The Soul Keeper

"Fight me!" He shouted as he rushed towards me with his shield raised and his blade ready.

I flinched; I could see the wrath in his eyes. He was genuinely angry. As he drew near, I glanced around. I did not want to fight him. Wasn't there anything I could use to avoid this?

With a twisted expression, he raised his sword as he finally reached me. I rolled to the side and took a few steps back, putting some distance between us. "Don't be ridiculous, Erik." I said in a futile attempt to calm him down.

"I've had enough!" He shouted as he glared at me and dashed towards me again. As I glimpsed the sunlight reflecting off of his deadly blade, my instincts took over. My scythe materialised in my hands as I turned my body to the side a little. As the young paladin approached me, I swung my scythe.

The dark, cold metal shaft of my scythe met his blade. A clear clang echoed in the forest as I easily stopped his charge. I glared at him as I held the shaft of my scythe with my right hand. "Stop this, Erik." I said as I felt power rushing through my body.

I knew this feeling; it was same thing I felt when I used Fallen Grace. I raised my left had as magic gathered in my hand. A flame made of pure darkness appeared in my palm as my heartbeat quickened. Had I just used my skills without the help of the interface?

"I'm sick of this!" Erik shouted as his shield let out a golden shine. I jumped back just in time as his shield emitted a shockwave. "I was the one they looked up to! I was the one they came to for advice and protection. I was the one she thanked and admired!"

I flinched. Was this about… Alina?

Before I could say anything, he lunged at me again. Lightning crackled on his sword as his entire body let out a golden shine, though it had a hint of red in it.

"Erik!" I shouted as my blade met his. "Stop it you idiot!" Was he seriously fighting me over Alina? Did she mean so much to him? Or did I mean so little? "I'm not trying to replace you!"

My words did nothing to quell his wrath. As his sword left a trail of crackling lightning behind, I narrowly avoided his swings. As I watched him try to strike me down, consumed by his anger, I couldn't help but feel wrath building up inside me as well.

"Enough!" I shouted as fire erupted from me, sending Erik flying back. As he hit the ground, I summoned my wings. I walked towards him, scythe in hand, leaving a trail of black crimson flames behind me.

"I am not trying to replace you." I said, speaking each word clearly. The young man's face twisted with a mix of anger and fear. "But I'm sick of how you treat me. Do this again and I'm done with all of you."

I didn't wait for him to say anything. Instead, with a powerful beat of my wings, I took to the skies.

Aimlessly, I flew through the sky. My heart burned with anger. It was consuming me; I couldn't focus on anything else.

"Kai," Asher's voice sounded in my mind. "Listen, there's something you need to know."

"Not now." I responded as I folded my wings a bit. The wind pulled at my clothes as I approached the ground with a dangerous speed. I stretched my wings wide moments before I hit the trees.

"What happened?" Asher asked after a few moments passed. "Are you unsatisfied with what you did with your stat points?"

I laughed. I almost wished that were the case. "No." I replied as I once again climbed to the sky. "Anyways," I forced myself to calm down, though that was no easy task. "What did you want to tell me?"

I could sense Asher's hesitation. "Asher?" I insisted.

He only replied after a while. "I found out something about the gods." He said. "They are the ruling caste of the Ereth society."

I flinched. "What does that mean to us?" I asked after a short moment. Ever since Vixia said something about Rohir being a vindictive old man, I had guessed they weren't just abstract beings, but I didn't expect them to be so present in the daily lives of the Ereth.

"It means you have to be careful." Asher said. "If my guesses are right, they will not want to let the Keeper of Souls out of their sight. Do not let them know what you are."

I nodded. He wasn't wrong, the Keeper of Souls did seem to have a special importance to the Ereth, though I couldn't hazard a guess as to why. "I don't know how long I can keep it from them though." I said after a moment's hesitation. "The Ereth at the gate already know since I had to show my status panel before I was allowed to enter the city."

Asher remained silent for a while. I beat my wings with a steady rhythm while looking for a good spot to land. "You need to win that tournament. No matter what, Kai."

I furrowed my brows. "Is there something I don't know about?" His wording added a sense of urgency to his words. Why was he so adamant about this?

"I don't think we have too long before the demons decide to do something. Everything is lining up too nicely. Demon sightings in the farthest reaches of the Ereth-controlled lands, the tournament…" He hesitated. "I believe an invasion will soon begin."

I flinched as I slowly landed on a small hill. "You think the demons will attack?" I asked. I shivered at the thought of having to fight beings as powerful as Vixia. "We wouldn't stand a chance on our own." I said after a short moment.

"Indeed. Which is why I have some more information for you." I could almost hear the smug grin he probably had on his face right now.

"What is it?" I asked with a flat voice. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to have any information coming from him. Though, his next words were enough to convince me.

"I found out where the primal core of water is."