"T-twin martial souls!!"
"Twin martial souls?" I questioned aloud. I swore I heard this from Mom, but what was it again?
"Twin martial souls!! And another with innate full soul power!! Unbelievable! I actually awakened someone with twin martial souls. Hahaha." A manic laugh escaped his lips as he held his head up in his hands. "Child! Ahem, child, what's your name?"
He quickly pulled himself together. I guess what Mom said was right: not every adult was good. He definitely seemed evil with that laugh just now.
"… Long Yanqing" I answered him either way; he was still a soul master. It won't be any good to offend him now. But innate full soul power. Do I really have soul power? That's probably that weird feeling in my abdomen. And I have full soul power? So that means I'm at the 10th rank… that means I can already get a spirit soul… and a spirit ring.
Excitement welled up, my blood pumped, and my cheeks flushed. Because not only do I have full soul power, but I also have twin martial spirits as well!
It was twin martial souls! It was so rare that only a select few awakened them. They were always part of the elite between soul masters, and actual legends were birthed from them, like 'Huo Yuhao,' who had 'spirit eyes,' and the 'Jade Scorpion Empress.'.
But slowly, my body began to feel weak as I began to lose that same energy at a fast rate. Panic struck as I didn't know what to do, but the soul master finally pulled himself together and instructed me.
"Close your eyes and look into your body; feel your connection to your spirits and recall them into your body."
I followed his instructions, and I felt three new sensations… three? I only had two martial souls, right?
I ignored the faintest sensation and focused on the two most prominent ones and ordered them to return. And slowly the skyfrost sword in my hand disappeared in a flash while the blue glowing mark under my eye also stopped glowing and vanished.
A sigh of relief escaped me as the energy stopped being consumed while it slowly started to recover. But just as my thoughts were beginning to wander, a cough caught my attention.
The soul master straightened his waist and took a serious look as he gazed down on me; as a child, I only reached his waist after all and had to look up. "Long Yanqing, as a spirit scholar with full innate soul power and twin martial souls. Do you wish to join the spirit pagoda?"
My mood dampened immediately after hearing his request as alarm bells rang in my head as I looked him in the eye. Although they looked kind and approachable, I still got a bad feeling from him as something dark lurked within them.
My mind raced with all kinds of possible thoughts as I made simple connections one after another.
Evil laugh = evil man -> evil man = evil intentions -> evil intentions = stay away or Mom will hit me with a flip-flop
But…
Spirit pagoda = Huo Yuhao -> Huo Yuhao = good -> spirit pagoda = good
…
My head began to hurt… How does this make any sense? So is the spirit pagoda bad or good… I'll just go and ask Mom later.
"I—I'm sorry, but I have to ask my mom. She is sick and…" The spirit pagoda is very influential and has a monopoly on spirit souls. It's also one of the greatest powers on the continent, so it would be great if Mom allowed me to join. But I don't think I want to follow this man.
By now I had lost most of my respect for him, and upon hearing my words, his eyes visibly dimmed, but he still maintained his smile.
"I see. Well, if she does allow you to join, then just come by the spirit pagoda branch in the city center. It's a triple-floor pagoda; you can't miss it. Also here is a ticket for a 10-year-old spirit soul, free of charge." He explained in a neutral tone before he scrutinized me again from head to toe.
"The spirit pagoda gives free spirit souls to those who are talented, but you, who have a twin martial soul, will be highly regarded by those of higher positions. If you join, the spirit pagoda will not only give you a second soul-spirit for your second martial soul but also a 100-year spirit soul that can cost up to 1 million federation coins for both of them as well. So have a good talk with your mother, alright?"
I put on a strange face when he stressed the amount of money, but I simply ignored it for now; he gave me a metalic card for a 10-year spirit soul. The card felt cold upon first contact and was completely white with a signature of the soul master on the back. On the front was a spirit beast printed on it with a noticeable 10 on the side.
We left the chamber, and the soul master gave a paper to the teacher; he quickly glanced over it before clutching it with both hands and looking at me with the same eyes as the soul master when I unleashed my spirits.
He handed me an acceptance letter to 'Blue Forest Academy' and explained the history of the campus with a respectable tone. I only noted that the semester will start in a week, but I tuned out the rest as my mind wondered in excitement how I would tell Mom about having twin martial spirits and full innate soul power.
Once the teacher escorted me out of school grounds, I waved him farewell with a cheerful smile and bolted home. It would take an hour, and normally I would be out of breath because of the long run, but strangely enough, as I was running, I would not feel tired at all.
While leaving town, I saw children accompanied by both parents returning home in different moods, and an envious look flashed through my eyes, but I suppressed it and continued onward.
My breath stayed even, and my body felt full of energy. Is this an effect of soul power? I questioned, but I could ask Mom later. And without any problem, I sped up leaving the city gates towards the blue forest that was illuminated in the dark moonlight.
The teacher from before guided me through the whole academy, which took the whole afternoon, and now the moon was up. Mom should be worried sick right now. She would probably scold me for being out in the dark.
But everything would turn great once she hears the news! I bet she would celebrate and tightly hug me, haha!
Thinking about Mom, a joyful smile crept up my face. She was the most important person to me after all.
Under the guidance of moonlight, I arrived home 10 minutes earlier than usual, but I wasn't out of breath like I normally would be. Huh, do all soul masters have such strong endurance?
