Chapter 9 A Father’s Responsibility

Rudranath’s fists slackened. His eyes were locked onto the writhing Trishna ahead.

“Did Aarohi do this to her…?”

He shook his head.

“No, no…she is only six…”

The interface screen appeared, highlighting the timer.

[120 seconds left before the human perishes*.]*

Rudranath’s jaw tightened. If his daughter’s mistake was causing this much trouble to civilians, he definitely had a responsibility as her father. He looked at the system screen and asked.

“How do I purify her?”

[Connect with her soul. Follow your Soul Essence through her*.]*

Rudranath looked at the white flames around her and closed his eyes. Just as he could feel the essence inside his own body, he could now see inside hers. Her cells looked like condensed black smoke. There was not a single drop of blood in her veins. Only black smoke flowed through the empty tubes as her heart pumped the smoke through them.

[User has successfully reached the target’s inner sanctum.]

Rudranath narrowed his eyes.

“So, this is called the inner sanctum…”

His white flames were tearing through the black smoke inside her. He could feel her cells getting destroyed under his soul essence as it forced its way to her core. He could feel her pain. But he also felt a blissful satisfaction, as if she was willingly accepting that bone-shattering pain.

The system’s voice chimed in his head.

[Follow that feeling. Find her soul.]

Rudranath’s focus deepened. His white flames had already started to burn her veins one by one. The timer was ticking. The feeling of acceptance felt denser toward her heart. When he saw the insides of her ribs, his breath hitched.

“What’s that…?”

[Target’s Soul detected.]

Beneath her heart, a small black smoke cage trapped a green silhouette of a woman inside.  She looked the same as the woman from the earlier memory. But just like the woman in that stone chamber, this one also had no mass. Only detailed outlines glowed in green.

“Is that a soul…?”

She looked upward through the cage with a smile, as if she heard his whisper. His thoughts raced. Her soul was caged exactly where the black-flame key was in his inner sanctum.

“If that’s how a soul looks, then…”

But his thought got interrupted by her voice.

“Is my son alive?”

Her question was directed at him. Rudranath exhaled, glancing at the caged silhouette. His voice rang through her inner dimension.

“No…I’m sorry.”

Her head lowered inside the cage. He felt the hollow cavity in her emotions. It felt like a blizzard was spiralling like a vortex through her soul. Even the plea for rescue had vanished from her. His fingers trembled. But he had no time to remain empathetic.

[30 seconds remaining before the human perishes*. Use your source to guide your essence and break that cage.]*

Rudrnath’s jaw tightened. The black key, floating between his brows in his inner sanctum, shivered. Strands of black flames stretched out from the key, travelling through his inner sanctum. Bone-freezing chill from those strands snaked through his sanctum. His white Soul Essence followed them as if their warmth was desperate to devour the spreading chill. Then he felt those strands reaching her inner sanctum.

[Second Soul Skill Unlocked: Essence Guidance Lv*.1—Effect:* Allows user to guide his Soul Essence at will*.* Restriction*:* Due to the skill*'s current level,* it can only be activated once every 24 hours*.]*

He stretched his arms wide. The black strands moved, following his wrist movement. He gazed at the cage and directed them toward it. Seven strands rushed at the black smoke cage, guiding his Soul Essence behind them. The strands clamped onto the smoke bars of the cage. Instantly, white flames burned along them, dissolving the chill with their warmth as they reached the smoke bars. The smoke bars melted under the white flames.

Her soul was free.

The timer on the interface stopped.

[00:00:04]

[Purification Successful.]

Rudranath’s eyes snapped open. A smile tugged at his lips as his chest heaved in ragged breaths. Sweat beads gathered on his forehead. Her physical body was still burning under his white flames on the asphalt. But her soul was freed. Suddenly, a white light engulfed the night street.

His smile faded. The familiar Strand Road vanished. The asphalt was gone, along with the car and her physical body. Rudranath stood alone inside a white world. He looked around. Almost everything was white inside it, apart from the clouds. He drew his brows. The clouds were made of black flame, just like the key in him. They drifted lazily through the white sky.

[Third Soul Skill Unlocked*:* Soul Palace Lv*.1—Effect:* Allows user to collect purified soul and wield their essence at will*.* Restriction*:* Due to the skill*'s current level, only two souls can be stored for now.]*

“Palace…?”

He snapped his head toward where the system screen should have been. But nothing was hovering before his eyes. He could only hear the system’s voice. He raised his head, and his eyes widened. A small building had suddenly appeared in the vacant white world ahead of him. It looked like a skyscraper still under construction. Only two floors were completed.

[Welcome to the core of your Inner Sanctum.]

“This is my core?”

A whisper slipped from his lips as he stared at the incomplete building. Then, the voice of the purified woman rang from his right out of nowhere.

“Why bring me here?”

His focus shifted from the building to his right. Her green silhouette flickered to life in the white world. Rudranath’s jaw dropped wide.

“How is she here…?”

But the question never left his mind. She came closer, drifting against the white floor. Her eyes were still lowered to the floor.

“My life ended…”

Streaks of green tears slid down her cheeks.

“…My son is dead.”

She met his eyes. Her hands extended, grabbing his palm.

“Why save my soul?”

Rudranath wanted to scream, “That’s the minimum I could do for my daughter’s mistake.” But the words died in his throat. He lowered his gaze. The system’s voice lingered in his head.

[Free souls are easy prey for the dead. The Soul Palace protects them and allows the user to draw upon their essence during future purifications.]

Rudranath raised his head. He placed his hand on her shoulder, meeting her gaze.

“You couldn’t save your son…”

She looked away.

“…Help me save my daughter along with others.”

She remained silent. Rudranath’s voice trembled.

“…Please…”

She smiled without looking at him. A silent nod came from her, and the white world dissolved, returning the Strand Road to his vision. The car remained frozen to his right. Grey asphalt stretched long beneath his feet. Tram lines snaked through the street. He exhaled a deep breath. His lips curled into a gentle smile as the cold breeze of the night brushed against his skin.

“Thank you…”

A sense of satisfaction filled his chest for a moment, just to be shattered by a touch on his shoulder. An unfamiliar voice drifted into his ears from his left.

“Rudranath Bhattacharyay?”

He snapped his gaze toward his left. Three people were standing—one male, two females. All of them were dressed in formal attire, like the unconscious escorts inside the car. The females rushed toward the car.

The man looked at the fading trail of white smoke where the Trishna had been. Then he glanced back at him.

“Are you alright?”