Elegant Soul Path

The screams and the distant, elongated shadows crept closer.

I ran, as fast as I could. Pain throbbed in my side, but I couldn't stop. That was the only thought in my mind. My weapon was already in my hand, ready to disable the energy, but before I could use it, a deep, raspy voice cut in.

"As an intruder, you have no right to do this," the figure said, and its voice echoed from every corner of the space. There was something unnatural about it, something chilling. It was as if the souls listened to it, as if the whole world held its breath at its words. "If you do it, with a single word, they will enter you. They will consume you from within."

I held my breath. I couldn't see his face, but his outline was drawn in black against the curtain of fog. He was not alone. On his right and left, others stood, motionless, watching my every move.

"I was just protecting my team," I finally spoke, trying to inject some determination into my voice.

"If you care about your team, then don't come in! It's that simple," he replied coldly.

So even spirits could be rude and inconsiderate. Great.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to protect the border from yours every single day! If you didn't try to break through, I wouldn't be here either!"

I hoped that would conceal the real reason for my presence.

The dark figure chuckled softly. "Oh, little girl, you understand nothing. You're new, aren't you? You let the ruler's theories seem like truth to you, and you blindly follow their nonsense."

Something tensed inside me. "Don't insult them!" I growled, though fear flickered in me. I tried to suppress it, but the feeling coiled in my throat.

The man stepped closer. "The souls that cross over to you long for peace. They want to talk. They want a choice—of who may be reborn. They hope to see the sun again. The truly evil souls lie in the deepest part of this world. My duty is to keep them away from the border and from the good souls. The real criminals are not us, but those who send the innocent here, only for them to be lost among the corrupted ones. But soon, you will meet them yourself. It's time to set an example."

His words wrapped around me like icy chains. They caught me. I couldn't escape. They carried me further inside, like a convoy, like a chain forged from shadows. Tall towers began to emerge in the distance, but I had no time to admire them. I knew that if we reached them, it would be over.

I couldn't wait. I didn't have the crystal. I had only one chance left: to try.

Just then, a barely audible whisper reached my ears.

"Psst!"

It was Zach. His voice brushed against my ear like a breath of wind.

And in that instant, one of the souls holding me trembled. I don't know how he did it, but I had a fleeting second of opportunity. I untangled myself from their grip and started running. They grabbed my hair, caught my leg. I fought. Their blows were strong, but I didn't stop. The darkness pulled me deeper, the mist swirled around me—

And then I saw him.

A darker shadow. A figure climbing up from the depths, his gaze burning like fire.

I felt that he was different. He wasn't just a soul. He was something deeper, something timeless, something born long before anything else in this world.

In the fraction of a moment, he moved.

I thought he was about to strike the final blow.

I fell to the ground, my hand sliding weakly against the stone. I could feel how eagerly he awaited my death. The blade rose high—

And then, suddenly, something ignited.

Light.

The darkness trembled.

The figure recoiled, as if he would crumble to dust, as if his very existence had cracked at the touch of it.

Heat pulsed against my neck. The shape of my necklace burned into my skin.

A voice spoke behind me. A surprised, hesitant whisper.

"This… Samuel's mark… He bears Samuel's mark…"

A searing pain tore through my body. It felt as if tiny, glowing shards of a spear were carving the exact replica of the mark beneath my skin. I gasped feverishly, while the world around me blurred into a pulsating haze.

The mist slowly began to ripple, and from within it, the same dark figure emerged. His deep, cold voice sliced through the air again, as if speaking to me from another dimension.

"I should have known. It seemed too amateurish for a guardian to just walk in here."

His words dripped with sharp mockery, and even though I could barely stand, their meaning was clear. Indeed, I had just walked in here, like an ignorant child. I might have laughed at myself if my body wasn't burning with pain. Before I could respond, he continued:

"But saints are not welcome here either. Especially not the chosen ones of the Side. Just because we cannot kill you doesn't mean we cannot keep you imprisoned. If you come here again…"

He paused for a moment, then added with almost suffocating intensity:

"Now get out!"

His words cracked like a whip through the air. My breathing was ragged, my mind a tangled chaos. It's something entirely different when the human mind experiences something it never has before—something it never even knew existed. But the survival instinct is strong, and we adapt. My enemies' figures slowly dissolved into the mist, and I moved. I did the only right thing—I ran.

