Even though I try to calm myself down there’s nothing that really changes except for closing my eyes. There’s no difference since I’m surrounded by dark dirt in the first place. Also, there’s the fact that when I tried to close my eyes before I could still see through them. Instinctively I take a breath to try and control my fear. The act may not get me any air but it does get me a large amount of dirt in my mouth. I try to cough it out but breathing back in brings it back down. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel wrong in any way and it’s almost like I’m swallowing a huge gulp of refreshing water. Once I close my mouth again the dirt that I ate no longer swirls about but spreads throughout my body. Immediately after I swallow it the dirt around me stops like frozen. Now, I’m sitting inside a sphere lit by my own body, there’s vibration coming from the outside and I think that the dirt out there is still moving around. It can’t be a coincidence that once I accidentally swallow some dirt the rest of it moves away; someone is controlling it, like that stranger controlling water. My fingers are shaking but I’m able to think clearer, if only just a little.

Since there’s a floor now there’s a possibility that I can break it. Although, if I break it then loose dirt will fill up the area. I could repeat the process until it’s gone but it could go on forever depending on how much there is. Just the idea of going on like this forever spreads the strange shaking to the rest of my limbs. I don’t like it, I don’t like it, I don’t like it, I don’t like it. Why am I shaking? Flashes of those three soldiers in the barn appear. A pool of blood crawls around my feet and my hands are quivering much worse than a second ago. The barn disappears and I find myself glowing in the brown sphere again but the blood still covers my hands. This has happened before; Mama taught me how to stop it. I clench my hands and look away, whispering, “it’s not my fault, I am fine,” over and over again while breathing.

There’s only a flash of darkness before I see light again. At this point I remember seeing a hand shoot into the sphere and hitting me. Judging from the sudden change in scenery, it must have knocked me out. Now I find myself in a huge cave big enough to envelop a mountain. The whole place is lit up by a sun-like orb held in the ceiling and a huge lake of magma. Masses of white crystals are embedded in the walls, glistening in the light the fire gives off when it flickers on top of the lake. The ground is soft, rich, soil covered in black vines that stop just short of the rising tide. Somehow I feel that I should be here, that I belong in this place. It would make sense on account of my current body of magma and clear, crystal skin.

“Welcome,” a smooth, light, male voice echoes from behind me. Only a few paces away, I see a human shaped, metal statue standing partly out of the wall. “I’m so glad I get to meet you.” Contrary to his giant, muscular, silver, and cold looking figure he has kind eyes and a warm smile. There’s something about the person that feels very comforting. Of course I’m wary, since I just had a fight with a man made of water, but there’s something in me that knows he’s not a threat.

“Who are you?” I’ve never seen anything like him and yet it feels like I’ve known him all my life.

“You have known me all your life. I gave you my soul before you were born. My name is Xavier Aalders.”

“You gave me your soul before I was born? How exactly does that happen?” He may be familiar to me but what he’s saying is wildly outlandish.

“When you were still within your mother, she treated me kindly. I was about to die anyway so I gave up my soul as a gift in thanks. This does sound strange, I know, but you recently turned into sentient nature; are you sure it’s such a strange concept in comparison?” He’s right about that, even though both things make no sense - one did happen, how can I question the other? “Since you’re still suspicious, consider your strength. Your strength is a portion of the power I once held. Actually, you surpassed me a little while ago. It’s why you began absorbing me and transformed. That time you wondered if you were a monster wasn’t completely false since other races consider us monsters; even if it’s untrue.”

“You know my thoughts?”

“I have been with you for eighteen years, living and learning along with you, a part of you. What you have experienced is what I also experienced, up until today. Today, I experienced the creation of this place. This is your core, the area where your soul resides. When you transformed it appeared and began absorbing me. If you take a look at my feet you can see.” Following his line of sight I see the dark soil climbing up his legs. It’s moving slowly, but visibly.

“Oh. So, how do we stop it?” I doubt this is a good thing for him, even if he’s so nonchalant about it. He chuckles and shakes his head.

“It’s certainly unexpected but I don’t consider it a bad thing. I resigned myself to pass on along with you anyway. Even though this is my definite end and much sooner than I expected, I’m glad.” His smile broadens and reaches his blank, silver eyes.

