Grimoire - Vol 1. Revelation of Rakshas

24 - Insight Into The Grim World

"What do you mean?"

"Are we dead? Yes and no. Technically, we are neither dead nor alive."

"Like Zombies?"

"No, not like Zombies! What part of me looks like a rotten zombie to you?"

"I don't know, maybe you're the new and improved model of Zombies. Or even Vampires, that's a possibility too." Well, not really. It was still daytime and she didn't seem to have fangs, plus vamps aren't invisible to mortals. Atleast in fiction.

"Just—listen, okay? Let the elders do the talking." Elders? How old is she?! Are they really some updated model of vampires?

"Just like the dead, humans can't see us. But not every dead soul is a Grimmer or can be a Grimmer. We have to do several years of training to be what we are."

"Un-huh," Seems a little fishy, right?

"Tch, humans," What does that have to do with this? "Well, it's not like we didn't expect that," she said shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head. "We made a little presentation last night just for this exact moment." She pulled out her strange phone.

On a closer inspection, it looked different too. Instead of our usual rectangular designs, hers was a rectangle with a circle at the top. Like a lollipop, if the stick was thicker and head flat.

Not to brag, but I am a wannabe tech enthusiast and I can swear on my boring life that no such phone existed in reality.

Other than the one in front of me.

She pressed a button on the side and the screen came to life. Yup, it was like a phone.

Finally finding the file she wanted, she placed the phone parallel to the ground. A rectangular holographic image appeared in front of our faces.

...What—since when did the holograms become this advanced and clear?

The image that hovered in the air in front of my eyes was a drawing divided into two parts—half white and half black. Each side had a face of some...bird that I couldn't really tell which. It had like three number 9s attached to its head so maybe...peacock?

I mean I've seen peacocks and they did not look like the ones in that drawing but whatever. Artistic liberties, I suppose.

The peacock on the white side had a happy face and the one on the black side was, I assume, angry.

"Every being in this world has a soul," the witch—no, Grimmer, began her presentation.

"The thing that gives us life or something, right?" I interrupted. Had seen and heard enough spiritual talks to get into this again.

"A soul is not some energy that lets someone live or have a life. A soul, or Ruh as we term it, is life itself. And normally, these souls are wrapped around with the human body until the body wears out and frees the soul within itself."

"So you're saying I have a soul inside this body of mine?" Huh, guess religious people were right.

"No, I'm saying you are the soul. The body isn't you. It has its purpose but it's not you. What you really are is what resides in it, the Ruh."

Seems simple...yet complicated. Then again, I was never great with the whole spiritual and philosophical topics. "Okay, so what about it? I mean, once the body wears out, you say the Ruh, as in me, become free?"

"Yes, you get out of the confines of your mortality. At which point, these freed souls are then extracted by us, the Grimmers, and sent for the process of atonement and rebirth where a new body will be given to them to live out their life once again. These souls, for the sake of comparison and differentiation, are called the Light Ruh. You following me all fine?"

"Yeah...I think. So that happy looking thing is the light soul?" I asked.

"Yup and the one beside it is something we call—"

"Let me guess, Dark Ruh?"

"No, we call it a Rakshas, smartass." This is why I never raised my hands when teachers asked a question. "Rakshas are the corrupted Light Ruh. They are often hungry and on a hunt for more food."

"I'm guessing they're not a big fan of Pizza, huh," I said even though I knew I should not comment on things I'm not aware of and just let her speak.

"Well, turns out you do have some intelligence inside that brain of yours." Oh great, I was right...but the way she said it doesn't make me feel right. "Their food source are these Light Ruh. As Grimmers, our job isn't just limited to making sure the Light Ruh are sent safely for rebirth, we also protect them from such corrupted souls. Any questions?"

"Yeah, many. But for starters, don't you guys have any actual money to spend on some artist? This looks like you bribed a child with free candy to draw something for you on Paint," I asked, because, trust me, it really looked exactly how I described it.

Like some cutesy-looking birds used to explain stuff to little children. Even children's books had better illustrations than this one, to be honest.

Apparently, the claw girl took it personally and crumpled her face into annoyance at me.

"Spell no. 35: Binding Vines of Ruh..."

As soon as those words left her mouth, I was pushed, no, pulled down by some unknown force and felt my face slam onto the hard dirt ground also littered with gravels and empty packets of cigarettes and tobacco.

I managed to move my peripheral enough to see a rope of golden white light growing out of the ground beneath and wrapping itself around me. I tried to move around more, tried to free myself but my bindings only got tighter as I moved.

I hope I didn't break my nose or anything. It's not like I'm an actor or a guy with a really good looking face but it's just something I'd have a hard time explaining to my uncle.

As you know, I'm not particularly good at lying to him.

Then again, he did say he'd be okay with a little bit of rebellious teen phase...

The Grimmer walked towards me and stepped on my head, gently sure, but the small unpolished rocks underneath me saw this as an opportunity to try and drill small holes into my face.

I just hoped I didn't get stabbed by some stray nails or sharp objects.

I suppose in hindsight, I should've kept my mouth shut or asked better questions.

Not that I regret it.

It was worth it. Don't ask me how or why.

I was just built different.

I know you can't really see me right now but I am grinning widely at the moment.

"Now, I ask again, do you have any more questions?" Claw girl said, her face lost in all the mischief. "And do bear in mind that I can do worse than just immobilising you."