BOA 1 (Patreon)

(1: Back with a Mission)

*Egypt, Cairo*

It was a hot summer day in Cairo, the humidity and the sun are the worst mix in such time causing the whole city, if not the entire country, to be unbearable in the middle hours of day.

However, today was no ordinary day. It is the day he found himself walking up staring at a strange ceiling with some fluorescent lighting, more to that, he was already attached to a number of medical devices that made the weirdest of sounds when he tore them off his body.

Weird! According to the twenty years old memories he had before departing from this world, he should be flooded with members of the medical staff or something of the sort. He was still barely coming out of bed with all these curtains covering his surroundings.

As he barely stood up by putting all the strength he had in his legs, this body was strangely movable despite being bedridden for this long time. Twenty years was it?

He held the curtain ahead of him and moved it aside to find a middle-aged man in a deep sleep being attached to similar medical devices to the ones he was attached to.

"That's a hospital alright, but… where are… the doctors?"

He walked to the other curtain and dragged it aside for a hallway between many more curtains to appear. He barely walked, more like staggering, until he reached the end of the hallway to a door locked tight. There was reinforced glass on it but through the glass, he could see the "Intensive Care Unit" sign outside the door.

Just how deep was his coma? Did his body actually survive all that time in a coma while he was in a different place altogether?

"There is no way out through this door." He retreated from the door trying to find anything useful.

He moved away the curtains which were covering the other patients and found no doctor or a nurse despite all the sounds the medical tools around his bed were making.

In this confusing situation, the only thing that can guide him is a light at the end of a tunnel. Funny enough, there was such a thing. At the end of the long ICU hallway, there was a window letting in the light of day. He found no other leeway but to go to this window and look from it.

Such a minor thought led to a discovery he wasn't even ready for.

The World.

The World he knew long ago, the world he departed from as a 15 years old kid after dying God knows how… that World is all there in front of him.

High rises, colorful lights and the elements of a modern civilization. All of this modern beauty was mixed with smokes and fires coming down from the street below.

It was like a major traffic accident that paralyzed the street down there. No matter how sealed the window was, he could still hear the sounds of car horns and people's noises come from there. What prevented him from seeing the street below was a balcony that extended all around the floor.

Accidents happen. It is not his problem even though his Master would be very disappointed in him if he didn't answer the call for help from those who need it. Yet should he wait or start asking for help? Or should he start acting on his own?

Wouldn't it be confusing to see a man walk from coma after 20 long years? He doesn't want any attention right now. He has a specific Mission and he must return to his Master after he finishes it.

Still, he can't bust out of the building. He needs the help of the people around to at least walk out quietly.

Feeling depressed for having to follow the sophisticated routines of the people of this World, he tried to at least get in a more dignified shape other than walking around with his butt out. This hospital gown which is open from that back is definitely his least favorite thing about this World.

He didn't need to look around much to find a hospital staff locker. Alas, it was locked tight and he barely found anything to open it with other than his bare hands. Difficult as it may sound, he had a solution to it.

It was time to use the Force.

And by Force, he didn't mean actual brute force but the Inner Force, the Life Force, the Force from Within… It has many names but it revolves around the same thing, Power.

The body he has doesn't even have what it takes to manifest it but at least possess the potential to harness it especially since he is in this World. No matter, all he needs to do is to put his heart to it and start sensing the Force.

But what is the Inner Force?

An ignorant man would say that he knows but an educated one wouldn't dare say such a thing. The Inner Force was always there, is forever here and will always exist until existence is whipped out.

Some say that the Earth we live on and the Heaven we live under are living beings of a humongous scale and there is a multiverse of many realities that cannot be perceived by the senses of man but still possible for some mortals to cross over these dimensions through a higher will. Aside from all the Worldly laws, the Inner Force plays a major role in anything that has life which by its part includes the World he lives on.

Other people claim that the Inner Force is the Breath which flows from Heavens to Earth and the other way around. Others claim it is the thing that makes living things living. Some claim many things but only one thing is certain and that is the Force needs willpower rather than life to be moved.

