"I control time, I create life, yet even a single second of their suffering dissolves my duties as a mother."
It happened ten years ago, when Yunia first discovered a truth that pierced her heart as a mother.
"The shadowy figure within Enatur's Spiritual Realm is the one who raised me from infancy, trained me, taught me."
God Marrec Van Dammon, Emperor of the Gods of Darkness, Heaven of Darkness.
Now, he appeared as a Dark Spirit.
"Soul Core… you say, Master?" Yunia's eyes widened. Lightning seemed to strike right in her chest. Her breath caught, her throat dry.
Her fists clenched so tightly that blood seeped from between her fingers.
"The Soul Core is a reincarnation-regulating ritual of the Gods of Darkness faction. If someone is near death, their soul is extracted along with memories and power. Then it is placed inside a special crystal sphere," the dark spirit said.
"That's impossible!" Yunia whispered, her face pale and trembling.
"The Soul Core is inserted into the body of a newborn baby. It attaches to the core of the body, making it a 'host.' When your child reaches seventeen, their soul will vanish and be replaced by the soul inside it," the dark spirit continued.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, the pain in her heart unbearable.
"I know your tears and your cries. I trained you to be strong, not weak. I understand, a mother would shatter seeing her child bound by such fate."
Yunia remained silent, only listening.
"And you must know… my mind and theirs are linked. What I see, they see. I am a part of them," said the dark spirit, voice tinged with bitterness.
"I'd heard of Soul Core before, but never about its dark side."
"When my soul was extracted, a flaw occurred in the ritual. That's why I exist like this, a separated dark side. And because of this error, there is a chance to free your child from the Soul Core curse."
Hope flared in her eyes. "Tell me how!" she cried, shining with determination.
"Follow me. I will show you my true soul," the dark spirit said, flying to a distant place. Yunia followed behind.
The view made her shiver.
A vast red aura galaxy swirled, sparkling like countless stars. Yet here and there, black stains blotched the glow.
"This spiritual whirlpool is immense. This is your child's spiritual energy vortex."
Yunia saw a broad, muscular man. His long hair and beard were white.
Eyes closed, arms outstretched, body shrouded in black mist.
"Because I was once your teacher, I vowed to suppress the Soul Core's growth. Until now, the true soul has not fully merged with the body."
"Thank you for your effort, Master!" Yunia felt a slight relief.
"But my time is limited. If my power weakens, I will become a malevolent force, suppressing your child's spiritual power instead."
---
The Dark Spirit handed Yunia a recipe to craft the Spiritual Soul Restoration Elixir, to awaken the dormant spiritual soul.
Days later, Yunia gathered all the ingredients and presented them to the Master.
After purifying the elixir, the Dark Spirit infused it into his spiritual soul… but a heavy price had to be paid.
"I sense a Soul Binding technique within your child's body, linked to my soul." The Master gazed deeply at her and spoke softly.
"My Soul Core now functions as a borrowed soul, covering what your child's soul lacks. After you gave birth, your child was already near death," he murmured.
Yunia's body trembled, pale as the spiritual chamber seemed to freeze around her.
The Dark Spirit inhaled slowly, as if the next words were a curse upon himself.
"Without my Soul Core, your child would not survive."
The words struck Yunia like lightning. Breathing became heavy, almost impossible to bear. Acceptance felt unbearable.
"For now, I've left a trace of my soul so the Soul Core does not merge with the core of the body."
"If it did… your path to save your child would be far harder."
"Thank you, Master." Yunia bowed deeply, voice quivering.
"The next step, I must focus on restoring and awakening my true soul. Seek an alchemist capable of purifying the elixir for your child."
"Understood, Master. I will find one."
"One more thing, the effect of restoring my soul is that my true spiritual soul will continuously absorb 95% of your child's spiritual energy for recovery. The consequence: your child cannot use their spiritual energy for cultivation."
Yunia's eyes widened, trembling. "What? Then… my child cannot cultivate!? I… I can't believe this."
The dark spirit even turned away, as if the words were too heavy to speak.
"There is no other choice. For your child, something must be sacrificed."
"Understood, Master!" Yunia's voice was resigned. Her heart felt shattered.
