"What is this place?" Ethan said quietly, feeling panic rise in his chest.
A voice broke into his thoughts. "Welcome to the ritual room," it said in a deep, strong tone filled with wickedness. Ethan turned and saw a figure in the shadows. The man's face was covered by a hood, and only his sharp eyes could be seen. He was holding a staff in his hand.
"I am Malik Voss, the Sorcerer," the man said. "You, Soul 6 (Ethan Cross), have an important task to complete."
Beside the Sorcerer was another figure—like a doll, a glowing, partial see-through being. It didn't have a solid body, but its presence felt calm and strong.
"I am the Soul Navigator," it said. Its voice was gentle but full of wisdom. "I am here to guide you. You can ask me any questions, for I am obliged to answer them truthfully—it's my role."
Ethan (Soul 6) scanned the room again, trying to make sense of it all—the coffins, the glowing lights, the mirror, and the two strange beings. It was nothing like he'd ever seen before. He tried to speak, but his throat felt dry.
Finally, he managed to ask, "What do you want from me?"
The Sorcerer moved closer, taking slow and careful steps. "You died in vain, Soul 6. Not a soul saved. But I can offer you a second chance at life," he said, his voice resolute in the eerie silence of the strange room.
"I'm the only one who can send you back to your world, to save your friends. But there's a toll to be paid. You must help the souls in these coffins."
He pointed to the other coffins, the shadow from his hood making his face hard to see. "Each of them has regret from their lives, and it is your job to take that regret away," the Sorcerer continued. "You must enter their past lives through the ritual mirror, where your soul will inhabit their bodies and take control. You will experience their struggles and help them find the peace they've been searching for. Only then can you truly release them from the burden of their pasts."
The Sorcerer's eyes glinted under the hood, as if a century-old ploy was about to unfold, and Ethan stood at the eye of the storm, unaware of how fierce the winds would be.
The Soul Navigator floated closer, its presence calm and soothing. "There is one condition," it explained. "When you enter a soul's past, you must play its role, but in the end, you MUST die to return here. Only then can the soul in the coffin find peace and satisfaction."
Ethan felt the weight of the words. "And if I refuse what both of you have said so far?" he asked, his tone challenging. The Sorcerer's voice grew cold, sharper than before. "If you refuse, you will remain here forever, trapped in this room. You will never save your friends who perished miserably in the forest."
He paused, his piercing eyes glowing beneath the hood. "And if you anger me further, I will make sure your wife—and the child she carries—suffer in ways you can't imagine."
Hearing this, Ethan clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms. Rage and desperation flared within him. His entire body tensed against the chains, which glowed faintly in reaction to his emotions. He glared at the Sorcerer, but deep inside, he knew he had no choice.
"Fine," he muttered through gritted teeth, the words bitter in his mouth. "Tell me what I have to do."
The Sorcerer gestured toward the mirror, its surface glowing brightly. "Come closer," he commanded. Ethan hesitated but had no choice. As he moved closer, he noticed a strange key embedded in the shaft of the sorcerer's staff.
When Ethan stared into the mirror, the light shifted, and images began to form. The surface rippled like water, then cleared to reveal something unexpected—a scene from his own past. Ethan saw an image, like a single, vivid vision, of himself standing in the forest with his squad, fighting the enemies. One by one, all the members fell to the ground, shot by the enemies. The memory felt so real, almost as if he were back there.
"Like your past, the mirror will show the lives of the souls trapped in the coffins," the Sorcerer explained, his voice steady and cold. "Each of them carries regret. Your task is to help the souls and play a role in their life and fix what they could not. Only then will they be satisfied."