Chapter one

Each person has their own inner souls… whom they have to befriend or bond with. They have their own names, own unique style, and auras. But, they have classification. Most famous were assassins, mages, and fighters. Basic ones... (because the author apparently is lazy.)

(Author : ...I hate you)

Inner souls affect your eye colour. Assassins have dominant purple, yet mages usually have ocean eyes. The lighter the colour, the more powerful you are.

Now, what is inner soul? Well, who is inner soul?... She's your friend, family for a lifetime and most importantly, the source of power.

So, I welcome you to the world of inner souls.

Flashback,

Nine years ago,

A ringing sound came to my ears like knifes pierced them through. I flinched and squirmed my eyes. I closed my ears and clenched it as I opened my eyes.

Everything were blurry and everything was turning round and round. I couldn't move, my limbs were frozen and my senses were weakened in the worst possible way.

I looked around... trees and piercing sunlight of hell. I closed my eyes as I slammed my back on a tree, trying to ease the pain. My heart thumped loud and fast.

Then, all suddenly ached. My head was spinning and hurting like something must've rendered my brain. My chess was heavy and I couldn't breathe.

I dropped my upper body forwards and gripped my head tighter, pushing my head to the grounds. Tears started to fall down and I coughed, spitting blood to the grounds. I was gasping for air as I curled my body into a ball and pulled my hair down.

How did I end up like this? Why did my body ached so much? I couldn't recall anything, moreover, I didn't know who am I.

I kept coughing blood, until my stomach was like a cloth that's been twisted. It's like my organs were breaking apart, inside and outside. My whole body trembled as I started to lose grip to everything.

I couldn't hold it longer, my whole body rolled to the side and collapsed onto the grounds. I laid there, dirtied with dirt and my own blood. The ringing didn't stop. My inner organs were falling apart. It was full of pain to the point that your body couldn't handle feeling it. Numb and surrendering, I was a mess.

Louise Caliban, my name. Rhys, my inner soul. Then... I was an assassin with shadows as its style. Gray haired and violet eyed 15 year old human. That's all that I could recall. Other than that? I didn't know.

My friends? Did I even have a friend? I didn't know. Was I a fugitive? Was I a commoner? My memories were all gone. Maybe I had done a very unforgiven sin, and this was my punishment. But, what kind of sin did I do?

I looked up, seeing the purple skies. I chuckled… I didn't even know if it's morning or evening. I was not in a very good shape in thinking either. Who put me in this situation? I'd shred them into pieces.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps...

I had no energy in standing up and fighting back, so, I just glanced at the direction where the footsteps came. Suddenly, whoever he or she is, stood right besides my ears. "What do you want? Kill me?" I asked, with a raspy voice. I couldn't muster a louder and bolder voice. I hated this, but I felt pathetically weak.

That human bent down and touched my shoulders. Suddenly, I felt a drip of liquid on my face, It was blood. Her black hair fell down, few strands were touching my face. Her legs dropped down and I could hear her breathing heavily. She shovelled her hands on her dress' pocket and took out bottles of potion. "I'm here to heal you," she said, with a raspier voice.

I squirmed my eyes to have a better sight of that human. Blue eyed. A mage. No mage has healing abilities. "Don't you lie to me," I said.

She opened a bottle and drank it, then she opened another one, opened my mouth, and poured it right to it. "This is Errapel," she said. A potion?

Suddenly, my visions became clearer and the ringing faded. Everything became better, I could breathe normally, and I gained my strength. I sat up, looking at her who stopped bleeding. "Can you tell me what happen to me?" I asked. "Do you know me?"

"No clues… I don't know," she said.

"Then, how did you find me?" I asked.

"Woke up earlier than you, and you were near." She handed me her hand and said "I'm Maddison Blanche, you?"

"Louise Caliban," I said and shook his hand.

End of flashback.

Night, (A day before the killing),

I stepped into the room. The sound of my boots hitting the wood floor was audible. His fear was visible. It was night and there were no lights other than our eyes.

My shadows covered everything. He was panting and bleeding. I was smiling and chuckling softly.

His hands were trembling while holding that pathetic small knife which wasn't even for combat. A broken rib, broken leg, and a missing hand… for a person who had all of that, his will to live was pretty strong, stronger than me who's about to do worse.

"Stand back!" He shouted as he lighted his eyes even more. I stopped walking and stared at him, holding a laugh. Just look at those disgusting red eyes. He had a power of a fighter, but never had its fearless, sometimes dumb spirit.

I could feel Rhys' urge to kill him. Her power was flowing inside, her urge was bigger than mine. I chuckled and sighed.

"I'm sorry darling, but my shadows are hungry," I said, smiling as my shadows covered his feet, binding them. "And what can you do to save yourself? let my shadows get what she deserves, will you?" I continued while moving forward then, placed the tip of my sword below his neck.

Look at his face of fear, fear of death... It's fascinating. Wasn't it great to leave your binds of the world behind? But, why was he so afraid of dying? Was it because there's so much he hadn't explored yet? But, wouldn't it be nice to just not know something? Was it because he had things he valued? I killed his family in front of his damned eyes.

Or was it because of ego? (What do you think, Rhys?)

(Just kill him, please… - Rhys)

(For pleasure's sake, just have fun.)

He kept glaring at me, fear never left his eyes. Blood and tears kept dripping down.

Here's the thing, I never knew what I did was good or not, I was just there for the thrill I always seek. This was exactly the perfect example of that thrill. (So, let's start slowly, shall we, Rhys?)

I pointed his 5 year old son with my sword and smirked. "Don't you want to say something to your son, right there? Or your beloved wife?" I asked, sweetly and waited for a few seconds. They were literally covered with their own blood, I could smell it from here. Their scent was different than his disgusting scent of blood. Maybe I was biased.

