How does one awaken in this world? Is it with a gasp of air? Or perhaps the cries of a newborn? Do infants remember their first moments? I am told they don’t. I should know this. And yet, the idea of waking up without any memories is alien to me. No, I am not saying that I remember my past life, but I have a sense of it. I know for sure that I have lived. Who I was? I don’t remember.

  All I remember are my first memories. I hadn’t awakened yet. Some in later years would theorize that I imagined these events. Others tell me that it was a side effect of an improper awakening.

  Fools.

  They try, but none of them can contradict the events of my awakening.

  Under the great tree with amethyst leaves swayed thousands of soul catchers. In the mid-morning light, the sun’s rays were painted purple as they fell down the tree’s leaves and into the Dark Waters. The only one they didn’t touch was a statuesque figure that sat on the outcropping of a thick, pale white root. The bone-white spear in his hand lowered, dipping into the Dark Waters. A ripple of white erupted out of its point, spreading into the endless waters below.

  The ripple called to the souls in the Dark Waters. I watched as hundreds of souls joined me in looking at the man. None of them knew who he was. None of them cared. They were called, and they stopped their journey and came.

  I looked at the strange man who didn’t belong in the Dark Waters. I knew the waters. I had swum in them for eons. I had seen souls emerge in the waters and guided them until they passed on to the other side. And I knew the evil that gathered in the darkness. This interloper was not one of the creatures I would call evil. But he was toying with things better left alone.

  Still, curiosity guided my actions. I looked at the man, and the sight made me consider one word. White. The man was made from some sort of white stone. But the way his lips moved, the way his skin wrinkled as he muttered under his breath, made me reconsider my theory. Maybe the man had painted himself. Maybe it was powder. I didn’t care.

  What I cared about was that I had rediscovered new words. White, stone, paint, and powder. I had known these words. Long ago.

  The strange marble-skinned man dipped his spearhead back into the waters, and another rippling pulse went through them. This one was louder and called more souls. It also attracted the predators. One such predator materialized next to me. Its scaly skin and sharp teeth glistened in the eerie purple light. I looked at it. It recoiled when it saw me. It was afraid. I didn’t move to strike it down. It was too small, and I was more interested in what the spear man was doing.

  The predator thought of running away, then reconsidered when it saw the gathering souls. It was hungry, and there were hundreds of glowing balls for it to feast on. I glanced at it. If it moved to strike the souls, I would have to fight and kill it, but even before I could finish that thought, a third pulse, one brighter than the others, shot through the water. It hit the predator and crushed it.

  Surprised, I looked at the man with a spear. Maybe he knew what he was doing. I turned and observed the waters. Everywhere I looked, the predators were dying in droves. Their essence was spreading across the waters and flowing into us, strengthening the souls—and yes, me too. But for what purpose?

  Scared, some of the souls fluttered away into the cold darkness. Others flew into a frenzy, trying to drink as much of the essence as fast as they could. I didn’t move. I didn’t need to. My soul was different. It was empty. The essence flowed into me and disappeared without a trace. But that is not the only reason I didn’t move. I didn’t move because I was remembering more words while looking at the stone-skinned spear man.

  Glow.

  That was the next word I remembered. The white man’s spear glowed. This time when the spear man dipped the whole head into the Dark Water, I saw symbols flash on its head. Strange, unknown patterns that compelled the Dark Waters to still and translate the man’s words into thoughts we could understand.

  “Those of you who were humans, stay. Others, leave.” The words came from the stone spear man.

  I looked around. I saw those who weren’t humans stiffen. Some fluttered away. Others hesitated. But after drinking for a bit longer, they also left. Then all that were left were the few. However, the bigger ones. The ones that shone bright. The bold. They didn’t move. I saw their intent. They looked from the spear man to the waters all around. The essence in the Dark Water was too much of a temptation for them to give up. These were the greedy ones. The souls that would transform into predators sooner or later. The ones I kept an eye on.

  I saw the spear man’s eyes narrow, and in a flash, the spear moved. In a blur, his spear stabbed out. He targeted the big ones. Target after target fell. His spear didn’t falter, didn’t miss, and did not relent. Their essence joined the now thinning essence of the predators dispersing. It flowed into the waters, strengthening all the souls.

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  Some couldn’t resist. They celebrated. They swam in joy. Some ran from one pool of essence to another. But most, most recoiled at the casual display of violence. They weren’t used to it. Not in the Dark Waters. The Dark Waters, especially these parts, were kept safe. By me.

  The spear man stood there and waited. Slowly the essence in the Dark Waters cleared. He waited for the souls to settle down. I saw him catching glances my way. It must have been strange to see an unmoving soul amongst the frittering ones. But I wasn’t just a soul. I had chosen to appear as one.

