"You don't know what a soul's interpretation is?" Kyle asked, suddenly jumping in between Sky's and Tervain's conversation.
"Yeah, I'm not exactly sure on the exact definition, I think from how I hear people use it, it's like an ability or power a person gets?"
"That's a very oversimplification and it's a bit wrong due to some exceptions but yeah, let's go with that definition for now. Just tell us your ability" Sky replied urging Tervain to quickly just move on and speak.
"I guess in that case I'm an undead."
"…"
"…"
Both Sky and Kyle stayed quiet, looking at Tervain with a blank expression.
"What? What's with that expression? Did I say something wrong?" Tervain asked, confused about this current predicament.
"Well, by undead do you mean that your body just heals or attaches itself back or something because those abilities can have different names too." Sky asked, keeping a hand on his head at the headache Tervain was giving him.
"It's not like I don't have a heartbeat, my skin is pale and the flesh near my back has visual signs of rotting and my whole body and every part of my flesh has a rotten smell." Tervain said with a bit of tension in his voice, "Why do you ask?"
"Because that's not what a soul interpretation is. A soul's interpretation manifests under some conditions and I'm not too sure but at a certain point of your life you get an ability. The ability you get is shaped by your own experience or personality or specialty." Kyle spoke with a bit of
anger within him which was a rare sight, "God damn it, Tervain I know I'm stupid and that we both lack education due to our circumstance but how do you not know this information when even I know?"
"Look I don't know this shit, I don't know what's happening so could you explain why you are lashing out on me?" Tervain asked, a bit angry at them lashing out on him
"Ah, my bad, I'm sorry." Kyle said as he calmed his anger down "I think rotten flesh triggered a faint bad memory I had in the past and that with the added fact of your stupidity in this very common knowledge probably angered me." Sky responded apologetically.
"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Tervain asked, feeling like he was still getting called stupid.
"No, it wasn't supposed to invoke any feelings of disrespect."
"Well moving on," Sky said, interrupting both of them, "Let's talk about soul's interpretation since you lack the knowledge for it."
"Well strictly speaking, a soul's interpretation is well a soul's interpretation." Sky continued "what I mean by this is that a person's soul's interpretation and what kinda power they possess is shaped by your soul's interpretation of yourself or in a very easy manner, it means that your personality, thoughts, talents, speciality shape the power you get. A person who likes gardening and plants and thinks about gardening and is talented in that specific field will have a soul that will interpret the person's most natural ability as an ability that relates with gardening so they could have the ability to control the growth rate of plants, etc."
"That's simple enough. But why did Kyle and you not believe that my ability was related to an undead?" Tervain asked, making a good point.
"Because a soul's interpretation has limitations." Sky said at a slower pace. "A soul's interpretation isn't formed that easily or else everyone would be able to get it but only a few people can awaken it. This is because there are actually two sources of life in a person's body when
they are born. One being a soul and the other one is something we like to call 'afterglow' which is formed due to the heavy and dense forces of power roaming the universe due to the death of a spirit but they are invisible to the naked eye. Sadly this is quickly consumed by the soul."
"Why? Why would the soul consume the afterglow, also what do you mean by the death of a spirit and you still haven't really explained why ability is not a soul's interpretation." Tervain spoke, inquiring about many aspects about the things Sky hadn't elaborated on.
"Well, I-" Sky paused midway into his conversion.
This was a rather odd time to stop speaking which made Kyle and Tervain feel a bit odd.
And after a long period of just awkward silence, Tervain spoke, "Are you good?"
Hearing this, Sky snapped back into reality and said, "Oh, sorry about that, I must have zoned out for a bit."
"No need to apologise but if you aren't feeling well, no need to push yourself, we can just move this conversion to another date if you want." Tervain said, trying to comfort Sky.
"There's no need to, I simply have a bad habit of daydreaming sometimes." Sky reassured Tervain before he continued, "Where was I? Yeah I remember now, I was gonna talk about why your situation is weird. To summarise it, a soul's interpretation can only work if you are alive and while there have been cases where a soul's interpretation has allowed a user to temporarily use it for a very short time even after their heart has stopped but the ability is gone within three to seven seconds after their heartbeat stops but your case is different as your heart is never beating and your body rotting which should classify as you being dead but here you are, standing in front of us with you so called 'soul's interpretation' still active."
"I guess that is a bit odd." Tervain said admitting the rather odd circumstance, "also who decided to give these things these names? Just asking because it sounds a bit corny."
"If you are talking about who gave it the name 'soul's interpretation' then that would be me.'
"..." Tervain looked at Sky in silence, his armour covering his expression.
"What? I thought it was a pretty good name."
"Why couldn't you give it a more casual name like 'power' or 'ability' or even 'skill' or something very simple?" Tervain asked, questioning Sky's naming sense.
"Well I feel like 'soul's interpolation' is not a complex name so I'm a bit confused why you are doubting my sense of naming but can we move on from this small topic?" Sky said, trying to move on from such a meaningless topic, "I feel more confused on why you are not again asking for the explanation about why your souls eat 'afterglow' when you are born or the death of the spirit which you were really keen on knowing about before."