Some people were just gifted in the Force without actually practicing it giving them abilities beyond what is normal. Hercules, Alexander the Great, Hammurabi and many other names could be included in such a list. Also, when it comes to the Force in a World like Earth, it wouldn't have any mystical properties such as controlling Fire and Lightning so it could only be focused on Physical Reinforcement and Mental Clarity.

Regardless, our protagonist was confident that as long as he stays true to his way, the Force shall never fail him. But things were becoming rather vague lately. His Master told him to go back to the World he came from for a mission and didn't explain anything. One second he was there and the next, he entered a deep slumber until he woke up here.

"Just what sort of mission do I have to go in a world I cut ties with long ago?" He thought but he couldn't reach a definitive answer.

A Returner like him may actually pose a threat to the inhabitants of this world if he was to gain significant control over his Inner Force but he believed that it would never reach that extent. He also has to stay low and not alert this mundane world to the supernatural side of reality. Answers have a way of revealing themselves eventually and he will soon understand the mission his Master sent him on… or so he believed.

But now he had to focus and gather the Inner Force in him and connect it to that of the World.

Find the Flow, Sync the Senses, Merge the Will, Bend the Energy, Wield the Force, Unleash the Power.

Six Steps known as the basic principles of controlling the Force. Mastering them is as important as breathing to those who wish to understand the Inner Force. Methodology aside, Faith was the core part of the Inner Force. Without Faith, there is no Heart and without Heart, there is no Will.

"Lord Above, Force Within. Amen!"

Such a small prayer was enough to trigger the essence of the Force and allow him to activate the Phenomenon.

The Phenomenon appears for those who tap in the Force of the World for the first time. It is basically like being wired to a higher entity and witnessing its grace and excellence. This higher entity is the Living World, the great being that is everything and everyone. There no feeling like the first time in the Phenomenon and how Khalid has managed to access it very easily.

The Phenomenon is a reality that isn't perceivable for the naked eye. It looks like a space of smoke and mist where the Breath of the World is visible.

Darkness and Light mixed together inside the Phenomenon making a weird merge of scenery that would confuse anyone. This was meant to connect the Inner Force of the person to the Outer Force of the World. By seeing the Phenomenon and mindlessly syncing with its motion, the body and mind may get to have a feel for the Force and come to manipulate it.

Still, something felt profoundly different about this Phenomenon. Rather than trying to discover its secrets and read its mystery, he found himself as if being invited in.

"This is not natural."

He no longer needed to focus but he didn't let his guard down. Yet at one moment, the mist and smokes were moved as a large silhouette appeared beyond them causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

The silhouette was that of a large woolly creature that seemed very calm and passive. Its head looked like no creature ever seen in this world so it can't be described in a single sentence but all in all, it was one of the mightiest sights a man can witness.

"I trust you have detected the strange motions of the Breath of this World." That creature spoke.

"Brother?" He replied in confusion now that he heard the voice of the creature and confirmed his identity.

"Brother." The creature replied in a deep yet clear voice that had a lot of power behind it.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, trying to ascertain his senses.

"Same as you brother. On an errand. One I have waited a long time to do." The creature replied.

"You too? Wait, did my Master send you after me?"

"Why would he? He fully trusts your ability and judgment."

He knew that he wouldn't draw any straight answer from his brother now that it keeps talking in circles like that. Eventually, he smiled and nodded.

"For the love of God, Brother. Master sends me here without even saying anything I can understand saying that the Breath of the World has strange motions. What is going on?"

"You have always been impatient, second brother. As the first brother, my role is to make things easier for you. As the second brother, your role is to listen to your elders. And it is as you say, this world's breath has changed. The world is changing."

"I am not sure what to make of that. Can you explain it so that I understand?" He asked.

"You know all that you need. Soon, you will need to fit yourself into the world of humans for your mission to succeed." The creature said.

"Ah! Things always take forever with you." He ranted but finally gave up, "You know what… fine, I'll play your game. Fit myself in the world of humans once again after 20 years? Why not? Let's see… I don't even remember the name I used to have."

"That won't be a problem."

The creature's reply came with a powerful pressure as it raised its right front leg and extended three claws from it. With a single move, the three claws formed three arcs of light heading towards him. Those claw marks landed on his forehead leaving three claw masks behind that disappeared in an instant.

