[Jack's POV]
The silence in the room stretched for several seconds.
The twins stood wide-eyed, frozen mid-breath as they looked at me like I'd grown a second head. I could tell they were trying to comprehend what I just said—about Aaron, about spirits, about possession.
Ark was the first to speak.
"...How did Aaron even get possessed in the first place?"
I sighed and leaned against the table.
"I don't know. It happened years ago… way before we met. I've had no way to track the timeline. But what I do know is that something is inside him now—something that's eating away at his life force."
The room quieted again. Everyone exchanged glances, letting the weight of that settle in their minds.
Elaina was the first to speak up.
"Are you sure it's really a spirit?"
I nodded. "Yes. When Aaron fought in the arena for the entrance exam, I recognized the energy signature from his shadow magic. It wasn't normal mana. It was spirit magic, or spiritual energy."
Jethro frowned. "How do you even know what spirit energy feels like?"
I blinked.
Then I pointed to Willow, still fluttering around Ark nervously, and the air fairy still hovering near the ceiling.
"I'm a Spirit Summoner. This is standard for me," I said bluntly.
The twins stared.
First, at me.
Then at the spirits.
Then back at me.
Their eyes widened again as they processed what I'd just said.
"Oh," Elaina mumbled. "Oh. That explains a lot."
Terra cleared her throat, bringing us back on track. "What's it doing to Aaron? Why would a spirit even bother staying hidden like that?"
I looked down.
"It's draining him. Slowly. Constantly. It's preparing him—turning Aaron into a vessel."
Araki tilted his head. "A vessel? For what?"
"For itself," I said, voice low. "That thing doesn't have a body of its own. It's forcing Aaron's body to adapt so it can move in permanently. Right now, Aaron still has control—but the moment the body is ready…"
I paused, then looked up at them, grim.
"...Aaron dies."
Everyone paled.
Willow, hovering near Ark's head now, looked confused.
"But… I'm a spirit too. I should have noticed something inside him! How has it been hiding from me?" she asked.
I shot her a subtle glare, not harsh, but sharp enough to get the point across that she should have brought that up.
I sighed and quickly thought of a lie.
"There are ways for a spirit to hide from other spirits," I said slowly. "Masking soul signatures, cloaking yourself in mana residue, even anchoring yourself to cursed artifacts. I don't know what it's using… but whatever it is, it wasn't designed to hide from me."
"Why not?" Zek asked quietly.
"Because it's not accounting for a spirit summoner. We work on a different wavelength compared to spirits and mages, so we are immune to some spells," I replied. "So far it's working off assumptions. From its point of view, I'm just a skilled student who knows a lot of things."
Zek raised an eyebrow. "And it's never figured it out?"
I shook my head. "I've been careful. I've never spoken about my background or mentioned spirits when Aaron was in the room. It's tried testing me—a message only I could see, magic pulses, planted questions, even emotional triggers—but I played along. Every time."
He nodded slowly, absorbing that.
"Then what's the plan?" he asked. "How do we… fix this?"
I leaned back, hands in my lap.
"I've got a few ideas. But I need more data first. I need to know more about the shadow."
Orin looked up from the floor, voice quiet. "How long has this been going on, and how did Aaron never notice?"
I sighed. "Hard to say. It's likely been happening for a few years, at least. Maybe longer. But based on what I've seen, the spirit's been patient and taking over bit by bit over the years. Aaron never realized because he likely thinks it is helping him, and the damage has been so slow.
If I had to guess time-wise, before we met... he probably had another few months, maybe a year. But once we met, the shadow started accelerating its plans and causing the symptoms to get worse."
"But wouldn't that mean Aaron would notice something was wrong now?" Orin asked.
I shook my head. "No. If it's taken control of his perception, then it may be able to make Aaron feel and see things that aren't there, making it harder for Aaron to notice something is wrong."
Orin looked down in worry.
I looked around the room.
"Now that it has advanced so much, I would say Aaron has... weeks at most. If we don't act soon… we'll lose him."
Zek's jaw tightened. "How do we stop it?"
I smiled slightly. "Simple. I just need one moment. A single interaction. If I can talk to Aaron—just for a few seconds—I'll be able to confirm what exactly the shadow is. Once I do, I can build a ritual specifically for it and perform a full exorcism, preventing it from ever coming back."
