Chapter 7: Glyphs of the Soul

"Who exactly are you?" 

"Who am I? You don't recognize me? Maybe I should take on a more familiar appearance then."

The old man stood to his feet, shrouded in a thick, amber cloud. The swirling mist clung to his form like molten gold, pulsing with an ancient energy. Suddenly, the air shifted, charged with an unseen force. The amber haze thickened, whipping around him with violent intensity. The gigantic tree trembled as if it, too, recognized the power awakening before it.

It spiraled upward, stretching toward the sky like a twisting cyclone of liquid fire. The winds howled, sending golden sparks dancing through the air. Jalen instinctively shielded his eyes as the pressure in the atmosphere grew unbearable, pressing against his chest like an invisible weight. The ground beneath him cracked and groaned, sending energy ripples coursing through this area.

'Damn, this guy has some intense power even being here I feel like I'm going to get swallowed up in it!'

Through the storm of light and wind, the old man's silhouette began to shift. His frail frame expanded, muscles coiling beneath his robes as his stature grew taller, broader, and more defined. The wrinkles that once marred his face smoothed out, replaced by a firm, unyielding visage. His hunched posture straightened, and the glow surrounding him intensified until his entire body was engulfed in radiant energy. The golden storm suddenly collapsed inward, compressing into the old man's very being. A blinding flash erupted from within the vortex, forcing Jalen to shut his eyes. The moment the light faded, the winds died instantly, leaving behind an eerie, weightless silence.

"There's no way it's you..." Jalen said standing in complete and utter disbelief. 

The referee stood where the old man stood. The man exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if reacquainting himself with his newfound form. Then, with a smirk, he spoke.

"What? I had to take on something you'd remember, hahaha. Anyway, it is time for you to learn about what the world truly is, so sit down and give me your attention."

 Jalen, still in shock at this revelation walked closer towards the tree and sat in front of the ref. His eyes gleamed with anticipation and curiosity. 

'Finally, I'm going to get some answers!'

"Let's start with where we are, it is with esteemed honor that I welcome you to your Anima Nexus! "Now, before you say anything, let me finish. This *he gestured toward the colossal tree, its trunk stretching endlessly into the sky, its bark etched with glowing, ancient sigils,* is the source of your newfound power. It fuels your enhanced combat prowess, sharpens your senses, and strengthens the very essence of your being. In your case, this mighty tree stands as the manifestation of your soul."

'Wow, all of that is mine?'

"Now, the funny thing is... even with all of my power, I cannot seem to find either its roots or its highest point. It is almost never-ending... an infinite force waiting to be tapped into. That, my boy, shows great promise."

The ref, now back as the old man turned back to Jalen, a knowing smile playing on his lips before he continued.

"Your fight with Drow was no easy feat few would be able to handle his monstrous strength and I can tell you right now no one in that city would've been able to defeat him. Add that to the fact that you were a fresh reincarnation unlike your other friends I had my doubts but you proved me wrong."

"Wait, Old man... ARE YOU GOD?!" 

"No, I am nowhere near as powerful but I did create this world and I was the one who pulled you and your friends from that nasty car accident. Well to be more precise your souls. Bringing them here I watched as each of you was given new life and the routes that each of you took."

"Okay okay well that was a lot to take in first of all, secondly you are boring me to death old man. I mean I guess the stuff about Anima Nexus was cool and I had my suspicions about the rest of my friends being here so thank you for that, BUT I still have no idea what the world is."

"Hmm, that is true..." The old man stood up and conjured a cane, hitting Jalen over the head

"Maybe if you shut up I could tell you idiot! Now then the world that you find yourself in right now is called Kairoth. Out here Jalen I will tell you openly that you cannot put your trust in anyone; while I may have created this world I did not create its people nor the inhabitants of it. To be sure that your journey goes smoothly you will need to be less trusting of people going forward. Do you understand?"

