Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 123 - Mountain Valley Sanctuary

Previously:

While writing a letter to her fiance, Nelaira thinks about the events that led to her current predicament. She remembers how her squad of ten found a hidden entrance to a long staircase climbing through the mountain, first discovered by Zor Arite.

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The blonde-black haired man scratched his head in resignation. "I hate to admit it, but he has a point. There might be an artifact out there that keeps the dead bound to this world."

Laica Iphis, the redhead, beamed, her mouth spread into a smug smile. "Exactly. Ghosts could exist."

The argel with a monocle looked at the redhead disbelievingly. "You can't be serious? Even if minds of mortals could remain after their death, we wouldn't be able to see them, hear them or feel them. They could be right in front of us and we wouldn't see any signs of their existence nor would they be able to perceive us. A mind without a vessel is a meaningless existence. Ghosts that you speak of are but a myth."

Luki Eryey, the pink haired man, frowned and rubbed his chin in thought. "But what if minds of the deceased could possess a living person, taking over their body and soul?" His eyes lit up, and he pointed his finger upwards. "What if the Arite family is making the spirits of their ancestors possess the younger generation and that's why all Arites are so talented?"

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  Episode 123 – Mountain Valley Sanctuary  

This time the entire group of comrades looked at him strangely, after all, everyone here was working for the Arite family. His words would be considered rude and insolent if they weren't just too much of a joke to be considered as slander.

Used to the strange ideas constantly running through the pink-haired man's head, no one got agitated or took offense. Though the argel man with the monocle did have the ugliest expression of the bunch as he spat out: "Impossible. The mind would be incompatible with another's body and soul. They would mutually reject each other. Mind and body need to be birthed from the same seed of life to be compatible. And the soul needs to be the one gifted to the person by the Origin."

The pink haired man opened his mouth again to respond, however, before any words could leave his throat, Nelaira slapped him on the back of his head. "More work, less nonsense."

The pink haired man rubbed the back of his head with a pout and mumbled under his breath. "I'm a healer...if you want to give me work to do, push someone down the stairs."

Nelaira's long ears twitched, and she put up her fist threateningly: "If I were to push someone, you'd be on the top of the list.", though the threat of her action was sabotaged by the mirth glittering in her eyes and the smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

The pink haired man rose his hands up in surrender: "Ah! Lieutenant, what happened to section 32 of the Purge handbook – 'protect the healer'?"

The only answer he got was the laughter of his comrades.

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When the ten finally reached the top of the stairs, they were almost blinded by the bright red light of the setting sun. The stairs had taken them above the clouds, where the sky was red and clear. Where sunlight was warm, and the air was fresh and sweet.

What greeted their sight was a small green valley surrounded by mountain peaks on all four sides. The soft red rays of the sunset made the valley glow like a scene from a fairy tale.