Chakra Wizard
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This chapter practically wrote itself once I got deep enough into it. I literally almost threw my fist in the air once I figured out how it was gonna endxd Hope you guys enjoy
The building was certainly larger than he originally believed it would be. It shared many likenesses to both a warehouse and a hotel, as if it were a combination of the two. And despite having previously expected that he wasn’t alone with this person, he never anticipated to find so many other refugees also living amongst them. …He had to have passed by at least twenty alone by now. David had to admit that, for a Shadowwalker, the man who saved him was certainly well-financed and well-supplied. …But, just how could he have managed to pull off an operation of this magnitude? …Halfway through the tour of what was likely to be his new home, he returned his attention to the medley of questions brought to his awareness earlier.
“In that large room to the right of us is the primary dining hall. Of course, I’ve never stressed to anyone that all meals be ate in there, so you’re free to-”
“Uh, excuse me, sir.”
The man quickly brought himself to a halt. Sure of his young, new guest’s intentions, he stepped inside of the room he had just pointed out and took a seat at the table closest to the entrance. Following his example, David took a moment to look around the surprisingly large room. …It must have been mid-afternoon and not quite time for dinner, because the entire place was empty, …not that he was complaining.
“Go ahead, my boy.”
“…Um, sir. What is-?”
“Oh, and by all means, I’m an old man. There’s no need to call me ‘sir’. …The rest of our friends out there refer to me as Aristarchus. …And I believe I heard you say that your name was David, right?”
“…Aristarchus, huh? …Well, that’s one question already answered.”
“…Yeah…yeah, I’m David. Uh, …what…what happened to me…out there today?”
“Hmhmhmhmhm, you mean to ask why your mutation just began to surface.”
“Exactly. …I’ve been normal my entire life, …so why am I now a Walker all of a sudden?”
The look on Aristarchus’s face suggested that the question he posed was slightly offensive to him, but that he had heard it more than enough times to cope with those feelings.
“…In contrast to popular belief on the topic, David, …Shadowwalkers are not above science. The scientific community has long since abandoned their study of our nature and the intent to revive those studies is considered a form of heresy. …Assistance given to a population of people widely thought to be demons can be rather…unpopular, to say the least. …That’s one of several other purposes this institution holds.”
“What? …So, you have labs here.”
He nodded in response.
“This building is much larger than you think. The second floor is the residential area, while the floor we’re on now houses all activities I’ve been able provide my guests with, …recreation, substantial nutrition, even a gym with a pool. …This is our Zion, …a safe place of all Shadowwalkers, …and I’ve done my best to make the lives of those we bring back here as comfortable and fulfilling as we can. …For some, it can be rather painful…losing everything they have within a single instance.”
“…I know the feeling.”
“…And then, we also have two lower levels.”
“Hm? …You mean underground?”
“Precisely. The first is where we keep all the supplies we can obtain, ranging from all sorts of various foods and electronic equipment to medical provisions…or, at least, enough to get by. …I admit, there are some things we’re simply not fit to handle. …The floor beneath it is where the labs are.”
“…And what do you do there?”
“…Everything that all other labs won’t, for one.”
“You experiment on our DNA.”
“Hmhm, you catch on rather quick.”
“…Where do you get it from?”
“Oh, just anywhere we can.”
He preceded to lift his shirt, showing David a large bandage wrapped mainly across the left half of his chest, beneath which seemed to be a large piece of gauze.
“I originally gave my team of scientists a large piece of flesh from my chest to conduct their experiments on. Whenever more tissue was required, we’d wait for a death to occur within the house. …They’d extract extra material from them.”
“Mmmm, sounds almost inhumane.”
“It can be the only option we have, at times. Occasionally, though, we do also find guests that are willing to subject themselves for our cause.”
“…Wait, you mean-?”
“Oh no, not at all, my child. Blood samples, x-rays, things of that nature. …We would never stoop to the level of…our Normal counterparts.”
Aristarchus lowered his head slightly and his hand began to close up in an involuntary gesture. …David could only imagine the horrors he had seen over the course of his life, …all the hatred he himself had encountered within six hours…magnified over the course of six decades.
“If you so wish, we could take a look down in one of the labs. Seeing our work for yourself might allow the information to transfer easier.”