My breath was uneven, my heart pounded. The mist swirled thickly around me, as if trying to drag me into another world. But then, a figure appeared beside me. Zach.

He stopped me for a moment, his gaze deep and urgent.

"Tell Chloe that I love her," he whispered.

I wanted to reply, but the pain, the pressing need to escape, left no time. I only nodded before running on.

"Why don't you go into that city?" I asked Zach while running.

"I can't," he answered. "That's where the demons live. This is my home now."

He gestured around him: rugged mountain peaks, a few scattered trees, and rolling hills covered in grass.

"This is the Soul's Watch."

"How often do you get a chance to leave?" I panted.

"In theory, once a month. But I've been here for nine months, and they haven't come for us even once."

I had more questions, but figures appeared in the distance. Zach tensed.

"Go! Now!"

I cast one last glance at him before crossing the boundary of the mist.

The next thing I saw was terror on Chloe's and the others' faces. They sat there, tense, on edge. The moment they saw me, they jumped up with immense relief and ran toward me.

"What happened? Are you okay?" they asked at once.

I brushed the dust off myself and looked around at them.

"What time is it?" I asked quietly.

"Half an hour until the border," David answered.

I nodded.

"Everything's fine," I finally said.

I turned to Chloe, looking deep into her eyes.

"Zach says he loves you."

Chloe's eyes flickered, but she said nothing. She pulled out the crystal, and I asked for it. The team set off in silence, marching in formation. They knew I needed the quiet now. My thoughts were too tangled, too much had happened. I had to separate my own emotions from what was important for the mission. I couldn't judge too quickly. The world was far more complex than to offer simple answers.

By the time we returned to the building, the others had arrived as well. I took my place and, without emotion, asked:

"Reports."

The first team reported seeing a few wandering souls but nothing significant. There was no movement in the fields or among the ruins. One by one, the reports came in, and I dismissed everyone to rest.

Once I was alone, I walked up to the lieutenant's quarters—now my own. Not much time passed before a knock echoed at the door. Chloe and Emily stood there.

They brought a bowl of water.

"It's not completely warm, but it'll do to wash the dust off," Emily said softly.

I nodded. As they stepped inside, the room was cold and austere, yet now, somehow, it felt homely. The shadows stretched long across the walls. A moment of silence settled over us.

Before they could leave, I asked a quick question.

"Do you always keep the jewelry you received when you became full-fledged dark-cloaked ones?"

Emily answered.

"Yes," she said, then proudly pulled a metal necklace from beneath her collar. The pendant was shaped like two angel wings, though the chain itself was simple.

"We all have one," Chloe added. "Why do you ask?"

I forced a faint smile.

"Just curious."

They didn't press further. From their expressions and movements, I could see they wanted to look after me. But right now, I didn't want care or words. Just a little silence—to finally process what I had seen. What I had lived through.

The days passed slowly, almost a week had gone by in peace. Nothing unusual happened, but I did not let my guard down. I gave orders that if anyone saw a soul, they were to inform me immediately and do nothing until I arrived. A burning curiosity drove me to find out whether they were truly here with peaceful intentions or if they had merely deceived me from the other side.

During this week, I observed many things. For instance, I noticed that my necklace did not match those of the other dark-clad individuals at all. This detail might have seemed insignificant, but the question lingered in my mind—why was this the case? I researched the history of Rindanof, discovering that it had not only existed due to the necessity of human progress and rebellion but even before our recorded time. That was interesting. Stricter rules governed it then than now. But if that wasn't enough, I also noticed the rules themselves had changed: previously, everyone carried out the same task for years—border guarding, palace protection, or other assignments—but this system had been dismantled. Now, the units were rotated monthly to prevent anyone from sinking into monotony. However, this reason seemed suspiciously absurd. If the units were kept in constant motion, it would be easier to prevent anyone from digging too deeply into a single place. Or was I just overthinking it all? Who knows? I hadn't found the logic in it yet. But perhaps true significance isn't always found in logic.

Today, at five in the afternoon, we leave the border house. Another team will take our place, and with that, my leadership period will end—unless I fight for another week. In the final moments, I packed up the weapons. I placed the small knives and energy pistols into their compartments when suddenly my earpiece crackled.

—Hello, hello! This is Team Two! We're at the meadow, by the ruined pedestal, and we've detected soul movement.

I snapped my head up. There was no question about what I had to do.

—Stay there! Do not approach! I'm coming immediately! —I responded firmly.

