I Refused To Be Reincarnated

The lack of answers gnawed at his core, confusion growing with each passing moment. Even the tranquil scenery of his soul's sea failed to soothe the urgent need to solve those mysteries clawing at him. The wind blew the fresh scent of nature on his somber face in a vain attempt to cheer him up. But his eyes remained glued to his copy, awaiting explanations.

"Don't glare at me," his alter-ego spat, his brows twitching, feeling Adam's eyes pierce him like two sharp blades. "Tsk. I can't even admire nature with people like you around."

Exasperated, he recomposed himself before continuing.

"I can summon the boss, but my soul won't endure the strain. So, I thought about something else."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He lingered, his lips curling into a grin.

"Aren't those dark clouds striking the plaza annoying? Open a passage to the outside. I'll show you how to hit two birds with one stone."

Troubled by the demand, Adam's frown deepened. Why the cryptic messages? Why couldn't the copy be as straightforward as him? He didn't know. However, his demand shed light on a problem. There were no doors to the outside in his nature-filled soul...

"I need you to be more specific because after what happened with Selene's grimoire, I hate riddles. Explain how to open a passage clearly and how there can be two of us."

Even if part of him didn't want to hear the second question's answer, too scared to face the potentially devastating truth, he still had to know. Were his earlier suspicions correct? Had he been created just like he had crafted his puppet? Or was it something more?

"The boss will explain everything to you because... I don't know. I'm just like you, half a soul who went half-mad five years ago."

The copy exhaled, marking a brief pause. He didn't want to reveal more about himself. Anyway, everything would become irrelevant in an hour.

"You have an unbreakable link to the dream place. Just focus and visualise the plaza and an access point. Your connection will do the rest."

Adam clicked his tongue in response. Once again, he didn't get any answers. Yet, he followed the demand, too desperate to solve the mysteries surrounding his ghostly awakening. Even if he doubted the man's intention, remaining clueless was unbearable. He snapped his eyes shut the next second, imagining a spiralling energy vortex in the middle of the vibrant plain.

As if influenced by his imagery, reality cracked like a mirror. The sound of shards colliding with the soft soil filled the enchanting space with a touch of chaos before a vortex manifested. In its depth, the gloomy dream place appeared, its dark sky unchanged and the ominous clouds still defying him to step a foot outside.

Before he could wrap his mind around his nascent relief to see the plaza once more... or rather, the fusion pool, the copy grabbed him by the arm and leapt through the passage.

RUMBLE

Instantly, the dark clouds erupted in a golden glow, their cataclysmic roars echoing through the eleventh area of the dream place.

Electricity charged the air's particles, making the copy's hair bristle as the threatening sounds intensified, signalling the descent of an imminent strike.

'Is this fool trying to kill us both?!'

A terrified scream shook Adam's soul as his eyes constricted.

"Humph. That's the difference between us. You know you can be the best when I AM the best!"

His alter ego's proud declaration echoed thunderously, challenging the rumbling cloud for dominance. His cracked pupils, tinted with the entire spectrum of colors, radiated with energy. Meanwhile, his fingers tightened around the Manacore Heartgem, tapping into its inexhaustible mana reservoir.

Upon seeing the mystical energies pop around the man in a waltz of microscopic explosions, Adam's spectral form trembled. 'I must leave this madman and return to my soul sea!'

However, the man's hand still clutched his forearm like a vise, sealing his movements.

And before he could do anything else, he understood it was too late.

KRA-TOOM

The dark sky turned blinding gold as the supercharged cloud roared like a dragon, discharging a blood-curdling pillar of lightning on the insolent duo.

"Atomic Aegis of the Heretic!"

The copy's voice cut through the strident rumble, asserting its pride and self-confidence in the face of obliteration.

The ground shuddered as the man's mana surged like a flood, crackling with raw power. A shimmering dome of energy materialised around them, deflecting the lightning strike with a deafening screech. Like a whale, the energy barrier pulsed with vibrant hues, absorbing the raw power of the attack. The surrounding air crackled with residual energy, momentarily blinding them in a flash of white light.

Deprived of his sight, a surge of terror gripped his heart, causing his spectral form to shudder. Despite his racing mind, he failed to understand why they confronted those ominous clouds or where they came from in the next minutes. But one thing was evident: the man's spell was the only thing shielding him from certain death.

As he pondered, his alter ego's voice suddenly resounded in his ears.

"They marked you as a heretic, too. The clouds won't disappear until you die, so... let's give them what they want."

"What?!" He roared in shock. Alarm bells rang in his mind as his doubts resurfaced like a rising tide. In the end, the copy had nefarious intentions and would kill him.

A sigh of bitter regret escaped his lips. He should have fought until his last drop of soul essence vanished, not trusting this dishonest version of himself.

'Well, I would have lost anyway...'

These words echoed in his mind. He was tired of losing... Yet, without a body, he couldn't absorb mana and manifest Kwame's circles around his heart.

'Can I even progress anymore?'

He lost the last piece connecting him to his human nature during his affinity ritual. Only his spectral form remained... in both worlds.

And soon, even this form he never wanted would vanish, most likely devoured by his alter-ego. He had been too naïve despite the evidence shining like beacons before his eyes: the cracks running along his face, how he held his strikes back not to kill him. All to lead him here and use the lightning to better assimilate him.

'As if!'

The drums of defiance echoed amidst the raging storm of resignation engulfing his mind.

'If you believe you can absorb me to restore your soul or summon whatever boss, I hope you'll enjoy the result. I'll poison your soul, I'll corrode your essence, and I'll whisper curses in your ears until you regret your decision. We are not the same. I am ME!'