"So…you sure about me calling you by your name, master~" The hair on Omens' hands shivered as he gave the girl beside her a bombastic side, knowing full well that this was her revenge for staring at her for too long.
'I didn't do it on purpose!' Omen wanted to protest but knew it was better to just suck it up.
He coughed out loud as he said righteously, "I don't believe in slaves–"
"Neither do I think of you as one." His lips twitched as he continued, "Besides, you can't be serious about living by my side your whole life, can you?"
Unfortunately for Omen, asking that question was a hit on his own toe as the girl gave a smirking nod, scaring the shit out of him.
They continued walking down the broken pathways silently, the silhouette of a dense forest visible at the end of the ruins.
It was only after spending some time with the girl did he ask her about this whole ghoul thingy.
Apparently, the planet they were in was called Icarus, and not only that but Reverse Cultivation was forbidden.
They people here hated Reverse cultivators so much that as years went by, they gave such beings a new name, casting them out.
Ghouls.
Not only this, but centuries ago a war had occurred according to Lilith, in which the Reverse Cultivators lost and were almost annihilated from the face of the world.
Since then, the remaining ones continue to live in shadows while the so called cultivators flourished.
The two continued their walk through the ruins as Omen only now realized how bad an idea it was to turn into a 'ghoul'.
'To start reverse cultivating, one must first lose their sense of being. The first condition is to die.'
Omen had read the excerpt in one of the pages of the sutra. According to it, just like cultivation was a form of ascension, reverse cultivation was literally just quite the opposite.
'So we just compete on who can dig their grave deeper?' questioned myself as I read about the cultivation of something even below the Samsara.
'Nihaar: The ability to unlive oneself until only their bones and dust remains in exchange for the ultimate ability! '
You could think of Samsara as the veil which catches every soul and makes them follow the cycle of cultivation and Nihaar being the fall beneath the veil.
You could also say that it is a point of no return-
Broken marble crushed beneath Omen's feet, making him wonder where such a thing even came here.
In the distance, the faint shape of a forest appeared, its dense trees stretching towards the sky like dark towers.
Even from afar, the boy could feel something about that place was…off.
The air seemed thicker the closer they got, and the smell of old bark and moisture replaced the dry, dusty scent of the ruins.
Omen's mind wandered as they walked. He still couldn't tell what kind of place this was.
Either way, he didn't want to stick around long enough to find out.
He kicked a small stone down the path, his hands shoved in his pockets as that walked silently .
"Lilith," Omen called after a while.
She hummed lightly, not turning her head. "Hmm?"
He hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, wanting to know if choosing this path was the right option.
Although he thought so, the boy clearly knew deep down that there was no other path left for him due to his broken dantian.
"Do you think that…reverse cultivation is worth it?"
That one word made her freeze.
Lilith stopped so suddenly that Omen walked right into her. His chest bumped against her back before he could react, and he stumbled lightly.
The first thing he felt was her skin, soft, but ice cold, like touching snow that didn't melt.
Omen instantly backed off, his ears burning. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to—" But Lilith didn't even move.
She stood still, staring straight ahead into his eyes, her crimson eyes reflecting the faint light that slipped from the trees as she thought hard about his question.
When the girl finally spoke, her voice wasn't playful anymore. It was calm, but there was something heavy in it.
"Reverse cultivation," she said slowly, "I agree that it doesn't give you anything. The practice of Ashkarr only makes you seem to lose more."
The girl turned to face him, staring right into his black eyes, "But Omen, when the lives of your loved ones are placed on a blade's edge…"
She looked down for a second, as if searching her own memories. "The only thing that matters is how much of yourself can you burn…before they're safe."
"Its the only reason that comes to my mind. In cultivation, you spend your entire life being someone you aren't…trying to evolve into a better version of yourselves. But…have you ever tried stripping your sense of self bare to see what lives beneath it?
Omen blinked, processing her words. "So, you don't know how it would affect me if I start reverse cultivating?" The boy asked, a wry smile on his face as everything he thought he knew about Reverse Cultivation just shattered.
Meanwhile, the beautiful girl with black hair simply shook her head. "Nope."
"I see…" Omen whispered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'm not the only one confused then, huh?"
Lilith turned her gaze towards him, but said nothing, instead, she started walking again, her long hair swaying behind her. "Let's go," she said simply.
"We can talk once we're inside the forest. It's not safe to linger here."
The ruins slowly faded behind them, replaced by the shadow of towering trees. The light dimmed as they entered the forest, sunlight piercing through gaps in the canopy like scattered shards of gold.
It was eerily quiet.
No birds or insects buzzing around them.
Just the sound of their footsteps and the occasional creak of old branches shifting in the wind.
"This place gives me the creeps," Omen muttered, glancing around.
Lilith didn't respond. Her red eyes scanned the surroundings, alert and sharp. "Be careful," she murmured. "This isn't an ordinary forest. It's said that the trees here remember the dead."
"The dead?"
"Yes," she said, her voice low. "They say if you listen closely… you can still hear their voices."
Omen gulped, not sure if she was serious or just trying to mess with him again.
But then, he heard a faint whisper.
At first, he thought it was the wind brushing against the leaves. But as they moved deeper into the forest, the sound grew clearer.
It wasn't random, no.
Soft, broken whispers seemed to echo from all directions.
"We should cripple him…"
"You're righ~"
Different voices started rushing inside Omens head, almost like they were talking about his insecurities and fears on a broken record.
What made him creep out, however, was the fact that these voices seemed very familiar to him.
Before he could think more, Lilith stopped walking again as her figure stiffened.
Omen looked around nervously. "W-What happened?"
"The echoes, they're getting louder." she whispered.
"We need to move faster."
The air grew colder the deeper they went.
The trees, once still, began to sway as if breathing and a faint mist rolled across the ground, wrapping around their legs.
Omen's heart thudded in his chest. "Lilith…"
Before he could say another word, a sound cut through the silence, the crack of a branch snapping behind them.
Both of them turned instantly.
There, in the dim light, between the trees, something moved.
At first, it looked like a shadow. Then, slowly, it began to take shape, a tall figure, its limbs unnaturally long, its eyes glowing faint blue through the fog.
Omen took a step back, his throat dry. "What…what is that?"
Lilith's crimson eyes darkened. She raised her hand slowly, the black mist around her fingers swirling like smoke.
Her voice was calm, but cold enough to freeze the air itself.
"One of the dead."
The figure let out a low, distorted growl, half human, half beast and began moving towards them.
Omen's breathing stopped for a second as he could feel the pressure in the air rising, the forest itself holding its breath.
Lilith stepped forward, her body shielding his.
"Stay behind me," she said quietly.
The creature's mouth opened wide, revealing rows of jagged, and ugly yellow teeth.
Its voice barely human.
"You shouldn't have come here…"
And before Omen could even react, the shadow jumped.
***