I jumped into the car. I wasn't much of a driver, but in moments like these, fueled by adrenaline, I almost enjoyed it. The tires screeched against the road as I sped down the rocky slope. Dust swirled behind me, and from a distance, I could already see the five dark-clad figures standing still before the ruined clearing.

This place was familiar. I had been here last with Chloe… and Zach, when he was still in his right mind.

I braked, turned off the engine, and got out. I stepped up to the team.

—Thank you for notifying me. Take the car and return to base. Pack up the remaining weapons and head to the city! —I ordered.

The team obeyed, and as the car disappeared into the distance, I remained alone at the site. Although they didn't understand why I wanted to stay alone, I insisted. I approached the concrete clearing with slow steps.

As I observed, it seemed as if the figure of a little girl was beginning to take shape among the ruins…

The girl hummed cheerfully, spinning small stones between her fingers as a delicate tower formed under her hands. I stepped forward cautiously, careful not to shatter this fleeting peace. She noticed my presence, yet she did not flinch. She simply continued her work, raising the fragile structure higher and higher. One stone, however, kept rolling off again and again.

—Ah, this one always falls! —she murmured softly. —I try, but it never stays.

She looked up at me, curiosity shining in her eyes.

—Will you try?

The innocence of her question momentarily threw me off. I sat beside her, picked up the stone, and placed it atop the tower.

—If you build from the widest stone to the narrowest, it will be more stable —I explained. —But if you place the largest on a smaller one, it won't hold.

The girl laughed as she saw the tower finally balance. Then she suddenly fell silent. Her gaze drifted to my waist, where my energy weapon rested. I saw recognition and fear flicker in her eyes. With a single movement, I could have erased her from existence. But that was not why I was here.

—Calm down —I said softly. —I won't hurt you.

The wind gently tousled her hair. She had a human form. An innocent little girl's. The thought hovered unspoken between us when a dense, milky-white fog descended around us. Shadows shifted in the mist, distant whispers murmured. The girl snapped her head up, then suddenly cried out:

—She won't hurt! She's a kind lady! Maybe she'll take me!

The voices fell silent. The mist slowly began to clear, and figures emerged from it. Men, women, and children stood there, radiating a floating energy. A woman stepped protectively beside the girl, forming an invisible shield around her, then fixed her piercing gaze on me.

—We only came because Madi always runs away here —she said in a measured tone. —She likes to play here, but we must take her back.

A voice spoke from the background:

—Do you really want to take her?

I did not answer, only set my weapon on the ground as a sign of peace.

A third, gruffer voice interrupted:

—Look at her! How could she take her? She's just a simple guardian soldier. She has no power over us. And throwing away her weapon was a foolish move. Now we can do anything to her.

—Carl, stop! —the woman snapped sharply. —Don't be disrespectful! She hasn't harmed us, and we won't harm her.

The woman gently took Madi's hand. The others, following her lead, slowly glided back toward the boundary. Before they vanished entirely into the mist, I called after them:

—Wait! Please, don't go yet!

The woman stopped but did not turn back.

—What do you want from us? —she asked quietly.

—A friend of mine has been possessed. Do you know anything about this?

The silence was almost heavy after my words.

—We do not do such things —she replied coldly. —If someone possessed him, it was either a demon or a dark soul captive.

—The dark soul captives… are they the second-rank ones? —I asked hesitantly.

The woman sighed softly.

—Among us, there are no first, second, or third ranks like in your world. What they teach you does not exist for us. There are only extremes. Good and evil. And those who are truly evil might have done it. But not us.

Then she lowered her head.

—We cannot speak to you any longer, human girl. Please, do not tell anyone about us. We have not waited for millennia just to be destroyed one day instead of being freed. Hope is not only for humans; we were once like you, and a soul can always hope.

One last glance. Then the mist swallowed them completely.

Before I could even process it all, the glare of headlights struck me. Chloe and the others had arrived, informing me that we had been ordered to return immediately. The ride back was silent. Chloe wasn't well either, and I was lost in my thoughts. Could it really be true? That the world was not just unjust among humans, but on a spiritual plane as well? Could it be that those meant to maintain peace among humans couldn't even achieve it among themselves?

Back at the base, I completed all my tasks and prepared to head into the city. I needed to meet with Michael. He was the only one I could hope for answers from.

