Because of the changes made to the tent, not even a trace of light entered inside. Dr. John switched on a torch and handed it to Peter. The beam spread across the tent, filling it with light. When the two of them looked at Rose, she was lying there with her eyes closed. Dr. John came closer to her.
"Rose, are you ready to do this?" he asked. She nodded in response.
"There's still some time left. It's just past 8:00 now. Don't be afraid just do everything exactly as we told you. The problem is, no one can come near you or wake you until you complete the astral projection. When you return from the spiritual world back into the real one, you must press the siren in your hand. Only when we hear its sound will we know that you've finished."
Dr. John placed the siren beside her where she lay. After that, the two of them went back to the doctor's new tent. With the torchlight gone, the tent was once again completely swallowed by darkness.
She struggled hard to push the time forward. The alarm on the watch set by the doctor rang, and that was when she realized it was midnight. The watch had been placed outside the tent so that its sound would not disturb her. Because of that, the alarm reached her ears only faintly. She waited until the alarm stopped. It lasted for about a minute. Silence surrounded her; though the wind blew outside, it did not enter the tent.
She closed her eyes. She began performing the steps required in the first stage of the Monroe Technique. She brought her entire body into a state of relaxation. Her breathing slowed down, inhaling and exhaling gently. After some time, she reached the hypnotic stage. Even her eyelids slipped out of her control. At this moment, Rose body began to feel completely heavy. She realized that she now had to move on to the second stage.
She began to imagine a rope hanging in front of her face, waiting for her to grab and climb. Without moving her hands, she visualized herself holding the rope and climbing upward. She focused her entire mind on it. Rose's soul started to separate from her body.
As soon as the Rope Technique was complete, she moved on to the third stage, the Hammock Technique. First, she inhaled once and exhaled. Then she followed the next sequence two breaths in and out. After that, the third sequence four breaths in and out. She continued repeating this process.
At that moment, in her mind, she began to recite the mantra Peter had taught her: "Between SLEEP AND SPIRITS." With every inhale and exhale, Rose repeated the mantra silently in her mind.
Now her soul had fully separated from her body. She could see her own body lying there before her.
Seeing that, she was astonished. She did not waste any more time and proceeded to the fourth stage, the Stretch Out Technique. She began to visualize the spiritual world. After long effort, a path appeared before her.
The moment she stepped onto that path, her soul began to travel at an incredible speed. It was at one-hundredth the speed of light as she moved along the path. Suddenly, the path vanished, and Rose was thrust violently into darkness. In an instant, she fell from the air onto the ground.
Her soul immediately transformed into a normal human body but she knew it was not her real body. Slowly, she stood up. In front of her, as far as her eyes could see, there was only darkness. Just as she feared, she had arrived in darkness within the spiritual world.
Her artificial body began to sweat. A slight relief came to her when she realized that, at least here, she was completely healthy. Beneath her feet too, there was only darkness. She tried to calm herself down.
Suddenly, before her, a square frame like smoke appeared. It glowed with light. Letters began to emerge within it. She looked at it carefully.
On it was written
[Name: Rose]
[Opened: Fear Demon (the demon born from Rose's fear)]
Temporary power granted to Rose.
Power: Distraction, Speed, Teleportation.
Fear Demon's power: Unknown.
Battle experience granted to Rose: 60 years.
"If you are ready, place your hand here."
This was the final line that appeared on the glowing frame. Then, on the square, a palm-shaped mark appeared, inviting her to place her hand on it.
Suddenly, a timer switched on. It was set for one minute. She had to make her decision within that time. Even if she didn't place her hand there, she knew for certain that she would still have to fight this being.
Now, only 10 seconds remained on the frame. Without overthinking, Rose placed her hand on it.
Immediately, a brilliant light surged through her body. That light surrounded her like a
Aura , making her appear almost divine. Her astral body began to tighten and strain. Her arms and legs started to twist. Suddenly, her body began to weaken. Slowly, she collapsed to the ground.
For a moment, she even felt that had the wounds from before still been on her body she might have lost her life right then and there. Gradually, the radiance began to fade, and with it, her pain as well.
She tried to rise slowly. Though the light had diminished, a faint Aura still lingered around her, glowing softly. She began to notice the changes in her body.
At that very moment, she felt a force approaching from behind. She quickly turned around. It was a black figure. In an instant, the figure lunged toward her. Without hesitation, she struck it with her clenched fist.
The impact caused the figure to explode into fragments, scattering into the surrounding darkness. She was stunned by what she saw. Glancing down at her hands, she suddenly remembered:
"I now have 60 years of battle experience."
A faint smile appeared on her face. She realized that it was precisely because of this newfound battle experience that she was able to shatter the creature so easily.
Suddenly, glowing letters appeared on the frame: "You unlock the Temporary POWER." The moment she read those words, the frame vanished.
But almost immediately, a short distance away, the same creature re-emerged, ripping through the empty darkness around her. Though nothing else could be seen in that void, the two of them could see each other clearly.
The beast had two black wings, and its eyes were hollow sockets but within them burned a blazing fire.
Rose moved her lips.
"The fear within me now stands before me Fear Demon. When it strangled my neck, it never had such a terrifying form."
Suddenly, the frame appeared once again in front of her. She read the words written on it:
"The Temporary Warrior."
That was the name the spiritual world had given her. As for the Fear Demon, it was named "The King of Darkness."
The moment she read it, the frame vanished again. Rose's astral body began to tremble.
"If I don't defeat this thing, I'll never be able to see the light again," she told herself.
As she watched, the Fear Demon rose upward, letting out a thunderous cry:
"Welcome, lost soul. This world was once pure but now it belongs to me."
Rose cast away the fear clutching her astral body. Astral energy flared within her hands glowing in a color that blended white and crimson.
"I came seeking the light. My goal, Fear Demon, is liberation from you. Ah… forgive me, I misspoke. The name this spiritual world gave you is The King of Darkness."
She drew in a deep breath.
"The King of Darkness… today I will defeat you here. If I don't, I will die. Come then, wretched beast!" she shouted aloud.
The fear inside her had already vanished. Upon the face of the so-called King of Darkness spread a grotesque smile.
"Liberation… ha… ha… ha… your light, your hope it has no value here."
It unfurled its wings, its voice sending waves rippling through the darkness.
Rose closed her eyes.
"Speed, teleportation, distraction these are the powers the spiritual world has granted me."
With this thought, she opened her eyes once more.
"I will fight you with the power given to me by the spiritual world. I will subdue you."
As the Fear Demon watched, Rose vanished in a flash like a bolt of lightning.
The next instant, she appeared behind the demon. In the darkness, a straight line of glowing light marked the speed at which she had moved. It lingered for two seconds before dissolving into the shadows.
The distraction light in her hand struck the demon's back. It exploded instantly. The King of Darkness hadn't even been able to see the attack coming.
The creature howled in pain a scream so terrifying that anyone who heard it would be paralyzed with fear.
Its wings slashed through the darkness and struck Rose's body with crushing force. She was hurled away, crashing into the distance.
Slowly, she struggled to rise to her feet. The darkness around her felt like it was heating up.
"This isn't an ordinary demon. I don't yet know the extent of its power… but one thing I do know it is the very poison that turned this world into darkness." she told herself.
To be continued.....