The Soul Keeper

I stared at him in confusion, then my eyes lit up. "Wait-"

"Yes, the legendary scholar of old." Fetheion glanced at the sword. "His achievements are too many to count right now, but it's safe to say that he was a strong person." He hesitated. "A strong mind who didn't completely succumb to the corruption." His voice turned bitter. "It's a shame to see his magical prowess was what remained, instead of his brilliance."

I couldn't help but feel awkward. Did Fetheion know him in person? "And you're sure the corrupted demon we killed was Dorith?" I asked. I needed to be sure. 

"Yes," Fetheion nodded as he reached down and took my sword in hand. "Don't you have his memories?" 

I sighed. "Bits and pieces." It was a relief not to have all of his memories. "I don't think his soul is…." I hesitated. How could I put this into words? "I don't know if he even has the rest of his memories anymore."

Fetheion chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure he does." He inspected the sharp blade of my sword. "And this is also done – you can use it freely." Ge placed the sword on the low table and smiled. "We should go back upstairs," He added as his smile faded. "Your friends should be waking up soon." 

He motioned me to follow him and headed back upstairs. I did the same after taking my sword and allowing it to disappear in a black mist. "So," I said as he closed the door behind us and headed towards the room Asher was in. "How did you heal him? And why did this happen?"

The crimson haired Divine fiddled with the loose strands of hair. "I do have some guesses," He said as he pushed the door open. "But I'd like to confirm something before sharing them." 

I stepped into the room along with Fetheion, only to be glared at by an alarmed Asher.

"What's going on?" He hissed through his gritted teeth. His looks of distrust hurt, though it was completely understandable. 

"This is Fetheion," I introduced the crimson haired Divine. "He's the person who brought me back, and the Thirteenth Divine." I hesitated. "I brought us here when I found you were unconscious again."

The blonde sorcerer didn't seem quite satisfied by my explanation, but he at least seemed somewhat more willing to listen.

"I healed you, but since this is the second time something like this has happened to you, the toll it took on your body is greater as well." Fetheion explained with a calm, gentle voice. "And I'm sure you're quite hungry as well." He gestured us to follow him and headed to the library.

"What's going on?" Asher asked, grabbing my arm. "What happened after that monster dragged you away?" 

"Well," I explained him the short version while I urged him to follow me. He seemed unhappy about this whole ordeal, but his relief when learning the demon had died was quite visible. 

We arrived at the library shortly after, only to be met with a clearly panicked Lucius. Fetheion was nowhere to be seen, though I was quite sure he was nearby. He probably wanted to give the three of us a moment to bring each other up to speed.

After calming the young swordsman down, I gave both of them a rundown of the situation. Almost as if he were listening to us, Fetheion entered the room once I finished my words.

Silence covered the room as Fetheion took his seat a on the couch. "My apologies for the spell earlier," He said, glancing at Lucius. "Kai hadn't arrived yet and I assumed you were hostiles." He looked Lucius over from head to toe. "There should be no lasting effects but be sure to let me know if you feel off in any way."

Lucius stiffly nodded. It was clear that he was quite nervous and on edge.

"As for you," Fetheion glanced at Asher. "I've healed you, but the toll this took on your body is quite severe. I'm sure you've noticed it by now?"

The blonde sorcerer sighed. "I have. I guess I overdid it."

"Perhaps." Fetheion's expression darkened. "Or perhaps it was the hunger for more power that broke something." I noticed his magic swirling around us. "I will not lie about this – I have always condoned those who give up something for simply more power. But in your case, I believe I can see the reasoning behind your decision, at the very least."

I glanced at Asher but chose to remain silent. I didn't know what he had done to gain such power – or when he had done it. I wondered, why didn't he tell us anything?

"Thanks, I guess." Asher said with a low voice. 

"Anyways, despite my spell, you haven't recovered completely. I believe it would be best if you remained here and rested." Fetheion's gaze turned on Lucius and me. "Of course, that offer is for all three of you – you are welcome to stay here for as long as you need to."

"I'll pass." I said as Lucius and Asher pondered. Their eyes shot open as I continued. "Don't get me wrong – you can and should trust Fetheion. But I can't waste any more time here. There are things I need to do." I rose to my feet. "I want to check up on Mona and I want to meet Rina and Alex."

"Ah," Asher mumbled. "Those two don't know you're alive, do they?"

I shook my head. "No, only you two and Mona know, I think." I glanced at the red haired Divine for confirmation. He nodded. "Those two are people I trust – they are good hearted, and they trust me."

"As long as you believe they won't betray you." Fetheion said. I clenched my fists. "I won't make the same mistakes again, don't worry."

"Then… I'll opt to stay here as well." Lucius chimed in. I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He wasn't staying here because he was worried about Asher – he had another reason, a goal in mind.

I didn't mind it. I knew I could trust him no matter what.

"That's perfectly fine." Fetheion said with a faint smile. He glanced at me. "Be sure to visit whenever you can – don't hesitate to use those rifts of yours." 

I nodded. That spell was incredibly useful, even if it took a while to cast and required me to take the form of the corrupted demon beforehand.

"Spend the night here though," He said as he also rose to his feet. "Traveling at night is bound to summon nothing but trouble." He glanced at us, then smiled faintly. "There's food on the desk, so enjoy yourselves." Before we could say anything, he disappeared in a flash of light.

Silence followed his departure until Lucius decided to speak. "He's a weird Divine."

"He sure is," Asher nodded as he got up and approached the desk. There was plenty of food there – sandwiches, pastries, even some meatballs.

"This is nostalgic," Lucius said with a grin as he grabbed one of the meatballs. "I could swear your house always had some of these in the fridge." He bit and chewed it a little. "The meat tasted different though."

I chuckled. During my time here, I had noticed how Fetheion always provided me with food remarkably similar to that we had back at home. "Yeah, we didn't use wolf meat there." I said with a grin.

We chuckled and ate. 

"How are you feeling, Asher?" Lucius asked once we were done eating. 

"I'm fine, just a little tired still. As much as I hate to admit it, the Thirteenth Divine is absolutely right. Trying to stop the rift from closing took its toll on me." He glanced at Lucius. "You look like you're about to collapse too."

I glanced at the young swordsman, then nodded. "Seriously, go to sleep." 

Lucius opened his mouth to protest but yawned instead. "Fine," He grumbled as I showed him his room. "Don't stay up too late." He said as he closed the door. I chuckled, then returned to Asher. "What about you?" I asked.

"I think I need some fresh air." He ran his hand through his hair. "It's a bit dusty and gloomy in here."

"Come on then," I led the way outside. As I opened the door, the cold night breeze touched my skin and blew my hair back. "It's always nice out here," I said softly as I sat on the grass a little away from the door. The blonde sorcerer remained still for a while. His eyes closed, it seemed as if he was listening to a faraway voice.

"The sky is beautiful," He said as he sat not far from me. "But I'm more interested in that rift." I could feel his gaze filled with scholarly curiosity on me. "How did you do it?"

I chuckled. "Well," My body began to take on the form of the corrupted demon. "Like so,"