — a hollow sound echoing down the open double doors.

"Agh, fuck… This is worse than overdosing on Essence."

The hangover Orion felt was the worst yet. It wasn't uncomfortable. It was something past it. He couldn't find the words to explain how absolutely wrecked he felt.

His body, mind, and soul felt weird. Or rather, different.

Pushing himself slowly off the floor, Orion stumbled to the sides before catching the bed. Taking a breath, he stood still to understand what was going on.

His body felt lighter.

Or was it improved?

Two years inside the Wraith Realm, only surviving drinking the Essence of Wraiths — their blood for easier understanding — or their flesh made his body evolve differently.

Firstly, while it granted him more strength, his stamina seemed to have reduced considerably.

It also made him very alert to his surroundings, which was the better way of saying paranoid. 

Not even the slightest details could escape his sight.

Naturally, achieving those 'mutations' wasn't easy, as Orion named them.

He had to test a lot on the dosage of Essence, as the larger the amount he consumed, the more strength but worse side-effect it would produce.

Addictions to that feeling of power were inevitable. 

Orion fell on one for some months before deciding to tone the dosage down.

The withdrawal is what made him overly paranoid. His mind wouldn't stop thinking that everything was wrong. Even while approaching the Essence Infuser, he felt that something wasn't right.

Now, however…

'So peaceful. When was the last time I felt this way? I can breathe properly for the first time in months.'

Orion took a deep inhale after another.

It felt too good not to enjoy it, especially after living in hell itself for so long. The sensation wasn't intoxicating. It was… calming.

Before Orion could think anything again, a voice echoed,

"I thought you would not awake, although it took you less than I expected."

Orion opened his eyes and looked around the room. The voice seemed to come from everywhere. For the ground, the ceiling, the walls.

Or rather, it seemed to come from himself.

Remaining still for some seconds, Orion sighed in relief and muttered,

"You can talk in my mind, Master of Wraiths?"

His Phantom laughed,

"Please, call me Master. Not as the form of a title but rather as a mere name. I do not wish for you to feel inferior to me in any way."

Orion chuckled alongside Master.

The last thing he thought was that his Phantom purposely chose that name to mess with him. 

Straightening his back and stretching his limbs, Orion spoke in his mind,

'How long was I asleep?'

"After the Vow of Hunt ended, two hours. It seemed like your being needed time to adapt to my Ability and the result of the five Trials. But it seemed to have had no issue on doing so."

'That's good to hear.'

Orion looked at his body.

The wounds had disappeared. His fingers had finally grown back to their correct place, and he could enjoy having a healthy body again.

Probably the result of surviving the Vow and the treatment the Infuser gave him.

And yet, there was an extra sensation that he couldn't exactly describe.

He felt way healthier than he expected.

"The Vow of Hunt seems to have cleansed all infections you may have gotten during your two-year stay in my Realm and on your planet. In other words, your body is at its optimal state."

Orion curved his lips up but quickly frowned, asking,

'How do you know about that?'

"I read your memories," Master replied. "My entire being has integrated with yours. I reside inside your Card, or your soul in simpler terms, and can speak with you inside your own mind."

'That's useful.'

Orion slowly walked towards the double doors of the building, his only way out. As he expected, it was night-time. The hallway looked far more ominous than he last recalled.

But most strangely, there was something he didn't remember the hallway to contain.

A… small wooden box.

'Huh? Was that there before.'

The box was in the middle of the hallway. It was hard not to notice it. There was a lantern glowing with a blue hue on one corner, lighting it up.

Slowly walking, Orion grabbed the box and brought it into the room. Then, he closed the doors to have some sense of security and safety.

Crouching beside it, he noticed a letter stuck to one of the edges of the wood. Grabbing it, Orion read it,

"Well done, First Unleashed Orion. Your first Vow of Hunt has exceeded all of my expectations. To think that you would not only conquer all four Trials but also the Wild Card Trial is a feat to take pride in!"

Orion frowned, 'Wild Card?'

Nonetheless, he kept reading.

"Based on the post-Vow rewards that He has granted to us Essence Infusers, you've won the honor of receiving the highest possible reward. A high-numbered Weapon and Fragment!"

"But do not take it for granted. Everyone dies from a bite to the neck, after all!"

"I will look forward to your second Vow of Hunt. Remember to check your Spectral Record. Once the time is correct, we will meet again, Orion. And keep in mind…"

"Memento Mori."