“…No, that’s quite alright. I’m sure I could take it all in from right here.”
“Hmhmhmhm, if you insist. Well then, returning to your initial question, …from what we’ve gathered so far, the mutation functions in the manner of a chemical reaction. Adding enough of a foreign solvent to a solute will result in the creation of a solution.”
“Like chlorine and sodium to make salt.”
“Precisely.”
“…And I take it the solvent is…shadow?”
“…You certainly are a wise one, aren’t you?”
“Well, I did do rather well in school, science being one of my better areas. …That and my father works in labs, as well.”
“…I see. …Does he know what has happened to you?”
“Yes. …It’s alright, I can tell him. …I guess you could say that he’s one of the good ones.”
“Hmmm, …you’re fortunate, David. Most of those I’ve found were completely abandoned by their families, as well as their communities. …It can be a rather pitiful sight, seeing them that weak…and broken.”
“…I can only imagine.”
“And I thank God for it.”
“…Well anyways, as you said, the solvent is shadow. And once the human body encounters enough of it, it diverts from Homo sapien…to Homo evanesco.”
“…From Normal to Shadowwalker.”
“Exactly.”
“…That’s certainly a lot of shadow.”
“Hmhm, that’s one of the few flaws in the theory, I suppose. For that reason, we’ve suggested that the process begins either at puberty or adolescence.”
“Sounds about right, I guess. …When did you…find out?”
“…I was fourteen when my own diversion occurred. The first…ten years were rather difficult, but there were a surprising many willing to help me in my situation. In a sense, I’m as fortunate as you are. …Most of us don’t live long after we’re…found out. …You’re aware of the H.E.A.T., correct?”
“…Homo Evanesco Annihilation Team. …Yeah, I’ve heard of them.”
“Well, consider yourself more fortunate you already are. …Had they gotten there before we did…and the things they’re speculated to do after they’ve captured one of us…”
Sensing Aristarchus’s dismay, David gradually moved his own hand closer to his, until he finally looked back up at him.
“The work you’re doing in your labs, …eventually, you’ll find a way to save us all. …They’re only hunting us down cause we can’t be scientifically explained, right?”
A small smile formed across his face, causing one to form on David’s, as well.
“…Right. …Was there anything else you hoped to learn?”
“Ummm, …two more things, I guess.”
“Name them.”
“Uhhh, …how-how did you manage to…pull all this off?”
“Hmhmhmhmhm, I suppose that’s the most mind-boggling question of all, isn’t it? …Charity over the years would probably yield a suitable answer. As much of the remaining population condemns us, there are still those individuals who see the inhumanity in their actions, …many of whom I came to familiarize myself with over the years. …As this following of mine increased and I sought to help the rest of my species survive, this safehouse was born. …“Angels”, as I’ve come to call them, lurk behind every street corner, David. As the human population, as a whole, becomes more rational in thought, the greater our support becomes. …It often makes me wonder if our team will find the answer to our mutations…before the rest of the world stops sniffing us out completely.”
“…Well, whichever one it is, hopefully, it occurs soon.”
“…I say that to myself every day. …So then, what was your last question?”
“Well, …I suppose I’m curious as to where you found your scientists.”
“A reasonable concern, I would say. …In truth, most of our team consists of Angels with scientific backgrounds. The cruel reality is that most of us don’t manage to obtain stature in the scientific field before we’re forced to flee our homes. Out of the entire eight-man team, …only one of them is a Shadowwalker.”
“Really? And who is it?”
At this point, …and much to David’s confusion, the smile on Aristarchus’s face grew even wider.
“What?”
“Your surname is Pariah, correct?”
“Uh…yeah, why-?”
Every movement that David’s body was making at that time immediately ceased, …while the corner of his mouth began to twitch uncontrollably, …as if he wasn’t sure whether to look completely surprised…or absolutely overjoyed. The old man’s smile grew all the more wider, as well, ...as if to confirm his suspicions.
“Noooo, …is it really…?”
However, before David could question him or Aristarchus could give the answer, a woman with shoulder-length, brown hair, who appeared to be in her early thirties, and wearing a lab coat ran past the mess hall door, stopping upon noticing that they were sitting inside.
