Ch:60 – Evil Spirit

In my room, my whole family was present.

After many preparations, the four of us watched in tense readiness.

"Aurora," with the palm of my hand facing the ceiling, she turned into a grimoire and landed on me. I turned the pages to the appraisal spell and, with the support of my dad's mana, I aimed my free left hand towards the magic mirror. I had grown tired of having such a powerful ability up my sleeve and not being able to use it. Today was my first test with it, and this simple mirror had been the thing I was most curious about.

The book shone, and we trembled with the pressure it exuded. What magnificent power it contained. My heartbeat accelerated out of happiness and curiosity.

I finally felt like a witch, carrying out my first spell, even if it was at the cost of my family's mana.

[

Appraisal:

Item: Mirror of truth

Effect: Can connect the owner's soul to another world.

Requirement: Can only connect to worlds where the owner's soul has been before.

Warning: Within lies the remnant of a spirit: <Aketo no Kekkai>

It is estimated to be at a level of 600.

It owns the magnet trait: due to a mysterious power, it'll pull its master's fate closer.

It owns the sealing trait: capable of sealing anything.

It owns the consuming trait: if the sealed prey is weakened enough, it can consume it.

State: Extremely weakened.

Weakness: The further away from its master, the weaker its parameters and power output.

Warning: Now that it has been identified, the spirit will try to escape back to its master, <Sage>.

]

We were meant to test the appraisal spell in a few things, but never had I foresaw that we'd hit the jackpot on the first attempt.

Hastily, I picked a mana potion and gave it to my dad.

"A level 600 evil spirit is inside the mirror. We have to destroy it!"

His eyebrows furrowed at the unexpected information, doubtful he had heard it correctly.

"Leave it to me," he grinned as he drank the bottle contents, not allowing despair to strike. "Aura boost. Light boost. Concentration boost." He cast three skills that enveloped us with a warm light, making us stronger.

My mom held her sword and readied herself to protect us. "Water coat," her hand passed by the steel, leaving behind a protective layer.

Notice: Your grimoire has permitted you to use the dark element.

'Aurora?' 

With the closed door of my room, the mirror stood silently right in front of us.

The light of the falling sun went through the window's glass, hitting right into the mirror. 

A silhouette soon appeared, a dirty purple-colored floating ball. It looked distorted and ragged, holes that looked like they had been chewed by sharp, triangular teeth—not human. Had there been a shark inside? What caused such injuries?

"I've failed to contain the calamity!" It spoke loud and weird—voice of machinery—robotic yet alive.

"It speaks?" My voice awakened the figures surrounding me.

Faster than me, Mother's blue sword came fast from below, hitting the spirit. Droplets flew, hitting the wall and ceiling of my room.

The strange cloud let out a soft growl. "To him I must return."

Despite her attack, the enemy moved in my direction.

Without caring for me or my parents, it floated rather slowly—injuries likely halting its pace. Its size grew every second from the size of an adult head to a head and a quarter, now that it was pushing me back.

Still, I gritted my teeth, a big smile widening as my mana converted into my ice element. I knew my sister had given me her permission, but I didn't know how her power worked.

"Freeze!" I almost bit my tongue while yelling.

"Let me help you." My mother's words arrived close to my ear, followed by a mana potion that she gave to my mouth as both my hands were busy. The grimoire also gave me what little mana it had stored. 

Then Rosaline followed with a skill of her own. "Aqua prison!" Her water element synergized well with mine, allowing my ice to grow stronger.

With all this power together, the spirit finally halted.

"Hold him there, Iris!" The voice of my father came with a serious hint behind it. From the panic of knowing how high-level this creature was, I eavesdropped on my parents' faces.

They, too, seemed wary and frightened.

Finding itself stuck, the eye looked straight at me and into my eyes—an eerie black dot in the middle of a sea of ghastly purple.

"You? Impossible! That priestess died! My master and the hero made sure of it!"

"The priestess?" My question came out in a relaxed tone. Something about these words brought a strange peace to my mind. Deep within me, my soul wept. Tears started flowing down my face.

Notice: Soul-bond has resonated.

The grimoire turned dark as death, and its aura spread to my right hand, which held it firm.

A wrathful voice reverberated in my mind, 'This unruly anger. How inspirational. How maddening!'

The love seed joined the conversation. 'What poor creature. Confined to a book. Suffering from loss. Love that was once true and now faded.'

'And so, the nightmare begins anew. How scary she is. How praiseworthy is her relentless will.' The helpless seed proclaimed.

The pressure of holding both elements began to deplete all my mana. My mother kept forcing me to drink Vincent's high-quality mana potions. This would make us quite indebted. Still, we couldn't allow this suspicious creature to go free into Artana. If it regained its full power, the probability that it would return to haunt us felt too high.

"This darkness." The ball eye twitched in agony. "If only the priestess hadn't saved you from my prison."

"Who are you? Why did you do this to Aurora?"

It let out wicked laughter, causing the three of us to tremble. Its power affected the surrounding space. Just how powerful was this being?

"I should have locked you instead. That thing wouldn't have saved you in your place."

"That's a lie!" I fought back, hope and faith on the tip of my tongue. The unwavering love and trust for my sister remained firm.

"Aura would have stared at the mirror from the outside as I consumed your soul! That emotionless, bizarre creature that shouldn't have been born!"

And the name from his words resonated with a nightmare I once had. Was he mistaking my sister Aurora with the white-haired girl called Aura? Were they one? Or two?

"Aurora? The kingslayer?"

Its laughter burst louder, causing difficulty in maintaining my elements on its spiritual body.

"I pity you, priestess. You who know nothing. You who died without achieving anything!"

And that was when my mana ended, and my power vanished.

"There is no Aurora! You fool! There is only Aura—the existence condemned by the god of light!" Creepily, its eyeball turned upward. "Master? I can sense my master!"

Without the spirit noticing, a yellow circle appeared below in its blind spot. A single word followed, carrying a heavy tone and the man a heavier expression, "Exorcism."

"Noooooo!" Its scream rang in our ears as its presence fully vanished, erased by the unique light element.

I saw the right knee of my father hit the wooden floor.

Sweat fell from his forehead onto his cheeks.

Notice: You can now sign your name in the mirror to become its master.