Without any pretense and etiquette, I opened the door wide open without knocking.
And only to find…
Nothing.
The night wind howled through the door, making me tense my body.
The joy I felt from awakening was snuffed out by the tense silence that dominated the room.
Moonlight trickled down from the open windows as no soul-tool was on to illuminate the house.
Awareness and caution kicked in as I quickly surveyed the room.
There was no sign of anything in the room. Only 3 items on the table in the dining room, but that was it.
Is mom hiding? A surprise maybe?
I walked over to the table and examined the objects.
These are…
The lyre mom used, A note in the middle and a pink metal bracelet with inticate flowers patterns. I picked up the letter and began to read it, but as I read the words that were shaky and in disarray, tears welled up in my eyes and my brain shut down.
'Dear Qiqi,
I don't have time.
I still remember the day I played my lyre, and how captivated you were, just like the animals that were entranced by my melody, and I hope, that one day, you can reproduce the song and play it to your loved ones. Who knows, maybe then you will finally be able to make friends and have a girlfriend in the future, haha…'
Tears rolled off my cheek as a bitter laugh escaped my lips. 'Friends,' such a hard thing to make. I tried to make friends with the boys in town but was mistaken as a girl, so I couldn't play with them. And I couldn't play with the girls because the things they played with didn't interest me.
So I was shunned from both sides; both boys and girls thought that I was weird. And I was shunned from both groups. I also wanted to play as a soul master and defeat the evil soul masters; I also wanted to run around town while laughing, but as a 'girl' I was mocked by the boys for doing that same thing while the girls mocked me for liking things they didn't like.
But not only that, my mother also forbade me from hurting myself outside. Otherwise a lotus would bloom and heal my wound, and it would freak children out, and they would tell their parents. And Mom said that a big issue would unfold if this happened.
So I stayed at home, taking care of Mom and taking care of flowers while running outside and playing with the animals, those that were friendly, of course. Mom also thought me all kinds of things about soul masters, general knowledge and other things.
Tears fell on the paper as the ink blurred under the wet surface; my knees gave out as I fell to the floor, and my blood ran cold, but I kept reading nonetheless.
'… And finally I will give you my final gift. This was a gift from your father when he asked me out, a cute bracelet that is a high-level storage soul guide. I know this will be helpful, so take it.
I know this is hard, Qiqi, but you have to keep going. I know you will have a powerful spirit and will become an excellent soul master.
When the time comes, enroll in Eastsea Academy and contact your father. He will take care of you.
And I have one last wish, my little Qiqi, for when you become a battle armor master. Engrave my name onto your armor and don't forget that I will always love you…'
Tears continued to stream down my face as my breath quickened. Golden flowers bloomed, fell and withered in an endless cycle as the words started to get imprinted om my retina.
'…My lovely 'Long Yanqing'…"
My vision tunneled as branches started to sprout from my left hand. Soul power leaked from my body in droves as the temperature dropped an additional few degrees.
'… Goodbye, my beautiful 'Dragon romance'.''
Something in my mind snapped as black took over my vision and an inhuman scream escaped my lips, the furniture shook as tears continued to fall, golden petals stormed off the flowers and surrounded me, before I finally passed.
It's been 7 days.
I lay on the floor with closed, puffy eyes while I cradled myself into a ball; misery and loneliness gripped my mind as the surroundings around me were completely destroyed.
It was as if a hurricane came by, destroying the better part I once called home, but one thing remained intact. And that was the table with the three items on top.
They remained in the same position as they were a week ago, completely untouched. As if protected by a barrier from the outside calamity.
I slowly opened my eyes because of the sunlight coming from the window and excess chirping, only to reveal that they were completely dull, with no emotion of joy or pain; there was just… nothing.
My dull-golden gaze swept over the destructions that occurred during an outburst… my outburst.
And finally my gaze landed upon a piece of paper. The last message of my mother. I got out of my protective cradle and crawled towards the paper to take a look again.
Only to find that most of the content was blurred by a wet substance… my tears. But I still vehemently searched over the paper for a reason I didn't know.
Maybe it was to read it one last time, to burn it in my memory forever…
Or it was to give me a goal… a wish to complete.
My gaze swept over the muddled words and jumbled sentences until finally my gaze stopped, and in my sight a string of words that, although almost unreadable, gave me an unknown strength to… walk again.
I stood up slowly, my legs trembling slightly because of the sudden weight. I don't know how long it has passed, but I figured that the academy was about to or has already begun.
Even though I haven't eaten in all that time, I wasn't hungry at all. My body still felt the same as it was when I came from the awakening ceremony. But I didn't pay it any mind as I went towards the table and gazed over the two objects.
Silently I took the bracelet and injected soul power into it with a single thought while I put the lyre in it and placed the note where it was originally. I left for the door, on my way to the academy, while the only thing left on the note was…
'…Engrave my name onto your armor…'
Outside, the sun shined bright as no clouds were there to obstruct its magnificence. I light returned to my golden eyes as my bluish hair danced to the rhythm of the wind.
I made my way to town with resolute steps as in my mind I made a conviction... no, a vow.
'I will become the most powerful soul armor master on the continent, and everyone that breathes life will know my name, and in doing so, everyone will remember you as well… mother'