Chapter 30: Astral World
I couldn’t feel my hands. In fact, I couldn’t feel my legs, my chest, or even the air against my skin.
There was no up, no down, and no physical sensation whatsoever. Yet somehow, I was still completely aware. It was as if my consciousness had been detached from my body and thrown into an infinite, weightless ocean. But instead of water, this ocean was made of raw, shifting logic, abstract ideas, fundamental truths, and strange conceptual structures that defied normal human explanation.
’What... is this place?’ I thought, my mind struggling to make sense of the boundless void surrounding me.
[Don’t stare at it too long, Seth,] Paige’s voice sounded directly inside my consciousness, unusually gentle. [Trying to process the raw architecture of existence with human mind will give you a headache that not even I can cure. Though, if you really want to comprehend it, I can just upgrade your mind right now.]
’No, no, I’m good,’ I replied quickly, mentally stepping back from the swirling conceptual structures around me. ’I’ll pass on the brain fry. But what actually just happened? What is the Astral World?’
[Hehe, fair enough,] Paige giggled softly. [Well, as for Astral Souls, you’ll get a proper, detailed lesson from your family very soon, now that you’ve officially awakened yours. But as for the Astral World? Think of it as the ultimate canvas.]
She paused briefly, her tone becoming more explanatory.
[Before physical reality existed-before planets, stars, matter, or even time-the Astral World was already here,] Paige explained. [It’s the plane where all concepts, ideas, emotions, and fundamental laws originate. Everything in the physical world is basically just a shadow cast by the concepts that exist here.]
’So this place is the origin of everything?’ I asked, taking a moment to absorb the sheer scale of what she was saying.
[Exactly!] Paige chimed in. [All Astral Souls are inherently linked to the Astral World. It’s where their true power comes from. Funny enough, almost ninety-nine percent of people who awaken an Astral Soul in the mortal realm never actually set foot in this plane. They just tap into a tiny sliver of its energy from the outside.]
’And I’m currently floating in it,’ I noted dryly. ’Guess I don’t do things by halves.’
[Nope! You never do,] Paige giggled, sounding thoroughly amused.
’So what about my Astral Soul?’ I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. ’What does it actually do?’
[Right now? Since your unbinding has just started and you’re still technically ’weak’ in terms of your mortal vessel, it allows you to manipulate local reality to a certain extent,] Paige answered casually. [Once you get stronger and integrate it further, you’ll be able to rewrite concepts, rewrite laws, and alter reality on a much larger scale. Though, honestly... if you don’t feel like waiting, you can just ask me right now, and I’ll make your Astral Soul the absolute strongest in the entire multiverse instantly.]
I chuckled, mentally shaking my head. ’Pass. Where’s the fun in jumping straight to the end credits?’
Besides, I was already living a completely stress-free life. I had loving parents, an incredible mansion, a gorgeous bodyguard, and a chaotic pop-star cousin who had just kissed me in a dark alleyway. I wanted to experience everything this new world had to offer at my own pace.
’Plus, I added with a smirk, ’with you by my side, Paige, it’s not like I need to be omnipotent right away anyway.’
[Aww, Seth!] Paige squealed in my head, her virtual avatar practically bursting with pride. [You say the sweetest things! Fine, we’ll do it the fun way.]
Suddenly, a heavy tugging sensation gripped my consciousness, like an invisible tether pulling me backward through layers of space.
[Oh, looks like your physical body is calling you back,] Paige noted smoothly. [Time to head back to the real world, boss!]
Whoosh.
The weightless, abstract ocean vanished instantly. Physical sensation rushed back into my nerve endings like a tidal wave-the cool, damp air of the Haunted House, the faint smell of artificial fog, and the solid ground beneath my sneakers.
I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the dim red emergency light of the narrow brick passage.
Standing directly in front of me was Yerin.
She was sitting on a low wooden decorative crate, her hands resting on her knees as she stared at me with her large, dark eyes. Her flushed face was illuminated by the faint red glow, her expression a mix of awe, lingering passion, and quiet intensity. Her face mask still hung loosely around her neck, exposing her fair skin and parted lips.
I looked around in confusion, noticing the absence of the bone-chilling cold and the mad female specter. The corridor was completely quiet.
"Yerin?" I asked, scratching the back of my neck as I looked down at her. "Are you... okay? What happened?"
Yerin stared at me for another second before her lips curved into a soft, breathtaking smile. The intensity in her eyes melted back into her familiar warmth.
"I’m fine, Seth,’ she whispered gently, her honey-sweet voice carrying a quiet warmth. "Everything’s completely fine."
Before I could ask her anything more about the specter-or address the fact that we’d just been passionately making out against the wall two minutes earlier-crisp, measured footsteps echoed from the entrance of the narrow passage.
Val stepped out of the shadows.
She looked as composed and stoic as ever, her dark fitted jacket neatly draped over her shoulders, her sharp eyes scanning the corridor once before settling on the two of us. Not a single hair was out of place, nor did her expression betray any sign of shock.
"Young Master Seth, Lady Yerin," Val said calmly, her tone strictly professional. "We must return to the Fernando Mansion immediately. Security protocols require your presence at the estate."
I looked at Val, then at Yerin. Neither of us offered a single word of protest.
"Right. Let’s go," I said, pushing my hands into my hoodie pockets.
The walk back to the hotel garage was quiet. The evening air was cool, but my mind was in a complete whirlwind as we climbed into the back seat of the dark luxury sedan. Val took the driver’s seat, started the engine, and smoothly merged into the Capital’s evening traffic.