5 [3] LATENT CHAMBERS

"I'm dead?" Sliff asked, scanning his hands. "Then, you're also…dead?"

"I got a bit excited, shorty, my bad," the man said, holding out a hand. "I'm Galarax, a warrior who fought the Battle of Burning Lands."

"I'm Sliff," Sliff said, clasping his hand. "I-uh… Where are we?" He only now noticed the muscular build of the tall man, whose forearms could've been bulkier than Sliff's thighs.

Galarax threw his arms outward. "A spirit plane."

"Wh-What?" Sliff asked. "What does that mean?"

Galarax patted his shoulder and laughed. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it." He took back his hand, stroking his beard. "Now that I look at you… How the hell is a short and skinny guy like you, a warrior?"

Sliff shook his head. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about, sir. I don't even know who you are or where we are right now."

Galarax looked at him with suspicion. "You must be a master Alchoser." He nodded. "Yes, yes… That would explain everything."

"I wish I was," Sliff said, frowning. "But I can't use any of the five styles."

Galarax raised an eyebrow. "Five? That confirms you know nothing about Alchos."

"Huh?" Sliff asked. "Did I say something wrong, sir?"

"Enough of your questions," Galarax said. "Just tell me which war you were fighting. How did you die?"

Sliff gazed at the big man with confusion. "I…don't think I died in a war… But now that I think about it…I don't remember much…"

Galarax smiled, walking past Sliff. "Let's take a walk. Memory takes longer than spirit to distort."

Sliff followed the big man up the gentle hill. "So, sir, are you an Alchoser?"

"Yeah," Galarax said. "A strong one."

Sliff rushed to his side. "Really? What style do you know?"

Galarax snorted. "That's a tough one, kid."

"Why?"

"Because I know them all."

Sliff halted, his head jolting back. "All of them? That's not even possible."

Galarax turned to him with a smile. "Who's the Alchoser here?"

They reached the top of the gentle slope, a singular tree marking its summit. Galarax punched the trunk of this tree with a soft side-fist, making the tree rain a bunch of red fruits. Galarax caught two of them then settled on the fresh grass with his back against the trunk of the fruit tree.

Sliff settled beside Galarax, who tossed a fruit at him while chomping another. "Were you serious just now?" he asked, staring at the red fruit he caught.

"Of course," Galarax said between bites. "Serious as a brick."

"What does that mean?" Sliff thought. "Would you show me, sir?" he said.

"Kid," Galarax said, turning to him. "Were you a slave or something?"

Sliff froze, not knowing how to respond. It was not like being a slave and having it as your identity was a proud thing. It was everything but that.

But how could Galarax tell?

"I'll take that as a yes," Galarax said. "Did you choose to be one?"

Sliff frowned, meeting the big man's eyes. "Who would choose to be a slave?" he asked. "Would you? What do you know about one?"

Galarax took a big bite then laughed.

Sliff stood up. "Why are you laughing?" he said, eyes tearing up. "Do you even know what it's like to be treated like you're less than human? Do you even know how little a slave can desire? Do you—"

"Food, clothing, and shelter," Galarax said, smiling. "That's the limit of a slave's desires."

Sliff lowered the finger he pointed at Galarax. "How do you know this?"

"I was a slave too."

"WHAT?"

Galarax laughed. "Yeah, I expected that."

"Wh-How?" Sliff asked. "You said you were a warrior."

"You know why I asked you if you chose to be a slave?"

"No, why?"

"Because I chose to be one." Galarax said, looking at Sliff's confused face before glancing down. "Huh? Worm or what?"

Sliff held up the fruit. "Oh-No… No."

"Dig in, then."

Sliff nodded, taking a bite off the fruit. Chewing, he glanced at the fruit. "He's a slave, a warrior and also an Alchoser." His chewing slowed.

The fruit rolled down the hill.

"Huh?" Galarax said. "It isn't that bad, kid. Why drop…" He trailed off as he glanced at Sliff's face. His stiff, tensed face.

Sliff fell onto his knees. "I remember everything now. I died by eating a fruit."

Galarax's ears perked up. "A fruit, you say?" He leaning toward Sliff. "Was it like a…like an…Alchos enchanted fruit? Did the enemy give it to you? But why did your enemy have a fruit of all things as a weapon in the battlefield?"

Sliff gulped. He touched his face then looked at his fingers. He smacked his tongue, trying to find the aftertaste of the dark fruit he had eaten before.

"What was it, shorty," Galarax asked. "Tell me who your enemy was."

"Where am I, sir," Sliff asked in panic. "I remember that it was just…dark, after I ate that fruit. I was in a cave, then I was in this…hall, and now… Where am I?"