"I need to focus… forgive your Master, Yunia," the Dark Spirit said heavily, avoiding her gaze.
Yunia replied, voice weighted. "I-it's okay, Master. As long as I can see them grow… I'll find an alchemist as soon as possible!"
Shadows fell over her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Yunia left the Spiritual Realm. When her eyes opened, her body felt heavy.
Little Enatur was asleep, his breath soft, his innocent face unaware of the massive burden his soul carried. She sighed, trying to hold back both anger and fear.
This decision weighed heavily on her heart, a choice difficult to bear. The burden Enatur would carry in the future… would be immense.
Yunia left him sleeping in his room, closing the door softly. For a moment, she leaned against the outer door, fists clenched, longing to release the emotions within.
"I must find another way… I cannot collapse. Not now!"
The mansion door opened, a blinding white light flooding the hall. She sank briefly into her grief; the echo of the Dark Spirit's words thundered in her mind.
Her eyes stared to the sky. She remembered the first time she saw the black veins crawling beneath his skin. The day her divine heart cracked for the first time. The memory still burned, quiet and merciless.
Ten years had passed, yet every time she gazed at Enatur… she still saw the shadow of that curse.
And now, time marched steadily toward his seventeenth year.
---
Present: Mansion Backyard
Enatur sat in the mansion's backyard, grass underfoot, flowers blooming in countless colors around him. The midday sun warmed his skin.
He meditated, eyes closed, for the first time in a long while. Focused.
A thin, dim red aura emanated from his spiritual energy. From a visual inside, meridians like pulses coursed faintly, but not through his whole body, blocked by the curse.
Beside him, Shadow, the grown white dog once a tiny puppy found ten years ago, now the size of a full-grown horse, watched intently.
"Oh, so you're the AI Enatur mentioned a few days ago," Shadow said.
"Correct. My name is Rein. Master gave me this name. I ask for your cooperation," the floating AI replied, voice calm.
Shadow lifted his head, tail flicking slightly. "Ah, I'm Shadow, Enatur's partner. Let's cooperate, Rein."
"Then… why is the Soul Core inside him?" Rein asked, curiosity bright in his eyes.
Shadow lowered his gaze, fur bristling faintly. "I don't fully know… but if it weren't for that, maybe we wouldn't have Enatur here today."
Suddenly, Po-chan, the small robot that had greeted Enatur before, pinched Shadow's fur and typed on the screen on its chest:
"Is. There. Technology. That can. Save. Master?"
Rein chuckled. "Haha… Po-chan, that's something beyond technology."
Po-chan's tiny body slumped, eyes glimmering with sadness.
Inside Enatur, spiritual energy waned, flickering weakly.
He groaned, "Gah!" Startling Shadow and Rein.
"Master, what's wrong?" Rein asked, voice tight.
"I still can't do it," he muttered, frustration etched across his face.
Shadow exhaled, curling up, eyes downcast. "Still nothing…"
Enatur buried his face in his hands. "Should I just quit… and live a normal life?"
He shivered, heart heavy.
"Deep down… I want to cultivate, to strengthen my spiritual power. No matter how hard I try… it's useless."
Shadow leaned against his shoulder. "Don't give up! There has to be a way."
Rein hovered before him, voice serious. "Shadow is right. Less than two years before Master's body is fully taken over."
Enatur lifted his head, determination flickering.
"If I can regain my body quickly… there may still be time to research artificial bodies. With a combination of technology and spiritual power… if it's possible, there must be a way!" Rein added, eyes glowing.
Shadow's tail wagged slightly. "Enatur, it's worth a try. Reina can find a solution."
Beep… beep…
Enatur activated the hologram from the bracelet on his left wrist. A call came in. Green button pressed.
"Hello, Sis Reina. How's everything? Smooth there?"
"All good. I'll arrive in Anfield two days later. We can continue our pending research."
"Hm, there's also something I want to discuss."
"What is it?… Ah damn it, let's talk tonight via video call, okey… I have to go now!"
Reina ended the call, leaving Enatur staring at the backyard. His spiritual energy still weak, but a spark of determination flickered again.