"No…? oh, what a pity… perhaps you have a hard time opening your mouth…"

I put my sword on his lips and my heart thumped fast. "Let me help you with that," I muttered "That's what friends for, right?". This never bored me. I pushed my sword and sliced his lips to the left. More blood poured out and he screamed in pain.

Suddenly, lights shone from inside his body to the outside. I winced my eyes as my shadows immediately absorbed his light and stopped his teleportation. I sneered and his eyes were widened.

"My shadows… locked you, you'll die no matter what. So, enjoy your death," I said in a sarcastic tone as I wheezed. This annoyed me very much. Did he just underestimate my shadows? There's a reason why the king always sent me alone. Moreover, I was a royal assassin who's specialized in assassination. I was a professional in savouring a kill.

I could manifest my powers in way more different ways, while he was just a mere amateur. We were on different levels, was this hard for his little brain to understand?

I swung my sword to the left and stabbed his waist from the side until my sword reached the end. He screeched and coughed blood. His eyes rolled up until it was only white. My sword caught up some of his flesh... or maybe that was his intestines.

As I pulled the sword, water poured down from the hole. I stabbed the right ribs until it reached the left. His face turned paler and his mouth was pouring with blood. His dropped his knife as I sliced his organs and pulled my sword.

His binds were gone, he fell down with eyes still opened wide and mouth drooling in blood, like... a dog. Suddenly, a small soft light shone from his inside and broke free from his body. That's a soul.

When integrated, there's a string on the heart that connects the soul with the body. After the string was connected, the soul would fully become an inner soul. And inner soul could choose to cut the strings to break free from a body… and that's what his inner soul just did.

I grabbed my sword and stabbed his head to ensure his death. "For the light of Davenshora, dark arts should be perished and all whom possessed it, shall not live long to see glory," I said for formality, wiping my sword with my napkin then, put it back near my waist. Suddenly, a glowing star appeared near the dead body, that's a sign of death by punishment from the king himself. And inside that star appeared a skull, which was a symbol of dark arts... the inside showed you why this person was punished. I left that room.

My steps were leaving footprints of blood. I looked down to the wife and the boy, what a pathetic family. Their eyes were opened, lips were dry, and skin was slightly blue and white pale. Her hand was crooked, It was only an attack. It's not my fault that she's weak. (Rhys, shadows.)

Shadows below them took them to the same room as that man. Then, I took a piece of wood and gave it some fire from the fire place.

I walked back to that room and I covered their bodies with shadows. (Break.)

The cracking sounds were coming from them. It's their bones. I threw the wood to the pile of bodies and the fire instantly covered them, my shadows were gone and the torches are lighting up again. The room instantly became bright.

I watched and waited there until they became ashes. The only thing that'd remain whole was the symbol.

Next day,

"Did you have fun yesterday?"

"It was quite the pleasure," I said and smirked. "Why did you call me?" I asked. He was sitting on his desk, writing. Dallen Allejandro was the King's highest and most trusted counsellor. A mage. He's old, you could see it by the strands of gray hair and wrinkles on his eyes.

"Nothing… Just like always… you know," he said, completely fixated on that piece of paper. He tapped the desk continuously. "Dark arts."

The kingdom of Davenshora was highly against dark arts. Dark arts were considered as a threat and a taint for the kingdom. Whoever was caught practicing it, will be immediately executed.

And executing them, was like a daily job for me. The fear on their eyes, the smell of fresh blood, and the shout of their despair never failed to entertain me. I'd be lying if I say I didn't enjoy nor did I regret.

"You can just tell the King," I said. "Then, I could have more sleep," I murmured then. I usually slept in the afternoon and worked at night.

Dallen was in charge of listing their names for execution. But, the final decision belonged to the King, neither he agreed or not… but, usually he agreed and signed that paper without even looking, then gave it to me, around these times, at evening.

"Look at the list," he said, facing the paper to me. My heart skipped. My eyes were widened, my whole body became numb, and my mind went blank. There's only one person. I saw her picture next to her name. Dark haired with ocean eyes.

I couldn't be wrong. She's… her. My whole body tensed up.

(He must've lied – Rhys.)

"You're lying," I said, glaring at Dallen, facing the paper back to him and trying hard not to crumple it.

"No… this is the most certain person that I sensed. Sense her… and you won't doubt," He said, looking at me.

"Maddison Blanche? And dark arts?" I asked, chuckling, disbelieving. My brain couldn't process this information.

"yes,"

"nu-uh…"

"Yes, I'm never wrong,"

"no… no no no," I said "Maybe, it's her powers. She could transform or some sorts." Neither disbelieving Dallen or not wanting to accept it, I didn't know. Maddie was a mastermind typed mage, long explanation, you'd eventually know it.

"You can't transform auras of your soul. Face the reality," he said rubbing his forehead. "But, I won't make you kill her, I'll negotiate the king."

"She served this kingdom, she-"

"That doesn't deny the fact that she joined dark arts," he said, lowering his voice.

I zoned out. I could hear my heart thumping loudly. I never saw Dallen this stern. So, she really did join them. I stopped for a second and thought.

That's shocking, but somehow it didn't bother me

The real problem was, although I despised the dark arts, I still would prefer killing thousands than killing Maddie. I pressed my lips… "What shall be done, let it be done," I said with a raspy voice "But promise me, you won't make me kill her."

"I promise. You may leave," Dallen said. I glared at him, his eyes… There were no traces of a liar. His hands were also slightly trembling.

I walked out and closed the door.

It was too late to inform Maddie about this news, because by the time the letter reached her, her executers will arrive at the same time. She could kill them, but it would be cleaner if I did the dirty work. But, I wasn't ready to lose my job so, the only way out is that way.

(What are we going to do? – Rhys)

(We make a plot.)