"That darkness you experienced," Galarax said. "That was death. You also must've seen your whole life flash before your eyes."

"Um…" Sliff said. "Not really…"

Galarax laughed. "Relax, kid! You're fine. I mean, as fine as one can be after dying, that is."

"Then I really am dead…" Sliff said quietly. "Like it matters…"

he told himself.

Galarax rose, wrapping an arm around Sliff's shoulders. He spun Sliff around. "Look," he said, gesturing toward beautiful landscape ahead. "We are in the land of warriors: Valhalla. There are only two kinds of planes: Physical and Spiritual. This one is a spiritual plane, which means that we are nothing but the physical forms of our spirits."

Sliff glanced at the vast land, serene greenery full of life in front of him, under the golden rays and blue dome. His eyes widened as he looked up at the floating landmasses, waterfalls flowing from one to another, down at the ocean far, far away. "This…is Valhalla?"

"That's right, shorty," Galarax said. "This is where warriors rest."

"Then…why am I here?"

Galarax glanced down at him with a smile, tightening the embrace. "Because all warriors deserve peace."

Sliff slid from underneath Galarax's hold, falling on the grassy slope, arms wrapped around his knees. "I'm no warrior. What am I doing here?"

Galarax settled beside him. "I don't know that either, kid. But there must be a reason for this. Maybe sometimes simply living is also warrior-like.

Who knows?"

Sliff snorted quietly. "I wasn't alive. I was just taking up space. Wasting food, water…even air." He looked away. "My master is dead, sir. I have no purpose now."

"What was your dream, kid?"

Sliff's head fell. "Dream, you say…"

"We're dead," Galarax said. "You can tell me now."

"I never dared to dream, sir," Sliff said. "I always thought that after repaying my father's debts, I could finally dream. But it doesn't matter now. Nothing does."

Galarax sighed. Then he slapped Sliff's back. "What was your dream, boy?"

Sliff's eyes almost popped out. He rubbed his back as he huffed and puffed. "I don't have any, sir."

Galarax slapped Sliff's back, along with the hands that were rubbing it.

"AAOUU!" Sliff yelled.

"I said… What is your dream?"

Sliff turned toward him, looking at the big man's bright eyes through watery vision. He gritted his teeth, which grinded when he sobbed. "I… I…"

Galarax sighed, pulling back his hand for another slap.

"TO BECOME THE GREATEST SEEKER!"

Putting down his hand, Galarax smiled. "Could've told that earlier, you know. So… What's a Seeker?"

Sliff sobbed, rubbing his eyes. "The people who seek glory by defeating beasts."

"Is that so?"

"I think…"

"So what do you need to become a Seeker?"

"You need to be strong and have at least some knowledge of…" Sliff's eyes teared up again as he sobbed loudly.

"What're you? Three?" Galarax said, wrapping an arm around Sliff shoulders. "Warriors don't cry!"

"I'm seventeen," Sliff sobbed. "And if I was a warrior, I wouldn't cry. All because I would've known Alchos that way."

"So you need Alchos to become a Seeker?"

"Yes," Sliff cried. "But I don't have any talent in Alchos. I failed the Alchos Chamber Test two times."

"And what's that?"

"It tests what style of Alchos one can learn. How do you not know this?"

Galarax rose. "Stand up, kid."

Sliff looked up as he wiped his nose. He asked nothing, just stood.

Putting a hand on Sliff's shoulder, Galarax smiled. "Look, kid, that's not how Alchos works, alright? Anyone can learn Alchos. Anyone!"

"A-Anyone?"

"Yes! Even you!"

"But that's not how Alchos works."

"So are you saying you know about Alchos more than me?"

Sliff fell silent.

Galarax exhaled softly with a smile. "Listen," he explained. "There are eight chambers of Alchos bound to every spirit, each chamber holding a different style. I don't know about this test you spoke of but I'm pretty sure it just tests the active Chambers and ignores the latent ones."

Sliff frowned. "I don't know what an active chamber is, sir. I didn't even know there were eight chambers and not just five."

"Right," Galarax said, scratching his head. "So… Any chamber, from which you can Harness Alchos and not just Store it, is basically an active chamber. Chambers are two-way, you know. But most people only have one-way chambers, allowing them to store Alchos but not use it."

"Are you sure?" Sliff asked. "Shouldn't we have more Alchosers, if that's the case?"

"We should," Galarax said. "But maybe people just don't know about it nowadays. I mean…I can open your Chambers right now, if you just say so."

"Wh-REALLY?" Sliff said loudly, his eyes widening.

"Yeah," Galarax said, rubbing the back of his head. "I can only assume, but I think you failed those tests because all your chambers are one-way. Latent."