I stood, gesturing as I listed the pieces.
"But I'll need help. We'll need to secure a safe location—not here, as this is still too public—gather some special resources that I won't know until I know what the shadow is exactly, and of course, find and secure Aaron."
Silence settled over us again as everyone took that in.
Jethro was the first to speak.
"What do you need from us right now?"
I took a breath. "Nothing yet. If you can, try and find Aaron—that works best. But I will also make a list of anything I should need right now. As for me... I need to come up with a plan."
He nodded and stepped back.
Terra looked at me, something soft in her expression. "Are you… sure about all of this?"
I nodded without hesitation.
She gave a faint smile. "What if something goes wrong?"
I looked her in the eyes.
Blank. Calm. Focused.
"I'll do everything I can to prevent that. But even if I can't… I know people who can help." I said.
She watched me a second longer, then nodded.
She stood and gently grabbed both twins by the arms.
"Come on. Let's give them some privacy."
"But—" Elaina started.
Terra dragged them out anyway. "Now."
She dragged them towards the door quickly.
As she was about to close the door I quickly used a soundproof barrier mixed with sound modification and asked,d "can I trust the twins to help?"
She glanced at me and responded, "They are people I would trust with my life."
I nodded back at her.
She smiled, and the door clicked shut behind them.
We stood there for a long moment. The quiet more comfortable now. A little heavier, too.
Then Araki asked what they were all thinking.
"…Was that the whole truth?"
I met his eyes and answered honestly.
"It wasn't. But for those not climbing the Mountain of Stars… it's enough."
He furrowed his brow. "Mountain of what—?"
Zek stepped forward. "I'll explain."
And he did.
I watched their expressions as the weight of the legend settled in.
Ark was quiet.
Araki… even more so.
Finally, Ark looked up.
"What… does that mean for us?" he asked.
I sighed and began slowly.
"The more you learn about the true world—the hidden world—the more you climb. The Mountain of Stars represents knowledge, danger, and fate. Every step reveals more corruption, more darkness, more monsters that could end everything. And the higher you go, the fewer people you find beside you."
I looked at each of them in turn.
"You haven't stepped onto the mountain yet. But you're close. If you stay on this path… you will climb. You'll face more loss, more danger, harder choices than you've ever imagined."
No one spoke.
Until Zek stepped forward.
"I've seen enough of the world to know that darkness is everywhere. My master was high up the mountain before he vanished. If climbing it means I can find him… then I'm ready."
Orin nodded next. "I want to help people. Not just as an adventurer, but for real. I know I might sound naive… but I don't care. If climbing the mountain means helping my friends… I'm not backing down."
Araki gave a small laugh. "I've always been kept in the dark. About myself, my powers, the truth of the world. If I want answers, I can't stay behind. I need to climb too."
I turned to Ark.
He met my gaze, his hand still in mine.
"I've lived my life hiding," he said softly. "In fear. Avoiding everything. But ever since I met you, I've had something better. Real friends. A reason to laugh. A reason to hope. And… you."
He squeezed my hand.
"I don't want to be left behind."
I smiled.
And a tear slipped down my cheek.
"…I wish you all had more time," I whispered. "To prepare. To think. But life doesn't wait. And neither does this shadow."
I looked up at them, face serious.
"When the day comes—the day we save Aaron—I'll give you one final chance to turn back. A test, if you will. If you pass that… you'll be taking your first step up the mountain."
Everyone nodded, eyes burning with determination.
I let the moment settle… then spoke again.
"There's one more thing."
Orin tilted his head. "What?"
I glanced toward the floor.
"I lied. About what's possessing Aaron."
They stared at me.
I looked up.
"I felt an energy signature like it only once before, years ago shortly after the attack on Thronbrnach. The spiritual energy I sensed during the exam was a half-lie. It was mixed with something else."
I paused.
"What was it?" Zek asked a little hesitantly.
"…Divinity," I said.
Zek paled.
"You… you're joking, right?" he said, voice shaking.
I shook my head.
Araki frowned, something dawning in his expression, but not fully formed.
I sighed, voice quiet.
"It's not a shadow spirit. It's a god."
I met their eyes.
"A God of Shadows."