Before Sharv, everything turned dark, the scene in front of him changed.

  “Looks like these are her memories. Let’s see what I get to witness from 4,600 years ago.”

  In front of Sharv appeared dense forests.

  From the looks of it, he was standing atop a small mountain peak, but there was no snow there, and the heat was intense.

  So Sharv guessed that this must be some place in the northern plains, from 4,600 years ago.

  But then, on the peak of that mountain, he saw three people, their backs facing him.

  Sharv moved closer, and saw clearly.

  Among the three, one was that same woman whose memories he was seeing, the second was a man, and the third, standing between them...

  It wasn’t a body, but only a head. That head was placed atop a pillar, yet it was alive, its eyes moving, gazing at something from that mountain top.

  Sharv couldn’t understand how could a person be alive with only his head?

  When Sharv shifted his gaze toward the direction that head, the woman, and the man were all watching, he saw...

  On a vast field below, a terrifying battle was raging, where two gigantic armies clashed.

  In both armies, along with humans, there were animals like elephants, horses, bears, wolves, and strange flying beasts fighting as well.

  But along with them, there were creatures fighting who were neither human nor animal, but hybrids—mixed forms.

  They too were striking each other on the battlefield.

  Arrows, spears, swords, and all manner of weapons were being used. Some strikes carried strange, mystical powers as well.

  The battlefield’s condition was horrific. Everywhere corpses lay piled, rivers of blood were flowing.

  Severed hands, legs, heads, brains, intestines, eyes, stomachs, and livers littered the ground.

  From watching, one thing was clear, this war was between two human factions, since the commanders and leading figures were humans.

  But the participation of such strange hybrid creatures on this level struck Sharv as odd.

  If a normal person had seen this, they might have vomited. But not Sharv. He watched calmly, unaffected.

  “What a marvelous war... I wonder how many will die...”

  It was the voice of the woman standing there.

  Then once again, darkness swept before his eyes.

  “I wanted to see more...”

  There were still many things happening in that war he hadn’t seen yet.

  But now that it vanished, he could do nothing. Then, what came next tore Sharv’s eardrums apart,

  “Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

  “LIFT YOUR WEAPON!!!”

  “Gwahhhhahahahah!!!”

  “Kuaaaakkkkkkk!!!!”

  “FUCKING BASTARDDD!!!”

  “No, don’t—gwakkkkk!!!!”

  “Ahhhh! A demon! THAT'S A DEMON!!!“

  “Either me or my Army, but I won't be fighting.”

  “Graaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

  “Kill them! Don’t let them escape!!!”

  “ughhhh!!!”

  “Kwaaaakkkkkk!!!!”

  “I curse you! Within 36 years your whole clan will be destroyed!!!”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Gwahh...”

  “...”

  “...”

  One after another, screams of people resounded, agonizing, dreadful.

  Sharv wasn’t afraid of terrifying or painful sounds, but the sheer volume of them made his ears ache.

  For a moment, he couldn’t even hear properly anymore.

  ‘Did it stop?!!!’

  After some time, the voices faded away.

  “Huff! Huff! What the fuck was that?”

  In between the terrifying shouts there were voices of some people too, which he couldn't even understood what they were saying properly.

  But then again, the scene shifted. This time, it was of that woman.

  She was now in the very place where Sharv had found her sealed inside those beads.

  “Sob! Sob!”

  Sharv watched her kneeling, crying, gazing out from within the seal.

  Outside, many people were massacring a group.

  “Perhaps they were her people...”

  Forcing her into captivity, and then slaughtering all her loved ones before her eyes truly cruel.

  Sharv kept watching her cry.

  Then, before those beads appeared the image of a man.

  He wore grand white garments, a golden crown studded with jewels, ornaments of gold on his neck and arms.

  His face Sharv could not see clearly because of the darkness.

  But what Sharv could see was enoug—that man stared at the beads, at the woman trapped inside, and laughed mockingly.

  For some reason, just that sight filled Sharv with anger. It was annoying him.

  “Sob! I will not forgive you!!! No matter what, I will destroy you and your entire clan!!!”

  the woman screamed, tears pouring from her eyes.

  “Ahhhhhhh! I will not forgive you!!!”

  Sharv heard her voice one last time, and then the vision ended.

  ***

  ‘So, what did you see?’

  And he was back in the moment when the woman had given him her will.

  “...”

  ‘Hey I'm asking you something.’

  “Nothing much...”

  ‘Don't lie, I know you must have seen something there, just tell me what did you saw?’

  “Well, I was people being slaughtered on a battlefield, and there horrifying shouts, and then... I also saw you cryi...”

