Chapter 38: Motive (Part 2)

The next time Ethan Kales opened his eyes; he was on a bed and was seeing a ceiling that he didn't recognize.

Ethan: "W-What's going on?"

He said as he got up and looked at the two people in the room. One was the demon in the body of a child and one was the Spectre who had tried to kill him.

Ethan: "W-what!?"

Abyss: "Calm down!"

Dyne sighed.

Dyne: "So you are finally awake."

Ethan tried to get back but,

Abyss: "Have you noticed any difference from before?"

As he said that, Ethan realized.

Ethan: "I … I can see normally now."

Abyss: "Is normally it?"

It wasn't.

Ethan: "I can … still see your aura and I can also see what I couldn't see back then."

Abyss: "Yes, that's good."

Abyss said as he smiled.

Dyne: "Yeah, yeah, that's all fine and all. Now listen so I can finally leave."

Ethan turned his attention to the Spectre.

Dyne: "You are going to learn a lot about things that are generally considered supernatural. You will then realize that there's a war going on between some factions and the stakes are off the roof."

He said as he looked straight at Ethan from his golden helm.

Dyne: "I was ordered to kill you because you could have been detrimental to the whole world in this war if you were not able to master the use of Eyes of Truth. I will report back that that's no longer an issue. But now you can't choose to not be in this war. I know you were dragged into it and you must be confused as hell right now, but try to catch up soon, your help will be needed in the future."

He said and turned around.

Dyne: "That's all for me."

Dyne started walking out of the room and soon the noise of the door to the exit opening came.

Abyss: "Well, did you catch all that?"

Ethan looked down while thinking.

Ethan: "Not all of it."

Abyss chuckled.

Abyss: "I see."

Ethan's attention turned to the demon as he sat down on a chair beside Ethan's bed.

Abyss: "In order for you to understand everything, I have given you three things."

Ethan looked at Abyss with a surprised expression.

Abyss: "First of all, back when I put you through that pain, I was improving your eyes."

Ethan: "Improving?"

Abyss: "Yes, I don't know why Ozyllus chose you as the one he wanted to have the Eyes of Truth but since he did, it must mean that you are someone special."

Ethan: "I don't know about that."

Abyss: "Well, I can't do anything about how you think of yourself. So instead let me tell you what the Eyes of Truth are."

Ethan looked at Abyss with clear curiosity.

Abyss: "About a thousand years ago, a blind man who was a scientist of sorts created a pair of Eyes that could see everything that naked eyes couldn't. He gave those eyes the name Eyes of Truth and they were transplanted in him. That man was called Sagax and he became the man whose eyes could never be deceived."

Ethan: "T-That's amazing."

Abyss: "Yes, but there was a catch. His eyes were not able to see anything that a normal eye could."

Ethan: "That's what happened to me."

Abyss: "Yes, but after much research, that man was starting to become able to see things that he had lost the ability to."

Ethan listened to him with astonishment as he continued,

Abyss: "After that, he kept improving his sight. Eventually, he became able to see everything. We called that, for a lack of a better term, 'mastering the eye'. "

Ethan: "I see."

Abyss: "I took all the formulas he had and forced them into your brain. This is why you had to go through that pain. But because of that, you have ended up mastering the eyes."

Ethan finally understood what was going on.

Abyss: "If you hadn't been able to master it, then terrible side effects could have happened. This is why Dyne tried to kill you. But because of what I did back there, that's not an issue now. That was the first thing I have given you."

Ethan understood things much more clearly than he did in the past day.

Abyss: "The second thing – is this house."

Ethan: "What!?"

Abyss: "A few Aurals I know will act as your guardians, but this house will ultimately be yours. There are a lot of books I have left that are pertaining to the past era as well as this era that you should read to find out more about how the things have been. Those very Aurals will also protect you so you don't need to worry about something like that attack again."

He didn't even have the energy to be surprised anymore.

Abyss: "The last thing I am giving you is – motivation."

Ethan: "Motivation?"

Abyss: "Do you want Ozyllus' reign to continue?"

A question the answer to which Abyss already knew – was asked just to remind Ethan of the burning hatred that was born within him in just a day.

Abyss: "Or do you want his reign to end?"

Ethan: "You already know the answer."

Abyss: "Then I'll tell you how to do it."

Ethan: "What?"

His eagerness to listen somehow heightened even more.

Abyss: "That will be your motive and that is what will bring Ozyllus down."

Ethan had gained a focus he never had before.

Abyss: "Ozyllus thinks you are dancing to his tune. And he will keep thinking that. You need to turn that around. You need to make this war end in a way that he doesn't want it to."

Ethan: "In what way?"

Abyss: "I myself don't know that, or it wouldn't have been so hard for me to fight back against him. But listen, the only way his plans can fail is if the most powerful psychic in the world, actually … scratch that, most power person in the world, tries to stop his plans, whatever they are."

Ethan: "Most powerful?"

Abyss: "Yes, there is a person in this world who is as powerful as if not more than Ozyllus was. That psychic is needed to enter this war, because I know that Ozyllus' plans mostly depend on him, I also know that he is the only one who can completely turn them around."

Ethan: "Okay?"

Abyss: "But because of how that bastard has played his game, that boy would not want to have anything to do with this war. I had to erase the poor soul's memories in order for him to even be able to face himself."

Ethan: "That doesn't sound good."

Abyss: "It's not. Which is why, you will need to change that. Bring him into this war, and make sure he destroys Ozyllus. Only you can do this."

At that moment, he had gained a goal. And with that goal, Ethan Kales had become one of the most crucial pieces in Abyss' counterattack rather than in Ozyllus' attack.

At that moment, his resolve had strengthened beyond what one could expect and it has not wavered since.

Abyss: "In order to keep fooling him into thinking you are his tool, we will need to keep away from each other. So, this is the only time you have to talk to me."

Ethan looked at Abyss with that resolve in his eyes.

Abyss: "Look at me. Memorize this face. This is not the face of Abyss, the demon; I just inhabit this body. This is the face of the psychic you will need to bring into this war."

Ethan understood that. And he was ready to do what he needed to. So yes, he saw that face and never forgot it.

Abyss: "This is the face of the boy you saw the aura of a day ago as one of the two people who were alive in that mess. Remember this face so well that you will recognize it even 12-15 years later when this child has grown up."

Ethan affirmed to it. And Abyss understood very well just how serious Ethan truly was about it.

Abyss: "And remember this name – Kais."

*******************************