"When I had first asked the question and you responded, I did realise that you didn't talk about the other 2 questions I had asked so I thought your knowledge on those were vague so that's why you didn't specify them." Tervain replied, his right hand moving along as he spoke, "Also mid-way though your explanation after I asked the questions I thought that answering all the mysteries of a reader from the beginning is a real turn off and I take pride in being both a reader and an aspiring writer."
"Pride as a reader? An aspiring writer?" Sky muttered a bit baffled at Tervain's explanation for refusing free information.
"What the hell does aspiring mean?" Kyle asked, jumping in the middle of the conversations.
"You don't know what aspiring means?" Sky asked, more baffled than before.
"I think I heard that term being used once or twice but I never knew what it meant."
'You're telling me this guy is supposed to be someone important enough to get sent on a task to retrieve the white stone, a literal core item that founded the kingdom?' Sky thought sighing,
"It means directing one's hopes or ambitions towards becoming a specified type of person." Tervain said calmly answering Kyle's question
"I see…" Kyle spoke, feeling grateful towards Tervain for answering his questions, "Also since Sky already knows that Kyle is a fake name could you all address me as Veyrith?"
"Sure" Sky and Tervain both spoke, accepting Kyle's request to be called Veyrith.
"Well do you guys wanna take some rest or wanna eat anything?" Tervain asked.
"Not really." Kyle, now referred to as Veyrith, looked outside through the window and from the yellowish lighting he could see that the sun was about to set, "Actually if you could help, can you help me walk outside so I can see the sunset?"
"Sure." Tervain answered and looked at Sky before continuing, "What about you Sky?"
"Yeah I'll pass, I might eat some food in a while but other than that I'm good" Sky answered, politely declining Tervain's offer.
"I see, well we'll probably miss the sunset if we don't hurry so let's get going, Veyrith." Tervain said as he supported the still injured Veyrith
"Yeah, let's hurry up." Veyrith said as he opened the door and walked with a bit of assistance from Tervain.
Sky, still lying on his bed, looked at the two as they left him, a sigh of relief coming from his mouth.
[So can we talk now?] a voice sounded from a shadowy figure, the figure was a shadow and moved from Sky's shadow and moved and then stayed on the reflection of his eyes.
His voice drifts out as though he's speaking from the bottom of a shallow well — clear, but with a subtle echo. There's a measured rhythm in his speech, each phrase placed with intention, as if he's choosing his word and his vowels stretch gently whenever he speaks.
[Hey, I understand why you went quiet on us when we spoke to you in front of the other two men, but there's no benefit in ignoring us, at least right now.]
"I still don't want to speak to a shadow which only I can see and I don't trust you since I literally don't know anything about you."
Don't. Lie. A voice spoke behind him and beside its ear, its words felt like claws scratching at the inside of his skull.
Sky hearing this voice turned only to see nothing but he could always see a slight silhouette of a creature at the corner of his eyes.
[Yeah I agree with that voice, you should know what we are even if we don't spell it out for you.]
'I know?' Sky though a bit of confusion apparent in his face
[Yeah we're you, like literally a part of you.]
"What do you mean?" Sky asked, his face showing total confusion, "how can you be me?"
[You've lived a long life, longer than any humans currently, well at least according to my knowledge but you cut a part of your memories to protect yourself a lot more than you needed to and sealed them inside the blade you were so hesitant to use and when you did, a very small part of the seal was loose and let some of those memories inside you, of course you couldn't really comprehend all the memories at the same time so you created us, personas.]
'Personas? No I can't be sure' Sky thought keeping his guard up
Liar. You know. You understand. You believe. The voice ringed in Sky's skull as the voice behind him stared at him with red eyes and exposed all his lies.
[It's logical to refuse this type of theory especially when it's someone else's theory and not your own but the quicker you understand the better our situation will be.]
"…"
[If we take the voices at face value, even if you think this is believable and you trust this theory, it's better if you lower your worries, especially for yourselves.]
"What should I call you then?"
[You can decide that for yourself but I would advise you to stay quiet since they are probably coming back a bit soon.]
"How are you sure?" Sky asked curious about the reason behind the shadow's assumption.
[because the sunset is basically over and I doubt they'll wait until the sun is fully set before they come back.]
'Well I guess no one will want to stay at night especially injured but isn't that reasoning still a bit flawed?' Sky thought almost criticising the shadow's assumption.
As Sky was sorting out his thoughts, the door swung open as Veyrith and Tervain came in.
'Well I'll be damned, the shadow was right.' Sky thought about taking back all his criticism he had about the shadow's deduction.
[I'm not that stupid]
"Want anything to eat Sky?" Tervain asked as he put Verrith back into his bed to rest.
"Sure," Sky replied, "But I don't wanna eat anything bitter though."
'Also don't try and talk to me when I'm speaking with someone, it'll creep me out and could make me shut up midway and a situation like before would occur.' Sky thought as he warned the shadow and the voice behind his head.
"Is it fine if it's a bit bitter?" Tervain asked Sky, "I swear it's not too bitter."
"Alright." Sky answered, accepting what he would get.
[You should get used to us speaking while you are having a conversation since I doubt the voice behind your head will listen to your terms.]
'Maybe….' Sky thought laying on the bed and staring at the shadow that had moved to the inner area of the roof of the worn building.