--
It was massive.
Truly... massive.
I stared in awe as the once-thin beam of light unfurled into a colossal column of fire, stretching so high it felt as though it were holding up the sky itself.
Although I was still far from it, I couldn't move, paralyzed by the breathtaking sight. I could only watch in stunned silence.
Even from here, I could feel its pressure—the waves of heat that strangely carried no warmth.
The fiery reflection danced in my scarlet eyes as I remained locked in place, staring at the behemoth. Then, something in my periphery caught my attention. It was insignificant compared to the pillar, but still enough to pull my focus.
I squinted, struggling to make sense of what it was. Then my eyes widened, just a fraction, as I took a careful step toward the pillar of fire—or rather, toward whatever had drawn my gaze in the first place.
----
Coming to a halt, I looked at the setup with a weird expression on my face. There was a small tea table with two white chairs. Both had their backs to me, facing the pillar of fire. Strangely, a woman sat on one of them, seemingly gazing at the flames which, surprisingly, made no sound.
The air here felt different, crisp and clean despite the blazing inferno nearby. The heatwaves that had already blasted the fog into oblivion seemed to completely exclude her. She sat calmly, not a single strand of her jet-black hair out of place.
"You know there's an extra seat, sir." The woman's voice sounded oddly familiar, though her posture remained unchanged.
"Nox?" I blurted out, surprise flashing across my face.
A brief silence hung in the air before she spoke again. "Have a seat, sir."
"…"
I stared at her back, contemplating for a moment before walking over. Taking a seat, something clicked as I stared at the blazing pillar not far ahead.
It turns out we were seated at the edge of a large cliff.
The view below was that of an endless void, stretching far as the eyes could see. I didn't know if the fire ascended or descended, but it definitely either came up from, or went down into this massive, bottomless abyss.
The flames looked incredibly still now that I took a closer look at it—like a hyper-realistic painting. From this distance, they seemed motionless. Still... but undeniably alive.
I let the glow linger on my face for a while before turning to observe the woman sitting next to me.
She was dressed in classic butler attire. The usual black and white. A crisp, white blouse was tucked neatly into a fitted black skirt that fell just below her knees, complemented by a tailored black waistcoat. A small, simple bow tie rested at her collar. Her posture, even while seated, was impeccably straight, and her black flats were polished to a subtle shine. She exuded a quiet, focused competence.
Although I could only see her side profile as she stared forward, only one word came to mind—harmony.
Her profile looked like something shaped by careful, patient hands. The gentle slope from her brow to the tip of her nose flowed seamlessly into the soft fullness of her lips. The smooth line of her jaw tapered into a delicate chin, giving her face a subtle heart shape. Everything about her features fit together with effortless balance—beauty in perfect harmony.
Without sparing me a glance, I watched as she gracefully raised a gloved hand from her lap and pointed toward the burning inferno.
"That… is my core," she said softly, her lips parting as she turned toward me. Her scarlet eyes locked onto mine, glowing as she added, "...and our link."
…
Our gazes remained locked for a while, two scarlet irises—one glowing and one dim, both eerily identical—lighting up slightly as the glow of the burning pillar intensified. My head spun with countless thoughts and questions, a whirlwind of hows. But the only whisper that escaped my lips was, "what are you?"
The glow in her eyes intensified, then dimmed as she returned her gaze to the pillar, staring directly into the endless abyss. Her hand returned to her lap, her posture rigid and precise, before she finally answered my burgeoning curiosity.
"As you have likely guessed, sir, I played a major role in you returning to your past."
I held my gaze, not blinking—that was a no-brainer at this point.
"Although I've discovered that after properly linking with you, the majority of my memories were locked during the process, so I have limited information that I can convey."
She paused again, then snapped her fingers.
Two steaming cups filled with a dark, swirling liquid appeared on the table. She picked one up with practiced ease and held it out to me.
I gave the cup a dangerous look, one brow raised in suspicion.
Sensing my gaze, she turned back to me, her stoic face cracking as her red lips curled up slightly.
"Please dismiss such thoughts, sir. Should you fall, I fall as well as our bond is that profound. And, of course, a proper conversation is best shared over hot tea."Her voice carried what might have been a soft chuckle—almost.
"You already know why such thoughts came to my head," I replied, collecting the cup from her outstretched hand.
"Yes, you've granted me access to your memories, so I understand," she spoke, picking up the other cup and taking a sip.
I gazed forward, taking a sip too... The taste was warm and comforting, almost like oolong tea.
Putting the cup down, I asked my first question. "So, what is this place?"
She took another soft sip before answering. "This is a soul space. It is an alternate space within the physical body where the soul and concepts of a person reside."
I listened in, absorbing the information and waiting for her to continue.
"This is your soul space, and currently, both of our cores reside here."
I furrowed my brows slightly. "Our cores? Wait, I have a core?"
"Yes, you do. All living entities have a core; it is what powers the soul, and the soul in turn supplies life energy to the physical body which keeps it alive."
She dropped that bomb of information as calmly as she took her next sip of tea, keeping her gaze fixed on the endless abyss below.