Day Three - Dawn
Tinasha's eyes opened.
Not gradually.
Not with confusion or disorientation.
Just... opened.
Sharp. Aware
She stared at the ceiling for a long moment
No mana. Not even a drop. I'm completely empty.
But I remember everything. Every spell. Every technique. Five hundred years of knowledge, still intact.
And beneath it all... the Primordial Flow. I can sense it now. Feel its shape. Its structure.
But sensing is not understanding. And understanding is not mastery.
She sat up slowly, testing her body.
Everything worked normally—she just had no magical power to supplement it.
No enhanced strength.
No accelerated healing.
No passive defenses.
Just... human.
Arden was asleep in a chair nearby, his head tilted at an uncomfortable angle.
He'd stayed with her the entire three days.
Loyal. Or paranoid. Probably both.
She stood carefully, moving to the window.
The morning light caught her white-to-crimson hair, making it shimmer.
I gained the qualification. The ability to perceive the Primordial Flow. To sense how reality naturally organizes itself.
But perception is not understanding. And understanding is not mastery.
She flexed her fingers, feeling the absence of power.
It was like phantom limb syndrome—her body remembered having vast reservoirs of mana, but they simply weren't there anymore.
I'm at the beginning. After five hundred years of mastery, I'm back to being a student.
A slow smile spread across her face.
And I couldn't be more excited.
Her stomach growled.
Right. Mortal body. Mortal needs.
She found some bread and cheese, eating while studying the materials Arden had prepared.
Soul-based artifacts. Components for the Harmony Dual Integration Core.
I know the theory. I've created three of these before. But all three failed—the recipients died within days.
This time will be different. This time, Arden will teach me how to work WITH the Primordial Flow.
Arden stirred, waking slowly.
"Tinasha?"
"Good morning, contractor." She turned, smiling brightly. "Ready to teach me how magic actually works?"
He sat up quickly, studying her.
"You're... different."
"I'm powerless," she said cheerfully. "Completely, utterly defenseless. It's terrifying and exhilarating simultaneously."
She moved toward him, her eyes practically sparkling.
Stars seemed to shine in those impossible carmine depths.
"But more importantly—I can sense it now. The Primordial Flow. The natural order underlying all magic. Azareth showed me enough to understand that everything I've done for five hundred years was just... surface level. Fighting against reality instead of working with it."
She sat down across from him, leaning forward eagerly.
"I gained the qualification. That's what Azareth said. I can now comprehend what you're going to teach me. The hand gestures of Azareth. The proper way to construct incantations that follow natural order."
Her expression shifted—from excited to serious.
Ancient eyes studying him carefully.
"Before, even if you'd shown me the gestures, I wouldn't have truly understood them. But now... now I can learn. Really learn. Not just copy the movements, but understand the principles behind them."
"You understand all that from what Azareth showed you?"
"I understand that it EXISTS. That there's a structure to magic I never perceived before." She smiled. "But understanding that something exists is not the same as knowing how to use it. That's what you're going to teach me."
Arden studied her carefully.
She's right. She gained the qualification—the ability to perceive the Primordial Flow. But that's just the beginning.
"This will take time," he said. "The hand gestures of Azareth aren't just movements. They're conceptual frameworks. Each one represents a principle of how reality organizes itself."
"I have time. Fifteen years, to be precise." Her enthusiasm returned. "And right now, we have a week to create Kari's core. That's seven days where you teach me while we work."
She gestured at the materials.
"I know the theory of soul-based artifacts. I have five hundred years of conventional knowledge. But I need you to teach me how to apply the Primordial Flow principles. How to make the artifact work WITH reality instead of against it."
"Alright," Arden said. "Let's begin."
Tinasha immediately pulled out parchment and ink—prepared to take notes like a dedicated student.
The sight was almost comical.
A five-hundred-year-old witch, one of the five most powerful beings on the continent, preparing to take notes from a thirteen-year-old boy.
But her expression was completely serious.
Completely focused.
Ready to learn.
----
Seven Days Later
The week passed in a blur of intense work.
Arden teaching the hand gestures of Azareth.
Explaining how incantations must follow natural order—carefully constructed, properly invoked.
Demonstrating how to work with the Primordial Flow instead of against it.
Tinasha absorbed everything with the focus of someone who'd been stagnant for a century and was finally growing again.
She couldn't perform the magic herself—no mana.
But she could SEE what Arden was doing.
Could understand the principles.
Could guide the creation of the core with five hundred years of soul magic expertise combined with newfound understanding of natural order.
By the seventh day, the Harmony Dual Integration Core was complete.
A small crystalline structure, roughly the size of a marble.
But when examined closely, it contained impossible geometries.
Spaces that existed in four dimensions.
Pathways that looped through time as well as space.
Two distinct chambers, separated yet unified.
"It's beautiful," Tinasha breathed, studying the core with her powerless but knowledgeable eyes. "I've never seen anything like it. This is the first soul artifact ever built according to natural order."
She carefully placed the core in a protective case.
