Aera-Kerr: Dusk of Desolation (Act 1 - free sample)

Chapter 6: Misjudged

Tyrell opened his eyes to see he was back in the Astral Plane, where he was during his fainting spell earlier that day. But this time, the central column of light was orange instead of crimson. He stood and walked into the beam to achieve telepathy with Azrael.

"Time for another session, I assume?" Tyrell asked the starry sky.

"That is correct, Tyrell," Azrael's voice came. "I will now assist you in activating your second Chakra."

Tyrell sat down with crossed legs in the middle of the light beam. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Now," Azrael began, "Chakra Svadhishthana, located in the sacrum, is attuned to the energy from pleasure, creativity, enthusiasm, and emotional balance. To activate it, you must begin by focusing on everything of which you hold a somber disposition, including sorrow, regret, guilt . . ."

A humming sound began, yet it was different from the previous one, as it was about a note higher in pitch.

Tyrell reminiscence the many things he did which yielded memorable consequences. There was a time when he was six years old, at a supermarket, and his parents caught him shoplifting a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards, and he had to apologize to the store manager. He also recalled when he caused a major scene at a party his parents took him to, because many kids present teased him and he lashed out. A more recent scenario occurred during his freshmen year in high school, when he got into a fistfight with a classmate over a trivial verbal debate, trying to make a point to no avail. He received an earful from the teacher and principal, along with a two-day suspension.

". . . I . . ." Tyrell said, slowly, ". . . I can't do this. It's too painful to think about."

"To activate your Chakra," Azrael said, "you must surrender yourself to the unbroken fact that these events have happened. But do not allow them to shroud and pollute your soul. To conceive the energy you require, you must be able to forgive yourself and look beyond petty misfortunes. They are in the past, over and done, and no longer make a difference."

Tyrell took several deep breaths as he pondered. Were events like this really worth lamenting over? Have they had any lasting negative effects on his life as of now?

Since his honest answer to these two questions was no, he was surprisingly convinced that Azrael was right. He needed to let go and look to the future, rather than letting himself get caught up in the past. Forgiving himself for his past misdemeanors, he felt a surge of energy course through his body. He opened his eyes.

"Well done, Tyrell," Azrael said. "Your Svadhishthana Chakra has been charged with celestial energy, so you now have a total of two active Chakras."

"Great!" Tyrell said. "So far, so good. Five more to go, right?"

"That is correct," Azrael answered. "I happen to be aware that you have met up with a girl who is aware of the situation at hand . . . I had a feeling it was to happen soon."

Tyrell narrowed his eyes as he stared at the sky. "What are you talking about?"

"Of course, I have failed to inform you," Azrael began. "You will receive support from several who have knowledge of the ancient arts of Mana and alchemy. The girl, Aria, was only a first of the company whom is to eventually cross paths with you. She is only the beginning."

"Well, Aria did mention that she knew some guy, a Conjurer, but she never mentioned anyone else," Tyrell said.

Azrael paused momentarily. "Perhaps that is because even she does not know all who will assist you on your quest. While I can see a certain distance into the future, I cannot identify those who you shall become acquainted with. And the Darkness that grows stronger in the future clouds my perception of what is to come at a much later point in time."