Former Self

'The days I've spent in that cell seem – unknown to me. Not in the sense that I have forgotten them, but more like they belonged to someone else, someone I used to be. In those long stretches of time, where the sun's movement across the sky was my only clock and the shadows my only companions, my mind wandered into places I'd never been, places I'd never even conceived of in my life outside these walls. At first, it felt like a defense mechanism – an escape into imagination to avoid confronting the dark reality of my imprisonment. I could conjure up entire worlds with the scrape of my fingernail on the cold stone, entire dialogues with the whisper of a breeze through a crack in the barred window. But over time, those imaginary places grew roots. They became more real to me than my own memories.

It's… It's a strange sensation, losing yourself without really noticing it. Like watching a ship drift slowly away from the shore, you know something is changing, but the change is so incremental that you don't react until the distance has become insurmountable. The person I once was – the person who entered this cell – had hopes, dreams, connections to people and places. But over the years, those ties have frayed and snapped, one by one. What remains is a mere echo, a ghost of my former self. This ghost moves in predictable patterns, repeats old phrases, clings to the last vestiges of a fading identity. It's easier that way, easier than fighting against the constant erosion of time and isolation.

And so, I've let that ghost take over. He knows how to navigate the emptiness, how to find comfort in the repetition of daily rituals, how to forget the unfulfilled ambitions and broken promises that litter the path behind me. The person I used to be – he had too many questions, too many doubts. But the ghost? He doesn't ask why or when. He just exists, day by day, moment by moment. And maybe that's all that's left for me now – just existing, until there's nothing left at all… Maybe Ruby was right. I should've ended this madness a long time…'

"Come on, everyone," Nia announced, guiding the prisoners into a circle. "We're teleporting you to Volikan. You can find help there."

"Teleportation magic?" one of them exclaimed, disbelief in his eyes. "You guys know level-five spells?"

"Of course they do!" another prisoner said, eyeing the group's blood-red masks. "They use blood magic; we're lucky they didn't just finish us off."

"We're not as heartless as the gods." Lilith joined the conversation. "No one is finishing no one. You will be safe. Don't worry."

"We can't go to Volikan!" another one yelled. "They'd kill us! Nearly all of the guards there work for the Champion of Ur. If they learn we escaped here – we're as good as dead."

"Shit." Ji-Hye tapped her foot in frustration. "Okay, let's… let's teleport you to Redhaven, then."

"The Topple is out and about." countered Nia. "We can't, ma'am. It's too risky to let new people into Redhaven now."

"How about Snow Fallen?" suggested Hyun-Ki. "It's the closest city. Also, the King of Snow Fallen, Esvor, is an unblessed one. He doesn't follow any god or their rules."

"Mm," His older sister nodded. "You're right. Let's get you to Snow Fallen, people. Sou – hey, S." she caught herself before revealing his name. "Can you teleport them there?"

"Too far. I'd need a lot of blood to even start the magic." He answered with a dull voice.

"Is that 'the' blood magic user?" asked one of the prisoners. "Gods – are you really a blood magic user?"

Soul remained silent.

"Okay, let's find some blood. Can you drain the guards' blood?" Nia pointed to a wounded guard.

"Yes, but it wouldn't be enough."

"Okay," Ōkora said, flashing a cold smile at the prisoners. "Cut yourselves up, slaves."

"What?" one of them stammered.

"Huh?" another's voice quivered with disbelief.

"What do you mean?" someone asked, backing away.

"No way!"

"Monsters!" a woman screamed, her eyes wide with terror.

"You heard him. He needs blood." Ōkora's voice was harsh, her eyes cold. "Or, you know what? Don't. We'll just leave, and you fucking idiots can die here, rot in these damned cells, fucking slaves."

Ji-Hye's jaw dropped. She'd never heard Ōkora talk like that before. Nia's eyes went wide with shock, and even Lilith raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst. Only Soul remained unchanged.

"What are you saying?" Ji-Hye muttered under her breath. "Take it down a notch, will you?"

But Ōkora just shrugged, her expression unflinching. "Make up your minds. We don't have all day."

"You…" Hyun-Ki started, but he stopped short, unsure how to respond.

Suddenly, Ōkora's expression changed. Her usual bright smile reappeared, and her voice took on a playful tone. "Oh, come on! Don't be so serious. I'm just kidding. Relax, okay?" She winked at the prisoners, her earlier harshness vanishing as if it had never existed. "We're not leaving you here. But here's the thing – you will need to give some blood to him, or we can't get you out of here. The upstairs is full of guards."

"He's a blood magic user," a prisoner said, sounding hopeful. "He can kill them!"

Hyun-Ki lost his temper. "You want him to suck your dick while he's at it?" he yelled. "You ungrateful bastard! A bit of blood won't kill you!"

"He draws his power from the Void itself! What if a rift opens? What's going to happen, then?"

"I've spent a long time learning to control and tame my magic," Soul explained with a boring voice. "I can control my power. You don't have to worry about it."

The prisoners were divided. Some nodded eagerly, their desperation to escape outweighing their fear of Soul's blood magic.

"I'm okay with it." said another prisoner. "If we can get out of here – I'm willing to do anything."

"Yeah..." another agreed hesitantly.

"Me too!" a third chimed in, trying to sound brave.

"I'm not giving my blood to a monster!" one prisoner refused. "No way!"

"I'll give my blood."

"Yeah, same!"

"I won't!"

"Okay, calm down," Nia said as she moved closer to Ōkora. "Can't you just charm these idiots, Champion?"

"Call me Ōkora, there's no need to be so formal," she replied with a half-smile. "And no, I can't. Even I have my limits. I've already used up half of my power trying to charm Soul… It didn't work."

"Yeah, he's like immune. I don't know what his deal is."

"Right! And it makes him interesting, isn't it?"

Nia glanced at Soul's dull, lifeless and monotonous face. "Uh... yeeah… interesting." She couldn't hide the uncertainty in her voice.

The prisoners who accepted the deal stepped forward hesitantly. Nia held a small dagger, its blade glinting in the dim light. She moved from one person to the next, making quick cuts across their hands.

"It's ready. Dig in, S." said Nia with a nod.

Soul opened his palm, and the blood from the prisoners' cuts began to swirl and lift from their wounds, forming thin strands that spiraled through the air. The strands intertwined, creating a medium-sized orb of blood that hovered above Soul's hand. The sight was both fascinating and unnerving.

Slowly, the blood orb began to flow toward Soul's eyes. As the blood entered his body, the cuts on the prisoners' hands healed instantly, leaving no trace of the wounds. It was as though they had never been cut in the first place.

The prisoners stared in awe, their mouths agape. They had heard stories of blood mages, but seeing it in action was another matter entirely.

"It's – blood magic," a woman from the crowd said, her eyes wide with shock. "Shit, who knew a void spawn would help us?"

A wave of murmurs spread through the prisoners. Some were astonished, others scared. People exchanged glances, whispering to each other in disbelief.

Lilith tried to calm the crowd, raising her hands to quiet the whispers. "Not everyone is a bad person. You just have to see the person behind the mask," she said, looking at Soul's blood mask. "Right?"

"Right," some prisoners replied hesitantly, still unsure if they could trust this dark form of magic. Others nodded in agreement, relieved to have any chance of escaping this wretched place.

Soul's answer was his usual brief "Hmm," but it did little to dispel the uneasy buzz among the prisoners.

"Now – let's teleport you guys to the Snow Fallen." Nia said. "Hope this works…"