Chapter 21: Chapter 11: Infinite Possibilities (Part 2)
I have been standing here thinking over these things looking like an idiot for a while now. If the barrier wasn't up, I could have been the most vulnerable person in the world right now. But the barrier is up and I am safe. So I wonder now what exactly the reason for that chill I felt was.
If someone else was indeed here and had snuck past me, did they just go do whatever they came to do? Because if they didn't, and are instead waiting somewhere around here, it won't matter much what they do unless I take my barrier down. If they did run away, then who were they and why were they here?
Kais: "Huh!"
A dry smile comes on my mouth. I guess I now understand why those students who couldn't write a thing on the test papers were so irritated about it even knowing full well nothing about it will change from the irritation. Truly, having questions and questions and questions and no answers – is a truly irritating thing.
Kais: "Well, but I would say I am in a worse situation."
At least there's a time-limit for them after which they would have to hand the test papers, return home and relax. In my situation, I wouldn't be free of this mess unless I find some answers.
Kais: "Damn! This sucks."
Well, complaining won't do much to help but there's nothing else I can think of right now. Even coming up with theories is only confusing me more because of the lack of information there is. I am not some super genius detective-of-the-century for crying out loud. Can't I get more hints here? Isn't there any other clue?
Dragon: "If they fear me and constantly try to appeal to me thinking they'll gain some kind of benefit from it, then they are completely incompetent."
I suddenly remember the dragon said that. He said that's his criteria for judging if someone's a competent psychic or not. But what's up with that. We psychics are not some chivalrous knights. Many strong ones, knowing they are weaker than the dragon, might try that approach. He shouldn't judge them based on that. I guess personal opinion is what drives him to this method.
Kais: "But isn't that childish?"
A dragon that has lived so many centuries and had befriended a psychic like Ozyllus would really be so childish? It's really hard to believe and I am inclining on the possibility that there's something more to the story than that. There should be a reason as to why he uses this method. Obviously, the possibility always exists that the dragon really is that childish and I am wasting my time over-thinking things but I can't go on betting that's the case.
Kais: "But then what's the reason?"
There's also the fact that this wasn't the only thing he mentioned about his criteria back then. He also mentioned,
Dragon: "If they fear me and try to run away from me, then they are incompetent as well."
Trying to run away is deeply ingrained in my head. I doubt I am the only psychic who thinks that way though. Barry once told me that psychics have different personalities, and while that may seem obvious, that's an important piece of information. It is not that only people with certain kind of personalities could be psychic; their personalities can differ as much as possible. That does mean that psychics who would not run away would be exist but the exact opposite is obviously also true.
Dragon: "If they fear me and try to attack me in blind rage, they are incompetent too."
Though I kind of agree that a psychic who would not be able to keep his emotions in check and attack someone in blind rage can be considered incompetent, when I combine this to how the dragon has seen the previous two kinds, he doesn't mean that they should try to stay calm and think rationally at all times. What the dragon wants in psychics is –
Dragon: "But if they fear me and try to sort out their thoughts because of it and hold a conversation with me, then I'll deem them competent enough to enter."
It does sound like he wants psychics to think calmly and rationally, but that's not the case. A psychic who sees the dragon and if afraid of him is not one the dragon opposes. In fact, he welcomes the fear. But in fear, running away by teleporting or some other method would be a good decision a lot of times, but that's not what the dragon wants us to do.
He wants us to put up a façade and talk to him. There's definitely something twisted about a man who would walk into the face of the dragon and talk to him even after being afraid. I guess that would mean I have a screw loose in my head too.
Kais: "Not that I can really deny that with how calm I have been."
My emotions have not overwhelmed me once on this island. I feel like they should have, but they haven't. Is this some kind of effect that the island is causing on me? If so, then wouldn't it be the same for every other psychic too? Wouldn't they all be able to think in the same calm way like I have? In which case, many more would have come to the same conclusion too.
Kais: "However …"
Not everyone will voice those thoughts. Some people will keep it in their head trying to be cautious. What would happen to them? The dragon didn't say anything about being against caution, yet if he fails to recognize such a person, he would be against caution. Then, if a psychic does not remain cautious and just talks to the dragon even after being afraid of him, he would basically be a fool. After all, even I was cautious too and I am sure he knew about it, but he had no problem with it.
Now if there's some degree of caution that the dragon is fine with, then how does that play into the infinite number of situations possible? How will he judge the individual every time keeping 'how cautious they should be' in mind? That's it. That's just not going to work. You can't measure someone's caution. There's no way you can be accurately judging in that regard. Then, there's something more to his words? Is there? Even that aspect is not fully clear to me.
Kais: "What about that other theory?"
If the theory that Ozyllus' ghosts had formed a contract with the dragon is true, then was Ozyllus doing the real judgment and the dragon was just making excuses to cover it up? That's seems possible. It's very likely that he had not expected Ozyllus to consider me capable of entering the tomb so he got startled and randomly came up with this nonsense from the top of his head.
But that's only possible in case the theory about Ozyllus' ghosts being in the spirit-form and forming a contract with the dragon is true. Is it true? Well, it certainly is possible, but it's not something I would place my hopes on.
It is just not in the nature of any being other than humans to make contracts with spirits. The thought that transforming into a human gave him the ability is not the most believable thing in the world. After all, he only changes his physical form. He can't change what's deeply ingrained in his very species.
