Rayan walked toward the university, completely ignoring the apparition. Earlier that morning, before leaving, he had said:
"I don't care about any of this. I have classes, and I need to find a job to help my mother. And if you don't shut up... I'll ignore you all day."
Since then, the apparition had been talking nonstop-explaining, shouting, warning-while Rayan treated him as if he were nothing more than invisible air.
He sat through lectures, left them, moved between halls... and the apparition never stopped.
Until one moment, when the apparition exploded, shouting with all his might:
"Why don't you understand?! You... and everyone you love... will die if you don't find a solution soon!"
Rayan stopped walking, took a deep breath, and said coldly:
"Fine... fine. Then tell me how to use this power."
A relieved smile spread across the apparition's face. He stepped closer:
"Since you are the bearer of this stone, you are the leader chosen by the stones.
Your first mission is to find the other stones... and then find their wielders.
When you approach another stone, your own stone will glow to alert you."
Rayan raised an eyebrow:
"And what about the wielders?"
The apparition replied:
"You must listen to the stone. It will tell you the traits of the person it wants."
Rayan blinked:
"And how do I do that?"
The apparition smiled:
"Take out the stone you took from the dog yesterday."
Rayan pulled the stone from his pocket.
"This one? It looks useless."
The apparition shouted:
"Never say the stones are useless! They are precious, powerful-almost sacred.
This stone only looks inactive because it hasn't found its true wielder yet.
It is the Stone of Strength... capable of granting unimaginable physical power.
If mastered, its wielder could lift mountains."
Rayan shrugged:
"Alright... so how do I listen to it?"
The apparition answered:
"Focus first on your own stone... then shift your awareness to the other one."
Rayan froze:
"Whaaaat?"
The apparition chuckled:
"I'll make it simple.
Do you remember that warm, comforting feeling you sensed last night?
Try to bring it back."
Rayan closed his eyes and whispered:
"Warm... calm... like something reassuring me..."
Suddenly, both stones glowed with bright blue light.
The apparition gasped:
"Wow! That was fast."
Rayan stared at the glowing stones:
"What do I do now?"
"Shift your awareness," the apparition said.
"Use all your senses. Touch the blue stone... look at it... observe its color... even smell it if you must... then focus your mind inside it."
Rayan did as instructed.
Moments later, he screamed:
"What's happening?!"
The light vanished... and Rayan opened his eyes to find himself standing in a dark, deep-blue space-like an ocean without water.
"Where... am I?"
He took a few steps, searching for the apparition.
"Hello?! Anyone here?"
Then a gentle, deep, pure voice echoed:
"Strength is not courage...
Strength is overcoming fear."
In an instant... Rayan's eyes snapped open.
He was back in his room.
"How... how long was I gone?"
The apparition replied:
"Not even a second."
Rayan's eyebrows shot up.
"Are you kidding me?"
The apparition stepped closer:
"What did the stone tell you?"
Rayan took a deep breath:
"It said: Strength is not courage-strength is overcoming fear."
"Correct," the apparition nodded.
Rayan narrowed his eyes.
"Didn't you say stones choose their wielders based on a specific trait?"
"Yes."
"And this one is the Stone of Strength?"
"Yes."
Rayan smirked.
"Simple then. We just find someone strong with big muscles. He becomes the wielder."
The apparition almost choked:
"It's NOT that simple!!"
But Rayan ignored him completely and kept walking back toward the dorms.
"Trust me... I'll find the wielder.
As for my power... it's useless.
All I can do is talk to a glowing ghost who's not helpful at all."
The apparition growled:
"That's NOT everything!
When the stone decides you're ready... another apparition will appear to guide you toward new abilities."
Rayan scoffed:
"Great. More weird strangers."
He entered the dorm room and found Jamal standing at the door, angry:
"Where were you? Why are you this late?!"
Rayan blinked:
"It's not my fault... it's the ghost's."
Jamal froze.
"Who?"
The apparition told Rayan:
"Don't bother. He can't see me."
Jamal snapped:
"Are you lying to me now?!"
Rayan shouted:
"I'm sorry!!"
Then he turned to the apparition and hissed:
"Great job! Now I'll have to clean the room for three days because of you!"
The apparition laughed:
"By the way... who is this guy?"
Rayan, changing his clothes, replied:
"That's Jamal... I met him my first day of university.
He's my only friend... and he's a good person."
Rayan threw his pants near Jamal's bed-
with the blue stone still inside.
"Good night... I'm going to sleep."
The apparition yelled:
"We're not done yet!"
Rayan fell on his bed:
"Morning is better... goodbye."
The apparition sighed:
"This is giving me a headache."
Then he noticed something-
the stone near the pants began glowing faintly beside Jamal.
A slow smile formed on the apparition's face:
"Oh... this is going to be interesting."
---
The Next Morning
At 5 AM, the apparition woke Rayan violently:
"Get up!"
Rayan opened one eye:
"It's too early... why do I have to wake up? It's only five..."
The apparition said seriously:
"I forgot to tell you something important."
Rayan mumbled:
"Whaaat?"
"You need to go back... to the corpse first."
Rayan bolted upright:
"The corpse?! Why?!"
The apparition replied:
"I'll explain on the way. Now hurry... get ready."