"Kari will be the first person in history to successfully integrate a dual soul constitution. A pioneer. But..." She paused thoughtfully. "The integration won't merge the souls. They'll remain distinct. Two personalities sharing one body peacefully."
"Is that a problem?"
"No. It's actually better. Each soul retains its identity while learning to cooperate. She'll be... unique."
She stretched, her body protesting after seven days of intense focus.
"Now we just need to implant it. Tomorrow."
"Are you ready to meet the others?" Arden asked.
Tinasha's expression shifted—calculating.
"I've been thinking about that. When we leave this tower, I don't want to be introduced as Tinasha, the ancient witch who just gave up all her power."
"What do you want?"
"I want to be Seravelle. Your mysterious mentor's apprentice who's traveling with you to learn the Azareth techniques." She smiled. "Let them get to know me as a person before they know me as a legend."
"You're going to hide your identity?"
"I'm going to reframe it. I'm not lying—I AM learning the Azareth system. I AM essentially an apprentice now, starting from nothing." Her voice softened. "I've been alone for a very long time, Arden. Isolated by reputation and power. Now that I have neither, I'd like to try... connecting. Without the weight of expectations."
The vulnerability in her voice was genuine.
"Alright. After we finish with Kari, you're Seravelle the apprentice."
"Perfect!" The enthusiasm returned instantly. "Now, let's get some rest. Tomorrow we change someone's life forever."
-----
Day Eight - Morning
The procedure took exactly one hour.
Kari lay on the table, both souls quieted by a sedative Tinasha had prepared.
Arden performed the implantation under Tinasha's expert guidance.
Using the hand gestures of Azareth to carefully integrate the core into Kari's body.
Speaking incantations that followed natural order.
Working with reality instead of against it.
When it was done, Kari's breathing steadied.
The constant twitching—the physical manifestation of two souls fighting—stopped.
Peace settled over her features for the first time since the dual soul constitution had manifested.
"It's working," Tinasha said softly, analyzing Kari's condition. "Both souls are settling into their separate chambers. No more conflict. No more tearing the body apart."
"She'll survive?"
"She'll thrive. When she wakes in a few hours, she'll be... different. Both souls will remain distinct, each with their own personality. But they'll be able to coexist peacefully. Cooperate. She'll effectively be two people in one body."
"Is that normal?"
"There is no 'normal' for this. She's the first." Tinasha smiled. "But I suspect the secondary soul will develop its own identity. Its own voice. They'll be sisters, in a sense. Sharing everything, yet separate."
They cleaned up the workspace, preparing for what came next.
----
Kari woke slowly, her eyes opening with unusual calm.
No twitching.
No visible internal struggle.
Just... peace.
"How do you feel?" Arden asked.
Kari sat up carefully, testing her body.
Then froze.
Her expression shifted—subtly, but distinctly. Like someone else was looking out through the same eyes.
When she spoke, the voice was the same, but the cadence was different.
Calmer. More measured.
"We feel... whole." A pause. "I am... we are... this is strange."
The original Kari's personality reasserted itself—more energetic, more aggressive.
"There's two of us. Still two of us. But we're not fighting anymore."
The shift happened again—back to the calmer presence.
"We can coexist now. Work together. I am..." Another pause, as if testing a new concept. "I need a name. If we're going to be separate people sharing this body, I need my own identity."
"What about Nari?" Arden asked carefully.
The calm personality considered.
"Nari. It's close enough to Kari that we're clearly connected, but different enough to be distinct."
Kari's more aggressive personality laughed—surprised and delighted.
"Nari. I like it. Okay, so I'm Kari, you're Nari, and together we're... us."
The others had gathered, watching this impossible conversation with various expressions.
Fascination. Confusion. Wariness.
"So there's... two of you now?" Brick rumbled.
"There always were two of us," Kari said. "We were just hurting ourselves before."
"It's more efficient this way," Nari added, her calm voice a stark contrast to Kari's energy. "Kari handles planning and quick decisions. I handle combat. We complement each other."
"This is deeply weird," Garret muttered.
"This is incredible," Thrain corrected, studying them with fascination. "Two perspectives. Two skill sets. One body. You're going to be formidable."
Kari and Nari both turned to look at Arden and Tinasha.
When Kari spoke, her voice carried genuine gratitude.
"Thank you. Both of you. You didn't just save our life—you gave us a future."
When Nari spoke, her tone was more measured but equally sincere.
"We are in your debt. Whatever you need from us, you have it."
"We kept our promise," Arden said simply. "That's enough."
Tinasha stepped forward, her demeanor shifting.
Time to establish her cover.
Less ancient authority.
More youthful enthusiasm.
"I should introduce myself properly. I'm Seravelle—Tinasha's apprentice. She sent me to assist Arden with Kari's cure while she attends to other matters."
The lie flowed smoothly.
Natural.
Almost believable.
The moment she stepped fully into the light, several reactions happened simultaneously.
Thrain's eyes widened slightly.
Rykard, who'd been lounging lazily, sat up straighter.
