The cold was freezing to the bone. Touya, utterly exhausted, leaned against a glacial rock, watching the mist of his breath. The sharp air he drew into his lungs with every breath revived him a little, but also multiplied his fatigue. He was unconsciously rubbing the dagger in his hand. After the recent fights, his instincts for using the blade had sharpened. His reflexes had become faster, more lethal. He was slowly learning the intricacies of survival in this damned hell. Since the wolf pack and the cannibal tribe, the only things they had encountered were white rabbits with slightly larger-than-usual red eyes and an ordinary five-tailed fox. A victory was a victory, yes, but these small hunts weren't enough to fill the void inside him.
Lanert was trying to light a feeble fire in front of him. His hands were freezing. He spoke with a trembling voice: "I think it's been almost two weeks since we met and set out. And there's still no concrete progress. By the way, how is the dimensional manifestation of your soul going? Have you made any progress?"
Touya cleared his throat. The cold had scorched his vocal cords. "I think I'm close. But... it just makes me colder. I'm about to freeze."
"Come on, let's try one more time," Lanert said, sitting down beside him. The persuasive tone in his voice was evident. "Let yourself go. Feel. Relax. Remember, as your only friend on two planets, I will protect you."
Touya responded with a bitter grin: "I have friends, for one. They're all such 'good' people. For example, one of them smuggles organs just for money. The other... I think he tried to kill a guy because his girlfriend loved someone else and ended up in intensive care. I hope he's doing well." The cruel mockery in his words was unmistakable.
A look of disappointment appeared on Lanert's face. It was clear he needed to teach Touya something about choosing friends.
"Alright, let's begin," Touya murmured.
He closed his eyes. He placed his palms on his chest, over his heart. At first, he felt nothing. Just the cold and an equally malevolent emptiness. But then... something changed.
This time was different. Very different.
He was shaken by the touch of pure, primal fear. It was as if he had trespassed into the presence of a being that didn't belong, something more ancient, more divine. It was a violation. A challenge.
And then, it happened.
He found himself somewhere else. In the realm where his soul manifested.
The Other Side of Paradise.
The absolute whiteness surrounding him was blinding. It wasn't snow; it more closely resembled an ice-covered desert stretching into eternity. The sky was covered in a deep, ancient, starless azure. Only a few snowflakes fell slowly, with the silence of a funeral procession. Above, three stars shone. One was brighter than the others, more ruthless, as if watching him.
The snow beneath his feet was so deep it almost reached his knees. Every step screamed with the sensation of freezing. He was surrounded by trees with leaves still intact, dark green, almost black. These trees emanated an untouched antiquity and a threatening beauty. Ahead was covered with more trees, inviting yet mysterious and eerie, as if they would never release anyone who entered.
He was standing on a small hill. Directly behind him rose a massive, ancient tree, its leaves encased in ice. Its branches reached for the sky like a gallows. The air he breathed was sharp, like a knife; it burned his lungs. Every second, he felt the unbearable weight of his presence here, crushed by the pressure of a perceived, invisible observer watching him.
At that very moment, with a dazzling brilliance, the tangible form of his soul appeared: a sphere where pure black and blue intertwined, burning like an unquenchable disaster in the midst of the glacial hell. It grew, expanded, and emitted a light that reflected the essence of Touya's being.
Then, a clear, melodic female voice was heard. The voice held warmth and authority even in the all-encompassing cold:
"Congratulations, the Fear of Darkness. Your soul has finally achieved manifestation, and you have shaped it with your own image. This realm is the mirror reflection of your soul. It is now yours."
"Welcome to The Other Side of Paradise."
"The sprouts of your soul are blooming, and your will is being woven into the fabric of Miara."
Touya wrestled with the many questions that came to mind. But this voice was like a library; it only answered the right questions.
"I request information about my unique awareness," he said in a confident voice.
Silence.
Remembering the eerie danger of the environment, he gritted his teeth and tried again: "Unique Awareness."
The female voice echoed immediately: "Your Unique Awareness: 'Free'."
"Once, numerous attempts were made to restrict the freedom of a god. All were unintentional, but all failed. Their failures sprouted as a seed within souls. You are here to germinate those seeds."
"Your power allows you to feel the souls of others through physical contact and borrow the power of those souls – whether physical or awareness-based."
Touya thought for a moment. This was what Lanert had mentioned. He wanted to ask one more question. "Explain my hereditary traits."
The voice responded in a sweet and captivating tone: "Your Hereditary Traits: Dreamer, Ancient Jester, Fear."
"Explain," Touya commanded.
"Dreamer: While the war of the ancients raged on, one day, a lineage dreamed. A dream of beauty and pure awareness as a way out of this deadlock, a dream of freedom."