  ‘Ok, I get it you can stop!’

  Looks like she doesn't wants to hear more, or doesn't wants to experience that time again.

  “Anyway, now you are my spirit servant, right?”

  ‘Yes! But don’t think that means you can command me. You remember my conditions, don’t you?’

  “Yes, yes, I remember, don’t worry...”

  Vijay was listening quietly.

  At least he felt relieved that Sharv was alive. And also glad that the woman had joined them.

  Sharv glanced at Vijay and pulled him back into his sacred thread.

  Then Sharv looked at the woman and said,

  “Now I’ll also have to make a vessel for you...”

  Sharv was still thinking of what he should make her vessel, when the she spoke,

  ‘You...don’t need to worry. I can control my negative energy even without a vessel.’

  “Spirits can do that?”

  ‘Of course. I know ways to prevent my negative energy from flowing outside. No human would be able to detect me, until or unless it's not a very powerful one...’

  “Then show me.”

  The woman closed her eyes, recited a mantra, and then, her negative energy ceased to leak out of her spirit form.

  But...

  “I can still feel you though.”

  ‘That’s because I’m your spirit servant now. Understand? If you don’t believe me, then ask that lowly spirit of yours.’

  ‘‘Lowly spirit... Vijay?”

  ‘Don’t call me a lowly spirit!’

  Vijay’s voice came from inside the sacred thread.

  ‘If a lowly spirit isn’t called lowly, then what else should it be called? Humph!’

  ‘Ahh! This old hag...’

  Vijay thought, but didn’t speak.

  “Vijay, can you sense her?”

  Sharv asked. To which Vijay replied,

  ‘No...’

  Because he truly couldn’t feel her anymore. The woman’s negative energy had indeed vanished.

  ‘See, I told you. Now then...’

  “Well, But I still think you should stay inside a vessel it's more safe.”

  Sharv cut her off. Hearing that, the woman grew angry, and said,

  ‘Didn’t I just say I can control my energy, you stu...’

  “Are you afraid?”

  The women went silent, same for vijay and sharv no one said anything.

  ‘...’

  Turning her face away. After a while, in a heavy voice she said,

  ‘I fear nothing...’

  Sharv’s guess was right. She was afraid of entering a vessel.

  He could understand after all, she had been sealed inside those beads for thousands of years.

  And now, after so long, she was finally free. To be sealed again inside a vessel? How could she possibly accept that?

  “Sigh... look, I don’t mean to imprison you...again. I’m only saying this for both our safety. What if, on the way, some spiritual master, or some with sharp sense sensed you? That'll be a big problem.”

  Inside, she was afraid, but she didn’t want to show it before the boy.

  ‘Ah! Fine! Since you insist so much, I’ll agree!’

  Sharv turned another sacred thread into her vessel. The red-yellow sacred thread turned into black.

  She entered it, but after a short while,

  ‘Disciple, let me out!’

  Sharv released her.

  “What happened? Felt suffocated inside?”

  ‘Ahem! No! Why would I suffocate? I just want to stay outside right now. Since there are no humans nearby, you shouldn’t mind me being out right now...’

  ‘She’s clearly scared...’

  Vijay muttered from inside, making the woman’s cheeks turn red with anger.

  She snapped at him,

  ‘This lowly spirit!!!’

  But she couldn't do anything from outside, since Vijay is in his vessel. Only if he is outside, then she can do something to him.

  ‘Come out once, then I’ll show you!’

  “By the way, what should I call you?”

  ‘Uh?’

  “I mean... your name or something?”

  ‘Oh! Since you’re asking me that...’

  A strange smile appeared on her face, and she said,

  ‘From now on, you can call me Master.’

  Hearing that, Sharv’s brows frowned.

  ‘What’s wrong? You yourself said you’d be my disciple. A disciple must call their teacher Master. What’s wrong with that?’

  Sharv was starting to understand her emotions.

  She didn’t fully trust him yet, and by using a word like ‘Master’ she wanted to slowly raise her own authority over him keeping him under her control without him realizing.

  ‘She’s a cunning woman...’

  But Sharv also knew her game, and he wouldn’t allow things to go her way.

  If she tried to stay two steps ahead, he would aim to stay five or even ten steps ahead.

  And slowly, he would make her feel his own authority.

  Sharv clasped his hands together and said with a slight bow, and a faint smile,

  “Alright, I'll call you Master.”

  Hearing that, the woman’s lips curved up, and she said,

  “Well said, disciple.”

  Sharv smiled outwardly, but his eyes remained emotionless. He knew; if one wished to fool the world, one must first fool oneself.