Secrets told

I've been walking for what feels like weeks. I'm so tired all the time. It is exhausting to move forwards. Yet I still keep moving forward. Aktor is waiting for me.

I haven't seen anything dangerous here. Only people sleeping in the distance, on the road and some weird looking creatures. Most of them float around.

With what feels like a couple of days of walking, I finally see it. Something looking like a gate. Is this it? Finally it stops. But then I see that there is bright looking path behind it. No, it can't be. My salvation was a lie. I still have to keep moving forward. I must.

It feels like a couple of weeks have passed and I come across three more false gates. I'm starting to lose hope. I can't think straight. I feel like my mind is going to mush. Why don't I sleep a bit more than usual. Aktor can wait a bit more, can't he?

I start to sleep a bit more day after day. Or was it a day? I can't tell anymore. Walking is more and more tiring each step. I can't think of a reason to keep moving. Was it for someone I know? I don't care anymore. I want to sleep.

I've been here for a while. I take a couple of steps forward every now and then, but I don't remember why. I feel so tired. Let's sleep a bit more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

Didn't I need to walk the brightest path or something. I do, but every now and then. It is bothersome. I remember seeing some other people on this road sleeping, but I didn't care to disturb them. I see more and more people each step forward. Let's sleep.

Then I see it. something different. It looks like a gate but there is a weird feeling coming from it. Uncomfortable feeling. I don't want to get closer to it. But I feel like I should.

No, I must.

Move.

Forward.

I touch the gate and suddenly I don't feel as tired as I was a moment ago. Tired still, but not as tired before I touched it. I head inside the gate.

A moment passes and I see nothing. Then when I try to move forward I see it. I'm on top of a grassy hill with a wall surrounding the gate. The hill seems to be going down and it seems this is a giant hole. I look forward and I see on the horizon two sides getting farther away from each other in a circular way. I can't see the point where the two sides meet. Both the points seem to disappear to each side. The hole must be huge.

Since there is no way up, I start to head down. I see many people stuck in place. Most of them seem to be heading down, when only some seem to be going up. I use some magic to see farther down and I see a singular gate standing at the bottom. The gate must send you to the fourth layer or something. People who are moving downwards seem to be moving slowly. Perhaps if they try to move downward they move faster and if you move upward you move slower.

I see other people moving normally and I realize that there must be a difference between being sent here and coming here by yourself. Most of the people who are moving normally seem to be wearing some robes. Perhaps they are some cultists for the demon prince of ignorance, or something. They don't seem bothered at all about my presence so I pay no mind to them.

Now, to look for Aktor. Where could he be? Which way is he heading toward? Up or down? I start to look.

Some time passes and nothing happens. I don't know how long I've been searching for him here, but I will not give up. Not after coming this far. I searched for some more.

And eventually I see a man with a spear on his back. I've seen many here with weapons, but I could tell that this weapon was the one aktor carries. I move closer and I see that it is him. Just sitting there, looking at the top off the hill and not going either way. I tried to talk to him but no response. I use the ring Siel'Kel gave me and ask if I can bring Aktor with me. Siel'Kel answers that it is not currently possible. What should I do?

Then I hear a voice.

- So this is the fellow you came here for.

It is a familiar voice. It is Tur's voice.

- Knew following you would be interesting.

- What are you doing here? How did I not notice you?

- That is two questions with no deal made. Tell you what young lad. You tell me what I wanna know, and I tell you what you wanna know. Provided you give me appropriate answers compared to the questions you wanna ask. How's that?

- I don't know what the information you receive from me is worth, but I will answer.

- Excellent! First question. What is your friend's name?

- Aktor Vån.

- I see. Then the second question. What is that weird thing in your soul that I'm feeling?

- Hhm...

Should I answer this? It is something only Siel'Kel found out and it seems quite important.

- Your answer?

I must risk it. Perhaps he knows how to help Aktor move normally.

- My soul has a fragment of the original power of soul.

- Intriguing. Now then the third question. Who is the person that sent you two here?

