A couple of days passed since Jack fainted. The adrenaline and excitement made him forget there was a limit to his powers. He recklessly used all of his reservoir to kill one Spiker and passed out right after. He woke up a few hours after that to find Toflann throwing Jack an Alcina fruit. It was the same fruit that he first ate in this prison. The green apple with veins that traveled through it replenished his energy, and Toflann wasted no time in throwing Jack back out to the Spikers.

  During the two days, Jack learned how to manage his reservoir so he doesn’t repeat his same mistakes. He also became more comfortable with the oversized kitchen knife he was forced to fight with, but eventually it broke after the fourth Spiker. Instead of allowing Jack another one of Toflann’s kitchen knives, Toflann formed a spear out of a Spiker with the handle being reinforced wood.

  “To survive in a realm that wants you dead is to adapt and use anything to ensure your victory. There is no honor in death when fighting for your life.” Toflann told him.

  That resonated deeply with Jack. He had to do anything by any means necessary to get home, even if that meant learning from an Annoid. According to Toflann, based on his control of wind virya and his durability, Jack was on the higher end of Seedling. That meant that Jack was ready to advance in terms of path, but his soul was still weak.

  To strengthen his soul, he would need to have a full reservoir and spend an absurd amount of time meditating using his reservoir. Then he would need to meditate more to refill his reservoir and repeat the process till his soul was ready for the next cycle. This is one of the main reasons why it was hard for souls to advance through the cycles of virya manipulation, but luckily, Liam came up with the idea to harvest Alcina fruits for Jack.

  Instead of spending meditation time refilling his reservoir and then waiting for his reservoir to process itself to wind virya, the fruit would replenish its reserves and convert them all in one go. Though Toflann did warn Jack this would hurt him in the long run, he couldn’t stay a Seedling if the blood moon is as ruthless as Toflann puts it.

  He couldn’t stay a Forged soul if he wanted to escape this prison.

  And he couldn’t stay as an Awaken if he were to face the enemies waiting for him in the Human realm. He had to get stronger by any means necessary. During the times Jack had to meditate to expand his soul, Toflann spent that time teaching Liam about Intent in virya. Something Jack was more than happy to sit out of. Lectures were not his thing after all. Though he did listen to some here and there out of sheer boredom when he had to rest in between his soul expansion. As it turns out, intent in virya was not a commonly known subject.

  Jack and Liam have never heard of intent in regards to virya, and through Toflann’s own encounter with other Annoids, he never once felt unusual intent in their skills besides what the skills intent originally was. This led Liam to assume that intent was not commonly known at all. It was odd because as Toflann taught them more about intent, the more ludicrous it was that it was not widely known. Intent added another world of possibilities when it came to virya manipulation.

  A healing skill could easily be inverted using intent to rot someone instead of healing them. A skill meant to hurt could be used to pass an opponent harmlessly, setting up surprise attacks. It was too valuable not to use or learn about, and yet they somehow came upon the one soul to have extensive knowledge on the subject.

  On the third day, Jack knew he was ready to advance to Forged. Toflann and Liam sat by the fire behind the house, conversing until Jack hurriedly walked up to them in excitement.

  “I’m sure I’m ready to advance! My last meditation, it felt as if my soul was pushing back when I tried to expand it some more.”

  Toflann looked Jack up and down. “It seems that your soul is ready.”

  He stood up, wiping his hands off of any food that may have been on them. “Well, no time to delay. We already know you can advance, but the real question is if you can advance past Forged. Let’s get to it.”

  Jack hopped in excitement. Then stopped when he noticed Toflann was only staring at him. He sheepishly looked to the side and scratched his chin. “I have no idea how to advance.”

  Toflann shook his head in disappointment. “Now that your soul has expanded, you should now be able to find your Inner Sanctum.” Jack quirked his head to the side in confusion. Toflann’s eye twitched.

  He was about to scold Jack when Liam spoke instead. “Do you not pay any attention to what he has taught you? I saw you pay rapt attention to him when he was explaining the steps to advance yesterday! How could you have forgotten already?”

  Jack looked to the side, avoiding both of their gazes. “I may or may not have learned to pay attention without paying attention.” Now it was Liam’s eye that started twitching.

  Toflann sighed. “Sit down, and I will go over it again. But the next time I find out you have not paid any attention to what lessons are brought before you -”

  “I will make sure you learn how to dodge raindrops that can cut steel.” Liam cut in with his threat.

  Jack shivered. “It won’t happen again.”

  Jack sat on the ground and crossed his legs. “Okay, what do I do?”

  “Now that your soul has expanded, you must look within yourself to find your Inner Sanctum. Your Inner Sanctum will be critical as you move along the cycles. It will be how you store items or forge skills, or weapons. It will become a home within yourself. But like any home, you must build upon it to fit your needs.”

  Jack closed his eyes. “How would I know that I found it?”

  “Search deep within yourself. Think about who you really are and you’ll find it.”

  Jack cleared his thoughts and focused on his breathing. The sound of his heartbeat beat loud within him. The wind around him whistled through the trees, and sounds of bugs and other creatures became more apparent as his senses focused. Smells of salty meat and burnt wood filled his nose as he breathed. Toflann did not exactly explain how he would find his Inner Sanctum whatsoever, but he had yet to steer him wrong.

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  It was difficult for Jack to admit to himself, but he was beginning to trust the Annoid more and more as the days passed. At first, when he met Toflann, stories of Annoids’ savage ways floated in his mind, but as the days passed, he started to see him in a different light. Sure, he was ruthless in his training so far and has shown Jack a more barbaric way to fight than his family, but he was no mindless beast that his parents told him Annoids were. Toflann could pass for a human if it weren’t for his giant minotaur body.

