The Soul Keeper

Time stood still as I gazed upon my death. Then, black flames burst out of me. I wasn't controlling them – it was not my own power that did this.

I felt a hand on my shoulder as time resumed.

The Ereth screamed in shock and pain as the flames leapt forward, much stronger, and much more powerful than I could have possibly created before.

"What is this?"  Her scream echoed as a golden light enveloped her. She raised her hand and stretched her leathery wings, ready to escape.

A figure wreathed in darkness stepped ahead, carrying a large, black scythe with a crystalline blade. My eyes widened – that was…

"This world, or soul, is not yours to take." The familiar voice sounded, speaking clear demonic. The Keeper raised his scythe and with a single, swift move, cut the Ereth's throat. Her hands flailed about for a split second before she collapsed on the ground, lifeless.

I noticed a soul slowly rise from the body, then rise up to the sky and disappear.

"What…?" I whispered, looking at the Keeper of Souls. "How are you here?" 

Nothing made sense. My mind was thrust into chaos. 

The Keeper turned to face me. Those bright purple eyes seemingly peered into my soul as I instinctively stepped back. 

The flames continued roaring around us. They danced on my skin, and on his hair, warm, yet not burning us.

"You've grown weak, pathetic." His words startled me. "The man who killed the Crimson Witch would have defeated this Lightbringer with ease."

I gritted my teeth. "My strength was borrowed, it belonged to you." I replied. Speaking in demonic was difficult, the sounds I had to make weren't fit for the human throat. Perhaps because of that, a faint smile appeared on the Keeper's lips before the shadowy aura from before started returning. He started to become less visible.

"My time is nigh," He spoke. "I can not remain in this world for long, not without an anchor. What will you do, Kai Friseal? Will you fight for your world as you did for mine?"

His words surprised me. "I can't – I don't have any powers, no magic, nothing." I glanced at the black and purple flames dancing on my skin. All of this was his power, even from the very beginning. It was never mine, it had never been so.

"You can borrow mine if you so wish." He lit a fire of hope in me with those words and undid it with his next. "But it will come at a cost – your soul is mine, remember that."

I hesitated. It didn't take a genius to understand what he meant by that. I glanced at Aoife and Inspector John, then at the settlement behind them. 

"It's worth it, right?" I asked with a bitter smile. "Please, give me what I need to defeat Aelith once and for all."

His lips curled in a smile. "A gate." He spoke. "You shall find the gate that can lead me and our forces to your world. We will defeat Aelith together, once and for all." An image flashed in my mind. My eyes widened. 

"Take this until then," He struck the scythe into the ground. "Find the gate, or your world shall drown in light." As he spoke, the shadows enveloped him and then, just like that, he was gone. 

The only proof of his existence was the scythe with a crystalline blade, still wreathed in shadow, and the corpse of the Ereth laying on the blood soaked ground.

I hesitantly stepped forward and reached for the scythe's dark metal shaft. 

"Kai, no!" Aoife's scream startled me. "Don't touch the flames!" She said, dashing forward and pulling me away from the scythe. "What do you think you're doing? You're going to burn yourself!" Her voice was filled with fear. I could feel her hands trembling as she pulled me away.

"No, it's fine." I stopped her, planting my feet firmly in the ground. "I'm sorry, Aoife." I mumbled. "I didn't know something like this would happen." My gaze lingered on the still burning remains of the chopper.

"They're gone," I whispered after a moment. I glanced at Inspector John, who was still too dumbfounded to utter a word. "I'm sorry – she was after me, they shouldn't have ever been targeted like that."

He blinked a couple of times, then his expression hardened. "I'll need a full translation of what the hell just happened. And a very detailed explanation." He glared at me. What kindness was in those eyes before was gone.

"I can't," I said, taking a deep breath. "There is no time." I stepped forward as he began to protest and grasped the shaft of the scythe.

It all returned. For a split second, my memory became crystal clear. For just a short moment in time, I recalled everything. The image that flashed in my mind – remembered the photo I found at Fetheion's home.

"Aoife," I turned towards her, then raised my hand. "I wonder…" I mumbled. Without the interface, could I control my magic as I did before? I was about to try it, but then I noticed my sister's expression. "I guess… the game wasn't just that." I mumbled, deciding not to try to cast any spells for now.

"I guess…" Inspector John shook his head. "Let's go inside, I need a glass of water and you need to explain things."

I hesitated. I didn't have time for this. I needed to find the gate. The symbol that somehow existed in both worlds. The thing that would allow the Keeper of Souls to come here, and help solve this mess we'd found ourselves in.

I glanced at the corpse on the ground. "You two go ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Aoife hesitated, but Inspector John urged her to lead the way back inside. Both her and him were exhausted, shocked and probably just as confused as I was, if not more.

Once they were far enough away, I raised my hand and let the black and purple flames leap from my hand to the body of the Ereth. The smell of burnt flesh and hair covered the air for a bit, but I didn't turn away despite that.

I needed to face this. 

This was real. The game was real – it always had been. The Ereth were real, the Demons were real. 

The Keeper was real, the Demon Lord was real, the Divine Matriarch was real.

All those lives I had taken were real.