“Aristarchus! I heard you had just returned with-! …David?”
“…Mom?”
Zion
The building was certainly larger than he originally believed it would be. It shared many likenesses to both a warehouse and a hotel, as if it were a combination of the two. And despite having previously expected that he wasn’t alone with this person, he never anticipated to find so many other refugees also living amongst them. …He had to have passed by at least twenty alone by now. David had to admit that, for a Shadowwalker, the man who saved him was certainly well-financed and well-supplied. …But, just how could he have managed to pull off an operation of this magnitude? …Halfway through the tour of what was likely to be his new home, he returned his attention to the medley of questions brought to his awareness earlier.
“In that large room to the right of us is the primary dining hall. Of course, I’ve never stressed to anyone that all meals be ate in there, so you’re free to-”
“Uh, excuse me, sir.”
The man quickly brought himself to a halt. Sure of his young, new guest’s intentions, he stepped inside of the room he had just pointed out and took a seat at the table closest to the entrance. Following his example, David took a moment to look around the surprisingly large room. …It must have been mid-afternoon and not quite time for dinner, because the entire place was empty, …not that he was complaining.
“Go ahead, my boy.”
“…Um, sir. What is-?”
“Oh, and by all means, I’m an old man. There’s no need to call me ‘sir’. …The rest of our friends out there refer to me as Aristarchus. …And I believe I heard you say that your name was David, right?”
“…Aristarchus, huh? …Well, that’s one question already answered.”
“…Yeah…yeah, I’m David. Uh, …what…what happened to me…out there today?”
“Hmhmhmhmhm, you mean to ask why your mutation just began to surface.”
“Exactly. …I’ve been normal my entire life, …so why am I now a Walker all of a sudden?”
The look on Aristarchus’s face suggested that the question he posed was slightly offensive to him, but that he had heard it more than enough times to cope with those feelings.
“…In contrast to popular belief on the topic, David, …Shadowwalkers are not above science. The scientific community has long since abandoned their study of our nature and the intent to revive those studies is considered a form of heresy. …Assistance given to a population of people widely thought to be demons can be rather…unpopular, to say the least. …That’s one of several other purposes this institution holds.”
“What? …So, you have labs here.”
He nodded in response.
“This building is much larger than you think. The second floor is the residential area, while the floor we’re on now houses all activities I’ve been able provide my guests with, …recreation, substantial nutrition, even a gym with a pool. …This is our Zion, …a safe place of all Shadowwalkers, …and I’ve done my best to make the lives of those we bring back here as comfortable and fulfilling as we can. …For some, it can be rather painful…losing everything they have within a single instance.”
“…I know the feeling.”
“…And then, we also have two lower levels.”
“Hm? …You mean underground?”
“Precisely. The first is where we keep all the supplies we can obtain, ranging from all sorts of various foods and electronic equipment to medical provisions…or, at least, enough to get by. …I admit, there are some things we’re simply not fit to handle. …The floor beneath it is where the labs are.”
“…And what do you do there?”
“…Everything that all other labs won’t, for one.”
“You experiment on our DNA.”
“Hmhm, you catch on rather quick.”
“…Where do you get it from?”
“Oh, just anywhere we can.”
He preceded to lift his shirt, showing David a large bandage wrapped mainly across the left half of his chest, beneath which seemed to be a large piece of gauze.
“I originally gave my team of scientists a large piece of flesh from my chest to conduct their experiments on. Whenever more tissue was required, we’d wait for a death to occur within the house. …They’d extract extra material from them.”
“Mmmm, sounds almost inhumane.”
“It can be the only option we have, at times. Occasionally, though, we do also find guests that are willing to subject themselves for our cause.”
“…Wait, you mean-?”
“Oh no, not at all, my child. Blood samples, x-rays, things of that nature. …We would never stoop to the level of…our Normal counterparts.”
Aristarchus lowered his head slightly and his hand began to close up in an involuntary gesture. …David could only imagine the horrors he had seen over the course of his life, …all the hatred he himself had encountered within six hours…magnified over the course of six decades.
“If you so wish, we could take a look down in one of the labs. Seeing our work for yourself might allow the information to transfer easier.”
“…No, that’s quite alright. I’m sure I could take it all in from right here.”
