As one consciousness slept, another awakened, I could see my physical body below me, and from there, a small blue string connecting my physical body to what I could only say was my astral form. Movement felt natural; I could even move through walls seeing my guildmates sleeping was weird, to say the least, peeping tom alert. The further I was from my body, the weaker I felt until my body started to fade inconsistency. Not wanting to test my luck, I went back to my body. With this being my astral body, it had to be connected to my soul. I traveled the line to my chest area, I pressed my hand into my chest, and I entered my body. It was hollow or more like a void. I pushed in, and back I was inside my inner world.

My soul was like an ocean with no ends, depths with no bounds with an endless expanse of Azure Blue. From the pits, there was a constant stream of greywater flowing from the bottom up. That must be my dantain's Qi, and I knew I had to go down there. I plunged into the cold embrace of the mana pool below. Was this the right thing to do? I really don't know with all sincerity in my heart I knew that I needed strength and this blue abyss was the path I chose. I wasn't going to fucking stop just because I was scared. The sensation of drowning overtook me, but a soothing feeling I hadn't felt since my mom held when I was a kid came with it. Odd combinations of emotions, indeed, delving deeper into the endless abyss, the feeling transformed into a tight embrace that strangled the air from my lungs. I could feel a pair of hands tighten around my neck and squeeze for all its worth, but I didn't feel hatred but sadness. It's feelings. My feelings were all interchangeable at this point. Looking through my soul's memories without the bias of life, my own negativity to ruin the beauty of what could have been. This is the one day in my life that was the most vivid out of all my memories, for this started the cascade that led me here—the day when I first seriously point my gun toward my temple. I had planned it all out; I went to a secluded part of the woods near my house. I was the only one in my close circle to know where it was. By the time they found, if they found me. Animals would have picked me clean. I felt empty deep within; nothing gave me joy, sadness, anger, just a melancholy of life—Black, White, Purple Green, nothing just endless grey that became my world inside and out. I was miserable for the basis of human life, My Emotions were stripped from me one by one, and there was nothing I could do, no control I could exert onto the world to stop the drain of my life. Before pulling the trigger, I felt a rush of love hit me and radiated from my core. Even now, it's a hard feeling to describe, all the evils in my mind dissipated, and for once I was clear with no thought, but my own, Peace fell over me. I ended up going to my parent's house and having a nice comforting talk with them. I never told them but just being there helped me so much when the times were dark.

Knowing now the cause of what saved my..., our lives that day. Shame overtook me the only lifeline given to me, and it wasn't even a year before I threw it away. "WHY!" is all I could think. Why couldn't I have just told someone? Why did I bottle everything up? Why couldn't I have just tried harder? Why is it that only now, only when I'm genuinely alone that the first to come to mind are those I pushed away. Mom, Dad, Andre, Kiley. I'm sorry, please forgive me. The further I sunk, the further I became absorbed in the deep abyss. The less I felt the need to return, this is where I deserve to be my own personal hell.

A bottom that could never come, a light that would never be seen. That's what life was for the endless time I was trapped. Until the luster of a flame caught my eye, as beautiful as a blue moon on a clear night sky. I knew I had to reach it, touch it be near it. Pulling my body away, the toxic sludge enclasping me. I desperately needed the light, the source of the love I felt back then. I wasn't far just a tad more, and I could hold the dying flame. I could secure me who again I let down. Just like my dantain, I won't let this flame die, not again and not ever. I promised myself to survive, to pick up the parts I allow fall to the wayside. You won't be there dragging me, pulling me towards life because this time, we will always be equals.

The flame was like a newborn smiling, radiating happiness to its surroundings. I reached in and felt no pain, no heat, no form of sorrow, or hate. But instead, I received acceptance that we would finally be together.

The flame slowly encased my body. I knew no fear from this action. When it finally closed me in, the sensation of rebirth was upon.

Opening my eyes, I could see the sun's rays passing through my window. Every bit of it felt like a dream, but I knew it wasn't.

Status Screen New Skills Acquired Skills Level Description Effect {Corrupted Mana Manipulation} 1

Allow users to manipulate the centralized mana in one's body.

Mana efficiency 10%

(1% increase per level)

Soul damage 5% (astral body only)

Soul damage resistance base 10%

(.2 increase per level)

{Astral Project} 1 You have learned to separate your soul from the body a valuable skill for peeping toms

Soul damage 5%

Soul damage resistance base 10%

( 1% increase per level)

{Fire Mastery} 1 The ability to manipulate fire elemental mana

N/A

Skill Deviation:

{Soul Flame Mastery}

1

You have combined your Soul with your natural affinity towards Fire

All shall burn, All shall be consumed. None shall be spared

N/A

New Established Foundations Foundation Effect Dantian and Soul Connection

20% increase to all Regen sources

Low-Heart Stage Foundation Established

Increase Base Elemental Damage Resistance by 10%

Increase Mana Regen by 20%

Increase Mana Storage by 20%

Wisdom increased by 3 Intelligence increased 1

The system has a sense of humor, it seems. It wouldn't be a problem if I knew no one else could see my status, but I know that's not true. I still need to figure out how to stop that from happening or, more precisely, how to do it myself, back to the critical topics, Skill Deviation, {Soul Flame Mastery},{Corrupted Mana Manipulation}. The biggest question is the Low-Heart Stage. Why is that a different foundation than the Low-Root Realm? Is it because one is Qi and the other Mana, but I connected the two shouldn't they be like one group. Lastly, where the hell is my resistances on my status screen, the skills give me them, but I can't see it. This is all so confusing. I figure some things out, then more complicated stuff comes my way, and I'm back to square one.