As soon as the Masked boy left the building, a girl appeared from the rooftop, leaping lightly in front of him. She seemed about his age, her face hidden beneath a heavy cloak, only her eyes visible beneath the hood.
He looked at her and said:
"What were you doing up there? Stargazing?"
She didn't reply, and he sighed with annoyance before turning and continuing his path:
"Yes, ignore me as always."
***
[Iris' Perspective]
After Mr Masked left, I began wandering through the residential complex. I entered one apartment after another, but most were covered in dust. Their furniture was either broken or moldy. Some had a living room, a small kitchen, or two bedrooms, but they were all gloomy. Unlike my beautiful room. After exploring many of them, I got bored and decided to return.
On my way back, I passed by the Mr Masked apartment. I stopped, staring at the door for a moment. Then I placed my hand on the handle and pushed gently. It wasn't locked. As soon as I pushed it slightly, someoneoor rather something appeared before me. A ghost.
It floated in front of me. Its body was transparent, its features distorted, and its voice deep, as if it came from beyond this world:
"Didn't that little fool warn you not to enter?"
I stepped back and said:
"The little fool? You mean… Mr Masked?"
The ghost smirked, crossing its arms:
"Mr Masked? People really do change a lot when they grow up."
I wanted to run, but curiosity was stronger. I asked:
"Who are you?"
"Me? Just a wandering soul drifting around this world."
"A ghost?"
"More or less."
I glanced around, then back at him, hesitating:
"Is this… the place where you died?"
He shrugged:
"Something like that."
Gathering courage, I stepped closer:
"You seem like you know the Mr Masked?"
He winked at me and said:
"That little brat? Know him? Of course I do. He's the reason I woke up from my eternal slumber."
"Stay away, evil spirit!"
I shouted, launching a barrage of fireballs at him. But the moment the flames touched his translucent body, they fizzled out without effect.
The ghost shot me a sideways glance:
"That's pointless. With your current level of assimilation, your flames can't even tickle me."
"My level of assimilation?"
"Ah, as I thought. That knowledge can't be force fed, unfortunately."
I didn't understand half of what he was saying, but I didn't feel afraid. He didn't seem like an evil spirit. More like a friendly ghost.
"Mr Ghost…?"
He cut me off immediately, waving his hand:
"Can you talk less formally?"
"Why?"
"It's uncomfortable."
"Then what should I call you? Mr. Ghost?"
"Jevan."
"Mr Jevan?"
"Just Jevan. Save the 'Mister' for formal occasions."
"Alright… M... Jevan."
He nodded:
"Close enough. Now, what were you trying to ask me?"
"What did you mean by level of assimilation?"
He clasped his hands behind his back and began circling me:
"assimilation is the process that lets you understand the Authority you possess and gradually unseal it."
He raised his arm, his tone growing serious:
"Authority is that power you just showed. There are different types, each unique, and no two wielders manifest them in exactly the same way. But when Authority enters someone's body, it's uncontrollable. That's why a ritual is needed to seal it."
"A ritual? A seal?"
He nodded:
"Yes. Without the seal, the Authority remains unstable. Its sheer force would tear the host apart. After the ritual, one can gradually attune to it and unseal it step by step until the body adapts."
He suddenly paused, staring into nothing for a moment, then said:
"There's also something called System Pieces. Special tools used to seal Authorities within them. Through them, even someone not born with an Authority can wield one."
I opened my mouth to ask, but he raised a finger:
"Don't try to understand everything now. Trust me, your head will explode. Anyway, that's enough for today. I need some rest. And you stay out of that little fool's apartment."
Before I could respond, his body slowly faded away until it vanished.
...
I returned to my room to find the cat awake, stretching and yawning on the floor. I smiled, knelt down, and patted its head.
"Miss me?"
It answered with a soft meow, as if scolding me for leaving it alone. I lay down on the bed, and the moment I rested on it, my head felt heavy with a flood of thoughts. But my eyes began to close. I pulled the cat against my chest gently. And drifted into sleep.
***
Outside, the Masked boy stood in front of the building, his body staggering, his clothes torn. Blood dripped from beneath his mask, staining the collar of his coat. He could barely stand, all he wanted was to collapse on the nearest bed. But the moment he stepped inside the hallway, he froze.
Before his eyes, the ghost was running while holding a gray cat tightly in both hands.
"Run!!" the ghost bellowed hoarsely, without stopping.
The Masked boy furrowed his brows in disbelief, but before he could say anything, a loud boom echoed behind him. From the end of the hallway, Iris appeared, wings of fire spreading from her back. She gave him no chance to ask questions, launching a fiery wave straight at him.
"Damn it!"
He ducked quickly and leapt aside. The flames grazed past his shoulder, tearing what was left of his coat sleeve. Rolling on the floor, he sprang up and dashed toward the ghost, who was still stumbling forward.
The Masked boy shouted breathlessly:
"What the hell did you do to make her turn into this?!"
The ghost yelled back without stopping:
"I didn't do anything! I swear! She just woke up, started spewing fire everywhere, then tried to roast the cat!"
He lifted the cat with one hand like proof of innocence, while the cat itself screeched in protest, clinging desperately to his arm.
The Masked boy dodged another fiery blast, shouting:
"Didn't you say her Authority doesn't affect you?! Go stop her!"
The ghost groaned:
"If this were before, it wouldn't be a problem. But for some reason, she's reached a new level of assimilation! Right now I'm using everything I have just to keep this place from turning to ash!"
The two exchanged a fleeting glance before continuing to sprint down the corridor.