“Hmhmhmhm, if you insist. Well then, returning to your initial question, …from what we’ve gathered so far, the mutation functions in the manner of a chemical reaction. Adding enough of a foreign solvent to a solute will result in the creation of a solution.”
“Like chlorine and sodium to make salt.”
“Precisely.”
“…And I take it the solvent is…shadow?”
“…You certainly are a wise one, aren’t you?”
“Well, I did do rather well in school, science being one of my better areas. …That and my father works in labs, as well.”
“…I see. …Does he know what has happened to you?”
“Yes. …It’s alright, I can tell him. …I guess you could say that he’s one of the good ones.”
“Hmmm, …you’re fortunate, David. Most of those I’ve found were completely abandoned by their families, as well as their communities. …It can be a rather pitiful sight, seeing them that weak…and broken.”
“…I can only imagine.”
“And I thank God for it.”
“…Well anyways, as you said, the solvent is shadow. And once the human body encounters enough of it, it diverts from Homo sapien…to Homo evanesco.”
“…From Normal to Shadowwalker.”
“Exactly.”
“…That’s certainly a lot of shadow.”
“Hmhm, that’s one of the few flaws in the theory, I suppose. For that reason, we’ve suggested that the process begins either at puberty or adolescence.”
“Sounds about right, I guess. …When did you…find out?”
“…I was fourteen when my own diversion occurred. The first…ten years were rather difficult, but there were a surprising many willing to help me in my situation. In a sense, I’m as fortunate as you are. …Most of us don’t live long after we’re…found out. …You’re aware of the H.E.A.T., correct?”
“…Homo Evanesco Annihilation Team. …Yeah, I’ve heard of them.”
“Well, consider yourself more fortunate you already are. …Had they gotten there before we did…and the things they’re speculated to do after they’ve captured one of us…”
Sensing Aristarchus’s dismay, David gradually moved his own hand closer to his, until he finally looked back up at him.
“The work you’re doing in your labs, …eventually, you’ll find a way to save us all. …They’re only hunting us down cause we can’t be scientifically explained, right?”
A small smile formed across his face, causing one to form on David’s, as well.
“…Right. …Was there anything else you hoped to learn?”
“Ummm, …two more things, I guess.”
“Name them.”
“Uhhh, …how-how did you manage to…pull all this off?”
“Hmhmhmhmhm, I suppose that’s the most mind-boggling question of all, isn’t it? …Charity over the years would probably yield a suitable answer. As much of the remaining population condemns us, there are still those individuals who see the inhumanity in their actions, …many of whom I came to familiarize myself with over the years. …As this following of mine increased and I sought to help the rest of my species survive, this safehouse was born. …“Angels”, as I’ve come to call them, lurk behind every street corner, David. As the human population, as a whole, becomes more rational in thought, the greater our support becomes. …It often makes me wonder if our team will find the answer to our mutations…before the rest of the world stops sniffing us out completely.”
“…Well, whichever one it is, hopefully, it occurs soon.”
“…I say that to myself every day. …So then, what was your last question?”
“Well, …I suppose I’m curious as to where you found your scientists.”
“A reasonable concern, I would say. …In truth, most of our team consists of Angels with scientific backgrounds. The cruel reality is that most of us don’t manage to obtain stature in the scientific field before we’re forced to flee our homes. Out of the entire eight-man team, …only one of them is a Shadowwalker.”
“Really? And who is it?”
At this point, …and much to David’s confusion, the smile on Aristarchus’s face grew even wider.
“What?”
“Your surname is Pariah, correct?”
“Uh…yeah, why-?”
Every movement that David’s body was making at that time immediately ceased, …while the corner of his mouth began to twitch uncontrollably, …as if he wasn’t sure whether to look completely surprised…or absolutely overjoyed. The old man’s smile grew all the more wider, as well, ...as if to confirm his suspicions.
“Noooo, …is it really…?”
However, before David could question him or Aristarchus could give the answer, a woman with shoulder-length, brown hair, who appeared to be in her early thirties, and wearing a lab coat ran past the mess hall door, stopping upon noticing that they were sitting inside.
“Aristarchus! I heard you had just returned with-! …David?”
“…Mom?”
