Me, My Spirit, And I [Book 1 Complete]

Meditation was an essential skill for anyone who wanted to progress as both a Mage and Cultivator. Even martially inclined individuals learned it at some point in their lives. Lusha was discovering that it was very hard to achieve a proper meditative state as a child approaching puberty. Their mind had a tendency to wander and hyperfocus on odd things. Of course, their body didn't like being still. It wanted to move, to play, to run, and generally be active. So it wasn't surprising that they were struggling to reach the level of focus and calm needed to manually activate their Skills.

Lusha loved being Lusha. They loved the lack of strain and the enhanced mental abilities. Being split into Shada and Luca was also good, but it came with hidden strains that they had never noticed until they became Lusha. However, Lusha was only one person and was trying and failing to successfully balance two distinct lives. The hunt for a personal assistant wasn't going well. Few people were willing to consider working for a child no matter how smart, and finding the right mix of competence, mental flexibility, and trustworthiness was proving difficult. They had lucked out when hiring Kariss.

With all that in mind, Lusha was trying to activate Split Mind again. They didn't want to be Luca and Shada all the time, but it would be much more convenient for business and pleasure. Lusha had little to no downtime, and they didn't like that at all. What was the point of being a kid if they didn't get to enjoy just being a kid?

After repeated failures, they sought help from the one person they knew who had comparable Skills: grandmother Vanestra. Vanestra was in her normal spot in the main room of the cottage. Her rocking chair actually sat directly over a rather massive wardstone that was buried beneath the cottage. Said wardstone connected to others that ran along the entire eastern edge of the Wyldwood. As a seer and warder, Vanestra was one of several responsible for watching out for Beast and Monster incursions from the Wyldwood.

Lusha noted with frustration that Vanestra appeared to be in a meditative state while knitting. She said it was a calming task and helped her focus on the wards she monitored. To someone who didn't know better, she appeared like any older woman of Sierrallas. Of course, "older" meant something different in a world of Cultivators and Essence. Age only really affected one's appearance as much as they allowed until they hit their Decline, a time when the balance between one's true physical age and their apparent age hit a tipping point. During the Decline, people appeared to age rapidly over the course of a year or so before passing away.

"Nana?" Lusha asked softly.

"Hmm, yes?" Vanestra's eyes lost their far-off look and focused on Lusha.

"I need your help. I am trying to manually activate my Split Mind Skill, and I can't get into the right frame of mind. Can you help?"

Vanestra made a non-committal humming sound. "General advice or something a bit more magical?"

Lusha shrugged apologetically. "Magical. I have tried everything I know to reach the right frame of mind, to meditate, to focus, but I can't manage it. I don't have problems with other Skills that Shada practiced manually like Material Mastery, Essence Mastery, or even Essence Perception."

"I imagine it is because Shada used those Skills. Split Mind was more something that was just always there." Vanestra set down her knitting and gestured for Lusha to take a seat on the rug. "I have a spell that will help you reach a meditative state, but the rest will be up to you."

"That would be great! Thanks so much, Nana!" Lusha, like Luca, had an infectious smile, and Vanestra couldn't help but smile at her great-grandchild.

Words of Power flowed from Vanestra's mouth as she gestured towards Lusha. The sheer force behind her words always left Lusha in awe. Grandmother Vanestra was a powerful magic user, and it could be heard by anyone who could listen properly.

Lusha's eyes fluttered shut, and their mind seemed to still and settle automatically. Finally, they could focus without distraction. They searched within themselves for that place near their Core where their Skills lay. The Split Mind Skill, the System Assisted version, lay there. With their newfound clarity of mind, they studied the Skill. It was like a spell or enchantment, but written in Systemic. They used the System Skill to find a resonance within their own innate abilities where their Traits lived. Here they found what they were looking for: their innate ability to split their mind that the System codified into a Skill for them.

No matter the necessity, part of Lusha was reluctant to do this, but as the saying went, "needs must." Reaching within with renewed focus, Lusha was finally able to trigger their innate ability manually without the assistance of the System. Where before their mind was whole, now it split. Where there was once Lusha, there was now Luca and Shada. Two halves of the same whole, both forever changed by having been whole.

With their mind split, it was easy for Shada to activate Spirit Walking and emerge from his physical vessel. Both Luca and Shada were disoriented. They both remembered being Lusha, both knew everything the other knew, but their personalities were distinct. How they looked at and felt about their memories were different. For Shada, those memories that were Lusha's or Luca's had an emotional distance to them, and the same was true for Luca when it came to Lusha and Shada's memories. It was odd having memories that were simultaneously yours and not yours, to be able to look at the same thing from three different perspectives. It took a bit of time for both Luca and Shada to refocus on the real world and not their internal worlds.