What else can I gain? Perhaps information about him or the demon prince of ignorance. Let's tell Siel'Kel's name in hopes Tur doesn't know who it is.

- A person named Siel'Kel.

- For him to be involved in this, must mean it is something of interest. Then I guess I can skip the last question.

- What would you have asked for?

- You sure you want to spend one of your three questions on that?

- I changed my mind. Now then for my first question. Can Aktor be freed and if so, then how?

- I let that slide as one question since I like you. He can be freed. You only need a tear of an aqt found on the first layer's ocean.

- Then as a price of one question, can I have one?

- So you know how to use it. Then I can give it to you. Here.

Tur throws me a vial of what I presume is the tear of an Aqt.

- Then your last question. If you please young lad.

- Then my third question is who... no. What are you?

- Good decision to change it to what. Or else I would give you just my name. And since I received some interesting answers I let you know. My existence is that of a demon prince of secrets. In some cultures I'm also known as the demon prince of silence.

- You are a demon prince?

- To be more precise, I'm one of many forms that compose the entirety of the demon prince of secrets. The one you are talking to is Tur but my name as a demon prince of secrets is Rahasia. In some places I'm known as Samar or Gelap. Just so you know, you shall never call me by one of my twin's names Kiat. I'll let you call me Samar at the moment. But should we meet again, you should call me by the name of that form. If this form contacts you, you refer to me as Tur.

- You sure got a lot of names.

- When doing the things I do, you have to have many names. Anyways, now that you asked all three questions, I will be off. If you ever need my assistance, call my name four times in the night and I shall appear. Be sure to have a proper payment method in mind, or it will be the last time I willingly come to your aid.

- For a demon prince of secrets, you sure talk a lot.

- I never tell too much. I could tell you much more, but I won't. There are many secrets that I hold that can be accessed if you can pay the proper payment. Remember, as a demon prince, I shall always take my client's soul as payment, if offered. There are very few things that I care to keep as a secret when your soul belongs to me. Unlike my brother's ignorance, I will make sure it is impossible to escape from my realm.

- I keep that in mind, thanks.

- Pleasure doing business with you. Now then goodbye.

Then Tur disappears. Or just get away from me. It is possible that he is still watching me. Now then let's free Aktor.

I drop the tear of Aqt on his head, hoping that is the method I need to use. And sure enough, the weird color disappears from him and he starts talking.

- Took you long enough.

- Sorry, but I had a long way to go. How have you been?

- Fantastic. Each movement I tried to make took forever to happen, so I decided to remain here waiting for you. Who was the person you were talking to just now? I could hear everything, but I noticed that there was somebody else here.

- You wont believe me if I tell you. But it was the demon prince of secrets, Rahasia.

- Rahasia? Oh it's her.

- Her?

- You must have met a male form of hers, but when you meet her in what she calls her true self, it is usually a female form. It is complicated so I wouldn't think too much. But basically, demon prince's can take any form they please and it can change depending on the time and place.

- I see. Then is "she" a problem to us?

- Since I think you told her something worthy of revealing her true identity, I think she got her eyes on us for a while. We can do nothing about it but to let it happen.

- Okay, then do you want to leave this place?

- I could go for a trip to the fourth layer, but I think we should head out for now.

- Alright. I can call for Siel'Kel's help.

- Is it helping us? Or rather probably you. It sure took interest in you. Hope it doesn't get too interested in you.

I call Siel'Kel and it transfers us out of this realm. I soon find myself near the great soultree, the same place where I left. I don't see Aktor anywhere so I ask Siel'Kel.

- Where is Aktor?

- He is over there. It will take a moment for the soul to get back to his body.

- So you did separate his soul from his body.

- Yes I did. I think he is waking up about now.

A moment passes and I notice Aktor coming from inside the great soultree.

- Why was Aktor inside the soultree?

- I had to make sure his body didn't decompose while you were gone.

- I see.

Then Aktor gets close to us and asks.

- So how long were we gone?

- About four and a half years.