The Soul Keeper

A moment passed as the wind blew our hair and tugged at our clothes. We remained still, watching each other, waiting our opponent to make the first move.

Then, I dashed forward.

I lacked the speed I once had, the strength I once had and the flexibility too, but what I did have was conviction. 

Uncle Eion stood tall, unmoving. Any other person would think they had caught him off guard, but I knew better than that. As soon as I came into the range of his blade, I leapt back, avoiding the wooden blade aiming for my throat.

"That only works once, uncle." I said with a grin as I took another step back. Without a moment of hesitation, he followed me. His blade rose, then descended on me. I raised my own blade to block it, and the dull sound of wood hitting wood sounded.

"I should mix things up then," He laughed, then spun his blade around his wrist and attempted to stab my stomach. I sidestepped his strike just in time and countered by hitting his left arm.

My wooden blade brushed against his arm, forcing him to step back and take a more defensive posture. Or that's what I thought as he stopped mid motion and rushed towards me once again. My eyes widened as I just barely blocked the blade aiming for my throat.

"Hey!" I said after putting some distance between us. "I know there are wooden, but a hit to my throat isn't going to do me any favours."

He didn't reply, his bright blue eyes glimmered as he dashed towards me once more. With furrowed brows, I ducked under the wooden blade, then backstepped to avoid another strike. "Uncle!" I shouted as I continued avoiding him.

Why were his moves so aggressive? His posture, his expression, the look in his eyes, they all reminded me of something. Of a fight I had fought a while ago, against someone with the same voice as my uncle.

He continued pushing me back. I couldn't keep up with the speed of his strikes. My muscles soon began hurting. The only thing that kept me from collapsing from exhaustion was the burst of adrenaline.

"Enough!" I shouted as his blade, once again aiming for my throat, approached with incredible speed. His eyes widened, seeing as I wasn't raising my blade to defend myself, and he stopped moments before the wooden sword hit me.

"This was a mistake," I said, taking a deep breath. I dropped my sword and rubbed my palms. They were hurting from all the pressure. "I'm not fit enough yet. And you're way too aggressive." I glanced at Uncle Eion, who simply stood there is an incredibly disappointed expression. "Sorry, I'll go back on my own."

I walked away, leaving Uncle Eion behind. I could feel his gaze on me. I think he watched me until I was out of his sight. 

A mix of emotions threatened to overwhelm me. Annoyance, anger, disappointment, hopelessness. This match was a bad idea – I shouldn't have accepted it in the first place.

"Good morning, Kai!" Aoife's voice startled me. She was standing at the gate, waving at me. I was so lost in thought, I hadn't even noticed her until she spoke my name.

"Hey," I said, forcing a smile. I walked past her and headed back home. I needed a bath, and something to eat.

"What's wrong?" She walked back with me. "You seem disappointed."

I sighed. "It just hit me, I have a long way to go until I've recovered completely. I'll go take a bath, then prepare some breakfast. Did you eat yet?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, I'll help with the breakfast, so go ahead." She smiled and headed towards the kitchen. As much as she tried to act cheerful, I could see it in her eyes – she was saddened by my words. I knew she had faith in me – more than Mother, or even Uncle Eion. I took a deep breath. I needed to hold on to that faith of hers. No matter what, I didn't want to disappoint her. 

A bath did wonders for me, both physically and mentally, though Uncle Eion's disappointed expression lingered in my mind. I don't know why, but I was having plenty of trouble pushing that image away. It refused to leave, to be forgotten.

When I arrived at the kitchen, Aoife had already prepared somethings. She smiled when she saw me, and I helped her out with the rest. As we sat the table, Mother soon arrived.

"You're late," She said as her gaze lingered on my hands. "Though for good reason, I think." She phrased it like a question, demanding an answer. 

"I guess so," I said with a sigh. "It was a good reminder of how much time I still need before my recovery is complete." 

She smiled. "That's good. Better to know where you stand than to fumble in the dark and suffer for it later on." She glanced at the table. "I should find my brother, since you've prepared breakfast for all of us." She left, without even uttering a word to Aoife.

"What happened between you two?" I asked, surprised. Despite her claiming there was no such thing, Aoife was my Mother's favourite. It was surprising to see her ignore my sister and speak to me instead. 

"Nothing?" She replied with a shrug, then directed her attention to the boiling eggs. "Could you take care of those? I'll pour the tea."

Was she hiding something from me, or was I just reading way too much into her and Mother's actions? I wasn't sure.

Uncle Eion and Mother returned shortly after, and we all sat around the table. The low noise of the TV was the only sound in the room as we ate in silence.

'And as such, Erik Gallagher has been deemed NOT GUILTY,' The reporter's words caught my attention. 'His father, Logan Gallagher's trial is still ongoing, as well as the trials of those in executive positions in OTHERWORLD.'

I breathed a sigh of relief. I would hate it if Erik had suffered any more for the faults of his father's company. 

'As for other news, the Gallagher Mansion will remain in the family's hands, though it is still forbidden to enter its premises.' 

I glanced at the screen. A bird's eye view of the mansion was visible on the screen. As the camera panned towards the front of the building, I couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

"What is it?" Aoife asked. Mother and Uncle Eion also shot me questioning glances. I shook my head, though my gaze remained fixed on the screen. 

The Divine Pillar replica was almost completed. Only a couple hours of work remained to finish the pillar's topmost section. 

It was so real, so much like they were in that game. It even had that disgusting golden sheen to it.

Uncle Eion suddenly pushed his chair back and stood up. "I have to go, something urgent came up." He shot mother a glance, and she nodded. 

"What?" Aoife asked in shock. "That was sudden, at least finish your breakfast!"

"Sorry, I'll try to come back soon."