  Though Jack felt like Toflann was only helping them to escape this prison.

  Even though he said he was fine to stay here?

  Jack opened his eyes.

  “What?” Jack asked as he looked at Liam, who was finishing up his breakfast, and Toflann, who stood watching over Jack.

  “No one said anything.” Liam said.

  Jack breathed out and closed his eyes again. He could have sworn someone said something. He focused his thoughts again.

  Who was he? Jack is the son of the strongest human, Gerald.

  He is the second son in line for the patriarchy.

  He is - a coward.

  Jack opened his eyes again, but found Toflann and Liam locked in another conversation. Was this voice coming from within himself? Jack closed his eyes again, feeling himself form in his mind.

  “Who was that! Who are you to call me a coward?”

  Jack peered into the void of his soul and found no one. How could he focus on himself and who he was when a voice was interjecting into any thoughts he had to himself? Jack had no choice but to return to his thoughts. He has to find his Inner Sanctum and become Forged.

  Who was he? It was a lot to ask a 14-year-old to think about who he was. He was only a Seedling and a child who was still coming into his own. Now that he was in the void of his own mind, he was forced to come to a self-realization - who was he?

  He is the son of the strongest human. But now that he really thought about that particular fact, it was a burden put on him even if it seemed like a great title. He was expected of great feats and power. Forced to take lessons and learn to fight at a young age. He never truly had any friends he could freely talk to or even play with. Everyone steered from his path because they were scared of his family. Or people would try to curry favor with him due to his family.

  His brother was always off on missions or training while his mother and father were always busy managing the clan. Any achievements he made when he was young, like when he first became a Seedling, were always met with a feast, but absent from any of his family members.

  He had more fun learning with Toflann and Liam these past few days than he had in years with his tutors at home. There was never a motivation to get stronger or learn fast. He couldn’t even disappoint his family even when he skipped his lessons. They just couldn’t be bothered to notice his progress in the cycles.

  Sure, his current motivation is to get stronger to escape this prison and find his way back to his family, but the proud glint in Toflann’s eyes as he fought Spikers and Liam’s soft smile and nods of approval as he expanded his soul made him want to try as hard as he can regardless of his current situation.

  It’s nice to finally have friends.

  Jack turned around within his soul and saw himself. This clone of him had the same moppy black hair and grey eyes.

  “Who are you? Why do you look like me?”

  The clone laughed. I look just like you and you ask who I am?

  Jack squinted at the clone. “You could easily be a beast made to shape shift.”

  The clone shook its head in disappointment. We are in your soul. There is no way I am a beast unless you are a tamer. Which we both know you are not.

  “Then what are you?”

  The clone gave a lazy bow. I am here to help you find your Inner Sanctum, young lord.

  Jack’s lips twisted into a snarl. “Don’t mock me!” Jack threw a punch at the clone, but it easily side-stepped it.

  I can hear your thoughts. You cannot land a hit on me.

  Jack turned and tried to punch the clone again, but again the clone dodged his strike. After a few more failed strikes, Jack gave up. “Okay! I get it. How do I find my Inner Sanctum?” Jack asked in defeat.

  The clone smiled. By facing yourself.

  “You mean I have to fight you? Or I guess, me? How can I do that if you know everything I am to do?”

  The clone held a finger up and waved it in the air.

  Not literally. Figuratively. You were on the right track to think back to home and how you really felt. But you have to be more honest! You can’t actually expect to find the inner workings of your soul if you don’t understand your true feelings now, can you?

  Jack thought back to his earlier thoughts. He did feel a slight shift right before the clone showed up, and he remembered the voice in his soul thinking it was Toflann or Liam.

  “You were the voice earlier? Were you trying to guide me?”

  The clone nodded. I was merely voicing the truth that your pride was trying to hide. The pride that isn’t truly who you are.

  “Who am I?”

  The clone chuckled. Rid yourself of your pride and pick yourself apart. Who are you?

  Jack floated in the void of his soul and dug into the question even deeper. He is the son of the strongest human. But that was the extent of it. He was not strong himself, no matter how much he postured. His fights when he first came to Nablar proved that.

  But a coward? Pride or not, he knew that was not true. If he were a coward, he would have just run and hid from the beasts and prayed his guards found him. He went looking for a fight after losing so badly to a Spiker. And even after facing death in the form of a lizard, he survived by running, but only to come up with a plan to try and kill the lizard.

  Pride may have given him a shield at home to hide behind, but here, where his prerogative is to survive, pride is no shield. But through his struggles, he knew he was no coward. Something shifted in his soul.

  You’re getting there.

  His hatred for Annoids. Did he truly hate them? The stories of the Annoids that filled his mind showed him that he should hate Annoids. But that was just it. There were just stories. He never met Annoids until now. Sure, the first two he met were unsavory Annoids, but Toflann, on the other hand, had done nothing but help him. Toflann even made it clear he wanted nothing to do with him, and yet he is caring for him.

  The experience with this one Annoid alone is enough to shatter the story’s truth and render it to what they actually are.

  Stories.

  Maybe it was time for him to figure things out for himself. Something else shifted in Jack’s soul.

  Almost there. The clone said in a song voice.

  And lastly, his family. He would love them no matter what, but he now realized that he was neglected. When he was younger, his parents spent lots of time with him, telling him many stories of their past or their adventures. His brother would always play with him, but as time went on and Jack grew older, the less he saw his family. He tried to find comfort around him, but no one was there.

  So he clung to the memories and the feelings when he was young. But in the end, he didn’t want to face the fact that he was alone. Now he was with two strangers and felt a bond forming. He didn’t feel alone anymore, and he didn’t want to be alone again. The void of his soul burst into color. The darkness in his soul brightened, shining green everywhere that blinded Jack.

  There you are.