"What the… what did you…" He started feeling his forehead but it seemed that the mark managed to disappear.

"This is my mark. I gave it to the human who may be of help to your cause." The creature said.

"Wait! You've been… marking humans? Like appearing to them and marking them?"

"Indeed."

"You…" He held his forehead in frustration then glared at the creature, "Do you know how mad the humans can be if they saw you? The first thing that will come to mind is that they met a Dragon and will go make some sort of a cult about you or something."

The creature gazed away in awkwardness.

"It already happened, didn't it?" He asked.

"Not… to that extent." The creature said and hastily changed the subject, "Why don't you try the mark I gave you?"

"Try it?"

"Yes."

He didn't really understand what it meant to have this mark but he simply moved some of his Inner Force to it. What happened next was…

———————————
« Profile »
- Name: Khalid Salah
- Strength: 0.7
- Agility: 0.8
- Sense: 1.1
- Force: 0.7
———————————
« Traits »
[Mark] <Special>
→ Mark of Truth
→ Mark of Holding
[Unawakened Traits] <???>
———————————

"You… you're not playing tricks with me, right?" He said looking awkwardly between whatever that is and the creature in front of him.

"The humans tend to understand and trust this form of communication. I thought you would like it." The creature replied a bit disappointed.

"You know what? I am not even going to say anything." He paused for a second there as he looked at the screen, "So, my name is Khalid… Khalid Salah."

The name was… indeed his. The name he abandoned many years ago. It was simply nostalgic to recall this name now. Twenty years were a lot indeed and his name gave him a sense of estrangement so when he lost hope of ever returning, he left it behind as well. It wasn't an easy decision as it seems but there were things that he learned which made him understand that return would be impossible yet one day, his teacher just sent him back and here he has it… returned.

He is Khalid, he was in his first year in High School when he departed from this world. For twenty years, he thought he died but he is simply alive and very much kicking.

"Why are the Traits existing on Earth as well?"

"These are answers you best find on your own for I haven't looked into them. And it is about time I return to my mission." The creature said and started to move away.

"Hey, wait! What do you mean? You can't just give me a riddle out of nowhere and tell me to solve it on my own." Khalid shouted in anger, "What is happening? Gifts, World Breath, You here marking people? What is becoming of this World?"

The creature said to say his last words before disappearing.

"If you want to find out, why don't you find your way out of this building. If you keep asking about every little thing, the lives of the innocents lying in this room you are in will be at stake. I will see you later, brother."

The mist started to dissipate as the creature's presence faded away. Just like that, the Phenomenon began to crumble around Khalid. He returned to the room he was in as if the time didn't move a second. On the other hand, he was sweating and feeling strange all over his body.

"Lives? At stake?"

Those words were very ominous. The appearance of his brother, the Outer Force of the World being agitated, the strange lack of the hospital's staff. Something is happening outside for sure.

The situation was mind boggling. A thousand new questions and no answers yet.

He took in a deep breath, gathered his Inner Force, Synced it with the Outer Force and with a wild move, he punched the Locker forcing it open.

One problem was at least solved… actually, two problems were solved.

Khalid found a full hospital uniform with plastic slippers and just as he took them out, he found a two-way radio communicator making sounds.

"... tshhhh… the monsters have invaded the lobby… the Hunters are not here yet…"

"... Isolate the operation rooms… scent of blood will draw the monsters… send the security…"

"... The parking lot is the source… fucking hell… no one goes there!"

"... Evacuate the children and the elderly… the elevators are secured… don't stop in the lobby…"

"We need help here… the ICU floor… monsters are on the ICU floor!"

"ICU? That's the 12th floor! Don't tell me the monsters have gone through the elevator!"

There were chaotic conversations on the other side of the radio. Monsters, hunters, danger, parking lot, ICU… a lot was happening and Khalid couldn't keep up. Still, one thing was on his mind.

"People are in danger."

He didn't understand the situation but if people are in danger and he is here, it means that he is related to this situation somehow. He discarded the one piece gown he was in and put on the shirt and pants he got before running towards the door.

He wanted to Force it open the same way he did with the Locker but this door is the only thing standing between the people lying in here and whatever is going on outside.

And there is a window.