Lunch is a rather simple affair. It looks like the people here eat breakfast followed by a light lunch. We are having some porridge. If one can call it that. It is unacceptable. Food is important, how can one have just porridge for lunch, and it looks like that that is normal around there. Let’s hope that dinner is more acceptable.

Taking out the small box again, I notice how smooth it is. Over the span of the whole day, I looked around in the kitchen and into my brother’s room, but I haven’t encountered anything so smooth, it reminds me of those little geometrical toys you used in second grade in advanced geometry. They were made as smooth as technologically possible. Taking it out and putting it on the floor I open it. Now that I have more time to inspect the box and its inventory, I see some rather interesting things.

To begin with I categorize its contents. Laying the book beside the box, I take out everything and place next to it.

There is a cube, one and a half times a Rubik’s Cube in size, pitch black. Next, I take out some notes, they look messy and the characters itself remind me of the Chinese language, but with the continuatoning of Arabic, meaning that the words connect together like flowing water. Not like a European language. A very strange language indeed. Next, I take out two vials, with two different dried powders inside. Placing that next to the parchments, I take the final item out. It is a plain bracelet, it has no outstanding features, but I have the feeling that it is going to be very useful.

There should be more. The bottom of the box is way higher than it should be. Prompted by this discovery I fumble around with the box.

Sometime later I still haven’t found a way to get to the bottom of it. It needs most likely some magic to work.

Putting the box back down, I pick up the book. More specifically, it looks like a tome, a magic tome.

Luckily, the words written on the cover are still readable and they look to be Artis, but a bit more antique. It looks like this box is already old enough for the language it was written in to be antiquated.

But is still understandable.

It says ‚Introductory box. Black order of Souls‘. An ominous name, but whether the organization still exists is questionable. Why? Because if it still exists, or is in power, this box shouldn’t have landed in the hands of some random guy in the first place. Holding the book I get the same familiar feeling I had with the second ‚organ‘ inside my body. Not hostile or ill-placed, more that I can somehow interact with it and that I might be able to slightly manipulate it.

The first page of the book is about the Order and warnings.

It warns about the dangers of the spells, contents and the book itself. Looks like this how I got this body.

Written down it says that ‘without an affinity to souls, the practices of this book and the using of this book can lead to major soul damage or death.‘ So that first ‚organ‘ is my soul? Seems logical. Then the heavily damaged second organ should be the original inhabitant of this body? Hmm, it still is heavily damaged, I have to take a look later to confirm whether it regenerates. Either way, I have to get rid of it. Sorry pal, I need this body. Not really need, but I still want it.

It continues with an introduction about the order. ‘Many think that the black order is evil, ‘ which, according to the book, is not true, ‘we simply need to hide because of the fear of others. We do not fear anyone, but the world fears us. That’s the reason The Order is undercover and doesn’t exist. That’s what the public believes. The mages and warriors vilified us because they are scared of our power. Everyone knows that there are 2 paths to power. The power of the body, also known as knighthood, or the path of the warrior. The second is the path of blood and magic. Those are known as magi, sorcerers or magicians. What is not taught is the 3rd path, the path of the soul. Our order is one of the few powers in possession of this particular path. What is special about it, is that this path not only leads to power, but also augments the 2 other paths, thus anyone who cultivates their soul, is usually stronger than their peers at the same grade‘

This is very interesting. And I just happened to get a legacy about souls, how sweet.

The book continues ‚though the image of evil users is not without reason. Soul manipulation is necessary for the most evil of rituals, whether one is a soul practitioner or not. What is also true that other rituals also benefit majorly from soul manipulation. This book helps through the 4 steps of an apprentice until he becomes a proper @$§“&[email protected]§‘

The last word is written in a strange language. The page also mentions the 2 vials. Their purpose is for a ritual, which is necessary for the hiding of the soul affinity and soul cultivation.

Let me think. I am sure that I want to be a magician. The warrior path is not to my liking, too barbaric. As someone from a civilized 25th century, I am surer about the benefits of technological powers than most. It seems like this whole situation is there to motivate me. Whatever the reason may be, I am okay with it.

The next page describes soul affinity. It also has some knowledge about affinities in general. Soul affinity seems to be rare. Some people are born with it, some survive a heavy soul trauma or damage. It also warns in case of the second methods, the mortality rate is too high. It also mentions that people with a high soul affinity, who also got to use the second method gets an exceptional boost to sensing and manipulating to souls. The description is fairly similar to what happened to me. So this is good? Minus the nearly dying

This also means that I have to get rid, or at least periodically damage the other soul, or it can try some nasty stuff on me. Tough that’s for another day.

*rumble**rumble**rumble*

Someone is walking up the stairs. Faster than I thought possible, I put everything back into the small box, put the small box into the hole and push the chest back into its place and then I go to the window and look like someone contemplating life and actually caring about this family.