The tender moonlight of the azure moon reflected off the calmly flowing river to bathe its bank in a soft ethereal glow. However, the sharp radiance from the orange flames of the smouldering pyres bitterly fought against the gentle moonlight as the rhythmic flow of water and the cracking of the burning wood played the notes of war.

Meanwhile, the soft sound of Guru Aditya’s laboured breathing witnessed the war from beneath the shade of the sacred fig. The passages of time had not been kind to the ancient man and his gaunt frame had grown frail and weak. His filthy dreadlocks had long fallen, leaving behind a spotty bald head while his skinny chest tiredly rose and slowly fell with each breath which was accompanied by a slow but pained sound. The only thing unchanged about him was the human ash smeared on his sagging skin.

The Acharya sat with his bony back supporting his almost flesh-less frame. Near his weak form, Pranay sat with his shoulders hunched and back curved. Time hadn’t made an exception for him either and the ravages of time were clearly etched on his skin, however nowhere near as severe as the ash-covered man. “Please reconsider your decision acharya.” He softly implored, expecting his concern to go unheeded.

The old mind didn’t respond as he slowly lifted his arm to his milky eyes and his tired gaze bored into the strand of black hair held within his weak bony fingers. “This Remnant is about to bloom.” The Acharya’s raspy voice slowly escaped his scratchy throat as he didn’t comment on the request. He didn’t have breaths to waste on the pointless debate. “Let me help you, child."

"[Spirit Vision]."

"[Mana Manipulation]."

"[Mana Manifestation].”

[Spirit Vision] Tier 1 Effect: Allows the user to see all the Spirits. Tier 2 Effect: Allows the user access to the Law Scars.

Using the Tier two effect of the Skill as a pathway, the ancient man channelled into the hair a constant trickle of his grey coloured Sky mana, the Ghost he chose all those years ago. The Sky mana flowed over the Law Scars which absorbed it with a feverish hunger, hastening up the process that would have otherwise taken days or perhaps even weeks.

Not long after, the dark hair glowed grey to gently rise in the air. It swayed softly for a moment before silently dissolving into motes of grey light in front of Pranay’s narrowed eyes. The younger man blinked but no matter what Skill he used, he found no noticeable difference.

This was not the case for the pathetically frail Acharya Aditya whose milky eyes tracked an ethereal Spirit with solemn gentleness. The Spirit resembled a common rodent which possessed nothing but wrinkled skin. The saggy skin lacked even a single strand of hair which caused it to be known as the Naked Mole Rat.

Despite its seemingly mortal form, the Being exuded a sense of un-realness that was unique to Spirits. It possessed a blur around its edges while the finer details were mysteriously absent. The new-born Spirit shook its head before its tiny eyes found the frail man and its chittered its long front-teeth in a warning.

“Such resentment.” The ash-covered man tiredly observed while the beady eyes of the Spirit found Pranay and it violently hissed before attacking the oblivious man with reckless abandon. However, the attack amounted to nothing as the intangible spirit simply fazed through the tangible mortal, much to its frustration. “Even directed at you.”

“It is expected.” Pranay’s slumped shoulders hunched further and he gently massaged his tired eyes. “I was her teacher.”

“I-it’s more than just misplaced blame-” the pathetically frail man managed in between coughs as Pranay hurried to support his shacking frame, allowing the Acharya to continue, “-there is a lost friendship involved.”

Pranay frowned for a moment before his defeated eyes widened. “Kiran! It’s must be about Kiran. I helped that child attain his Class when both of them failed.”

“You shouldn’t have.” The ash-covered man impassively admonished. Once upon a time, he would have scathingly scolded for such an action, however, he lacked the necessary breaths to do so. Pranay shrank further at the apathetic words and his lost gaze lowered.

“He came to me lost and crying. Broken.” The grown man mumbled akin to a guilty child confessing his mistake. “He had been the only one to come to me. He was desperate and needed guidance-”

“...and you saw your failure in him.” The Acharya’s tired voice silenced Pranay and he spoke no more as his gaze bore into the muddy earth below. “His path was not yours to etch.”

Pranay’s eyes narrowed as his head shot up and his mouth opened to retort out of habit before his gaze lowered once again and his mouth silently closed. However, his jaws remained tense. In the end, he couldn’t hold himself from commenting, “I was his guru. To help him was my duty and my dharma.”

The frail man remained silent for a long while before he replied. “You helped a child pave a path not meant for him." The Acharya paused to breathe and his frail frame shook from the effort. "I know not what awaits that child. But, but your choice pushed her to an early death.”

Pranay’s horrified eyes widened at the accusation before he hastily refuted, “That can’t be true! How- how could helping Kiran push her to suicide?!”

“Ask that to the Spirit vehemently attacking you.” Acharya's slowly raised his weak hand to point at the invisible Naked Mole Rat trying to chew out Pranay’s eyes. “If it weren’t so weak, I-I suspect it would have even ended itself to curse you.”

“I-bu-I-But I just helped a desperate child!”

“...perhaps.”

-X-

The frail body of the ash-covered Acharya Aditya silently slumped and fell from its position to hit the wet earth with a muted splat. Meanwhile, his Remnant manifested within one of his few remaining teeth.

The Acharya’s body remained motionless over the course of the next few days as rot set in and the corpse started to stink. It drew the attention of the scavenger dogs prowling the riverbank and they hungrily tore into the nearly fleshless frame.

However, due to the heavy presence of Sky mana within the Acharya, by the time dogs found the body, the Remnant containing teeth had already bloomed to birth an ethereal sparrow which had flown off into the sky.

-X-

Within a desolate desert, inside a dilapidated shop, on a simple chair, a youth seemingly slept.