Souls Online: Mythic Ascension

The first thing Morgan felt when he opened his eyes was confusion, not at the place where he was, a cabin in the middle of a place that he did not know, but the set of memories that were playing inside of his head in tandem, a life he had lived and a life he had not. It was Morgana, the illusion that he had become bound to in the fog.

Her life had played out in his mind, completely the opposite of his own. Seeing and feeling her memories only confirmed one thing. This version of himself was not just merely an illusion. But himself, or in this case, herself, from a different reality. A reality where the tragedy never happened.

Morgan blinked, struggling to piece together the two streams of memories as if they were threads of a tangled rope.

Every sensation, every image from Morgana's life felt like it had been stitched into his own mind, pressing on him with a weight that was both foreign and familiar.

The cabin around him smelled of damp wood and burning pine, but even that was secondary to the echoes of a life that could have been his own. He forced himself to sit up, hands gripping the edge of the bed, trying to separate where his memories ended and hers began.

Her voice, her laughter, her pain played like a shadow behind his eyes, and Morgan could feel the pull of choices he had never made tugging at his conscience.

He also instinctually knew that on the other side of this veil the world called reality, she was feeling the exact same thing was. The shadow had done more than guide him to harness illusions, he had anchored his existence to another reality.

Morgan sat there longer than he realized, his breath shallow, his thoughts looping in circles that led nowhere. He could not untangle himself from her, nor her from him. The confusion pressed down like a storm cloud that refused to break.

But he knew sitting in that bed would not give him answers. He forced the thoughts aside, if only for the moment, and pulled himself to his feet. His legs felt unsteady, as though they were carrying not just his own weight but the weight of another life.

The cabin was quiet, the crackle of a fire in the hearth the only sound. It was then that his eyes caught a glimmer on the table near the wall. A fruit, unlike any he had ever seen, rested on a folded piece of paper. Its skin shone silver, reflecting the light of the flames in ripples, as if the surface were alive.

He stepped closer, every movement slow, wary. The note beneath the fruit was simple, a single line written in ink so dark it seemed to drink the light around it.

For you. For both of you.

Morgan stared at the words, his hand hovering over the strange offering, unsure if it was meant to be a gift, a temptation, or a trap.

His fingers hovered above the fruit, the thought surfacing like a fragile excuse. For Lily. He owed her that much, more than that, a lifetime more. She had lost her mother because of him. Every step he had taken since that day had been a debt he could never repay. If this was meant for him, then it was hers first.

But as soon as her name settled in his mind, another name forced its way in, one he had never spoken, one that did not belong to him. Lucian.

The name came with a surge that nearly made him stumble. A warmth that was not his own, an aching devotion that had no place in his heart. He felt it like fire pressed against cold iron, Morgana's memories bleeding into him. Her love for Lucian filled him with something he could not claim, something he could never deserve.

It sickened him for a moment, not because of what she felt, but because it revealed the hollow truth within him. He did not know love. He had long since buried the idea that he could.

All that moved him now was the weight of guilt, the need to make right what he had broken, though he knew he never could.

His hand touched the fruit, cool and smooth against his skin, and he closed his eyes. Whatever this was, whatever it meant, it was not for him alone. It never had been.

He brought the fruit to his mouth and bit into it. The skin gave way without resistance, and the taste flooded his tongue. It was neither sweet nor bitter but something stranger, metallic and bright, as if he were swallowing liquid light. His vision blurred, a shimmer creeping across the edges of the room.

[Player Morgana has consumed the Fruit of Calystris]

[Abilities shall be enhanced.]

[Level has been Set to Level 20]

[Blessed by Divinity has initiated Race Change]

[Race shall be changed to Gemini Spirit]

Morgan stumbled as he felt the changes occurring inside of his body. Before he could hear just her memories and emotions. But now he could feel her heartbeat in tandem with his own.

The veil that separated them.had become even thinner. Without even trying, he knew that if he reached out with intent, he could pierce the veil and bring her to this world.

However, he also knew that in doing so, he must leave this reality and that he must take her place even if only temporarily.

His existence had become a duality.

Morgan's chest heaved, each breath shallow and ragged as the aftereffects of the fruit pulsed through his veins. He pressed a hand to his stomach, willing himself to slow, to anchor himself in the cabin and not in the swirl of memories and sensations that threatened to drag him under.

Adam's voice echoed in his mind, a reminder from earlier, steady and practical. "Once you're settled, check your status. Know what you've become before you do anything else."

Morgan nodded to himself, a small, almost imperceptible movement. He inhaled deeply, counting each beat of his heart, feeling the second pulse beneath it.

He exhaled slowly, forcing the chaos inside him to retreat, just enough to see clearly.

Finally, when his breathing had evened, he spoke, voice low but firm.

"Status."

-Character Status

-Name: Morgana

-Race: Gemini Spirit

-Title: Spirit of Duality

-Class: Illusion Paladin(M)/ Illusion Mage(F)

-Age: 23

-Level: 20 (0/10,000,000 EXP)

-Status: Healthy

-Health: 9000/9000

-Mana: 2400/2400

-Attack: 600

-Defence: 600

-Dodge: 200

-Strength: 35

-Endurance: 55

-Agility: 20

-Dexterity: 50

-Intelligence: 60

-Wisdom: 50

-Charisma: 18

-Luck: 1

Free Points: 0

Skills: Gemini Swap (Unique), Illusion Shield (Paladin), Illusion Barrage (Mage), Distortion Aura (Paladin), Distortion Cut (Mage).

Equipment: Veilrender (Unique)

As soon as he read those words, he could feel the cool grip of a sword in his hands. He didn't know where it came from or how he came to be holding it but it felt natural in his hands. Like it belonged there.

The thought of the others waiting for him dragged him out of his own thoughts again. There were definitely more mysteries to uncover but for now they would have to wait.