Luca used their Shapeshifting ability to return to their more common copper-brown coloring and rounded ears. This was how most people knew him, and despite being slightly uncomfortable, the changes were instinctive at this point in his life. On some level, he also knew it would help others treat him and Lusha as distinct. Lusha could be the snow-white half-elf with the ethereal fae beauty while Luca would be the slightly exotic-looking Wylderfolk child he had pretended to be all his life.

Shada used his Manifestation Skill to appear in the air next to Luca. His latest Manifestation wasn't a small animal or even a ghostly orb, but that of an older, distinguished-looking half-elf with features that were somewhere between Lusha and John. He had chosen his appearance almost unconsciously after his experience as being whole. He didn't bother trying to look completely humanoid, though. His lower half faded into an indistinct vaporous trail as if his legs were just an extension of the illusionary robes he wore.

Vanestra glanced between the two with a slight frown. "I see that it worked, but now that I know what you are like as Lusha, this feels off, doesn't it?"

"Of course it does, Nana. We are incomplete like this." Luca gestured between himself and Shada.

Shada nodded as well. "There are clear advantages to using our Skills to be separate, but we won't stay like this all the time like before." Shada sighed. Of course, he had no lungs, and the sigh was pure artifice on his part, but mimicking corporeal gestures could be important in social interactions. "However, I have a business to run, enchantments to maintain, and Luca still has lessons that can only be put off so long. This is... necessary," Shada said this last part with a bit of disdain in his magical voice.

It was at this time that Alexzandrous came into the room. There was no reaction to seeing Luca and Shada separate. No questions about their appearance or manifestation. "Ah, good. I have been meaning to talk to you, Shada. Meet me in my tower after I grab a snack, eh?" Alexzandrous didn't even wait for a response before puttering around the kitchen area preparing tea and a sandwich.

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Luca, Vanestra, and Shada all just stared at the oblivious old wizard before looking at each other and smilingly saying, "Daft old man," in perfect unison.

---

The next day, the Shadow Company's staff and employees were in for a bit of a surprise. Shada decided that the time of absolute secrecy was coming to an end. He didn't want to remain as isolated and disconnected as he had been before. So to better manage and facilitate things, he decided to introduce everyone to his latest manifestation.

Kariss stood on a hastily constructed platform in the central courtyard of the Shadow Company compound. She had been more than a little startled when Shada popped into her office and revealed his latest plan.

"Everyone settle down and listen!" Kariss's magically amplified voice drew all eyes to her. The courtyard was filled with everyone from regular laborers who moved raw materials and goods between black boxes, secretaries and accountants, students of the Shadow Institute, and various researchers who all worked for the Shadow Company. "Today we at the Shadow Company have been given a unique opportunity!"

There were sounds of curiosity and confusion from the crowd. "It has been nearly a decade since this Company was founded. In that time, we have all labored over and profited from the work of our founder, Mr. Shadow." Kariss smiled at the crowd's brief cheer of support before continuing. "Some among you have spoken to Mr. Shadow via his various Voices who use magic to communicate with him, but none except I have met him more directly." Kariss said that last with a bit of pride. "Today that changes!" Surprise and suppressed excitement rippled like a wave through the crowd. "Mr. Shadow will be appearing today and in the following days. You will see him wandering our halls and be able to talk to him more directly."

Someone in the crowd shouted questions. "Is he here? When will we get to see him?" Kariss glanced around until she spotted the researcher who shouted the questions.

"Patience, my friend. He is here and will be appearing momentarily to speak to everyone as a whole. Please be respectful and remember he is a busy man and won't answer any personal questions. I can say no more lest I ruin the surprise!" Kariss grinned. She enjoyed Shada's theatrics and was watching the crowd closely to judge their reactions.

A hushed silence fell over the courtyard. Sounds seemed muted, and the light of the morning sun dimmed as if a cloud had passed overhead. People glanced around nervously as their shadows seemed to elongate. The air became cooler, and only a few people noticed that there were two shadows now on the stage instead of one. Alexzandrous loved helping Shada like this; it was fun, and he had done far worse when he was a young wizard.

Mist appeared to flow from the stage as the ghostly outline of a man took shape. Shada was purposely drawing out his manifestation for dramatic effect. The exact moment Shada's latest form was visible, the special effects ended. The sunlight returned to normal, the temperature rose, and any moving shadows stilled.

There were gasps of surprise, and a few people looked ready to bolt, but most were simply frozen in place, staring at what looked like the storybook description of a ghost that hovered above the stage with their wispy robes billowing and fading at the bottom in an unseen wind.

Shada had a serious demeanor on his translucent face and looked over the crowd almost hauntingly. "Hello." Magic made it seem as if Shada was talking to each person individually rather than from the stage. Many people jumped and looked around frantically. "I am Mr. Shadow, in the flesh, in a manner of speaking. It is good to see everyone gathered here today. This Company has grown tremendously over the years, and I am proud of the effort each and every one of you have put into helping it grow." Shada's words were magically whispered into the ears of everyone present. Shivers and excitement rippled through the crowd.