Sliff started breathing heavily. "I… I can't believe it. But, how will you do it?"

Galarax sighed, rolling up his sleeves all the way to his shoulders, revealing biceps bigger than Sliff's head. "It'd be way faster to just show you. Ready, are you?"

Sliff's eyes widened. "I-It's really happening… I can also be an Alchoser…"

Galarax smiled. "Of course. But the thing is… I don't know which Chamber I'll be opening. Is that alright?"

Sliff chuckled. "I'll be able to use Alchos! It doesn't matter which style I use, I can be a Seeker either way."

Galarax laughed. "You sound like a little kid who's about to get a new toy. Should've expected that."

Sliff stood upright…a stupid grin on his face. "Come on, sir. I can't wait anymore!"

"Before that," Galarax said, stepping away from Sliff. "Can you promise me one thing?"

"ANYTHING!"

"You will stand up for yourself, from now on," Galarax said. "Can you promise me that?"

Sliff exhaled softly. "Yes, sir!" He wore a big smile on his face, tears running down his cheeks.

"It starts right here, kid," Galarax said. "Don't hand out respect for free."

Sliff raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"I'm Galarax. Nothing more, nothing less. Alright?"

"Yes—"

"Be careful what you say," Galarax said. "If you break your promise, I will break your bones."

Sliff's expression stiffened. He knew the big man meant what he said.

"Are you ready to awaken your Alchos, kid?"

Sliff smiled. "Yes…Galarax!"

Galarax smiled back, pulling his palm behind his head. "Correct answer." With that, his palm started radiating a golden glow. Then he whipped his palm straight toward Sliff's chest, stopping right before making any contact. "Close your eyes, shorty," he said. "Look within. Focus your senses. Locate your strength."

Sliff shut his eyes close, a sudden hurry in his movement. He did the best he could in trying to find his Alchos chambers. The chambers that Galarax told were within Sliff but simply just one-way.

Sliff started feeling a tingly sensation in his chest, sudden warmth hitting him gently. His heartbeat started sounding like loud thumping to him. He focused further. His heartbeat echoed within him. Then…

He found it.

There were eight different sources of power within him, each resembling a light flooding a separate space. Were these the chambers he was to find? They seemed more like eight different small rooms to Sliff, each alight by a weak flame.

But one of them was brighter than others.

Too bright. Bright enough that Sliff got lost looking at its attractive, almost infectious glow. The room it brightened was also bigger than the others, and what looked like its gate, barely kept the thick light from escaping.

The walls of this and a different room shattered in the next instance, leaking out a bright gleam, forcing Sliff to open his eyes.

"So," Galarax said. "How do you feel?"

Sliff scanned around his arms. "Pretty same, I guess—"

His entire body started radiating a bright golden glow.

"Whoa," Sliff said. "So this is Alchos—"

"The hell is happening?" Galarax said in loud panic.

"Huh—?" Only now Sliff noticed that his body has started shedding flakes of pure golden light, breaking him into tiny fragments. These glowing fragments floated upwards and turned to dust.

"This was not supposed to happen, kid," Galarax said with a disappointed frown. "I promise I did not see this coming. Neither do I know what's going on."

"It feels warm, Galarax," Sliff said.

"Huh?" Galarax said, grabbing Sliff's shoulder, his grip shattering the shoulder into multiple fragments. "I don't know what's going on, kid."

"Thank you, Galarax," Sliff said.

Galarax stepped back, meeting his eyes. "Wh…For what?"

Sliff smiled. "Even if it was just for a moment, I really felt like I could dream. I was happy. Thank you for that."

Galarax stepped toward Sliff but before he made another contact, Sliff's entire body burst into golden dust, atmosphere claiming him.

He saw only brightness with his numb senses, which were picking up residual warmth.

But it was getting darker and darker after every passing moment.

"It really doesn't matter now," Sliff thought. "I even dreamed! It was amazing… I just…wish it could've lasted longer."

***

Cold. Dark.

That's all Sliff felt. It was sudden too. The warmth did not fade slowly but it vanished instantly. He felt something "solid" against his back.

His senses seemed to be back.

But Sliff felt frail. Weak. Weak enough that removing the darkness ahead was a decent effort for him. He tried to open his eyes nonetheless.

Blue and white.

He heard a loud shriek, as if someone had just seen a ghost, his cold ears muffling the piercing scream.

He heard muffled voices. Whoever was talking seemed to be in panic.

His ears heard a bit clearer after a few moments but he only picked pieces of conversation.

"…can't happen…"

"…how will we explain it…?"

"…this is not our job…"

"…move along…"

"…we do…?"

"…hospit—"

Sliff blacked out.