We talked through the night about our doubts and ideas. But on dawn, I had a vision for some time. Richard must have noticed, since he said, "A vision?"
I nodded and said, "I saw myself back in China, but at the same time here."
"Is there something else?"
"Yes. I saw myself under a blood-stained sun which hung in a Grey-dark sky. A crook and a flail were in each of my hands, the divine eye was glowing on my forehead, and my eyes were red. My head was bald, and a tail of hair grew out of the back of my head. Bodies scattered around me but I didn't care, I just laughed with a creepy ghostly voice. The scene repeated itself in China, Egypt, Norway, India, The seven seas, and many other places outside Midgard. I looked at my hands and saw that blood was flowing out of my body, but someone touched me and all the blood returned. They seemed as if they were in many periods of time."
"Oh dear. You sure this is everything?"
"No, there are some that I can't remember clearly. However, there was some vague scene, I was in a dark hall in front of a blue skinned man and I was also laughing and mocking him. I also called him 'Brother'."
"The first part, which includes you in China and this country at the same time, can be done and explained. You need to make a clone. Though I would prefer that you don't do it at this time."
"Strange. I was going to ask you to do this before I had the vision."
"It is too dangerous."
"But I have seen that it would happen."
"Visions can be the general embodiments of future. Many twists and turns can change what will happen."
"What if I want to do it? Will you stop me?"
"No, I won't. But I must warn you, that if any speck of your soul escaped while you are making the division, you'll die immediately."
I suddenly felt that I want to do what is dangerous, and challenge what will make me die. "Let's do this," I said.
We sat facing each other in a crossed-leg position. Richard showed me some hand movements and some words that need to be said. I did as he instructed me and instantly, I felt my soul ripped apart. I screamed so high that it awakened my family, who rushed to the room, startled. After an hour of screaming and pain, I saw that the sword shaped soul in my consciousness had now duplicated into two. The first was white while the second was black. I felt my soul weakened and at the verge of dispersing into nothingness. The swords started to break into pieces. I fainted and blood flew out of my mouth.
I knew now that it was foolish of me to make a clone. Only a piece of the first sword remained, and then I would be dead. What saved me was Richard. He put his hand on my head and chanted some words. Instantly, the broken pieces of my soul returned to two sword forms.
I woke up coughing and I breathed in relief. Richard had a stern look on his face and said, "What did I tell you? You have cost me some of my essence blood."
"I had a huge urge to try something risky. I didn't imagine it would be this dangerous," I said while still coughing.
"What matters now that you have successfully split your soul into two. Now, you have to make your second body. Its physical strength won't be the same as the original, but it would be acceptable."
"Of what element do I do this body?"
"I suggest that you build it from mud, as humans are made of."
"Okay." Richard brought some soil from his bag of holding. I produced some water from my fingers, then the soil transformed into mud. Out of this mud, a shapeless body emerged, then it started to take shape. It had the same height and looks of me, but the hair and eyes were of my original body, the one before undergoing the mutation. It remained motionless.
I willed the black sword out of my original body and to fuse with the second one. The clone rose and bowed to me, "Original body."
I did the same and said, "Clone."
"Alright, stop you two. Orion-," said Richard but was interrupted by us.
"Yes?" we said at the same time.
"The original one."
"Yes?" I said.
"You will leave your clone here and come with me. At least now you can stay with your family."
I left my clone with my parents to spend some time with them. Richard and I appirated to the Mansion of Night in the early morning. Once we were in his chamber, Richard sighed and said, "I won't lie to you, this vision that you saw disturbs me greatly."
"What do you think of it?"
"It is clearly an explanation or hint to the second part of the prophecy that you have issued. 'The Ice will test the prisoner's wrath,
But the blade of Pangu would lighten his path', those are indeed related."
"Do you mean that the prisoner will change my path?"
"I am afraid so."
"But who is the prisoner?"
"I can't tell you. There are plenty of things at stake here." He had a point. The mere thinking of the vision frightens me, how could I face it in real life? Please let it be only a mere vision, nothing more, and not a hint of the future. But my luck couldn't be so gentle and good, no, it had to be terrible.