As I put on my civilian clothes—a white shirt and dark jeans—I took one last look around the base. The general and the others were instructing a new recruit. For a moment, our eyes met, then I moved on, got into the car, and was lost in the city's lights, in the pulse of the human world.

I was walking down the street in front of the nightclub, the flickering neon lights casting colorful shadows on the cobblestone road. A few dark-clothed figures stepped inside ahead of me—naturally, they had come to have fun, with no reason to be suspicious. I took advantage of this natural cover and walked in without issue, then quietly slipped toward the back. The pulsing music of the crowd grew fainter as I moved toward the quieter, darker sections of the hallway.

Two dark-clothed guards stood before the hidden door. Before they could notice me, a shadow moved beside me—it was Michael. He nodded silently in another direction, and I followed.

We entered a smaller room with a single massive chandelier hanging in the center. Its fractured light shimmered across the Persian rug beneath us. Two chairs faced each other, and the air was thick with tension.

"So, this is the interrogation room?" I asked, half serious, half ironic, as I glanced around.

Michael lifted his gaze to me, unusually somber. "We don't have time for jokes," he said, and something in his voice made me realize the situation was more serious than I had initially thought.

I hesitated for a moment. He was the one who usually handled everything with ease, and now, suddenly… he had changed. The confidence that always radiated from him was now laced with something else—something he perhaps didn't even want to reveal.

"I'm afraid you were right," I said quietly, yet I felt my words cut through the silence like a blade. "I found Zach's soul. His body is being used by someone else now. But it wasn't taken over by those who usually linger at the border. Those were surprisingly kind souls. And the most shocking part… they've been waiting for reincarnation for millennia, yet they never received it. No one came for them. And every day, more and more souls are being sent to a place where demons dwell. Did you know this?"

Michael's eyes narrowed, his features sharpened. I could see he was tense.

"I knew the situation was bad," he said slowly, "but this bad…?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crystal.

"Look, I have this too," I held it up, "but in the end, it wasn't what saved me."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Then what did?"

"Samuel's mark." The moment I spoke his name, the air between us seemed to tremble.

Michael was so shocked that even I couldn't decipher the whirlwind of emotions crossing his face. His expressions were usually predictable—but now… now he had heard something he hadn't been prepared for.

"You have Samuel's mark?" he asked, stepping closer.

I nodded and pulled down the collar of my shirt. "Yes. It's here on my neck. When they tried to hurt me, the pendant burned into my skin when it started glowing. But now it's gone."

Michael silently examined my neck, then stepped back and walked to a table lined with drinks. With a decisive motion, he poured himself a glass and brought it to his lips.

"This is getting more interesting," he remarked before downing the drink.

I watched as he drank. As he tried to suppress an emotion he didn't want to show. And suddenly, anger surged through me. I stepped forward and tore the glass from his hand.

"This isn't how we solve things," I hissed.

Michael's gaze met mine—dark and warning. "Calm down, little girl. I know what I'm doing."

"The hell you do!" I snapped.

Michael fell silent for a moment. As if a thought had just crossed his mind.

"If that box can remove souls from their place and insert a foreign entity… I fear it's not being used for what it was originally created for. Clarissa never wanted to help people or lost souls. She always wanted her own army. A force strong enough to rival the ruler's protectors. Because they wouldn't join her willingly. She's luring the others in with the miracle box's tale."

I leaned forward, gripping the armrest of the chair. "That's absurd. That exists? If someone craves power this much, why not just create an army of instant demons? Why bother with warriors and souls?"

Michael nodded thoughtfully. "Because the body can only do what the brain has learned. If a demon is implanted into a warrior's body, and part of the original consciousness remains… all the warrior's physical abilities become usable. Even though the soul of the host body is removed, a fragment of its consciousness lingers. That's the soul seal. It involuntarily remains in the body that was once ours or that we have inhabited before. But that small consciousness is now under another power's control. That's how a perfect army is built—without needing to train a new one."

For a moment, there was silence. My mind reeled at the thought that someone was twisted enough to do this.

"And what do you think her goal is?" I finally asked quietly.

Michael smiled, but it was a bitter smile.

