1) The First Soul Trial.
"Whoooooph!" I breathe in as deeply as I can… and end my breath out with a loud sigh of discomfort. Why did Raine make me, the only one of the group with ADHD, do this difficult Soul Meditation?
Luna has her method, Fintan has a different one. Even Azrael has better technique than I do. I thought I was supposed to be the ace with the most attack power but I can't seem to see how.
Of course "his mindfulness" had to teleport me to a blank room. A locked door that I can sense but when I try to open it moves. Zero windows or outside wonders. And plain white walls.
"Man this sucks!" I shout loudly hoping that Raine might hear me and come get me out. But all I get in response is a silence that even a cricket wouldn't dare chirp in for fear of being heard.
"Maybe if I close my eyes I'll figure something out." I mutter to myself as I sit down on the blank floor with crossed legs, and defiantly crossed arms as well.
Imagining a soul realm is supposedly something that only I can do but I don't have even the slightest idea of what mine might look like. Maybe it has something to do with my magic affinity?
Uncrossing my arms I place them over my knees, touching the point of my thumb and pointer finger on each finger, and letting the other three fall flat.
As I sit still I try to imagine a blank canvas in my mind. Painting a picture of a lightning bolt on this open space. Feeling the energy of my mana working with me I can't help but feel my excitement grow.
The canvas is colored yellow with painted lightning strikes. Rain is falling down and making a gentle pitter-patter on the ground beside me. I hear the lightning crackle sharply and I jump from my seat.
"It worked!" I shout in amazement as the picture I painted upon my canvas comes to life with me inside of it. Lightning flashes and rain clouds cover the sky like a dark grey rooftop.
"So what now?" I ask myself as I take a couple steps forward. The scenery is chaotic yet oddly soothing. It's almost like my soul knows what I like and dislike.
Then suddenly there's a thump on the ground behind me and I turn swiftly. What catches my eye is not an enemy but a stone pathway laying upon the ground.
Walking upon this pathway I can tell my soul is guiding me effectively from the shadows. The air seems to change as I take the seventh step. 8…9…10…
As I take the tenth step I notice a line of trees in front of me. Wandering towards them I slip in and out of the maze of dark oak. As I walk further the trees turn lighter in colors and time stops.
Rain that was pouring down occasionally throughout the trees seems to stop mid air. Turning to my left I notice a lightning strike has also stopped in the air just a couple feet behind me.
"Could I survive it if I walked into that? I wonder." I blurt out without thinking. But I already know the answer. Well… I'm no longer on earth and I can control lightning so I'm like ninety percent sure I can.
Turning back around I pulled myself over a fallen log and almost hit another frozen lightning bolt. Stopping just inches away I decide it's best if I don't test it.
Crawling to the right of the lightning I notice a convenient foothold on the log beneath me.
"I guess getting out will be harder than getting in." I think out loud as I slip through the foothold and gaze up at the place I came. It's a lot higher up than I thought it was but that doesn't matter.
Then I see a clearing maybe three yards ahead and walk towards it. My body wants to stop but my soul is clearly urging me onward. So I keep walking.
As I near the last tree I hear a clang of metal and a voice. Looking forward I notice myself chained upon a wall.
"Holy shit! Luna is never gonna believe me when I tell her about this." I laugh as I waltz into the open space. There's something off about that "me" though.
As the chained Skye looks up he grins.
"Look who finally found me." He smiles and I waltz over towards him. The ground around this area is burnt as if struck by a giant lightning bolt repeatedly.
As I near my clone I notice two swords lying on the ground before his feet, just out of his reach. I pick one of the swords up and feel a strange energy emanating from within its sheathed blade.
Impulsively I unsheath it and my mana fuses with it just long enough to break out my clone's right hand. I don't know who chained me up here but that's not cool.
"Alright fake Skye, you're free." I say as I inspect the sword. Seeing my fake's reflection in the blade he sneers.
"Did you really think the trial would be this simple?" Fake Skye laughs as he tears the chain off his other arm, causing shrapnel to launch towards me.
"Need to dodge!" My instincts scream at me. So I plunge the sword into the ground in response, leaping to the side as a searing pain surges through my chest.
*Cough, Cough.* "The characters in these isekai situations make it look so easy" I sputter as I push myself onto my feet. Wincing, I notice a piece of shrapnel hit me in the leg. This fake knows my strengths and he's using that as a target.
"The name's Soul Keeper One. My task is to kill you in order to increase the real Skye's potential." My clone stands up and I immediately know I'm at a disadvantage.
Soul Keeper One has mastered the ability that I've been struggling with, Buff Meditation. I have a piece of metal in my leg and I don't even have my sword.
"Never thought I would miss the company of Thane-the-Edgy…" I mutter with disdain. Soul Keeper One has a mana veil coursing over his legs to indicate his success in putting a buff on his legs.
"Since you survived the last battle, you should be able to last ten minutes against a buffed version of yourself. I wish you luck Skye Storme." Soul Keeper says as he kicks up dust in his wake.
It would be great to tell you of how I aced this trial and upgraded my potential power levels, but first I guess you should know how I got to this point.
Believe it or not this story starts with a version of me without mana. Actually, I might more accurately describe the old me as an emotionally immature child.
Unfortunately I can't even sugar coat that one. But you'll understand more after I tell you of the less magical version of Skye Storme. The boy who was chosen by Mia, fifth born of the seven fates.