“How is being unable to pass on something that makes you glad?” All life gets to pass on to a better place; except what he’s talking about doesn’t include that at all. He’s there then gone the next, like he never existed but only in memory.

“It’s just death, Feline. I died once, dying a second time probably won’t be any different, maybe easier. Technically, I suppose that I won’t be me anymore but I’ll be you; you will be you and I will be you, or maybe something close.” Xavier jerked his arm out of the diamond lined wall and itched his jaw as he looked up to the sun in the ceiling like there’s some clue. “I don’t really know, I’ve never been on this end. To tell you the truth it’s illegal - no one’s even allowed to know how to transfer and merge souls anymore.”

“Why would you do it then?” This man may have a few answers but they’re vague and insane. Although, it’s really interesting. It reminds me of the interaction between ants and trees. Ants live within the tree and help it defend against certain harm.

“Ah! That’s an interesting way of putting it! You always manage to surprise me. Anyway, that’s how it used to be. Now, it’d be like saying the ants die and the tree uses the corpses to turn itself into ants.”

“Not quite right, then,” I muse, then realize he read my thoughts again.

“Well, normally, it would be ants in a tree but you made that transition into something else.”

“We got off topic,” I glance at his legs and the soil reached his knees, “why did you give me your soul if it’s illegal?” He paused at my question and it seemed like it was difficult for him to answer.

“The best way I can explain it is that I’m extremely old, well over a thousand years. When I was young, I was taught to be the one person in our village who could do this for the people of earth element. The reason it became a practice is so a large amount of power could be inherited if the strongest member was killed. The most wise, who I learned from, knew how to capture a soul and would be able to implant it to an infant or unborn child, a successor. This way, once the child had grown to an appropriate age, there would still be someone who could protect the people. They would be able to get stronger as well, starting out with that same strength and gaining more little by little.”

“So why is it illegal?”

“Over the next few hundred years a handful of successors had gotten it in their heads that they wanted to take rulership over our race. At the time, we were tribes governed by the wisest rather than the strongest. These rogue successors wanted the others to join them and lead as a group. At the time I was actually a successor of power as well as a successor of wisdom.” He pauses and I think he wants praise.

“How lucky,” it was actually luck rather than anything else since he had to be chosen as an infant to get the soul. It’s not like an infant is able to earn it.

“I suppose so,” he’s disappointed at my response and sighs like he knew it all along. “Being a successor in power is truly a lucky thing. Although, keep in mind that wisdom can only be attained through work and experience.” His authoritative tone surprises me.

“Sorry, you’re right,” I remember that learning to control strength and studying under a teacher at the same time is certainly very difficult.

“You have potential for both,” his voice becomes softer again. “You trained to control the strength rivaling a naturally born earth elemental while studying all those books. For you it may have been out of sheer interest and fun but it was still work. I’m quite proud of finding such an intelligent successor. Even if you did grow naive from isolation you were still able to remain yourself after certain traumatizing events.” His soft kindness changes as his eyes show sadness. “AND,” before I can linger on my memories he continues with a shout, “before long those successors had already taken control of all the tribes, united them, and killed anyone who knew the process of creating successors. I hid for a few several hundred years and after being caught I resisted death with all I had, enough to escape into the sea with a mortal wound to my core.”

He holds his finger up like I should keep notes, “If humans have certain organs as weaknesses then I have to say that elementals only have one, the core. It’s a physical part of our bodies and the only thing that can cause unnatural death. As long as you protect your core then even if all the earth from your body is taken away your core can still build you a new body from new material in time. Depending on the circumstances it may take years but it will still happen.” I nod and he continues, “I was able to control enough silver to follow the current and ended up in your country. While hoping I could still escape the other successors I dragged myself onto land and somehow kept going until I met your parents, who tried to heal me. The short reason why I broke the taboo is because I wanted to.”

“...” I’m at a loss. He said that much just to answer with something so simple.

“I elaborated into the background since I’m sure you wouldn’t be satisfied with such a vague answer. It’s also important to know the history of your lineage.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” and then I realize he mentioned lineage. “What do you mean by ‘lineage’, isn’t that by blood?”