"Ancient Jester: The Spruces were a noble and powerful race before their relations with gods and demons soured and they went to war. Their chivalry and mastery of the art of war brought them a reign that would last for generations. They became so powerful that people called them the 'Ancient Race'. Their numbers were few, but their influence was immense. They were remembered in Miara as symbols of power and peace. And they were feared. Every race that faced them either knelt or was made to kneel by them. Until Darkness and Nothingness brought about their end. You are a lineage of the Ancients. A jester created to obey and entertain, not free. But ultimately, their blood flows in your veins. Even if you are the weakest of them."
"The Ancients see you as a jester from among themselves. And they share only a very small portion of their traits with you."
"Fear: A timeless, primal impulse with an unknown purpose. The abstract, pure manifestation of power. You cannot choose whether you will be a creation of fear or its master. Some died on this path and turned into puppets. Others managed to escape the source of fear and vanished. But you... you are the one who emanates fear."
"Your aura can frighten."
Without listening further, Touya withdrew. His mind was foggy, but his body felt invigorated. He felt stronger, more vigorous. As his dimensional understanding increased, his physical appearance had also been slightly polished as a side effect of approaching perfection. He wasn't necessarily more handsome, but he looked sharper, more dangerous than before.
When he opened his eyes, he met Lanert's curious gaze. Astonishment and a bit of fear were evident on his face.
"Hey, Lanert," Touya began, his voice still trembling slightly. "You won't believe what I have to tell you."
Lanert jumped up, pure excitement on his face. "What? What happened? Tell me, quick!"
Touya, shivering slightly, began to explain: "It was terrifying. I mean... icy. To describe it, it wasn't snowing, but everywhere was as if under meters of snow. The sky... was a starless, bottomless, deep azure void. No, wait... There were actually a few snowflakes. And three stars. One was brighter than the others, shining with an almost cruel light. Then there were trees around. Their leaves hadn't fallen, dark green, even almost black... and they were incredibly sorrowful and threatening. When I turned around, there was a huge, ancient tree. Where I stood was a hillock, and the snow was so deep it almost reached my waist. Being there... even breathing was torture. I felt like I would freeze and die at any moment. I felt the pressure of a massive presence watching me, judging me. It didn't make me feel like I belonged there. It was like... like I had entered its home uninvited."
Lanert seemed speechless for a moment. His normally confident demeanor was disrupted. Finally, he spoke slowly: "That's... incredible. That's a sign of perfect potential. I mean... Someone who gained a Simple Name before fully comprehending their awareness. I guess fate really brought us together. If we make the right moves and proceed with a plan, our luck will multiply."
Lanert hopped slightly with instinctive joy. "Well? What's your power? Do you have hereditary traits?"
Touya thought for a moment. He hesitated to tell the whole truth. "I don't have any hereditary traits worth mentioning. My power... helps me 'borrow' others' physical traits or awareness. One or the other. But it's time-limited. I can only use it for a short while. And it has a curse... Temporary madness. The stronger I get, the more insane I act."
A sly smile appeared on Lanert's face. His eyes lit up. "So... When you fight individuals with low awareness but high physical strength, you can level the playing field. Maybe even surpass them."
His smile grew wider, turning into almost savage joy. "So, by training, spending hours, days, months, even years... you could become the eternal terror of those without high-level awareness!"
"THIS IS FANTASTIC!" he shouted, unable to contain his excitement. "JUST THINK! WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY RIVALS ANYMORE! I MEAN, THEY EXIST, BUT THEY BASICALLY DON'T COUNT!"
Touya responded with a forced smile. Lanert's enthusiasm was contagious, but he couldn't help but think of the dark possibilities awakened by this new power within him.
~ One Hour Later ~
The duo was resting in a relatively sheltered spot at the mouth of a glacial cave. Touya's journey to his soul realm had exhausted him. Lanert was trying to sketch a crude map on the frozen ground with a stick.
"This place," he murmured in a thoughtful voice, "must be the western part of a massive glacial valley. If I calculated the sunrise and sunset correctly... We should head northeast. There should be a trade route there called the 'Glacial Teeth'. We might encounter a caravan or at least a hunting party there."
Touya stared blankly at the drawn lines. "And what happens when we get there? Won't they attack us?"
"There's always a risk," Lanert conceded. "But our chances of surviving alone out here in the wild are less than our chances of living on the fringes of civilization. We must learn the rules. You must learn to control your power. Not just to steal, but to command."
Touya pulled out his dagger, examining the cold metal of the blade. "Fear..." he whispered. "It's not enough just to frighten. One must possess it. Wield it like a weapon."
Lanert looked at him and smiled faintly. "That's it. You're learning. But remember, every weapon has a recoil. The cost of yours... is your mind."
Both fell into a deep silence. Outside, the glacial wind howled, preparing them for their uncertain and dangerous journey ahead. Touya clenched his fist. He now had a reason not just to survive, but to dominate. The darkness was calling him. And he was finally ready to answer.