The world was quiet when Aiden woke.
The silence pressed down around him, broken only by the faint whisper of wind slipping through cracks in the broken hall.
His body screamed in protest with every small movement, muscles twitching under the strain of healing.
But against all odds, he was still here. Still breathing. Still himself.
How many times have I fainted in this damn place?
He clenched his fists weakly, trying to summon strength back into his limbs.
His gaze drifted downward, to where his right leg had been torn apart not so long ago, and froze.
The wound was gone.
Instead, a fully formed leg—his leg—was there.
Regrown. Whole.
Aiden blinked, struggling to process it.
I need answers. Now.
"Open," Aiden said firmly into the air.
Almost immediately, the familiar blue window shimmered into existence, floating patiently before him.
A line of text blinked onto its surface: "After all odds, you survived."
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
"Were you rooting for me?" he muttered, not really expecting an answer. It was just a lifeless program, wasn't it?
The window pulsed once and new text appeared: "Even if you had died here, there are many bodies nearby for you to take possession of."
A shiver ran down Aiden's spine.
That's creepy.
Another flicker. Another line: "Just ask your questions already."
Aiden shifted, wincing at the lingering pain in his side.
Fine. If it was willing to talk, he wasn't going to waste the chance.
"What are you?" he demanded, his voice low as he stared at the window like he could intimidate it.
The response came quickly: "Did you really expect such revelations this early?"
Is it... making fun of me?
His jaw tightened.
"What am I doing here?" he asked, pressing harder.
The window answered without hesitation: "Fight."
Aiden let out a breath between gritted teeth.
"Less vague, maybe?"
Another pause, then: "Fight enemies."
...
Aiden stared, unimpressed.
He tried again, slower this time.
"Why me?"
The answer came sharp and almost amused: "Why not?"
Aiden's fists clenched.
"Stop that. I want real answers."
The window stayed still for a moment before a final message appeared, crisp and clear: "Earn them."
Damn it.
He glared at the floating window, frustration burning hotter than the pain in his body.
"Fine. Can I at least see the tabs again?" he asked, teeth grinding together.
The window pulsed once.
Another line appeared, almost smug: "Say, please."
"You..." Aiden's voice cracked, caught between rage and disbelief. "Damn you. You're a person, aren't you?"
"Does it matter?" came the next line, cold and dismissive.
"Of course it does!" Aiden snapped. "You're not just some lifeless piece of... whatever this is. You're messing with me. Tell me what you are."
The blue text flickered briefly, almost as if laughing at him.
Then a new message formed: "Then buy this information."
Aiden froze.
"What do you mean, buy?"
The window shifted without further explanation.
One of the tabs enlarged and brightened: Soul Market.
Before his eyes, a massive screen flashed into existence, listing lines of text alongside glowing numbers:
[Core Memory: 2 = 5 Coins][World Knowledge (Basic) = 3 Coins][Soul Contractor Token = 5 Coins][Minor Charon Upgrade (Tier 1) = 10 Coins][Soul Communication Channel = 10 Coins][Vision of the Void (First Level) = 20 Coins]
What is all that?
At the top right corner, a small and merciless line read: Coins: 0.
Aiden sighed.
I know where this is going.
Before he could speak again, another blue window snapped into view beside it, sharp text flashing: "Don't you dare."
"What?" Aiden frowned, thrown off.
"This is only a tool to help you understand your capacity as the [Redacted]."
Redacted. Great.
"And? It looks like a ga—"
"It does not! This is the simplest and most effective form. It's this or you get a parchment and good luck reading that."
Am I seriously being yelled at by a floating box?
"And to prove this isn't some cheap gimmick," the text continued, "the currency is human souls."
What?
Aiden froze as the weight of the sentence settled in.
"What do you mean? I buy things with human souls? What kind of screwed-up system is that?" he shouted, his voice echoing against the empty hall.
The text didn't flinch: "It didn't stop you from using someone's soul as a sword. Or a leg."
"That was different. It was either me or the golem!" Aiden protested.
"For your own good, accept your new reality. You will do far worse in the future."
With that chilling message, the window flickered and vanished.
"Hey! Come back here!" Aiden barked into the empty air.
The Soul Market tab remained open, cold and indifferent. The conversational box was gone.
You damn coward.
It is a person...
Aiden shook his head, struggling to process everything.
First, he woke up using someone's body. Regeneration confirmed magic existed.
Then he met the brothers, Po and Ro. One used a crystal from a rat — a Sentinel. Still no answers there.
He unlocked the Core Memory by gathering mana.But from where? The crystals? Was that tied to Po's death somehow?
It all went sideways fast. He got blamed and shot for it.
Also, where did Ro even get a gun? This place felt ancient. That alone needed answers.
He looked down thoughtfully.
And I took his brother's body. Used his soul to kill something. That has to mean something.
The window mentioned Po's soul had low Will. That probably matters. I should find a way to inspect that.
I'm really playing with souls...
Aiden sighed, brushing his hand against his lower back.
And that strange sensation from before. It had to do with Terry, right?Regeneration stayed with me, even after switching bodies. That's strange.
It healed my leg completely...
I wonder how long I was out after the fight. I need to get moving.
His eyes scanned the room.Where the golem should have been, there was nothing.
Only battle scars. No corpse.
He definitely died... right? He's not coming back... right?
Aiden hesitated, looking around carefully.
Fine. The platform, then.
He stepped toward the elevated stone circle in front of the throne. The runes covering its surface glowed faintly.
Okay... probably safe.
Aiden stepped back cautiously.
Then it appeared.
A portal. Massive and majestic, towering nearly to the ceiling.White light swirled within, flooding the room with brilliance.
My eyes. Why does everything here aim to blind me?
But there it was. His way out.
Fine... just one more thing.
"Open," Aiden commanded.
The familiar window returned. He chose the Soul Gallery tab.
A grid of empty squares appeared, except for one.
Po's soul. Still there. Still waiting.
Aiden stared, guilt tightening in his chest.
"I'll... try to do something about you. I promise," he muttered.
Probably should feel guilty. Po's death was... on me, somehow.
"Close."
The window vanished.
Okay. Let's get out of here.
Aiden approached the portal. The light brushed against his boots.He hesitated only a moment, squinting.
Please be somewhere sunny.
Without another thought, he stepped through. The light swallowed him whole.