  The spear man looked at me with a hint of curiosity. I returned that curiosity with a look of my own. I had been there from the start. Watching him through the pulses and turmoil, I hadn’t moved. I had seen him and this tree appear in the Dark Waters out of nowhere. I had come to investigate. Waiting for him to step over the line. To impose his will on the innocent. To break order. And yet he didn’t.

  The spear man dipped his spear back into the Dark Waters. The waters thickened and stilled. It forcefully stilled every soul in its tracks. He leaned closer to the waters and gave us all an assessing look. After the moment of stillness had passed, the man ordered.

  “Those of you who don’t wish to fight anymore, leave.”

  The casual display of strength left most shaken. This time his orders were followed instantly. Most weren’t used to violence, and even fewer were used to dealing with those who could command the waters themselves.

  For me, I had been in the waters for far too long. Long enough to see all its dangers. I had swum, I had fought, and I had kept order in the Dark Waters for far too long to be intimidated by the living. But the souls around me did not expect to fight ever again. And neither did they want to test themselves against the strange man. In a blur, most souls winked away and left the sight of the spear man and the strange purple-leafed tree. Soon only half a dozen of us were left.

  “Those of you who are too tired to learn, leave.”

  Learn?

  Learn.

  That was a new word I had just recalled. I remembered liking learning. It also meant learning new words, new concepts. Thoughts and feelings that brought meaning to existence. With his words, the marble-skinned man was helping me recall words and concepts that I had lost. I... hesitated.

  Order compelled me to leave this place and guide the innocent souls out, but his presence helped me gather new words and gain meaning. After a moment, I decided to stay and watch.

  “Those of you who are too tired of humanity, leave.”

  Humanity.

  Human.

  I was human. Once. A long, long time ago. I had given up those memories. Those emotions. Those days. I had done that willingly. To stay my course in the Dark Waters. My sacrifice had stabilized this region. Made the Dark Waters habitable for souls to pass through.

  By the time I drifted out of my musings, only two others stayed with me in the black waters. The essence streamed into us in threads, and with every moment they got stronger. With all the essence they gathered, they were guaranteed to reach the other side. I was different. I couldn’t pass through.

  “Those of you who wish to serve, move forward.”

  Serve.

  I tasted the word.

  Service.

  I didn’t like that word.

  The word’s meaning came to me. It left a distaste in my mouth. I believe I had served once. Where? When? I couldn’t recall.

  But no, I wasn’t meant for service.

  I couldn’t serve.

  The two next to me moved forward. I stayed back. He hadn’t asked anyone to leave this time. Was that a mistake, or were his words deliberate? I stayed and watched. The man knelt and spread his fingers, palm up. The two souls slowly, hesitantly floated into his palm. He cupped them gently.

  Touching the first with a finger, the man said, “You. You hold so much anger in you. I am sorry, young one. You will not do for my purposes.”

  The soul pulsed in agitation. It butted against the man’s palm trying to climb out of the waters.

  “I am not going to ask again, little one. Leave.”

  Agitation. Yes. That was the word. It was an emotion. Something close to anger. I was so lost in my discovery that I almost missed what happened. At the last moment, I saw the spear man pick up his spear from the ground. I moved. The spear came down to stab the angry soul. I rushed in front of the angry one and with a conjured black blade deflected the attack.

  By the time I looked back, the soul was swimming away from the man. I watched it leave our sight. The other one that had been waiting next to the angry soul dove deeper into the waters and disappeared into the depths. I turned my gaze back at the man. I had stopped him from destroying a soul. That meant he hadn’t technically overstepped his boundaries. But what was he going to do next? Pursue the soul? Go past me? He would need to attack me to do that.

  I waited and braced for an attack. None came.

  The stone-skinned man looked at me and smiled. “Well, hello there. I have been waiting for you do to something for a long time now.”

  I looked at the strange spear man silently.

  “Hmm... You won’t serve, will you? But you will fight. That is interesting.” The spear man smiled.

  I looked at the man and the spear he had dropped on the ground again. I didn’t feel any hostility from him. He was a strange being. Full of power and essence, but his movements were delicate. I got the sense that this spear man could destroy anything he looked upon if he just moved towards it. That meant he hadn’t really attacked that soul. He had done that to draw me out.

  “That’s right. You intrigued me, dark one.” The spear man laughed and dipped his palm in the waters. “Come. You will be one of my children. A Truechild. And it’s time we awaken you.”

  I didn’t know what the man meant. What a Truechild was or how I was supposed to leave the Dark Waters and go to him. But I didn’t need to ask those questions. The man’s palm shot a web of light that wrapped me in threads. The threads multiplied and cocooned me in light. The blinding light seeped into me and blinded me until I couldn’t see. I felt a pull, and I was ripped out of the Dark Waters.