"What the hell is this?" someone shouted suddenly. "Our boss is a ghost?" This triggered heated discussion in the crowd, and Shada waited for people to settle before speaking again.

"I am not a ghost. Precisely what I am is private, but you can think of me as an Astral Projection if you like. It isn't far off from the truth and all the explanation I will be giving."

The crowd grumbled, but fear and excitement were keeping them from bombarding Shada with questions he said he wouldn't answer. The tale of the Shadow of Westlin being a shadowy spirit creature would spread like wildfire through the city later that day, and Shada's legend would grow.

"Now then, I won't keep you long. Work must go on after all, even for me, but let me make a few announcements. First, I will be having a more formal meeting with all department heads after this assembly. Next, I am happy to report that we will be receiving special guests from the Dwarven Confederacy, which will mark a new chapter in the Shadow Company's history. Soon we will be designing and building our very own skyships!"

There were some very excited engineers in the crowd, and the head of the shipping division looked downright greedy at this announcement. For those in the know, what Shada had just announced was a major deal. It took longer for the crowd to settle down.

"Next, as Kariss has already mentioned, I will be present in my current form around the Compound for the foreseeable future. I will make an effort to speak with each of you one-on-one to get your personal perspective on the Company, our products, and our future endeavors. Remember, anyone, no matter their station in life, can have good ideas. Progress and innovation can come from any of you, so if you have ideas, please share them!"

Shada's speech continued for longer than he intended. He had to answer a few questions and announced the creation of the new Shadow Skyships division and let people know where his office would be. It was made clear that people would need to set up meetings, but could expect more informal interactions as he traveled around the compound.

---

"You wanted to see me, old man?" Shada asked as he drifted into Alexzandrous's tower.

"Eh?" Alexzandrous asked in a distracted manner while watching what looked remarkably like a chemistry beaker bubbling away with green liquid.

Shada sighed in his own mind. Alexzandrous, while both brilliant and likely the most powerful person he knew, was absent-minded at the best of times. "You said you needed to talk to me a few days ago?"

"Oh, yes, that!" Alexzandrous snapped his fingers, and the heating runes under the beaker dimmed as he shuffled over to a table covered in books and paper. "It won't be long now until you and Luca will be off to the Academy. I imagine you might get a bit bored in a regular class setting. I got some interesting news. Seems the Academy is having a bit of trouble finding a replacement for one of the professors who is retiring." At this statement, Alexzandrous's gaze sharpened as he looked at Shada.

"I don't see how that relates to me in the least?" Shada asked in clear confusion. What was the crazy old man rambling about?

"Well, that is the interesting bit. It is the Magical Languages and Spellcrafting Professor who is retiring. My former apprentice is the current headmaster of the Academy and asked me for recommendations. I told him I might have an unorthodox solution."

Shada made his ghostly eyes grow comically large. Far larger than would be possible on a flesh-and-blood person without innate Shapeshifting abilities. "You can't be serious," Shada said flatly, which created a weird contrast with his exaggerated expression of surprise.

"Why wouldn't I be serious? Your command of languages exceeds anyone I have ever met, and you have created more new spells in a decade than I have seen in my lifetime. You are fully qualified to teach some classes." The distracted look was back on Alexzandrous's face. Shada knew this meant that he had said his bit and was already back to thinking about his experiments.

With a few tweaks, the magic that let him speak out loud increased his voice's volume enough to get Alexzandrous to refocus on him. "I am a spirit! Who ever heard of a spirit teaching a class?" Sure, Shada had read of ghost professors in less serious fantasy stories, but to actually consider it happening in reality? It was utterly absurd.

"Bah, you wouldn't be the first spirit to teach at the academy. Familiars are known to give lessons in their master's stead, and the occasional spirit is summoned for specific lessons in the Tower of Mystics." Alexzandrous paused in thought. "Though you would be the first to take on the role of Professor, I believe. Think about it?"

Shada could only give a bemused nod in return as Alexzandrous dismissed him and returned to his studies. Alexzandrous wasn't wrong about qualifications; his innate Precursor Traits and Skills gave him a distinct advantage when it came to magical languages and Spellcraft. He didn't know if that would translate to effective lessons, though. Besides, did he want to teach classes? On the one hand, it would give him an excuse to manifest on campus rather than hiding away. On the other, it was a big responsibility in addition to running the Shadow Company.

If nothing else, it gave him something to do while Luca studied, and he couldn't commute to the Shadow Company every day after all. He had a lot to think about after his brief meeting with his grandfather; that was one thing he was certain of.