Chapter 21: Phantom Shift

"He's trying to defy reality," Evania raised her eyebrows and smiled, "You think he likes women a little too much?"

"Maybe it's not such a bad thing." Valrana laughed and picked up a grape juice, smiling while sipping it down her throat. She seemed to be feasting on the memories Howard provided for their dreamscape, drinking the sweet nectar from the metal can with a smile on her face. "He already died 110,331 thousand times. Monica has long ago finished her training."

"Well, 20 more tries and he fails," Evania watched the battlefield once again populate with skeletons and zombies as thousands of beams of fire and ice shot at their opposing forces. This happened to be one of the first battles that occurred in the Furnace, thousands of lives got taken a seconds, dreams faded and died in screams of undying agony. "By now, most men would try and change. See the bright side."

"He's doing it again," Valrana watched Howard's body split in two directions, slashing at two zombies before an ax went stabbing into his neck. The ax grazed agianst his armor, sparks flew in the air, before Howard turned and slashed through the skeletons' head. Smiling, Howard noticed hundreds of archers in the distance, waiting in the shadows, preparing to fire.

'Are you serious? All that effort for this!'

Boom!

Howard watched the hundreds of arrows shatter through nearby soldiers skulls before 10 pierced into his armor. Blood gushed out of his body, dropping him to the floor, before he looked forward and saw the most beautiful orange eyes glimmering in the darkness.

Once again, a second later, he revived, smiling before a burst of energy traveled through his body.

'I think I'm learning to control it,' Howard seemed to turn into three phantoms that parried attacks from all directions. Two axes and a sword got stopped before Howard reached down and grabbed the body of the beautiful girl that had alluded him so many times before.

Tossing her into the air, hundreds of arrows neared Howard before with a spin three phantoms slashed through the arrows, before a circle of fire decimated all the zombies around. Catching the girl in his hands, Howard smiled before looking at Evania staring in disbelief.

'What? I did it didn't I?" Howard looked down, finding himself back at the table in the convenience store with a can of grape juice rolling in his direction. Picking it up, he smiled and looked at Evania, who seemed to be both on the cusp of anger and tears. "I saved the girl! Did I do something wrong?"

"You're supposed to let her die so you can win the battle!" Evania slapped Howards hand, and then opened a bag of chips. "You'll never be your best if you can't make hard choices! Didn't you learn that in the 500,000 times you died!"

"I don't care. She reminded me of Monica, so I had to save her," Howard stood up and crossed his arms. "You want me to be something I'm not? I'm just a guy that likes women and making them happy."

"You're weak." Evania laughed and brushed back her black hair. "However, you're also only thirteen years old. However, your birthday is tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Howard saw a birthday cake floating appear on the convenience store table, with firecracker candles, and Monica standing behind it with a curler in her mouth. "I-I-It's not important. All that matters is I can help those down here."

"Oh, so we found your real problem," The two women said simultaneously. "Howard, you have to value yourself or else you can never reach your maximum potential."

"Howard, growing up requires sacrifice," Evania smiled and held out her hand. "Anyways, I think it's time we make you a little stronger, don't you sister?"

"Agreed," The two sisters stood up and smiled before the hallway reappeared. "Go down the hallway Howard and go to room 63. Inside, you'll find a small little oasis with your name on it. Go inside, and you'll find a small pit that you must bathe in for 10 hours. Not a second longer, okay? Or you'll blow up."

"I'm good at following orders," Howard said, nodding his head. "If you want, next time I come back I can bring grape juice," Howard smiled and created one in his hand, tossing it to Evania. For some reason, Evania appeared shocked as she caught the juice, looking at her sister with disbelief and surprise. "Anyways, do you two happen to have a timer. Ha, I don't want to blow up."

"There will be a woman waiting for you in the room," Evania laughed. "Go now, Howard, and try and reach your potential. Remember, even the most stubborn people have to make hard choices."

"Right, thank you. Heh, I wasn't supposed to say this, but I really want to sleep with you two when I Grow up!" Howard ran out the room with a smile on his face and rushed to the room with his name on it.

