Power of Runes Chapter 403: Return to the Soul Space

{Rune of Truth : I'm not intending to wait around for his awakening, either. Instead, I'll dispatch his consciousness straight into confronting his deepest fears and traumas. Only by conquering them will he evolve into a figure devoid of vulnerabilities at his current stage. Might that bypasses the psyche stays flawed, and I won't permit him to linger in that deficient state.}

{Rune of Harmony : There you have it. That's precisely what I meant earlier. Acting with such brutality and straightforwardness—if only he'd grasped even 1% of my essence... Tsk! You invariably opt for the most severe route, even when a softer approach would serve equally effectively.}

Yet the determination of the Rune of Truth dismissed the pointless chatter from the other Runes. At this moment, solely it possessed the ability to connect with Ash. The rest would require Ash to grasp at least 1% of their core to establish any link.

Grasping 1% marked the barrier that released certain locked abilities within a Rune. This encompassed the power of interaction too. Consequently, upon reaching 1% comprehension of any Rune, the inherent effects of that Rune or abilities derived from it would see a clear enhancement.

This explained why the Runes, despite their desire to reach out and direct Ash, found themselves unable to. They stayed bound by seals, and those bindings held firm to this day.

However, what force could possibly constrain even the Runes themselves? Such an enigma belongs to a different moment.

With that, Ash got thrust back into a void brimming with shadows, encircled solely by recollections laden with pain and distress. The pure emptiness had vanished, supplanted by swirling shards of scenes he longed to erase from memory.

Moments ticked by, until Ash finally stirred back to awareness.

Initially, he scanned his surroundings and summoned the Rune of Truth, yet met with silence, so he fell quiet, his words dissolving into the barren gloom without any echo.

Given all the ordeals he'd endured, it wouldn't stretch the truth to claim that the recent events might have been mere deceptions.

Nevertheless, Ash held firm knowledge of encountering the Rune of Truth's resolve, something impossible to fake. The weight, the tone, the purpose woven through it all rang with undeniable authenticity.

Even so, as he gazed upon these hovering recollections encircling him, Ash quickly discerned what steps lay ahead.

Foolish obstinacy didn't define him. Before the Runes, his power paled, and based on his inferences, surmounting these concealed sentiments and scars seemed essential for breaking free from this realm.

Indulging in pride by remaining idle would merely squander his precious hours.

At times, yielding one's ego proves necessary to advance through existence, no matter if that ego serves as the sole pillar upholding them.

Therefore, Ash resolved to tackle every issue that had subtly haunted him without his realization.

As outlined in Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalysis, choices made by humans stem from the subconscious, a repository for wounds, concealed yearnings, and early life encounters that quietly mold behavior.

Should Ash address these matters, the gains could extend beyond mere liberation from this domain, fortifying his mental resilience in the process.

In such a manner, time continued to flow.

A full week elapsed.

Over these days, Ash delved into various recollections sequentially, revisiting episodes he'd long suppressed, and he discovered with astonishment that they lacked the intensity he'd built up in his thoughts. The dread he'd layered upon them through years outweighed the actual substance of the events.

Occasionally, the true challenge lies not in the obstacle itself, but in the attitude one adopts when approaching it.

Such a shift alone can forge an immense divide.

For Ash, the issue wasn't the sheer might of these entrenched feelings, but rather how his perspective had locked him into avoidance. He'd persuaded himself that facing them would plunge him into hopelessness and terror, granting those sentiments undue sway over his life.

Yet, beyond our awareness, matters often prove far less intricate than they seem. A daunting, towering challenge might appear fearsome from afar, but it diminishes sharply once you stride toward it rather than dwelling on potential failure.

Ultimately, that bold initial advance against the unattainable turns the improbable into reality. Few individuals summon the bravery and proper outlook to make that move when uncertainty shouts over logic.

Ash, however, possessed it, and he triumphed.

Though successful, a single lingering reality awaited his confrontation, tied directly to Nancy.