Garret's jaw actually dropped before he caught himself.
Even Brick seemed momentarily distracted.
Can't blame them, Arden thought wryly. Five hundred years old, but she looks maybe twenty. And "voluptuous" doesn't begin to cover it.
Her white-to-crimson hair caught the afternoon light, shimmering like sunset frozen in time. The simplified robes she'd modified did nothing to hide her figure—if anything, they emphasized it. And those eyes. Those impossible carmine eyes that seemed to see straight through people.
She was, objectively, stunning.
And she seemed completely oblivious to the effect she was having.
"Apprentice?" Brick managed, his voice only slightly strained. "The witch has apprentices?"
"Just one. Me!" Seravelle smiled brightly, apparently not noticing half the men were staring. "I've been studying under her for several years. Soul magic, artifact creation, magical theory—those are my specializations."
She gestured at herself, and several pairs of eyes tracked the movement.
"I'm completely useless in combat, though. No offensive capabilities whatsoever. So I'll be relying on all of you for protection while I travel with Arden."
The casual admission of weakness seemed to snap some of them out of their daze.
Elara stepped forward, her cold eyes studying Seravelle with pure analysis—no distraction whatsoever.
At least someone's immune, Arden noted.
"Why are you traveling with us?" Elara asked bluntly.
"Because I'm learning the same thing Arden is—the Azareth techniques. The hand gestures and incantations that work with natural order instead of against it." Her eyes sparkled with genuine enthusiasm. "It's the most fascinating magical system I've ever encountered, and I want to understand it completely."
"So you're a student. Like Arden," Elara said, still studying her carefully.
"Exactly! We're both learning together. Though Arden is much better at the practical application—I'm still terrible at actually performing the techniques." She laughed self-deprecatingly. "But I'm excellent at theory and analysis, so hopefully I can be useful in other ways."
Rykard finally spoke, his usual lazy drawl slightly off.
"How old are you, exactly?"
"Old enough to have studied magic extensively," Seravelle said with a mysterious smile. "Young enough to still have much to learn. Does the specific number matter?"
"I suppose not," Rykard muttered, looking away.
Thrain cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Welcome to the group, Seravelle. We're, uh, glad to have someone with your expertise."
"Very glad," Garret added, then winced when Serra elbowed him sharply.
Brick exchanged glances with Elara, who rolled her eyes.
Men, her expression clearly said.
But beneath the surface reactions, Brick was still analyzing.
Something about Seravelle felt... off.
Not dangerous.
Just... more than she appeared.
The way she'd guided Kari's treatment—that was mastery, not apprenticeship.
The way she spoke about magic—that was centuries of understanding, not years.
And her eyes.
Those impossible carmine eyes that looked ancient when she thought no one was watching.
She's not really an apprentice, is she?
But he said nothing.
If Arden was playing along, there was probably a reason.
"Welcome to the group, Seravelle," Brick said finally, pulling his focus back to professional matters. "You help keep us alive, we'll help keep you alive. Fair trade."
"Very fair!" Seravelle beamed, apparently still oblivious to the effect she was having. "I'm looking forward to working with all of you!"
She turned to Arden, her expression shifting to something more serious for just a moment.
A silent communication passing between them.
The deception is set. Now we see how long it lasts.
Then the enthusiasm returned.
"So! What's next? Where are we heading? Are there more people who need healing? Magical problems to solve? I'm ready for anything!"
Stars literally seemed to shine in her eyes.
Arden couldn't help but smile.
"Next, we're heading back north," Arden said. " To begin preparing for what's coming."
"What IS coming?" Thrain asked, still slightly distracted.
"Threats that will make the Overlord look insignificant. Things I can't fully explain yet." Arden's voice was serious. "But we're going to be ready. We have to be."
Kari—or was it Nari?—spoke up, her voice carrying the calmer cadence.
"We'll help. Whatever's coming, you saved our life. We'll stand with you."
The personality shifted—back to Kari's more aggressive energy.
"Besides, we're curious now. What kind of threats are you expecting? What did you see that makes you so certain?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Arden said. "For now, just focus on getting used to your new... situation."
"Two personalities, one body, infinite possibilities," Nari said thoughtfully.
"We're going to be amazing," Kari added with a grin.
Together, they spoke in perfect unison: "Thank you."
The effect was eerie and impressive simultaneously.
They packed up the lodge, preparing to depart.
The tower behind them stood silent and imposing.
Tinasha's home for centuries.
Now abandoned as she ventured into the world.
Powerless but learning.
Vulnerable but protected.
Ancient but reborn.
"Ready?" Arden asked her quietly as they prepared to leave.
Seravelle—Tinasha—smiled brightly.
"Ready. Let's go change the world."
Behind them, Garret whispered to Thrain: "How is someone that beautiful also that smart? It's not fair."
"Life's not fair," Thrain whispered back. "Also, she's probably centuries old. Don't get attached."
"Too late."
Serra smacked them both.
And together, the group descended the mountain.