Behind him, in the room, the two woman laughed, before the world around them began to fade into the darkness.

"He's able to affect even our dreams. He's dangerous," Evania said, nodding her head. "What was that strange feeling emitting from his body when he created the phantoms? I've never seen anything like it."

"It's hope, maybe. Something we desperately need." Valrana watched her body fading into the darkness and smiled, looking at the grape juice that somehow had refused to fade. "Love you sister."

###

Howard jumped into a blue, viscous liquid as a young woman behind him nearly screamed in terror.

She had on a white dress and blue stockings embroidered with flowers and birds. Her skin shimmered underneath the glowing candles floating in the Shrine. Watching Howard lean back in the extremely rare, and vibrant fluid, she nearly broke into tears. It seemed like he was treating a once in a lifetime blessing like a swimming pool.

"This is so nice. Do you want to join me?"

"That-that's impossible! Just close your eyes and focus. The Ki in that water was coagulated from the air, in a process that took 100 years! If you waste a single drop of it on me, the founders would never forgive me?"

"So it's special?" Howard put some on his hands, feeling it traveling into his pores, before picking up a single drop. "That means even a single drop could make you smile, right?"

"I-I got sent to the Furnace by accident," The young lady said, crossing her arms. "I don't have horns like you, and can't conjure or cast magic. I would've become a zombie, forced to forever hunger for Ki, but your teacher let me stay here."

"So, this would really help you, then?" Howard picked up a handful and smiled before waving the young lady over. "Listen, I think you're pretty. In exchange for a story, how about I give you a single drop."

"Are-are you sure?" The black haired woman blushed and walked over to Howard.

She had been on an excavation with a couple of colleagues, looking for remnants of the ancient city Barlan, before her team discovered a tunnel that seemed to spread endlessly into the abyss. The men with her at the time, seemed thrilled beyond measure, thinking that the Ancient Barlan Civilization must have hidden their greatest treasures in the dark world beneath the plains.

Unfortunately, after traveling for nearly an hour down a ladder to no where, they came upon a network of fluorescent bulbs, electric lines, and train tracks. At the time, she immediately felt something side herself cracking, of course, that was before she noticed the dozens of men in hazmat suit walking her direction, walking inside of a gas cloud that soon forced her into a sleepless rest.

A few moments later, she, Arina, woke up next to her two colleagues, who had turned so pale white that even the sand beneath them seemed darker than night. Pushing herself up, she found Annibell, standing over her, reaching towards her with such big hands that the world seemed to shake.

"You're body seems to have a fondness for Ki. Otherwise, you'd be dead," Anibell had picked her up, and took her to this place before the first night.

Arina, telling that story to Howard, wiped off a tear as it ended.

Three hours later, she'd told him pretty much all of his life story, and still found him staring into her eyes waiting for the next word.

"I-I'm so sorry! However, now that we're friends. Why don't you just join me?"

"I'd die!" Arina smiled and laughed, "Aren't you going to ask me anything about why I didn't turn into a zombie?"

"You're special, and beautiful. That's all I need to know," Howard picked up a single drop of the viscous fluid and gently tapped Arina on the skin. The next moment, her body seemed to glow brightly, causing the candles in the room to slightly quiver from the brewing wind. "Anyways, I'll give you more when you want it. How do you feel?"

"Like I'm breaking the rules," Arina laughed. "This one drop will allow me to go outside again. You have no idea how much this means to me. Even if you asked me to die for you, I'd do it!"

"Then live, duh," Howard smiled and closed his eyes. "Anyways, can you tell me more about those men that brought you here? Do you know anything?"

"I don't know. All I know is that they can enter and leave the Furnace whenever they please. Otherwise, they never would've taken me down here." Arina sighed and saw her two dead colleagues, trying her hardest not to cry and ruin the atmosphere. "However, I can tell you about magicians. I've been studying a few of their chants. How about? In exchange for one more drop, I'll tell you everything I know!"

"Hmm, deal. However, first, have you ever heard of someone named Zack? I keep hearing him calling for me and it's really strange."