The enveloping shadows grew denser as her name emerged in his reflections, suggesting that particular recollection bore greater burden than the sum of all preceding ones.

A touch of apprehension gripped him, his chest constricting at the prospect of revelations ahead, yet with resolute spirit, he elected to meet it head-on.

His sight shifted, presenting him with visions of his initial encounter with Nancy.

The tableau materialized vividly, akin to segments of an aged reel unspooling amid the obscurity.

As he observed these visions, Ash came to see that Nancy hadn't initiated contact; rather, he had drawn near to her. He witnessed his boyhood version fumbling uncertainly, pausing briefly before stepping closer.

From the viewpoint of young Ash at the time, this seemed entirely ordinary—a isolated youth extending a hand, unclear on the motive. But viewing it now from an impartial, composed distance, Ash started perceiving elements he'd never scrutinized earlier.

It evaded him initially, yet with successive visions unfolding—reiterating subtle motions and looks—he gradually recognized that the child Ash had sought Nancy out for safeguarding.

This constituted a self-serving move from Ash, or more precisely, an instinctive bid to guard against the tormentors who isolated him in solitude.

The core essence boiled down to this: Ash had neared Nancy in self-preservation. He lingered by her side, conversed with her, aimed to amuse her, projected reliability. Unaware of cunning at that tender age, his conduct still drew Nancy's affection toward him.

Additional visions streamed past his view... and further ones... brief instances of mirth, subdued dialogues, mutual quietude.

Still, Ash detected no profound affection or fixation in the gaze of his youthful counterpart.

Bond existed, beyond question. Prolonged companionship, particularly in isolation, renders someone cherished. They turn recognizable. They offer security. Ash experienced this with Nancy; she emerged as his sole anchor in a turbulent existence.

Even during his stint at the rehabilitation facility, Ash's bond with Nancy endured. Amid unfamiliar faces, rigid schedules, and detached assessments, she stood as his sole comforting recollection.

Only upon reexamining those instances meticulously did an uneasy truth dawn on him.

Those children met their end not through his defense of Nancy, but in defense of his own interests.

He sought to evade being implicated, accused, or cast as a villain. Relatives had already forsaken him. His parents' legacy of wealth and holdings had vanished. Faith in others lay shattered.

Thus, he struck preemptively.

Driven not by devotion.

But by dread.

By vulnerability.

By the primal urge to endure before external forces dictated his end.

Further visions flowed, revealing that only after extended shared time in the facility did amorous sentiments blossom for Nancy. Prior to that, it had amounted to reliance and connection, no further.

Uncertainty persisted for him on whether those emotions arose organically from mutual solitude, or if counselors had gently nudged them to elicit greater emotional engagement.

That uncertainty settled softly within his thoughts.

Subsequently, once their role concluded, the visions gradually dispersed, fragment by fragment, abandoning Ash to the solitude of shadows anew.

On this occasion, the quiet weighed more oppressively than prior.

The reflection persisted subtly in his consciousness.

In truth, it held no consequence regardless. It altered nothing, frankly speaking. History stayed fixed, no matter his newfound clarity.

Yet one assurance stood firm: he now grasped his entire being.

Not the varied facades he presented to varied audiences. Not the disguises adapted to circumstances. Instead, his authentic core. The self-interested facets. The timid aspects. The strategic elements.

He understood his nature.

He recognized his identity.

No ambiguity remained, no soothing falsehoods for shelter.

Though, for the present, it bore little weight. The ramifications of this insight would unfold in due course, amid decisions and their repercussions.

As he embraced this reality without opposition, the encircling shadows withdrew gradually, resembling a retreating wave toward an invisible sea.

He discovered himself within yet another obscurity.

However, this felt recognizable.

It offered tranquility. Immensity. Hush.

Encircled by majestic Runes hovering like timeless columns in boundless emptiness, their subtle luminescence casting ever-changing glyphs across the expanse, he comprehended his return to the soul space.

He was home once more.

***