Kais: "Could Ozyllus be so powerful he could do even that?"
Ever since Barry first told me stories of that god-like psychic, I had always wondered exactly how powerful he is. Is he so powerful that we are not even capable of estimating his strength? From how no one ever speaks about his strength in comparison to anyone but god; that might be the case. But is becoming so powerful even possible?
Many say that we have lost the supernatural because of technology but it is just foolish rambling of people who know nothing about supernatural. Things like pollution, global warming and such have no effect on how powerful a psychic can be. Yet it is a fact that no one in the world is even close to some of the legends. They were powerful enough that every psychic on the whole planet would feel their aura when they don't keep it under-control. And it's not possible someone could keep their aura under-control 24x7. But I have never felt anything of that magnitude and from what I know from Barry's stories about the guys working for Vermillion, there hasn't been anyone that powerful in at least the previous two centuries.
Kais: "Damn! This isn't working."
Whenever I start to think about one question, it leads to another and another and another till I get distracted from the topic. All I can come up with is theories.
Kais: "Okay."
I need to make a decision now. Thinking like this isn't going to do me any good. Sure it is good to have some theories prepared so I can make links to them when I get some answers, but to keep thinking them will only be a headache for my brain. First of all, I can't think of a theory for every single question without there being some holes in them. If I am not able to spot those inconsistencies then with some false evidence, I can easily start thinking of a fake possibility as reality.
Kais: "Which is why – I need to start walking again."
I was about to go in the direction Ethan came from and went in when I felt that chill. I have worried about it enough and my barrier is in its place so I am safe from whoever the reason for that chill was. Now I need to get back to it.
Kais: "Okay, no time to waste."
I decide I will start walking immediately. If I don't do this, some other doubt will arise in my mind. That's just the kind of person I am.
'You are the type of guy who is so skeptical of everything that you would carefully analyze every possibility and find flaws in it, ending up doing nothing.'
This is something someone once said to me. As much as I hate it, that person's right. I am that kind of person. So, I have to force myself to do 'something' so as to not end up doing 'nothing'. That's the only 'positive' way for me to look at it.
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I have been walking for about half an hour now. This sure is a long road. I am pretty sure I have not strayed from my path. I am also sure some kind of stupid trick where 'I think I am going straight but I am actually revolving in circles' is not being played on me. This is, in all honesty, a path so long it would take me this much time and I would still not see the exit, or any other room for that matter.
Kais: "What"
As if just on cue, I see a bright light in the distance. It looks like just a dot from here, but I can tell it's the exit.
Kais: "What the hell!"
If I am nearing an exit, does that mean I am going to exit to a different place than I was at before? This definitely is a different space than the island was on so it would make perfect sense for that to happen.
Kais: "And just where would that be now?"
Ethan did come from this direction and go back the same way. But did he come this far? I can't tell because I spent so much time thinking I lost all the chance I had for catching up to the guy.
Kais: "Uh, whatever, who cares about him?"
To say the truth, the only feeling I have for that man is that of wariness. I just can't trust him no matter what. And if I remember correctly, I did feel a chill run down my spine back when we shook hands in the store.
Kais: "He is someone to be cautious of. There's no way I can bring myself to trust him, especially with him having those 'Eyes of Truth'."
If he really has those eyes, then he can be considered a threat to psychics. And well, that is what the legend says about the possessor of those eyes.
Kais: "The legend, right."
How many of those legends have I found to be true already?
An island where only psychics lived – well, I was there before entering this place.
A man whose eyes could not be deceived – if Ethan didn't lie about his eyes, then that's who he has become, even though the legend was about a completely different person.
A dragon who befriended a god – well I met him alright.
A man who slaughtered thousands – I don't even want to think about that but that came true 12 years ago already.
A demon that destroys the world – I don't think I have any confirmation about this one, but I hope it's not true.
Well, that's that. While thinking about these things, I have reached the exit of the place. The bright light is a mere 10 meters away from me now.
Kais: "It's time to see what's beyond this point."
I think that as I step into the brightness and feel my body getting transported to another space.
Kais: "Well then?"
I walk through the light. There's nothing visible beyond the whiteness of the light, so I don't know where exactly I might end up at, but I have come this far, I have to take the risk now … with teleportation ready for any moment.
My eyes get covered with pure white for a second and then the scenery appears – the scenery that's familiar in a way.
Kais: "I'm … back … at the island."
I guess this possibility did occur to me but since nothing had really happened in there, I thought I will end of somewhere else instead of returning to the starting point. What was the point of going in? Was it to meet Ethan? That's can't be. Well, I'm back on the island now so I should focus on that. Well, I can see everything I could see before I went in. It seems like everything's the same. If there's a difference, then that's …
Kais: "No one's here."
Sona, the dragon and the little girl – there should be three or at least two people here. But they are nowhere to be found.
Kais: "Did they go somewhere?"
I hope the situation didn't get any worse while I was not around. If those two started fighting again, Sona would probably die, but she should be aware of that. So something stupid like that shouldn't have happened.
Kais: "But then, what did happen?"
I start walking towards the place they were sitting at when I left. Maybe I'll find some clue. That's the thought at least.
Kais: "Wait! What!!!"
But what I see there is … blood.
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