"Knowledge. She wants everything. Humans, angels, souls. Clarissa was once a pure-hearted person—only with a gift that became her curse. After every death, she remembered her past lives perfectly. She even began chasing them. She had been a queen, a politician, a poet, an inventor, poor, rich, merciful, and ruthless. She always found a way to return with full awareness. Over the past thousands of years, she hasn't chosen her destinies to change them, but to learn how to manipulate the world. She haunts all existence when, in reality, its beauty lies in the fact that human, animal, angelic, and demonic souls all exist on different planes yet are still one and the same. But she is obsessively hungry for knowledge, relentless, and difficult to wound. That makes her the most dangerous."

He spoke with deep conviction. I watched him in silence. I knew he was telling the truth. Every word carried the weight of concern—he was a true guardian archangel. But something didn't sit right with me.

"But what makes her so hard to wound?" I asked reasonably.

"Clarissa is a Nephilim. A child born of an angel and a human. And if that weren't enough—she is the twin flame of my brother, Archangel Raphael. But that doesn't change the fact that she is inclined toward darkness."

"We call that a psychopath," I interjected. "A god-complexed psychopath, at that."

Michael nodded.

"So, what's the plan?" I finally asked.

Michael stood up, his eyes gleaming. "There's a meeting at the safe house tomorrow. You'll be there too."

"And that's your plan?" I spread my arms.

"Trust me. You'll see when we get there. For now, even I don't know what she wants from the ruler. Or the council. But if she brings the one I think she will, we might have a chance to expose her. There are many things we should be dealing with, but we start with one."

I nodded. No unnecessary questions. He was right—one thing at a time.

We went back to the nightclub. The club's lights cast soft, flickering shadows on the walls as the crowd moved to the pulsing rhythm of the music. The air was thick with mingling scents—alcohol, perfume, the heat of bodies. For a moment, I lingered on people's faces, observing the carefree smiles and the gazes that concealed hidden intentions, secret stories.

Michael stood beside me, motionless, his focus sharper than ever. I could feel the tension in his posture, as if he wanted to absorb every single movement around us.

"Do you feel that?" he asked softly, without looking at me.

I nodded. Something was vibrating in the air, a barely perceptible, unusual presence that existed beyond the human world. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting my senses guide me.

When I opened them again, I noticed a figure in the dim light. Tall, slender, their movements were almost unnaturally fluid, as if gravity barely affected them. Dark eyes were locked directly onto me.

"We are not alone," I whispered.

Michael gave a small nod, then moved—smoothly, deliberately, as if taking the first step of a dance. Despite the throbbing crowd, the figure started toward us.

For a brief moment, the music seemed to fade, or maybe it was just our perception that changed. The chaotic world of the club nearly disappeared around us, leaving only the inevitable encounter before us.

The figure stopped in front of us and nodded slightly with a faint smile.

"I've been watching you for a while," they said, their voice echoing like a melody from long ago.

I narrowed my eyes for a moment, but before I could respond, they spoke again.

"I'm Tom. I was only watching because the general sent me after you. He wants to see you. I assume you're done having fun, so it's time to go back. It's late, and the general is getting impatient."

Michael nodded, and I gestured to him before we walked out of the club. Though I would have liked to stay longer, I thought to myself.

Outside, the car was already waiting. I got in and remained silent, lost in thought. I spent the entire ride in silence, watching the city as we passed through it, until we finally reached Rindanof's gates. When we arrived at the palace, I stepped out of the car.

I nodded at the dark-clad guards standing watch. Tom bid his farewell and drove off. I entered the palace alone, moving through the familiar hallways until I reached the main hall. The staircases stretched upward, leading to the second floor, and I caught sight of the ruler and the calm woman conversing further inside. The ruler looked agitated.

I didn't particularly like being near him, but right now, I wanted to walk up and ask—what was this necklace? Why did he give it to me? Did he even know what it truly meant? And why did they call me sacred just because I was wearing it?

I was about to step forward when I spotted the general at the top of the stairs.

"Come up. Now," he commanded firmly.

His voice filled the space with such intensity that even the palace chandeliers seemed to tremble. The ruler and the woman turned their gaze toward me for a brief moment.

Our eyes met—his piercing green stare locked onto mine. A strange sensation washed over me, but I quickly shifted my gaze to the deep blue eyes ahead, which seemed to crackle with soft lightning, pulling me forward. Without a word, I nodded to the ruler, and they resumed their conversation. It was clear I wasn't a welcomed guest, so I climbed the stairs in silence and followed the general.

As I walked up, he started toward his room, and I followed without hesitation. The door closed behind us. The general let out a deep sigh, looking at me before simply saying:

"Sit down. Please."