What does this mean? Why have I been cursed?
Hill couldn't understand it at all. Back when the awakened were first discovered, many different stories spread like a wildfire through the internet. Some of these were confirmed to be true by the government later on, like the existence of the soulscape or the manifestation of the soul arts and blessings.
These stories were the reason Hill wasn't completely blindsided by the soul art and the blessing that he had just received. But the curse... this was unheard of.
He couldn't remember a single mention of anything called a curse from the plethora of articles he had read back then. He wasn't sure what this meant, or how it would affect him. The description was vague and didn't make any sense to him. But it did leave a sense of dread in his mind.
After a few moments of staring blankly at the words, they began to fade, leaving him alone in the soulscape. Hill took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He was back in the volcanic cavern, surrounded by the heat and the hazy atmosphere.
But now, he had a new power, a soul art, that he could use. He also had a blessing... and a curse. He didn't know what any of them would do, but he was eager to find out.
He felt the presence of the ghostly hand still lingering near him, as if waiting for him to summon it.
"I suppose... I should test this out?" Hill mumbled to himself, trying to focus on the sensation of the hand. He didn't have any prior knowledge on soul arts and how to use them, so he was basically going to have to play it by ear.
But before he could do so, he noticed another series of words appearing within his mind. This time, they were more familiar to him.
[Class: None]
[Traits: None]
[Blessing: Frost Sentinel]
[Rinshu Core: None]
[Soul Art: Phantom Hand]
[Rinshu Fragments: 1/1000]
[Titles: None]
[Curse: The Deathly Hollows]
He recognized it as a status screen. It was the exact same thing that the awakened used in their videos on social media. The only issue was the fact that he had no idea what the information meant.
Well... apart from the Soul Art and Blessing. He understood that perfectly fine. But what about the other stuff?
He was confused. He didn't understand what the Traits, Rinshu Core, or Rinshu Fragments meant. And what was this class thing? He didn't know what that referred to either. And as for titles, that was another mystery to him.
Once again, the sight of the curse category sent chills down his spine. He shivered, feeling a sense of dread that he couldn't shake off.
I really need to figure out what is going on. But not now, later.
He had to get out of this place, or he would die from heat stroke. If he didn't get some water soon, he would probably die from dehydration as well.
Focusing on reality, Hill decided to try and put his new powers to use. First, he focused on the phantom hand that he had just acquired. He didn't know how to activate it, so he just focused on the sensation of it, and willed it to appear.
To his surprise, it materialized in front of him, floating in mid-air.
It was the same ghostly, translucent hand that he had seen in the soulscape, but now it was much more substantial. And... it looked very feminine.
He reached out and tried to grab it, but was surprised to see that the hand mimicked the movements of his right hand to a tee. It was almost like he had two hands on one arm now, even though he couldn't feel the other hand at all.
He tried touching it with his left hand, but his fingers simply phased through the transparent hand. It was as if it wasn't even there. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He wasn't sure if he had any control over it, or if it was just a manifestation of his will.
But he had to test it out. He moved his right hand, and the phantom hand followed his movements. He clenched his fist, and the phantom hand did the same. It seemed like the hand was mimicking his movements exactly. He tried moving it around in different directions, and the hand followed his commands flawlessly.
He then turned to the lake of lava in front of him and pointed his finger at the edge of the lake. He imagined the hand reaching out to the edge and grabbing onto the rock, but nothing happened.
He tried again, this time with more force, but still nothing.
Tsk. Why did I get this dogshit hand as my soul art? I can't even do anything with it.
And that's when the hand slapped him in the face.
Hill stumbled back, surprised and confused. He touched his stinging cheek, feeling a slight warmth where the hand had made contact. He looked at his hands in disbelief.
Did I really just slap himself with the phantom hand?
No way.
He looked at his hands again, his right and left. Then, he tried to move the phantom hand, but it didn't move. It remained hovering in front of him, its index finger pointed at his face accusingly.
What is going on? Am I losing it or is this thing actually sentient? And how can it attack me? Is it like the ghost from the soulscape?
He tried to move it again, but nothing happened. Instead, the hand seemed to shake its finger at him as if scolding him.
It is sentient!
Hill couldn't believe it. The phantom hand seemed to have a mind of its own, and it was definitely not happy with him. He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
Here he was, stranded in a volcanic hellscape, trying to figure out how to use his new powers, and he was being scolded by a ghost hand that seemed to have a mind of its own. And it seemed to be able to read his mind as well. Why else would it be angry?
Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I won't call you dogshit again.
He apologized to the hand, not sure if it could understand him or not. But it seemed to work. The hand stopped shaking its finger at him and instead, gave him a thumbs up.
He laughed again, feeling a little better.
I wonder if you can speak...
The hand flipped him off.
Hah.
This might not be so bad after all, Hill thought to himself. Even though the phantom hand didn't seem to be able to do much, at least it was a companion in this hellish landscape. Maybe he could even learn something from it. Or not.
Should I give you a name? I don't want to keep calling you phantom hand...
The hand seemed surprised for a second, its finger wiggling around awkwardly. But then, it nodded its index finger excitedly, as if happy about the idea of a name. It was a rather cute reaction.
How about... Ghosty? No... that sounds stupid.
The hand flipped him off again.
Hehe. Alright, let's see. How about Spectral? No... that sounds too formal and clunky.
Wait, wait! I have a better idea. How about Phoebe?
The hand froze, its index finger pointing at his face. Then, it slowly curled into a fist and gave him another thumbs up. It was a simple name, but it seemed to work for the hand.
Nice to meet you, Phoebe.
The hand, now named Phoebe, wiggled its fingers at him in a friendly wave.
Hill couldn't help but smile. He had a feeling that he and Phoebe were going to get along just fine.