“In our race successors have their birth parents and a third who they got the power from. You have your birth father, Fredrick, and you have your ‘power’ father, me.”

Thinking of Papa makes me remember how I left them and I’m disappointed in myself for acting so childish.

“You made the right decision,” Xavier breaks me out of my self-loathing. I’m at a loss and wait for him to explain. “Even though it was the right decision there was no chance for that plan to succeed. You’ve already been captured and you’re able to speak with me because you were knocked out. Believe me, that man is dangerous. He knows that you were a human successor, now a full elemental. It’s why he tried to kill you. Another elemental captured you and probably someone who travels with him. This earth elemental doesn’t have the same abilities as you but is still very strong. It’s best if you find a way to escape but I’m not sure how. Just know that the danger grows when someone learns that you were originally human.” He notices that the soil has reached his waist. “I need you to listen, no questions. You’re absorbing me faster than before and you need to know this.”

He’s the only one who may ever be truthful to me from now on so I listen intently. “You are not a normal successor, you began as a human. All elementals have a point at which they can’t grow stronger and live for maybe a century after that before their core is unable to control elements, leading to an immediate and natural death. Successors can grow to the point that they transform into beings that live until unnatural death but still stop growing in strength at some point. The problem is, as far as I can tell, humans are always changing; always growing until they begin to decay leading up to natural death. Because of your origin I don’t know if you’ll ever stop getting stronger. Certainly, since you’re an elemental in body, your body won’t decay until you die. But, since your soul began as a human soul I don’t know if it made an authentic elemental core that weakens or something that grows along with your human soul that, as far as I can tell, doesn’t grow weaker. I can tell that you are able to manipulate elements since you can control your new body and at least be able to control earth.”

“Judging by your core I can also tell that you have two elements, which is unnatural. Through you, it seems that humans have certain affiliation with the elements as well. Normal successors may obtain power by an elemental affiliated to another element: such as a wind elemental given the power of a water element. Only in very, very rare occasions will the successor keep both instead of the core choosing only one at a certain age. Your body not only kept both elements but was also somehow able to merge them: from fire and earth respectively into a mixture of fire and earth, magma. This can only be the result of a variance, a random ability that differs from traditional powers. I have a silver variance and metal variances aren’t really that uncommon in earth elementals. Your variance, however, is not one I’ve ever heard of or even considered possible. You have the ability to condense and decondense your elements; it’s probably how you were able to keep both. As you can see, your core reflects your abilities.” I take another look at my core as he speaks, “you have the rich type of soil that supports life in these vines, magma which is a mix of earth and fire, fire so hot that it even burns the magma, a thick and bright flame that resembles the sun, and dense diamonds that can’t be broken by normal means. Feline,” he calls my name to return my attention to him. “Absorb all the earth and fire you can, focus on your ability to change them, and don’t stop. If you do this, then eventually your diamonds will never break, your magma will flow as easily as water, and your light will never be put out. Somehow I know that you’ll still find a way to get stronger even after that. This is the only way to ensure your survival, I don’t care what you do as long as you survive.”

Xavier stops speaking and I see that the soil has already reached his jaw, “If you don’t do everything you can to keep living then the mother who died to give birth to you would have died in vain.” I pause in shock but he keeps going as his eyes are enveloped in soil. “You have two mothers and two fathers who love you more than life itself, don’t give up.” With that, the soil has covered him entirely.

“Wait! Tell me what you mean? How do I have two mothers too?” There are no answers to my shouts. I go up to him to get a response but with only a touch his form crumbles away from the niche I found him in. My head is swirling and questions keep swimming through my head. He said I had two fathers, him and Papa, but what does he mean by two mothers? I know Mama is my mother, but who’s the second? He said something about my mother dying to give birth to me. Isn’t Mama the one who gave birth to me? What if she’s not? Who did? Who gave birth to me and why didn’t anyone say anything?!

My head begins to ache and I hear sizzling nearby. The tide of magma is rising further than the line of vines and so they’re being burnt away. The magma itself is chaotic and the flames that used to be resting on top are rising high and flying about frantically. The sun embedded in the top of the cave is pulsing, cracks are forming in the floor, and the diamonds on the walls are extending like thorns. My core, like my mind, is succumbing to chaos.