Jalen raised an eyebrow at the old man's words, even though he had just arrived in this world he wasn't dumb; he knew when he was being deceived. While the words he spoke rang true there was double meaning behind them as if something was being withheld from him.

"Old Man I hear you I do, but to put it simply... I'm going to do what I want and as far as I'm concerned anyone that gets in the way of me or any of my friends is just another obstacle that I'll bulldoze straight through."

Jalen stood to his feet and began to stretch. Walking forward to the old man a green energy swirled at his feet and with immense power he jumped up and landed at the base of the tree. As he pressed his hand against its mighty trunk he felt the power that surged within it. How it raged and surged with the nature of a voracious wildfire but was almost as calm as a still-moving stream.

"My Anima Nexus and I now reside in Kairoth..."

He turned around to face the old man, his face brimming with excitement. His hand trembling with anticipation and his aura flaring up. Brilliant, vibrant colors engulfed him in a sea of power. Overloading his senses and causing him to swell with energy! The old man sensing the dramatic jump in energy stretched out his and began to chant a spell.

"Vashtor el'kiren, suldara vek'shai! Dren'kavo luthiel, morakai ven'stai! Zerath un'shal, vexum tor'kai! Anir vel'karesh, dorin vak'thal!"

As the old man chanted, his voice echoed in layered tones, ancient and resonant, as if the very air vibrated with unseen power. The colossal tree behind Jalen responded, its bark glowing with deep, golden light. Faint whispers like a thousand voices speaking in harmony rustled through its leaves, carrying the weight of an eternal force.

Suddenly, the golden glow surged from the tree, its energy flowing like rivers of light. The glyphs did not come from the old man but from within the tree itself, Jalen's own Anima Nexus. Symbols, foreign yet familiar, uncoiled from the trunk, drifting through the air before spiraling toward him wrapping around his right forearm, coiling like living tattoos. The glyphs pulsed, shifting and reshaping as if responding to his very breath. The warmth was not foreign; it was his. The old man lowered his hand, watching as the golden markings settled into Jalen's skin.

"This is not my doing," he said, his voice laced with knowing.

"This is your soul regulating itself. The tree, your power, it has given you control over your limits."

Jalen turned his arm, watching as the glyphs flickered, dimming when he exhaled and flaring when he tensed his muscles. A regulator, yes, but one that was alive, one that was him.

"Whoa..." Jalen muttered.

He flexed his fingers, watching as the energy wrapped around his limbs in shimmering tendrils. The air around him hummed with an intensity that made his chest tighten. The massive tree behind him groaned as though responding to his surge of energy, and the deep, thrumming pulse of the Anima Nexus seemed to match the rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Next time Jalen... DON'T GO RECKLESSLY TOUCHING YOUR ANIMA NEXUS! YOUR PHYSICAL BODY CANNOT HANDLE DIRECT CONTACT WITH IT! I swear you just don't listen."

"Yeah yeah, whatever old man. Thank you for helping me, now how do I get out of here I think it's time I go back to check on Lucio and everyone else. I can sense them and I can also sense that my body is fully healed."

"Jalen it's your soul, you make the exit. Before you go just know that your powers are by far the most intense I've ever seen, no one in this world has had to be regulated like you are now I am trusting you leaving you to your own devices in MY world... don't come to make me regret that."

The old man opened his amber-colored aura again but this time it had traces of malice, letting Jalen know that this wasn't just a statement but a warning.

"With the path you are on, the last thing you need is another enemy."

However, to his shock, Jalen released his aura too this time glaring directly at the old man through the golden green colored aura spewing from his body.

"I'll tell you this one last time; I don't care about anything other than getting my friends and getting home. Hear me when I say this so you don't make yourself my enemy... Don't. Get. In. My. Way." 

Stretching his hand backwards Jalen opened two doors, both emitting a bright white light.

"Time's up, Gramps. This is my Nexus and after that stunt? I don't think I need you poking around anymore."

"Very well... until next time Jalen."